DEC.

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Your monthly guide to community entertainment, recreation & culture

DECEMBER 2009 www.epscene.com

On the cover: A Distant Neighbor INSIDE:

“My El Paso” by Lyuba Titovets Violence in Juárez has kept U.S. volunteers Over 600 things to do
30x30 acrylic on canvas and mission groups at home, cutting off aid and places to go during
(private collection) and support. — Page 31 the Holidays!
 THE EL PASO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION PRESENTS

Holiday
Movies
At The Plaza
Saturday, December 5 Sunday, December 6
2:00 PM - Elf 2:00 PM - A Christmas Story
7:45 PM - It’s A Wonderful Life 6:30 PM – White Christmas
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the Plaza Theatre box office or at Ticketmaster locations or ticketmaster.com

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plazaclassic.com
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Page 2 El Paso Scene December 2009

December
may 20002009
El Paso Gem and Mineral Show — The
annual show is Dec. 4-6 at El Maida
Auditorium, 6331 Alabama. Hours are 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. Sunday. Admission: $3 ($2 for seniors, mil-
itary; free for children 12 and younger with
adult admission). The show features gems, min-
erals, fossils, beads, silver jewelry, tools and
equipment, geode cutting, silent auction,
demonstrations and door prizes, Information:
Gem Center USA, 533-7153, 1-877-533-7153
or gemcenter@aol.com.
Mountain Country Christmas — The
annual event is Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4-5,
at the Alpine Civic Center, 801 W. Holland, in
Alpine, Texas. The event includes an arts crafts
fair, baked goods, organizational booths, holiday
product vendors, entertainment. Admission is
UTEP Alumni Assoc Members $15 ~ Children (12 yrs old and under) $10
Non-UTEP Students $15 ~ UTEP Students $10 (One ticket per valid UTEP ID)
Tickets available at the UTEP Ticket Center (747-5234) and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Charge tickets by phone by calling 747-5234 or 1-800-745-3000. Order tickets online at www.ticketmaster.com
December 2009
free. Information: Alpine Visitor’s Center (432) El Paso Community Foundation will feature
837-2326 or Children’s Advocacy Center, (432) holiday movies at The Plaza Theatre, including
DECEMBER
837-5515.
The Christmas Parade of Lights begins around
6 p.m. Friday evening from the Civic Center,
and travels east on Holland Ave. to Jackson
“Elf” at 2 p.m. and “It’s A Wonderful Life” at
7:45 p.m. Organist Jack Stewart will perform
Christmas carols on the historic Plaza Organ
preceding the evening movie at 7:15 p.m.
INDEX
Field. Tickets: $5.
December Roundup 3-17, 29
• The Christmas Tour of Historic Homes is
Saturday, Dec. 12, featuring several of the
Oñate Trail Dog Fanciers Dog Shows Behind the Scene 6
— The association’s inaugural all-breed dog Scene Spotlight 6
city’s historic residences decorated for the holi-
show is 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday,
days. Tour times to be announced: Nancy Program Notes 18
Dec. 5-6, at El Paso County Coliseum, open to
Hendryx, (432) 837-9520 or historicalpine.org. Viva Juárez 19
the more than 150 breeds and varieties of dogs
• The annual New Year’s Eve Ball benefiting Dance 20
recognized by the American Kennel Club.
the Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend is
Admission is free. Information: 626-9975, 241- Here’s the Ticket 21-23
Thursday, Dec. 31, at the Alpine Civic Center.
2641 or otdfa.org. Sports 24-26
Magoffin Holiday Open House — The The competition tests the dog’s form against Music 27-28
annual holiday season event at the Magoffin the breed “Ideal Dog.” Also held is an AKC
Feature:
Home State Historic Site, 1120 Magoffin, is 10 Rally and Obedience Trials. All competition is in
a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6. show rings under judges. Points awarded and
A Distant Neighbor 31-34
Enjoy the holiday decorations, refreshments, count toward the dog’s championship. ElPasoFishnet 35
piñatas and other activities amid the authentic Children 9 to 18 can compete with others Nature 36-37
art and furnishings of this historic home. Music their own age at various AKC events. Juniors At the Museum 38-40
will be provided by local school choirs. competing in conformation events are judged SW Art Scene 41-45
Admission: $3 (free for children). Information: on how they present their dogs. Gallery Talk 46
533-5147 or 585-4344.
‘Navidad on the Border’ — The annual Racking Up History 47
San Jacinto Plaza Christmas Tree homage to the community’s traditional Becoming Bicultural 48
Lighting — The 74th annual “Christmas in Christmas customs is 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday,
On Stage 49-50
Lights” continues the holiday tradition of the Dec. 9, at the Chamizal National Memorial
Stage Talk 50
plaza’s spectacular Christmas tree and displays theater. Presented by Que Bonita Familia and
beginning at Saturday, Dec. 5, at San Jacinto the El Paso Community College Senior Adult Keep on Bookin' 51-52
Plaza downtown. The ceremony begins at 4:30 Program. Admission is free, but seating is limit- History Lessons 53
p.m. with live entertainment. The lighting of ed. Complimentary tickets available through Film Scene 54-55
the 55-foot Christmas tree by Mayor John the Seniors Adult Program: 831-7801. Liner Notes 56
Cook and City Council members is at 5:55 The holiday musical and cultural exchange January Preview 57
p.m. followed by the 12th annual lighted presented by seniors from El Paso and Juarez,
Christmas parade at 6 p.m. Information: 541- features the Nativity, Our Lady of Guadalupe Scene Users Guide 58
4331 or 544-5436. and Juan Diego, traditional songs and dances,
Groups and organizations wanting to partici- plus Santa and Mrs. Claus and elves. Advertiser Index 58
pate in the parade can contact Sandy Rodriguez Subscription Form 58
at 240-3310. Please see Page 4
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO
Presents
The All-Singing, All-Dancing Holiday Extravaganza!
FINAL
PRODUCTION!
LAST CHANCE
TO SEE!
THE FINAL PRODUCTION!
December 18-20, 2009
0DJRIÀQ$XGLWRULXP87(3&DPSXV
TICKET PRICES - ALL SEATS GENERAL ADMISSION
Adults $20 ~ UTEP Fac/Staff/Group (20+) $15
For More Information Call 747-6060
El Paso Scene Page 3
 December Roundup
Cont’d from Page 3
St. Anthony’s Seminary Posada — The
seminary, at Crescent and Hastings in Central
El Paso, celebrates the traditional custom of
the posada at about 6:30 p.m. nightly Dec. 16-
23, with rosary, songs by Los Franciscanos and
procession, followed by the breaking of piñatas.
The posada is conducted in Spanish. The semi-
nary’s famous Nativity scene will be on display
through Christmas Day. Information: 566-2261.
International Posada — The 18th annual
International Posada is 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec.
17, at San Jacinto Plaza. The event includes the
traditional re-creation of the Holy Couple’s
search for shelter, along with a piñata, tradi-
tional holiday treats and choirs singing “villanci-
cos” (Christmas carols). Groups from both El
Paso and Juárez have been invited to perform.
The annual posada is sponsored by the El
Paso Central Business Association, the City of
El Paso, the Mexican Consulate and others.
Admission is free. Information: 533-2656.
Luminarias Festival/Posadas along the
Mission Trail — The Mission Trail will glow
with traditional Christmas luminarias Saturday,
Dec. 19, for its 15th annual event. Around
30,000 luminarias will be lit at 6 p.m., lining
Socorro Road from the Ysleta Mission past the
Socorro Mission, then to the San Elizario Plaza.
Admission is free. Information: 851-1682. or
themissiontrail.net.
The 8-mile route includes all three Mission
Trail churches, the oldest continuously active
churches in the United States. Some shops and
restaurants along the trail will remain open
after hours for open houses or shopping. Each
community will host its own posada and holi-
day festivities beginning at dusk, and special
activities will be held at the Tigua Cultural
Center.
In conjunction, the San Elizario Genealogy &
Historical Society will host free events begin-
ning at 5 p.m. at the Los Portales Museum,
1521 San Elizario Road. A live nativity pageant
will be performed by local actors, and tradi-
tional food and refreshments will be available
for a small donation. Information:
epcounty.com/sanelizariomuseum.
Posada Navideña — La Mujer Obrera and
Mercado Mayapán will host traditional Mexican
festivities featuring posadas at 3 p.m. Saturday
and Sunday, Dec. 19-20, at the Festival
Marketplace, 2101 Myrtle. The program
includes pastorelas, which are theatrical acts
based on good versus evil. Food and artisan
goods for sale throughout the month.
Admission is free. Information: 532-6200 or
mujerobrera.org.
North Pole at the Museum —
International Museum of Art, 1211 Montana,
will host its 3rd annual afternoon of holiday
entertainment 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20,
featuring Christmas carols, storytelling, pictures
with Santa and Mrs. Claus, entertainment, holi-
day treats such, coloring contest and more.
Admission is free, nominal fee for photos with
Santa, proceeds benefiting the museum.
Information: 543-6747 or internationalmuseu-
mofart.net.
A coloring contest sheet for grades K-2 is
available online or at the museum during regu-
lar hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through
Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. All
entries must be returned by Dec. 18.
A new drawing contest for grades 3-5 is also
planned. Children should create a drawing on
the theme “Christmas Imagination.” Entries
should be 9”x12” or 10”x13.”
Page 4 El Paso Scene
Kwanzaa — Events honoring the values of
ancient African cultures will take place at 7
p.m. nightly, Dec. 26-Jan. 1, at the McCall
Neighborhood Center, 3231 E. Wyoming.
Information: 566-2407.
Created by Dr. Maulana Karenga as a way to
celebrate family, community and culture in the
African-American community, Kwanzaa focuses
on Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles), that
include Unity, Self-Determination, Collective
Work and Responsibility, Cooperative
Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith.
Mount Cristo Rey: Hike Through Time
— A special Brut Sun Bowl Week hike with
presentations on Mount Cristo Rey, local histo-
ry and environment begins at noon Wednesday,
Dec. 30, at Mount Cristo Rey, Sunland Park,
N.M. Length: 5 miles round trip (2-3 hours).
Cost: $5 ($2 for children) donation requested
for the Mt. Cristo Restoration Committee.
Information: 542-1422. No reservation is
required.
The hike is sponsored by the El Paso
Convention and Visitors Bureau and El Paso
Scene and. Hike leader is Randy Limbird, editor
and publisher of El Paso Scene. Presenters
include Bernie Sargent, Kevin Von Finger and
Ruben Escandon. Security is provided.
The 5-mile hike is easy to moderate, and is
suitable for all ages.
Meet at the large parking lot at the trailhead
to Mt. Cristo Rey off McNutt Road (NM 273).
Take the Racetrack exit off Paisano and cross
the Rio Grande.
Brut Sun Bowl — The 75th annual football
classic begins at noon, Thursday, Dec. 31. The
game features the Pac-10 Conference versus
the Big 12 Conference, the Big East
Conference or the University of Notre Dame.
Teams will be announced Dec 6. Reserved
seats: $20-$60; general admission: $15.
Captain’s Club tickets: $650. Information: 533-
4416, 1-800-915-BOWL or sunbowl.org.
(Ticketmaster)
The game will be broadcast live on CBS for
the 41st consecutive year.
Pregame activities begin at 11:30 a.m. in the
stadium, and the Sun Bowl Fun Zone activity
area for children is open 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
outside of the stadium’s east concourse.
Other Sun Bowl events:
• The Rotary Club Kick Off Luncheon is 11:30
a.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, at Doubletree Hotel
Downtown, 600 N. Mesa.
• The 7th annual Sports World Sun Bowl 5K
run and 1-mile fun walk is 9:30 a.m. Saturday,
Dec. 19, at the Las Palmas LifeCare Center
Back Parking Lot, 3333, N. Mesa. Entry fee:
$20 in advance; $25 on race day ($15 for
groups of 10 or more, military and Mexico resi-
dents. Information: Chris at Up and Running,
478-5663. (see separate listing)
• Kiwanis Bowl Before the Bowl event is
planned at Oasis Lanes, 1660 N. Zaragosa.
Date to be announced.
• Rotary Sun Bowl Football Team Luncheon is
Wednesday, Dec. 30, at the El Paso
Convention Center. Doors open at 11 a.m. The
starting line-ups from both teams are intro-
duced at 11:30 a.m. and the head coaches are
highlighted as well. Tickets: $50; tables for
eight $400 (eight guests or 6 guests and two
football player from each team). Information:
533-4416, ext. 10 or 544-2582.
• Price’s Give ‘Em Five Sun Bowl Cheer Camp
is 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30, at El Paso
Convention Center. Information: 533-3311.
• The 12th annual Sun Bowl Fan Fiesta is 4 to
8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30, at the El Paso
Please see Page 5
December 2009

Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Centre | Abraham Chavez Theatre
Judson F. Williams Convention Center | McKelligon Canyon Amphitheatre
December Roundup
Cont’d from Page 4
Convention Center, with free activities and
games for kids 6 and younger, face painting,
balloon animals, magic acts, local bands, Battle
of University Bands and Cheerleaders, food
and drink for purchase, and a fireworks display.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe — The
13th annual three-day religious festival in
Tortugas, N.M. is Thursday through Saturday,
Dec. 10-12. The festival is the biggest event of
the year in Tortugas, a small village near Mesilla
Park that’s home to the Tortugas Indians.
Events are centered at Our Lady of Guadalupe
Church.
icon in the El Paso border region, runs Dec.
11-Jan. 21.
Church programs
‘The Deliverer’ — The annual large-scale
holiday pageant of music and drama celebrating
the Christmas season is Dec. 11-13 and Dec.
18-20 at Cielo Vista Church, 3585 Lee Trevino.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday through
Sunday, with 2:30 p.m. matinees Saturday and
Sunday. Tickets: $5. All seats general admission.
Available at the church ticket window.
Information: 595-0288 or cielovista.org.
The church’s Arts Ministry production cele-
brates the most treasured stories of the Bible
and the events leading up to the miraculous
birth of Jesus Christ with live action, singing,
dancing and panoramic visuals.

Holiday Movies at the Plaza Events begin Thursday evening with an all-
night wake and Native American dancers.
Saturday, December 5 The annual a procession, rosary and vigil to
the Tortugas “A” Mountain begins at 7 a.m.
2 PM - Elf ~ 7:45 PM - It's a Wonderful Life Friday followed by the bishop’s Mass on the
Sunday, December 6 mountain. A rosary is around 4 p.m. and at sun-
down, pilgrims will light luminarias along the
2 PM - A Christmas Story ~ 6:30 PM - White Christmas mountain path.
Plaza Theatre A fiesta Mass is 9 a.m. Saturday followed by
Danzante Dances and a traditional free fiesta
dinner sponsored by La Corporacion de
A Holiday Afternoon Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, the governing
with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra body of the tribe (which is related to the
Tiguas). A procession around the village, rosary
December 13 ~ 2 PM ~ Plaza Theatre and reception in honor of the Corporacion’s
mayordomos concludes the events Friday after-
noon.
Dave Koz- A Smooth Jazz Christmas To get there: Take Interstate 10 to Las
Cruces, exit on University Avenue and go
under the freeway; turn left at the stop sign
December 17 ~ 7 PM ~ Plaza Theatre and continue on Main, going through two sig-
nals. Turn left on Tortugas Drive and then turn
right on Parroquia.
Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker Information: (575) 526-8171 or (575) 522-
0288.
December 20 ~ 4 & 8 PM ~ Plaza Theatre
Piro-Manso-Tiwa Indian Tribe of
Guadalupe Pueblo — Events celebrating
A Coffeehouse Christmas — CrossPoint
Church, 11995 Montwood, presents the its
annual holiday gift to the community “A Quest
for Christmas” Dec. 11-13, featuring vignettes
of drama, dance and music presented in a cof-
feehouse atmosphere. Performances are at 7
p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at services at 10
a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday. Coffee and homemade
Christmas cookies will be served. Admission is
free. Information: 857-7492.
‘Living Christmas Tree’ — The 45th annu-
al Christmas concerts at First Baptist Church,
805 Montana, are 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday
and 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12-13, 805 Montana,
featuring more than 125 participants perform-
ing familiar holiday songs, both old and new.
Tickets: $3, available in the church office
Monday through Friday on a first come, first
served basis. Doors open one hour prior to
each performance. The event usually sells out
early. Free child care available for ages 4 and
younger. Information: 533-1465 or fbcep.com.
Since 1964, the Tree program features the
Quintessential Brass, along with the children’s
choir, Grace Notes ensemble, LCT Band, and
the Christmas Chorus of students and adults.
The program will include a variety of Christmas

Tickets Make Great Gifts! the Virgin of Guadalupe are Dec. 10-12 at St.
Genevieve’s Church and Parish Hall, 100 South
Espina and 1025 E. Las Cruces Ave., in Las
Cruces. Admission is free, and everyone is
Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular invited. Information: (575) 524-0623 or (575)
650-1945.
January 15 ~ 7:30 PM ~ Abraham Chavez Theatre A procession of the virgin is 6 to 7 p.m.
Thursday and Friday from the hall to the
church. Menudo will be served until midnight at
Michael Jackson Laser Spectacular the hall. A velorio (rosary) and dancing of
Matachines de La Danza del Piro-Manso-Tiwa
January 16 ~ 7:30 PM ~ Abraham Chavez Theatre Indian Tribe will be held at the church until 2
a.m.
Bill Maher A Mass for the Virgin de Guadalupe will be
given at 7 p.m. Saturday, followed by dancing
January 28 ~ 8 PM ~ Plaza Theatre by the matachines (Los Danzantes) and Piro-
Manso-Tiwa Tribe members until 5 p.m.
The Virgin de Guadalupe is kept in the church
Nearly Neil & The Solitary Band until New Year’s Day, when she will be taken
January 31 ~ 2:30 PM ~ Abraham Chavez Theatre out at 2 p.m. in a procession accompanied by
dancing and pageantry. She is then taken home
until next December.
Riverdance: The Farewell Performances Our Lady of Guadalupe exhibition and
mini-festival — An opening art reception
February 12 - 14 ~ Plaza Theatre and mini-festival is 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday,
Dec. 11, at La Galeria de la Misíon de Senecú,
the Ysleta Independent School District’s gallery
El Paso Opera - Porgy & Bess at 8455 Alameda. Entertainment includes the
March 12 & 13 ~ 7:30 PM ~ Riverside High School Mariachis, El Paso
Classical Guitar Quartet and matachines
Abraham Chavez Theatre dancers, plus food, arts and crafts vendors.
Admission is free. Information: 434-9711 or fin-
earts.yisd.net.
Tickets for events listed above may be purchased at any Ticketmaster The 12th annual “Our Lady of Guadalupe”
outlet, ticketmaster.com by calling 800-745-3000 or at the Plaza Theatre exhibition, featuring professional and student
Box Office. For More Information Visit: theplazatheatre.org or elpasocpac.com works that pay homage to a popular cultural
December 2009 El Paso Scene
favorites as well as new selections from classi-
cal to gospel.
‘The Wonder of Christmas’ — Coronado
Baptist Church, 501 Thunderbird, will host its
annual Christmas Cantata performance at 6:30
p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12-13, featur-
ing the church’s Christmas Choir, Children’s
Choir and Orchestra. The cantata-style pro-
gram combines music with drama. Nursery
provided. A cookie fellowship follows
Saturday’s performance. Admission is free.
Information: 584-3912 or coronadobaptist.org.
Mariachi Christmas — Mariachi San Pablo
will host an evening of music celebrating the
birth of Christ at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at
Sao Pablo Lutheran Church, 301 S. Schutz Dr.
The group will perform a variety of Christmas
songs in both English and Spanish. Presented by
Ysleta Lutheran Mission. Admission: $3, space
is limited. Tickets available at the door or in
advance at 858-2588 or ylm.org.
A menudo dinner fundraiser will also be held
6 to 9:30 p.m. Menudo plates: $5.
‘Handel’s Messiah’ — Western Hills United
Methodist Church, 524 Thunderbird, hosts the
holiday concert at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20. The
Chancel Choir and soloists are joined by a
guest orchestra in performing Part I of Handel’s
masterpiece. Admission is free. Information:
584-2133 or westernhillsep.org.
Christmas Celebration — Abundant Living
Faith Center, 1000 Valley Crest, will host its
Please see Page 8
Page 5

Scene Spotlight highlights events adver-
tised in this issue. Support our advertisers
by attending these events, and tell them
you saw in the Scene!
Holiday Movies at The Plaza —El Paso
Community Foundation hosts Christmas and
winter-themed movies Dec. 5-6. Page 2.
‘Microscopias’ — The exhibition based on the
research of Dr. Alvar Carillo-Gil runs through
Jan. 10 at El Paso Museum of Art. Page 16.
Hal Marcus Studio and Gallery — Showing
through Jan. 29: “Paint the Town Red” group
show. The 35th annual Happy Holidaze arts and
and craft fair is Dec. 12. Page 59.
El Paso Convention and Performing Arts
Center — Holiday Afternoon with the
Symphony (Dec. 13), Dave Koz (Dec. 17),
Great Russian Nutcracker (Dec. 20) and Bill
Maher (Jan. 28) at The Plaza Theatre; Pink
Floyd Laser Spectacular (Jan. 15), Michael
Jackson Laser Spectacular (Jan. 15) and Nearly
Neil & Solitary Band (Jan. 31) at Abraham
Chavez Theatre. Page 19.
‘Navidad de Las Luminarias’— Bruce
Nehring Consort’s annual holiday concerts are
Dec. 4-6 at the Chapel at Loretto. Page 7.
Christmas Tour of Homes — El Paso
Symphony’s fundraising tour of distinctive
Upper Valley homes is Dec. 5-6. Page 44.
Bissell Art Studio — Artists Bill and Nanci
Bissell will host a Christmas Art Show and
Open House Dec. 4-6. Page 15.
Desert Crossing Holiday Market —
Ardovino’s Desert Crossing’s 5th annual market
is Dec. 6, in the Sunset Hall. Page 50.
Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino — The
2009-2010 live horse racing season runs Dec.
11-April 21. Page 19.
Rubin Center — Showing through Dec. 12:
“Snagged: Tom Leader Studio;” “Love Without
Contact: Ruben Verdu” and “Celebrity: A
Photographic Legacy from the Andy Warhol
Foundation for the Visual Arts.” Page 41.
The Bookery — A holiday open house and
booksigning with Martin Bencomo is Dec. 12 at
the book store inside the Mission Trail Trading
Post in Socorro. Page 51.
‘The Wonder of Christmas’ — Coronado
Baptist Church’s annual Christmas Cantata per-
formance is Dec. 12-13. Page 47.
Escamilla Art Studio and Gallery Open
House —Impressionist Alberto Escamilla hosts
his 3rd annual Christmas season open house
and Studio Tour Dec. 12-13. Page 28.
Executive Singles Gala — Executive Single’s
19th annual semi-formal Christmas Gala and
Dance is Dec. 13. Page. 21.
‘A Christmas Carol’ — UTEP Department of
Theatre and Dance offers its annual presenta-
tion of Dickens’ Christmas classic Dec. 13-20,
at UTEP’s Wise Family Theatre. Page 32.
‘UTEP Holiday Spectacular’ – UTEP Dinner
Theatre presents a “Version 3.0” of its new hol-
iday tradition Dec. 18-20 at Magoffin
Auditorium. Page 3.
The Crossland Gallery — Through Dec. 19:
Art Junction Studio Artists exhibit. Page 23.
Page 6
‘Honk!’ – El Paso Playhouse presents the family
musical based on Hans Christian Andersen’s
“The Ugly Duckling” through Dec. 19. Page 8.
Posada Navideña — Mercado Mayapán will
host traditional Mexican festivities featuring
posadas Dec. 19-20 . Page 33.
Tango in the New Year — Paso del Norte
Tango Club hosts a New Year’s Dance at
Shundo Dance Studio Dec. 31 . Page 34.
New Year’s Eve at The Forum — Asi Band
headlines Dec. 31 at 3800 Mattox. Page 11.
LYNX Exhibits — Showing through Jan. 3:
“The World of Giant Bugs.” Page 49.
Southern New Mexico
Inn of the Mountain Gods — The casino
offers round-trip shuttle service from El Paso
Tuesdays through Thursdays. Page 45.
‘TGIFF’ in Silver City — Several restaurants,
shops and “Red Dot” galleries stay open late
the first Friday of each month beginning Dec.
4. The annual Downtown Holiday Celebration
is Dec. 12. Pages 37 and 39.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra — One of the
country’s top touring holiday shows returns to
the area for its 2009 Winter” Night Castle”
Tour Dec. 9, at NMSU’s Pan American Center
in Las Cruces. Page 7.
Old-Fashioned Christmas — MainStreet
Truth or Consequences presents the traditional
holiday Dec. 11. Page 48.
Los Artesanos Galeria — A “Meet the Artists
Night” reception is Dec. 11, during the Mesilla
gallery’s Grand Opening celebration. Page 25.
© 2009 Cristo Rey Communications
El Paso Scene
T
his is the last of three trips down
memory lane of my four years as a
newspaper reporter. I’ve spent
nearly 24 years since then as an editor,
but life as an editor just doesn’t yield the
same kind of interesting tales.
In late 1984 I accepted a job as a state
desk reporter at the Columbus (Ohio)
Citizen-Journal. I was one of three
reporters covering rural counties in cen-
tral, southern and southeast Ohio.
On an average day I usually worked the
phones to gather enough information for
two or three stories for the early editions
that served the rural counties. But if the
story was big enough, I would head out
as far as Portsmouth to the south or
Athens to the southeast.
Several stories stand out in my memory.
One was a trial involving allegations of
child sex abuse by a day-care worker.
The case was shaky at best, mainly
because it seemed like the toddlers had
been told what to say. Nevertheless, the
courtroom was filled with angry parents
who believed their children had been
molested.
After the jury issued a not guilty verdict,
the judge blasted the prosecutor and
social service workers for their poor han-
dling of the investigation. As the court-
room emptied, one of the fathers rushed
from his seat to attack the defendant.
I grabbed my camera and captured the
brief melee as bailiffs kept the man from
getting beyond the front row. The defen-
dant hurried away to an undisclosed loca-
tion, which I was able to figure out based
on some court documents in the clerk’s
office. I talked my way into an exclusive
interview with the defendant (a frail
young man who had lost custody of his
own kids during the case). Then I had to
drive an hour to the office, arriving with
45 minutes left before deadline to file two
front-page stories on the day’s events.
Then there was the case of a local con-
tractor whose business was going bank-
rupt because the state hadn’t paid him.
He sent a foolish letter to state officials
saying he knew how to undo some of the
repairs he had made on state highway
bridges. This resulted in highly sensation-
December 2009
El Paso Scene is published by Cristo Rey
Communications as a monthly guide to
entertainment, recreation and culture in the
El Paso area. Copies are provided free at
selected locations. Subscriptions are
$10 a year, sent by 3rd class mail.
Circulation: 40,000 copies.
Deadline for news for the
January issue is Dec. 16
The January issue comes out Dec. 30
El Paso Scene
P. O. Box 13615
El Paso, Texas 79913
PH: 542-1422 FAX: 542-4292
Office: 316 Arboles, El Paso TX 79932
E-mail: epscene@epscene.com
al TV coverage warning people that they
might not be safe driving home, and also
led to a warrant for the man’s arrest.
I had talked to the contractor previously
on the phone, and he asked me to help
him surrender to the authorities — on
condition that he be granted an audience
with the state director of transportation.
So he and I walked up to the state build-
ing together as we were met by state
police and escorted to a conference room
where he repeated his complaints before
being taken to jail. The story fizzled,
however, as the suspect was booked on a
minor misdemeanor charge that later was
reduced to disturbing the peace.
The Citizen-Journal went out of busi-
ness at the end of 1985, in a situation
similar to the old El Paso Herald-Post.
Both were smaller partners in joint oper-
ating agreements where the bigger news-
paper eventually took over completely.
The C-J chapter of my career lasted
only about 15 months, but it turned out to
be a helpful transition. I filled in for my
boss occasionally, discovered I liked edit-
ing and made the move into management
at my next job. I would occasionally do
some reporting, but nothing as adventur-
ous as those early years.
***
The Scene is sponsoring two events this
month: Christmas on the Pecos Dec. 12
(see our ad on Page 53) and our annual
Hike Up Cristo Rey at noon Dec. 30
(Page 23). Please join us!
Randy Limbird
Editor and Publisher
(915) 542-1422
Albert Martinez
Advertising &
Circulation Director
(915) 920-7244
Lisa Kay Tate
Associate Editor
(915) 542-1422 ext. 4
Editorial Associates:
Noelle Lantka, Mónica Garza
Circulation Associates:
Randy Friedman, Gil Garza
Stephanie Friedman
Contributing Writers:
Richard Campbell, Brian Chozick,
Myrna Zanetell, Carol Viescas,
Walter Schaefer, Bill Rakocy
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Visit El Paso Scene Online at
www.epscene.com
sponsored by Phidev, Inc.
December 2009
 Navidad en la Frontera • El Dia de Los Reyes Magos —
Epiphany is the traditional end of the
From the smell of sweet tamales and Christmas season (Jan. 6), and a time of
pinon firewood and the soft glow of gift giving time. This day celebrates when
luminarias, the festive posada proces- the Wise Men “Los Reyos Magos” came
sions, the border area does the holiday bearing gifts for the Christ child. In some
season like nowhere else. Latin cultures, the children leave their
Here are some of the things help define shoes on the doorstep the night of Jan. 5
El Paso del Norte’s traditional Christmas for the gift-bearing wise men to leave
celebrations: presents in the next day. The day is also a
time to remember gift giving, and making
• Luminarias — Luminaria is the most charitable contributions.
commonly used name for a homemade Also part of this day are King’s cakes, a
lantern made of a brown paper bag and ring-shaped coffee cake type of dessert
candle. The simple glowing lights, also with a small toy baby baked into it. The
referred to as “farolitos” (little lanterns), person finding the baby in the piece is the
are a common site on walkways, one who will host the next party.
rooftops and curbsides throughout the
Christmas season. • Traditional foods — Most people are
familiar with tamales, bizochitos (sugar
• Posada — Spanish for “inn,” a posada cookies with anise seasoning) and
is a processional reenacting Mary and empanadas (small fruit-filled pies). Here
Joseph’s search for shelter in Bethlehem. El Paso Community College Senior Adult Program presents its annual hom- are a few more regional treats.
During a posada, groups usually travel to age to the community’s traditional Christmas customs Wednesday, Dec. 9, at • Posole — a hominy or corn-based stew
three sites (often private homes) and the Chamizal National Memorial theater. in a pork or chicken broth base spiced
singing carols “villancicos” and praying. with green or red chile.
After being “turned away” at the first two are performed by different churches and Mexico. Noche Buena is a time for fami- • Capirotada — Mexican bread pudding.
locations, they find shelter at the third, cultural groups every year, and often ly get-togethers, and the celebration of The name means “a little bit of every-
where a celebration with food, music and combine drama, music and dance. the birth of Christ. Often a small gift or thing,” and it can include anything from
often a piñata awaits. These are done by treat is given to the children, and tradi- brown sugar, raisins, chopped nuts and
some churches nightly for nine evenings • Our Lady of Guadalupe — The
tional holiday foods such as tamales, vanilla to shredded cheese.
(novena) through Christmas Eve. reported appearance of a mestizo Virgin
empanadas, bizcochitos and capirotada • Menudo – A stew made of tripe (stom-
Mary near Mexico City in 1531 is not
• Pastorela — The Shepherd’s Play or (Mexican bread pudding) is served. The ach lining or cow), posole and other
actually associated with Christmas, but
“Los Pastores” is a religious folk drama evening ends with the attending of a ingredients. Popular Christmas morning
her Feast Day of Dec. 12 often starts
celebrating the time the shepherds find peaceful midnight mass, known as “La breakfast treat (and New Year’s).
Christmas celebrations for many with
their way to the stable where the Christ Misa Del Gallo” (Rooster’s Mass). • Champurrado — Mexican hot choco-
parades, festivals, special masses and can-
Child is born. These type of dramatic pre- dlelit processionals. The Poinsettia, a native plant of Mexico, late. A rich, chocolate drink seasoned
sentations were used by Spanish settlers if often called “Flor de la Noche Buena” with cinnamon and beaten with a rotary
to introduce early Native American cul- • La Noche Buena — “The Holy Night,” or Flower of the Holy Night. beater (molinillo) until frothy.
tures to Christian Themes. These plays is what Christmas Eve is referred to in

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December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 7

 December Roundup
Cont’d from Page 5
annual orchestral production and candlelight
communion services celebrating the birth of
Jesus Christ Dec. 20-24, in the center’s audi-
torium. The production includes musical come-
dy, dance, drama, candlelight communion and
live Nativity scene. Performances are 7 p.m.
Sunday through Wednesday, and 5 and 7:30
p.m. Thursday. Nursery and children’s classes
provided. Admission is free. Information: 532-
8543 or alfc.com.
‘A Christmas Homecoming’ — The
Music Ministry of First Presbyterian Church of
El Paso will host a special Christmas presenta-
tion at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, at First
Presbyterian Church, 1320 Murchison, featur-
ing the church’s Chancel Choir, Children’s
Choir, Bell Choir and special guest soloists
accompanied by a full orchestra and the
Quintessential Brass. The concert includes
selections from Handel’s “Messiah,” “Christmas
Day” by Gustav Holst and Christmas favorites
such as “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “O
Holy Night,” “The First Nowell,” “Joy to the
World” and “Silent Night.”
Admission is free, but donations accepted.
Information: 533-7551 or firstpres-ep.org.
A Christmas Feast will follow the concert.
Please RSVP: patty@firstpres-ep.org.
Let There Be Lights
Luminarias by the Lake — Thousands of
luminarias will line the walking paths at
Keystone Heritage Park and El Paso Desert
Botanical Gardens, 4200 Doniphan, 6 to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4-5, featuring musi-
cal entertainment and holiday refreshments for
sale. Proceeds benefit the park. Admission: $4
($3 seniors and military, $1 children 12 and
younger). Information: 584-0563,
pasonorte@sbcglobal.net or keystonepark.org.
Navidad de La Fe Luminarias — La Fe
Clinic will light up Scenic Drive with more than
4,000 luminarias for its 18th annual event 6 to
10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. Admission is free,
but sightseers are invited to donate canned and
dry goods or cash, to benefit families served by
La Fe.
Scenic Drive will be open only to one-way
traffic during the event, accessible from
Richmond/Alabama streets in Central El Paso.
Cars proceed slowly westward with lights off
to view the luminarias and the city lights of El
Paso and Juárez. Drivers will also get to view
Santa and his elves and a live Nativity scene.
Volunteers and sponsors are always needed.
Information: 534-7979.
Cumberland Circle — Luminarias and
Christmas lights adorn the circle each
Christmas Eve in the central El Paso neighbor-
hood. From I-10, take Trowbridge northwest
to Pennsylvania Ave. Pennsylvania leads directly
into the circle.
Eastridge Christmas lights — The resi-
dents of the Eastside subdivision of Eastridge
participates each year in an elaborate neighbor-
hood-wide holiday lights display. Lights are usu-
ally lit around the first week of December, and
run through the holiday season.
The subdivision is off McRae Blvd; turn west
on Eastridge.
Ascarate Park Winter Wonderland —
The county park and lake is lit for the holidays
through early January. Hours are 6 p.m. to 10
p.m. Monday through Thursday and to 11 p.m.
Friday through Sunday. Admission is $1 per
vehicle. Information: 772-5605.
Page 8 El Paso Scene
Christmas Light Tour of El Paso — The
popular Christmas trolley tours offer a nightly
circuit through El Paso’s best-loved seasonal
sights, including San Jacinto Plaza, Ascarate Park
and Eastridge among other areas. The
enclosed, heated trolley leaves the Convention
Center at 6 p.m. Tickets sell out quickly, reser-
vations required: El Paso Juarez Trolley Co.,
544-0062.
Southern New Mexico
Ruidoso Festival of Lights — The moun-
tain village of Ruidoso will host several
Christmas and holiday events though the
Christmas season, beginning with the annual
Lighting of the Village at dusk Friday, Nov. 27,
in midtown. Information: 1-888-71-LIGHTS
(714-4448) or RuidosoFOL.org.
Christmas in the Park is 6 p.m. Thursday,
Dec. 3, at School House Park. Includes lighting
of the Southwest’s largest Christmas tree,
music and caroling, sleigh rides and visits with
Santa. Admission is free.
Lincoln County Community Theater presents
the family holiday presentation “Christmas
Story” Dec. 4-6, and 11-13 at Ruidoso School
Performing Arts Center, 125 Warrior Drive.
Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday. Call for admission.
The annual “Parade of Lights” is 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5, in downtown Ruidoso (from
Sudderth/Mechem to Pizza Hut), featuring
floats packed with seasonal decorations and
lights. Special events are planned all day at
Wingfield Park in midtown including musicians,
carolers, children’s rides and more.
The Annual ENMU-Ruidoso Community
Choir Concert is 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, at the
Spencer Theater.
A Gingerbread house competition is Nov. 30-
Dec. 4, at Inn of the Mountain Gods on the
Mescalero Apache reservation. Information: 1-
877-277-5677.
Ski Apache’s Torch Light Parade is 5 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 19, at Ski Apache Resort.
Veteran skiers carry lighted torches while
descending the mountain. Indian fry bread, hot
snacks and drinks available for purchase. Indian
drumming begins at 5 p.m. with parade down
the mountain at 6 p.m. Admission is free, but
spectators are encouraged to arrive early.
Walk through Bethlehem — Angus
Church of the Nazarene in Ruidoso will host
45-minute interactive walks through a recreat-
ed village of Bethlehem 6 to 8 p.m. Friday and
Sunday, and 2 p.m. Saturday (with reservations)
Nov. 27-29 and Dec. 4-6. The guided event
features a cast of more than 60 actors and live
animals. Visitors can interact with tax collec-
tors, Roman soldiers, innkeepers, merchants,
dancers, strolling minstrels and more, and learn
about the world in which Jesus was born.
Wheelchair friendly path. Admission is free.
Information: (575) 336-8032 or angusnaz.com.
Christmas in Cloudcroft — The
Sacramento Mountain community’s holiday sea-
son events include:
• Santa Land Celebrations are 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 28 and Dec. 19, in Zenith Park
behind the Chamber of Commerce. Santa and
Mrs. Claus arrive with treat candy and cookies.
Also features a bonfire, marshmallow roast, hot
chocolate and cider, holiday music, Cloudcroft’s
famous Snow Faeries and games. Information:
(575) 682-2733.
• The 27th annual Pet Parade is 2 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5, on Burro Avenue.
Information: Gloria, (575) 921-1122.
Please see Page 9
December 2009
 To get there: Take Interstate 25 north from Center (Daniels and McAdoo). Carolers and
December Roundup Las Cruces to the NM 152 exit at Caballo, and the Hot Springs High School will perform at
Cont’d from Page 8 go west 17 miles. Broadway and Main.
Festival of Lights on Austin Street includes
• Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at The Lodge ‘Night of Lights (Noche de food, music and more. Downtown businesses
Wednesday, Dec. 24, for a reading of the Luminarias)’ — Southern New Mexico’s stay open late for holiday shopping, offering
“Twas The night Before Christmas,” hot cider largest luminaria display is 6 to 8:30 p.m.
specials and treats. Wagons rides offered. Fire
and cookies served in the Trestle Room. Santa Sunday, Dec. 6, on the New Mexico State
pits along Broadway will provide opportunities
will visit again Christmas morning, and a special University Campus. Continuing a 24-year tradi-
to roast marshmallows and s’mores. Other area
holiday buffet will be served. Information: (575) tion, more than 5,000 luminarias will light up
events Saturday, Dec. 12 include the TorC Art
682-2733 (Chamber of Commerce) or 1-800- the International Mall and the path from the
Hop and the Elephant Butte Luminaria
395-6343 (The Lodge). Pan American Center to the Corbett Center
Beachwalk.
Student Union. Free holiday entertainment and
Silver City Lighted Christmas Parade activities at Corbett Center, including horse- Alamogordo Christmas Parade — The
— The 18th annual Silver City Lighted
drawn trolley rides and caroling. Information: annual lighted parade begins around 5 p.m.,
Christmas Parade begins at 7 p.m. Saturday,
(575) 646-3200 or nmsu.edu. Saturday, Dec. 12, down 10th Street. Hosted
Nov. 28, on Main Street. The parade is spon-
by the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce,
sored by Silver City MainStreet Project. Mesilla Plaza Christmas Tree Lighting the parade includes colorful floats, banners,
Information: (575) 534-1700. — The community tree lighting is Friday, Dec.
marching bands and a special visit from Santa
The parade begins at the Grant County 11, in the plaza. Mesilla Mayor Michael Cadena
Claus. Information: (575) 437-6120.
Courthouse in historic downtown Silver City, will switch on the tree at 6 p.m. Christmas
travels east on Broadway Street and turns music by San Albino Church Choir continues Elephant Beachwalk and Floating
north onto Bullard Street. The parade includes until 6:30 p.m. Shops will be open late for holi- Lights parade — Elephant Butte State Park’s
motorized floats, wagons or carts, lighted cars day shopping that day, refreshments and some 15th annual luminaria walk and parade benefit-
and bicycles, walking and other entries. locations. The tree will be decorated with ing Make-A-Wish Foundation is 5 to 10 p.m.
ornaments created by students from Mesilla Saturday, Dec. 12. The parade begins at 6:30
Downtown Ramble — The City of Las Elementary School. Admission is free. p.m. The event features more than 3,500 lumi-
Cruces hosts an evening of music and art 5 to 7
Information: (575) 524-3262, ext. 116 narias, a boat and RV parade, 25 host camp
p.m. the first Friday of the month at the Las
Mesilla is southwest of Las Cruces. Take I-10 fires, Santa Claus, hayrides, caroling, and lots of
Cruces Downtown Mall. Information: (575)
West to the Avenida de Mesilla exit. The plaza hot chocolate, cider and posole for everyone.
523-2950.
is off NM Highway 28 (Avenida de Mesilla) An awards ceremony and community
NMSU Library Holiday Open House — south of I-10. Christmas party to follow at 9: p.m. at the
The New Mexico State University Library hosts Luminarias and Christmas music will be fea- Elephant Butte Inn. Cost: $5 per car.
a holiday open house, tured on the Plaza 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Information: (575) 740-1777.
“Celebrating Past, Present and Future,” 2 to 4 Christmas Eve. The Mesilla Singers choir will
lead in the singing of Christmas carols, and
Fort Selden Luminaria Tours — The
p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. Tours will be given of
11th annual holiday event at Fort Selden State
space refurbishments in both Zuhl and Branson luminarias will be lit around dusk.
Monument is 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12.
libraries, starting in the Zuhl Library lobby.
Old-Fashioned Christmas — MainStreet The trails and ruins of the 19th-century fort will
Refreshments served at the end of the tours.
Truth or Consequences presents the traditional be lit by candles, and visitors will be treated to
Admission is free. Information: Kristina
holiday event 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. hot chocolate, cookies and more. Admission is
Martinez, (575) 646-3642.
Festivities begin with the tree lighting 6 p.m. at
City of Las Cruces Christmas Tree Evelyn Renfro Park. Santa will visit at the Teen Please see Page 10
Lighting Ceremony — The annual ceremo-
ny is 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at Albert N.
Johnson Park, corner of Main and Picacho in
Las Cruces. The city has 100,000 lights in the
trees at Johnson Park. The celebration includes
music, refreshments and a visit from Santa
Claus. Information: (575) 541-2000.
Also that evening is the 5th annual Trail of
Lights Luminaria Walk 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Las
Cruces Downtown Mall and Railroad museum,
featuring cocoa, cookies, carols, model trail dis-
plays and more. Information: (575) 541-2288.
Luminarias on The Plaza — The City of
Socorro, N.M. will host its 6th annual arts
crawl 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, on the his-
toric plaza and several surrounding shops in
Socorro. The event features, live music art-
work, food and beverages. Admission is free.
Information: (575) 835-8927.
‘TGIFF’ in Silver City — Several of historic
Downtown Silver City’s restaurants, shops and
“Red Dot” galleries will stay open late the first
Friday of each month beginning Dec. 4 as part
of the monthly “Thank God It’s First Friday”
shopping event. Information: 1-800-548-9378
or silvercitymainstreet.com.
On Saturday, Dec. 12, participating
Downtown businesses will host sidewalk sales
and other Christmas events through the day
during the annual Downtown Holiday
)
Celebration.
‘Christmas in the Foothills’— The his-
toric Black Range town of Hillsboro, N.M.
invites Christmas shoppers for a holiday studio
walk 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. The
celebration includes open houses at art galleries % #$"
and historic homes as well as holiday activities,
and arts and crafts shows. Admission is free.
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Information: (575) 895-5797.

