Las maquiladoras de Juárez no están obligadas a dar un día feriado para la visita del Papa

By |

CD. JUAREZ – Se esperaba que todas las dependencias de gobierno y de la industria maquiladora tendrían el 17 de febrero libre para celebrar la visita del Papa Francisco, pero ahora la organización encargada de coordinar las 360 maquiladoras dice que no es un día feriado para los 260,000 empleados del sector. Algunas han optado en dar el día 17 libre a cambio por otro día feriado. Otras han decidido seguir abiertas como cualquier día normal de trabajo. La Asociación Mexicana de Actuarios Consultores, organización que se encarga de coordinar las empresas maquiladoras, ha decidido que el día de la visita del Papa no es un día feriado para los empleado, sino que es decision de cada empresa dar el día a sus trabajadores para que ellos tengan la oportunidad de atender a la misa masiva.

Early college, endorsement programs enhance Texas high school options

By |

As an eighth grader at Clint Middle School, 13-year-old BobbiAnn Owen decided she would apply to an early college program that is part of Clint High School that allows students to obtain an associate’s degree by the time they graduate from 12th grade. She was delighted when she made the cut. She was one of 70 students accepted to the selective and demanding program out of 159 applicants. Clint school district has 2,907 high school students and all the benefit of applying for Clint Early College Academy before their freshman year. BobbiAnn now, half a year into the program, is making personal sacrifices to excel and remain in the program.

Texas researchers monitor spread of ‘kissing bug’ disease

By |

EL PASO – Borderland residents are at risk of contracting diseases such as diabetes, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and West Nile Virus, but so far Chagas, transmitted by “kissing bugs” has not kissed anyone in the El Paso-Juarez region. “We have a list of more than 80 diseases that we consider dangerous at the department of public health,. On this list, we have Chagas disease,” said Fernando J. Gonzalez, lead epidemiologist for the Department of Public Health in the City of El Paso. But although Chagas has hot been seen here so far, Gonzalez said that the public health department is always on watch for cases where any new parasites or diseases are detected. Chagas disease is named after the Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas, who discovered it in 1909.

5 routes bicycle riders should try around Ciudad Juarez

By |

Although cycling is not one of the most popular of sports in the Ciudad Juarez area (not even close to being one), there are great spaces in this border community for people to go out on their bikes and have a good time. Whether just for pleasure or as a way to train for a cycling race, our Mexican sister city has different zones where this sport, for both road and mountain bikes, can be practiced on a daily or regular basis. Here are five places in or near Juarez for a cycling enthusiast. Valle de Juárez

According to cyclist Juan Carlos Salayandia, Valle de Juárez is a 90 kilometer route that cyclists can really enjoy due to the great views, especially with the green landscapes abound during the spring and summer. Dunas de Samalayuca

This is a mountain bike training trail.

Jugger – the battle sport inspired by a B-movie – attracts friendly warriors

By |

The referee stands in the middle of the field and signals both teams to get ready. “Three …Two …One… jugger!” The teams run at each other, brandishing their weapons like medieval warriors. In fact, this is not very different from a battle from the Middle Ages; just add a little rugby, hockey, fencing and martial arts. But before the battle both teams gathered in a circle, reminding themselves that it is all about having fun. Then they broke the circle and went to a large stack of padded weaponry: spears, staffs, shields, chains and swords.

Spice – Synthetic marijuana continues to claim victims who don’t realize its dangers

By |

EL PASO — Doctors confirmed earlier this year that 19-year-old Alberto Guerrero had overdosed on an unknown substance that damaged his cardiac and respiratory systems.

After weeks of tests, Guerrero was told that something was attacking the muscle cells that contract his heart and lungs. He was told he had about a year to live, then given a bottle of pain killers and sent home. Three months later he died. Before his death, he confessed to his mother and a doctor that he was addicted to a drug called Spice, a synthetic marijuana that is highly addictive and may cause death. Spice became popular about five years ago among young people, including those in the military.

Where is El Paso on energy sustainability?

By |

 

EL PASO — As the world heats up and the threat of rising sea levels becomes more pressing, unconcerned humans continue to pump dangerous levels of greenhouse gasses into our fragile atmosphere, putting 7.3 billion people at risk of extinction. But some El Paso officials are determined to reduce carbon emissions here and improve the quality of life for all who live in the Sun City. The Office of Resilience and Sustainability was created in 2007 to develop sustainability goals for the city and to plan initiatives that support the entire community while helping to reduce the carbon footprint created by day to day living. “The resilience initiative looks at things through different lenses,” said Nicole Ferrini, Chief Resilience officer for the City of El Paso. “We are looking at the energy question with a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit.”

