With my youngest daughter at a field trip. (Photo courtesy of Francis Regalado)

My college degree is in sight despite all the obstacles

EL PASO – Ever since high school, I was categorized as one of the students who could never get a college degree, but now I am only months away from earning my diploma at the University of Texas at El Paso, part of the first generation in my family to graduate from college. In high school they had two kinds of plans, the advanced and the general plan. The advanced plan was for those students identified as college material and the general plan was for those students tagged only as high school graduates. My first D in geometry prompted the counselors to switch me to the general plan. Although they said I could still attend college, they pulled me out of geometry and put me in consumer math, which was an interesting class but not a class I feel I really needed.

Visitors to the Mirazozo Luminarium compared the experience to walking into a kaleidoscope. (Francis Regalado/Borderzine.com)

Visiting the Mirazozo Luminarium is like floating inside a giant kaleidoscope

EL PASO – Inside a structure shaped like a spaceship, a world of bright luminous red, green and blue stripes of light form bouncing patterns of color on the walls of five metallic domes like fireworks in outer space. The structure, called a Mirazozo Luminarium, a creation of the British company Architects of Air was brought to El Paso as part of this year’s Chalk the Block event from October 12 to 14 and was displayed on Cleveland Square Park, next to the El Paso Museum of History. “I think it was awesome, “ said Esmeralda Quintana. 29. “I carry a kaleidoscope in my car and being inside the Luminarium was a dream come true.”

Residents approaching the event could see the 158 ft.

Newcomer Republican Barbara Carrasco talks to the press. (Francis Regalado/Borderzine.com)

Distinct stands on major political issues mark the El Paso congressional race

EL PASO – Fresh from winning one of the biggest upsets in local political history last May against eight-term U.S. Rep. Sylvester Reyes, Democrat Beto O’Rourke now faces political newcomer Republican Barbara Carrasco in a run for Reyes’ Congressional District 16, seat. O’Rourke won the Democratic primary election with a margin of less than five percent of the vote and he says he did it with legwork. He explained that what made his team the best was that people of all ages and all walks of life came together with the same idea to better the community and did what it took to make it happen. “We were able to put together one of the best teams in campaign history in El Paso,” O’Rourke said. Democrat O’Rourke and Republican Carrasco have different positions on the following issues important to the El Paso community, such as job creation and the economy, education and healthcare.

Heinz Duerkop filled our neighborhood with happiness

EL PASO, Texas — One year and five months ago—on Fathers Day—Heinz Duerkop was riding his bike on George Dieter and Pocahontas in El Paso, Texas. He was struck from behind and killed. The police conducted an investigation, but to this point no arrest has been made. According to the police report, white paint chips were recovered from the scene. One witness, Nora Hodges was about to drink her morning cup of coffee when she heard a loud thump and, out her window, saw dust swirling in the air.