December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 9


December Roundup
Cont’d from Page 9
free during the evening. Information: (575)
526-8911.
From Las Cruces, take I-25 North to Exit 19.
The monument, which preserves the ruins of
the 19th century fort, is open 8:30 a.m. to 5
p.m. daily. Admission is $3 (age 16 and under
free).
‘Champagne! Chocolate! Art!’ —
Temple Beth-El, 3980 Sonoma Springs in Las
Cruces, will host an evening featuring works of
art in a variety of media created by Jewish
artists from Las Cruces and beyond, 4 to 8
p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13. The show will be
accompanied by a selection of chocolate good-
ies and champagne. Admission: $20.
Information: (575) 524-3380 or tbelc.org.
Victorian Christmas Evening — The
25th annual event is 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec.
17, at the Silver City Museum, 312 W.
Broadway in the historic H.B. Ailman House.
The old-fashioned community celebration fea-
tures traditional music, decorations, costumed
characters, children’s stories, hot mulled cider,
plum pudding and other holiday treats.
Admission: $3. Children accompanied by adult
free. Information: (575) 538-5921 or silvercity-
museum.org.
Luminarias and Christmas Carols on
the Plaza — Old Mesilla, N.M., turns into a
wonderland of music and light beginning at
dusk Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec. 24, at San
Albino Church and the surrounding historic
plaza. Around 6,000 luminarias will be set up
by Los Leones del Mesilla and the Las Cruces
High School band, in cooperation with Mesilla
merchants.
The Mesilla Singers will lead singing of
Christmas carols from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Friends of the Mesilla Fire Department will
hold a candlelight service for public safety and
military personnel, their family and friends at 6
p.m.
Mesilla is southwest of Las Cruces. Take I-10
West to the Avenida de Mesilla exit. The plaza
is off NM Highway 28 (Avenida de Mesilla)
south of I-10. Admission is free. Information:
(575) 524-3262, ext. 116.
Christmas on the Pecos — One of
America’s top holiday traditions, the boat tour
along the Pecos River runs Nov. 28-Dec. 31,
in Carlsbad, N.M. The 17th annual event show-
cases the winter wonderland of more than 100
festively decorated houses. Twelve to 15 tours
are offered nightly 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The tours depart from Pecos River Village,
which includes a gallery full of Southwestern
gifts and refreshments and holiday lights. The
George Washington runs Friday and Saturday
only. No tours offered Christmas Eve. Tickets:
$12.50 ($7.50 age 2-11) Sunday through
Thursday, $17.50 ($12.50 age 2-11) Friday and
Saturday. Children under 3 years of age are
free if sitting on lap. Half length tours are $7.
Tickets should be purchased in advance; many
dates are sold out. Information: (575) 628-0952
or christmasonthepecos.com.
A Calico Christmas arts and crafts show is
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27-28, with a
Holiday Stroll and Electric Light Parade is
Saturday, Nov. 28.
A Sail With Santa event is 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec.
6 and 13. Cost: $15 (reservations required).
A special El Paso bus trip to the event is
Saturday, Dec. 12, sponsored by El Paso Scene
and Si El Paso Tours. Reservations: 541-1308.
Mesilla Mercado — Local farmers and mer-
chants sell a variety of merchandise at Old
Page 10 El Paso Scene
Mesilla Plaza, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays (begin-
ning Oct. 1) and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The
mercado includes jewelry, wood working,
paintings, photos, religious items and clothing.
Produce is sold seasonally; summer months are
the ideal time to take advantage of the fresh
fruits and vegetables. Live music is also fea-
tured. Admission is free. Information: Nick
Eckert, (575) 524-3262, ext. 104.
New Year’s Eve
Forum Ballroom New Year’s Eve
Dance — Asi Band is featured at the Dec. 31
dance, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at The Forum, 3800
Mattox. Cost is $30, which includes party
favors, beer and set-ups and menudo at mid-
night. Information: 598-4229.
Sunland Park New Year’s Eve — El
Paso favorite Rhapsody will headline the New
Year’s Eve celebration in the Signature
Showroom at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino
Thursday, Dec. 31. Dinner offered 7 to 9 p.m.
with music and dancing 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Tickets: $35 (includes dinner buffet, entertain-
ment, favors and champagne toasting); $200
table for eight. Tickets available from the
track’s Group Sales office or Club Fiesta.
Information/reservations: (575) 874-5200.
A free party featuring music by Ekiz and party
favors is 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Franklin
Lounge. No reservations needed.
New Year’s Eve Ball — 8 p.m. Thursday,
Dec. 31, in the El Paso County Coliseum, 4100
Paisano. Tickets: $35 (Ticketmaster).
New Year’s Eve party at Inn of
Mountain Gods — Inn of the Mountain
Gods Resort and Casino in Mescalero, N.M.
will host its New Year’s Eve Celebration begin-
ning at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 31, featuring
live entertainment a New Year’s Eve buffet,
and champagne toast at midnight. Tickets:
$100. Reservations recommended, seating is
limited. Information/reservations: (800) 545-
9011 or (575) 464-7090.
Bazaars and fairs
Turkish Food and Craft Fair — Raindrop
Foundation will host its food and craft fair 11
a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, at Raindrop
Turkish House in El Paso, 1445 Bessemer Dr.
Suite E-D, featuring authentic Turkish hand
crafts. Featured items include Turkish
Calligraphy Turkish Art Ebru (paper marbling),
glass painting, souvenirs and Turkish food.
Admission is free. Information: 633-8853 or
raindropturkevi.org/elpaso.
St. Thomas Aquinas Christmas Craft
Fair — St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic
Community Church, 10970 Bywood, will host
a Christmas fair 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov.
29. Information: Donna Murray, 591-2752.
Mission Trail Harvest Market — The
first ever market is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday,
Nov. 29, at Veteran’s Memorial Plaza, 1500
Main Street in San Elizario, with more than 75
vendors selling arts and crafts, fall harvest
goods and food. Live entertainment featured in
the park gazebo. San Elizario historian Ben
Sanchez will lead guided tours of the historical
district throughout the day. Admission is free.
Information: 594-8424 or
MissionTrailArtMarket.com.
‘It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like
Christmas’ Craft Fair — Pebble Hills
Elementary School, 11145 Edgemere, hosts its
13th annual holiday arts and crafts fair Saturday,
Dec. 5. Sponsored by the Pebble Hills PTO.
Please see Page 11
December 2009
The 74th annual “Christmas in Lights” continues the holiday tradition of San Jacinto
Plaza’s spectacular Christmas tree and displays, beginning Saturday, Dec. 5. The cere-
mony begins at 4:30 p.m. with live entertainment. The lighting of the 55-foot Christmas
tree by Mayor John Cook and City Council members is at 5:55 p.m. followed by the 12th
annual lighted Christmas parade at 6 p.m.
December Roundup
Cont’d from Page 10
Vendors are needed. Information: Donna, 434-
5613.
Clendenin PTA Christmas fair —
Clendenin Elementary School, 2701 Harrison,
will host its 9th annual Christmas Craft Fair 8
a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5. Admission is
free. Information: Ruben Campos, 231-2640.
Barron craft fair — The Barron PTA will
host its first arts and craft fair 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5, at Barron Elementary, 11155
Whitey Ford, featuring handmade items.
Admission is free. Information: 849-4220.
Kohlberg Winter Bazaar — The
Kohlberg PTA will host its holiday bazaar 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, Kohlberg
Elementary School, 1445 Nardo Goodman,
with holiday gifts from a variety of vendors,
Santa’s workshop for kids, pictures with Santa,
entertainment and more. Admission is free;
nominal fee for Santa’s workshop, food and
pictures. Information: Melissa Sullivan, 873-
0766.
Old Fashioned Holiday La Casa Bazaar
— The annual holiday bazaar featuring regional
vendors is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5-6, at Dickerson’s
Auction Barn, 3900 Picacho, Las Cruces. The
bazaar features varieties of holiday gifts, arts
and crafts; along with homemade treats and a
silent auction of one-of-a-kind decorative mail-
boxes and birdhouses made by local artisans.
Proceeds benefit La Casa Inc. shelter for vic-
tims of domestic violence. Admission: $3.
Information: (575) 526-2819.
The Preview Party is 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec.
4, with early shopping opportunities and light
refreshments. Holiday entertaining tips by the
Big Red Chef, Lynn Linde and music by The
Tuba Four. Admission: $12.
Desert Crossing Holiday Market —
Ardovino’s Desert Crossing Restaurant and
Banquet Facility will host its 5th annual market
Sunday, Dec. 6, in the Sunset Hall. Limited
vendor space still available, goods must be pro-
December 2009
(Photo by Rick Tate)
duced locally. Information: (575) 589-0653.
UU Christmas Bazaar — Unitarian
Universalist Community of El Paso, 4425 Byron
St., will host its annual Christmas Bazaar 9:30
a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 and 13. The
bazaar features handmade arts and crafts, other
gift items, a bake sale and a white elephant
table. Admission is free. Information: 562-4001
or uuelpaso.org.
Harlequin Happy Holidaze Open
House — The Hal Marcus Gallery, 800 N.
Mesa (top floor), hosts its 35th annual Happy
Holidaze Open House arts and craft fair 10 ( * ! & %) / (& # !%
a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, with 15
booths selling homemade teddy bears to hand-
)&+* - )* (% " - #(/ #! *
crafted jewelry, organic soaps and more. Also !%)'!( / * )! *) % )&+% )
shop for prints, calendars, mugs, miniature art & * &+* - )*
and the largest selection of local cards in El
Paso. All-day entertainment includes live music,
magic and belly-dancers. Admission is free. (&#!% ( /
Information: 533-9090 or halmarcus.com. &%!' %
# !* %* % . * *& 0 &
Holiday Open House Bazaar — Patou
Velvet’s 8th annual bazaar and gift sale is 10
a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at 518 --- (&#!% / ( / &$
Randolph Drive in Sunset Heights, featuring
new and vintage collectibles and gifts, original
art and reproductions by Maria Socorro Muñoz - %, %*&(/ !% *&(
and Omar Muñoz, handmade jewelry designs / - / , !# #
by Linda Muñoz and more. Admission is free.
Information: 313-9892.
Hanks Arts and Crafts Fair — The
Hanks Wrestling Booster Club’s 3rd annual fair
is 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, at Hanks High
School, 2001 Lee Trevino, featuring area ven-
dors and live entertainment. Information: Joe,
593-4088 or Mike, 591-1160.
Southern New Mexico
St. Genevieve’s Holiday show — The
parish’s 23rd annual antique and craft show and
sale is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28-29, at St.
Genevieve’s Parish Hall, 1025 E. Las Cruces
Ave., Las Cruces. More than 40 dealers from
four states. Free appraisals. Food sales.
Admission: $1.50 (children 12 and under free).
Please see Page 12
El Paso Scene
Page 11

December Roundup
Cont’d from Page 11
Information: (575) 526-8624 or (575) 524-
4203.
Christkindl Market — The Community
Center on White Sands Missile Range will host
a traditional German Christmas market 11 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, in building 460,
featuring shop vendors from the surrounding
area. Pictures with Santa available for purchase
1 to 3 p.m. Information: (575) 678-4134.
Las Cruces Museums holiday sale —
The City of Las Cruces’s museums will host a
fundraising holiday sale of Mata Ortiz pottery,
carved Oaxacan wooden animals and Zapotec
rugs 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 1
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4-5, at the Las Cruces
Museum of Art Gift Shop, 490 N. Water Street
in the Las Cruces Downtown Mall. Many of the
museums’ regular items will also be on sale. All
purchases will benefit the Foundation for Las
Cruces Museums. Information: (575) 571-5894
or flcm.blogspot.com.
Mata Ortiz pottery from the village of Casas
Grandes, Mexico has become highly collectible
in the past decades. One of the village’s master
potters, Jorge Quintano, will be present to dis-
cuss Mata Ortiz pottery techniques.
Zapotec rugs are hand-woven in a variety of
colors and designs and are crafted in sizes from
table runners to large floor rugs and wall hang-
ings.
Las Cruces Farmers & Crafts Market
— Arts, crafts, produce, baked goods and
other food items are offered at the market in
Las Cruces’ Downtown Mall, 8 a.m. to 12:30
p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, featuring
approximately 200 area vendors. Information:
(575) 541-2288 or lascrucesfarmersmarket.org.
Something for everyone
World AIDS Day — Events are planned 10
a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, at Bassett Place
Mall, hosted by various organizations and non-
profits. the event features informational booths,
HIV tasting, Frontera Pride Film Festival, HIV
Awareness Commemoration and Funding
announcement at 7 p.m. and more. Admission
is free. Information: 356-0325.
Latinitas — The non-profit group for the
empowerment of Latina youth offers regular
media-related workshops, exhibits, camps and
more. Information: 219-8554, or latinitas-
magazine.org.
October events:
• Alliance for Latinitas Volunteer Orientation
— 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, at
Latinitas Headquarters, 1359 Lomaland, Suite
502. Information session held first Tuesday of
every month.
• Latinitas Open House — 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 8, at Latinitas Headquarters.
• Teen Latinitas Workshops — A photography
workshop is 1 to 3 p.m. for girls in grades 4-8,
and a writing workshop is 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. for
girls in grades 8-12, Saturday, Dec. 12, at Judge
Marquez Public Library, 610 N. Yarbrough.
Admission is free.
Dynamic Women2Women networking
luncheons — The Women’s Business Border
Center of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce hosts an informational series to
provide small business owners with a forum to
network, discuss business challenges, and cele-
brate successes at 11:30 a.m. the first Thursday
of each month. Everyone is invited. Admission
Page 12 El Paso Scene
is free, lunch is optional on one’s own.
Information/RSVP: Renee Hernandez 566-4066,
Ext. 31, or hispanicwomenscenter.com.
The Dec. 3 meeting is at Butterfield Trail Golf
Course, 1858 Cottonwoods Drive.
Nonprofit Enterprise Center — 1359
Lomaland. All workshops and classes at the
center, unless otherwise listed. Registration
required: 590-1333 or angela@nonprofitec.org.
Web: nonprofitec.org.
• The monthly Nonprofit Connection network-
ing gathering is 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Friday, Dec.
4, at El Paso Bridges Academy, 901 Arizona. A
different nonprofit organization hosts the meet-
ing every month with coffee and pastries. RSVP
encouraged.
• Grant Research workshop — 3:30 to 4:30
p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16, at UTEP Library
Room 204. Learn how to look for funding from
foundations nationally, using FC Funding Search
and more. Admission is free.
‘Holidazzle’ — Abundant Living Faith
Center’s popular annual women’s Christmas
event is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at
the Camino Real Hotel, 101 S. El Paso. The
event includes a fashion show, a shopping fair
and luncheon with guest speakers. Event often
sells out; early ticket reservations encouraged.
Tickets information: 532-8543 or alfc.com.
‘Together for Autism’ conference —
The Region 19 ESC training is 8:30 a.m. to 4
p.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec 10-11, at Head
Start ESC-Region 19, 11670 Chito Samaniego.
The conference is for educators, therapists,
administrators, parents and everyone who
works with individuals with autism. Cost: $125
for both days (early registration encouraged, as
conference sells out every year). No on-site
registration accepted. Information: Katherine
Wellborn-Chacon, 780-5350. Online registra-
tion at esc19.net (event #9222).
Thursday’s keynote session is “The View
From Here: My Life With Autism” with Taylor
and David Crowe, and Friday’s keynote session
is “Look Me in the Eye: My Life With
Asperger’s” by John Elder Robison.
El Paso Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce — 2401 E. Missouri. The cham-
ber will host several workshops and networking
events in December. Events are at the chamber
offices and are free, unless otherwise listed.
Information: 566-4066 or ephcc.org.
• Payday Friday Goes Live: Maximizing
Efficiency for Business Owners — Guest speak-
er, Michael Graham will host the final “Payday
Friday Goes Live” session of the year at 9 a.m.
Friday, Dec. 11. Call for reservations.
• Certification Seminar — A seminar on
“Doing Business with the Federal Government”
is 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, hosted by the El Paso
Minority Business Enterprise Center.
• General Membership Mercado — The 2009
membership event is 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15.
Call for details.
•”Let’s Start Your Business!” — 10 a.m. Friday,
Dec. 18. Learn business developments, projec-
tions, lending opportunities, marketing strate-
gies, networking opportunities and more. Cost:
$10 for startup guide.
‘Maximizing Technology’ seminar —
ElectroSystems Engineers Inc. (ESEI), will the
seminar “Maximizing Technology:
Recommended Best Practices for proactive and
efficient IT¡” 7:30 to 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 11, at
Hilton Garden Inn, 111 W. University. Learn
what emerging technologies can do for a busi-
ness. Admission is free. Information/registra-
tion: 587-7902 or esei.com.
Please see Page 13
December 2009

December Roundup
Cont’d from Page 12
Biomedical Conference — The Paso Del
Norte Children’s Medical Center will host a
conference on Autism Spectrum disorders and
AD(H)D 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12,
at Region 19’s Education Service Center, 6611
Boeing. Information: Norma Perez, 544-8484.
Chamizal Bookings — The Chamizal
National Memorial is accepting applications
through Dec. 15 for use of its 500-seat
Memorial Theatre for July through December
2010. Selection process begins June 1.
Application forms may be obtained at the
Memorial’s administrative building reception
desk 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through
Fridays, and the Visitor Center information
desk 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through
Saturdays, or online at nps.gov/cham.
Information: 532-7273.
Applications received after deadline consid-
ered on a space available basis only.
Bridge leagues — Duplicate bridge events
are hosted every day except Saturday, at
Decker Bridge Center, Unit 159, 2216 East
Yandell. Duplicate bridge events are hosted
everyday except Thursday and Saturday.
Admission: $5. Information: 544-6565 or elpa-
sobridge.com. Managers: Peggy Craig, 581-
0371 or Steve Nordberg, 833-5915.
‘Experience Your America’ – Chamizal
National Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial, will host
a free monthly story time program for pre-
school children at 10 a.m. the third Thursday of
the month through May in the Los Paisanos
Gallery. Children can also participate in creative
activities based on themes of friendship, peace,
and diplomacy. Schools, day-cares, and families
may participate. Space is limited, advance
reservations strongly suggested.
Information/reservations: Dora Martinez, 532-
7273, Ext. 128, or dora_martinez@nps.gov.
For a good cause
Boys and Girls Club wine tasting —
Boys and Girls Club of El Paso hosts its 2nd
annual holiday event 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday,
Dec. 3, at El Paso Museum of Art, with wines,
food, raffles and more. Dress is holiday attire.
Tickets: $100 at the door. Available on-line at
bgcelpaso.org. Information/tickets: 532-7410.
Christmas for Chihuahuita Motorcycle
Run — The 25th annual motorcycle and car
run and parade is Friday, Dec. 4, beginning at
the Quick Stop Store, 7301 North Loop (at
Hawkins). Decorated bikes and cars will be on
display beginning at 10 a.m. followed by bike
and car judging at 11:30 a.m. The parade begins
promptly at noon, led by Mr. and Mrs. Santa
and their elves on motorcycle. All motorcycle
groups and individuals as well as cars are invited
to participate.
The parade goes to participating local schools
to pick up toys for the annual party to be held
later in December. Participation is free, and rid-
ers are welcome to bring candy for the school
kids. Prizes will be given for the best decorated
motorcycles and cars, and food, drink and door
prizes offered for participants following the
event. Information: Mickie Subia, 533-1208.
Holiday Dinner Party — El Paso Museum
of Art, One Arts Festival Plaza, downtown El
Paso, will host a fundraising party benefiting
membership funds at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4,
with live entertainment. Cost: $75 ($50 mem-
bers. Non-member cost includes an annual sin-
gle’s level membership. RSVP/payment by Dec.
2. Information/reservations: 532-1707, ext 66,
or elpasoartmuseum.org.
EPSO ‘Christmas Tour of Homes’ — El
Paso Symphony Orchestra will feature five
Upper Valley El Paso homes decked out in holi-
Please see Page 14

International Adoption Workshop —

Great Wall China and Children of All Nations
Adoption Agency will host a workshop for
those interested in adoption 6 to 8 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 17, at El Paso Public Library’s
Dorris Van Doren Branch, 551 Redd. The
workshop will highlight information about the
international adoption process for the countries
of China, Ethiopia, Mexico, The Philippines and
Rwanda. Admission is free. Information: 525-
8892 or gwca.org.

Third Thursday at EPMA — The monthly

event, geared towards “YoCos” (Young
Cosmopolitans), is 5:30 to 8 p.m. the third
Thursday of the month at the El Paso Museum
of Art. Ages 18 and older welcome. Cost: $10
($7 museum members). RSVP requested.
Entrance fee waived for those who join the
museum at the event. Information: 532-1707,
ext. 13.
The Dec. 17 event is “Sub Zero” featuring
music by deejay Esteban Carrasco, food, bever-
ages, Holiday cheer and an appearance by
Santa. Prizes for the best holiday-inspired out-
fits.
‘Pastry Queen’ book signing and din-
ner — A book signing reception and dinner for
Rebecca Rather, author of “Pastry Queen
Parties: Entertaining Friends and Family, Texas
Style” is Friday and Saturday, Dec. 18-19, at
Blue Javalina in Marfa, Texas featuring prix fixe
menus, specialty cocktails and other recipes by
Rather and friends featured in the new book.
Information/reservations: (432) 729-1919.
Christmas Village display — Hundreds of
figurines make up one of El Paso’s most elabo-
rate holiday displays, “Winter Wonderland,” on
exhibit 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Jan.
2, in the auditorium of the MacGuire
Administration Building of the Lee and Beulah
Moor Children’s Home, 1100 Cliff Dr. The
exhibit, donated by Dorothea Purvis, consists
of hundreds of festive figurines and continues
to grow bigger every year. Admission is free,
but donations are accepted. Information: 544-
8777.
Mecca Lounge Monthly Wine Social —
Ardovino’s Desert Crossing in Sunland Park
hosts the social at 7 p.m. the last Wednesday of
each month (no wine social in December).
Sample a selection of fine wines and light hors
d’oeuvres. Cost is $15. Information, reserva-
tions: (575) 589-0653 ext 3.

December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 13


December Roundup
Cont’d from Page 13
day cheer during its first home tour fundraising
event 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5
p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5-6. All homes are within a
6 mile radius.
Tickets: $25 for all five homes; $20 military
discount $20 military; $10 ages 5-12. No
strollers allowed in the homes. Tour of one
home is $7. Poinsettias will be on sale for $10,
and vendors will have items for sales at differ-
ent homes. Information: 532-3776 or epso.org.
Homes:
• 4849 Villa Encanto, owned by Villa Encanto
L.P. The Tuscan style home will be decorated in
a “Tuscan Holiday” theme by Lori McCuaig.
Vendor is James Love Jeweler
• 4480 Honey Willow owned by Mary Jane and
Wayne Windle. The Mexican Hacienda will be
decorated in a “Feliz Navidad” theme by Lisa
Elbjorn. Vendor is The Pink Store.
• 3601 Appaloosa in Santa Teresa owned by
David Martinez. The Egyptian inspired home
will feature a “Reyes Magos” theme by Caroline
Whitmore.
• 812 Forest Willow owned by Rose & Ameen
Ayoub. Rose Ayoub will decorate the home in a
“Winter Wonderland” with traditional gold, sil-
Page 14
ver and bronze. Vendor is Pizzazz.
• 808 Cervantes. Theme is “Deck The Halls”
by Deanna’s Designs, who will also be the fea-
tured vendor.
Highland Presbyterian Bayberry
Luncheon — Highland Presbyterian Church’s
annual luncheon and bazaar is 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5, at the church at 9210 Dyer.
Admission: $2.50; proceeds benefit the
church’s mission outreach. Information/reserva-
tions: 751-7709.
‘For Pet’s Sake III’ — The benefit for
Deming Animal Guardians is 10 a.m. to 12:30
p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12, at B&D Outback
Framing, 2111 Columbus Road, Deming, fea-
turing a silent auction of art, collectibles, gems
and other items. All items will have a “Buy it
Now” price listed and are subject to immediate
sale. Admission is free; food dry dog and cat
food donations welcome. Raffle tickets available
for $1. Information: (575) 544-2209.
Black Tie Dance Party at the Buffalo –
Mimbres Region Arts Council presents its 28th
gala fundraiser “A Gilded Gala,” with gourmet
hors d’oeuvres and dessert, dancing, and live
blues/rock by Phoenix band the Jump Back
Brothers at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at the
Buffalo Dance Hall in Silver City, N.M. This
El Paso Scene
year’s Venetian Carnival theme celebrates the
council’s 30th anniversary. Dress is formal
attire; bring a mask. Tickets: $30. Advance tick-
ets available at the Arts Council office in the
Wells Fargo Bank building, Century 21-
Thompson Realty and Syzygy Tile Works in
Silver City. Information: 1-888-758-7289 or
mimbresarts.org.
Nova Luna charity event — Music Land
El Paso and Nova Luna will host a charity musi-
cal outreach benefiting the Marines’ “Toys for
Tots” 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at 2270
Joe Battle Suite-J (parking lot), featuring live
music from headlining bands such as the Apollo
Mind and art from the UTEP Art Department.
Information: 526-3959 or musiclandep.com.
Operation Santa Claus — For more than
52 years Op Santa has been collecting new and
used toys and bikes for the needy children of
the El Paso/Fort Bliss area. Toys and bicycles
may be dropped off at the Fort Bliss Op Santa
warehouse, Bldg. 1123, Monday through Friday
or at any El Paso Fire Station, 24 hours a day,
365 days a year. For a pickup, call 568-1010.
Donations to “Operation Santa Claus” can be
mailed to Op Santa, Inc. P.O. Box 16270, Fort
Bliss, TX 79906. All funds are for parts and
supplies and no funds are paid to any staff.
Information: 568-8904 or blissmwr.com.
El Paso Humane Society — Regular
adoption hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. Sunday (closed last Sunday of each
month), at 4991 Fred Wilson. All pets are
spayed/neutered, microchipped, licensed and
vaccinated. Adoption fees: $100 (additional $8
for pets four months age or older for city
rabies certificate). Information: 532-6971 or
hselpaso.org.
Blanket Drive — El Paso Fire Department
and Extreme Weather Task Force is collecting
new blankets to very young, elderly
and/infirmed in need through the winter
months. The purpose is to helps prevent cold
weather and carbon monoxide emergencies in
the El Paso area. Recommendations for those in
need of blankets are also being taken.
Information/donations: Ray Resendez, 849-4005
or ci.el-paso.tx.us/weather_task_force/.
Those in need of blankets may call 2-1-1
Texas for assistance.
Blankets may be dropped off at all El Paso Fire
Department stations and the El Paso County
Sheriff’s offices throughout the cold weather
months. The task force only accepts new blan-
kets and monetary donations.
Holiday donations — Here’s a list of places
in El Paso to consider for holiday donations for
the needy. Call beforehand to find out what
items are needed:
• Rescue Mission of El Paso, 1949 W. Paisano
Dr, El Paso TX 79922, 532-1941.
• Goodwill Industries, 7015 Alameda, 778-
3371.
• Project Bravo, 4838 Montana, 562-4100.
• United Way of El Paso, 1918 Texas, 533-
2434.
• Salvation Army El Paso, 4300 E. Paisano, 544-
9811.
• Houchen Community Center, 609 S. Tays St,
El Paso TX 79901, 533-6445.
• El Paso Opportunity Center/Coalition for the
Homeless, 1208 Myrtle, 577-0069.
• West Texas Food Bank, 3727 Shell St., 595-
1060.
Kiwanis American flag campaign —
Kiwanis Clubs of El Paso is working with other
area non-profits to fly American flags in front of
any business or home in the El Paso during
Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day,
Labor Day, Veterans Day and other national
holidays. A 3’ x 5’ flag will be placed on a ten-
foot pole in front of homes or businesses for
annual donation to the cause of $25-$100.
Corporate sponsorships available beginning at
$1,000 (25 flags). Information: 833-2269.
The Kiwanis’ goal is to make El Paso the
nation’s “most patriotic city” by having flags in
front of all area businesses and residences dur-
ing patriotic holidays.
An Evening with the Stars – El Paso
Chapter, The Links Inc. hosts its 3rd annual ele-
gant evening of dinner, dancing and awards rec-
ognizing the commitment of individuals who
have made a bright difference in our communi-
ty at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at the Wyndham
Airport Hotel. Events also include a silent auc-
tion and raffle. All attending will receive a 2010
calendar of “Stars”.
Tickets $50. Information: 598-9499, 593-5738
or 877-3647.
The 2010 “Stars” are Mayme Avent, UTEP
Head Coach Tony Barbee, Elora Brotherton,
Commander Paul Cross, Dr. Maceo Daily,
Cheryll Graves, Bishop Richard and 1st Lady
Adele Johnson, Raymond Lundy Md., Nick
Please see Page 15
December 2009
December Roundup Army vs. Navy game broadcast — Pre-
game festivities begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec.
Cont’d from Page 14 12, at the Fort Bliss Centennial Pub and Patio,
with complementary food and beverages dur-
Miller, Suzanne “Sudy” Todd, Loralee Tucker,
ing the game. Admission is free. Information:
and El Paso County Sheriff Richard D. Wiles.
744-8427.
The Army-Navy Game (United States Military
Fort Bliss Academy’s Black Knights vs. the Midshipmen of
the United States Naval Academy) is generally
Anyone entering Fort Bliss must obtain a gate
played on the last weekend of the college foot-
pass. Driver’s license, car insurance and regis-
ball regular season.
tration required.
Fort Bliss Christmas Brunch — Fort
Fort Bliss Tree Lighting ceremonies —
Bliss will host its traditional Christmas brunch
The annual holiday tree lighting events are
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, at the
planned throughout the fort. Events include
Centennial Banquet and Conference Center
singing, refreshments and more. Admission is
with a variety of lunch choices, and a visit from
free, and the public is invited. Information: 568-
Santa Claus. Cost: $15.95 (half price for chil-
4505.
dren 7-11, free for age 6 and younger).
• 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1 — Main Post Chapel
Reservations required. Information/reserva-
lighting, Building 315.
tions: 562-5969 or 744-9330.
• 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 — Guardian of
Defenders Chapel, Building 1542. 2010 Soldier Show auditions — Soldiers
• 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9 — USASMA interested in auditioning for the 2010 U.S.
Chapel, Building 11275. Army Soldier Show may do so by mailing audi-
tion packets through Dec. 31 to the U.S.
‘Around the World’ Holiday Festival —
Army Entertainment Division. Cast and crew
Holiday traditions from around the world are
members are needed for performance and
showcased at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at Fort
technical positions. Information: armyentertain-
Bliss’s Biggs Park. Enjoy traditional foods, crafts
ment.net, or johnny.e.stewart@us.army.mil.
and games from the United States, Germany,
Auditions are open to active duty, Army
Spain, Italy and Korea. Santa will also be avail-
Reserve and National Guard soldiers with suffi-
able for pictures (bring a camera). Information:
cient time in service remaining. Reserve and
588-8247.
Guard Soldiers must be activated for the dura-
Christmas Open House — The Fort Bliss tion of the tour.
Officer, Civilian and Spouse Association will
Fort Bliss Sun Bowl Brunch — The
host an open house arts and crafts event 10
annual Sun Bowl Brunch is 9 a.m. Thursday,
a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dec. 31, in at Fort Bliss’s Pace Hall. Cost: $11,
Sunday, Dec. 4-5, at A Little Bit of Bliss, 2011
$6 age 7-11, free for ages 6 and younger).
Sheridan Road on Fort Bliss. Handcrafted items
Shuttle to the game follows brunch.
for sale, refreshments and door prizes offered.
Reservations required Information/reservations:
A portion of event profits go the FBOCSA’s
744-8427.
scholarship and giving funds which benefit
Fort Bliss residents may purchase discounted
organizations throughout the Fort Bliss and El
Sun Bowl game tickets at ITR, Building 1734:
Paso community. Admission is free.
568-7506.
Information: 562-7467 or fbocsa.com.
Visitors may enter the Cassidy and Robert E. Fort Bliss New Year’s — Fort Bliss will
Lee gates for a Day Pass (need: proof of insur- host the following New Year’s celebrations to
ance, registration and valid driver’s license).
Please see Page 17

