1973 Years 382011 VOL. 38, No. 18 SERVING ANTHONY, VINTON, CANUTILLO, EAST MONTANA, HORIZON, SOCORRO, CLINT, FABENS, SAN ELIZARIO AND TORNILLO MAY 5, 2011 NEWSBRIEFS Chili cook-off On May 7th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, the Horizon City Texas Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI), will be hosting a Chili Cook-off at the American Legion Post 598 on 13000 Horizon Blvd. Entry fee for those who wish to register and compete is $20.00 payable to “Pod of the Pass”. Come taste the goodness of the Southwest. Entry fee for tasters is $300 at the gate. Plenty of parking with dry camping available. Contact info: Carol Straughan at 915 852-3599 or cell 915 491-2766, email [email protected] and Thomas Cavazos at 915 564-1332, email [email protected]. Luncheon The Southwest Character Council – Photo by Alfredo Vasquez Monthly Luncheon will be Wednesday, ROCK ON – The Neon Desert Music Festival, the first of its kind in El Paso, attracted about 11,000 music lovers. Neon Desert Festival May 11 from 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at was the brainchild of festival organizers, Zach Paul, Gina Martinez and Brian Chavez. Above a crowd gathers in front of one of the Great American Land & Cattle Company, performance stages to hear one of the 29 bands that perform during the 12-hour event. 701 S. Mesa Hills, El Paso. The character quality for May is Discernment. The cost is $10 per person for lunch, networking and training. RSVP to (915) 779-3551 to Downtown festival drew out music lovers reserve your spot, and make sure enough promise of an array of musicians is what that is missing here when compared to those By Alfredo Vasquez meals are prepared. Cash or check only brought them to the festival, but old friends other places is the ridiculous scalping prices please. Special to the Courier and new acquaintances kept them strolling, for food, drinks, and merchandise. Everything – Kelly McCullough stopping for a cold drink at the beverage depot here is reasonably priced. That’s a sign of EL PASO COUNTY – The day was hot, a and a tasty snack from the food court. good leadership,” Vaughn added. Farmer’s market just right hot for an El Paso spring day. And, Twenty-nine different bands blasted their No major incidents were reported as security as the sun slid westward the forecasted wind sounds on one of four stages- two at San Jacinto and emergency personnel were visibly present The Oz Glaze Senior Center will hold a and gusts had not materialized; instead, a Plaza and the other two near Cleveland Square throughout the festival grounds. Plenty of Farmer’s Market on Saturday, May 21, warm breeze streamed through the downtown Park – during the 12-hour celebration. Local city police officers patrolled the area and 2011 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Booth space is streets cooling off El Paso’s youth as they bands, Austin groups, Mexican and South EMT personnel were prominently situated available for providers of garden produce strolled-into the festival grounds in droves… American conjuntos, California crews, and even to address the needs of a mass of people that and handmade crafts. Booth spaces (10’ x lots and lots of teens and twenty-somethings a European bunch came to share their music. swelled to an estimated 11,000 partiers by the 15’) cost $10.00 each. Providers of jams, walking, talking, smiling with music blaring The event seemed well-organized. The time the lights went out at around 11 p.m. jellies and local honey have signed up. in the background. ample fairgrounds made everything inviting… As for the organizers, a group of 1999 There are plans to have a market on every It was Neon Desert Music Festival’s the youthful crowds walked about making the Coronado High School graduates – Gina third Saturday of May through October. inaugural downtown showcase, and from the four performance stages their destination sites. Martinez, Zack Paul, and Brian Chavez, the For more information or to reserve a start all indications foreshadowed the creation And a sense of calm excitement permeated year and a half of planning paid off. booth call 799-8194 or 852-0062. Email: of a great event. It was like this type of street throughout the spacious festival compound… “We were counting on the people of El Paso [email protected]. – Fred Lopez festival was meant to happen in downtown El no one rushed, no one shoved; everyone and the region to show up and support this Paso – a music jam for entertainment-thirsty smiled intent on having a good time. event and they did just that,” Paul said. “We desert dwellers. “I’m impressed. This is what progressive hope to have the Second Annual Neon Desert Pendell tapped Throngs of girls in shorts and colorful cities do. They involve the youth in coming up in 2012.” Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Jim blouses and hordes of dudes in t-shirts and with great ideas like this. And, the downtown Martinez added, “We are very thankful to all Pendell of Clint as one of five members jeans came together on this last Saturday in location is a perfect setting for this festival,” the wonderful people who helped us make the to the Texas School April among El Paso’s historic downtown said Dan Vaughn, of McAllen TX. “I’ve been Neon Desert Musical Festival a big success. Safety Center facades where otherwise it would have been to other big city music festivals, and this is A big thank you also goes out to all the fans Board for terms to another weekend with empty streets. The comparable to any of them. The only thing that attended.” expire Feb. 1, 2013. The board advises the Texas School Tornillo’s Vranish attends, speaks at NSBA Safety Center in Tornillo Independent School San Marcos, which District (TISD) Superintendent provides school Paul Vranish joined Trustees safety information Rachel Avila, Bertha Brew, and resources for Joe Tittle and more than five thousand school Jim Pendell the prevention of board and state school youth violence, and promotes safety boards association leaders, in the state. Pendell is a crop insurance administrators and other agent at the Sherry Wegner Agency. He is education leaders attending president of the Clint Independent School the 2011 National School District Board of Trustees, past president Board’s Association’s (NSBA) of the Far West Texas School Board Annual Conference in San Francisco from April 9-11 in. NSBA’s Annual conference See BRIEFS, Page 5 offered school board members leadership development and opportunities for collaboration from a nationwide network of There is hope for any manwho can look colleagues. Vranish gave a – Photo courtesy Tornillo ISD in a mirror and laugh at what he sees. presentation TISD’s nationally- feeling to share some of our have so many really cool things eager to bring some of our — Quips & Quotes recognized superintendent innovative methods when doing going on in our district and many successful endeavors to their evaluation. “It is always a great these various presentations. We people at these conferences are own districts,” Vranish said. Page 2 May 5, 2011 Veterans Post By Freddy Groves It’s the law By Texas AG Greg Abbott Without fail Protecting sensitive data after I’ve written here before about What touches my heart is the Freeport Flag Ladies. Perhaps that since Sept. 11, 2001, these an internet security breach you’ve visited their website – ladies have stood on a corner in www.freeportflagladies.com – and Freeport, Maine, each Tuesday Over the last two months, internet and employment information are affect existing accounts and includes looked at the long list of things morning without fail. Wind, rain, security breaches at public and private correct. other exceptions.) Texans should be they do for our service personnel snow, blistering heat (yes, even institutions have compromised If Texans notice unusual activity aware that a security freeze might in harm’s way. in Maine), they’ve been out there Texans’ names, addresses and Social on their credit statements, they be inconvenient – particularly for The ladies have hosted on their with their flags, reminding us -- Security numbers. Unfortunately, should contact the fraud department anyone who is applying for new website thousands of photos taken and honoring those who serve. online security lapses can lead to of one of the three credit reporting credit, an apartment, or employment when they meet with troops who Now, with the coming 10th identity theft. agencies – Experian, Equifax or involving a background check. For have a stopover at the airport in anniversary of 9-11, the ladies As law enforcement officers know, TransUnion – and request a fraud those credit checks in process, the Bangor, Maine. I don’t have to are going hold a three-day special personally identifying information alert. When a person requests a affected individual will have to lift tell you what it means to family event. To pull this off, they’re – including names, Social Security fraud alert from one bureau, that the freeze on their credit file. A freeze members to have those last- hoping to get $1 from each of numbers, and driver’s license company will notify the other two can be lifted for a certain period of minute photos, the final steps on 30,000 people to be able to pay numbers – in the hands of identity bureaus. The person’s credit file will time or for a specific creditor. U.S. soil, before the troops fly to for it.