All procedures city-wide must follow strict guidelines defined in the “Livable City Sustainability Plan” to address the environmental, economic and social impact of future policies and programs.

There are a few programs that are making progress in the city that adhere to these principles and also help to improve the quality of life for all El Pasoans.

El Paso County Attorney awards scholarships to violence victims through Cycle for Change program

By |

Overseeing daily cases of domestic violence prompted El Paso County Attorney Jo Anne Bernal and her staff to develop an idea for partnering with women to break the cycle of violence and help them to thrive. The idea gave birth to Cycle for Change, an annual cycling tour that began in 2013 to raise money for scholarships for women who are trying to move beyond a past of domestic violence. The scholarships can be used in pursuit of any endeavor, whether it be academic or therapeuticEl Paso’s county attorney’s office helps obtain protective orders for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. “When we deal with victims of domestic violence, we deal with women who are primarily in crisis,” Bernal said. Now, the county attorney’s office partners with Villa Maria, a homeless shelter for women without children, to put on Cycling for Change.

‘Mexican Black Friday’ struggles to compete with U.S. deals in border towns

By |

CD. JUAREZ– People gather in the electronics section of Walmart two weeks before Black Friday with their shopping carts still empty, going in circles among the store’s sales staff, who today wear red T-shirts announcing “the cheapest weekend of the year.”

As they tell shoppers that the price for the 60-inch flat-screen TV in front of them is the lowest they will ever see, someone with a microphone urges shoppers not to wait until Black Friday to do their Christmas shopping: “Forget about the long lines, ‘the good weekend’ is here.”

El Buen Fin, dubbed the Mexican Black Friday, took place from November 13 to November 16 this year. In past years, El Buen Fin has rung up to 197 billion pesos in sales, according to the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce (Conacaco), This year was expected to bring in between four to eight percent more. While El Buen Fin has been successful in most parts in México since its inception in 2011, it hasn’t had the same success in border cities such as Cd. Juárez where shoppers have access to U.S. Black Friday sales.

Pet food pantry helps keep animal friends in the family during tough times

By |

Many pet owners view their pets as part of their family. They do everything they can to care for them, including feeding them their favorite food or buying them a new outfit. But, things can happen in life, and pet owners can be left unable to care for their beloved pets. Former El Paso Humane Society volunteer, Josie Gonzalez, saw many pet owners who were forced to surrender their pets to the shelter because they could no longer afford to feed and care for them. Gonzalez thought of a new way to help keep pets at home with their families.

Electric rate increase stings for those on fixed income

By |

EL PASO — Ramon Garcia, 55, lives on a fixed disability income and he never really thought much about electricity, until the El Paso Electric Company announced that it will raise his monthly power cost by $8.41. “The thing about the Electric Company, you can’t go anywhere else it not like the cell phones. It’s them or nobody else,” Garcia said. “You can scream and holler all you want but it won’t do you any good, unless the whole city raises hell, which I doubt.“

Dissatisfied and frustrated with the increase the electric company is asking for, Garcia understands there is not much that can be done, given that El Paso Electric is a monopoly. Alex Ochoa, an electrician in his early 40’s, has the same worries.

New guide spells out health risks, options for women on the border

By |

 

EL PASO –Twenty years ago, Maria Elena Ramos Rodriguez faced the difficult task of finding foster homes for four possibly HIV-positive babies born to mothers who were heroin addicts and were already infected with the virus. “Luisa had captivated me the first time our sight met,” said Ramos, 57, director of community projects for Programa Compañeros and a long time Juarez activist who has worked on behalf of women’s health issues on the border.. Related: Health coalitions key to helping high-risk groups, says Mexican community organizer honored by U.S.

There was little chance that Luisa, one of the babies who was a week old and had been rejected from various facilities, would find a home because of widespread fear among potential caregivers who were afraid of contracting the disease. Two decades and many tests later, Luisa is a healthy and HIV-free 20-year-old thanks to Ramos, who accepted her temporarily and eventually adopted her. “I felt so much tenderness when she looked at me for the first time with a wide-open smile.