December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 15

Page 16 El Paso Scene December 2009
December Roundup
Cont’d from Page 15
ring in 2010:
• Fort Bliss New Year’s Eve Masquerade —
The Centennial Club at Fort Bliss will host a
New Year’s Eve masquerade party at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 31, featuring dinner, party
favors, champagne and breakfast. Music by the
Mike Caranda Orchestra. Dinner served at 8
p.m. Formal wear required; patrons should
bring their own mask. Admission: $60 ($100
per couple). Reservations required: 744-8427.
• The base’s Desert Strike Lanes will host New
Year’s celebrations including a family-friendly
party and adult party. Information: 568-6272.
The Strike Lounge will offer snacks, bever-
ages, bowling and entertainment for ages 18
and older 8 p.m. to 2 p.m. Admission: $12.
All ages can participate in an “all-you-can-
bowl” celebration 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission:
$10.
Fort Bliss Rod & Gun Club — Rifle and
pistol shooting competitions are held almost
every weekend at the Fort Bliss Rod & Gun
Club — visitors can watch for free, food avail-
able at the clubhouse snack bar. To get there:
Take Railroad Drive to Deer; turn right.
Information: 568-2983.
Old Fort Bliss — Building 5051, corner of
Pershing and Pleasanton Roads, Fort Bliss. The
Old West days of the “Soldiers of the Pass” are
relived through replicas of the original adobe
fort buildings and military artifacts,
Magoffinsville Post 1854 to 1868. Admission:
free. Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Information: 568-3137.
December 2009
Club news
American Association of University
Women — The El Paso Branch of AAUW will
host its Christmas Party at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday,
Dec. 1, at Lancer’s Club West, 6006 N. Mesa,
11th floor. Bring a wrapped shoe box filled with
clothes or toys for children to support the
Border Ministries’ Christmas Shoe Box Drive.
Open to all women who are college graduates.
Cost: $13 ($8 members). Reservations/informa-
tion: 861-1223.
Woodworkers Club of El Paso — The
club’s monthly meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec.
1, at 3228 Sacramento (back of building). Bob
Bonner will demonstrate a sled for cutting
staves on the table saw and a jig for cutting
rings on the lathe. Information: 584-5709.
The club’s showroom at the meeting site fea-
tures many handmade wooden items for sale.
Hours are 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday through
Saturday.
Germania Club — The Germania Club of El
Paso’s monthly luncheon is 11:30 a.m. Friday,
Dec. 4, at the German Community Center
(Soldatenstube), Robert E. Lee Road, Building
5095, Fort Bliss. Newcomers always welcome.
Information: 595-1108 or 755-5471.
The annual Christmas party is 5 p.m. Saturday,
Dec. 12, at the center. Reservations by Dec. 5:
595-1108 or 755-5471.
Westside Welcome Club — The group is
open to both newcomers and long-time resi-
dents. The club’s monthly free newcomers’
coffee is 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at 12 Double
Eagle. Information: 588-9335 or 581-2314.
The holiday luncheon is 11:30 a.m. Wednesday,
Dec. 9, at El Paso Country Club, 5000 Country
Club Place. Entertainment includes Coronado
El Paso Scene
High School Choir, the Jewish Academy Choir
and the Christmas Singing Elf. Cost: $19.
Reservations (by Dec. 4): (575) 589-4198 or
845-3379.
Soldiers from Fort Bliss will arrive after the
luncheon to pick up toys donated by club mem-
bers of Operation Santa Claus.
A holiday bazaar precedes the luncheon 10 to
11:30 a.m. The public is welcome.
Singles in the Son - The group develops
friendships between Christian singles from 25
to 45 years old. All denominations are welcome
and there are no costs for membership. Bible
study starting soon. Information: Andy, 471-
1997 or SinglesInTheSon@yahoo.com.
Special Saturday events:
• Dec. 5 — Dinner and Rhino Hockey
• Dec. 12 – Christmas Party
• Dec. 19 – Dinner and “A Christmas Carol”
• Dec. 26 – Dinner and Movie.
Macintosh Users Group — The El Paso
Macintosh Users Group is open to anyone
interested in Apple Macintosh computers. The
group’s monthly meeting and demonstration is
9:30 a.m. to noon the first Saturday of the
month (Dec. 5) at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
basement, 1000 Montana (enter in alley).
Admission is free for visitors and UTEP stu-
dents. Information: 566-2201 or epmug.org.
El Paso Scale Model Society — The soci-
ety will host its monthly meeting and winter
contest at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, in the St.
Paul’s United Methodist Church Fellowship
Hall, 7000 Edgemere. Formed in 1969, it is a
chartered chapter of the International Plastic
Model Society, U.S. Branch. Information: 598-
6957.
El Paso Writers’ League — The league’s
annual luncheon is noon Saturday, Dec. 12, at
the Lancer’s Club VIP Room, 6006 N. Mesa.
The event features the winners of the league’s
annual contest and the swearing-in of new offi-
cers. Admission: $20. Information: 886-3136 or
elpasowritersleague.org.
El Paso Writers’ League will celebrate its 75th
anniversary in 2010.
Paso del Norte Quilt Guild — The
guild’s monthly meeting is 9 a.m. Saturday,
Dec. 12, at University Presbyterian Church,
224 N. Resler. This month’s meeting includes
their holiday party. Anyone interested in quilt-
ing is welcome, no experience needed.
Information: Sharon Geddes, 581-0432.
El Paso Quilters’ Association — The
association will host a potluck dinner 6:30 to 9
p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, at St. Andrew
Presbyterian Church, 2155 Wedgewood.
Anyone interested in quilting is invited to
attend. Admission is free. Information: 779-
6785 or 851-3145.
L’Alliance Française d’El Paso — The
group promotes French culture and offers fran-
cophiles the opportunity to use the French lan-
guage in a variety of activities. Information: 585-
1789, 845-6535 or afofelpaso.com.
The Christmas dinner is 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec.
19, at Lancer’s Club, 6006 N Mesa.
Reservations by Dec. 12: 833-8705 or 598-
2640.
Registration is being taken for the spring 2010
French classes for adults and children; beginner
to advanced. Classes begin the week of Jan 19,
and run 12 weeks. Adult classes offered on
both the East and West Wide, and children’s
classes are on the West Side. Most teachers are
French natives. Information: François, 875-1696
Please see Page 29
Page 17
NMSU Department of Music —
Performances are at the NMSU Atkinson
(Music Center) Recital Hall. Shows begin at
7:30 p.m., unless listed otherwise. Ticket infor-
mation: (575) 646-2421 or nmsu.edu/~music/.
• New Horizons Band — 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov.
29, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12.
• Honors Recital — Sunday, Dec. 6.
• Mesilla Valley Concert Band — 3 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 13. Admission is free.
Las Cruces Symphony – The symphony,
under the direction of Lonnie Klein, performs
Dec. 5-6 at the NMSU’s Atkinson Recital Hall
with guest artist Stefan Jackiw, violin. Selections
include Mozart’s Overture to “Don Giovanni,”
Sibelius’s Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s
Suite from “Sleeping Beauty.” Performances are
7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Release
tickets available on a limited basis; $35, $40 and
$45. Information: (575) 646-3709 or
lascrucessymphony.com.
A luncheon with Maestro Klein is 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, Dec. 3, at Ramada Palms Hotel
Conference Center, featuring a preview of the
performance’s music. Cost: $16.
A Friday at the Symphony dress rehearsal is at
Page 18
7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. Tickets are $15 ($5
students with ID).
New Desert Harmony Singers — The
choral group, directed by Dave Kinkaid, and
Center for the Arts at NMSU present an
evening of Christmas song 7 p.m. Thursday,
Dec. 3, at NMSU’s Corbett Center ballrooms,
in Las Cruces. Special guest performers are the
Crimson Chord Company. Dessert, champagne
and sparkling cider served. Santa will also make
an appearance. Proceeds benefit the Center for
the Arts. Time to be announced. Tickets: $25
($300 table sponsorships); available at Pan
American Ticket Office, through Ticketmaster
or at Hubbard’s Music, 1108 Wyatt; Cutter
Gallery, 2640 El Paseo; White’s Music Box, 200
S. Downtown Mall in Las Cruces. Information:
(575) 646-2008 or
newdesertharmonysingers.blogspot.com.
El Paso Scene
The show features traditional holiday songs
including “Sleigh Ride,” “There’s No Place Like
Home for the Holidays,” “Have Yourself A
Merry Little Christmas,” “Merry Christmas
Darling,” “Santa Baby,” “O Holy Night”, “Sweet
Little Jesus Boy,” “Silent Night,” “Breath of
Heaven” and more.
‘Seasons Greetings’ – El Paso Wind
Symphony presents a begins its 2009-2010 “It’s
All About the Band” season with a holiday-
themed performance at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec.
4 at UTEP’s Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall. Tickets:
$12.50 ($7.50 students). Information: 760-
5599.
The El Paso Wind Symphony, directed by Dr.
Ron Hufstader, includes woodwind, brass and
percussion.
‘Navidad de Las Luminarias’— The
Chapel at Loretto Academy provides the ele-
gant English cathedral setting for the Bruce
Nehring Consort’s annual holiday concerts
Dec. 4-6. The program of sacred Christmas
music ranges from Renaissance to contempo-
rary, including international carol and melodies
with the Consort Singers, organist Lester
Ackerman and the Quintessential Brass.
Nehring conducts. The Chapel, 1400 Hardaway
at Trowbridge, will be decorated with luminar-
ias, poinsettias and white lights.
Performances are 7:45 p.m. Friday, 2:30, 5
and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30, 5 and 8 p.m. and
2:30 and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $15 ($10 sen-
ior/military; $5 students). Discounts are avail-
able with advance purchase only. Information:
534-7664.
‘The Gift of Christmas’ choir concerts
— The musical holiday celebrations, presented
by the El Paso Choral Society, are Dec. 4-6 at
Trinity-First United Methodist Church, 801 N.
Mesa.
The Young Ladies Choir and harpist Sage Po
will perform with the Girls Choir and El Paso
Brass at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. Tickets are
$10 ($8 seniors and military, $5 students).
The Young Ladies Choir will perform with the
Prentice Loftin Singers and El Paso Brass at
7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec.
5-6. Tickets are $15, $10 and $5. Information:
833-0263 or elpasoconservatory.org.
The Young Ladies Choir recently was featured
on NPR’s “From the Top” radio show, in a pro-
gram taped in El Paso.
Franklin High Guitar Concert — The
annual winter concert is 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4,
at the Franklin High School Fine Arts Theater,
900 N. Resler. Led by instructor Stefan Schyga,
one of El Paso’s best-known guitarists, Franklin
guitar students will perform music by such
artists as Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia, Strunz &
Farah, Stevie Ray Vaughn and more including
classical, jazz, Flamenco and rock styles.
Students will also perform original music they
are composing for their 2010 Recording
Project. Proceeds benefit the guitar program
and its students. Admission: $5. Information:
832-6600 or franklinguitar.com.
‘Navidad de Las Luminarias’— The
Chapel at Loretto Academy provides the ele-
gant English cathedral setting for the Bruce
Nehring Consort’s annual holiday concerts
Dec. 4-6. The program of sacred Christmas
music ranges from Renaissance to contempo-
rary, including international carol and melodies
with the Consort Singers, organist Lester
Ackerman and the Quintessential Brass.
Nehring conducts. The Chapel, 1400 Hardaway
at Trowbridge, will be decorated with luminar-
ias, poinsettias and white lights.
Performances are 7:45 p.m. Friday, 2:30, 5
and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30, 5 and 8 p.m. and
2:30 and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $15 ($10 sen-
ior/military; $5 students). Discounts are avail-
able with advance purchase only. Information:
534-7664.
‘Amazing Magical Musical Adventures’
— Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music and
No Strings Theatre Company present a month-
ly series of children’s programs at 2 p.m. select-
ed Saturdays at the Black Box Theatre, 430 N.
Downtown Mall, in Las Cruces. Material is
aimed at audiences age 4-10, but all ages wel-
come. Admission: $5. Reservations recom-
mended: (575) 523-1223 or no-strings.org.
The Dec. 5 performance is “Ludwig van B’s
Birthday Bash” celebrating the 239th birthday
of Beethoven. The celebration features music,
games, guest artists, birthday cake, party favors,
and a visit with the man himself, played by
Daniel Sandino-Malloy.
Coronado String-a-thon — The
Coronado High School Orchestra’s annual
fundraising event is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday,
Dec. 12, at the Lee Ross Capshaw Fine Arts
Building Auditorium at Coronado High School
(on Cloudview). The orchestra will perform a
selection of holiday, classical and popular music
continuously throughout the day. Guest per-
formances include the Morehead Middle School
Orchestra at 2 p.m. and the Lincoln Middle
School Orchestra at 3 p.m. Admission is free,
but donations are sought to benefit the orches-
tra. Information: 834-2460.
A Winter Holiday Spectacular — El Paso
Youth Symphony Orchestra, led by Maestro
Phillip Gabriel Garcia, performs its annual holi-
day concert at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at the
La Fe Culture and Technology Center, 721 S.
Ochoa. Call for admission price. Information:
820-2952, EPYSO.com.
‘A Holiday Afternoon Concert’ — El
Paso Symphony Orchestra will perform a family
concert of traditional holiday music at 2 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Plaza Theatre. The
orchestra will perform holiday favorites from all
over the world. The El Paso Chorale Children’s
Choir performs before the concert, and hot
cocoa and cookies served during intermission.
Tickets: $21.50 ($11.50 for seniors, military
and students; $6.50 children under 12). Family
packages available. Information: 532-3776 or
566-4066.
The concert will be performed by the El Paso
Symphony Orchestra under the direction of
conductor and El Paso native, Andres Moran.
Also performing are El Paso Chorale Young
Ladies Choir and jazz diva Candice Reyes.
Guest conductor is David Stevens, CEO of El
Paso Electric Co.
Proceeds from the event benefit El Paso
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Education
Foundation and the Step Up and Aim High
Partners to provide financial assistance to area
students.
‘Gloria in D Major, R.589’ — Trinity-First
United Methodist Church Sanctuary Choir and
Orchestra presents its annual Christmas per-
formance featuring the Antonio Vivaldi classic 2
p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, in the church sanctuary,
801 N. Mesa, with soloists and a special guest
appearance by the Quintessential Brass. A wor-
ship service performance is at 11 a.m.
Admission is free. Information: 533-2674 or
trinity-first.org.
December 2009
All phone numbers listed are in Juaréz.
Cibeles Convention Center — Av. Tomás
Fernández 8450, between Calle Portales and
Antonio J. Bermudez, Zona Campestre.
• A Las Vegas-style Casino Night is Thursday,
Dec. 3, presenting homes in La Florida devel-
opment.
• New Year’s Eve dinner dance begins at 8
p.m. Dec. 31. Admission is 350 pesos (650
with dinner).
Information: Cristina Alonso, 6880592/93/80
ext. 305.
Museo de INBA — Circuito Jose Reyes
Estrada, Zona Pronaf, in Juarez. Open 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Information:
616-7414. Admission is free.
• A guitar concert by Maestro Miguel Alcazar is
at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3. Alcarar is a concert
musician from Buenos Aires, composer of the
opera “La Mujer y su sombra” and author of
“La Historia de la Guitarra.” Alcazar will per-
form works by Neusider, Handel, Sor and
Torina.
• Showing through December: Art exhibits by
Cecilia Briones “La Catrina,” who presents her
“Desde el Precipio” show; and Angel Parra,
“Ecos del Silencio.”
Cafebreria S&L — Anillo envolvent Prona
and Coyorcan (orange building across from
Museo INBA). Information: 6116541 or
cafebreria.wordpress.com.
• 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4: Book presentation by
Hector Padilla.
• 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5: Jorge Lopez Lando
presents his book and disc, “Lupus.”
• 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12: Roundtable discus-
son “Taller de Novela vs. Taller de Poesia, host-
ed by Jose Juna Aboytia.
Hotel Ramada — (formerly the Plaza Juárez
Holiday Inn) Av. Lincoln 722 Pronaf.
Saxophonist Eugenio “Bid One” performs a
dinner show at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, to
benefit Las Hormigas Comunidad en Desarollo,
A.C. Tickets are 500 pesos. Information:
6273472 or 6169886.
Cafebreria S&L — Anillo envolvent Prona
and Coyorcan (orange building across from
Museo INBA). Information: 6116541 or
cafebreria.wordpress.com.
• 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4: Book presentation by
Hector Padilla.
• 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5: Jorge Lopez Lando
! ! #
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December 2009
presents his book and disc, “Lupus.”
• 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12: Roundtable discus-
son “Taller de Novela vs. Taller de Poesia, host-
ed by Jose Juna Aboytia.
Hotel Ramada — (formerly the Plaza Juárez
Holiday Inn) Av. Lincoln 722 Pronaf.
Saxophonist Eugenio “Bid One” performs a
dinner show at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, to
benefit Las Hormigas Comunidad en Desarollo,
A.C. Tickets are 500 pesos. Information:
6273472 or 6169886.
Centro Cultural Paso del Norte — Av.
Henry Durant, Zona Pronaf, across from the
Red Cross. Information: 1730300 or
ccpn.com.mx.
• The play “Un Amante a la Medida” is per-
formed at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15,
featuring William Levy, Fernando Carrillo,
Alexis Ayala, Lorena Velazquez and Gina
Romano. Tickets: 6134444.
• A live broadcast of the New York Met’s per-
formance of the opera, “Les Contes de
Hoffman” by Offenbach is Saturday, Dec. 19.
Tickets are 50, 100 and 150 pesos.
Impulsa fundraiser — To raise funds to
benefit education Impulsa is selling hand-deco-
rated Christmas bags for gifts. Price is 50 to 80
pesos per bag. Information: alejandra.delga-
do@impulsa.org.mx or 6296247/48. Delivery
available for large orders
Museo del Chamizal — Chamizal Park,
Juárez (next to the Bridge of the Americas).
The museum features an exhibit of pre-
Columbian artifacts, as well as paintings and
sculptures from well-known local and interna-
tional artists. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free
except as listed. Information: 611-1048.
Continuing through December: “El Silencio de
mis Emociones,” an exhibit by abstract/roman-
tic artist Lucy Escobedo.
‘Por Amor al Arte’ — The radio show,
covering all aspects of the arts in Juárez, airs 3
to 5 p.m. Sundays on 860 AM. The show
includes music, interviews, reviews of events,
recommendations of books and movies, con-
ducted by Lupe Fileta and Olga Liset Olivas.
Information: 806Noticias.com.mx.
— Juárez correspondent Walter Schaefer
2 022988 (cobracollectionag@hotmail.com)
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El Paso Scene Page 19
Ballet Folklórico Churuhui — The group
performs dances from the different regions of
Mexico at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3
p.m. Sunday Nov. 27-29, at the Chamizal
National Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial.
Admission: $5. Information: 588-5743.
Big Band Dance Club — The club hosts
dances to live music 8 to 10 p.m. Thursdays at
Las Cruces Country Club, 2700 N. Main, in Las
Cruces. Styles include ballroom, swing, and
Latin styles. No event Christmas Eve. Cost: $7
($6 members) age 21 and older welcome.
Dress code enforced. Information: (575) 524-
0500, (575) 523-4322, or
bigbanddanceclub.org.
• Dec. 3 and 17 — High Society Orchestra.
• Dec. 10 — Bob Burns-Mike Caranda
Combo.
A holiday party is 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec.
26, featuring the High Society Orchestra. Semi-
formal attire; no dance lessons. Location and
cost same as Thursday events.
Contra Dancing — The Southern New
Mexico Music and Dance Society’s monthly
contra dance is 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Dec.
4, at Mesilla Community Center, 2251 Calle de
Santiago, Mesilla (2 blocks west of plaza).
Newcomers always welcome; beginner lessons
promptly at 7 p.m. No partners needed. Cost:
$5 ($2 age 16 and younger). Information: (575)
993-4426.
Caller is Tamara Lowenthal with music by
Jamie Gans and Friends from Bloomington Ind.,
Cape Breton and New England.
Christmas Dance — USA Dance, Chapter
5017, will host a holiday dinner and dance 6 to
11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at Lancer’s Club East,
3135 Trawood, featuring dinner buffet, dance
lessons, entertainment and dancing. Dress is
Page 20
formal, singles welcome. Admission: $45 ($10
members); please purchase by Nov. 25. Tickets
available at Shundo Dance Studio, 2719 N.
Stanton (532-2043) or El Paso Ballroom Dance
Academy, 7220 N. Mesa, (585-0090).
Information: Louise Rice, 833-8496 or Yolanda
Gonzalez, 539-1227.
Danzas Españolas — The dance troupe
under the direction of Nina Gomez celebrates
its 25th anniversary with the Flamenco cafe din-
ner show “Touch the Silver Lining” at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5, at La Tierra Cafe, 1731
Montana. Doors open at 6 p.m., dinner served
at 7 p.m. Admission: $32. Seating limited;
reservations required. Information: 533-8890.
‘Tis the Season’ — NMSU’s Dance
Department’s holiday performance is 7 p.m.
Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5-6, Oñate
High School’s Performing Arts Center in Las
Cruces. Ticket information: (575) 646-2070.
Nutcracker Ballet — El Paso Conservatory
of Dance’s El Paso Youth Ballet will present the
full-length “Nutcracker” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and
Saturday, Dec. 11-12, at the El Paso High
School Auditorium, 800 E. Schuster, featuring
the choreography of Erick Campos from the
Compañia Nacional de Danza in Mexico City.
Tickets: $10, available at the door or at
Hitchkick, 6529 N. Mesa; Champion Studio,
12410 Montwood; Dance Designs, 927
Raynolds and CalTV Homestores’ four loca-
tions. Information: Marta Katz, 252-5601.
El Paso Scene
Winter dance recital — Imagine Dance
Academy will host its 4th winter recital 6 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12-13, at the
Scottish Rite Temple, 301 W. Missouri, featuring
dancers age 3 to adult performing ballet, hip-
hop, belly dancing, pre-ballet, Hawaiian,
Tahitian and jazz. Admission: $5 in advance (at
the studio, 11440 Montwood), $10 at the door.
Information: 855-0014, 591-8394 or imag-
inedanceacademy.com.
‘The Nutcracker Ballet’ — The Las
Cruces Chamber Ballet’s 26th annual produc-
tion of Tchaikovsky’s Christmas classic featuring
more than 70 dancers of all ages is 7 p.m.
Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 17-20 at the
NMSU Atkinson (Music Center) Music Recital
Hall, corner of N. Horseshoe and Espina.
Tickets are $18 and $20. (Ticketmaster).
Information: Pan Am Center ticket office, (575)
646-1420 or Michelle’s Dance Academy, (575)
527-1893.
‘Mexico Lindo y Querido’ — Ballet
Folklórico Quetzales, under the direction of
Jaime Carrasco, celebrates its 20th anniversary
at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 18-20, at Chamizal National
Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial, featuring colorful
choreography with foundations in traditional
Mexican folk dances in a tour of the myths, leg-
ends and artistic essence of Mexico. Live music
by Grupo Mixteco. Tickets: $7 (free for ages 5
and younger); available at front desk one-half
hour before show. Information: 383-6754, 307-
0617, 525-5919 or folkloricoquetzales.com.
“Quetzales” refers to Indian dances per-
formed in the villages south of Veracruz and in
the mountain areas of Puebla and Hidalgo. The
ballet company has traveled to Europe, North
Africa and the Middle East to perform in vari-
ous festivals.
The Ballet Centre — The Ballet Centre
School of Classical Dance presents an evening
of classical and contemporary ballet at 7:30
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at El Paso High School
Auditorium, 800 E. Schuster. Admission is free.
Information: 544-4348.
The Ballet Centre School of Classical Dance is
under the direction of ballet master David
Alejandro Duran, who served as Children’s
Ballet Master for Ballet El Paso as well as dance
captain for Viva El Paso.
‘The Great Russian Nutcracker’ — The
Moscow Ballet presents the 16th anniversary of
this holiday classic at 4 and 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec.
20, at the Plaza Theatre. Tickets: $26, $36,
$46, $66 and $86, plus service charge. VIP seat-
ing: $98.50. (Ticketmaster). Information: nut-
cracker.com.
Featuring spectacular sets and beautifully cos-
tumed Russian dancers, Moscow Ballet’s Great
Russian Nutcracker uses whimsical and imagina-
tive storytelling blended with the richness of
Russian classical dance.
This year’s tour stars the ballet world’s Prima
Ballerina, Cristina Terentieva and her partner
Alexei. Terentieva is a Gold Medalist of the
2008 Varna International Ballet Competition
where Vladimir Vasiliev of the Bolshoi
bestowed upon her the highest honors. Also
starring is the award winning couple Akzhol
Mussakhanov and Ekaterina Bortykova.
December 2009
For event tickets sold through Ticketmaster,
call 544-8444 or go to ticketmaster.com. The
UTEP Ticket Center number is 747-5234. Pan
Am Center Box Office is (575) 646-1420. Many
clubs sell tickets through ticketbully.com.
Kiss — The legendary hard rock band per-
forms its “Kiss Alive 35” North American Tour
Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the Don Haskins
Center, with special guests Buckcherry. Tickets:
$19.50, $39.50, $80 and $130. (Ticketmaster).
Kiss, known for their signature make-up and
elaborate stage shows, releases their first new
CD in 11 years, “Sonic Boom,” this month.
Celebrating 35 years of rock, KISS will perform
their greatest hits such as “Rock and Roll All
Nite,” “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” and
“Detroit Rock City,” as well as new songs.
Teada Christmas Show – ASNMSU
Cultural Series presents a special Celtic holiday
show at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2 at the Rio
Grande Theatre in the Las Cruces Downtown
Mall. Teada’s family-friendly Irish Christmas in
America show features beautifully song Irish
ballads and holiday carols, lively fiddle tunes
and thrilling Irish dancing. Tickets: $15 ($10
students). Ticket information: (575) 646-1420.
Kelly Clarkson — The first “American Idol”
winner and country star performs at 6 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 3, at NMSU’s Pan American
Center with special guests Eric Hutchinson and
Parachute. Tickets: $39.50 and $55, plus serv-
ice charge. (Ticketmaster).
Since her 2002 debut on “American Idol,”
Clarkson has released four albums to date
including “Thankful,” the multi-platinum
“Breakaway,” “My December” and her latest
album, “All I Ever Wanted.” Her first four
albums have sold more than 10.3 million copies
in the United States. Eight of Clarkson’s singles
became Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
Her single, “My Life Would Suck Without You,”
advanced from No. 97 to No. 1 on the Hot
100 in its first week of release, breaking the
record for the largest leap to the top position
in chart history.
Hutchinson’s debut CD, “Sounds Like This,”
has sold more than 130,000 copies nationally
and his headline shows have sold out in New
York, Chicago, Boston, Philly, DC, Tampa,
Nashville and Denver. His first single, “Rock &
Roll” was No. 1 at Triple A radio and he was
the only new artist to go No. 1 at that format
in 2008.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra — One of the
country’s top touring holiday shows returns to
the area for its 2009 Winter” Night Castle”
Tour at 4 and 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, at
NMSU’s Pan American Center. Evening tickets:
$44, $54 and $64, plus service charges.
Matinee tickets $29.50-$64. (Ticketmaster).
The group has sold more than 5 million
albums. Their first holiday single “Christmas
Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)” combined the timeless
melodies of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
and “Carol Of The Bells” with original music.
Other albums include “The Lost Christmas
Eve,” “Christmas Eve and Other Stories,” “The
Christmas Attic” and the DVD “The Ghosts Of
Christmas Eve.” Their non-holiday albums
include “Beethoven’s Last Night” and the
recently released 2-CD set “Night Castle” fea-
turing the single “Nutrocker.”
Willie Nelson — The country legend per-
forms at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at Inn of the
Mountain Gods Resort and Casino in
December 2009
Mescalero, N.M. Tickets: $40-$150; available
through Ticketmaster 544-8444 or ticketmas-
ter.com. Information: 1-877-277-5677 or
innofthemountaingods.com.
Nelson has recorded more than 200 albums,
appeared in several movies and has received
the prestigious Kennedy Center honor for pre-
eminent performing artists. He is also known
for organizing Farm Aid, the annual concert
that raises money and awareness for American
family farmers.
The Devil Wears Prada/All That & # ! '' ' $& )!(' # ! & #
Remains — 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at Club
101, 1148 Airway. Special guests Story of the %& # ' " '( & ! '' ' #+ $ #) &,
Year and Haste the Day. Tickets: $21. &$" ## & ($ * # '() #('
Information: 544-2101 or club101.com. ! '' ' + ' $& )!(' + !! !
# '( ! '$ # '( ! '$
Dave Koz ‘A Smooth Jazz Christmas’
— The Grammy-nominated saxophonist and El ! '' ' $& ! & # + !! ! # '( ! '$
Paso favorite presents his 12th annual $'( $ $)& ( &' & & # # ( * '
Christmas show at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17,
$ & # $ &" ( $ # % ! ' !! & #-$ ' $& )
at the Plaza Theatre, with guests Brenda
Russell, Rick Braun, David Benoit and Peter
White. Tickets: $45-$105, plus service charge.
(Ticketmaster).
Koz, a multi-million-selling solo recording
artist, four-time Grammy nominees and com-
poser, is considered one of the most expressive
voices in contemporary music. His past El Paso
appearances have sold out.
‘UTEP Holiday Spectacular’ – UTEP
Dinner Theatre presents a “Version 3.0” of its
new holiday tradition Dec. 18-20 at Magoffin
Auditorium. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday
and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. No meal
served. Tickets: $20-$25; ($15-$20 UTEP fac-
ulty/staff, groups of 20 or more, non-UTEP stu-
dents and children age 4-12; $10-$15 UTEP
students (one ticket per valid UTEP ID). All
seats reserved. Tickets information: 747-5234.
Show information: 747-6060.
The show features a retro trip down memory
lane from the 1940s to today. Includes colorful
costumes, beautiful sets and live music, singing
and dancing to favorite tunes like “White
Christmas,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Christmas,
Baby Please Come Home” and more.
‘The Great Russian Nutcracker’ —
The Moscow Ballet presents the 16th anniver-
sary of this holiday classic at 4 and 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 20, at the Plaza Theatre. Tickets:
$26, $36, $46, $66 and $86, plus service
charge. VIP seating: $98.50. (Ticketmaster).
Information: nutcracker.com.
Featuring spectacular sets and beautifully cos-
tumed Russian dancers, Moscow Ballet’s Great
Russian Nutcracker uses whimsical and imagi-
native storytelling blended with the richness of
Russian classical dance.
This year’s tour stars the ballet world’s Prima
Ballerina, Cristina Terentieva and her partner
Alexei. Terentieva is a Gold Medalist of the
2008 Varna International Ballet Competition
where Vladimir Vasiliev of the Bolshoi
bestowed upon her the highest honors. Also
starring is the award winning couple Akzhol
Mussakhanov and Ekaterina Bortykova.
Blake Shelton — The popular country
musician performs at 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14,
at Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino
in Mescalero, N.M. Tickets: $25-$75.
(Ticketmaster). Information: 1-877-277-5677
or innofthemountaingods.com.
Peter Mulvey – Mimbres Region Arts
Council’s Folk Series presents the folk vocalist
El Paso Scene
Page 21

Ticket
Cont’d from Page 21
at 7:30 p.m. Jan 15, at the Silco Theatre, 311
Bullard in Silver City. Mulvey is known for the
fullness of his vocals and guitar, and his most
recent collection of songs, “Notes from
Elsewhere,” has been praised by both critics
and fellow songwriters. Tickets: $5-$20.
Information: (575) 538-2505 or 1-888-758-
7289.
Rock Laser Spectaculars — The popular
laser rock shows in 3-D/H-D format are 7:30
p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 15-16, at
Abraham Chavez Theatre. (Ticketmaster).
Friday’s show features the music of Pink
Floyd. Tickets: $19.50, $24.50 and $29.50, plus
service charges.
Saturday’s show features the music of Michael
Jackson. Tickets: $24.50, $29.50 and $35, plus
service charges.
Daniel Rodriguez – The “singing cop” per-
forms at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, at WNMU
Fine Arts Center Theater. Presented by Grant
County Community Concert Association. The
former New York City police officer has expe-
rienced a meteoric rise to fame since his mov-
ing a capella performance of “God Bless
America” after the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001
terrorist attack. Since then, he has been deliv-
ering heartfelt and beautiful performances for
audiences nationwide. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $20 at the door. Information: (575)
538-5862.
‘American Carnage Tour’ — Heavy metal
bands Slayer and Megadeth co-headline the
thrash/metal tour at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan.
27, at El Paso County Coliseum, with special
guest Testament. For their first U.S. tour
together in nearly two decades, a limited
amount of tickets will be offered at their “1991
Clash of the Titans Tour” price of $10. Regular
ticket prices: $49.50-$59.50, plus service
charge. (Ticketmaster).
“Ultimate Fan” ticket packages available with
premium seats and parking, pre-show party,
Megadeth gift bag, meet and greet photo op
and more. Details at iloveallaccess.com.
Testament meet and greet ticket packages are
$209.50.
Both Megadeth and Slayer are supporting new
albums: Megadeth’s 2009 album, “Endgame,”
and Slayer’s “World Painted Blood.”
Testament’s “The Formation of Damnation:
Special Tour Edition,” will be released in
February, 2010.
Bill Maher — The ‘politically incorrect’
comic performs Thursday, Jan. 28, at The
Plaza Theatre. Tickets: $45.50-$75.50, plus
service charge. sold through Ticketmaster.
For the last 15 years, Maher has set the
boundaries of where funny, political talk can go
on American television. First on “Politically
Incorrect,” and for the last seven years on
HBO’s “Real Time,” Maher’s combination of
unflinching honesty and big laughs have gar-
nered him twenty-one Emmy nominations. In
October of 2008, this same combination was
on display in Maher’s swipe at organized reli-
gion, “Religulous,” directed by Larry Charles.
The documentary has gone on to become the
seventh highest grossing documentary ever.
Nearly Neil and the Solitary Band —
Showtime! El Paso presents a tribute to music
legend Neil Diamond at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan.
31, at the Abraham Chavez Theatre, featuring
Diamond tribute artist Bobby Bruce on lead
vocal and rhythm guitar. Bruce has spent the
past 11 years rocking thousands of screaming
Page 22 El Paso Scene
fans world wide with his tribute to one of pop
music’s most successful singer/songwriters. He
has also toured with both the Las Vegas-based
“Legends of Rock” in the United States as well
its Australian counterpart. Tickets are $25 gen-
eral admission; no advance sales. Information:
544-2022 or ShowtimeElPaso.com.
‘Riverdance’– Broadway in El Paso presents
the farewell tour of the Emerald Isle showcase
Feb. 12-14, at the Plaza Theatre, for a special
five-show run. Showtime is 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and
8 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets: $35-$65 (Ticketmaster).
Tao the Martial Art of Drum — The
taiko drum spectacular is 7:30 p.m. Sunday,
Feb. 21, at UTEP’s Magoffin Auditorium.
Tickets: $25-$32, plus service charges.
(Ticketmaster).
John Kay and Steppenwolf — The classic
rock band at 8 p.m. Friday, April 16, at Inn of
the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino in
Mescalero, N.M. Tickets: $5-75.
(Ticketmaster). Steppenwolf’s iconic rock hits
include “Born to Be Wild,” “Magic Carpet
Ride” and more. Tickets: $25-$100.
(Ticketmaster) Information: 1-877-277-5677 or
innofthemountaingods.com.
Venues & series
Rio Grande Theatre — The renovated
historic theater is at 211 Downtown Mall, Las
Cruces. Information: (575) 523-6403, (575)
523-0807 or RioGrandeTheatre.com.
“Every Other Tuesday” free live music events
are 5:30 p.m., hosted by the Dona Ana Arts
Council.
Magic Carpet Storytime is 11:30 a.m.
Saturdays, featuring a different storyteller or
reader each week. Admission is free.
• “Christmas Jams” — 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1.
An evening of Christmas music in the style of
Trans-Siberian Orchestra or Mannheim
Steamroller presented by Calvary Baptist
Church’s Worship Arts Ministry. Doors open at
6:30pm. Tickets: $7 ($5 each for two or more).
Information: (575) 522-7900.
• Teada — ASNMSU present the Irish music
group’s Christmas show at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 2. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $15 ($10 for students and seniors).
Available through Ticketmaster.
• “Our People, Our Faith ... Our Lady” — 6:30
to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3. The Branigan
Cultural Center and the Las Cruces Public
Information Office present a special screening
of the film on Our Lady of Guadelupe. Tickets
to be announced.
• NMSU Campus and Gospel Choirs — 7:30
p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. NMSU’s Concert Choir,
Gospel Choir and Campus Choir, deliver mes-
sages of hope through music. Tickets to be
announced.
• “Love Is The Reason” — 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec.
13. The Mesilla Valley Chorale, directed by
Nancy Ritchey, presents a diverse program
including holiday music from classical to pops.
Tickets: $10; proceeds benefit Community of
Hope. Information: (575) 647-2560.
• El Paso Brass — 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec.
16, presented by KRWG. El Paso Brass is one
of the longest continually performing brass
quintets in America. Doors open at 7 p.m. Call
theatre for ticket prices.
• Johnny Rawls — 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19.
Rawls is hailed as one of the premiere soul and
blues artists active today. His latest album, “Ace
Of Spades,” hit the stands in September and
received a nomination for a Blues Music Award.
Please see Page 23
December 2009

Ticket
Cont’d from Page 22
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $10.
• “Bite Of The Apple” Cabaret — 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 27, the story of four young
artists, friends and lovers beating the streets of
New York City chasing their dreams on a funny
and inspirational journey through the trials,
tribulations and triumphs of seeking a profes-
sional music career in the Big Apple. Featuring
rising stars performing works ranging from the
virtuosic piano repertoire, opera, musical the-
ater and pop. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets:
$12 and $15.
Chic’s Bar & Billiards — 9809 Montana.
Showtime is 6 p.m. Information: 433-5340.
• Alesana and From the First to Last —
Wednesday, Dec. 2, with guests The Word
Alive and Memphis May Fire. Tickets: $12 in
advance, $15 day of show.
• The Faceless, Dying Fetus, Vital Remains —
Wednesday, Dec. 9. Alwo performing is
Beneath the Massacre, Annotations of and
Autopsy and Enfold Darkness. All ages show.
Tickets: $15.
• Throwdown and Bury Your Dead —
Thursday, Dec. 10, with guests For Today,
Abacabb and TWWK. Throwdown’s new
album “Deathless” includes the single “This
Continuum.” All ages show. Cost: $15.
• Arsonists Get All the Girls and Oceano —
Monday, Dec. 21, with Triumph Over
Shipwreck, Odium of Divinity and more to be
announced. Cost: $10 in advance.
Spencer Theater for Performing Arts
— Airport Hwy 220 in Alto, N.M. (about 12
miles north of downtown Ruidoso). Free public
guided tours are 10 a.m. Tuesdays and
Thursdays (except show dates). Information:
(575) 336-4800, (888) 818-7872 or
spencertheater.com.
• Ronnie Kole Trio Christmas — 8 p.m. Dec.
4. Famed New Orleans jazz pianist Kole
appears with this trio for a night of Kole-styled
Christmas classics and jazz piano standards.
Kole has received every conceivable award his
adopted city has to offer, from a Lifetime
Achievement Award to induction into the
Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Kole was just
honored in March 2009 with the installation of
a life-sized statue in the old French Quarter of
New Orleans. Tickets: $46-$49.
• ‘The Nutcracker’ — 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 19.
Ruidoso Dance Ensemble’s original adaptation
of Tchaikovsky’s Christmas classic features gor-
geous sets and costumes and outstanding stu- #& #&& +#
dent and professional dancers. Tickets: $28.
• Flying J Wranglers Christmas Special — 8
p.m. Dec. 22. Western yodeling, vocals, fiddle
and guitar make up a program of traditional *$ ) +
favorites, spirituals and new and classic west-
ern/cowboy Christmas songs and homespun
comedy. Tickets: $26-$29. .
Flickinger Center for Performing Arts
— 1110 New York Ave. Alamogordo. All per-
formances at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, $18
and $25. Information: (575) 437-2202 or ) !'*
flickingercenter.com.
• Academy of Ballet presents “The Nutcracker
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• Trio Solisti — Friday, Jan. 8. The piano-vio-
lin-cello trio is famed for its passionate and
adventurous performances.
• Sourdough Slim — Friday, Jan. 29. This
award-winning cowboy warbler presents an
evening of music and comedy.

