Senior Jecoa Ross plays the oud along with other students during Layali Al-Sham’s rehearsal. (Paul Reynoso/Borderzine.com)

Arab music ensemble brings the Middle East to the border

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EL PASO – On Friday afternoons in the practice room of the Fox Fine Arts building, a group of students rehearses for Layali Al-Sham, UTEP’s Arabic music ensemble. The ensemble primarily consists of UTEP students that sing and play Arabic music. The instrumentation of Layali Al-Sham includes a wide variety of Western Classical and Arab musical instruments such as the clarinet, electric guitar and the Egyptian flute called the ney. Dr. Andrea Shaheen, assistant professor of ethnomusicology at UTEP and director of the school’s World Music Ensembles, said that the formation of the Arabic music ensemble began in 2010. “It sort of fell into my lap in that there was this core group of three or four students that were really driven to learn,” Shaheen said.

This year's Senior Games have over 300 participants that will compete in over 15 events. (Luis Barrio/Borderzine.com)

El Paso’s senior athletes still compete to win after all these years

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EL PASO – On a recent March morning, 76-year-old Armando Uranga sat on the gymnasium bleachers dripping sweat and catching his breath. He had just played a strenuous 20-minute game of basketball with three other competitors as part of this year’s El Paso Senior Games. After playing in the games for the last 12 years, Uranga considers them his fountain of youth. “I felt like I was in my backyard like when I was a kid, it was so much fun,” said Uranga, who has already competed in the 5K walk, the 3K walk and plans to participate in Saturday’s track and field event at Montwood High School. In its 31st year, the El Paso Senior Games are a beacon drawing residents to get out and be physically active or go watch the community’s senior athletes compete.  With a variety of events, the games are for persons 50 years of age and older who participate in activities ranging from swimming to cycling, basketball to track and field.

Paisano Green Community (Amber Watts/Borderzine.com)

El Paso struggles to fit families into public housing after sequestration cuts

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EL PASO – Families living in public housing will find their quarters shrinking as a result of the federal budget slashing known as the sequester, but local officials say they hope to avoid putting anybody out on the street. “We are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst,” said Shane Griffith, El Paso Housing Authority (HACEP) public information officer. HACEP had already been planning how to meet the needs here when the spending reductions cut of $85 billion in revenue to non-exempt domestic programs for the next 10 years were declared in late March. The housing assistance payment (HAP) standard, which is the federal subsidy allocated to landlords of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, has been reduced from a proration of 99 percent to 94 percent. The proration for the operating subsidy of the Public Housing Program – the funds HACEP receives to operate its 46 public housing properties – has been reduced from 92 percent to 77 percent.

Manuel Alvarado with one of his art pieces at San Eli's art district. (Kimberly Garcia/Borderzine.com)

Tales of Spanish conquistadores and Wild West gunslingers echo within San Eli’s adobe walls

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SAN ELISARIO, TX – Tales of a bygone Spanish colonial era and the gun slinging Wild West echo inside the ancient adobe walls of buildings in this small town half-an-hour drive east of El Paso. Outside one of the ancient structures, now an art gallery, Manuel Alvarado, a tall, slender man happily greets curious visitors. “The reason I like San Eli is because it’s calm, not so hectic like a bigger city,” said Alvarado. San Elizario, or San Eli as it is known to locals, has undergone a change. With the help of local artist Al Borrego, San Elizario has established itself as an art district.

Imperial Valley College On Immigration

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IMPERIAL, Calif.– With Congress drafting out a concrete plan for immigration reform, students and staff at Imperial Valley College shared their opinions on the matter. About 11 million undocumented people in the U.S. who entered illegally could be offered amnesty and a path to citizenship.

Child-abuse prevention month celebrated in Imperial Valley

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EL CENTRO, Calif.–An estimated 15,000 people packed Bucklin Park throughout the day on Saturday April 13, to celebrate Child Abuse Prevention Month at the 34th Annual Children’s Fair. “We hope that families were able to enjoy a beautiful day outside with their children and learn about the resources available to strengthen their families in Imperial County,” said Yvette Garcia, executive director of the Imperial County Child Abuse Prevention Council, the organization that co-sponsored the event with the Imperial County Office of Education. More than 70 businesses and organizations helped entertain and inform attendees young and old alike. Imperial Valley College journalism students spent the day recording the festivities. The following slideshow is a compilation of their work.