Campus-carry opponents have their say at UTEP rally

By |

EL PASO — With the cameras rolling from every news station in the city, journalism Professor David Smith-Soto and State Sen. Jose Rodriguez used a megaphone to make their case against allowing the concealed carry of guns on the UT El Paso campus. “From one thing the presence of a gun in a classroom destroys the classroom, the environment of the classroom, being able to have discussions, that type of thing, but the most important thing is we don’t know who is carrying this gun and through our campus, all the gun massacres that have occurred on campuses have been done with legal weapons,” Smith-Soto said. He and Rodriguez addressed a small crowd of protesters who gathered at Leech Grove at UTEP Oct. 19 to show their opposition to the newly approved Texas law that will allow concealed guns on campus starting in the fall of 2016,

“I think it’s great that the students at UTEP are coming together and are expressing themselves – that guns on campus promote more violence; expose more people to harm,” Rodriguez said. Many faculty and staff members said they came out sign a petition and show support the movement for repealing the law.

Talking hazing to prevent hazing among college students

By |

EL PASO — As part of Hazing Prevention Week 2015 at UTEP, students played a game in which they placed red or green pellets in boxes containing different potential scenarios: red if they thought it was not hazing and green if they thought that it was. Sometimes the scenarios fell into the “gray area” for participants, highlighting one of the biggest problems of hazing for some students – knowing when the line has been crossed. Delecia McPherson, president of the National Panhellenic Council at UTEP, said the scenario game and other exercises were great ways to engage students in discussions about activities that may humiliate, degrade, abuse or endanger group members or initiates – even if they seem willing to participate. “I believe my knowledge on hazing has better informed students on what is considered hazing and how we can question situations that may draw a fine line on the subject,” she said. National Hazing Prevention Week ran from September 21 through the 25.

Visually impaired pedal to adventure in Juarez spinning group

By |

CD JUAREZ — People with visual impairments have found they can pedal their way into a renewed enthusiasm for an active lifestyle by taking spinning classes in a redesigned gym here. They mount stationary bicycles at the the Gimnasio Adaptado Benito Juarez under the guidance of specially trained instructors who take them into an imaginary pedaling adventure, giving them the chance to exercise and enjoy the type of fun they usually can’t get on their own. En español: Bicicletas de spinning dan nueva luz a la comunidad invidente de Juárez

The gym opened in September with various instructors trained to teach sporting programs to people with disabilities. who can take free classes in activities such as karate, gol bol, basketball, and spinning. Silvia Salas and Karla Fonseca are two of the spinning instructors that have dedicated their time to lead classes for the visually impaired.

Bicicletas de spinning dan nueva luz a la comunidad invidente de Juárez

By |

CD JUAREZ — Con mucho entusiasmo hacia la vida, un grupo de personas invidentes se dedican a tomar clases de spinning — pedaleando con bicicleta estacionaria en una pista imaginaria –en el Gimnasio Adaptado Benito Juarez en Ciudad Juárez como manera de ejercitarse y pasar un rato de diversión. Tras su apertura en el mes de septiembre, este gimnasio ha contado con la participación de varios instructores que ofrecen clases a personas con diferentes niveles de capacidad. Con disciplinas como el karate, gol bol, basketball y spinning, las personas que cuentan con alguna discapacidad pueden hacer uso de este gimnasio que, además, ofrece sus clases de manera gratuita. In English: Visually impaired pedal to adventure in Juarez spinning group

Silvia Salas y Karla Fonseca son dos de las instructoras de Spinning que han dedicado su tiempo a preparar a personas invidentes y atribuirles el gusto por la bicicleta estacionaria. “Me di cuenta que el spinning es hacer un recorrido en bicicleta con tu imaginación”, mencionó Fonseca.

How to set up a home recording studio with these 5 basic items, thanks to modern technology

By |

EL PASO — Before digital, building a quality music recording studio meant spending tons of money for gear or paying professional studios $1,200 a session, but advances in recording technology have made it easy for anyone with a computer to create affordable professional recordings at home. “It’s amazing what you can do with today’s technology,” said professional musician David Hamilton, who began his dream of creating a home studio in 1990. “It has taken me over 20 years to get all this,” he said as he pointed to the computers, keyboards, mixers, instruments and other gear filling a converted dining room of his East Side home. Hamilton, who plays bass in several bands – including the popular El Paso retro-disco band Fungi Mungle, uses his 12×12 studio to create recordings for himself as well as a stream of extra income for his family. He has recorded commercials for local businesses as well as session work for other bands, some in other states.