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December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 23

 King of the Cage — 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov.
28, at Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and
Casino, Mescalero, N.M. (near Ruidoso). One
of the largest mixed martial arts event series in
the world, King of the Cage features intense,
no-holds-barred fighting competitions. Tickets:
$65-$100. Age 21 and older welcome.
(Ticketmaster). Information: 1-877-277-5677
or innofthemountaingods.com.
El Paso Rhinos — El Paso’s Junior League
ice hockey team home games are at the Sierra
Providence Events Center, next to the
Coliseum, 4100 E. Paisano. Regular games
times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and
5:30 p.m. Sunday. Ticket information: 479-
PUCK (7825) or elpasorhinos.com.
Upcoming games:
• Dec. 4-6 — San Antonio Diablos
• Dec. 11-13 — Tulsa Rampage
Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino —
The 2009-2010 live horse racing season runs
Dec. 11-April 21. Race days are Tuesdays,
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (and
Wednesday, Dec. 23 and Feb. 17. Races begin
at 12:15 p.m. each race day. General admission
is free to the track and casino. First post time is
12:25 p.m. Dec. 11. Turf Club seating is $5.
Simulcast racing begins at 10 a.m. everyday.
General admission and parking are free.
Information: (575) 874-5200.
To get there, take the Sunland Park exit from
I-10, go south (left turn coming from
Downtown) and follow the signs.
December stakes races:
• Saturday, Dec. 12 — Jess Burner Memorial
Handicap. NM-bred 3-year-olds and up. 400
yards.
• Saturday, Dec. 12 — KLAQ Handicap. 3-
year-olds and up.
5 and 1/2 furlongs.
• Sunday, Dec. 13 — Johnie L. Jamison Stakes.
NM-bred 3-year-olds and up. 6 and 1/2 fur-
longs.
• Sunday, Dec. 13 — New Mexico State
Racing Commission Handicap. NM-bred 3-
year-olds and up fillies and mares. 6 furlongs.
• Saturday, Dec. 19 — Challenger Six
Handicap. NM-bred 3-year-olds and up. 870
yards.
• Sunday, Dec. 20 — Lou Wooten Handicap.
NM-bred 3-year-olds and up fillies and mares.
400 yards.
• Sunday, Dec. 20 — The Enchantress Stakes.
NM-bred 2-year-old fillies. One mile.
• Saturday, Dec. 26 — Red Hedeman Mile.
NM-bred 2-year-olds. One mile.
• Saturday, Dec. 26 — The Championship at
Sunland Park. 3-year-olds and up. 400 yards.
• Sunday, Dec. 27 — Sunland Park Winter
Quarter Horse Derby. 3-year-olds.
400 yards.
• Sunday, Dec. 27 — Bold Ego Handicap. 3-
year-old and up fillies and mares. 5 and 1/2 fur-
longs.
• Sunday, Dec. 27 — Sunland Winter Quarter
Horse Futurity. 2-year-olds. 400 yards.
• Tuesday, Dec. 29 — Riley Allison Futurity. 2-
year-olds. 6 and 1/2 furlongs.
• Saturday, Jan. 2 — The Shue Fly. NM-bred
foals of 2007. N400 yards.
• Sunday, Jan. 3 — Albert Dominguez
Memorial Handicap. NM-bred 3-year-olds. 1
and 1/16 miles.
Page 24 El Paso Scene
Senior All-Star Football Classic — The
18th annual high school all-star football game
will be played at 1:05 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19,
at UTEP’s Sun Bowl stadium. Pre-game festivi-
ties begin at 12:35 p.m. featuring cheerleaders,
band, flags, dance teams, choir, and JROTC
cadets. The game features seniors from area
public and private high schools throughout El
Paso County. Proceeds benefit college scholar-
ships for participants. Tickets: $6 in advance;
$8 at the gate (free for ages 6 and younger).
Information: 478-6904, 434-1001 or allstarfoot-
ballclassic.com.
College sports
UTEP Football — The Miners’ final home
game of the season is 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28
vs. Marshall at Sun Bowl Stadium. Tickets: $16-
$146 ($11-$47 ages 3-12). Information: 747-
5234, 544-8444 or utepathletics.com.
Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational —
The 48th holiday classic tournament, now
named for the Texas Western/UTEP coaching
legend, is Dec. 28-29 at the Don Haskins
Center, UTEP. The tournament is the nation’s
oldest collegiate holiday basketball tournament.
Monday’s games are Norfolk vs. UTEP at 7
p.m. and Air Force vs. Niagara at 9 p.m. The
consolation game is at 5 p.m. Tuesday followed
by the championship game at 7 p.m.
Tickets for four-game, two-night package are
$40 (rows 1-34); $20 (rows 35-39, Sections Y,
Z and A and B, and UTEP students) Two-game,
one-night package (on sale day of event only)
are $22 (rows 1-34) and $12 (rows 35-39).
Information: 533-4416 or 747-5234 (UTEP
Ticket Center).
UTEP Men’s Basketball - Home games
are at the Don Haskins Center. Game time is
7:05 p.m. Tickets: $9-$25. Information: 747-
5234 or utepathletics.com.
• Tuesday, Dec. 1 — NMSU at Las Cruces
• Saturday, Dec. 5 — Univ. of the Southwest
• Sunday, Dec. 13 — NMSU
• Saturday, Dec. 19 — Alcorn State (1 p.m.)
Bank of the West Sun Bowl Invitational is
Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 28-29. UTEP plays
Norfolk State and Air Force plays Niagara Dec.
28. Finals and consolation games are Dec. 29.
UTEP Women’s Basketball — All home
games are at the Don Haskins Center. Tickets:
$7 ($3 youth). Information: 747-5234 or
utepathletics.com.
• Tuesday, Dec. 1 — Western New Mexico,
7:05 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 13 — Texas Southern, 1:05
p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 15 — NMSU at Las Cruces,
7:05 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 18 — Texas State, 7:05 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 20 — Alcorn State, 2:05 p.m.
• Monday, Dec. 28 — NMSU, 3 p.m.
NMSU Men’s Basketball — Home games
are at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces.
Game time is at 7 p.m., unless otherwise listed.
Tickets: $7 general admission; $11-$57
reserved (Ticketmaster). Information: (575)
646-1447.
• Tuesday, Dec. 1 — UTEP (The Aggies take
on UTEP at UTEP Sunday, Dec. 13).
• Monday, Dec. 21 — Alcorn State
Please see Page 25
December 2009

Sports
Cont’d from Page 24
• Wednesday, Dec. 23 — Texas Southern (Lou
Henson Classic game)
• Monday, Dec. 28 — Prairie View A&M
• Saturday, Jan. 2 — Utah State. Time to be
announced.
• Monday, Jan. 4 — Nevada 9 p.m. (on
ESPNU)
NMSU Women’s Basketball — Home
games are 7 p.m. at the Pan Am Center in Las
Cruces, unless otherwise listed. Tickets: $5-
$10. (Ticketmaster) Information: (575) 646-
1447.
• Saturday, Nov. 28 — Michigan
• Wednesday, Dec. 2 — New Mexico
• Saturday, Dec. 12 — North Dakota State
• Tuesday, Dec. 15 — UTEP
• Tuesday, Dec. 22 — Alcorn State
• Wednesday, Dec. 30 — New Mexico
Highlands
• Sunday, Jan. 3 — Kansas. 2 p.m.
Bicycling
El Paso Bicycle Club – Club events are
open to the public; helmets required. Unless
listed otherwise, rides begin at River Run Plaza
on Country Club Road. (Mesa becomes
Country Club; go west past the Rio Grande;
River Run is on the right.) Web: elpasobicycle-
club.com.
• 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28 — Ride to Dos
Lagos Country Club for cookies. Moderate
pace. George Luttrell, 433-2019.
• 9 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 29 —
Beginner/Intermediate Group Will Train for
Coffee Ride from the grocery store in La Mesa,
stop at The Bean in Mesilla and continue for a
10-12 mile Mesilla Valley Loop before heading
back to La Mesa. Moderate pace, 36-38 miles.
Margaret O’Kelley, 588-3825.
• 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 — Start and finish at
Atom Cyclist, 1886 Joe Battle Blvd, Ste. 205.
Hot beverages and Christmas goodies follow
ride. Moderate pace, 25-30 miles. Patty Van
Tine, 667-0202 or miflynnsinn@peoplepc.com.
• 9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 — Lower Valley Tour.
Start from Cotton Eyed Joe’s Restaurant, 1
block south of Clint Exit off I-10 and wind
through the farm communities of Clint, Fabens
and San Eli. Moderate pace, 35 miles. Jim
Weaver, 775-4757.
A Lower Valley Tour for
Beginner/Intermediate Group (BIG) Training
riders leaves at the same time and place at a
comfortable pace and distance. Margaret
O’Kelley, 588-3825.
• 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12 — Leave from La
Union Station Restaurant on Hwy 28 in La
Union, take Hwy 28 to Afton Road, ride the
mesa to the end of Afton Road and back for
breakfast at La Union Station. Moderate pace,
45 miles. Bob Clark, 833-5831.
• 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 13 — Ride Loop 375
from the Wal-Mart on Transmountain and Hwy
54 to Montana and back. Moderate pace, 30-
miles. Henry Payan, 355-6506.
• 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 — Start in La Mesa
and follow back roads to Mesilla. Stop at The
Bean, return through pecan farms on Hwy 28.
Moderate pace. Margaret O’Kelley, 588-3825.
• 9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 — Go to the Santa
Teresa Border Crossing via Artcraft, and return
via La Union. Moderate pace, about 30 miles.
Sylvia Mejia, 740-9033.
• 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 26 — Leisurely
paced ride to socialize. Bring any visitors or
family members who got new bikes for
Christmas. The club will make arrangements
for an upcoming beginning pace ride. Patty Van
December 2009
Tine, 667-0202.
• 9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 27 — Meet at Franklin
Los Artesanos Galeria
High School (Redd and Resler) to take the
rollers to Anthony’s Gap and back via the val- GRAND OPENING
ley. Riders may opt to do the Gap for additional December 11, 2009
miles. Moderate pace, 35-40 miles. Wyona 11am to 7pm with Artist’s Reception from 5pm to 7pm
Turner, 204-4835. Come meet the local artist/owners of Mesilla’s newest Art Gallery
Atom Cyclist Bike Club — The club hosts The Old Tortilla Factory
weekly rides leaving promptly at 8 a.m. every 1910 Calle de Parion
Sunday from the Atom Cyclist Bike Shop, 1886 Messilla, NM
Joe Battle, Suite 205 (next to Super Target), for Losartesanoslc@aol.com or 575-526-1144
all riding levels. Intermediate/advanced group
Opening day only: Bring this ad to receive a gift coupon for 10% off any purchases totaling $50 or more
will ride 40-60 miles at a moderate to fast
pace, and beginner/intermediate group will ride
20-30 miles at a slow to moderate pace.
Information: Atom Cyclist, 225-0011.
The monthly Woman’s Training Class is 7:30
to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, at the shop, fea-
turing lectures followed by a one or two hour
rides. Road bikes recommended. RSVP by Dec.
4. Cost: $25 (includes breakfast). Information:
Atom Cyclist, 225-0011 or Rebecca Reza, 491-
0977.
FCA Team Endurance El Paso - Long-
distance runners, cyclists and triathletes are
invited to join the new Fellowship of Christian
Athletes group. Both a ride and run are offered
each weekend. Information: Christy, 307-8180,
Chaplain Ruben Crespo (at Fort Bliss), 309-
6840 or
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/elpa-
soteamendurance. Check website for schedule
changes and additions.
• Training rides are 5:30 a.m. Tuesdays and
Thursdays beginning at the gas station at Redd
Road and Westwind. Tuesday morning rides are
30-minute “warm up” with 30-minute hill work
and 30 minutes of moderate pace riding.
Thursdays’ rides go to Outlet Shoppes of El
Paso for interval training 6 to 6:45 a.m. and a
moderate ride back.
• Saturday Huddles are 7 a.m. to first and third
Saturday of the month (Dec. 5 and 19), at
Sunrise Baptist Church, 4225 Volcanic, begin-
ning with a meeting on FCA studies and charac-
ter. Group rides and runs begin at 8 a.m.
A Christmas Party is Saturday, Dec. 5, during
the regular Saturday Huddle time featuring a
“white elephant” sock exchange.
El Paso Puzzler Mountain Bike Race —
El Paso’s only endurance mountain bike race is
8 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 17, at Bowen Ranch.
Hosted by the Border Mountain Bike
Association. Registration (by Jan 1): $40.
Information: 845-1097 or
bmba.wordpress.com.
The 3rd annual 50-mile single-track ride (35-
mile route also offered) with several climbs and
descents. Food and prizes distributed during
the event.
Recreational Sports
Turkey Bowl Shootout VI — El Paso Flag
Football’s annual 8-man indoor adult football
event is Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 28-29, at
various city parks. Double elimination format.
Fee: $50. Information/locations: 227-9947 or
elpasoflagfootball.com.
2010 Gridiron Classic — Registration is
being held through Jan 8 for the City of Las
Cruces’s 3rd Annual Gridiron Classic 4-on-4
Flag Football Tournament set for Saturday and
Sunday, Jan. 30-31, at Provencio Soccer Fields
(corner of Solano and Hadley). Registration is
at Meerscheidt Recreation Center, 1600 E.
Hadley. Open to the first 16 teams to register.
All players must be 18 and over. The non-con-
tact tournament has each team playing four to
Please see Page 26
El Paso Scene
Page 25

Sports
Cont’d from Page 25
five games on Saturday, followed by a single
elimination tournament on Sunday. All docu-
mentation is due prior to 5 pm. Jan. 9. Cost:
$200 per team (six games guaranteed).
Information: (575) 541-2551.
Greater El Paso Tennis Association —
Information: 532-5524, gepta@sbcglobal.net or
gepta.usta.com. Advance registration at tourna-
ments.usta.com. Call or visit website for other
tennis programs.
• Picacho Hills Country Club’s 2010 Battle of
the Clubs team tournament is Jan. 30-31 at
Picacho Hills Country Club, New Mexico State
University in Las Cruces. A Captain’s meeting
and buffet is Thursday, Jan. 28, at Picacho Hills
Country Club, 6861 Via Campestre. Cost: $40
per player; $320 for eight-person team.
Information: (575) 523-2556 or
picachohillscc.com
• The Bank of the West Sun Bowl Junior Open
is Dec 9-13 at El Paso Tennis & Swim Club,
2510 N. St. Vrain. L6 tournament, and hosts all
ages. Deadline is Dec. 6 (ID# 759403709).
Cost: $20, plus TDM fee. Information: Ed
Phinney, 532-4373 or tennisep@aol.com.
Runs and walks
Holiday Classic Fun Run/Walk — The
annual walk begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5,
at the Family Recreation Center, 1100 Oregon,
Alamogordo. Events include a 1 mile run/walk
for ages 12 and under and a 5K and 10K for
ages 13 and up. Information/registration pack-
ets: (575) 439-4159.
Snowman 5k — The 3.1 mile race begins at
9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, at the NMSU track,
Williams and Gregg on the NMSU campus, Las
Cruces. Online registration (active.com) is $12,
race-day entry is $15. Proceeds support schol-
arships for Las Cruces area high school runners
wishing to compete at NMSU. Information:
(575) 202-5877.
Polar Bear Triathlon — The annual 5K
run, 40K bike and 400M swim begins at 9 a.m.
Saturday, Dec. 12, at White Sands Missile
Range’s Bell Gymnasium. Participants must be
at security gate by 7 a.m. Registration: $45 for
individuals; $65 for teams. Advance registration
only, no on-site registration. Deadline is Nov.
28. Information: (575) 678-3374 (local call) or
wsmrmwr.com (click on “Bell Gym”).
Jingle Bell Run — Up and Running, 3233 N.
Mesa, will host its holiday 5K at 9 a.m.
Saturday, Dec. 12, departing from the store
(Rudolph Plaza). Proceeds benefit the El Paso
High School Girls Track Team. Registration: $20
in advance, $25 Dec. 11-12. Packet pickup
noon-6 p.m. Friday. Dec. or beginning 7:30
a.m. race day. Information: 478-5663 or
raceadventuresunlimited.com.
Sun Bowl 5K Run/Walk — The 7th annual
$ "! 5K race and 1-mile fun walk sponsored by
Sports World is 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, in
% &$ $ "( )"& the back parking lot of Las Palmas LifeCare
Center, 3333 N. Mesa.
( %( #! % Registration: $20 in advance; $25 on race day.
Information: Joe Daubach, 533-4416, ext. 17.
$$""! Advance registration deadline is Dec. 14 by
'! # &% %# ! ! mail, Dec. 16 online at active.com or Dec. 18
in person at the Sun Bowl Office. Race day reg-
# "! % ! #! ! istration is 7 to 9:15 a.m. at the starting line.
"# Running clubs:
• Run El Paso maintains information on local
##) "! " ! races at runelpaso.com. Information: Luis
%$ ) " #% $%$ Zaragosa, 543-2017.
Page 26 El Paso Scene
• FCA Team Endurance El Paso. Long-distance
runners, cyclists and triathletes are invited to
join the Fellowship of Christian Athletes group.
Both a ride and run are offered each week.
Information: Christy, 307-8180 or fcaen-
durance.org.
“Hash House” running clubs (participants
must be 21 or older):
• The Border Jumper Hash House Harriers
(H3) meet at 7 p.m. Wednesdays and 6 p.m.
Saturdays at various locations. Dues: $3 per
run. First run is free. Information: bjhash.com.
• The El Paso Hash House Harriers “Drinking
Club with a Running Problem” meet at 4 p.m.
Sunday afternoons for non-competitive runs.
Follow a mystery trail of chalk and flower in a
grown-up “hide and seek” game. Trails range
from 2 to 5 miles, with a beer and snacks social
event afterward. Cost: $4 per hash. First run is
free; walkers welcome. Information: 345-5130.
Weekly meet-up spots listed at
elpasohash.com.
• El Paso Triathlon Club — Information: Matt
Emrich, 490-6874. Training session schedule,
races and membership sign-up available on-line
at elpasotriclub.com.
Winter sports
Holiday Ice Skating — Special holiday
hours offered for public skating from
Thanksgiving to New Year’s holidays at the
Sierra Providence Event Center next to the
Coliseum, 4100 Paisano. All ages welcome.
Admission: $8 (skate rental included). Discount
tickets ($2 off) available at all 7-11 Fina Stores
in El Paso and Pick-Quick Fina Stores in Las
Cruces. Spectator admission is free.
Information: 479-PUCK (7825), elpasoicemoni-
tor.com or klaq.com.
Late November hours are noon to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, Nov. 25-26
and Nov. 29, and noon to 4 and 7 to 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27-28.
December hours are noon to 4 p.m. and 7 to
10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 18-19, noon
to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 and Thursday, Dec.
24 and Dec. 31, and noon to 4 and 6 to 10
p.m. daily Dec. 21-30. Closed Christmas Day.
Early January hours are noon to 4 p.m. and 6
to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 1-2, and
noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3.
Triple M Snow Play — The snow tubing
area is about five miles south of Cloudcroft —
take Hwy 130 to Sunspot Hwy 6563. Season
dependent on snow conditions. Hours/cost
subject to change. Tubing hours are usually 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (daily dur-
ing holidays). Cost: $15 half day; $20 full day.
Snowmobile tours and rentals available.
Information/snow conditions: (800) 766-7529
(SNO-PLAY), (575) 682-2205 or triplemsnow-
play.com.
Ski Apache — Ruidoso’s 750-acre ski and
snowboarding area is open on or after
Thanksgiving once sufficient snow is available.
The 24-hour Ski Apache Snow Report number
is (575) 257-9001. Information: (575) 336-4356
or skiapache.com. Lifts are open from 8:45
a.m. to 4 p.m., depending on weather condi-
tions. All-day lift tickets are $51 ($43 age 13-
17; $32 12 and younger; free ages 70 and
older.(Prices slightly higher on peak days).
Military discounts available. Discounts available
for multiple-day or half-day skiing
Ski Cloudcroft — The southernmost ski
area in the U.S. opens in December (weather
permitting) two miles east of Cloudcroft on
U.S. 82. Information/snow conditions: (575)
682-2333 or skicloudcroft.net.Lift tickets: $35
full day; $28 half day. Ski, and snowboard
rentals available.
December 2009
 Nayda’s Gems & Stones
We offer the latest in
Bali Silver • Semi-Precious Stones • Silver Findings

Hundreds of Necklaces on Display Classes

Motown celebration — Phat Soul will per- Jazz Unlimited Big Band — The jazz

Custom Orders While You Wait Available

form for a Motown 50th Anniversary Dance band presents an afternoon of Big Band-era
and Celebration at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, at swing music at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, at St.
Mission Valley Ballroom, 10600 North Loop. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 5005 Love
Also featured is a special tribute to Michael Road, also featuring pop, jazz, Latin rhythms Placita Santa Fe Nayda I. Graziani (915) 845-6151
5024 Doniphan Ste 3 Custom Jewelry Design (915) 204-9652 (cell)
Jackson. Tickets: $17 in advance; $20 at the and favorite yuletide sounds. Admission is free,
door. Advance tickets available at All That donations accepted. Information: 581-4444 or
Music. Information: 471-0849. Table reserva- loveroad.org.
tions: Richard, 238-7481.

Scar ves • Jackets • Sweaters

Minerals & Fossils • Bamboo Fiber Clothing • Fashion Jewelry • Purses •
Zin Valle Free Music Sundays — Zin

Sw i t c h Fl o p s • Mi l k So a p s
‘Christmas Jams’ — Calvary Baptist Valle vineyard, 7315 Hwy 28 in Canutillo (3/4
Church’s Worship Arts Ministry presents and mile north of FM 259), hosts free live music 1
upbeat evening of music in the style of Trans- to 4 p.m. on select Sundays. Guests may bring
Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller a picnic, and enjoy wine tastings. Information:
at 7 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Nov. 29-30, at 877-4544 or zinvalle.com.
the Rio Grande Theatre, 211 Downtown Mall, Upcoming performers are James Springer Placita Santa Fe, 5034 Doniphan
Las Cruces. Tickets: $7 ($5 each for two or (Dec. 6) and Dan Lambert Trio (Dec. 20). Enter through The Marketplace / Magic Pan
more).Information: (575) 523-6403, (575) 523-
El Paso Friends of Jazz — The society’s
0807 or RioGrandeTheatre.com.
Texas Music History Lecture Series — Please see Page 28
El Paso Museum of History, 510 N. Santa Fe.
Bee Bar Hand Lotion • Pouchee Purse Organizers • S w a p Wa t c h e s •
The series concludes 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday,
Dec. 3 with Joe Nick Patoski, “Stevie Ray
Vaughan: The Last of the Great Texas
Bluesman.” Admission: $4 members, $8 non-
members. Seating is limited. Anyone who buys
The Marketplace
a museum membership that night gets in free.
RSVP: 351-3588. at PLACITA SANTA FE
Meet and greet and snacks is 5:30 p.m. with
lecture at 6 p.m., and after lecture discussion at
$ $ " (
7 p.m. and 5034 Doniphan 585-9296
A blues discussion follows at 7:30 p.m. at the Just in time
Double Tree Inn, 600 N. El Paso Street.
The lecture will explain how and why for the Holidays!
Vaughan became the legend he is today, leading
Crosses & Make Your
a brief journey through the blues scenes in
Dallas and Fort Worth in the 1960s and in
Austin in the 1970s that informed Vaughan and
Picture Home Ready
an entire generation of players Frames
Patoski, a former staff writer for Texas
Monthly magazine, has been writing about
for the Holidays
Texas and Texans for more than 35 years. In
addition to biographies on Stevie Ray Vaughan, inside The Marketplace Antiques STAINED
Selena, and Willie Nelson, he has written the
text to several Texas nature books.
at Placita Santa Fe Rustics GLASS
5034 Doniphan Fine Art Folk Art
Collectibles wearables
Pottery FLORALS
Jewelry & More

$ !% # ) $ # ) $# ) $ $
$ %" $%" ) ' "( ) #) " $& #
$ (#) #$ #
December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 27
 &(# ' ! - &( '( $ " # )'
seats reserved. Tickets information: 747-5234.
Sports Show information: 747-6060.
Cont’d from Page 27 The show features a retro trip down memory
#! # " ! " !, + lane from the 1940s to today. Includes colorful
#& #)& & "") Christmas party is 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, costumes, beautiful sets and live music, singing
$& & '(! ' #$ " #)' at the Wyndham El Paso Airport, 2027 Airway. and dancing to favorite tunes like “White
" '() # #! (#)& Live music by Azucar. Guests and visitors wel- Christmas,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Christmas,
(# & ( ( ' '#" come. Cost: $30 at the door (includes dinner). Baby Please Come Home” and more.
Cash or check only. Information: 592-1357 or
" ) #" '$ , & Howling Coyote — The open mic venue
elpasofriendsofjazz.org.
" + &( $ ' " #)& for musicians, poets, writers, storytellers and
$ &'#" &( # ( #" ‘Sounds of the Holidays’ — Holiday performance artists is 7 to 9:30 p.m. the first
!( ")! & # entertainment is offered 5 to 6 p.m. Monday and third Friday of the month at First Christian
through Friday, Dec. 7-18, at San Jacinto Plaza Church, 1809 El Paseo, Las Cruces, across
#& " " $ "(
in Downtown El Paso. The annual event from Las Cruces High School. Performer sign-
#&" ! "(' '# &
includes various school and community choirs, up is 6:30 p.m. with cut-off after 18 performers
* #& $)& ' ' local bands and ensembles performing have signed up. Each performer has ten min-
+ ' #( & )" %) Christmas and seasonal music. Sponsored by utes on stage. Musicians are limited to two
' ! ( ( !' the City of El Paso Parks and Recreation songs. Open jam session after last performance
& ' ! "(' Department. Admission is free. Information: (optional). Coffee, soft drinks and snacks pro-
+ ' &* 252-9031 or 240-3310. vided. Admission is free, but donations wel-
Schedule: come. Information: howling-coyote.net, or Bob
! & !'( ( & & &( (
( ( $'
( • Dec. 7 — Rick Milliron Burns, (575) 525-9333 or (915) 799-5684.
! (# $! #& • Dec. 8 — Amanda Huante
Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino —
#" * " • Dec. 9 — Memento Mori & Friends
• Dec. 10 — Wildcat Praise Band Live music is offered 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays
• Dec. 11 — Kristen Moreno and Saturdays and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sundays in
• Dec. 14 — St. Clements (Gel Band) the Franklins Lounge. No cover. No perform-
• Dec. 15 — Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana ance Christmas Day. Information: (575) 874-
• Dec.16 — Bowie Dance Ensemble 5200.
• Dec. 17 — Central Business Association Disco with local DJs is 6:30 to 10 p.m.
Posada Sundays. Karaoke offered with Antonio B 8
• Dec.18 — Jacqueline Mata. p.m. to midnight every Wednesday and
Thursday (except Dec. 31). Weekly winners
Applejack Band — The El Paso folk band receive gift bag with prizes.
performs at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at La • Saturday, Nov. 28 – Little Mike & The Blue
Tierra Cafe, 1731 Montana. Doors open at 6 Kings
p.m. Cost: $30. The performance is sold out, • Sunday, Nov. 29 – Mariachi Real de Jalisco
but interested individuals may call Marjorie • Friday, Dec. 4 – Algo Nuevo
Foster at 592-5122 to check for cancellations. • Saturday, Dec. 5 – Bosse
• Sunday, Dec. 6 – Mariachi Los Toritos
Bob Burns and Mike Caranda
• Friday, Dec. 11 – Ekiz
Orchestra — The big-band style orchestra
• Saturday, Dec. 12 – Dulce
led by Bob Burns will host its Afternoon Tea
• Sunday, Dec. 13 – Mariachi Flores Mexicanas
Dance 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at the
• Friday, Dec. 18 – Los Dukes
Elk’s Club 1211 E. Cliff (near El Paso High).
• Saturday, Dec. 19 – Sonny Powell & The
The band has been presenting Sunday after-
Night Dreamers
noon “Tea Dances” since 1984 and features all
• Sunday, Dec. 20 – Mariachi Alegre
ballroom styles, including tango, waltz, jitter-
• Saturday, Dec. 26 – Rhapsody
bug, swing, cha-cha, mambo, polka, rumba and
• Sunday, Dec. 27 – Mariachi Los Galleros.
more. Judy Day and Bob Burns are featured
vocalists. Admission: $15 ($25 per couple). ‘Every Other Tuesday’ at the Rio
Information: 799-5684 or (575) 525-9333. Grande Theatre — Doña Ana Arts Council
hosts a variety of musical performances 5:30 to
‘UTEP Holiday Spectacular’ – UTEP
6:30 p.m. every other Tuesday at the historic
Dinner Theatre presents a “Version 3.0” of its
Rio Grande Theatre, 211 Downtown Mall, Las
new holiday tradition Dec. 18-20 at Magoffin
Cruces. Admission is free. Information: (575)
Auditorium. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday
523-6403 or riograndetheatre.com.
and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. No meal
· Dec. 1 – Mick Harris.
served. Tickets: $20-$25; ($15-$20 UTEP fac-
· Dec. 15 – Trails West and New Horizons
ulty/staff, groups of 20 or more, non-UTEP stu-
Symphony
dents and children age 4-12; $10-$15 UTEP
• Dec. 29 — To be announced.
students (one ticket per valid UTEP ID). All

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El Paso Scene
Page 28 December 2009
December Roundup Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino — various special events.
Native American Dances are performed 11:30
hike is when volunteers are working on trail
maintenance, usually 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays.
The copper-domed casino offers slot machines,
Cont’d from Page 17 and video-machine versions of poker, keno and a.m. and 1:30 p.m. every weekend. For information on Saturday hiking times, call
other games. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fresh Indian bread is on sale at the center, and 252-9840.
or Maud, 585-1789.
Sunday through Thursday; 9:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. family-operated gift shops, feature jewelry, pot-
The club will host a photo exhibit by Félix
tery and other crafts.
Zin Valle Vineyards — 7315 Hwy 28 in
Friday and Saturday. Lounge is open, with live
Domecq, Françoise Chadaillac about Paris, Canutillo (3/4 mile north of FM 259). Free tast-
entertainment and dancing, until 2 a.m. week-
Urban colors and daily life in France Dec. 7-30 Indian Cliffs Ranch — The working cattle ings are noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday.
ends. Simulcast racing begins at 10 a.m. every-
at City Hall’s Community gallery space 2 Civic ranch in Fabens offers a children’s zoo, buffalo, Information: 877-4544 or zinvalle.com.
day. General admission and parking are free.
Center Plaza. Opening reception is 5 to 7:30 longhorns, deer, rattlesnake pit, movie sets and Free Music Sundays are 1 to 4 p.m. on select
Information: (575) 874-5200.
p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9. RSVP by Dec. 5: 875- the Fort Apache playground. It’s also home to Sundays. Guests may bring a picnic, and enjoy
To get there, take the Sunland Park exit from
1696. the famous Cattleman’s Steakhouse. wine tastings. Upcoming performers are James
I-10, go south (left turn coming from
Information: (915) 544-3200 or cattle- Springer (Dec. 6) and Dan Lambert Trio (Dec.
MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) — Downtown) and follow the signs.
manssteakhouse.com. 20).
The support group for working and stay-at-
home mothers with pre-school aged children
Tigua Indian Cultural Center — 305 Mount Cristo Rey — The four-story-tall La Viña Winery — New Mexico’s oldest
Yaya Road, at Socorro Road east of the Ysleta
(age 5 and younger) meets 9 a.m. to noon the statue of Christ on the cross tops the moun- winery is just across the state line from El Paso,
Mission. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday
first and third Wednesday of the month at Cielo tain, 4,576 feet above sea level, in Sunland at 4201 S. NM Highway 28, one mile north of
through Sunday. The center features a museum
Vista Church, 3585 Lee Trevino, at Montana. Park, N.M., near the junction of Mexico, Texas Vinton Road. Information: (575) 882-7632 or
on the Tigua tribe, including its relationship to
The informal meeting is a chance for moms to and New Mexico. Built in 1938-40 by sculptor lavinawinery.com.
the Tiwas of northern New Mexico. Admission
get-together and network with other moms Urbici Soler, the monument is accessible off The tasting room and patio are open for sales
is free. Information: 859-7700 or
like themselves. Moms are encouraged to bring McNutt Road (Highway 273) in Sunland Park — and tasting of wines from 12 to 5 p.m.
ysletadelsur.org.
their children age 5 and younger. Information: take the Racetrack exit off Paisano and cross Thursday through Tuesday (closed
An Indian and Traders Market is 9:30 a.m. to
595-0288 or mops@cielovistachurch.org. the Rio Grande. Wednesdays). Tasting fee is $5. A daily tour is
2:30 p.m. Saturdays, Sept. 5, 12, 19 and 26.
Because of safety concerns, people are offered at 11:30 a.m. by appointment only; the
Amateur Radio Clubs — Two Southwestern arts and crafts, baked goods and
advised to hike only in groups. The best time to $10 fee includes tasting.
amateur/Ham radio clubs meet monthly in El
Paso:
• Sun City Amateur Radio Club (ARC) —
Business meetings for this Ham Radio club are
7 p.m. the first Friday of the month, with “pro-
gram nights” 7 p.m. the third Friday of the
month at 3709 Wickham. Information: 585-
8132, k5wph.org or kd6cub@sbcglobal.net.
• El Paso Amateur Radio Club — Meetings are
8 p.m. the second and fourth Friday of the
month at 2100 San Diego. Information:
w5es.org or k5trw@elp.rr.com.
Individuals interested in earning a Ham Radio
license may contact either club. Morse Code is
no longer required for operators.
El Paso County 4H Horse Club — The
club meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of
each month at Texas A&M Research Center,
1380 A&M Circle, for youth age 5 to 19.
Although the club is called the horse club they
participate in all aspects of the 4-H experience
including (but not limited to) sewing, cooking,
entomology, consumer decision making, public
speaking, leadership, record keeping, photogra-
phy and many animal based projects. Annual
enrollment: $2. Information: 525-9858 or
elp.tamu.edu/4h/.
International Coin Club — El Paso’s only
coin club meets at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. the first
Monday of the month at Travelodge-La
Hacienda, 6400 Montana. Meetings include
educational presentations and an auction of
materials submitted by members. Visitors
always welcome, and admission free for first-
time visitors. Information: 533-6001 or 526-
3180.

Area attractions
Wyler Aerial Tramway — Texas’ only pub-
licly accessible mountain tramway gives passen-
gers a view of 7,000 square miles, two coun-
tries and three states (Texas, New Mexico and
Chihuahua) from Ranger Peak, elevation 5,632
feet. Cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children
12 years and under. Winter days and hours of
operation are noon to 6 p.m. Mondays,
Thursdays and Sundays, and noon to 8 p.m.
Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. The tram is
closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Information:
566-6622.
Wyler Aerial Tramway State Park is managed
by Texas Parks & Wildlife and is also part of
Franklin Mountains State Park. To get there:
Take Alabama to McKinley and turn toward the
mountain.

December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 29

 “El Paso” by Candy Mayer

MERRY CHRISTMAS
& HAPPY NEW YEAR
from El Paso Scene

Page 30 El Paso Scene December 2009

 A Distant Neighbor
Rising violence deters volunteers from crossing
the border to help the poor in Juárez
“Now it has been more than one year with-
out visitors. It has affected us greatly that
they’re not here,” said Maria Isabel, speak-
ing in Spanish in a recent video interview
done at Centro Santa Catalina in Juárez.
Maria Isabel is co-president of
Cooperative Las Mujeres de Esperanza y
Fe and part of the leadership team of
Centro Santa Catalina, a nonprofit ministry
begun in the 1990s by two Catholic nuns.
And like many such charities operating in
Juárez, it was once a frequent host to visi-
tors from the U.S. who came to learn about
conditions in the impoverished colonias of
the border city and to help lend a hand.
Those visitors don’t come anymore, and
feelings of abandonment are common
among those whose survival depends on
religious ministries and nonprofit organiza-
tions.
The outbreak of drug-cartel violence in
Juárez, now blamed for nearly 4,000 mur-
ders since January 2008, has deterred char-
ity workers and mission groups from
crossing the border. The swine-flu epidem-
ic, which erupted in Mexico before coming
to the U.S., and the economic downturn
have also discouraged volunteers from
making such trips.
Other organizations, such as Project
Puente and Annunciation House, spon-
sored “immersion trips” for border-study
groups that would often spend one or more
nights in Juárez to learn about the people
and their living conditions. Most of those
groups have stopped coming, or remain on
this side of the border if they do come.
In many cases, the reluctance of U.S. vis-
itors to enter Juárez has had a direct
impact on charitable support. Groups like
Casas por Cristo regularly scheduled mis-
December 2009
Story by Randy Limbird
sion trips to build homes, schools and
orphanages in Mexico. Many of them have
quit working in Juárez entirely or have
scaled back dramatically.
Ysleta Lutheran Mission had 15 groups
completely cancel their scheduled week-
long trips to build homes, work in medical
clinics and help with children’s programs,
said Steven Heimer, chief operating officer
for YLM.
The violence, which is rampant in much
of northern Mexico, also impacts mission
trips beyond Juárez.
Leaders and parishioners from St. Pius X
Catholic Church had regularly traveled to
remote areas of Chihuahua to minister to
the Tarahumara, said Jim Szostek, a dea-
con at the El Paso church for 31 years. But
the threat of violence (made all the more
real by the murder in 2008 of the nephew
of Monsignor Arturo Banuelas) forced the
church to cancel such trips.
“We are fearful to go there,” Szostek
said, “especially when they start killing
women and children.”
Szostek said that the loss is not just a
matter of giving aid.
“What they miss most is the personal
contact,” he said of the indigenous people
that St. Pius had reached out to in northern
Mexico. “We want to assure them that they
are our brothers and sisters.
“Every morning, I think of my ‘kids’ over
there. It’s hard to stay away.”
El Paso Scene spoke to a variety of
organizations that have been involved in
Juárez to find out more about the impact of
cartel violence on their work across the
border.
El Paso Scene
Shown above: JEM Ministries regularly dis-
tributes food and clothing to the needy in
Juárez, and is building a community center.
Volunteers, however, are harder to find.
Casas por Cristo
In 2007, Casas por Cristo was running
full steam as a Christian ministry seeking
to help the needy in Juárez. The El
Paso–based organization built 405 homes
across the border, with the assistance of
nearly 8,000 volunteer workers from all
over the United States and Canada. The
next year seemed even more promising,
and initially was on pace to surpass 2007’s
record number of homes built.
The rash of drug-cartel violence that
began in early 2008, however, turned into
an unchecked epidemic, resulting in many
cancellations of mission groups. By the
end of 2008, only 328 homes were built.
These trend lines continued to plummet
in 2009, said Casas Executive Director
David Robertson. The number of volun-
teers dropped by more than half compared
to 2007’s peak, and only about 185 homes
are expected to be completed this year —
and that includes 35 homes built in Cd.
Acuña, across from Del Rio, Texas. The
organization set up a second operations
base in Del Rio because Acuña was ranked
as the safest Mexican border city.
Since the drug-cartel violence began,
“upwards of 30 different ministries have
stopped work in Juárez,” Robertson said,
adding that other factors, such as the eco-
nomic downturn and the swine flu, have
contributed to fewer people going on mis-
sion trips.
Robertson also noted that Casas por
Cristo has not had one single incident of
violence involving the roughly 10,000 vol-
unteers that have participated in Juárez
projects over the past two years. The
organization does take detailed precau-
tions, such as not driving in Juárez at
(Photos courtesy of JEM Ministries)
night, to minimize any risk.
Part of the reason for Casas’ safety
record, Robertson said, is that “the com-
munity knows our name.” The organiza-
tion’s long-established reputation adds a
level of protection, and Casas leaders are
in touch with about 100 pastors across
Juárez. If one area seems unsafe, the
organization can shift its work to other
locations.
Although Casas por Cristo overall has not
suffered as an organization — they now
have 21 full-time staff members, including
two in Juárez — the lack of volunteers
definitely has slowed down their home-
building efforts. And as Robertson pointed
out, the need is greater than ever.
Casas por Cristo has 500 people on its
waiting list, he said. The rampant cartel
violence has greatly added to the economic
crisis in Juárez, Robertson noted, because
of the loss of jobs in the tourist industry,
loss of maquiladora jobs and reduced gov-
ernment funds to help the poor.
Housing is a life-and-death matter in
Juárez, Robertson added, with about 50
deaths a year blamed on lack of heat and
about 2,500 hospitalized for hypothermia.
Youth With A Mission
Like Casas por Cristo, Youth With A
Mission El Paso-Juárez has seen a dramat-
ic drop in youth groups coming to work on
mission projects across the border.
Typically, five high school groups would
come for spring break, said YWAM El
Paso-Juárez Director Mary Beth Maifeld.
This year, only one came. All of the sum-
mer groups canceled.
Please see Page 32
Page 31
 Neighbor
Cont’d from Page 31
Maifeld called this year’s combination of
cartel violence, swine flu and economic
recession a “perfect storm” that drove U.S.
mission trips away.
Adult volunteers have been more
resilient, she said, and several adult mis-
sion groups have come to work at
YWAM’s children’s home and programs in
Juárez, including two medical clinic teams.
The children’s home in Juárez, with 33
residents, is an ongoing, 24/7 commitment
of YWAM in the besieged city, she said.
Even with less opportunity to work with
U.S. youths on mission projects, there is
no shortage of young people to reach out
to. YWAM recently kicked off its youth
program based at the Juárez facility, and
120 children showed up.
Ysleta Lutheran Mission
Based in El Paso’s Lower Valley, Ysleta
Lutheran Mission supports a network of
mission churches in Juárez and the state of
Chihuahua, which include a variety of
services for the poor, ranging from med-
ical clinics, food distribution and chil-
dren’s programs. Led for the past 27 years
by the Rev. Dr. Karl P. Heimer, YLM also
has been significantly affected by the
Juárez violence and various economic fac-
tors.
The ministry, part of the Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod, also has seen a
substantial decrease in mission groups
coming to work in Juárez.
“We lost 15 servant events” this year,
Heimer said, adding that the groups that
did come had fewer volunteers than
before.
These “servant event” groups contributed
to the overall revenues of the mission,
which has also suffered the loss of grant
and lease income this year. As a result, the
mission is running in the red. A recent
golf-tournament fundraiser was one
response to filling the gap in finances.
“We’re not going to stop what God wants
us to do,” Heimer said.
He noted that the need in Juárez is
greater than ever.
“Five hundred people came this year for
medical help, up two times from last year,”
he said. Another example is the food distri-
butions, where 300 people may show up
for groceries. The mission recently passed
out 21 tons of potatoes trucked from
Nebraska.”
YLM also has taken over ministries that
others cannot maintain because of the lack
of volunteers willing to come over from
the U.S.
“We can’t say no,” Heimer commented.
Despite the downturn in finances and
volunteers, he said, YLM has no plans to
cut back.
“We’ve been at this a long time. We’ve
trained partners. We have a family (across
the border),” Heimer explained.
YLM in fact has added new goals for
serving Juárez through its Project
Almanecer campaign, which included
forming prayer teams and prayer services,
launching bible studies, and distributing
nearly a million dollars’ worth of food,
clothing and other aid.
Page 32 El Paso Scene
Casas por Cristo has taken thousand
of young people to Juárez on mission
projects, but many of these groups
have canceled their mission trips since
the cartel violence erupted.
(Photo courtesy of Casas por Cristo)
JEM Ministries
El Paso’s Ruiz family, which became
nationally known earlier this year as the
beneficiaries of an “Extreme Makeover”
new house on ABC-TV, founded JEM
Ministries in 1996 to support the needy in
Juárez. Their goal is to build a community
center with a kitchen that will feed up to
500 people, an orphanage that will house
100 children and an occupational training
center.
Their newfound fame (Maria Ruiz also
was named as one of CNN’s Top Ten
Heroes of 2008) has helped to increase
donations, particularly clothing. But the
violence in Juárez has also made it more
difficult to find volunteers to cross the bor-
der, although Jesus and Maria Ruiz contin-
ue to do so several times a week, some-
times spending their weekends working in
Colonia Tierra Nueva on the eastern out-
skirts of Juárez.
For example, Maria Ruiz said, one mis-
sion project had arranged for 50 people to
work with JEM Ministries last year, but
only six people came.
Fewer people visiting these impoverished
neighborhoods means fewer people are
likely to respond, she added.
“If you go and see the need, you’re more
likely to do something about it.”
And with fewer people to do the work,
she said, “everything drops off. It slows
down the process.”
JEM Ministries can use volunteers who
can help with construction, and they have
a particular need for heating and cooling
work.
Casa de Libertad
There are probably dozens of small chari-
ty operations throughout Juárez that have
been similarly affected by the cartel vio-
lence and the resulting reluctance of U.S.
volunteers to go there. Typically, such
charitable support involved relationships
between churches, service organizations
and other organizations on the U.S. side
and schools, orphanages, clinics and com-
munity centers serving the poor in Juárez.
Many of the churches and other organiza-
tions say they no longer sponsor trips into
Juárez. Yet there are many longtime volun-
teers who persist.
For the past ten years, Al and Charlene
Ward have traveled to Juárez from
Alamogordo every week with a van full of
food, clothing and supplies. The Wards do
Please see Page 33
December 2009