A panoramic picture shows Interstate 10 right after the smokestacks fall. The cloud of dust followed the same path. (Sarah Duenas/Borderzine.com)

A pang of sorrow hit as the ASARCO smokestacks came tumbling down

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EL PASO – The skyline in El Paso changed forever on Saturday April 13 when the two ASARCO smokestacks imploded leaving an empty space, a day prior to the demolition of City Hall. The stacks fell in slow motion, as if slowly saying goodbye to their longtime home. Viewing the demolition from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) parking lot across from Interstate 10, I reflected on the experience I had writing a story on the last-ditch efforts to save the stacks. The stacks had a profound historical impact on the city and many people wanted to stop the demolition. The first event I attended was a protest lead by El Paso AWARE, an organization that focused on stopping the demolition until proper testing was done.

After arriving at the shelter boys and girls experience a transformation. (Natassia Bonyanpur/Borderzine.com)

Praying for a city of peace and restoring faith in Juarez’s children

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El Paso – Momentous in stature, the white letters can be seen from each curve of the Rio Grande from the campus of The University of Texas at El Paso.  The tall white coated letters contrast against the opaque, rough terrain of the mountain that encompasses it. The painted words on the Ciudad Juarez’ hillside read, “ La Biblia es la verdad. Léela”. These words translate to ‘The bible is truth.

Creosote bush (Creosote Larrea Tridentata) found in El Paso contain polyphenols that help intervene in the process of protein misfolding.

Everyday foods may prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, say UTEP researchers

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EL PASO – Imagine a place where drinking a glass of milk and munching on cheese and crackers is all you need to prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. According to Dr. Mahesh Narayan’s, associate professor of chemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso, this fairy tale scenario could soon be a reality. In recent studies, Narayan has shown that everyday spices such as turmeric, most commonly found in Indian food, neem, almond oil and the creosote bush hold the potential for unlocking the key ingredients in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. “The long term prospect for us is to actually lace everyday food, such as potato chips, milk, cheese, etc., with these ethno-pharmaceuticals, and then have them neuro-protect you without you even knowing,” said Narayan, a native of India. Experiments with curcumin, a polyphenol in turmeric, show the potential of these kitchen table ingredients in the intervention of a brain process called “protein misfolding” (see video for explanation) that is most commonly known to cause many neurodegenerative diseases.

Former MLB player gives back to Imperial Valley

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IMPERIAL, Calif.- After playing 24 years of professional baseball for nine different teams and 13 major organizations and being a 2008 World Series champion for the Philadelphia Phillies, Imperial Valley native Rudy Seanez returned to his home to help inspire young and old alike. “I’ve always lived here. This is home. I grew up in Brawley. My family is here, so that was factor number one,” said Seanez in an interview at his Seanez Sports Academy.

Protestors wore red and white shirts or masks at an April 6 protest. (Sarah A. Duenas/Borderzine.com)

Protesters make last-ditch effort to save El Paso’s ASARCO smokestacks

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EL PASO – A large red and white striped flag waved in the wind as protestors made last-ditch efforts to stop the demolition of the ASARCO smokestack, which was erected in 1966 by the bankrupt copper smelting company. After the plant was closed, the City Council decided on December 5, 2012 to take it and a second smaller chimney down. Because of environmental concerns and the company’s more than 100-year history in El Paso, protests ensued. The stacks are scheduled for demolition on April 13 at 6:30 a.m., but two groups – Save the Stacks and El Paso AWARE – are making last minute efforts to save the two structures. Geoffrey Wright, president of the Save the Stacks, said that the group has received support from various sources.

Children are the main victims of family separation. (Anoushka Valodya/Borderzine.com)

The U.S.-Mexico border splits families, but loved ones strive to stay connected

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EL PASO – With a Border Patrol helicopter hovering close above him, Honduran native Pedro Guzman, who was in his mid-thirties, had to choose between running away or surrendering. After seeing his fellow emigrants detained, Guzman decided to give up, but he still didn’t lose hope. He had spent three days and two nights, without food and water, crossing from Matamoros, Mexico to reach Brownsville, Texas in 1999. “I was just eating air, but I was always positive, telling myself that I was going to make it,” Guzman said. He paid $4,000 to a coyote, but was later abandoned by the smuggler to find his way to the U.S. along with a couple dozen men.

William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC) on Ft. Bliss. (Joshua Gutierrez/Borderzine.com)

Many soldiers return from war only to face post-traumatic stress

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EL PASO — When Marine Sgt. Miguel Marquez returned home from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan he realized that post-traumatic stress disorder was preventing him from adjusting to civilian life. “I started drinking heavily to help deal with life back at home because I didn’t know what else to do,” said Marquez, 28. Thousands of soldiers coming home with mental and physical injuries from the wars of the last decade suffer from PTSD. According to the United States Army Medical Department about 10 percent to 15 percent of soldiers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) suffer from PTSD.

