University of Texas at El Paso DigitalCommons@UTEP The rP ospector Special Collections Department 6-13-2017 The rP ospector, June 13, 2017 UTEP Student Publications Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.utep.edu/prospector Part of the Journalism Studies Commons, and the Mass Communication Commons Comments: This file is rather large, with many images, so it may take a few minutes to download. Please be patient. Recommended Citation UTEP Student Publications, "The rP ospector, June 13, 2017" (2017). The Prospector. 283. http://digitalcommons.utep.edu/prospector/283 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Collections Department at DigitalCommons@UTEP. It has been accepted for inclusion in The rP ospector by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UTEP. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VOL. 102, NO. 30 THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO JUNE 13, 2017 The fight for Duranguito Continues PHOTO & ILLUSTRATION BY GABY VELASQUEZ & ALEJANDRA GONZALEZ BY ADRIAN BROADDUS Th e plaintiff s with the Texas Rio- the most important. Th e city will say Th ey also said in a post that the own- sael, there are currently four buildings The Prospector Grande Legal Aid are demanding that that it’s the property owners, but it’s ers of the Flor de Luna Art Academy that are proposed to be torn down. the city stop issuing demolition per- them. Th ey’re granting the owners Gallery were evicted from their build- However, according to the court Last week Judge Amy Clark Mea- mits for the buildings in the Duran- permits to take them out.” ing last week. chum, Travis County judge in Aus- guito area, stop agreeing to new con- Leyva fi led a civil rights suit against “A lot of people are already start- documents, Incerto said that two of tin, was presented with a temporary tracts of relocating residents and stop the city at the beginning of June and ing to leave,” Leyva said. “Th ey (the the four tenants agreed to relocate. He restraining order by the Texas Rio the demolishing of any building until she is self-representing the case, say- property owners) are pressuring the reported that the third tenant is not Grande Legal Aid to hinder the dis- a fi nal decree has been issued. ing this matter violates the civil rights people so much that they are scared living at the location currently and cussions to obtain properties for Now, the city cannot issue demoli- of the tenants living there. and want to leave. Th e residents are that the fourth will not be demolished the $180 million proposed arena in tion permits and is not allowed to Paso del Sur, a local organization calling it harassment.” Downtown El Paso. engage in new contracts to acquire, dedicated to the preservation of his- According to court documents, before July 17. Both sides were able to argue their demolish or start construction related torical landmarks in El Paso and Scott Incerto, an attorney who is de- Th ere is a hearing set for July 17-18 in sides in Austin on Friday, morning, to the arena project. works for citizen’s rights, reported on fending the city on the restraining or- Austin that will determine whether the but no verdict was rendered. “I think it’s really wrong that the city their Facebook page that Borderplex der fi led, is arguing that all the topics city is allowed to move forward with its On Monday, Judge Clark Mea- grants these demolition permits while REIT landlord, Alejo Restrepo and brought up by Texas RioGrande Legal plans to demolish these buildings. chum ruled in favor of the four Du- they’re in court,” said Paso del Sur’s his father in law, Dr. Roberto Nassim Aid would not impact the residents. ranguito tenants who pushed for the director and UTEP history professor, Assael, are plotting to demolish some Regarding the buildings that are up restraining order. Yolanda Leyva. “Th e people to me are of the buildings as soon as this week. to be demolished by Restrepo and As- see DURANGUITO on page 4 PAGE 2 JUNE 13, 2017 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OPINION ADRIAN BROADDUS , 747-7477 Duran(gone)ito Every day should be Father’s Day BY MIKE FLORES wouldn’t care about my future, may- Sunday with my dad that hasn’t ing outside city hall, and with BY EDDIE VELAZQUEZ The Prospector be I would have gone down a path cured whatever I’m going through. Steelers football is a tradition The Prospector the legal help of former head of It’s a shame that wasn’t meant for me. The only thing I know is that I’m glad I will that I’ll share with my dad until In the last the County’s Historical Commis- that I put so nine months, much emphasis never find out because my dad has our final days. El Paso has act- sion Dr. Max Grossman the pro on celebrating sacrificed everything he has for me. I’ve traveled with my dad to all parts of the United States like ed as the civic Duranguito group managed to Father’s Day My dad works late nights just battleground because in real- to keep a roof over my head, keep Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Denver, sustain a solid, legitimate case for the struggle ity, I shouldn’t food on the table, keep the lights Chicago and many other destina- between gen- against the city. wait until that on in the house, and allow me to tions, but it didn’t matter what city we stopped at. All that mattered is trification and specific day to have more than I could have ever Now with all but one properties that I was with my best bud and historic preser- remind my dad asked for. bought, the landscape looks bleak. that we made memories that will vation. Some- how much he means to me. As cli- When I’m older and have my life always remind me how blessed and where along the way, the conflict Even with the smaller victories ché as it might be, my dad deserves situated, I’ll still know what to do. how great life is, even when times turned towards the residents of to be treated like it’s Father’s Day I’ll still know who to turn to when the barrio(ward) now known as such as the granting of a restrain- seem low. every day. life has me on a high or when life Duranguito. As much as I look up to the great- ing order that impedes the city to My dad has never put anyone be- throws me a curve ball. Through the threat of exercis- fore me, never left my side when I est athletes or biggest celebrities in issue demolition permits, acquire If anyone knows me, they know ing eminent domain, the residents needed someone, always supported the world, they have nothing on I’m the biggest Pittsburgh Steel- became concerned with thoughts properties and build new ones, it everything I’ve done and what I my dad. Or as much time we have ers fan around. But what a lot of of relocation and eviction. The plan on pursuing in my life. There missed over the years by never liv- seems like an inevitable fate. my friends don’t know is that the thought of rebooting their lives in is nothing I could ever do to repay ing together, there isn’t one person another part of town because of The city treated things as covert him for the being the best dad in Steelers are so much bigger than that has inspired me like my dad. football to me—they are what my a shiny, new $180 million multi- operations some times. For ex- the world. Since day one, I’ve only ever want- purpose arena was difficult to I honestly don’t know where I dad and I bond over, and no one ed to be at least half the person my ample, at the beginning of the year bear with for some residents, es- would be without my old man. He could ever take that bond away. dad is. pecially the elder ones. members of city council held a pushes me to heights I would never There isn’t one Sunday I don’t look Father’s Day is the day I get to see forward to. I don’t remember the my favorite person happiest and I When the news started spread- meeting at the Indigo Hotel to dis- think of approaching. Who knows ing, some started taking the role what I would be doing with my life last time my dad and I missed a can’t wait. of activists, trying to lead a move- cuss the construction of the arena if he wasn’t the way he is. Maybe Steelers game together. If my week Follow Mike Flores on Twitter @MikeyTheReal ment that expressed the unrest and the potential relocation of the I wouldn’t be in school, maybe I is complete garbage, there isn’t one they felt because of a cause they didn’t find fair. People like the multi-purpose arena that poten- chair of the department of Histo- tially violated the rules of quorum. ry at UTEP, Yolanda Leyva, author However, the hard work, time David Romo and business owner Michael Patiño did not want the and hope invested should not be residents to be relocated due to overlooked and underestimated. the inconvenience it represented for people who already lived in a Politics inherently involve the cit- low-income area and faced trans- izens of a territory to be actively portation shortages.