Neighbor
Cont’d from Page 32
this as an extension of their work with
Fountaingate Children’s Home in
Alamogordo.
Fountaingate supports Casa de Libertad,
a Christian orphanage on the western side
of Juárez, Mexico. The Wards lead the
weekly trip to help orphans and other chil-
dren abandoned or neglected by their par-
ents.
The crime news is of concern, said
Charlene Ward, but more so for the
orphanage director and the children, who
have to live amid such violence.
Fortunately, she said, they are able to
bypass the urban part of Juárez and go
through the Santa Teresa border crossing.
“It’s easy to drop off the food and play
with the kids,” she added.
FEMAP Foundation
The FEMAP Foundation is a U.S. non-
profit that supports FEMAP (Federación
Mexicana de Asociaciones Privadas) and
SADEC (Salud y Desarrollo Comunitario
de Cd. Juárez, or Health and Community
Development of Cd. Juárez.). The founda-
tion has raised several million dollars for
border health projects, such as the con-
struction of an addition for Hospital de la
Familia in Cd. Juárez.
The foundation was created in 1992 by El
Paso’s Adair Margo to supplement the
work begun nearly 20 years earlier by
FEMAP founder Guadalupe De La Vega of
Juárez.
FEMAP Foundation Executive Director
Anna Aleman said that most of the founda-
tion’s funds come from corporate dona-
tions and grants, and about 10 percent
come from individual gifts. Typical annual
funding totals up to $500,000 a year.
“We’ve seen a decline in grants, mainly
due to the recession,” Aleman said, but
added that local support has remained
strong, with a recent FEMAP gala
fundraiser selling out.
The principal impact of the drug-cartel
violence has been a virtual cessation of
taking U.S. visitors into Juárez to visit
foundation-supported facilities, Aleman
said.
“We used to do two or three (tours) a
December 2009
FEMAP Foundations funds a variety of health programs in Juarez, including
Hospital de la Familia. (Photos courtesy of FEMAP Foundation)
month,” she said. “The last time I booked
one was June or July 2008. One out of 13
people showed up.”
Aleman noted, however, that those who
have invested years of service in Juárez
have not given up. For example, El Paso
orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jacob Heydemann
has manned a free clinic in Juárez for 22
years.
As a U.S. nonprofit organization, the
FEMAP Foundation is able to collect tax-
deductible donations to support health and
other needs across the border. That also
means the foundation reviews the finances
and services of any organization it sup-
ports. Individual donors can earmark their
gifts for a particular project or organization
supported by the foundation.
Besides a variety of health programs, the
FEMAP Foundation also funds community
banks and micro-enterprise programs run
by FEMAP-SADEC, which aims at build-
ing income among women by encouraging
small entrepreneurial projects.
Frontera Women’s Foundation
Frontera Women’s Foundation primarily
directs funds and in-kind donations (cloth-
ing, personal hygiene supplies and other
items) to organizations that help women
and their families. About 30 percent of the
El Paso Scene
the foundation’s executive director.
Donations may be earmarked for specific
Juárez organizations. For more informa-
tion, contact the foundation.
Centro Santa Catalina
Centro Santa Catalina, in Colonia Panfilo
Natera on what was once the Juárez
Municipal Garbage Dump, serves the
poorest of the poor. Many of the colonia’s
residents migrated from the central parts of
Mexico, and those with maquiladora jobs
may earn $5 a day or less, according to the
center’s Web site. They live in cardboard
shacks or simple cinderblock houses with
no running water or sewer system.
The center was started by two Adrian
Dominican Sisters who spent four years
establishing relationships and participating
in a prayer group with women in the colo-
nia. The center continues as a faith-based
community that offers support, learning,
foundation’s resources go across the bor-
economic development for women and
educational assistance for children. Las
der. The assistance provided enables schol-
Mujeres de Esperanza y Fe (Women of
arships, safe houses for victims of domes-
Hope and Faith) is an economic coopera-
tic violence, and emergency supplies for
tive based at the center that makes and
women deported to Mexico.
sells handmade goods.
One impact of the violence in Juárez is
Sister Donna Kustusch, one of the cen-
that it makes it more difficult for board
ter’s founders, still commutes from El Paso
members and staff employees to make site
to Juárez despite the growing violence.
visits in Juárez, “because we don’t know
what to expect,” said Pat Graham-Casey,
Please see Page 34
Page 33

Neighbor
Cont’d from Page 33
“It’s a risk, but it’s not that great of a
risk,” she said, while admitting that she
had been carjacked earlier this year. “We
have a moral obligation to stand with our
neighbors and take the risk.”
Kustusch was one of three presenters fea-
tured in a recent webcast sponsored by the
Center for Action and Contemplation in
Albuquerque. The webcast originated from
the Cristo Rey Centro Luterano in El Paso,
and also featured video testimonies by sev-
eral women from Centro Santa Catalina.
Project Puente
Since 1995, West Cosgrove, executive
director of Project Puente in El Paso, has
organized an average of one “Border
Immersion Program” group a month to
learn about border issues, an experience
that usually included at least one night in a
Juárez colonia.
By mid 2008, the upsurge in violence in
Page 34
Juárez led him to cancel the overnight stay,
while still taking groups over to visit some
of the colonias. By 2009, few groups were
willing to visit Juárez at all. Even the alter-
native of visiting Palomas, Mexico, (across
from Columbus, N.M.) seemed too risky
for some groups.
For Cosgrove, a former lay worker for
the Maryknoll Catholic mission move-
ment, the retreat from Juárez creates an
agonizing crisis of conscience.
“It’s simply not acceptable to stop going
and say, ‘I’ll see you when the violence is
over,’” Cosgrove said.
One of the regular stops on Border
Immersion visits was Biblioteca Infantil El
Buen Pastor, a lending library/tutoring
center run by Cristina Estrada in Colonia
Anapra. The center not only helps children
in school, but also provides scholarships to
help the impoverished colonia families pay
for school expenses (even primary school
in Mexico can cost $250 per year for sup-
plies and fees). Now the center receives
few, if any, U.S. visitors.
“You all have abandoned us,” Estrada
told Cosgrove, a statement he described as
“a dagger to the heart.”
El Paso Scene
Where to learn more
The organizations discussed in this Organizations listed in this article:
month’s feature story are just a few of
the charities and nonprofit agencies Casas por Cristo
involved in helping Juárez. Their P.O. Box 971070, El Paso, TX 79997
addresses and other information are list- Physical address:
ed below. Here are some other sugges- 7201 North Loop, El Paso, Texas 79915
tions for finding ways to help El Paso’s 915-778-0046
www.casasporcristo.org
sister city:
• Many churches in El Paso have ongo-
Youth With A Mission El Paso-Juárez
ing relationships with Juárez ministries 4444 Edgar Park, El Paso, TX 79904
and charities. Check with the pastor, 915-757-3387
staff person or volunteers involved to www.ywamepj.org
find out about opportunities to donate
money, supplies or volunteer services. Ysleta Lutheran Mission
Many local service organizations, such 301 S. Schutz Dr., El Paso, TX 79907
as Rotary, Sertoma, etc., also have con- 915-858-2588
tinuing programs to help people in www.ylm.org
Juárez.
• Charitable foundations such as JEM Ministries
FEMAP, El Paso Community P.O. Box 17447, El Paso, TX 79917
Foundation, Paso del Norte Health Physical address:
Foundation and others support charities 813 Los Lagos Way, El Paso, TX 79907
in Juárez, and tax-deductible gifts can be 915-593-7612
www.jemministriesep.org
channeled through them. El Paso
Community Foundation even has a
Fountaingate Children’s Home Inc.
“Spirit of Giving” catalogue that can be P.O. Box 643, Alamogordo, NM 88311
downloaded online at www.epcf.org. 575-437-9375
• One of the best overviews of the situa- www.fountaingatehome.org
tion in Juárez and how people can show
their support for the poor there is FEMAP Foundation
“¡Courage, Mexico …,” an initiative by 1400 Hardaway, Ste. 210,
the Center for Action and Contemplation El Paso, TX 79903
in Albuquerque. Their Web site, 915-544-4151
www.cacradicalgrace.org/Juarez, offers www.femap.org
news articles, links to other organiza-
tions, action plans and other resources to Frontera Women’s Foundation
encourage solidarity with Juárez. 501 N. Kansas, Ste 203,
• Centro para el Fortalecimiento Social El Paso, TX 79901
A.C. in Juárez has a membership of 915-532-1098
www.fronterawomensfoundation.org 
more than 70 social-service organiza-
tions and charities. Go to
Centro Santa Catalina
www.cfosc.org.mx for more information
1207 Alabama St., El Paso, TX 79930
(this Web site is all Spanish language). 915-564-9003
• Several Juárez charities provide www.womenofhope.homestead.com
English-language Web sites, including
Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa, A.C. Project Puente
(www.mujeresdejuarez.org) and Casa 1009 N. Florence St., El Paso, TX 79902
Amiga Centro de Crisis, A.C. 915-351-9205
(www.casa-amiga.org). www.projectpuente.org
" # %& ! " # !% %
% %& " %& $
%&
December 2009
 M
y first allowance was $1 a
week, nearly 50 years ago. I
recall that this princely amount
was enough to go to the Saturday mati-
nee movie, buy a bag of popcorn and get
the latest Superman comic book, with
plenty of change left over.
One dime was reserved for my Sunday
School offering envelope, which I recall
was my parents’ idea. In fact, I even
signed a church pledge card, and the
church once sent me a note letting me
know I was in arrears! Apparently I did
not realize that my dime tithe was due
even when we were out of town on
vacation.
I may have also kicked in a dime once
a year for the March of Dimes campaign
(that really is how it got its name). That
pretty much formed my early views of
giving: One should give to the church
and occasionally make a donation to
some charity.
As an adult, and more importantly as
someone trying to figure out how to fol-
low what Jesus taught, how I give
money becomes more complicated.
Giving is more complicated now
because everything we do with money is
a matter of faith. We’re just as account-
able for the money we spend on our-
selves or how we invest it as we are for
the money we give away. In fact, every-
thing we say that we own is really just
something we manage. The moment we
start calling it our own is the moment
we drift away from God.
Giving is also more complicated
because I no longer believe it’s enough
just to hand over money to someone else
and hope it is well spent.
There’s a lot I could say about church
giving, but I’ll save that for another day.
Here are some basic truths about
Christian giving in general.
First of all, it’s not unspiritual to talk
about money and possessions — Jesus
addressed that topic about 15 percent of
the time he’s quoted in the gospels.
Secondly, Jesus did not expect us to be
stupid about money. He praised the ser-
vants who wisely invested their master’s
money, and condemned the one who
mismanaged it (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke
19:12-28).
December 2009
Third, Jesus made it clear that those
who have should share with those who
don’t. Recall the parable (Luke 16:19-
31) about the rich man who refused to
give poor Lazarus the crumbs from his
table.
Living in El Paso, these lessons hit
close to home. We are surrounded by
need. Some of our neighborhoods rank
as the poorest in the country. Even many
of those needs are overshadowed by the
needs in Juárez, whose cardboard-walled
homes and sprawling colonias confront
us as we drive along the Border
Highway or I-10.
Sadly, many of the organizations that
have tried to make a difference among
the poor in Juárez are now shorthanded
because of volunteers’ reluctance to
cross the border due the rampant cartel
violence. In many cases, that means
these organizations have fewer funds to
work with as well.
The people who have been served by
these programs now feel abandoned
because few, if any, volunteers visit
from across the Rio Grande. Poverty in
Juárez has never been worse, and it’s
compounded by violence and an overall
breakdown in civil order.
That’s why the Scene devoted this
month’s feature story to this situation,
and is encouraging readers to consider
making contributions to Juárez-related
charities part of this season’s giving.
Giving is one way that we can show the
people of Juárez that we care about them
and we are not unaware of their desper-
ate troubles.
Randy Limbird is editor and
publisher of El Paso Scene. Comments?
Send them to randy@epscene.com
40,000 copies each month
El Paso’s Best Advertising Value!
Call 920-7244 for information
or go to
www.epscene.com/adrates.html
El Paso Scene
Page 35
Rio Bosque Wetlands Park — UTEP’s
Center for Environmental Resource
Management offers free guided walking tours
and other activities at Rio Bosque Wetlands
Park in El Paso’s Mission Valley. Tours last about
two hours. Information: 747-8663 or rio-
bosque.org. Upcoming events:
• Bird Tour, 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5.
• Introductory Tour, 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13.
Meeting place is a bridge crossing Riverside
Canal. Take Americas Ave. (Loop 375) to Pan
American Drive, turn left and travel 1.5 miles.
Tree Hunt at Davis Mountain Preserve
— The preserve near Fort Davis, Texas will be
open for people to cut their own Christmas
trees 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 and
12, hosted by the Nature Conservancy.
Participants can select a tree along the Madera
Creek watershed where Pinon Pine and
Alligator Junipers are common. Bring handsaw,
gloves and tie-down rope. Check in at the pre-
serve’s McIvor Conservation Center before the
hunt. No charge; membership in Nature
Conservancy not required. Information:
Crawford Marginot, (432) 426-2390.
This annual holiday event helps The Nature
Conservancy with its continuing efforts to con-
serve the Madera Creek watershed by reducing
the competition among trees.
The 32,000-acre preserve is on Hwy 118
about 24 miles northwest of Fort Davis.
El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society
— The Society’s annual Holiday Party is 7 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 14, at EPCC’s Rio Grande cam-
pus. Winners of the annual photo contest will
be announced. Information: 526-7725 or trans-
pecos-audubon.org.
Each person is allowed one photo in each cat-
egory: birds; wildlife other than birds; scenic
shots; kids and pets and humorous photos.
Email jpeg-formatted photos to wild-birder-
bob@sbcglobal.net, or call 751-0125 to arrange
for pick-up of printed photos or slides.
Mesilla Valley Christmas Bird Count —
The Mesilla Valley Audubon Society will host a
program for its annual Christmas Bird Count at
7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16, at The Village at
Northrise, Hallmark Bldg, 2882 N Roadrunner
Pkwy in Las Cruces. Society president David
Griffin, Las Cruces Christmas Bird Count com-
piler, will explain the history and methods of
the count, go through a collection of bird pho-
tos of likely species, organize CBC teams, dis-
Page 36
tribute maps, bird lists and prepare for the
count. Admission is free. Information: (575)
382-2080 or mvaudubon.org.
The 110th Count is Saturday, Dec. 19.
Everyone is welcome to participate.
El Paso Zoo Adventure Programs — El
Paso Zoo, 4001 E. Paisano, hosts a series of
educational programs for various age groups
from toddler to adult, ranging from environ-
mental issues to animal encounters.
Reservations required for most programs.
Information: 532-8156, 521-1850. Online regis-
tration available at elpasozoo.org.
Holiday Camp is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday,
Dec. 21, for ages 8-12 (includes holiday crafts
and ornament-making), and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 27, for ages 13-16 (includes con-
servation projects and learning about the zoo’s
animals). Cost to be announced.
The program also offers several “on demand”
group events that may be arranged with
advance notice, including “Behind the Scenes
Elephant Encounter,” “Asia Sleepover
Adventure,” “Night Prowl” and “Super Deluxe
Elephant Experience.” Call for details.
El Paso Zoo — 4001 E. Paisano. Zoo sum-
mer entrance hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
daily. Zoo admission is $10 for ages 13 to 61;
$7.50 for ages 62 and older and active duty mil-
itary (including spouse) with ID; $6 ages 3 to
12; and free for ages 2 and under. Zoo mem-
bers admitted free. Closed Christmas and New
Year’s Day. Information: 532-8156, 521-1850
or elpasozoo.org.
Saturday and Sunday shows include Animal
Encounter presentations at 11:15 a.m.; Sun
Bear Enrichment talk at 12:30 p.m. and Take
Action! events in the Paraje Learning Center at
1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
Live educational shows and feedings are pre-
sented at the El Paso Electric Sea Lion Exhibit
at 10:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Saturday and
Sunday. Presentations are free; visitors are
encouraged to find a seat early. Elephant train-
ing program demonstration is at noon.
The zoo displays more than 700 animals.
Several endangered cat species are featured at
El Paso Scene
the zoo, including Amur leopards and tigers as
well as two aquariums featuring butterfly fish,
hawk fish and eels.
Keystone Heritage Park and El Paso
Desert Botanical Garden — 4200
Doniphan (across from Frontera). Hours are 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays year
round. Admission: $2 ($1 children, seniors and
military). Information: 584-0563, key-
stonepark.org or elpasobotanicalgardens.org.
The park’s 2-acre Botanical Garden, funded
by the Rotary Club of El Paso and the Junior
League, features native plants, amphitheater,
butterfly garden, wedding garden, children’s
maze, and a new Butterfly House.
Keystone Heritage Park has 189 species of
migratory and local birds, and a 4,500-year-old
archaeological site.
The site is open for bird watching 7 to 10
a.m. Saturday and 2:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec.
26-27. Thousands of birds flock to the area to
roost overnight. Bring binoculars. Admission is
free.
Cut down your own Christmas tree —
Permits are available for people to cut down
their own Christmas tree in the Lincoln and
Gila National Forests in New Mexico through
Dec. 24. Limit is one tree — up to 10 feet in
height — per household, and the permit
includes a map of areas where cutting is
allowed.
Permits available to purchase for $5 per
household; special permits available for trees
over 10 feet.
Forest officials advise people to check weath-
er and road conditions before entering the for-
est. Tree-cutters should dress appropriately,
take a vehicle suitable for the area and leave
information at home where they are going.
Maps of tree-cutting areas available at each
ranger station.
Mail-in permit applications are available in El
Paso at the Chamber of Commerce, Chamizal
National Memorial, and most southern New
Mexico communities, and many other locations.
Lincoln National Forest
All offices open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. week-
days.
• Alamogordo (main office), 3463 Las Palomas,
(575) 434-7200.
• Cloudcroft, Hwy 82 and Curlew, (575) 682-
2551.
• Ruidoso, 901 Mechem, (575) 257-4095.
Gila National Forest
All offices are open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. week-
days.
• Silver City, 3005 E. Camino del Bosque
(behind Wal-Mart) (575) 538-2771.
• Mimbres Ranger Station, NM Hwy 35, (575)
536-2250.
• Black Range, 1804 Date St., Truth or
Consequences, (575) 894-6677.
Permits can also be obtained by mail; send $5
plus the name of the head of household.
El Paso Ridge Walkers — The hiking club
offers hikes every weekend, choosing from two
dozen hikes around the region, including hikes
in the Franklin and Organ Mountains,
Guadalupe Mountains, as well as flatter hikes
along the Rio Grande and Stahmann’s Pecan
Orchard. Day trips range from White Sands to
Albuquerque. Hikes range from 6 to 10 miles.
Information: Charlie Topp, 755-7789 or elpa-
soridgewalkers.com.
Sierra Club hikes — The El Paso Regional
Group of the Sierra Club offers field trips
almost every weekend; open to non-members.
Most outings have a limit of 12 persons. The
club encourages donations of at least $2 or $3
per person per event to help with publicity and
administrative expenses. Web: texas.sierra-
club.org/elpaso/.
The general meeting is at 7:30 p.m. on the
last Wednesday of every month at the
Centennial Museum, University and Wiggins,
UTEP. For program or schedule changes, call
594-7342.
El Paso Astronomy Club — The club
meets 7 to 9 p.m. the third Friday of every
month at EPISD’s Gene Roddenberry
Planetarium, 6531 Boeing. Meetings include
guest speakers and workshops to aid beginners
in the use of telescopes and identifying objects
in the night sky. Everyone is welcome.
Admission is free. Information: 779-4317 or
elpasoastronomy.org.
Mesilla Valley Bosque Park — 5000 Calle
del Norte in Mesilla. Guided Bird tours are 7:15
to 8:45 a.m. the first Saturday of every month,
December 2009
Nature • Rockhound State Park, five miles south of Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State ters building includes exhibits on minerals, his-
Deming on State Road 11 and then east on Park — Carlsbad, N.M. Admission: $5 ($3 tory, archaeology and other subjects.
Cont’d from Page 36 Rockhound Road (State Road 141) for nine ages 7-12; free for 6 and under). Hours: 9 a.m.
miles. Day use hours: 7:30 a.m. to sunset.
Chihuahuan Desert Resource Institute
to 5 p.m. daily (last entry at 3:30 p.m.).
trail by 5 p.m. Visitor center is open 8 a.m. to — The CDRI center and botanical gardens are
Information: (575) 546-6182 or (575) 744- Information: (575) 887-5516.
4:30 p.m. four miles south of Fort Davis on Hwy 118.
5998. To get there: Take U.S. 285 north of Carlsbad;
Tours offered at noon. Early arrival requested Admission: $5 ($4 seniors 65 and older; free
A Holiday Lights event is 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, follow signs to the park.
(allow 20 to 30 minutes to hike to dwellings children 12 and younger, members).
Dec. 12, featuring more than 1,000 luminarias A Holiday Bells handbells performance is 2 to
where tour begins). Information: (432) 364-2499 or cdri.org.
along the park trail. Visitors can enjoy coffee, 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, in the Visitors Center.
Fort Davis & Balmorhea Christmas Bird
Carlsbad Caverns National Park — The hot cocoa, Mexican cookies, caroling and more. Holidays with the Animals is 1 to 3 p.m.
Counts are Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19-20.
park is about 160 miles east of El Paso, off the Admission is free. Saturday, Dec. 12, featuring holiday card-mak-
Pre-registration required. Cost: $5 per persons
Carlsbad Highway (U.S. 62-180). Information: ing and other activities. A collection of new
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park — over age 18.
(575) 785-2232 or nps.gov/cave. books, toys or non-perishable food items for
The park, part of Asombro Institute for Science
Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; tours avail-
Education, is northeast of Las Cruces, off
local charities will be taken. Alameda Park Zoo — Alameda Park, 1321
able 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Last entry into cave While most zoos feature exotic animals from North White Sands Blvd. (U.S. 54/70),
Jornada Road. Admission is free; donation box
via natural entrance is 2 p.m. with last entry faraway countries, Living Desert offers visitors Alamogordo. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
at trailhead. Park hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
into cave via elevator 3:30 p.m. an up-close look at the mammals, reptiles and Admission: $2.50 ($1.50 ages 3-11 and 60 and
Tuesday through Saturday. Information: (575)
Plan 3-1/2 hours for a walk-in tour and 1-1/2 birds that inhabit the Chihuahuan Desert. older; free for ages 2 and younger). Annual
524-3334 or asombro.org.
hours for Big Room tour. Cost is $6 ($3 for A large greenhouse devoted to succulents and memberships available. Information: (575) 439-
To get there: Take I-25 in Las Cruces and
ages 6-15 or seniors with discount card). The cactus from around the world. The headquar- 4290.
head east on U.S. 70. Take the Mesa Grande
park’s audio self-guided tour is $3 extra (also
Road exit (at Oñate High School). Make a U-
available in Spanish).
turn under the highway to head west, and stay
For an extra fee ($8 adults, $4 youth and sen-
in the right lane. Turn right (north) on Jornada
iors with card), visitors can go on a ranger-guid-
Road. Follow Jornada Road for 6.5 miles and
ed tour of the King’s Palace, Papoose Room,
turn left at the park sign. Follow the entrance
Queen’s Chamber and Green Lake Room;
road to the parking area and trailhead.
reservations are required.
Guided tours also are available for Slaughter Dripping Springs Natural Area — The
Canyon Cave, an undeveloped cave 23 miles recreational area is at the base of the Organ
from the main cavern. Call for reservations. Mountains at the end of Dripping Springs Road
Cost is $15 ($7.50 ages 6-15, seniors with (the eastern extension of University Avenue),
card). The 1-1/4-mile tour lasts about 2-1/2 about 10 miles east of Las Cruces. The area,
hours. Flashlight with fresh batteries required. run by the federal Bureau of Land Management
Wear good walking shoes and bring water. in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy,
Other special guided tours are available, includes the A.B. Cox Visitors’ Center, hiking
including “Wild Cave Tours.” trails, and La Cueva Picnic Area. The visitor
center is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Access to
Guadalupe Mountains National Park the main trail to Dripping Springs is 8 a.m. to 3
— 110 miles east of El Paso on the way to
p.m. The park closes at 5 p.m. Admission is $3
Carlsbad, the 86,416-acre park includes the
per vehicle. No pets allowed (except for assis-
highest point in Texas: Guadalupe Peak, 8,749
tance animals). Information: (575) 522-1219.
feet. Entry fee: $5 for ages 16 and older, good
for one week and all trails. Camping is $8 per
site per night. Information: (915) 828-3251.
The park’s headquarters, visitors’ center and
museum are at Pine Springs, off of U.S. 62-180.
Camping for tents and RVs, a nature trail, and
ruins of the Butterfield Overland Mail Station
are nearby. McKittrick Canyon Visitors’ Center
is seven miles east of Pine Springs, and offers
nature, canyon and geology trails. Winter hours
are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
On the north side of the park, accessible by a
110-mile drive around Carlsbad Caverns, is
Dog Canyon Visitor Center and Campground.
One of the best examples of a Permian Period
fossil reef, the national park offers camping and
more than 80 miles of trails. Hikes range from
easy, wheelchair-accessible nature trails to
moderate (level, but rocky) canyon hikes to
strenuous mountain hikes.
New Mexico State Parks — Day-use fee
is $5 when visiting any state park. Camping
fees: $8 for primitive site; $10 for developed
site (electrical hookup $4 extra). All programs
are free with park entrance, unless otherwise
listed. Information: (575) 744-5998 or
nmparks.com.
• Mesilla Valley Bosque Park — 5000 Calle del
Norte, Mesilla. Guided bird tours are 7:15 to
8:45 a.m. the first Saturday of every month,
hosted by Mesilla Valley Audubon Society’s
Nancy Stotz. Information: (575) 523-4398.
• City of Rocks State Park, north of Deming off
U.S. 180. Information: (575) 536-2800. A
“Rattlesnake Myths” presentation is 3 to 4 p.m.
every Saturday.
• Oliver Lee State Park, Highway 54 south of
Alamogordo at the Dog Canyon turnoff.
Information: (575) 437-8284.
A viewing of Jupiter, Mercury and the moon at
sunset is 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at
the Group Shelter.

December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 37

 Centennial Museum — University at
Wiggins, UTEP. Changing exhibits are on the
second floor, Lea and Discovery Galleries.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through
Saturday. Admission is free. Information: 747-
5565 or utep.edu/museum.
Showing through Dec. 12: “Picturing
Grassroots Development,” an exhibit in cele-
bration of the Inter-American Foundation’s 40th
Anniversary. The Foundation, an independent
U.S. agency, has been working to promote self-
help development in Latin America and the
Caribbean since 1969. Its president is
Ambassador Larry Palmer, who served 1989 to
1991 as assistant to UTEP president Dr. Diana
Natalicio under the Pearson Fellow program.
During that time Palmer worked to create
exchange opportunities for UTEP students
throughout Mexico. The exhibit photographs
highlight IAF’s work throughout the hemisphere
over the past four decades. Following its inau-
& " $ %( guration at UTEP the exhibit will travel to
other venues in the Americas. An abridged ver-
sion of the exhibit also will be shown at the
$ & Library of Congress.
Showing through Jan. 15: “From Above:
Images of a Storied Land,” aerial photography
of desert sites in the U.S. southwest and north-
$ " ern Mexico. The exhibition, created by the
Center for Desert Archaeology in collaboration
" ( # with the Albuquerque Museum of Art and
History, features 28 large-format aerial photo-
"$ #$ "( graphs by Adriel Heisey.
Dr. William Doelle, President and CEO of the
Center for Desert Archaeology, will lecture on
! #
“Archaeology with Altitude: How Research and
" %# "( -7) Preservation in Southwestern Archaeology
$ " $ %# % "$ Benefit When Viewed ‘From Above’” at 3 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 12. The demographic collapse
438)3) of the southern Southwest occurred between
!" $# " -7) 1300 and 1450 and has defied explanation.
Doelle worked closely with photographer
$% ! > # -7) Heisey. The role of Heisey’s photography to
promote both research and preservation will
& ' be discussed, as well as a preview of a new col-
# $ " 1, -7011) !1)=) laboration with Heisey, a re-photography of key
images produced by Charles and Anne
# #$ " )03 )7 69+-7 Lindbergh as they flew over the Southwest in
% $ "( July 1929. Admission is free.
)03 )7 69+-7
El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study
# $ "90,474 Center — 715 N. Oregon. Hours are 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 1 to 5 p.m.
$ #!" # $" ! #$ $ 46
Saturday and Sunday. Closed Monday.
" ( &># $# )660=4= Admission is free. Information: 351-0048 or
elpasoholocaustmuseum.org.
# " " #$ " 0117*464
The El Paso museum depicts Jewish life in
!" %# % 03.7843 Europe before World War II, Hitler’s rise to
power, the expulsion of Jews into ghettoes, life
& $" ! #$ 1-3;44,
in concentration camps, prisoner resistance to
! # $ # %# % !0347 1847 the Nazis and liberation of the camps. Also fea-
tured is a local survivors exhibit. Docents avail-
> ># # #01:-6 08<
able for guided tours.
$ "!" # # 4.41143 El Paso Museum of Archaeology —
"
( #$%
4301 Transmountain in Northeast El Paso (west
of U.S. 54). Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday
246< ", through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Admission is free. Information: 755-4332.
1 !)74 $' Showing through Feb. 14, 2010: “Rarámuri:
!/ The Foot Runners of the Sierra Madre,” pho-
tography by Diana Molina. The exhibit includes
*6):456-77 7*+.14*)1 3-8
25 ilfochrome color prints, as well as 25
Rarámuri hand-crafted artifacts. Molina cap-
www.epscene.com tures the contemporary life of the Rarámuri of
the Sierra Madre in the steep mountain terrain
weekly event digests • future month events • & much more! where they live lightly on the land in contrast to
Page 38 El Paso Scene
the outside world that intrudes with roads and
extraction of resources. For more than a
decade she has documented the Sierra Madre
and its people, and her photographs provide a
view of their life from child rearing and sports
to community social life, ceremonies, and
indigenous as well as Christian beliefs.
Molina, a native El Pasoan, has produced
exhibits at The World Museum of Art in
Rotterdam, the Art Museum of the Americas in
Washington D.C., and The Houston Museum of
Natural Science among other locations. Her
focus is on depicting man and his environment,
creating sociological portrayals that illustrate
geographic as well as ideological borderlands.
Molina will host the illustrated presentation
“Rarámuri: The Foot Runners of the Sierra
Madre” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6. In a personal
narrative complemented by photographs taken
on her many journeys to the Sierra, Molina will
recount some of her experiences, provide a
contemporary portrayal of the exceptional
Rarámuri culture and highlight the amazing
expanse of the canyon environment. Reception
and refreshments follow.
A zip tour of the exhibit is 2 p.m. Saturday,
Jan. 30.
The museum tells the 12,000-year-old story
of prehistoric human habitation in the region,
with five dioramas and exhibits of tools, pot-
tery, rock art and other materials.
A nature trail takes visitors through 17 acres
of Chihuahuan Desert with 200 varieties of
desert plants. The trail also offers a local pit-
house, pueblo ruin and an Apache brush hut.
The park also has picnic tables and a gazebo.
El Paso Museum of Art — One Arts
Festival Plaza, downtown El Paso. For exhibit
information, see “Southwest Art Scene.”
El Paso Museum of History — 510 N.
Santa Fe. Hours (including gift shop) are 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, noon
to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Mondays. Admission
is free, except as listed. Information: 351-3588
or elpasotexas.gov/history.
Joe Nick Patoski presents “Stevie Ray
Vaughan: The Last of the Great Texas
Bluesman” as the final lecture of the museum’s
Texas Music History Lecture Series 5 to 8 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 3. Admission: $4 members, $8
nonmembers. Seating is limited. Anyone who
buys a museum membership that night gets in
free. RSVP: 351-3588.
The museum will honor Texas Western’s
NCAA 1966 Basketball Champions and unveil
its “Wall of Giants” at a “members only” recep-
tion 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, in anticipa-
tion of the “Awakening Our Giants and
Celebrating Our Firsts,” showing through May
2010. UTEP Coach Don Haskins and the 1966
championship basketball team will be the first
among many Giants recognized. Mary Haskins,
players Togo Railey, Willie Cager and former
Sports Information Director Eddie Mullens will
be present. Anyone joining the museum by
Dec. 1 will receive an invitation to the event.
Membership forms can be downloaded at elpa-
sotexas.gov/history.
Now showing is “Casas Grandes, Casas
Chicas: Cottage Industries of Paquimé and Mata
Ortíz.” Casas Grandes is a archaeological site in
Northern Mexico, and Mata Ortiz is a modern
Please see Page 39
December 2009