Arroyos like the one at UTEP are home to a wide variety of vegetation and wildlife such as the Yucca plants and skunks. (Paul Reynoso/Borderzine.com)

UTEP arroyo to benefit from campus transformation project

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EL PASO — Major changes are well under way at the University of Texas El Paso as the campus two-year pedestrian and environmental friendly transformation project takes shape. The landscape of the campus features an arroyo that runs primarily from the northeast side of campus near Miner Village down to the southwestern side by the Business Administration Building. This arroyo will be one of the focus points of change during the project. The project falls under UTEP’s master plan to dramatically improve the campus for the UTEP community and the students. There are seven segments of the transformation project such as pedestrian friendly pathways and additional green spaces.

Peatones caminan por un estrecho camino enseguida de Tienda Chihuahua, debido a las renovaciones que se están haciendo a la Avenida Juárez. (Cristina Esquivel/Borderzine.com)

Retratos de la frontera – Un café por Juárez

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Tienda Chihuahua (Audio)

TRANSCRIPCIÓN

(Sonidos de ambiente: tintineo de tazas, conversación en el fondo)

Cristina Esquivel (Reportera de Borderzine): Aunque lentos, Ciudad Juárez ha experimentando cambios positivos en el último año. En la zona central se llevan a cabo una serie de renovaciones que buscan mejorar la estructura urbana y reactivar la economía de la ciudad. Las calles se ven más transitadas y los negocios abren sus puertas a clientes locales y a turistas. Muchos de estos cambios se deben al esfuerzo de ciudadanos Juarenses que aman y defienden su ciudad. Socorro Arredondo es licenciada en derecho pero hace poco tiempo que decidió incursionar en el terreno de los negocios.

Thousands climb Mt. Cristo Rey to express their faith on Good Friday pilgrimage

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EL PASO — Lucille Maya remembers when her father carried her infant brother up Mt. Cristo Rey to ask for a miracle. Her brother was born with a birth defect and doctors told her family that he would never be able to walk, but soon after her father’s pilgrimage her little brother walked for the first time. “I do this for my faith.” said Maya, 73, who has been coming to Mt. Cristo Rey all her life.

Trevor Vittatoe former University of Texas at EL Paso (UTEP) star quarterback is now an independent corporate distributor for Direct TV. (Andrea Castro/Borderzine.com)

With pro leagues out of reach, many college athletes fall back on their education

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EL PASO – Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, arguably two of the greatest athletes of all time, started their pro careers right after high school, skipping college. But for college athletes shooting their last basket or throwing their last touchdown, the end of a season means a transition from a life of organized athletics to a real world of hope and frustration. Although they have one advantage – a college education – in reality a lot of players who do exceptionally well on the college field or court struggle with the fact that they’re out of the limelight once their senior season is over. “It was a hard adjustment at first because you’re used to a routine of practicing and being with the guys,” said Trevor Vittatoe, former University of Texas at EL Paso (UTEP) star quarterback. “After trying for two years, I’ve fallen short of making an NFL roster.”

While Vittatoe waited to get picked by an NFL team, working to make ends meet slowly became a part of his life.

Entrada el hotel París (izquierda) en el centro de Ciudad Juárez. (José Abraham Rubio Zamora/Borderzine.com)

La otra cara del trabajo sexual en Ciudad Juárez

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CD JUAREZ – A la entrada del Hotel París, un establecimiento situado en la parte alta de la calle La Paz, a unos cuantos metros del bullicioso Mercado Cuauhtémoc, a plena luz del día, se aposta Norma, una trabajadora sexual acompañada de Nancy. Un estrecho pasillo localizado entre la vieja cantina “El Puerto” y una tienda de ropa, sirve de acceso a los clientes que se dejan conducir hasta un conjunto de gastadas y derruidas habitaciones, siempre ocultas a la vista de los transeúntes y marchantas que diariamente recorren ese sitio en busca de algo. Confundidas entre el ruido propio del lugar y el anonimato que los puestos y tenderetes les brindan, ambas mujeres esperan que un hombre solicite sus servicios. Las dos son también madres de familia que necesitan por lo menos de un cliente para poder llevar algo de dinero a casa. “Qué más quisiera yo que trabajar en otra cosa.