U.S. businesses feeling the pinch of weaker peso

By |

 

EL PASO – Six months after the downward slide of the peso in Mexico began squeezing the pocketbooks of Juarez residents, El Paso is starting to feel the sharp impact of less goods being sold on this side of the border, officials say. “I mainly come to El Paso to buy clothes for my son, the jeans and shirts he likes are cheaper here,” said Dona Maria Guadalupe Pacheco, a resident from Ciudad Juarez, who comes to El Paso to buy the items she needs. “I cross the bridge twice a week, I shop here in downtown El Paso. Due to the high price of the dollar, I cannot spend as much money as I used to spend before, I remember spending 50 dollars, now I only spend 20 dollars.” The value of the dollar in the last year has increased about 27.33 percent against the Mexican peso, according to the United States Federal Reserve Bank.

Many U.S. citizens choosing Mexico for affordable health care again

By |

A few months before Nadiezdha Dominguez was diagnosed with esophagitis, a medical condition that causes irritation or inflammation of the esophagus, she experienced first hand the stark difference in emergency room care provided in El Paso as opposed to Ciudad Juarez. She concluded that the treatment she received in a Ciudad Juarez emergency room in August was “worlds of difference” better than her experience at an El Paso medical facility in March. The 20-year-old UTEP student who lives with her mother in an area between Fabens and Clint is still paying the $1,350 bill for the hospital services and the doctor’s consultation she received at the El Paso hospital. Although she was diagnosed correctly, she could not afford to pay for her follow-up treatment in El Paso because she is uninsured and prefers to pay the “individual mandate penalty” rather than sign up for health insurance under the U.S. government’s Affordable Care Act. Instead, she crossed the Santa Fe (Paso del Norte) bridge with her mother five months ago and visited a Juarez hospital to get treated.

Library checks out robotics program to engage young learners

By |

EL PASO — The normally quiet atmosphere of the library with the faint aroma of musty books waiting for stories to come alive is interrupted by the laughter of children ordering brightly colored robots to launch a ball through a hoop, pick up litter and put it in in the trashcan. They love the idea of being in charge of the robots they created with Legos and electronics at the Esperanza A. Moreno Regional Library on Pebble Hills Road where they learn teamwork — working together to complete a project. “The kids don’t just like to build them, they like to decorate them too,” says Gerardo Sanchez, a teacher of computer science at El Dorado High School. Some robot kits reach a height of six feet and weigh in at around 120 pounds, and can cost more than $7,000. The extra parts can cost some $3,000.

Shop brings second-hand chic to university area

By |

EL PASO — Opening to a huge crowd here this summer, the first Uptown Cheapskate store in this area specializing in used clothing, shoes and accessories aims to bring affordable fashion to students, young professionals, and those simply looking for a great buy. According to owner Kevin Drennan the store opening on August 27 drew the third largest crowd in the history of Uptown Cheapskate store franchises, resale stores with a particular point of view. “The difference between thrift and resale is we’ll pay you cash for your clothes, whereas thrift will just take your items and don’t pay you anything for it. Consignment gives you fifty percent of the profit from an item after they sell it,” Drennan said. The first franchise of the company opened in 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Candy makers call for cheap sugar fix on U.S. side of the border

By |

By Rebecca Anzel, SHFWire.com

WASHINGTON – The U.S. candy industry has a problem. The sugar it needs to produce sweet treats is protected by the government through tariffs and trade restrictions, which drive up the price, industry officials say. This has forced some companies to move  production to places where sugar is cheaper, including Mexico or Brazil. Atkinson Candy Co. is one of those companies.

Los populares mercados de segundas de Juarez se resisten a desaparecer

By |

Cd. JUAREZ — Muchos sitios son icónicos aquí prácticamente por decreto como el Bar Kentucky, la Catedral de Guadalupe, el parque de El Chamizal, pero entre estos hay un ícono algo olvidado– los mercados de segundas de la ciudad. Desde los que van emergiendo con el tiempo y luego desaparecen hasta los que tienen más de cuarenta años, los mercados de segundas son sitios de comercio informal que por diversas causas se resisten a desparecer. Varios de estos mercados populares se encuentran próximos a puntos de cruce y denso tráfico o bien en las inmediaciones de espacios de reunión, como el situado a un costado de la iglesia San Pedro Y San Pablo, o dentro de los mismísimos -y tradicionales- Herrajeros. Los hay de todos tamaños y últimamente han empezado a florecer en las proximidades de zonas habitacionales clasemedieras.