Museums
Cont’d from Page 38
community in the same region. The exhibit
includes more than 50 examples of prehistoric
Casas Grandes pottery, modern attempts to
copy this pottery, and the distinctive style
developed in Mata Ortiz. Other cottage indus-
tries represented are stone work and jewelry.
Photographs by Marc Thompson, recently
retired director of El Paso Museum of
Archaeology, are featured.
A Mata Ortiz Hands on Pottery Workshop is
2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, with Mayté Luján
and potter Lorenzo Elías Peña. Learn how the
potters of Mata Ortiz produce their pottery
and then make one to take home. Cost: $10
($5 museum members). Reservations required,
space is limited.
Showing Dec. 5-31: “Queens in the Sun: A
Century of El Paso Winter Royalty.” The first
Midwinter Carnival was held in 1901, the
ancestor of today’s Sun Bowl. From the begin-
ning, queens were associated with these cele-
brations. The exhibition displays queens’
gowns, souvenirs, photographs, scrapbooks,
programs, and the Os-aple (“El Paso” spelled
backwards) crown.
Showing through Jan. 10 “El Paso Aviation,”
presented in cooperation with El Paso
International Airport.
Insights El Paso Science Museum —
505 N. Santa Fe. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m.
Sunday. Admission: $6 ($5 seniors, students and
military; $4 ages 4-11). Information: 534-0000
or insightselpaso.org.
Currently on exhibit: “Giant Worlds.” The
National Science Foundation and NASA has
provided major funding to the Space Science
Institute for the traveling exhibition about
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
LYNX Exhibits — The exhibit space is at
300 W. San Antonio (just south of Convention
Center). Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday,
Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday and Friday and noon to 6 p.m.
Sunday. Closed Monday. Last admission is one
hour before closing time.
Tickets for “The World of Giant Bugs” are
$10 for adults; $8 seniors, military and students
with ID; and $6 ages 4 to 11. Children 3 and
younger are free. Information: 533-4330 or
lynxexhibits.com.
A reptile and tortoise live display is 1 to 4
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, featuring a giant boa,
tortoises and other reptiles. Free with regular
admission. Visitors who bring an unwrapped
toy benefiting the homeless children housed at
YWCA’s Transitional Living Center receive $2
off admission.
Visitors can meet with Santa 1 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5, 12 and 19. Santa will be
lounging among the giant robotic insects and
have “buggy treats” for the visitors. Persons
who bring a new, unwrapped toy or child’s
jacket will receive $1 off regular admission.
Showing through Jan. 3: “The World of
Giant Bugs.” The exhibit of bigger-than-life
insects includes interactive displays, hands-on
activities, Bug Portrait Gallery and a live Insect
Zoo. Among the displays in the exhibit are:
• A praying mantis, 19 feet long, that demon-
strates the threatening behavior that causes its
prey to freeze;
• A 13-foot-long locust spreading its wings;
• A giant walking stick, over 21 feet long, dis-
playing its protective camouflage;
• Two rhinoceros beetles fighting, each 11 feet
long;
• A 15-foot caterpillar; and
December 2009
• Three giant insect heads’ mouthpieces, oper-
ated with a push of a button and allowing visi-
tors to see how they eat.
Opening Jan. 30: 2010: “Extreme Deep:
Mission to the Abyss,” featuring hands-on
exhibits on the technology necessary for deep-
sea exploration. The exhibit also depicts the
mysteries of the ocean’s greatest depths.
Magoffin Home State Historic Site —
1120 Magoffin. The adobe home, built around
1875 by Joseph Magoffin, is a prime example of
territorial style architecture. The site explores
the stories of the prominent El Paso pioneer
family, with authentic art and furnishings that
reflect the daily lives of that era.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through
Sunday. Tours on the hour; last tour at 4 p.m.
Cost: $3 (12 and under free). Group tours
available with advance registration. Information:
533-5147 or visitmagoffinhome.org.
The annual Holiday Open House is 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6. Enjoy
the holiday decorations, refreshments, piñatas
and other activities amid the authentic art and
furnishings of this historic home. Music will be
provided by local school choirs.
“Spirit Tours” are offered by Casa Magoffin
Compañeros at 10 a.m. the second Saturday of
every month. Cost: $5. Reservations required.
Museo Mayachen - Historical exhibits are
displayed inside of Mercado Mayapan, 2101
Myrtle. Currently on exhibit: “Women Workers
in the early years of the Textile Industry.”
Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Information: 532-6205 or
mercadomayapan.org.
National Border Patrol Museum and
Memorial Library — 4315 Transmountain
Drive. The museum, in Northeast El Paso just
west of U.S. 54, features the history of the
Border Patrol with uniforms, equipment, pho-
tographs, guns, motor vehicles, airplanes, boats
and other items, including hands-on exhibits for
kids. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through
Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday and major
holidays. Admission is free. Information: 759-
“TGIFF”in Silver City
6060 or borderpatrolmuseum.com.
(Thank God It’s First Friday)
Railroad and Transportation Museum
of El Paso — More than 100 years of El Paso
railroad history are on display at Union Depot
Transit Terminal, 400 W. San Antonio, at
Durango. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday
through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and
1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.
Information: 422-3420 or elpasorails.com.
War Eagles Air Museum — 8012 Airport
Road, Doña Ana County Airport, Santa Teresa.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through
Sunday. Admission: $5; $4 senior citizens and
military; free for children under 12.
Information: (575) 589-2000 or war-eagles-air-
museum.com.
Las Cruces area
On the first Friday of each month starting Dec. 4th the Fine Restaurants,
Chamizal galleries - Chamizal National
Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial. Hours are 10
Unique Shops and the Famous Red Dot Galleries in Historic Downtown
a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Silver City will be open late for your shopping convenience.
Admission is free. Information: 532-7273 or
Stay over night at downtown lodging.
nps.gov/cham.
Showing through Dec. 19 in Los Paisanos On Dec. 12th, the Downtown Annual Holiday Celebration
Gallery: Carlos Vigueras Casasola’s photo-
graphic exhibition “Mexican Revolution 1910- will feature Sidewalk Sales and Special Christmas Events.
2010: One Hundred years of Reality.” Casasola
is a descendent of the Casasola dynasty that JOIN THE HOLIDAY FUN!
includes Agustin Victor Casasola, Gustavo Less than 3 hours from El Paso.
Casasola Zapata, and Federico Casasola. The
Casasola family tradition of Paid for by the For info call
Town of Silver City
www.silvercitymainstreet.com Lodger’s Tax 1-800-548-9378
Please see Page 40
El Paso Scene
Page 39
 Museums
Cont’d from Page 39
graphic media began with Agustin’s photo-
graphic agency (1912) that provided graphic
information to newspapers in Mexico and other
countries. His son Gustavo is credited with
recording an extensive photographic history of
Mexico’s turbulent era of the Mexican
Revolution. Federico Casasola has preserved
the family’s legacy through the founding of the
Casasola Museum in Old Mesilla.
Las Cruces Museum of Natural
History — Mesilla Valley Mall, Las Cruces
(take Lohman exit east from I-25). Hours: 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and
Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays; 1 to 5
p.m. Sundays. All events are free. Information:
(575) 522-3120 or las-cruces.org.
Showing through Jan. 10: “Let’s Get Active.”
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s
newest small exhibit features hands-on interac-
tives concerning fitness that appeal to children
and their families. Text panels in English and
Spanish.
Sky Safari is 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at La
Llorona Park, W. Picacho at River Levee Rd.
Las Cruces Railroad Museum — The
museum is in the Santa Fe train depot, 351 N.
Mesilla, (at Las Cruces avenue west of the
Downtown Mall). Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday. Admission is free;
donations encouraged. Information: (575) 647-
4480 or museums.las-
cruces.org//rrmuseum.shtm.
The 5th annual Old Fashioned Holiday Display
is 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. Visitors can view
the model trains, holiday decorations, and com-
plete a craft project. Light refreshments served.
Santa arrives at 5 p.m. on a holiday-decorated
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad diesel
engine, and will be available for photos on the
observation deck until 8 p.m. Holiday music
provided by Vista Vibrations Bell Choir at
5:15pm and Central Elementary School Choir
at 6:15 p.m.
Holiday lights at the museum will be lit nightly
from Dec. 4-Jan. 3 in conjunction with the
City of Las Cruces Winterfest activities.
An ornament-making class for ages 7-12 is 1
to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. Children will
make a picture frame ornament, complete with
a photo of themselves, while they watch “The
Polar Express” and enjoy a light snack. Class
size is limited; registration is required. Cost: $5
per child. Information/RSVP: Joanne, 647-4480.
NM Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
— 4100 Dripping Springs, Las Cruces. Hours
are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday,
noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $5 ($3 sen-
iors 60 and older, $2 for children 5-17; free for
age 4 and under). Information: (575) 522-4100
or nmfarmandranchmuseum.org.
Stories of Christmas Past: A Living History
Evening is 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, in the
Museum’s theater with a series of living history
performances that focus on New Mexico’s
Christmas traditions. Admission: $2 suggested
donation.
Showing Dec. 3-Sept. 10, 2010: “Colcha:
Embroidered Connections,” Colcha is an
embroidery method traced back to the 1700s
in New Mexico. Opening reception is 6 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 3. Refreshments offered.
Showing through Dec. 6: “The
Art of Cultivation,” agriculture and Mesilla
Valley-themed works by members of the
Border Artists.
Showing through Jan. 18 in the Legacy
Gallery: “Bracero Memories,” an exhibit about
the temporary contract labor program
Page 40 El Paso Scene
between the United States and Mexico initiated
in 1942. The agricultural portion of the pro-
gram continued until 1964.
Showing through July 18, 2010: “Building
for the Future: Rural Schoolhouses of New
Mexico: 1880-1965.”
Classes and workshops (pre-registration
required):
• Harvest Cooking Class is 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday,
Dec. 1, with chef Carol Koenig. Cost: $35.
• A Handcrafted Holiday workshop is for chil-
dren 4 and older accompanied by a parent is 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12. Cost: $25 for
two family members, plus $5 each for addition-
al family members. Craft materials provided.
Participants need to bring a lunch.
White Sands Missile Range Museum
and Missile Park — Exhibits feature the his-
tory of the Trinity Site (site of the first atomic
bomb test), the V-2 rocket, ranchers on the
range and missile optics. An outdoor Missile
Park displays rockets and missiles tested on the
range. Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through
Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and
Sunday. Closed on federal holidays. Free admis-
sion.
To get there: take U.S. 54, and after the free-
way ends, keep going north on Martin Luther
King, which leads directly to the range. Or
enter from the north off U.S. 70 east of Las
Cruces. Visitors must provide a current license,
car registration and proof of insurance.
Information: (575) 678-8824 (local call) or
wsmr-history.org.
Also
Hubbard Museum of the American
West — 841 U.S. Hwy 70 West, next to
Ruidoso Downs (N.M.) Race Track. Hours: 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Admission: $6 ($5 for
seniors, military; $2 children 6-16; free for chil-
dren 5 and younger). Information: (575) 378-
4142 or hubbardmuseum.org.
Showing through December: 2009 Fall
American Photography exhibit.
New Mexico Museum of Space
History — The museum features the
International Space Hall of Fame and the
Tombaugh IMAX Dome Theater and
Planetarium, and is located on the northeast
side of Alamogordo off Indian Wells Blvd.
Currently showing: “Space Frontiers,” a look
at the heritage and future of space exploration
in New Mexico. Space center hours are 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Admission: $6 ($5 for seniors and
military, $4 ages 4-12, children 3 and younger
free). Information: (877) 333-6589, (575) 437-
2840 or nmspacemuseum.org.
See “Film Scene” for IMAX schedule.
Sacramento Mountains Historical
Museum — U.S. 82 across from the
Chamber of Commerce in Cloudcroft, N.M.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through
Tuesday and Friday and Saturday; and 1 to 4
p.m. Sunday. Closed Wednesday and Thursday.
Admission: $3 ($1 children). Information: (575)
682-2932 or smhsmuseumoffice@yahoo.com.
Silver City Museum — 312 W. Broadway,
Silver City. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday. Admission: $3.
Information: (575) 538-5921, 1-877-777-7947
(out of town), or silvercitymuseum.org.
Toy Train Depot — Alameda Park, 1991 N.
White Sands Blvd., Alamogordo. Hours are
noon to 4:40 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Admission: $4. Information: (575) 437-2855 or
toytraindepot.homestead.com.
The 1/5 scale train track offers rides around
Alameda Park 12:30 to 4 p.m. Cost: $4.
December 2009
Adair Margo Fine Art — Margo’s new
gallery is at 215 Stanton, Suite 602 (in The
Martin Building). Hours are 10 a.m. to noon
and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by
appointment. Information: 533-0048 or adair-
margo.com.
Showing through Dec. 31: New works by
painter/printmaker Suzi Davidoff and sculptural
jeweler Rachelle Thiewes. Davidoff and
Thiewes just returned to El Paso from a two-
month artist fellowship in Finland.
Davidoff will show monotypes (print made
from a metal or glass plate on which a picture
is painted in oil color, printing ink, or natural
dyes) created at Flatbed Press in Austin. The
prints reflect the artist’s ongoing exploration of
light, structure and pattern in the natural envi-
ronment.
Thiewes will show new bracelets and earrings
that explore rhythms, sound and light. Married
to guitarist Dan Lambert, Thiewes has long had
a strong interest in the structure, patterns and
organic qualities of music. Her pieces are also
influenced by the desert landscape of El Paso.
Adair Studio and Gallery — 5750 N.
Mesa (at the Summit). Gallery hours are 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays. Clarissa Adair is a gradu-
ate of the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver.
Information: 471-2271 or 587-8648.
The studio’s student art show is 6 to 9 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 4, featuring works by students
from the gallery’s classes and instructor Clarissa
Adair.
Painting classes for children and adults, and
drawing workshops offered (“Figure” and
“Drawing with your Artist Brain”).
Art and Framing Gallery — 6519-A N.
Mesa (in the Palm Court). Information: 833-
5250.
Art Junction of El Paso — The art service
of El Paso Art Association is at 500 W. Paisano,
Suite D upstairs (Downtown, at Durango).
Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through
Friday. Studio spaces are available to rent for
artists, as well as a photo lab. Also featured are
the Presidents Gallery for classes and the
upstairs Lobby Gallery featuring artwork by the
studio artists. Information: 534-7377 elpasoar-
tassociation.com.
Ballroom Marfa — 108 E. San Antonio
Street in Marfa. Information: (432) 729-3700 or
ballroommarfa.org. Showing through Dec. 13
in the gallery: “Two Face,” sculptures by Aaron
Curry of San Antonio and Thomas Houseago of
Leeds, England. The sculptures are monuments
for the 21st century, with contemporary pop
culture given gravitas by the presence of the
historical avant-garde.
‘Beauty on the Border III’ — An opening
reception is at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, at
The Percolator, 217 N. Stanton, for the photo
exhibit by local fashion photographer Harry
Assad. Assad and his Model Forms Agency have
photographed over 1,000 models over the past
25 years. Information: 351-1016.
Bissell Art Studio — The teaching art stu-
dio, featuring classes in watercolor and draw-
ing, is at 4601 Hondo Pass, Suite H (at Caby’s
Garden Center). Art classes are 10 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, or by
appointment. Information: 755-5260 or
w.m.bissell@worldnet.att.net.
A Christmas Art Show & Open House is 5-7
p.m. Friday, 4-7 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 4-6.
Border Art Biennial 2010 — El Paso
Museum of Art and Museo de Arte de Ciudad
Juarez are taking entries through Jan. 31 for
December 2009
the Border Art Biennial 2010 to be held Nov.
14, 2010-Feb. 13-2011. Each museum will
exhibit one of two artworks by every artist
selected. All works included will be reproduced
in the accompanying exhibition catalog.
Information/applications: 532-1707 or callforen-
try.org.
Jurors are Rita Gonzalez, Assistant Curator in
the Department of Contemporary Art at the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Itala
Schmelz, Director at the Museo de Arte
Carrillo Gil.
Candy Mayer Studio Open House — El
Paso artist Candy Mayer will host her 4th annu-
al open house at her home studio at 1317
Tierra Roja 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and
Sunday, Dec. 5-6. Visitors can view recent
works and works in progress, as well as pho-
tography by Mayer’s husband Charlie Mayer.
Prints, cards, and holiday gifts will be for sale
and refreshments available. New items include
a calendar with El Paso images and new mag-
nets and ceramic tiles. Information: 581-4971
or candymayer.com.
To get there: Take I-10 to Redd Exit. Take
Redd east to Resler, turn left at Franklin High
School, right at Tierra Taos, then left at Tierra
Roja.
Carmen Navar Art Studio — 6320
Falling Star. The studio gallery offers original
artwork, prints, note cards and crosses.
Artwork on commission; lay-a-way available.
Hours by appointment. Information: 833-4635.
Mixed media and drawing classes are 6:30 to
8:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 2 to 4 p.m. the first and
second Saturday of the month for ages 9 to
adult.
Chamizal Call for Artists — The
Chamizal National Memorial, 800 S. San
Marcial, invites regional artists and arts organi-
zations interested in displaying their work at
any of the Memorial’s two gallery spaces for
the 2010 calendar year. Proposals should be
made to the attention of Michael Groomer,
Chief of Interpretation, Education, and Arts,
and may be submitted in person or by mail to
FALL 2009 //
SNAGGED // Tom Leader Studio
LOVE WITHOUT CONTACT // Ruben Verdu
CELEBRITY: A PHOTOGRAPHIC LEGACY
FROM THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION // Andy Warhol
Open through December 12, 2009
All exhibitions and lectures sponsored in part by
Texas Commission on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts
The University of Texas at El Paso
http://rubincenter.utep.edu
Phone: 915 747-6151
Tom Leader Studio, Snaggged, steel and cotton, 2009
El Paso Scene
the park’s address. Deadline to submit propos-
als is Dec. 23. Information: Michael Groomer,
532-7273, ext. 124 or nps.gov/cham.
Chamizal galleries - Chamizal National
Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial. Hours are 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Admission is free. Information: 532-7273 or
nps.gov/cham.
Showing through Dec. 19 in Los Paisanos
Gallery: Carlos Vigueras Casasola’s photograph-
ic exhibition “Mexican Revolution 1910-2010:
One Hundred years of Reality.” Casasola is a
descendent of the Casasola dynasty that
includes Agustin Victor Casasola, Gustavo
Casasola Zapata, and Federico Casasola. The
Casasola family tradition of graphic media
began with Agustin’s photographic agency
(1912) that provided graphic information to
newspapers in Mexico and other countries. His
son Gustavo is credited with recording an
extensive photographic history of Mexico’s tur-
bulent era of
the Mexican Revolution. Federico Casasola has
preserved the family’s legacy through the
founding of the Casasola Museum in Old
Mesilla.
Chinati Foundation — Marfa, Texas.
Created by artist Donald Judd, the Chinati
Foundation houses one of the world’s largest
collections of permanently installed contempo-
rary art. The collection is open for guided tours
throughout the year at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Thursday through Sunday. Admission is $10 ($5
for students, seniors). Information: (915) 729-
4362. Call ahead for group tours.
The collection includes Dan Flavin’s untitled
Marfa project, a monumental work in colored
fluorescent light that occupies six buildings.
Community Exhibit Space — The city’s
“People’s Gallery” is on the first floor of El Paso
City Hall, Two Civic Center Plaza. Hours are 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Information: MCAD, 541-4481 or
elpasotexas.gov/mcad.
Showing Dec. 7-30: Alliance Française d’El
Paso host a photo exhibit by Félix Domecq and
Françoise Chadaillac, highlighting urban colors
and daily life in France. Opening reception is 5
to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9. RSVP by Dec.
5: 875-1696.
‘Desert Lights’ — The Alazan Artists, a
new group of impressionistic oil painters, will
host an exhibit, sale and reception for recent
works 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at Studio
del Sol , 5024 Doniphan, Suite 14A (in Placita
Santa Fe). Admission is free. Information: 526-
1367 or 584-4639.
The group meets weekly to paint together,
inspire each other and critique their paintings,
and represent varied backgrounds, training, and
education. Members include Beth Abbott,
Phyllis Davis, Lucius de Angelo, Margaret
Heath, Virginia Howell, Trish Lopez, Joan
McElroy, Carol Napier, Yvonne Postelle, Lois
Rayome, Anne Spier, Ilene Steele, Waynelle
Strachan, Nina Walker and Sandy Young.
‘Early Women Artists’ call for artwork
— The Hal Marcus Gallery seeks artwork by
Early El Paso Women Artists through Jan. 8
for the Feb. 25-April 30 exhibit. The gallery
seeks work by early El Paso women artists,
including long-time artists who are still alive. All
work submitted for consideration must be for
sale. Information: 533-9090.
El Paso Museum of Art — One Arts
Festival Plaza, downtown El Paso. Hours are 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and
Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, and 9 a.m. to
9 p.m. Thursday. Closed Mondays and holidays.
Admission is free, except for the
“Microscopias” exhibit ($5; free for museum
members). Information: 532-1707 or elpasoart-
museum.org.
A fundraising Holiday Dinner Party benefiting
membership funds is 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4,
with live entertainment. Cost: $75 ($50 mem-
bers. Non-member cost includes single’s level
membership. RSVP/payment by Dec. 2.
Showing through Jan. 10: “Microscopias.”
The exhibition investigates the relationships of
abstract languages with specific forms found in
microbiology and human anatomy as developed
by Dr. Alvar Carillo-Gil at the Palacio de Bellas
Artes in Mexico City in 1963. All artworks are
from the Museo de Arte Carrillo-Gil Conaculta-
INBA collection. Artists are David Alfaro
Siqueiros, Franz Kupka, Pierre Soulages, Sophie
Tauber Arp, Nelly and Theo Van Doesburg,
Please see Page 42
Page 41

Art Scene
Cont’d from Page 41
Jean Arp, Sonia Delaunay, Wolfgang Paalen,
Zhao Wouki, Stanley Hayter and Gunther
Gerzso.
Showing Dec. 13-March 28: “Impressionism
in Print,” an exhibition of 14 prints from the
museum’s permanent collection including artists
such as Edgar Degas and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
A major art movement of the mid to late 19th
century, Impressionism developed in Paris as
various painters endeavored to capture the
changing effects of light on everyday subject
matter.
Museum curator Christian Gerstheimer will
host a lecture on the exhibit at 1 p.m. Sunday,
Dec. 13. Seating is limited and on a first come,
first served basis. Public opening to follow.
Admission is free.
Showing through Jan. 10 — “Emilio Said:
Unreal Cities,” featuring 22 formal abstractions
created in different media, including painting,
photography, blueprints and charts. These gen-
erate visual fields becoming a metropolis that in
turn becomes its own abstraction. Said, born in
Mexico City in 1970, has previously been an
artist in residence in Vienna, Austria. Co-hosted
by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso.
Showing through Dec. 6 “Liz Cohen: the
Builder and the Bikini Model.” The exhibition
includes color photographs of Cohen posing as
a bikini model with her low-rider, Trabant-a-
mino that the artist built from an East German
Trabant and a Chevrolet El Camino.
Showing through March 2: “Recycle/Reuse:
WWII Propaganda Prints.” The exhibit exam-
ines the vintage concept of recycling as depict-
ed in World War II posters. The prints were
created by artists during World War II spouted
various messages intended to rally citizens for a
number of causes. Citizens were often encour-
aged to ration their food and recycle items with
raw materials such as rubber, aluminum, tin and
steal that were used for war supplies. The
museum has more than 700 propaganda prints
from both WWI and WWII, given by Rose
Nordwald and the El Paso Public Library in
1975.
Showing through March 7: “La Virgen De
Guadalupe,” featuring 14 retablos from EPMA’s
permanent collection that explore the Virgin of
Guadalupe as a major religious and cultural icon
in Mexican and Mexican American culture.
Page 42
In conjunction with the exhibit, a free screen-
ing of the Spanish-language documentary film
“El Pueblo Mexicano que Camina (A Long
Journey to Guadalupe)” is 2 p.m. Saturday,
Dec. 12, in the auditorium. The film includes
footage of pilgrimages throughout the 20th cen-
tury. It was originally shot in 16mm and pro-
duced between July 1987 and February 1996.
Author Jacqueline Orsini Dunnington will host
a lecture on “Guadalupe: In Name and Image”
at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, in the auditorium.
Dunnington is the author of “Viva Guadalupe!
The Virgin in New Mexican Popular Art,”
“Celebrating Guadalupe,” “Guadalupe Our
Lady of New Mexican Art,” and “Tibetan
Wheel of Existence,” some of which are cur-
rently for sale in the museum store. Admission
is free, but space is limited.
The Museum of Art Store will host two trunk
shows and book signing 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4-5. Trunk
shows include the “OOTS!” Collection for
babies and kids with Netherland-based design-
ers Arian Roefs and Godfried Konings, and The
Songsix Handbags collection with designer
Heather Caster. In addition, El Paso photogra-
pher Mark Paulda will sign copies of his book
“Celebrating El Paso.”
A free “Artists on Art” talk with Brigitte von
Ahn is 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9. Von
Ahn, an encaustic artist, was born in Luebeck,
Germany, and has resided in the United States
since 1990. She is a past-president of the El
Paso Art Association and charter member of
the Pastel Society of El Paso.
Dr. Babette Bohn will speak on the painting
“God the Father” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10,
in the auditorium as part of the 2009 New
Perspectives: Hidden Masterpieces Visiting
Scholar Lecture Series. The series considers
topics related to the museum’s late Medieval,
Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo art. Bohn is a
professor at Texas Christian University, and a
specialist in Italian art. Bohn will discuss
Lodovico Carracci’s “God the Father” on view
in the European Gallery. Admission is free, but
space is limited and available on a first-come,
first-serve basis.
Third Thursdays at EPMA is 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Dec. 17. Ages 18 and older welcome. Cost:
$10 ($7 museum members). RSVP requested.
December’s theme is “Sub Zero.” Details in
“Roundup” listing.
The museum’s permanent collections include
the Kress Collection of European works from
the 14th through the 18th centuries; the
El Paso Scene
American Collection of art of the 19th and 20th
centuries; the Spanish Viceroyal Collection and
Mexican Folk Retablos, art from the 17th
through the 19th centuries; Works on Paper
Collection from the 16th through the 20th cen-
turies; Contemporary Collection, emphasizing
Southwestern and Mexican artists; and the Tom
Lea Gallery, featuring works by El Paso’s best-
known artists and other regional artists.
Museum classes for children and adults
offered year round. Call for details.
Museum membership is $15 seniors, $25 indi-
viduals and $50 for families, and includes dis-
counts at the Museum Store, free admission to
all exhibitions and programs, and invitations to
private member events. Information: 532-1707,
ext. 66 for more information.
Encaustic International Gallery — 7100
Westwind, Suite 120. The gallery is the studio
of El Paso encaustic artist Brigitte von Ahn.
Hours are 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday and
Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Information/appointment: 833-0454, 581-4737
or brigittevonahn.com.
Group sessions for encaustic painting are 2 to
5 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The gallery will host a Christmas Market and
party 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, with a vari-
ety of locally made items. Also, wives of
German military stationed in the El Paso-Fort
Bliss area will sell home-made baked goods
benefiting their Helping Hands charity support-
ing those in need in the El Paso/Juarez area.
Each participating artist will also donate a por-
tion of their earnings at the show to Helping
Hands.Free “Feuerzangenbowle,” Germany’s
traditional Christmas libation, a hot red wine
punch, will be flamed live and served at the
event.
Escamilla Art Studio and Gallery Open
House — Award-winning Impressionist
Alberto Escamilla will host his 3rd annual
Christmas season open house and Studio Tour
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec.
12-13, at his studio at 1457 Amstater Circle.
The exhibit features new original oil paintings
and the artist’s personal collection. A limited
number of original hand painted ornaments
available are available for purchase.
Refreshments will be served. Information: 857-
7789, 474-1800 or albertoescamilla.com.
The gallery is one block west of Joe Battle on
Pellicano; turn north onto Bob Hope, then left
on Amstater Circle.
Galleria 300 — 300 E. Main, Suite 810 in
Downtown El Paso. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6
p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, or by appoint-
ment. Information: 525-9560.
Currently featured: “Vos—A Retrospect,”
works by UTEP art department members
Alfonso Valenzuela, Mauricio Olague and Steve
Salazar.
Hal Marcus Studio and Gallery — 800
N. Mesa, second floor (at Yandell). Hours are
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
Information: 533-9090 or halmarcus.com.
Photographer Mark Paulda will sign copies of
his new book “Celebrating El Paso” and editor
Marcia Hatfield Daudistel will sign her book
“Literary El Paso” featuring work by 63 border-
land authors 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3.
The 35th annual Happy Holidaze arts and
craft fair is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec.
12, with a Harlequin theme this year. Includes
15 area vendors, live music, magic and belly
dancers.
Showing through Jan. 29: “Paint the Town
Red” group show, featuring works by 25 area
artists. “Paint the town red” means to make
merry, have some fun, go on a spree. Area
artists paint unexpected interpretations of the
show’s title. An ARTalk is 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday,
Jan. 14.
Artists are Maria C. Appelzoller, Teresa
Fernández, Pat Foss, Kelly Foss, Paul Hoylen Jr.,
Kathy Ivey, Gabriela Jimenez, Ju-Yi Fu, Robert
Kaiser, Amy Leanse, Hal Marcus, Candy Mayer,
Carmen Navar, Louie Pedregon, Fr. Vincent
Petersen, Glenna Jo Price, Wendy Reyes,
Krystyna Robbins, Mark Rojas, Francisco
Romero, A. Stein, Rudy Vásquez, Connie
Weaver, Diana Zampini and Karla Zanelli.
The gallery is seeking works through Jan. 8
for its upcoming “Early El Paso Women Artists”
exhibit featuring artists exhibiting in the area
before 1970. The exhibit will hang Feb. 25-
April 30. All works must be for sale. Call
gallery for details.
Humanities conference call for art —
Dr. Ronald Weber, Program Chair for confer-
ence of the Humanities Education and Research
Association, invites artists to submit original art
work through Jan. 10 in any of the following
categories: Mixed Media, Painting, Pastel,
Printmaking, Photography and Watercolor
Painting to be featured on the cover of the pro-
gram for the “Intersections: Mind, Body, Time,
Space” conference March 11-13. The work will
also serve as the cover design for the Spring
2012 issue of the academic journal,
“Interdisciplinary Humanities.” Submit proposal
to Weber at UTEP’s Program in Humanities,
Liberal Arts Room 233. Information: 747-5835
or rweber@utep.ed.
International Museum of Art — 1211
Montana. The museum is operated by the
International Association for the Visual Arts in
the historic Turney Home. Hours are 1 to 5
p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Admission is
free. Information: 543-6747 or internationalmu-
seumofart.net.
Showing through Dec. 31: 2009 Sun Bowl
Exhibit. The annual show is the museum’s
largest annual exhibit.
The Heritage Gallery (lower level) features
“The Mexican Revolution Exhibition: 1910-
1920” featuring murals by Bill Rakocy and
Mario Parra depicting various events from the
Mexican Revolution, a collection of rare, mat-
ted photographs, Pancho Villa’s death mask and
a life-size figure of Villa.
La Galeria de la Misíon de Senecú —
The Ysleta Independent School District’s gallery
is at 8455 Alameda. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday. Admission is free.
Gallery closed Dec.19-Jan. 3 for winter break.
Information: 434-9700 or finearts.yisd.net.
Showing Dec. 11-Jan.21: The 12th annual
Our Lady of Guadalupe Exhibit and
Competition,” featuring works of various media
depicting Our Lady of Guadelupe.
Opening reception and awards ceremony is
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. A free mini-
festival will be held with arts and crafts and
food vendors. Entertainment by Riverside High
School Mariachi Ensemble, El Paso Classical
Guitar Quartet and Matachines dancers.
Main Street Gallery — 1456 Main in San
Elizario, on the Mission Trail. Hours are 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, noon
to 3 p.m. Sunday. Information: 594-8424 or
msgallery.net.
Maria NavarraPino and Friends open
studio – Six area women artisans will host an
open studio 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and
Sunday, Dec. 5-6, at the studio of Maria
NavarraPino, 116 W. Corpening in La Mesa,
N.M. featuring weaving, pottery, jewelry, paint-
ed silk, handspun yarn and more. Admission is
Please see Page 43
December 2009
Art Scene
Cont’d from Page 42
free. Information: (575) 233-2031 or joseph-
scoatorginals.com.
To get there: Take Hwy 28 north from El
Paso, first left after Chope’s in La Mesa.
Maven Studio — 9828 Montana, Suite N.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through
Friday. New artists are featured each month.
Information: 633-8350 or mavenstudio@rock-
etmail.com. Web: myspace.com/mavenstudio.
The monthly Friday Night Gallery Reception is
6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4.
Olvera Gallery Contemporary Art
Space — 3350 Doniphan in the old
Courchesne Schoolhouse (the Rexcel Building).
The gallery features painting, prints, sculpture,
photography, drawing, digital art and installa-
tion. Take Paisano Road to Racetrack Drive.
Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. By appoint-
ment on weekends. Information: 346-1863 or
rubenolvera.com.
Showing in December: photographs by Soraya
Mariscal. Opening reception is 5:30 to 7:30
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5.
Prints Charming — 7040 N. Mesa Suite B,
Colony Cove I. Prints Charming features prints
and posters of all kinds, including works by area
artists. Information: 833-1664.
Rakocy Art Studio — 4210 Emory Rd.
Information: 584-9716 or bravopress@sbcglob-
al.net. Artist/historian Bill Rakocy has his Upper
Valley studio and gallery open by appointment.
Rakocy explored the Southwest in the late
1940s as an ex-GI and young artist, returned to
stay in the 1970s and later became curator of
education at the El Paso Museum of Art. An
award-winning artist, Rakocy is also author of
books on art, regional history and ghost towns.
Rio Bravo Watercolorists – The group’s
Christmas party/luncheon is 11 a.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 16, at Great American
Steakhouse, 701 Mesa Hills. Beginning and
advanced watercolorists and art lovers are
invited. Bring an art-related gift for exchange.
Reservations required: Jeannie Sigmon, 842-
9365.
Rubin Center — UTEP’s Stanlee and
Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts is next
to Sun Bowl Stadium (off Dawson Drive).
Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday,
Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Closed
on Saturdays of home football games.
Information: 747-6151, Rubincenter@utep.edu
or utep.edu/artsandculture.
Fall 2009 exhibits showing through Dec. 12:
• “Snagged: Tom Leader Studio.” The exhibit
examines accumulation as a method of record-
ing memory and experience. This is the latest
in a series of large-scale site installations by
Tom Leader Studio, a landscape architecture
firm based in Berkeley, Calif. that creates sus-
tainable
landscapes and explores human impact on the
environment. “Snagged” resulted from the col-
laboration of studio representatives and a team
of Ohio State University students who visited
El Paso this summer to research the natural
and constructed landscapes of the Rio Grande
Valley.
• “Love Without Contact: Ruben Verdu.”
Verdu’s Continuum series records uninterrupt-
ed movement. The artist stands perfectly still
spraying a focused jet of liquid pigment as the
canvas progresses past him, and his immobility
negates the emotive, full-body strokes of the
action painters of the 1950s and opens up the
December 2009
possibilities for the painting process. This exhi-
bition includes artwork from the mid-1990s to
the present.
• “Celebrity: A Photographic Legacy from the
Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.”
The exhibit features several of the 154 Warhol
photographs created between 1975 and 1986
that were acquired by Rubin Center as a gift
from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the
Visual Arts in honor of the foundation’s 20th
anniversary.
Sun Bowl Art Exhibit 2009 — The annu-
al show is on display through Dec. 31 at the
International Museum of Art, 1211 Montana.
Museum hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday
through Sunday. Admission is free. Information:
543-6747.
The Sun Bowl Art Exhibit is the Southwest’s
longest running art exhibit and brings artists
from throughout the U.S. and beyond to El
Paso every year.
Sunland Art Gallery — The El Paso Art
Association co-op gallery is in Sunland Park
Mall, second level across from The Greenery,
with 30 El Paso artists represented. Hours are
10 a.m. to 8.m. Monday through Saturday,
noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Information: 584-3117
or sunlandartgallery.com.
Individuals or groups interested in having a
show at the gallery in 2010 can call 833-0636
or 474-0053.
The gallery’s Christmas Open House is
Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12-13, featuring
Christmas decorations, special artwork for holi-
day gift giving and refreshments. Free gifts
offered with qualified purchases. Artists will be
demonstrating both days, including Candy
Mayer, Corinne Abeyta-Spinnler, Connie
Weaver and others.
Carmen Navar will direct children’s activities
both days including mixed media 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. Saturday and drawing noon to 1 p.m.
Sunday. Information: Carmen, 833-4635.
The Crossland Gallery — 500 W. Paisano
(in the Art Junction of El Paso). Hours are noon
to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission
is free. Information: 351-2811. Continuing
through December: “Art Junction Studio
Artists.”
‘The Unveiling II’ — Art Worx Productions
presents the exhibit featuring new work by
Alberto Escamilla, Candy Mayer, Krystyna
Robbins, Mauricio Mora and Rich Martinez at 7
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, at 300 E. Main St, Ste.
810. Attendees are urged to wear a white t-
shirt for this concept show. Information: 487-
6545 or Artworx72@yahoo.com.
Titovets School of Art — The school will
host its annual student exhibition and sale 4 to
8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, at 5446 N. Mesa
(near Sheldon’ Jewelers), featuring works by
about 20 students of both Aleksander and
Lyuba Titovets. Admission is free. Information:
581-6400 or 549-4639.
The Titovets graduated with master of fine
arts degrees in St. Petersburg, Russia and in
1992 immigrated to El Paso. They since have
received numerous regional and national
awards for their paintings.
UTEP Union Gallery — Second floor,
UTEP Union East. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 8
p.m. Monday through Friday. Information: 747-
5481 or utep.edu/events.
Showing Dec. 3-Jan. 23: “Epilogue,” BFA
exhibition featuring works by graduating sen-
iors Alejandra M. Carrillo, James Jiron, Ariana
Muñoz, and Luis Nieto. The show features a
variety of techniques from printmaking to
graphic design to metals/sculpture. Opening
reception is 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3.
El Paso Scene
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Branigan Cultural Center — Branigan
Building, 501 N. Main, (Downtown Mall) Las
Cruces. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday
through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Admission is free. Information: (575) 541-2154
or las-cruces.org/museums.
Showing through Dec. 26 in the Main
Gallery: “Images of Tortugas,” a photographic
essay by Robert Kaiser of the pilgrimage up “A”
Mountain. The village of Tortugas, located
about three and a half miles outside of Las
Cruces, was established in the early 1850s. The
first inhabitants were made up of Manso Indians
from the Guadalupe Mission in present day
Juarez, Tiguas from Isleta del Sur, and Piro
Indians from Senecú del Sur and Socorro del
Sur. Since its founding, generations have
observed the annual feast days of the Virgin of
Guadalupe Dec. 10-12. A key activity of the
event is the four-mile pilgrimage up Tortugas
(or “A”) Mountain. Opening reception is 5 to 7
p.m. Friday, Dec. 4.
A special screening of the documentary “Our
People, Our Faith … Our Lady” will be at 7
p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, at the Rio Grande
Theater. Tickets are free and available at City
Hall, 200 N. Church Street.
Showing through Dec. 18 in the Shannon
Gallery is the traveling exhibit “Abraham
Lincoln: Self-Made in America,” Branigan is one
of 40 institutions nationwide to host the exhibit
organized by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill. The
exhibit, commemorating the 200th anniversary
of Lincoln’s birth, spans his life from his child-
hood to his presidency and assassination.
The reproduction artifacts on display are
modeled from originals in the Presidential
Library and Museum.
Picaithley, former Chief Historian for the
National Park Service, will give a lecture on
Lincoln’s lasting influence at 1 p.m. Saturday,
Dec. 5, in the Shannon Gallery.
The Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music
will present some of Lincoln’s favorite pieces in
a concert of period music 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday,
Dec. 6.
A panel discussion on Lincoln is 7 to 9 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 9.
Cutter Gallery — 2640 El Paseo (at
University), Las Cruces. The newly re-opened
gallery is in the restored Hadley House. Hours:
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Information: (575)
541-0658.
An opening reception is 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday,
Dec. 5, for “Images of Our Lady of
Guadalupe.” New Mexico Folk Art
Coordinator and State Folklorist Claude
Stephenson will host the one-hour presenta-
tion, “Dancing for the Virgin on Tortugas,” at 5
p.m. Friday, Dec. 11.
Galeria Tepin — The Border Book Festival
will host a grand opening and reception for its
new gallery at 2220 Calle de Parian in Mesilla,
N.M. 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. Information:
(575) 523-3988.
Showing is “Guadalupe/Lupe/Lupita: Vision
and Revision: Images of Our Lady of Guadalupe
in Transmutation / Transformation
/ Transcendence” featuring works by Santa
Barraza, Daniel Zolinsky, Jean Buchanan,
Venessa Ramos and Corina Gabaldón.
KRWG Holiday Art Benefit — The
Border Artists will host its 3rd annual benefit
art show and sale for KRWG-FM 5 to 8 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 4, with a “Last Minute Saturday”
sale 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at
John Curry Construction and Real Estate’s
Show home, 4447 Organ Mesa Loop, Las
Cruces. Half of all sales go directly towards the
public radio station. Information: (575) 646-
KRWG (5794) or krwgfm.org.
Small, less expensive works by the artists will
be released during the final Saturday hours.
Las Cruces Museum of Art — 491 N.
Main (Downtown Mall). Hours are 10 to 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday. Information: (575) 541-2221, (575)
541-2137 or museums.las-cruces.org.
Showing through Jan. 23:
• “Three Decades of Inquiry,” a retrospective
of work in multiple mediums by Albuquerque
artist Margi Wier. Weir’s work is often sculp-
tural, and has evolved over the years from
abstract to figurative.
• “Swarm,” works by Julia Barello, a local artist
and NMSU associate professor. Barello works
with discarded x-ray film that is dyed and intri-
cately cut into shapes inspired by nature.
• “Mirage,” the work of jewelry artist and
UTEP professor Rachelle Thiewes. This collec-
tion is constructed of steel, silver, and automo-
bile paint.
Artists reception for all three exhibits is 5 to 7
p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, during the Downtown
Ramble.
During the ramble, the museum will host a
Studio Program Open House 5 to 6 p.m. as an
opportunity to see the studio spaces, meet the
instructors, view demonstrations, and pick up a
copy of the winter class schedule with classes
such as ceramics, weaving, drawing, painting,
and digital photography with courses for chil-
dren and adults. Registration for winter classes
begins at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15.
The Reading Art Book Club meets at 2:30
p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, to discuss the non-
fiction work “Jewels: A Secret History” by
Victoria Finlay.
Los Artesanos Galeria — The gallery at
1910 Calle de Parian (the Old Tortilla Factory)
in Mesilla, N.M. features works by gallery own-
ers glass artist Greta Burger, gourd artist Latana
Bernier, potter Rudy Lucero and painter on
wood and leather, and sculptor of stone-and-
metal pieces Ramon Escalante, as well as guest
artists. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday
through Sunday. Information: (575) 526-1144
or LosArtesanosLC@aol.com.
A “Meet the Artists Night” reception is 5 to 7
p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, during the gallery’s
Please see Page 44
Page 43