U.S. Poet Laureate, Philip Levine, at a recent visit to the University of Texas at El Paso. (David A. Reyes/Borderzine.com)

U.S. Poet Laureate Philip Levine – A lifetime of giving a thundering voice to the voiceless

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EL PASO – Poet Laureate Philip Levine, still as fit and funny at age 85 as he was as a young man working the night shift at a car factory, shared his special brand of earthy, poignant and insightful poetry – and a sizable measure of good humored repartee ­– with over 1000 fans at UTEP recently. The poet of the working class, who was born in Detroit to poor Russian Jewish immigrant parents, began writing professionally in the early 1950’s and has been giving “a voice to the voiceless” ever since. His message and poetry resonated with his El Paso audience in a city that is predominately Hispanic and working class. Asked by Sociologist Gina Nuñez what he thinks of the billions spent by the U.S. government erecting walls along the 2000-mile border, Levine responded: “The worst walls are the ones we can’t see because we are erecting interior walls. You say they’re dividing families.

Tory Lewis learnt to ride a motorcycle at age 15 and hasn't stop since. (Alejandra Gonzalez/Borderzine.com)

Gender makes no difference when it comes to having fun or accidents on motorcycles

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EL PASO — The 2006 Suzuki GSXR 600 roars down the I-10 freeway going 60 mph at 6:30 a.m. on a weekday and exits on Schuster Avenue. The woman at the wheel, Tory Lewis, a fit 5’ 2’’ blonde, then turns left onto Hawthorne from  Schuster Avenue entering the University of Texas at El Paso campus. Her bike comes to an abrupt stop behind the Administrative Building and she parks in a spot designated for motorcycles. She removes her dark-blue helmet and is ready to start her day as she walks towards her graphic and design fundamentals class located in the Liberal Arts Building. “I just love how I’m able to feel the speed,” said Lewis, a medical engineering student at UTEP.

Friends of Aaron Carrillo are petitioning the permission to remember him at their commencement ceremony. (Jessica Neels/Borderzine.com)

Students challenge Montwood High’s unwillingness to remember a beloved classmate in this year’s commencement

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EL PASO – Aaron Carillo and Jon Cervoni had just left a band concert at their local church when their vehicle stalled. Then, a drunk driver speeding and swerving down the road hit them, taking their lives that hot summer night, July 8, 2011. Carillo was a student at Montwood High School. He was getting ready to begin his junior year when his life was ended abruptly. Many say he was a humble and genuine young man who believed strongly in Christian faith and righteous moral conduct.

Daniel Alvarado, owner and head trainer of PUSH Fitness and Athletic Training, with wrestlers. (Veronica Enriquez/Borderzine.com)

If strong is the new skinny for girls, buff makes it for guys

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EL PASO – Inside the gym, the song “Stronger” by Kanye West plays in the background and the music motivates 16-year-old Alexander Jimenez to try harder to fit the mold of an ideal male body. Jimenez, a high school sophomore, has trained every weekday at several local gyms vigorously since the age of nine for the purpose of staying healthy and looking trim. Day in and day out his efforts have paid off. Today he is the captain of the Franklin High School wrestling team that placed second at the state competition last month. “I’ve been helping him since he was 9 years old,” said Daniel Alvarado, owner and head trainer of PUSH Fitness and Athletic Training, and Jimenez’s coach.

Xeriscaping at Imperial Valley College

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IMPERIAL, Calif.—Imperial Valley College had a growth spurt in the last three years with a techno-new science building, expanded parking facilities, updated classrooms, and water-friendly landscaping. While the science building is impressive, parking is now abundant, and learning in 21st century classrooms is a reality, it’s the often-overlooked things like one small, bright desert flower, a lush green lawn, or a 40-foot tree providing relief from the heat that might help to nurture pride and performance in study-weary students, faculty and staff. With this facelift came the new philosophy of landscaping the campus with a more “green-friendly,” energy-efficient technology—xeriscaping. Here is a closer look:

Fernando Perales is the manager for El Paso’s newest and much-anticipated restaurant. (Luis Barrio/Borderzine.com)

New Jason’s Deli serves up a mantra of dedication to people, quality food and choice

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EL PASO – On a good day, he stands about 5’8’. He’s a man with noticeable confidence and charisma. Originally from McAllen, Texas, he finds himself along the Rio Grande once again after working at the Jason’s Deli in his hometown. This time he is in the Sun City managing a Jason’s Deli rather than cleaning dishes as in his first restaurant job with the national company. Fernando “Fern” Perales has the biggest responsibility for El Paso’s newest and much-anticipated restaurant.

