ASARCO Threatens Downtown and Region
by District 8 Rep. Beto O’Rourke

We recently learned that the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has recommended a five-year extension of ASARCO’s air permit.
All eyes now turn to the TCEQ commissioners to see if they will choose to ratify this decision and grant ASARCO its air permit or follow the advice of the state’s Administrative Law Judges. From July 11-22, 2005, the Administrative Law Judges heard evidence on ASARCO’s permit and made two important findings: that ASARCO has not proven that its emissions will not cause or contribute to air pollution, and that ASARCO has not proven that its compliance history during the last five years of operation warrants renewal of its permit.
Why does this matter?
El Paso is on a roll right now. Unemployment for December and March were the lowest numbers of the decade for those two months; commercial construction is at an all-time high for the decade; the University of Texas at El Paso is making great strides on many fronts; and we finally have a chance to bring our moribund Downtown back to life.

ASARCO jeopardizes all of these significant advancements, and should it reopen, it will cause many to rethink their commitment to El Paso. That will affect jobs, the tax base and the singular opportunity that El Paso has right now. We simply cannot allow ASARCO to reopen.

This City Council and mayor, as well as the past two administrations, are all firmly aligned against the reopening of this polluting vestige of the 19th century. To compound the problems an operating ASARCO would cause directly to our city, it would also belch pollutants and toxins into the airshed of neighboring Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and Sunland Park, N. M. It is worth noting that both the mayor of Juárez, Teto Murguia, the mayor of Sunland Park, Ruben Segura, and their respective governments are squarely opposed to the smelter’s reopening.

We, as a community, must do everything we can to ensure that El Paso stays on its path of progress and that we protect the environment and health of our fellow citizens. To that end, the city has retained the best attorneys we can afford to continue to fight the permit renewal. We have petitioned the TCEQ to hold their hearing here, instead of Austin. Our state delegation, led by Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, is doing everything it can at the legislative level. We are also exploring other legal strategies that will allow us to maintain the momentum we suddenly have and not allow it to stop dead at the base of a smelter tower that looms over UTEP, Downtown and nearby neighborhoods and sits squarely at the junction of our three states and two nations.

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Memories of Tinseltown in Downtown
by Mayor John Cook

For some of us old-timers, when we think of Downtown El Paso back in its glory days, we recall a downtown that is much different than what we have today. My folks were stationed at Fort Bliss back in the early 1950s, and I returned here in 1968 during my own military service. Back in those days, Downtown El Paso was a magnet for people from all over the city and, for that matter, from all over the Southwest.

Generations of El Pasoans have fond memories of watching the alligators at San Jacinto Plaza or just window shopping at the Popular and other retailers. One of the most common memories that seems to be carried by generations of El Pasoans thinking back to the vibrant Downtown of their youth is what entertainment was offered in a family atmosphere. Two words: the movies— actors of olden days, gracing the silver screen, offering movie-goers a taste of Tinseltown right in our Downtown. One such constituent shared with me the wonder she felt as a young teenager, sitting in the Plaza Theatre with siblings, cousins and friends, eating everything from popcorn and chocolate to pickles and hotdogs while waiting for the show to start. How magical it was to her, leaning back to stare in wonderment at the twinkling “stars” above as well as admiring the quaint beauty of the flower-dressed balconies.

We, as a community, are very fortunate to still have such a treasured jewel and historical pillar preserved in our Downtown. With this progress being made to provide various entertainment options in our Downtown area to our residents, why not rekindle the Tinseltown flame and bring the movie experience back Downtown?

Back on April 1, I became excited as I read the opinion page of the El Paso Times. The article that caught my eye talked about a billionaire investing in a mega-screen theater complex anchored by an IMAX theater. I could imagine families deciding to spend a Saturday afternoon at the theater, stopping for a bite to eat afterward. My mind pictured a vibrant inner city with visitors from every part of town as the Downtown theater crowds encouraged more businesses to open and take advantage of economic development opportunities. Downtown had come back to life! Unfortunately, the column was an April Fools joke. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to remain that way. Remember what Downtown used to be about. The trek Downtown started with a visit to one of our splendid movie theaters and didn’t stop there. I predict that the idea of a multi-screen theater in Downtown will eventually become a reality. The success of the Plaza Theatre is the proof in the pudding that Downtown theaters can play an important role in our re-development efforts.
More popcorn anyone?

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Event brings the community and the community’s youth together
by Bill Coon, CPO Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso

On April 26, the Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso had our annual Steak & Steak Dinner with Coach Dennis Green as our guest speaker. What a wonderful evening spent with our closest 350 friends. We cannot touch the lives of more than 3,000 youths without the generous support of the El Paso community. That community came through to support our wonderful organization, and we all say thank you for your generosity.

Steak & Steak is not just a fund-raiser for the organization; it is a learning time for both the community and our youth. Many individuals do not know the work of the Boys & Girls Clubs; many do not know the youth that we serve and the lives we touch. Last year, 2,800 youths became members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso. Some may have visited the club only one time, but many come in day after day. Those who come in day after day become part of our family, and those who do not miss out on a great blessing. Through our programs, we have seen an increase in report card grades, new attitudes and youths beginning to develop tools that they can use over the course of their lifetime. Our club members are off the streets and out of trouble and are staying away from the negative aspects of life.

Walking around the event, we saw adults playing clapping games with kids, helping cut up their steaks and teaching them manners, and no one was fussing or griping. The children loved the help, and they loved the attention. How many times can you say as a young person that you played the clapping game with the city manager or got to eat with the chief of police? A few of our youths can say they did that last Thursday, but to them, it is not so much who you are that matters. All that matters is that an adult spent time with them and shared his or her life with them. It made our children feel valuable and worthwhile.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso mission is “to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.” Simply put, “we are the POSITIVE place for kids.”

During the event, we began a new campaign: the “Give a Child a Hand” campaign. This allows the community to give a child a hand up and not a hand out. A generous donation to “Give a Child a Hand” will allow us to keep our youths off the streets and out of trouble and to give them the tools they need to brighten their future. Please consider giving. You can contact me at 915.532.7410, and I will be glad to share with you how you too can give a child a hand.