A S ymphony Of Chr istmas H omes
A Holiday Tour of Five of the Upper Valley’s Finest!
Tour five of El Paso’s distinctive upper valley homes
decked in holiday cheer!
Mark Your Calendar
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
$25 All Five Homes Military/Children Discounts
For ticket information call (915) 532-3776
No Strollers www.epso.org
Page 44
Art Scene
Cont’d from Page 43
Grand Opening celebration 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
that day. The four owners will be present, and
Latana Bernier will demonstrate the pyroen-
graving aspect of her work.
Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery —
2470-A Calle de Guadalupe in Mesilla, across
from the Fountain Theatre. Hours are 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon
to 5 p.m. Sunday. New works displayed every
three months. Information: (575) 522-2933 or
ftp.zianet.com/mvartgallery/home.shtml.
December’s featured artists are Caryl Porter
a renowned pastelist and graduate of NMSU,
and Yvonne Postelle, a native Texan who works
primarily in oils as a landscape painter. A tradi-
tional holiday reception is 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday,
Dec. 12. Refreshments served.
Milagro Coffee Y Espresso — 1733 E.
University Ave. in Las Cruces. Hours are 6:30
a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Information: (575) 532-
1042. Showing through Dec. 10: Mixed media
paintings by Meg Freyermuth and Emma
Henderson.
New Mexico Watercolor Society,
Southern Chapter — The Society meets at
10am - 6pm 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, in the Arts and Crafts
1pm - 5pm Room at Good Sam’s Retirement Home, 3011
Buena Vida Circle. After a brief business meet-
ing is the annual holiday painting exchange.
Bring a painting, hors d’oeuvres or other dish
to share. The public is welcome; cover is $1 to
help pay for beverages. Information: Beegee
Brandhorst, (575) 541-7442.
Picacho Corridor Fall Studio Tour —
Eight Picacho Avenue galleries and studios in
Las Cruces will host their annual fall open
house tour 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and
Sunday, Nov. 28-29, with art talks, refresh-
ments and more. Admission is free.
Information: (575) 523-9760. Request a map
from fallstudiotour@gmail.com.
Preston Contemporary Art Center —
1755 Avenida de Mercado. Hours are 1 to 5
p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1
p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, or by
appointment. Information: (575) 523-8713 or
prestoncontemporaryart.com.
Showing through Dec. 20: 2009 Fall Exhibit,
featuring works by Cathy Breslaw (mixed
media), Dellamarie Parrelli (painting) Pascal
(wood sculpture)and Joshua Rose (painting).
Rio Grande Theatre Galleries — 211
Downtown Mall in Las Cruces. Hours are 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday,
and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Information: (575)
523-6403. Showing Dec. 4-29: Works On
Paper: Canyon Suite and Collages by Marjorie
Moeser. Moeser is a Toronto artist based partly
in New Mexico, partly in the South of France,
whose paintings are primarily about time and
change and how they impact the environment.
Opening reception is 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec.
4, during the Downtown Ramble.
thetheatregallery — Black Box Theatre
lobby, 430 N. Downtown Mall in Las Cruces.
Open one hour prior to Black Box all perform-
ances, or by appointment. Information: (575)
523-1223. Currently showing are photographs
by Nikka Ziemer. Wine and cheese reception is
5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4.
Tombaugh Gallery — First Unitarian
Universalist Church of Las Cruces, 2000 S.
Solano. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Information:
(575) 522-7281, (575) 521-3917 or
El Paso Scene
uuchurchlc.org.
Showing through Dec. 4: Las Cruces Arts
Association annual Theme Exhibition “Our Best
Work.”
Showing Dec. 6-30: Works by the church’s
members. Featured media includes oil, acrylic
and watercolor painting, jewelry, quilting,
mixed media, silk painting, etching and wood
sculpture.Opening reception is noon to 2 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 6.
Also
Art Hop — The Truth or Consequences
Downtown Gallery District Association hosts
the event 6 to 9 p.m. the second Saturday of
each month (Dec. 12), featuring seven art gal-
leries and other venues in the downtown
gallery district. Various receptions, refresh-
ments and musical entertainment will be fea-
tured during these monthly events.
Information: (575) 894-0528, TorCart.com.
Venues include The Living Room, Parisi, Main
Street, M, Art Galore, Bradley Gallery and
more.
‘Biennale Grande’ entries — Hubbard
Museum of the American West, 841 Highway
70 West in Ruidoso Downs, N.M. seeks entries
through Dec. 7 for its first ever “Biennale
Grande” juried art show opening January 2010.
The competition is open to all artists currently
residing in New Mexico. Media include draw-
ing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics,
fiber art and mixed media. All works submitted
must be original in design and concept and
must have been completed within the past 5
years. Submission cost: $25 for each individual
work. Cash awards totaling $2,800 will be dis-
tributed.
Information/requirement details: David Mandel,
(575) 378-4142 or hubbardmuseum.org.
Fall American Photography Exhibition
— The 18th annual photography show runs
through Dec. 13 at the Hubbard Museum of
the American West, 841 Highway 70, in
Ruidoso Downs, N.M. Hosted by the Lincoln
County Photographic Society. The juried show
features photos pertaining to the American
West through “People,” “The Natural World,”
“The Built Environment” and “Ranching and
Farming.” Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
daily. Information: (575) 378-4142 or online at
hubbardmuseum.org.
Main Street gallery — 108 Main, Truth or
Consequences, N.M. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday. Information: (575)
740-2991 or MainStreet-TorC.com.
Showing through Jan. 6 — Black Range
Artists, Inc. Winter 2009-2010 exhibit.
Now in its 47th year, the group includes mem-
bers in El Paso, Deming, Las Cruces, Hatch,
Silver City and Truth or Consequences.
MRAC Gallery — The Mimbres Region Arts
Council Gallery is in Wells Fargo Bank Building,
1201 Pope in Silver City. Open during regular
bank hours. Information: (575) 538-2505 or
mimbresarts.org. Opening Friday, Dec. 11:
Watercolors and Photography of John and
Nancy Wachholz. Reception is 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Percha Creek Traders — NM 152 in
downtown Hillsboro, N.M. (18 miles west of I-
25 at exit 63). Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wednesday through Sunday. Information: (575)
895-5116 or perchacreektraders.com.
Showing through Dec. 6 — “A Hillsboro
Year: Pastel Paintings by Melody Sears,” depict-
ing local scenes, moods and seasons through
the medium of pastel, revealing the beauty of
this historic mining town at the foot of the Gila
National Forest
December 2009
December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 45
Arts International winner
overcame severe arthritis
L
ike many other talented artists, Julie
Caffee-Cruz is a relative newcomer
to the El Paso art scene. Born in
Iowa but raised in the small southwest
Kansas town of Elkhart, Caffee-Cruz
seemed to know early in life that her des-
tiny would involve art.
“I have always loved to draw,” she con-
fided. “Even in grade school, people would
bring me a piece of paper and say, ‘Draw
me a flower, or draw me a butterfly.’”
She earned an associate of arts at the
local community college, and transferred
to what is now West Texas A&M
University, where she received her BFA
and also studied secondary education.
“Being an artist was the direction I really
wanted to go, so I never did get my teach-
ing certificate,” she said.
Caffee-Cruz went to work for an adver-
tising agency, but soon found that she
hated the pressure of producing creative
work on demand. A year and a half later,
she returned home to join forces with her
sister, who owned a small floral shop.
“I was blessed to have a space in her
shop where I could paint and display my
work. My sister’s customers enjoyed
watching me paint while they were waiting
for their orders, so I received a lot of pub-
lic exposure as I was starting out.”
She met her husband, Edward, a reservist
in the Army. They married in 2001, and
soon moved to Fort Carson, Colo. Even in
this new location, she continued with her
art by doing freelance commission work.
Again courtesy of the military, Caffee-
Cruz and her husband in 2005 arrived in El
Paso, where she joined both the El Paso
Art Association and the Rio Bravo
Watercolorists. Although she works in
additional mediums, including watercolor
and colored pencil, Caffee-Cruz said that
she enjoys most working in black and
white using a graphite pencil.
“Although I do a variety subjects, many
Western, people are my favorite. Elderly
faces have the most character and kids
have so much energy. Painting from life is
always the most challenging.”
Page 46
Former Art Association President Don
Beene shared, “Drawing is my first love,
so I noticed Julie’s work right away. Her
compositions are often Western or military
themes, another of my favorites, but I
think her figurative work is some of her
best. I recall seeing a portrait she did of a
little girl. Although it was nearly photo-
graphic, just the turn of the mouth and a
small smile seemed to add a spark of life
that you would never see in a photo.”
Caffee-Cruz suffers from a severe form
of arthritis, which limits the use of her
hands. She has recently undergone two
surgeries on her shoulder, making it even
more amazing that she is capable of pro-
ducing such highly detailed work, espe-
cially the pencil drawings. She takes all
her difficulties in stride, emphasizing that
her husband, son and daughter have been
especially supportive of her efforts.
Winning the Best of Show Award and
$3,000 prize at Arts International 2009
with her watercolor “Chiles Left Behind”
was one of the highlights of her career.
The piece’s simple composition of chile
peppers remaining in the fields was also
used to promote the recent “Living Under
the Sun” exhibition at the Chamizal.
Caffee-Cruz hopes to remain in El Paso
until her children graduate from high
school, so with any luck at all, we can look
forward to at least another four years of
beautiful art.
Escamilla update
Congratulations to Alberto Escamilla,
whose portrait of Sir Isaac Newton now
hangs in the hallowed halls of the Santa Fe
Institute, a prestigious international “think
tank” in Santa Fe. The piece was commis-
sioned by Pulitzer Prize–winner and for-
mer El Paso resident Cormac McCarthy.
Escamilla is best-known for ethereal,
impressionistic landscapes rather than por-
traiture, so it seems McCarthy’s choice of
an artist was influenced by a friendship
between the two that dates back to the
early 1980s, when McCarthy was just
El Paso Scene
Alberto Escamilla, left, and Cormac
McCarthy at unveiling of Escamilla’s
portrait of Sir Isaac Newtn.
completing work on his novel “All the
Pretty Horses.”
McCarthy first viewed Escamilla’s paint-
ings at what was then the annual Sierra
Medical Arts International Exhibition.
“I had a couple of pieces in that show,
and he fell in love with an image of a
campesino. Since then, we have become
fast friends, and through the years, he has
purchased more than two dozen of my
paintings.”
McCarthy contacted Escamilla early in
2009, asking if he would be interested in
doing a portrait commission.
“Although I told him that I am primarily
a landscapist, he reminded me that I had
painted a portrait of his grandfather about
12 years ago, which he really loved. In the
beginning, I was dubious about accepting
because I was still recovering from the
first surgery on my hand, which had not
worked out all that well. He simply told
me to take my time.”
Late this summer, Escamilla completed
the 60” x 40” portrait of Newton holding
his famous book “Principia Mathematica,”
which was dedicated in late October.
Even after a second surgery, Escamilla
confided, he still experiences pain and
numbness in his hand.
“The doctor told me to accept this situa-
tion for now, so I have been going back to
work again, primarily painting small 8-by-
10-inch canvases. However, I’m feeling
more positive because I have been able to
experiment with several large paintings. I
just can’t work as fast as I used to.
Because my style is wet into wet, it takes
me several weeks to complete a painting I
might have previously done in a few days.
I guess I just have to learn patience,” he
said good-naturedly.
One of the most exciting new trends is
his paintings with religious themes.
“We attend St. Stevens Church, and two
years ago, they asked me to donate some-
thing for the auction to raise money for
their building fund. I decided to do an icon
of the Blessed Virgin Mary because that
wouldn’t have to be so realistic. Do you
know it raised $8,000?”
Six months later, he did an image of a
Madonna and child, which sold immedi-
ately, and two recent cross paintings were
auctioned for more than $3,000.
“My wife and I have begun to wonder
whether the Lord is trying to tell me some-
thing,” Escamilla said with a smile.
Despite a heart attack nine years ago, two
angioplasty treatments and now two hand
surgeries, Escamilla continued to empha-
size that he feels blessed by what he has
done and what he is still able to do.
“I just need to take my time, get my
thoughts together and see where God leads
me. I’m still pointing towards a major
show, perhaps in the next year or so.”
Artspace El Paso
“Artspace El Paso,” a fledgling concept
at this juncture, seeks to create subsidized
living/studio spaces in downtown El Paso
for artists of all disciplines, including the
visual arts, music, dance, filmmaking, etc.
Putting out a survey to determine artist
interest has been the first step in determin-
ing the feasibility of such a project.
Katherine Brennand, a member of Artist
Centers in the Downtown Core (AC/DC),
a group of community volunteers working
with Artspace America’s leading nonprofit
real-estate developer, relates that, although
not final, the results from the group’s
recent survey are “very promising.”
If the project is approved, building 30 to
60 housing units could run as much as $18
million. Even with Artspace providing up
to 85 percent of the needed funds, a sub-
stantial balance would still require fund-
ing. Some of the needed funds might be
obtainable in the form of grants for low-
income housing. Let’s hope this idea suc-
ceeds, as it could provide a much-needed
dimension to downtown El Paso.
Myrna Zanetell is a free-lance writer
specializing in the visual arts.
December 2009
 On history, Racking Up History
ghost towns, by Bill Rakocy
copy and art
A
rtists and writers should listen
to their editors and curators
more … (so agrees Bill
Rakocy).
In the case of the artist, the public is
involved. If the artist paints only for
himself — what aspect of communica-
tion has been attained? Little or none if
the artist’s message is too weak,
unworkable, personable or bombastic.
Copy in art as pigment, line and form,
and tone must share a moment of truth
and believability also.
I enjoy painting, sketching and explor-
ing ghost towns — why? Because I
know them to have been a vibrant slice
of the Old West — an American West
that is unlike any other place in the
world. I’ve done many paintings, sketch-
es and interviews of ghost-town afi-
cionados in Mogollon, Hillsboro,
Kingston, and other areas and states. I
never seem to get my fill of what went
on there, who, how and why. My art is
an intermingling of what I have experi-
enced and have learned about the times
and history of a given place.
Since art is a kind of expression, I hope
to share what I felt, saw and learned.
Liz Byers on Rakocy
The late Liz Byers, artist and writer,
had this to say in working with me on
my Kingston/Hillsboro book in 1983:
“Author Rakocy is positively fascinated
with life. He finds people from all walks
of existence stimulating, and his empa-
thy includes the derelict on the street.
His excitement for living is contagious.
On his return from a recent absence from
the museum, one volunteer stated, ‘Say,
I’m glad you’re back, Rak. It’s dull
around here when you’re gone.’ He does
indeed keep things moving along.
“It’s a special affection he has for peo-
ple as well as ghost towns, art and histo-
ry that has led him to write ‘Ghosts of
Kingston and Hillsboro.’ There were of
course, the many trips he made to these
towns to paint while gathering informa-
tion for his book. Sometimes he took
students along. It was great fun for them
to sketch and paint the beautiful country-
side and interesting buildings with
teacher Rakocy.
“And there were the residents who
would urge to write an account of the
area. Not much had been written. Bill is
one of those enthusiasts who wants to
share the past.
“Take two turn-of-the-century rustic
villages with gold rush fever and add the
story of Sadie Orchard, an audacious girl
who started several brothels, and you
will have much to write about. Rakocy
did much research delving deeply into
library microfilm, old newspapers and
searching out old-timers to be inter-
viewed. It’s fascinating to read the turbu-
lent accounts of rough, rowdy miners
and their escapades.”
December 2009
Bill Rakocy working on Kingston mural.
Kingston told in sketches
As past museum curator for the El Paso
Museum Art, and installer for the origi-
nal Museum of History and Wilderness
Park Museum, I was impressed by
“Tales Told in Sketches: Kingston, New
Mexico,” a 40-page booklet of sketches
and text by Inez Barratt and Vene Smith,
published in 1968.
They shared a grand moment for read-
ers in recounting facts and details and
images of old Kingston. *Cookie Fellowship following the December 13th Presentation
For example they told of the 1882 sur-
vey of the town site of Kingston. In
August of 1882, A. Barnaby set up a tent
and opened the first store there.
Artist Barratt did a beautiful job in
researching 20 or 30 important building
sites and areas that were part and parcel
to the development of the fascinating
town. Her use of line, texture and tone
— combined with realistic accounts of
dozens of artifacts, buildings, stores,
homes, and physical sketches of canyons
and other details — captured the mood
of Kingston’s history.
The town was overrun with a bustling
rush of miners, outlaws, lawyers, gam-
blers, bankers and shopkeepers selling
everything from clothing, gunpowder,
shovels, hardware and groceries.
A dozen fortunes were made and lost in
its 11 years of grandeur.
My new 4’x8’ mural depicts the main
street of Kingston — when it was a town
bursting at its seams and hell-bent on
being the largest city in New Mexico
Territory (for only a few years). The
U.S. government had discontinued its
purchase of silver for monetary purpos-
es, a decision that helped lead to
Kingston’s demise.
A new time, a new era is afoot with
artists, writers and historians rediscover-
ing its lost charm. The old Percha bank,
established by Vincent Wallace in 1882,
had been owned by the Vetter family for
years. This building had been used for
storage of mining equipment and later
had been an exhibition place for the
Black Range Artists Inc., and is now
owned by Mark Nero, who has done
much restoration work for the bank
building and is installing a new museum
complex.
Bill Rakocy is an El Paso artist and
historian. Information: 584-9716.
El Paso Scene Page 47
 O
ne of the most popular
Christmas stories for children,
originally a poem, was written
by Raymond McAlden in 1906. That’s
more than a hundred years ago. So let
us adults go back to the magic of child-
hood for a moment and enjoy this story
of the chimes — abbreviated and sim-
plified and given a slightly different set-
ting while still, I hope, retaining the
feeling of the original. This story moves
beyond all cultures, beyond bicultural
and multicultural to universal.
In a long-ago time, in a far-away
place, a beautiful church stood on a
high hill that overlooked a great city.
On sacred days like Christmas Eve,
huge crowds climbed the hill, passed
through the grand entrance and entered
the glittering sanctuary. Many at the
rear could hardly see the front of the
church, with its marble altar, robed
choir and great organ. Especially awe-
some were the hundreds of flickering
candles that lit the church.
Outside, atop a tall, gray, ivy-covered
tower sat a set of famous chimes. Their
rich, beautiful tones, people used to say,
reminded them of angels singing. But
those glorious chimes had been silent
for many years. You see, the custom on
Christmas Eve was for people to bring
to the church their offerings to the
Christ-child. Then, when the greatest
and best offering had been placed on
the altar, the thrilling sounds of the
chimes would fill the church.
Sadly, for many years the people had
become less careful of their gifts, and
no offering appeared that deserved the
music of the chimes. Each Christmas
Eve, rich people still crowded close to
the altar, each one trying to give some-
thing better than what others brought,
as long as it was something they did not
want to keep for themselves. Despite
splendid services and abundant offer-
ings, the chimes were silent.
Not too far from that city was a little
village from which only the great
church tower could be seen. A small
boy who lived there, Pedro, and his lit-
tle brother, José, had heard about the
ancient chimes. One day, Pedro spoke
to his little brother: “Little Brother, I’ve
heard that the Christ-child himself used
to come down to bless the service.
What if we could see him?”
The day before Christmas brought bit-
terly cold weather, with a few lonely
snowflakes in the air and a hard, white
crust on the ground. That afternoon, the
two boys slipped out of their village
hand in hand and walked over the
frozen ground. Day turned to night. All
at once, they could see the candle-lit
church ahead of them. They had almost
reached the entrance when they saw
something in the snow near their path.
They stopped to look. In the snow was
an old, very poor woman who had fall-
en there, too sick and tired to find shel-
ter, and she seemed asleep.
Pedro knelt beside her and tried to
awaken her. He rubbed some snow on
her face, and then stood up and said,
“Little Brother, you will have to go on
Page 48 El Paso Scene
Why the
chimes rang
Christmas Eve
alone.” ”Alone?” cried the little one.
“But you will miss the Christmas Eve
festival!” “No,” replied Pedro. “This
poor woman will freeze to death if
nobody cares for her. Everyone has
gone into the church by now, but you
can go inside and bring somebody back
with you to help her. And I will keep
rubbing to keep her from freezing, and
just maybe she can even eat the bun I
have in my pocket. Now go, Little
Brother, and see and hear everything
twice, once for you and once for me.
And if you have the chance to move up
to the altar without anyone’s notice,
take this little silver piece of mine and
put it down for my offering. Do not for-
get where you have left me, and forgive
me for not going with you.”
Little José hurried to the church,
blinking back his tears. Lonely Pedro
did the same as he realized he would
miss the music and splendor of
Christmas Eve as he spent the time
instead in the cold and snow. When the
service ended, people surged forward to
place their offerings on the altar. Some
proudly placed sparkling jewels, others
heavy baskets of gold. Musicians
brought their instruments, an artist his
canvass, a writer a favorite book. Even
the king appeared and offered his royal,
bejeweled crown as his offering to the
Christ-child. The people thought to
themselves, “Surely now we will hear
the bells.” But only the cold wind
sounded through the tower. Many
doubted that the chimes had ever rung!
Suddenly, after the choir’s closing
anthem, the organist stopped playing.
Everyone noticed the priest at the altar,
his hand raised for silence. The people
could feel the silence. Then, very softly,
the sounds of the chimes came from the
tower, sweeter than anything anyone
had ever heard before. Everyone stared
toward the altar. Those standing close
saw Little José, who had crept quietly
down the aisle, stand up and place
Pedro’s little piece of silver on the altar.
That’s why the chimes rang on that holy
night.
Richard Campbell lives in Albuquerque.
His “Two Eagles in the Sun” is available
at The Bookery, Barnes & Noble and
twoeaglespress.com.
December 2009
‘Legend of the Poinsettia’ – Kids-N-Co.
presents the original regional holiday play by
Carol Viescas Nov. 28-Dec. 20 at Kids-N-Co.
Performance Space. 1301 Texas. Additional
performances planned in December at
Chamizal National Monument. Performances
are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30
p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $5-$7 at the door.
Information: 351-1455.
Based on a traditional Mexican folk tale, the
play shows how the tenacity and strength of
one young girl can build bridges of understand-
ing. Lupita faces the challenges of her life and,
with the help of her friend, Espy, turns what
seem to be hopeless situations into moments
of hope and tolerance that result in more than
one Christmas miracle.
Additional performances are 7:30 p.m.
Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12-13, at
Chamizal National Memorial, 800 S. San
Marcial.
New play readings — Seven students from
NMSU’s Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing
program, plus renowned novelist and short
story writer Robert Boswell will present read-
ings of one-act plays written in the graduate
playwriting class taught by Tony- and Obie-win-
ning playwright Mark Medoff at 7 p.m. Sunday
through Tuesday, Nov. 29-Dec. 1. The read-
ings are an opportunity for the theater-going
community to hear some new voices and for
the writers to hear their plays before a live
audience and to solicit the audience for feed-
back. Medoff will moderate discussion of the
plays following each session of readings.
Tickets: $5 per evening; $10 for a three-day
ticket. Reservations: (575) 523-1223.
‘Honk!’ – El Paso Playhouse, 2501 Montana,
presents the family musical through Dec. 19.
Showtimes are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and
2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $10 ($8 seniors, $7 mil-
itary/students). Information: 532-1317, elpaso-
playhouse.com.
Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The
Ugly Duckling,” “Honk!” by Anthony Drewe
and George Stiles tells the story of an odd-
looking baby duck, Ugly, and his quest to find
his mother. Directed by Kate Keyser.
“Honk” won the Olivier (British theatre’s top
award) in February 2000 for Best New Musical
beating both The Lion King and Mamma Mia.
‘Life x 3’ — No Strings Theatre Company
presents Yazmina Reza’s clever humorous play
through Dec. 6, at Black Box Theatre, 430 N.
Downtown Mall in Las Cruces. Directed by
Ceil Herman. Showtime is 8 p.m. Fridays and
Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29 and Dec.
6, and 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3. Tickets: $10
($9 students and seniors over 65, $7 all seats
Thursday). Reservations/information: (575)
523-1223 or no-strings.org.
The story contrasts two couples’ inability to
deal with trivial domestic mishaps with their
ability to explore the outermost reaches of the
universe.
‘Seussical’ – American Southwest Theatre
Company presents the musical hit by Lynn
Ahrens and Steve Flaherty based on the works
of Dr. Seuss through Dec. 6, at the Hershel
Zohn Theatre. Dr. Seuss’s characters come to
life in these adventures with Horton the
Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Cat in The Hat
and more. Showtime is 7 p.m. Wednesday and
December 2009
Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2
p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $15. Information: 1-800-
525-ASTC (2782). Seuss-inspired items will be
for sale benefiting ASTC.
In conjunction, ASTC will hold its annual Toys
for Tots drive. Audience members are encour-
aged to bring a new, unwrapped toy with them
to the show to help those in need.
‘A Christmas Pudding’ — The Christmas
celebration created, compiled and adapted by
David Birney and directed by Jan H. Wolfe is 8
p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the Black Box
Theatre, 430 N Downtown Mall in Las Cruces.
The play is told in songs, stories, poems, and
tales from some of the world’s greatest classi-
cal writers that evoke the real spirit of
Christmas. Tickets: $10 ($9 students and sen-
iors over 65). Reservations recommended:
(575) 523-1223 or no-strings.org.
‘Big Bad Musical’ — The Bel Air High
School Drama Department presents the “howl-
ing courtroom comedy” by Bill Francoeur and
Alec Strum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, at
Bel Air Tartan Theatre, 731 N. Yarbrough.
Directed by Rex Wiesenthal. General admis-
sion: $3. Information: 434-2051.
Suitable for all audiences, “Big Bad Musical”
puts the notorious Big Bad Wolf on trial in a
class-action lawsuit by many familiar storybook
characters like the Three Little Pigs and Red
Riding Hood.
‘A Christmas Story’ — Lincoln County
Community Theater and ENMU-Ruidoso pres-
ents its “Youth Onstage” workshop perform-
ance as part of Ruidoso’s Festival of Lights Dec.
4-13 at Ruidoso School Performing Arts
Center, 125 Warrior Drive. Showtimes are 7
p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Admission: $8 ($6 students and seniors).
Information: (575) 257-9507 or info@lccton-
line.com.
‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ —
Las Cruces Community Theater, 313
Downtown Mall, presents the family play by
Richard R. George based on the book by Roald
Dahl Dec. 4-20. Five golden tickets are hidden
under the wrappers of Mr. Willy Wonka’s deli-
cious chocolate bars, and the five winning chil-
dren are invited to an unprecedented tour of
the infamous chocolate factory, including
Charlie Bucket, a poor boy living within sight of
the factory. Directed by Debbie Watkins and
Susie Whelpley. Performances are 8 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Gala
opening night is Dec. 4. Tickets: $7-$8.
Information: (575) 523-1200 or lcctnm.org.
‘Seussical Jr.’ — El Paso High School
Theatre Department presents the musical cele-
brating the stories and rhymes of Dr. Seuss
Dec.4-6 at El Paso High School Auditorium,
800 E. Schuster. Performances are 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets: $7 (5 students and seniors).
Information: 496-8300 or elpasohs@episd.org.
‘Christmas Concert’— Alamogordo Music
Theatre presents its 4th annual Christmas show
at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at Coffee & More
in the Tularosa Dry Goods Building, 308
Granado Street, in Tularosa, N.M. The AMT
Star Chorus performs holiday music, with a
Please see Page 50
El Paso Scene Page 49
Stage
Cont’d from Page 49
special performance by Earl & the Dynamics.
Bring a canned good for the local food bank.
Tickets: $12.50. Reservations: (575) 585-4575.
Information: (575) 491-5972 or
zianet.com/amt.
‘Christmas Is...’ — The Woman’s Club of El
Paso presents the holiday musical revue at 7:30
p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Woman’s Club
clubhouse, 1400 N. Mesa. Social hour is 6:30 to
7:30 p.m. Tickets: $15 ($25 for two); available
at the clubhouse. Reservation deadline is Dec.
2. Information: 532-6131.
‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’ — No
Strings Theatre presents its 6th annual dramatic
reading of the Dylan Thomas holiday classic at
7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, at the Black Box
Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall in Las Cruces,
read by No Strings donors and volunteers.
Tickets: $7. Reservations strongly recommend-
ed. Information: (575) 523-1223 or no-
strings.org.
40,000 copies each month
El Paso’s Best Advertising Value!
Call 920-7244 for information
or go to
www.epscene.com/adrates.html
Page 50
‘A Christmas Carol’ — The UTEP
Department of Theatre and Dance offers its
annual presentation of Charles Dickens’s
Christmas classic Dec. 13-20, at UTEP’s Wise
Family Theatre, 2nd floor of Fox Fine Arts
Center, adapted for the stage by Chuck
Gorden. Directed by Nicolas E. Castanon.
Performances are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday,
Dec. 18-19, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13 and
20. Special performances for school groups
planned Dec. 14-18. Tickets: $12 ($10 non-
UTEP students, UTEP faculty, staff and alumni,
seniors, military, alumni and groups of 10 or
more; $9 UTEP students). All seats general
admission. Information: 747-5118 or
theatre.utep.edu.
‘UTEP Holiday Spectacular’ – UTEP
Dinner Theatre presents a “Version 3.0” of its
new holiday tradition Dec. 18-20 at Magoffin
Auditorium. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday
and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. No meal
served. Tickets: $20-$25; ($15-$20 UTEP facul-
ty/staff, groups of 20 or more, non-UTEP stu-
dents and children age 4-12; $10-$15 UTEP
students (one ticket per valid UTEP ID). All
seats reserved. Tickets information: 747-5234.
Show information: 747-6060.
El Paso Comic Strip — 1201 Airway.
Shows are at 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday,
8:30 and 10:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and
7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $6-$12.
Information/reservations: 779-LAFF (5233) or
laff2nite.com.
• Nov. 27-Dec. 6 — The Sandman. “The
World’s Number 1 Comedy Hypnotist” makes
audience volunteers do all kinds of crazy things.
Extreme adult shows are Sunday, Nov. 29 and
Dec. 6.
• Dec. 9-13 — Jimmy “JJ” Walker. The come-
dian took the country by storm in 1975 on the
hit television show “Good Times” and was
named Time Magazine’s “Comedian of the
Decade.” He earned a Grammy for his best-
selling comedy album “Dyn-o-mite”” and was
the recipient of the first annual NAACP Image
Award. Feature act is Todd Link.
• Dec. 16-20 — Darren “The Rooster”
Carter. Carter uses music snippets to add
punctuation to his laser-like one-liners.
Feature act is Toogie.
• Dec. 26-27 — Russ Rivas.
S
hameless plug. I admit it. But if a
person likes heartwarming holiday
stories with a regional twist and
lots of uplifting music, KIDS-N-CO.’s
“The Legend of the Poinsettia” should
be on the must-see list for the season.
The play is based on the very short
Mexican legend, which, like all legends,
changes depending on who tells it. But
the basic story is the same: A poor child
can’t afford to take a gift to the Christ
Child, and so takes the only thing
he/she can find — a bunch of weeds.
But because the gift is given with love,
a miracle turns the weeds into a beauti-
ful poinsettia.
I have written children’s plays for
more than ten years. Some have been
original stories; many have been my
own twisted look at familiar fairy tales.
But I had always wanted to write a
story specifically for Christmas. Then I
remembered the Mexican folktale of the
poinsettia. The trick was how to take a
two-paragraph story and turn it into an
act-long children’s play.
Add conflict, a moral — and, my per-
sonal favorite, music.
The heroine of this play, Lupita, is
fatherless and extremely poor. She is
made fun of by the richer children at
her village church’s school because she
cannot even afford a pair of shoes. Her
nemesis is the mayor’s son, aptly named
Angel, who, every chance he gets, brags
about what he has, and who leads the
teasing of Lupita.
Of course, every hero or heroine has a
sidekick. In this case, it is Lupita’s best
friend, Espy, whose sharp tongue adds
some humor to the tale. When Lupita’s
talented and hard-working mother is
injured in an accident, any hope of
Lupita bringing an acceptable gift to the
Christ Child at the church’s manger
scene disappears. Thus, her gift
becomes the only thing growing in her
mother’s garden in winter — weeds.
Interspersed through the tale is tradi-
tional music, both Hispanic and interna-
El Paso Scene
Auditions
Theater Inc. ‘School Tour’ auditions
— El Paso’s professional educational theatre
company, will hold auditions for their 2009-10
25th Anniversary School Tour to be presented
in El Paso area elementary schools promptly at
10 a.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 17-18, at
Studio Metropolis, 2308 N. Piedras. Male and
female actors are needed. All actors must be
available during the day, Monday through
Friday, as the productions will tour schools dur-
ing school hours January through early June
2010. All actors will be paid on a contract basis.
Information: 821-0150.
ASTC spring auditions — The NMSU
Department of Theatre Arts and the American
Southwest Theatre Company will hold audi-
tions for men and women age 18-60 for its
Spring 2010 productions 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 16, in the Hershel Zohn Theatre
in Las Cruces. Callbacks scheduled Sunday, Jan.
17. Information: Mike Wise (575) 646-5418.
Signup is Dec. 7-Jan. 15 in the theatre lobby.
tional. “Silent Night,” for example,
which originated in Austria, is sung
around the world. In Spain and Mexico,
holiday songs have come to be known
as villancicos. Some of those, too, are
included, such as “Peces en el Rio” and
“Campana Sobre Campana.” Songs are
translated both ways, so verses are sung
in both Spanish and English, as is some
of the dialogue.
Script and music only create part of
the tale. The trick, as always, is to find
a talented cast. In this case, two very
talented young ladies speak and sing the
parts of Lupita and Espy. Rebecca
Filetti, a tiny 12-year-old student at St.
Raphael’s School, captures the essence
of Lupita. Eleven-year-old Eastwood
Knolls student Andrea Mendoza plays
her best buddy, Espy. Renato de Leon,
known best for his role as Gollum in
last year’s “Hobbit” at KIDS-N-CO., is
the antagonist, Angel.
Fifteen other talented young singers
from 7 to 15, who create an amazing
church choir any director would be
envious of, and four equally talented
adults join them. Throw in a gorgeous
set by Technical Director Tito Arenal
(which includes the “magic” of poinset-
tias appearing from a pile of weeds),
and “Poinsettia” creates a holiday treat
for the whole family.
Carol Viescas is a veteran of
community theater and teaches
journalism at Bel Air High School.
December 2009

Barnes & Noble (West Side) — 705
Sunland Park. Hours are 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10
p.m. Sunday. Information: 581-5353.
• Jim Murphy will sign copies of “El Paso 1850-
1950” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1.
• Mark Paulda will sign copies of “Celebrating
El Paso” at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11.
Children’s events
• Kids-N-Co. will host a special Polar Express
storytime at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 (children
can come in their pajamas).
• Children’s storytimes are 11 a.m. Saturdays.
Special storytimes include Paul Strelzin Dec. 19
and Kids-N-Co. Dec. 26.
Joel Osteen book signing — Osteen, pas-
tor of Lakewood Church in Houston, one of
the largest churches in the country, will sign his
new book, “It’s Your Time” at 6 p.m. Thursday,
Dec. 3, at Sam’s Club, 7970 N. Mesa.
‘Sights and writes of El Paso’ book
signing — Photographer Mark Paulda will sign
copies of his new book “Celebrating El Paso”
and Marcia Hatfield Daudistel will sign copies of
“Literary El Paso” 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec.
3, at Hal Marcus Studio & Gallery, 800 N.
Mesa, Top Floor. Admission is free. Information:
533-9090 or halmarcus.com.
“Celebrating El Paso” features images of El
Paso from International award-winning photog-
rapher Paulda. With quotes from notable El
Pasoans and the foreword by Mayor John
Cook.
“Literary El Paso” brings attention to the city’s
rich heritage of writers with a collection of his-
torical essays, fiction, journalism, and poetry,
from 63 of our borderland’s past, present and
emerging writers. Features previously unpub-
lished works, and Spanish/English bilingual
selections.
“Celebrate Our Past, Present and
Future’ — The Zuhl Library on the New
Mexico State University will host free public 2
to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, beginning with tours
of refurbished spaces at Zuhl and Branson
libraries at 2:15 p.m., followed by holiday
refreshments. The celebration will highlight his-
torical materials in the Library’s Archives and
Special Collections and the recent user-friendly
space redesign. Information: Kristina Martinez,
(575) 646-1508 or krismart@ad.nmsu.edu.
The event will also kick off the library’s “Two
Million by 2012” Campaign, which aims to
increase its collection to 2 million books by the
end of 2012.
Saturday Scribes — West Texas Writing
Project offers area youth in grades 3-6 an
opportunity to explore multiple genres of read-
ing and writing 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec.
5, at UTEP’s Hudspeth Hall, Room 200. This
month’s theme is Winter Writing Wonderland.
Snacks provided. Admission: $20 per student.
Information/registration: Hillary Hambric, 855-
3925 or hjhambric@gmail.com
The bi-monthly Saturday Scribes workshop
program is taught by master teachers.
Tumblewords Project — The writing
workshops are 12:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Saturdays at Memorial Park Public Library, 3200
Copper. Workshops are free; donations for the
presenter are encouraged. Now in its 13th
year, the group is open to all writers in a non-
critique, non-caustic forum. Newcomers of all
ages welcome. No workshop Dec. 26.
Information: 328-5484 or tumblewordspro-
ject@yahoo.com. Web:
tumblewordsproject.com.
• Dec. 5 – “Voices” with Jonathan Penton.
Penton is the author of four poetry chapbooks,
“Last Chap,” “Blood and Salsa and Painting
Rust” and “Prosthetic Gods.”
• Dec. 12 – “Writing for the Eye” with Yvonne
Collins. Collins began keeping a journal in high
school and did so for decades. In 2005 she
returned to writing for personal pleasure.
• Dec. 19 – “Writing for the Dark Time” with
Donna J. Snyder. Snyder will present her annual
writing workshop in honor of the winter sol-
stice. She founded the Tumblewords Project in
1995. She has chapbooks forthcoming in 2010
as well as one this month. She is currently the
story editor for “Unlikely Stories of the Third
Kind,” an anthology of art, video, music and lit-
erature.
City of Night Book Club — Rio Grande
Adelante hosts the book club and social gather-
ing for LGBT community and friends at 7 p.m.
the first Monday of the month (Dec. 7), to dis-
cuss “The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown.
Admission is free. Information/location: 356-
0325 or rgadelante.com.
Branigan Library book reviews — The
Friends of Thomas Branigan Memorial Library
will host a review of Alexander McCall Smith’s
“The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” at 1:30
p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, in the library’s Terrace
Gallery, 200 E. Picacho. Refreshments served.
Admission is free. Information: (575) 521-4845.
Reading Art Book Club — The book club
of the Las Cruces Museum of Art, 491 N. Main
St., will meet at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9,
to discuss “Jewels: A Secret History” by
Victoria Finlay, the author of “Color: A Natural
History of the Palette.” The club meets the
second Wednesday of the month. Information:
(575) 541-2322, (575) 541-2137 or
museums.las-cruces.org.
‘Desnudas en el Desierto’ submissions
— Desnudas en el Desierto mussa (Mujeres
Unidas Supporting Society through Art) is a
group of women writers and artists that sup-
ports community education projects through
the arts, seeks poetry and prose submissions in
English and Spanish for its 2010 chapbook from
women writers from the El Paso/Juarez area.
Entries, due by Dec. 10, should be tasteful
reflections regarding women’s sexuality, sensu-
ality, sexual orientation, culture and sex, rela-
tionships and gender roles dealing with sexuali-
ty. Maximum of three submissions per writer
will be considered. No submission charge.
Information/submission guidelines: 619-5263 or
Please see Page 52

! !