Cleaning up a neighborhood in Calexico, Calif.

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CALEXICO, Calif.– “This city has been on a tight budget lately, but we can’t just stay here and wait for a miracle, we have

to do something about it because this is where our children are going to grow up,” said Saul Garcia during the Kennedy Gardens neighborhood clean-up on Saturday March 9, 2013. Garcia joined forces with Javier Gonzalez, the KG Neighborhood Watch leader, to organize a cleanup for the Kennedy Gardens neighborhood and park in Calexico. Gonzalez wanted to organize an event where residents of the neighborhood and volunteers from the community got together to fix, paint, and clean up their parks and streets. Gonzalez and Garcia worked hard to get permission from the city as well as garnering donations for supplies. The City of Calexico and the Imperial Irrigation District provided paint and tools for the event.

Read Across America

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CALEXICO, Calif.–The Camarena Memorial Library held its Read Across America Family Night on Tuesday Feb. 26, 2013. Children as young as toddlers and their families participated in the various activities designed to foster a love of reading. They rotated from arts and crafts to story time, games, and snack time. “It’s a program we offer for children to implement reading from an early age, so we invite all families to come by and take advantage of the program,” said Veronica Torreros, an administrator at the library.

“This whole area I thought was just kind of mysterious for me. I liked the culture. I liked the desert. I found it fascinating,” said Welsh. (David A. Reyes/Borderzine.com)

Lawrence Welsh – Digging for verse in the deserts of the Southwest

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EL PASO – The watercolor on the wall in Lawrence Welsh’s office gleams with warm sun spilling across the panorama, as if light lived inside every leaf, every strand of grass, every inch of wood and tin. The Associate Professor of English at El Paso Community College said it reminds him of his own deep “digging” for art, poetry and history in the desert lands of the Southwest. In his new collection of poems written from 1994 to 2009, Begging for Vultures, Welsh sweeps readers through voices and landscapes of the Southwest. His personal excavation began in Los Angeles where he was raised, and where he began uncovering his love for words and music, co-founding the punk rock band, The Alcoholics in the late 1970’s, then writing and editing on newspapers, and writing fiction and poetry. Now, he teaches at the community college.

The total cost of demolition, construction, and relocation of City Hall is expected to between 85 and 100 million dollars. (Paul Reynoso/Borderzine.com)

The demolition of City Hall and the rise of a new ballpark are already giving downtown El Paso a new identity

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EL PASO – In the coming months, downtown El Paso’s skyline will change dramatically as the City Hall building is expected to be demolished to make way for a new Triple-A ballpark that will open next year. But once demolition commences on City Hall and construction of the ballpark begins, the effects will be felt by downtown local businesses and streets that are adjacent to the City Hall area. The Insights Museum on N. Santa Fe St. is just one of many businesses that has already been greatly affected by the major changes. The museum, which first opened in 1980, has cleared out and has been closed for several weeks now.

George Hinojosa practices Parkour because he believes it is useful in everyday life. (Alejandro Alba/Borderzine.com)

Parkour teaches students courage, self-awareness, and how to roll with the jumps

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EL PASO – Everything began back at Anthony High School. George Hinojosa along with his two best friends began practicing Parkour along the school hallways and jumping over cafeteria tables gracefully. Parkour is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one’s path by adapting one’s movements to the environment. A year later, Hinojosa now finds himself taking on more challenging barriers and obstacles, such as the break along the staircase in front of the Psychology Building at the UTEP campus. Hinojosa said he took on the practice of Parkour to feel some sort of superiority, soaring through crowds and jumping from buildings that are 10 feet high.

Stringing music for young people in the Imperial Valley

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IMPERIAL, Calif. – “Strings in general, even at schools, aren’t a big thing but we kinda need it if we’re going to have any future in the orchestral music,” said Dr. Matthew Busse, instructor for Beginning Strings Orchestra and Southwest High School Orchestra teacher. Two years ago Busse started an orchestra program at Corfman Middle School in El Centro, but recently moving from El Centro to Imperial, he said his wife suggested that he start the program for orchestra lessons in Imperial, after she saw flyers about guitar lessons and other lessons that the City of Imperial has to offer. Busse thought about it and decided to expand it to see what happens. So far, the turnout of students is fairly small with two students from Ballington Academy and a few from Imperial, but  Busse wants to invite anyone who hasn’t had any kind of experience in orchestral music and students who don’t have the opportunity to perform in their schools orchestra to join the program.