Ragz to Riches thrift consignment shop. (Natalia Aguilar/Borderzine.com)

Mexican shoppers make El Paso trips fun tradition

By |

EL PASO — Daniela Caballero, a senior at UT El Paso, remembers being a young girl from Chihuahua, Mexico, and being so excited for her seasonal shopping trip in El Paso. “I would invite a friend with me and my family, and we would stay in Juarez and cross over every day. My dad would save money on the hotel by staying with family in Juarez, so we also took the opportunity to reunite with our family,” she said. Caballero’s family eventually moved to El Paso, which changed her shopping experience. “Now that my family and I have moved to El Paso, I no longer view shopping here the same way.

Mexican food, pizza, other El Paso dining out options get healthy upgrade

By |

A program that helps El Paso restaurants modify their menus is making it a little easier for diners to make healthy choices. Seventeen restaurants have joined the Eat Well! El Paso project in partnership with the Paso Del Norte Health Foundation (PDNHF), the El Paso Department of Public Health, and The University of Texas at El Paso. The program is a part of the PDNHF’s Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) initiative that helps local restaurants put healthier choices on their menus, especially for children. “With children, healthy eating helps a lot with growth, of the brain and of the whole body” said Michael Kelly, senior program officer for HEAL, “Obesity is something that has been a problem for a long time in America, and its getting worse.

Borderland groups unite to close the tap on underage drinking

By |

EL PASO — Whether they’re sneaking over the border to party, using fake IDs or hanging at a friend’s house, when minors drink they often go too far. “There are a lot of people who, unfortunately, they get into a driving accident. They get into a fight. They may end up pregnant. Or they may suffer academically because they were engaging in unhealthy drinking behaviors,” said Jana Renner, lead program director for Shift Positive, a new initiative aimed at curbing underage drinking in El Paso, Juarez and southern New Mexico.

African country aided by Fort Bliss unit making progress 1 year after Ebola outbreak

By |

EL PASO — A year after the Ebola epidemic ravaged West Africa the risk of resurgence lingers, but communities continue to make progress toward rebuilding due to brave international humanitarian efforts, including those of soldiers from El Paso. Months after the Ebola outbreak began killing thousands of people in Liberia, more than 250 soldiers from here shuttled the sick by helicopter from isolated villages to Nairobi for treatment at facilities they helped build. The soldiers, primarily from the 501st Aviation Regiment deployed last October from Fort Bliss to participate in “Operation United Assistance” in Liberia. “It was not a combat mission,” said Chief Warrant Officer Landon Dykes. “This was a different scenario, a different role for the entire task-force and our entire purpose was to help the people of Liberia combat Ebola.”

Campus crime reporting effectiveness questioned

By |

By Nadia Dreid, SHFWire.com

WASHINGTON – When Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., called for the repeal of the Clery Act at a campus safety conference in June, Annette Spicuzza clapped. She wasn’t alone – the room rumbled with the applause of a hundred plus educators. “I know the mess it is,” McCaskill said of the law. “So my goal would be to remove it.”

The Clery Act, enacted in 1991, requires all colleges and universities receiving federal money to collect and publish information on crimes that occur on or around campus. The law’s namesake, Jeanne Clery, a Lehigh University student, was murdered in her dorm room in 1986.

Bone marrow donor program seeks Hispanics to help save lives of Hispanics

By |

“Wait a minute, this wont hurt at all will it?” Anthony Aguilar asks while holding a registration packet for Be The Match, a project to match donors with people who need bone marrow transplants. That’s the most common question asked, says Anita Gonzales Southwest representative for Be The Match, which is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program to help match healthy bone marrow donors with patients battling illnesses like leukemia, sickle cell anemia, or other life threatening blood diseases. Gonzales explains that the registration process doesn’t require needles

“It’s the most simple and painless process really,” Gonzales says. “Its a simple saliva sample. It’s a sterile medical swab, you take it and run along the inside of you’re cheek, up and down ten times, put it in the registration envelope, and just like that the process is done.”