# "
! "

GREAT SELECTION OF REGIONAL INTEREST

& BILINGUAL CHILDREN’S BOOKS

HOLIDAY
OPEN HOUSE
AT THE BOOKERY
SATURDAY, DEC. 12
Book Signing 2-4 pm:
“Paloma Padilla” by
Martin Bencomo

December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 51

 Bookin’
Cont’d from Page 51
mussa_elpaso@yahoo.com.
Proceeds benefit innovative sexual health
workshops for youth in the El Paso community.
Expected publication date is February 12, 2010.
Writers keep all rights to their work.
Afterschool KidzLit — Boys & Girls Clubs
of El Paso, 4625 Delta, hosts the reading
enrichment program 5 to 6 p.m. Mondays and
Wednesdays through Dec. 9 for youth in
grades K-3. Information: Crystal Mireles, 532-
7410.
The Bookery — 10167 Socorro Road,
Socorro. The Bookery, inside the Mission Trail
Trading Post about a half-mile past the Socorro
Mission, specializes in children’s books, story-
telling puppets, teachers’ resources and region-
al interest books. Open 7 days a week, 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Information: 859-6132 or 859-4066.
A Holiday Open House is Saturday, Dec. 12.
Martin Bencomo will sign his new book,
“Paloma Padilla,” 2 to 4 p.m.
Barnes & Noble (East Side) — 9521
Viscount. Information: 590-1932.
Eastside Sisters in Crime reading club meets
at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month. The
2010 reading list has been released. The first
book of 2010 to be discussed (Jan 5) is “Eye of
Jade” by Diane Wei Liang. Information/sched-
ule: 629-7063
Children’s Story Hour, including activities with
Miss Heather, and Pajama-rama storytime is 7
p.m. every Friday.
Barnes & Noble (Las Cruces) — 700 S.
Telshor in Mesilla Valley Mall. Information: (575)
522-4499.
Children’s storytimes are 10 a.m. Fridays.
‘Friends of Library’ cookbook — Friends
of Branigan Library’s 2009 fundraising cook-
book, “The Best of Friends,” is on display and
sale at the library’s Books N More bookstore,
200 E. Picacho, Las Cruces. Eighty-three cooks
from Las Cruces, El Paso, Arkansas, Florida,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Michigan contributed
400 recipes for this collection, which includes a
Southwestern Flavors section. Cost: $20; pro-
ceeds benefit library programs. Information:
(575) 521-4845.
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday
through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Closed Dec 22-Jan. 1.
Literary Open Mic - Area poet and editor
Wayne Crawford will host literary open-mic
nights during the monthly Downtown Ramble
5:30 to 7 p.m. the first Friday of each month at
The Rio Grande Theatre in the Las Cruces
Downtown Mall. Everyone is invited.
Information: (575) 541-8073 or
wayne1@zianet.com.
NMSU Branson Library — Located on
the NMSU campus. Library hours are noon to
midnight Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to midnight Monday
Page 52 El Paso Scene
New on the Border Bookshelf
‘Literary El Paso’ (TCU Press, $29.50)
edited by Marcia Hatfield Daudistel —
Anyone who loves the border and loves
words will love this anthology of more
than 60 El Paso writers, spanning nearly a
century. Some of them lived and wrote
here, others passed through, but all of them
shared the inspiration of this unique city at
the crossroads of North America.
The selected writers range from the
famous and familiar, such as Tom Lea,
Leon Metz, Abraham Verghese, Benjamin
Alire Saenz, Denise Chavez and Pat Mora,
to the relative obscure, such as Bernice
Love Wiggins, an African-American poet
who wrote here during the 1920s and
1930s but whose subsequent career is a
mystery.
Editor Daudistel was well-qualified to
take on TCU Press’s El Paso installment in
its literary cities series: She is a former
associate director of Texas Western Press
and has served literary appointments on
local and state boards.
Some of us who are familiar with El Paso
writers will wonder at why some of our
personal favorites were left out and ques-
tion why others were selected in their
place. Daudistel had a tough job settling
on the sixty or so finalists, and some of her
choices likely had more to do with offering
a broad literary sampling of not just writ-
ers but also of subject matter that con-
veyed the border’s character.
This book deserves a lengthy tenure on
one’s bedside table or other favorite spot
so that it can be explored again and again.
At 570 pages and over 100 different selec-
tions, “Literary El Paso” provides a well-
balanced reading diet for 2010.
— Randy Limbird
through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday
and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Information:
Charles Stanford, (575) 646-6323 or cstan-
for@lib.nmsu.edu.
Showing through December in the fourth
floor Gallery are Historical Panoramic Photos
from the Library’s Archives and Special
Collections Rio Grande Historical Collections.
A selection of a dozen panoramic photographs
from the early to
mid-20th century gives visitors the opportunity
to enjoy views of
past scenes and to learn more about the histo-
ry of photography. The images displayed show
a variety of scenes from landscapes to group
portraits in a variety of widths.
‘Magic Carpet StoryTime’ — Doña Ana
Arts Council hosts free storytelling events
11:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays at the Rio
Grande Theatre in the Las Cruces Downtown
Mall. Information: (575) 523-6403.
December 2009
WWII Museum on Wheels — The travel-
ing exhibit will be featured 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 3, at the Tularosa Public
Library, 515 Fresno, in Tularosa, N.M. The
exhibit covers topics like what it was like for
Germans in American POW camps during
World War II, and what it like for Americans in
German POW camps during WWII. Admission
is free. Information: (575) 585-2711.
Concordia Ghost Tours — Concordia
Heritage Association and Paso Del Norte
Paranormal Society host a monthly ghost tour 7
to 9 p.m. the first Saturday of the month (Dec.
5) at historic Concordia Cemetery. Henry and
Veronica Flores of the Paranormal Society con-
duct a walking tour of the cemetery’s haunted
sites. Bring recording equipment, cameras,
extra batteries, flashlight. Reservations
required. Cost: $10 (ages 13 and older wel-
come). Reservations/information: 373-1513 or
ghosts915.com. For December, bring two cans
of food for the Salvation Army and be admitted
for $5.
El Paso Corral of the Westerners —
The monthly dinner program is at 6 p.m.
Friday, Dec.11, in the Staff and Faculty Lounge,
second floor, UTEP Student Union. Bob Miles
will talk on “Henry Skillman and the Butterfield
Stage.” Cost: $20. Dinner served at 6:30 p.m.
Information or reservations (before 5 p.m.
Dec. 9): Marilyn Gross, 755-7329.
Fort Selden State Monument — The
monument, in Radium Springs 13 miles north of
Las Cruces, is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesday).
Admission is $3; (ages 16 and under free).
Sunday admission for New Mexico residents is
$1. Information: (575) 526-8911 or nmmonu-
ments.org.
The 11th annual Fort Selden Luminaria Tours
are 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12. The trails
and ruins will be lit by candles, and visitors will
be treated to hot chocolate, cookies and more.
Admission is free during the evening.
Information: (575) 526-8911.
Fort Selden was a 19th-century adobe fort
established to protect early settlers from Indian
raids. The monument seeks to preserve the
remaining ruins. From Las Cruces, take I-25
north to Exit 19.
El Paso Museum of History — 510 N.
Santa Fe. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.
Sunday. Closed Mondays. Admission is free.
Information: 351-3588. For exhibit and special
event information, see “At the Museum” listing.
NMSU ‘2010 Historical Calendar’ —
The NMSU Library has released its new 2010
Archives & Special Collections calendar,
“NMSU Then and Now,” with historical photos
of the NMSU campus along with photos of
contemporary counterparts. Proceeds from
sales benefit the Library’s Archives & Special
Collections Department. Cost: $8; available at
the Dean’s Office in Zuhl Library. Information:
(575) 646-1508.
Old Fort Bliss — Building 5051, corner of
Pershing and Pleasanton Roads, Fort Bliss. The
Old West days of the “Soldiers of the Pass” are
relived through replicas of the original adobe
fort buildings and military artifacts,
Magoffinsville Post 1854 to 1868. Admission:
free. Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Information: 568-3137.
December 2009
Volunteer Docent Training — El Paso
Museum of History, 510 N. Santa Fe, host a
free training course for new volunteer tour
guides is 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, through
Jan 5. Participants will become skilled at histor-
ical interpretation of museum exhibits and arti-
facts, and gain an understanding of a variety of
subjects such as iron in Colonial New Spain,
leatherwork and antique firearms. Information:
Sue Taylor at 915-351-3588 or email at tay-
lorsl@elpasotexas.gov.
Chamizal National Memorial — 800 S.
San Marcial. The National Park Service oper-
ates the memorial on land once claimed by
Mexico as part of a decades-long dispute over
the international boundary. A similar park in
Juárez lies across the Rio Grande, whose shift-
ing nature in earlier years triggered the dispute.
The visitor center has an exhibit on the history
of the Chamizal dispute, including a video pres-
entation. Park grounds and picnic area open 5
a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; visitors center open 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday;
closed Sunday and Monday. Admission is free.
Information: 532-7273.
Free ranger guided tours and interpretive
programs at are offered at 10 a.m. Tuesdays
and Thursdays. Storytime with Georgia Askew
is 10 a.m. the third Thursday of the month.
Reservations required for both programs.
Los Portales Museum and Visitor
Center — 1521 San Elizario Road. The muse-
um is operated by the San Elizario Genealogy
and Historical Society, and is housed in an
1850s Territorial-style building across from the
San Elizario church. It offers gifts, family trees,
historical artifacts and the veterans’ room, as
well as information on the “First Thanksgiving”
and the Salt War of 1877. Hours are 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4
p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Information:
851-1682.
Mission Trail — Three historic churches lie
within eight miles of each other in El Paso
County’s Mission Valley.
• Mission Ysleta — Spanish and Tigua Indian
refugees from northern New Mexico founded
the community in the 1680s. The first mission
was built in 1692 and rebuilt completely in both
the 18th and 19th centuries. The current struc-
CHRISTMAS
ture was built in 1851. It’s near Zaragoza and
Alameda on the Tigua Reservation. Information:
851-9997 (El Paso Mission Trail Association).
ON THE PECOS
• Mission Socorro — The first adobe structure
in Socorro was built in 1692, and like nearby
River Tour of
Mission Ysleta, was destroyed by floods in later
centuries. The current structure dates back to
Holiday Lights
1843, with additions completed in 1873. It’s off
Socorro Road two miles southeast of Ysleta.
• San Elizario Chapel — Established in 1789 as
a Spanish presidio, or fort, to protect the
Camino Real, San Elizario was the first county Saturday, Dec. 12
seat of El Paso. The church was built in 1877,
replacing a church built about 25 years earlier. ! "! # !% ! $ !
Technically, San Elizario Chapel is a presidio
church, not a mission. It’s on the San Elizario
plaza, off Socorro Road, 5.5 miles southeast of !" $
Socorro Mission. Nearby is the famous jail that
! ! " !
Billy the Kid reportedly broke into to rescue a
friend.
0&1 0&12/. 0&1 $/40,& .$,4%&2 #42 #/"3 0,42 2&$41&%
Shakespeare Ghost Town — A small pio- 0"1+*.( *. , "2/ 42 6*,, ,&"5& "3 0 - '1/- )&,3&1 ",&3 "1+*.(
neer settlement and mining town on the trail to , "2/ *10/13 *..&1 /. 7/41 /6. *. "1,2#"% "'3&1 3)& #/"3 1*%&
California, Shakespeare, N.M., lives on thanks
to a single family that has owned the townsite !
(2 1/2 miles from Lordsburg) since 1935.
Information: (575) 542-9034. ",, "767. 8 , "2/ /412 $
El Paso Scene Page 53
 Chamizal ‘First Friday’ Film Festival —
Chamizal National Memorial hosts a film at 7
p.m. the first Friday of the month in the the-
ater. The series includes films about El Paso,
both modern day and historical, as well as
about the border with its colors, tastes, sights
and sounds, and the Chicano experience.
Admission is free. Information: 532-7273.
The Dec. 4 screening is “A Day Without A
Mexican,” a “mockumentary” about a
California couple who wakes up without a sin-
gle Latino left in the state. Filmed in English
with Spanish subtitles Rated R.
Film Salon — The Film Salon at Trinity First
United Methodist Church, 801 N. Mesa (at
Yandell), concludes its series of Orson Welles
classics with “Touch of Evil,” at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5, in Resler Hall. Admission is
free. Nursery available with two-day advance
reservation. Information: 533-2674 or filmsa-
lon.org.
“Touch of Evil” is Welles’ baroque border
drama that is often cited as the terminus of
Hollywood’s “film noir” cycle. The film strad-
dles a lazy stretch of western border, with
Welles playing a rotund and corrupt police cap-
tain increasingly at odds with a Mexican narco-
cop played by Charlton Heston. Janet Leigh
plays Heston’s wife, Marlene Dietrich plays
Welles’ old flame and owner of a Mexican
brother and Mercedes McCambridge is a men-
acing leather-clad gang leader.
Holiday Movies at Plaza — The El Paso
Community Foundation will host a weekend of
Christmas and winter-themes movies at The
Plaza’s main theatre Dec. 5-6, to complement
the Holiday Lights Parade. Early arrival to
Saturday shows strongly encouraged. Tickets:
$5 per movie; available at the Plaza Box Office
or through Ticketmaster. Information: 533-
4020 epcf.org.
Saturday’s shows are “Elf” at 2 p.m. and “It’s
A Wonderful Life” at 7:45 p.m. Organist Jack
$,&#$ Stewart will perform Christmas carols at 7:15
)
*(( -& ' p.m. Saturday prior to the 7:45 p.m. screening.
$+"&
' Sunday’s shows are “A Christmas Story” at 2
p.m. and “White Christmas” at 6:30 p.m.
$ Pax Christi Film Series — The series
presents “Posada: A Night to Cross All
Borders” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at
Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services’
Mother Teresa Center, 2400 E. Yandell
(between Piedras and Cotton). Hosted by Pax
Christi El Paso and the Peace & Justice Ministry
of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso. Admission is
free, donations welcome. Information: 532-
0527 or 497-0384.
The U.S. Border Patrol turns away 100,000
unaccompanied immigrant children every year.
The film tells the story of three Central
American teenagers.
Holocaust Museum Cinema Sundays—
El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center,
715 Oregon, hosts free showings of Holocaust,
genocide and racism-related films at 2 p.m. the
last Sunday of the month. Admission is free, but
#/ )"$# *-*!+.,% seating is limited. Information: 351-0048 or
& 0,-$(
elpasoholocaustmuseum.org.
1 1 1 1 White Sands Film Festival entries —
The 6th annual White Sands International Film
! !# # !
Festival is taking feature length and short film
entries for the event planned for April 17-18,
!! " " " 2010 in Las Cruces. Categories include narra-
Page 54 El Paso Scene
tive and documentary, Latino and New Mexico.
All foreign-language films should be subtitled.
Accepted filmmakers will have their event
entry fee waived. Submission information: 1-
877-345-6973 or wsiff.com.
The film fest has drawn several prominent
film industry guests including directors François
Girard (“The Red Violin”), Arturo Ripstein, (“La
Reina de la Noche”) and Mark Medoff
(“Children of A Lesser God”), actors Ali
Landry, Jamison Jones, Rick Shroeder and Wes
Studi, as well as producers, screenwriters and
more.
Fountain Theatre — 2469 Calle de
Guadalupe, 1/2 block south of the plaza in
Mesilla. The historic theater, operated by the
Mesilla Valley Film Society, features films at
7:30 p.m. nightly, plus 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Foreign language films include subtitles.
Admission: $7 ($6 seniors and students with
ID; all seats for matinees; $5 society members
and children); $5 on Wednesday. Closed Dec.
25 and 31. Information, schedule: (575) 524-
8287 or mesillavalleyfilm.org.
• Nov. 27-Dec. 3 — “Coco Before Chanel.”
The film tells the story of the woman who
became Coco Chanel. Chanel grew up a poor,
skinny orphan in a convent school, where she
learned sewing as a trade. She idled in her early
years as a cabaret singer, lived with one protec-
tive rich man while falling in love with another,
and hewed to a life of unmarried independence
that hid a tough, sad heart. Rated PG-13.
• Dec. 4-10 — “Captain Abu Raed.” An elder-
ly widower works as a janitor at the interna-
tional airport in Amman, Jordan. He’s well
read, philosophical, and given to moments of
spontaneous whimsy, as when he finds the dis-
carded hat of a jet pilot and wears it on the
way home. The impoverished kids in his neigh-
borhood assume he’s actually a pilot and treat
him with such exaggerated respect that he
decides to play along, Arabian Nights–style,
with tales of his imagined travels.
• Dec 11-17 — “The September Issue.”
R.J. Cutler’s lusciously revealing fly-on-the-wall
documentary portrait of Anna Wintour.
Viewers observe the process by which Wintour
and her army of editors, designers, photogra-
phers, models, and go-fers assemble Vogue’s
massive September issue. Rated PG-13.
• Dec. 18-23 — “Shall We Kiss?” A woman
asks a stranger for directions. They have dinner
together, wine is consumed, and the gentleman
later leans in to give her a goodnight kiss. The
lady demurs as such innocent displays of affec-
tion often lead to problems, and she has a
lengthy anecdote to back up her assertion.
Unrated.
• Dec. 26-30 — “Rashomon.” The 1950
Japanese film by legendary director Akira
Kurosawa. This classic film opens to two men
— a priest and a woodcutter — sitting in the
shelter of Kyoto’s Rashomon Gate. When a
commoner runs in out of the rain and engages
them in conversation, he learns that a samurai
has been murdered and his wife raped and a
local bandit is suspected. In telling the com-
moner what they know, the woodcutter and
the priest will introduce flashbacks in which the
bandit, the wife and the woodcutter say what
they saw, or think they saw. MVFS members
admitted free.
Please see Page 55
December 2009
Film Scene Dec. 4:
• Armored (Screen Gems) — Columbus Short,
Cont’d from Page 54 Matt Dillon, Lawrence Fishburne. Directed by
‘Our People, Our Faith...Our Lady’ — Nimrod Antal.
The Branigan Cultural Center and the Las • Brothers (Lionsgate) — Jake Gyllenhaal,
Cruces Public Information Office present a spe- Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire. Directed by
cial screening of the documentary on Our Lady Jim Sheridan.
of Guadelupe 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, • Everybody’s Fine (Miramax) — Robert De
at the Rio Grande Theatre, 211 Downtown Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell. Directed
Mall, Las Cruces. The film, directed by Adrian by Kirk Jones. Voice
Voice Personal
Personalss
Guzmán, documents the Fiesta of Our Lady of • Serious Moonlight (Magnolia Home
Guadalupe, an annual event held in Tortugas, Entertainment) — Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, and Live Chat
N.M. Free tickets available inside City Hall, 200 Kristen Bell. Directed by Cheryl Hines.
N. Church Street. Limit is four per person on a • Up in the Air (Paramount) — George
first-come, first-serve basis. Information: (575)
541-2200 or clctv.com.
Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick.
Directed by Jason Reitman.
Phone Dating!
CinéMatinee Film Series — Films with
No online photos needed!
Dec. 11:
western, rural or New Mexico themes (as well • Invictus (Warner Bros.) — Morgan Freeman,
as other special selections) are shown at 1:30 Scott Eastwood, Matt Damon. Directed by
p.m. Saturdays at the Fountain Theatre, 2469 Clint Eastwood.
Calle de Guadalupe, 1/2 block south of the • The Lovely Bones (DreamWorks SKG) — FRE
plaza in Mesilla. Admission: $4 ($1 for Mesilla Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Saoirse Ronan. CO D E
1081E
Valley Film Society members), unless otherwise Directed by Peter Jackson.
listed. Information: (575) 524-8287 (leave mes- • The Princess and the Frog (Walt Disney
sage) or mesillavalleyfilm.org.
• Dec. 5 - “Shorts and Sweets,” Mesilla Valley
Studios) — Hand drawn Animation. Featuring
the voices of Anika Noni Rose, Keth David,
El Paso
Film Society’s final 20th anniversary celebration
with a selection of short films, followed by
Oprah Winfrey. Directed by Ron Clements and (915) 541.8900
John Musker.
desserts from Stephanie of Let Them Eat Cake. • A Single Man (Weinstein) — Colin Firth,
Cost: $7 ($6 seniors and students with ID, $5
Alternative Locals
Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode. Directed by
for MVFS members). The program will run Tom Ford.
(915) 541.8888
about 2 hours. Films include “Red Mesa” by
Ilana Lapid (Made in NM); “The Delian Mode,” Dec. 18:
“Gandhi at the Bat,” “Coach Huizar” and one • Avatar (20th Century Fox) — Live action and
more to be announced. Cost: $7 ($6 seniors CG Animation in 3D. Sam Worthington,
and students with ID, $5 for MVFS members). For
F o r other
o t h e r local
l o c a l numbers
n u m b e r s call
call www.MegaMates.com
w w w.
w M e g a M a t e s.
s com
Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez.
• Dec. 12 — “Christmas in the Clouds”
(2001). Set primarily on a ski resort owned by
Directed by James Cameron.
• Did You Hear About the Morgans?
1-888-MegaMates
1-888-MegaMates 1-888-634-2628
a Native American tribe, the screwball comedy (Columbia) — Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica
earned the Audience Award for Best Feature Parker, Sam Elliott. Directed by Marc 24/7 Friendly Customer Care 1(888) 634.2628 18+ ©2009 PC LLC

Film at the 2001 Austin Film Festival and was Lawrence.

named Best Native-American Themed Film at • Nine (Weinstein) — Daniel Day-Lewis,
the Santa Fe Film Festival that year. Rated PG. Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz. Directed by
• Dec. 19 — “How About You?” (2007) Based
on a story by Irish writer Maeve Binchy. Over a
Christmas holiday, Ellie Harris, who works at a
Rob Marshall.
• The Young Victoria (Apparition) — Emily - - -
home for the aged run by her sister, is left
alone to care for four residents who have
Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany. Directed by
Jean-Marc Vallee. +%#' ,(* ()"#) $)(&
nowhere to go. Though the oldsters are nasty
and demanding, Ellie learns from them, and
vice versa. Not rated.
• Dec. 26 — “About a Boy” (2002). Will
Dec. 25:
• Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
(20th Century-Fox) — Live action and CG ani-
. - !!
mation. Featuring voices of Justin Long, Drew (7 ".2(%0 (3-2)-' $.5- ! #./7 .& -%62 ,.-2(:1 #%-%
Freeman (Hugh Grant) is the quintessential Barrymore, Matthew Gray Gubler. Directed by
bachelor who has built himself the perfect Betty Thomas. 312 .0$%0 ! /)88! &0., !-7 .,)-.:1 )- + !1.
commitment-free life, aided by a music royal- • The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Sony
ties from a Christmas song written by his father Classics) — Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, !-$ !1* &.0 2(% #%-% 2. "% $%+)4%0%$ 5)2( 2(% /)88!
long ago. Rated PG-13. Heath Ledger (in his last performance).
Directed by Terry Gilliam. 2:1 (% #%-% -.2 2(% /)88!
New Mexico Museum of Space
History — Alamogordo, N.M. The museum’s • It’s Complicated (Universal) — Meryl Streep, ()1 .&&%0 '..$ 5()+% 13//+)%1 +!12
Tombaugh IMAX Dome Theater presents: Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin. Directed by Nancy
• “Molecules to the Max” (noon, 2 p.m. and 4 Meyers.
p.m. daily beginning Nov. 1). The animated film • Sherlock Holmes (Warner Bros.) — Robert
takes the audience into the innermost workings Downey Jr., Rachel McAdams, Jude Law.
of the cosmos through the adventures of an Directed by Guy Ritchie. (Re-imagining of Sir
oxygen atom named Oxy and friends Hydro Arthur Conan Doyle’s master criminologist). (!$.5 2- 7%0 %$'%5..$
and Hydra.
DVD Releases - -
• “Sharks” (11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
-
daily). Jean-Michel Cousteau presents a 3-D Dec. 1 -
encounter with the “lions and tigers of the • Night at the Museum Battle of the
ocean.” Smithsonian / PG .-25..$
.-)/(!- 7%0
Tickets: $6 ($5.50 for seniors and military; • Terminator Salvation / PG-13
$4.50 ages 4-12). Ages 3 and under free for all - - -
shows. Information: (877) 333-6589 or (575) Dec. 8
437-2840 or nmspacemuseum.org. • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince / PG
• Public Enemies / R %1! %+2! +!,%$!
Jay’s Film Forecast — Film historian Jay
Duncan prepared this list of top monthly Dec. 15
“Coming Attractions” for movie fans, listed by • G-force / PG .,)-.:1 .301 9
studio and release date. Release dates are sub- • The Hangover / R
ject to change. • Inglourious Basterds / R 3-$!7 (301$!7 !, /,
• Taking Woodstock / R 0)$!7 9 !230$!7 !, !,
• The Other Man / R

December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 55

 Local: TSO in the Land of
Enchantment, Dec. 9
It doesn’t seem to matter when they hit the
calendar — Trans-Siberian Orchestra always
continues the holiday tradition. The show
will venture to Las Cruces this time and give
us a double dose of yuletide with two per-
formances Dec. 9. The group will once again
break into a few touring units, with each pri-
marily performing selections from all three
of their Christmas releases: “Christmas Eve
and Other Stories,” “The Christmas Attic”
and “Lost Christmas Eve.” This time they
will include a handful of tracks from their
new double disc, “Night Castle.” This isn’t a

Get Scene Christmas disc but fits right in with their cat-
alogue. Trans-Siberian Orchestra features a
revolving cast, with members of the band Living Colour, “The Chair in
around town!
The Scene comes out the last week of the month.
Savatage, as well as a 60-piece orchestra and
choir. Paul O’Neill, a veteran hard-rock
music producer, heads the entire group. The
the Doorway,” Megaforce
It was nearly 20 years ago when these then
show will be a bountiful buffet for the ears boys were thrust upon the world’s spotlight
Pick up your copy at these and other locations. by the Rolling Stones. The world’s greatest
Or subscribe by mail! See Page 58 for order form. and eyes. It is part rock concert, Broadway
spectacular, narrated story, brilliant light rock band even gave them the coveted open-
show and pyrotechnical blitz, and a deluge of ing slot on their 1989 “Steel Wheels” tour. It
VILLAGE INN WALGREENS SAM’S CLUB
snowfall. All these elements combine to set has been five very long years since this quar-
1500 Airway 890 N Resler Dr 7970 N. Mesa tet last surfaced on the now-defunct
the perfect scene. Trans-Siberian Orchestra,
7144 Gateway East 5900 N Mesa St 7001 Gateway West Sanctuary records. Their output over a two-
an orchestra like no other, performing
4757 Hondo Pass 8050 N Mesa 11360 Pellicano decade career has been spotty at best.
Christmas music like no other.
2929 N. Mesa 2800 N. Mesa Between breakups, solo projects, and lead
5863 N. Mesa 200 N Mesa PETLAND vocalist Corey Glover bizarrely taking a spot
National: Joe Perry, “Have as a VJ on VH-1, the band has not been the
7801 N. Mesa 2879 Montana 1331 George Dierter
Guitar, Will Travel,” Roman most dependable for consistent releases.
2275 Trawood 5401 Montana
1331 N. Zaragoza 1100 Geronimo Records Inc. Their latest is “The Chair in the Doorway,”
8401 Gateway West
BARNES & NOBLE The phrase “solo album” is typically the first
and these guys, now averaging 46 years old,
In Las Cruces: 705 Sunland Park Dr. have delivered their hardest disc of their
5150 Fairbanks indication of a band’s demise. The source of
1205 El Paseo 9521 Viscount entire catalogue. It is an energetic, com-
9428 Dyer the desire to go it alone can usually be traced
455 S. Telshor bustible monster with a loud, wailing guitar,
10780 Kenworthy back to the lead singer. This time guitarist
EASTSIDE CAFE a constant rattle of the percussion section,
1210 Wedgewood Joe Perry of Aerosmith is the sheep that lost
SUN HARVEST 3355 N Yarbrough 11251 Rojas its flock. This is his second release in the
and enraged vocals. Its mood is reminiscent
6100 N. Mesa of 1993’s “Stain,” with dark themes, but it
1831 N. Lee Trevino new millennium, and much like with his ’80s
2950 George Dieter
VISTA MARKET outings, his day job seems to be in tremen-
keeps the pedal pressed to the floor for all 12
DUNKIN’ DONUTS tracks. This comeback has them kicking,
700 Zaragosa • 1105 N. 11685 Montwood 2231 Zaragosa dous turmoil. The new album is titled “Have
screaming and demanding some overdue
Yarbrough • 9114 Dyer 12390 Edgemere CARNITAS Guitar, Will Travel,” and there is good reason
attention. I am not sure if it was a “Chair in
1607 N Zaragoza for that. This disc is all about his instrument,
QUERETARO which is front and center on every track. It is
the Doorway” or what the obstacle might
FURR’S FAMILY 800 N. Zaragosa
4001 N Mesa have been, but they have kicked it over and
100 N. Americas a raw collection of solid rock tracks that
BUFFET 1451 N Zaragoza are coming out of that doorway with full
8045 N. Loop have not been overworked or overpolished.
Gateway West at force.
6516 N Mesa There are a few rough edges with some grit
Zaragoza and grime, but that is what really makes this
8528 Dyer • 119 N. AVILA’S YSLETA ISD a must-have. The entire CD feels loose and Collectibles: Def Leppard,
6232 N. Mesa
Balboa 9600 Sims free, as if we have been invited into Joe’s Deluxe Reissue Campaign,
studio. The album has the undeniable Mercury/UMG
EP FITNESS ARDOVINO’S EL PASO Aerosmith blood running through its veins
145 Paragon PIZZA In the late ’70s, the “New Wave of British
INTERNATIONAL and is reminiscent of those early days before Heavy Metal” was the answer to the harder
11330 James Watt 865 N. Resler at Redd the stadiums and the Diane Warren–penned
12145 Montwood 206 Cincinnati AIRPORT Top 40 ballad schmaltz. “Have Guitar, Will
sounds heard early in the decade that were
by then fading away. This sound was less
981 N. Resler UTEP LIBRARY Travel” will hopefully make a journey
THE through the Southwest and maybe even the
about the blues influences and much more
1224 Wedgewood
MARKETPLACE EPCC CAMPUSES about the speed of the music. In those early
Sun City. years, Def Leppard led the pack with Iron
DOMINO’S PIZZA 5034 Doniphan YMCA’s
Maiden, Saxon and Judas Priest, but they
ALL EL PASO EP CONV. CENTER Pete Yorn & Scarlett also did something very different. This was a
LOCATIONS MANDO’S
5420 Doniphan EP CITY HALL Johansson, “Break Up,” ATCO band very much focused on melodies and
updating the glam sound. In the early ’80s,
RIVIERA THE BAGEL SHOP EL PASO LIBRARY Pete Yorn has always been an extremely
they crossed over into Top 40 radio, and
RESTAURANT 3400 N. Mesa TX TOURISM ambitious songwriter. In 2006, he unveiled
legions of hair-metal bands followed, with
5218 Doniphan his “You & Me” acoustic series, basically 29
815 N. Resler CENTER individual acoustic in-store music-shop per- only a handful still around today. In honor of
formances recorded as he crossed the nation the band’s longevity and influence, UMG has
HELLO PIZZA CASA JURADO CTY COURTHOUSE rolled out the deluxe treatment for three of
River Run Plaza 4772 Doniphan on tour that summer. He is now two-thirds of
THE BOOKERY the way through his 12-month plan. “Break their seminal albums — “Pyromania,”
226 Cincinnati “Hysteria” and “Adrenalize.” Each set has
EL PASO ZOO Up” is the second LP in his trilogy for the
been remastered and expanded to double-disc
RANCHER’S WING STOP year. The nine-song collection is primarily a
In Las Cruces collections. The bonus CDs range from a
GRILL 1757 George Dieter duets affair with a surprisingly good cohort
complete concert with a guest appearance by
7597 N. Mesa 2900 N. Mesa COAS in actress Scarlett Johansson. She released
her own album, of Tom Waits covers, last Brian May of Queen, to a heaping of rare B-
9530 Viscount (at I- 9530 Viscount Mesilla Book Center sides, plus remixes, previously unreleased
10) 865 Resler year, but this new venture was actually
cuts, cover versions, demos, acoustic rendi-
9008 Dyer, 8825 N. Loop In Juárez recorded prior to that. The supporting role
tions and other live goodies. This is Def
ANDRE’S PIZZA Museo INBA • Museo and singer-songwriter material seems to fit
Leppard with all the trimmings — just in
3233 N. Mesa JJ’S Chamizal • Museo Ex- her better than her last effort. “Break Up”
time for the holidays.
5320 Doniphan Aduana • ICHICULT • plays to all of Yorn’s strengths, from the low
7000 Westwind Brian Chozick is the owner of Tumblin’
Centro Cultural de la mute numbers with their whisper-like line
SUNSET LEO’S Ciudad • Academia sparring to the guitar-focused rock cuts, Dice Music. Drop him a line at
7520 Remcon Municipal • CEMA • Arte tumblindicemusic@netscape.net.
where intense vocals prevail throughout, to
BREWERY en el Parque • Biblioteca breezy summer tracks filled with lazy porch- E-mail your top 10 of 2009 to be eligible
4176 N. Mesa VALENTINE BAKERY Arturo Tolentino • Centro
11930 Picasso side riffs. When it comes to breakups, here’s to win a free CD (randomly selected,
Cultural Paso del Norte • hoping Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson are limited quantity, while supplies last).
HAL MARCUS Libreria Universitaria •
GALLERY by all of our sides, making them less painful Send to tumblindicemusic@netscape.net
ALL THAT MUSIC Centro de Convenciones
and more enjoyable. and include your mailing address.
800 N. Mesa 1506 Lee Trevino Cibeles

Page 56 El Paso Scene December 2009

El Paso Chamber Music Festival — Jan.
6-31 at various venues. El Paso Pro-Musica’s
20th annual festival presents world-class cham-
ber musicians in concerts recitals and other
special. Information: 833-9400 or eppm.org.
UTEP Men’s Basketball - Home games
are7:05 p.m. at the Don Haskins Center.
Tickets: $9-$25. Information: 747-5234.
• Wednesday, Jan. 6 — SMU
• Saturday, Jan. 9 — BYU 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 16 — Southern Miss
• Wednesday, Jan. 27 — Tulane
El Maida Shrine Circus — Jan. 7-10 at
the El Paso County Coliseum, 4100 Paisano.
Show times are 4:30 and 8 p.m. Thursday; 10
a.m. and 8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Saturday and 11 a.m. 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets: $12 ($10 kids; $14 box seats).
Information: 562-1444.
UTEP Women’s Basketball — Home
games at Don Haskins Center. Tickets: $7 ($3
youth). Information: 747-5234.
• Friday, Jan. 8 — Rice, 7:05 p.m.
• Sunday, Jan. 10 — Houston, 2:05 p.m.
• Sunday, Jan. 24 — UCF, 2:05 p.m.
El Paso Rhinos — El Paso’s Junior League
ice hockey team home games are at the Sierra
Providence Events Center. Game times are
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 5:30 p.m.
Sunday. Ticket information: 479-PUCK (7825)
or elpasorhinos.com.
• Jan. 8-10 — Boulder Bison
• Jan. 29-31 — Tulsa Rampage
‘I’m Not Rappaport’ – El Paso Playhouse,
2501 Montana, present the hit Herb Gardner
‘dramedy’ Jan. 8-30. Showtimes are 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Ticket
information: 532-1317, elpasoplayhouse.com.
‘National Monuments’ – El Paso Wind
Symphony presents a musical celebration of
national pride at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15 at
Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall. Tickets: $12.50
january
prEVIEW
Belly Dance Extravaganza 2010 —
Dance Alive presents an evening of swirling
veils, flashing swords and exotic music at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 23, at the Chamizal National
Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial. Information: 566-
1742 or plportilla@wmconnect.com.
Provost Gun Show — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan.
23-24, at the El Maida Shrine Temple, 6331
Alabama. Admission: $5 ($4 active military and
accompanying dependents; ages 12 and
younger free). Information: 241-1761.
# "
$ $
"
$
‘Little Women’ – Kids-N-Co. presents the Tickets: $35- $50. Information: (575) 646-3709
classic Alcott tale Jan. 23-Feb. 14 at Kids-N- or lascrucessymphony.com.
Co. Performance Space. 1301 Texas.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and
Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $5-
Peter Mulvey – 7:30 p.m. Jan 15, at the
Silco Theatre, 311 Bullard in Silver City. Part of
the Mimbres Region Arts Council’s Folk Series.
$7 at the door. Information: 351-1455.
Bill Maher — The ‘politically incorrect’
comic performs Thursday, Jan. 28, at The
Tickets: $5-$20. Information: (575) 538-2505
or 1-888-758-7289.
‘One-Act Play Festival’ – Jan. 15-24. Las
Plaza Theatre. Tickets: $45.50-$75.50, plus
Cruces Community Theatre presents its annual
service charge.(Ticketmaster).
celebration of short plays at 8 p.m. Fridays and
Night of Hope Ball — El Paso Diabetes Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $5.
Association will host its 2nd annual fundraising Information: (575) 523-1200 or lcctnm.org.
gala 6:30 p.m. to midnight, Saturday, Jan. 30,
‘Godspell’ — Jan. 15-31 in the Black Box
at Wyndham Hotel 2027 Airway, with dinner,
Theatre. Presented by No-Strings Theatre
music and entertainment. This year’s honored
Company. Performances are 8 p.m. Friday and
guest is Dr. Robert Christenson. Admission:
Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24 and 31, and
$100 (includes dinner and dance). Information:
7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28. Tickets: $7-$10.
532-6280 or epdiabetes.org.
Information: (575) 523-1223 or no-strings.org.
Nearly Neil and the Solitary Band — The Pine Leaf Boys – 8 p.m. Jan. 21 at
Showtime! El Paso presents a tribute to music
NMSU’s Atkinson Music Recital Hall, as part of
legend Neil Diamond at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan.
the ASNMSU Cultural Series. Cajun music with
31, at the Abraham Chavez Theatre, featuring
youthful exuberance. Tickets: $10-$12.50,
Bobby Bruce. Ticket information: 544-2022 or
(575) 646-1420.
ShowtimeElPaso.com.
Daniel Rodriguez – 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22, at
Southern New Mexico WNMU Fine Arts Center Theater. Tickets: $20
‘Bravo Broadway’ – Jan. 9-10 at NMSU’s at the door. Information: (575) 538-5862.
Atkinson Recital Hall. The Las Cruces
Moscow Festival Ballet’s ‘Cinderella’
Symphony presents its 5th annual Pops per-
— 8 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Spencer Theater for
formance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m.
Performing Arts in Alto, N.M. Tickets: $56-$59.
Sunday. Guests Anne Runolfsson, Doug
Information: (575) 336-4800, (888) 818-7872
Labrecque and Debbie Gravitte will join the
or spencertheater.com.
orchestra, celebrating Broadway classics.

LET’S GET PERSONAL ...

($7.50 students). Information: 760-5599.

TRAINING AT PTEP
Monster Truck Spectacular — The mon-
$
ster truck show is 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, at
the El Paso County Coliseum, 4100 Paisano. $

1071 Country Club Rd. Ste T

Tickets: $20-$25 ($10-$20 children; $18 sen- !
iors, miliary students; $12.50 family fun pack;

915.584.1018
free for ages 2 and younger). (Ticketmaster).
An Evening with the Stars – El Paso
Chapter, The Links Inc. hosts its 3rd annual ele-
ANDREA FIDEL ORLANDO JOSIE
gant evening of dinner, dancing and awards rec-
ognizing individuals who have made a difference
in our community at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15,
at the Wyndham Airport Hotel. Events also
include a silent auction and raffle. Tickets $50.
Information: 598-9499, 593-5738 or 877-3647.
Rock Laser Spectaculars — The popular
laser rock shows are 7:30 p.m. Friday and
Saturday, Jan. 15-16, Abraham Chavez
Theatre. (Ticketmaster). Friday’s show features
the music of Pink Floyd. Tickets: $19.50,
$24.50 and $29.50, plus service charges.
Saturday’s show features the music of Michael
Jackson. Tickets: $24.50, $29.50 and $35, plus
service charges.
El Paso Puzzler Mountain Bike Race —
The 3rd annual endurance mountain bike race
is 8 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 17, at Bowen Ranch.
Registration (by Jan 1): $40. Information: 845-
1097 or bmba.wordpress.com.
El Paso Symphony Orchestra – The
Symphony presents an “All-Star Celebration” at
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 22-23,in
the Plaza Theatre, featuring guest conductor
Alexander Platt and guest cellist Zuill Bailey.
Information: 532-3776 or epso.org.

December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 57

 Advertiser Index
A & S Fun Tours 22 Etcetera 9 PhiDev Inc 40
Alma Calderon 26 Executive Singles 21 Phoenix Dawn 57
Maricela C. Andrade 36 Facial Spa by Susana 22 Physician’s Vein Care 60
Ann’s Est. & Mov’g Sales 24 The Forum Ballroom 11 Pilates El Paso 49
Antonio Soegaard-Torres 20 Fountain Theatre 54 Pizazz 17
Ardovino’s Desert Crossing 50 FuntastiCo 15 Plaza Theatre 2
Ardovino’s Pizza 23 Furrs Family Dining 54 Precision Prosthetics 24
Around and About Tours 40 Geico 25 Prestige Health Care 4
ATMAS Healing 48 Glass Goodies 27 PTEP 57
Avance 24 Glazed Honey Ham 37 Pure Romance 10
BeadCounter 27 Hal Marcus Gallery 59 Bill Rakocy 38
Beauty Solutions 25 Hardin Chiropractic 9 Real Estate El Paso 38
Bissell Art Studio 15 HC Kiwanis Bingo 36 Reidsan Dog Training 26
Book Publishers of El Paso 51 Health Matters 24 Rincon Magico 40
The Book Rack 51 Hike Up Cristo Rey 23 Dr Juan Antonio Rodriquez 24
The Bookery 51 Inn of the Mountain Gods 45 Ronda Brown 36
Bruce Nehring Consort 7 Inside Out Designs Inc. 9 Rubin Gallery 41
Bruce’s Air 54 Int'l Quality Products 52 Ruidoso River Resort 29
Cattleman's 53 Jazz El Paso Connection 53 Salon Saleh 15
Cecila Burgos LPC 39 Kaffee Klatsch 11 Salon Saleh 38
Certif’d Train’g with Danny 22 KTEP 52 San Francisco's Cosmetics 14
COAS 51 L’Alliance Française 21 Shelter Valet 42
Collectibles 11 La Mujer Obrera 33 Shundo Dance Studio 34
Coronado Baptist Church 47 La Tierra Café 40 Si El Paso Tours 53
Cosmetic Laser Center 12 Los Artesanos 25 Silver City MainStreet 37,39
Cosmetic & Hair Surgery 28,33 Lynx Exhibits 49 Sonic 4
Counterpoint 15 The Marketplace 27 Substance 39
Creations by Carolina 11,27 Martha Garcia 21 Sun. Pk Racetrack 19
CrossPoint Church 21 Dr Gus Martinez 35 SW Liposculpture 46
The Crystal Store 9 Massage Kneads Me 37 Telemates 55
Divine Energy 18 Mesa Street Antique 34 Texas Satsang 43
Domino’s 55 Mesilla Book Center 51 Toni Marie Studio 34
Edible Arrangements 30 Metta Massage 35 Trans-Siberian Orchestra 7
El Paso Art Association 23 Mr Motorcycle 44 Tulip’s Antiques 18
El Paso Conv & Perf Arts Ctr 5 Nayda’s Gems & Stones 27 UTEP Athletics 58
El Paso Museum of Art 16 New Image Laser Cosm. 57 UTEP Dinner Theatre 3
EP Museum of Art Store 48 New York Life 22 UTEP Theatre & Dance 32
El Paso Playhouse 8 Pat Olchefski-Winston 28 Vanities 13
El Paso Saddleblanket 10 Old Fashioned Xmas 48 Village Inn 34
El Paso Symphony 44 Marie Otero 26 Walgreens 30

El Paso Scene Elegant Consignments

EPCC Children’s college
27
8
Parking Lot Stripping
Paseo Christian Church
59
23
Western Traders
Wyler Aerial Tramway
56
54

Be Seen in the Scene!

EPCC Personal Enrichment 35 Perkins Jewelry Supply 26 Xicali 10
Escamilla Gallery 28 Petland 47

USER’S GUIDE
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The deadline for news announcements usual-
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Page 58 El Paso Scene December 2009

December 2009 El Paso Scene Page 59
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