Latin American restaurants that go beyond Mexican in the Borderland

In the neighboring cities of El Paso and Juarez, a border region where Mexican and U.S. cultures intertwine, divided and connected by the Rio Grande, you can find a great number of authentic cuisines, from the typical U.S. burger and fries to homestyle Mexican tacos and enchiladas. Although this variety is satisfying for Borderlanders, it often leaves me craving “pupusas” and “tamales de hoja de platano,” two dishes common to one-half of my ethnic background which is Mexican and Salvadoran. This means I usually need to wait for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays to satisfy my Salvadoran taste buds, when my Mexican-born mom cooks up traditional Salvadoran dishes she’s mastered since she married my Salvadoran dad 25 years ago. Hopefully, one day someone will open a Salvadoran restaurant on the East side close to home. Related story: Popular Latin American foods show common characteristics, diverse accents

I know I am not alone.

En una lucha libre contra la obesidad Tragones Anónimos salvan vidas

 

EL PASO — Lorena una señora de 50 años con solo cinco pies de altura pesaba casi 200 libras y empezó a padecer de enfermedades como el colesterol, triglicéridos, colitis y gastritis pero no sabia que padecía de algo aún mas serio — el tragonismo. Para reconocer ese padecimiento tuvo que unirse a un grupo que ahora ella reconoce que le salvó la vida — Tragones Anónimos. En los Estados Unidos el 35 por ciento de personas sufren de obesidad. Un número alarmante de una enfermedad que también afecta a 38 por ciento de la población hispana. En el condado de El Paso un 17 por ciento de la poblacion infantil sufre problemas de obesidad.

Decisions on fate of El Paso school facilities await elected school board

EL PASO, Texas — After months of deliberation, the El Paso Independent School District Board of Managers decided to postpone most decisions on campus consolidations. The El Paso Independent School District last year released results from a $4.2 million study of existing school facilities in various areas throughout the the city. The study analyzed the operation of the schools, focusing on issues of student capacity and efficient use of resources. It initially included recommendations that the school system consider closing eight elementary schools: Roberts, Vilas, Beall, Alta Vista, Zavala, Fannin,Travis and Schuster Elementary schools. One recommendation in the plan is to rebuild some of the elementary schools entirely; while the others would become campuses for grades K-8.