Nearly two decades ago, George Stout attended a parade to honor troops returning home from Operation Desert Storm.
On Wednesday, he and about 12,000 others attended a parade honoring soldiers again returning from Iraq and the Middle East.
Stout, a Vietnam War veteran, who missed out on the warm homecoming experienced by other soldiers, had a four-foot wooden sign that read "God Bless our Troops." The sign also had a prisoner-of-war and missing-in-action tribute and displayed three American flags.
"I've been carrying it ever since" the Desert Storm parade, said Stout, who clenched the sign Wednesday and eagerly waited for the Welcome Home Heroes Parade to begin. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world. These young brave men and women have made this a better, safer place."
Workers on their lunch break, veterans displaying their pride and children bused in from school districts across the county were among area residents who lined the streets Wednesday afternoon for the parade. It welcomed soldiers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, who returned from Iraq several months ago.
The parade also honored air defenders of the 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery, 11th ADA Brigade, who returned recently from the Middle East.
More than 4,000 soldiers marched in the city-sponsored parade, which spanned about 1.25 miles.
The event Wednesday was only the third time in El Paso that soldiers who returned from war were honored in a special citywide parade. City officials said soldiers marched in a parade after World War II and also after Operation Desert Storm.
Col. Stephen Twitty, the 4-1 Cavalry commander, who led the soldiers, said he was astonished at the number of people who attended the midday parade. Twitty, who praised the city of El Paso and Mayor John Cook, said he and many of his soldiers teared up during the march.
"Regardless of what people think, here in El Paso, about this war, they still support the soldiers, and that makes a huge difference to the soldiers out there," Twitty said. "We definitely feel welcome here in El Paso. I just had a meeting with one of my captains, and he just told me a few minutes ago that he was on assignment to go somewhere else and he doesn't want to go now. So he wants me to assist him in staying in El Paso. I mean, that's the type of impact that this parade has had on soldiers."
Jessica Del Palacio, an employee of Monterrey Properties, was one of several workers from the company given time to attend the parade.
At one point, Del Palacio ran up to a soldier, who was marching in the parade, shook his hand and thanked him.
"They are doing great out their helping our country and fighting for us," said Del Palacio, who was excited about her encounter with the soldier.
The loud applause, which was consistent throughout the parade, abruptly stopped while 31 riderless horses passed by, bearing the names of soldiers who died during the 4-1 Cavalry's deployment to Iraq.
Veterans saluted and others wiped tears as the name of each soldier was announced and each horse -- adorned with a saddle blanket bearing the soldier's name and carrying boots reversed in the stirrups as a tribute -- moved past the crowd.
"That was the most moving thing and it somewhat provided a sense of closure for me as well," Twitty said. "To see all of them, including (my fallen soldiers) -- I felt their presence in the parade with us -- I felt comfortable to have all my soldiers with me. It may just be a soldier thing, but I felt that I had all my guys there, to include my soldiers that were killed."
Sgt. Dagoberto Hinojosa, whose 5-year-old son, Angelo, was dressed as a soldier and marched in place, said that while he appreciated all the support he and his family received during the event, he was hoping to pay tribute to his friends and fellow soldiers who died in combat.
"I'll never forget any of them," Hinojosa said. "It means a lot when people stop you to thank you for your service and everything you've done, but they gave more than any of us. With the war going on, I can't imagine how their wives and children must be feeling. My children got their dad back."
Since Spc. Nate Fulton returned from Iraq, he and his wife, Maygen Fulton, have already seen quite a bit of support from the community.
"The day I got back, we went to get food because I hadn't eaten in a long time," Fulton said. "It was a long flight. We went to Denny's, and when the time came to pay for the meal, the waiter came over and told us it had already been paid for."
Both Fulton, who was on his first deployment, and Spc. Brandon Powell, whose 5å-year Army career has already meant three deployments to Iraq, said separately that they hoped their participation in the parade would pay tribute to the war veterans who fought before them.
"It's nice to see all the previous war veterans, and it is our way of honoring those who didn't get the same support we have," Fulton said. "They come out here to say thank you to us, but they were out here before us, and we wouldn't be doing what we're doing if it wasn't for them."
Twitty said the support shown by people at the parade reinforced his opinions about El Paso.
"I've been in the Army going on 23 years and moved 14 times and never been to a location where I have been so embraced by the people like here in El Paso," Twitty said. "Nowhere else have I been. I have to be honest -- this feels like home."
Active Rain Real Estate Network
You can find great local El Paso, Texas real estate information on Localism.com Patti Olivas is a proud member of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free online community to help real estate professionals grow their business.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
February 27, 2008
-Several soldiers and family members expressed gratitude to El Paso Mayor John Cook for getting the city to put on the parade. They said they saw how much Cook cared when the mayor recounted in the Times his own less-than-hospitable homecoming from Vietnam in which he was pelted with an egg.
-Soldiers took the time to eat and drink plenty of water before the parade started. One guy wasn't just handing out the bottled water to the soldiers, he tossed them 30 feet to them. It didn't look like any one was hit by the flying water bottles.
-Spc. Colin Christopher,23, said he was a bit surprised to hear there would be a parade to honor the troops. "At first, I was kind of stunned that a city this large would do something like this," Christopher said. He said it was something he expected from the small, 15,000-person town in Ohio he is from. Christopher said it was nice to see a person on a bus waving the American flag toward the troops as it passed by this morning. Christopher said life has been a whirlwind since he got back from Iraq in mid-December. He got back Dec. 14 and his daughter, Caelin was born the next day. His wife Megan, 1-year-old Ciearra and newborn Caelin moved into a new home on Dec. 16.
-Spc. Anthony Scheffel, 23, practiced marching with his 19-month old son Brenden before the start of the parade. Scheffel joked that his son wasn't imitating him, but mocking him.
-Merardo "Mano" Bonilla and a few other members of the Texas Veterans Commission have been on Stanton since 10 a.m. He said they're out here to show they are 100 percent behind the troops. -About 40 Boy Scouts took the time to walk the parade route to hand out small American flags to members of the crowd.
-Some people tried to get a better view by standing on building rooftops or on the second and third floors of parking garages. -The 4-1 Cav units each seemed to have a different chant they would sing as they marched. One unit shouted "We are the demons. The mighty, mighty demons." Another had a bit more flair. "We got a lot of soul and a little bit of rock n roll." -Lisa Knowles and her children Breanna, 6, and Brandon Rivera, 8, watched the parade on Stanton Street. Knowles said she had arrived Downtown about 9:30 a.m., but didn't find one for quite a while. She finally found a spot to watch the parade and her husband Sgt. Roger Knowles about 11:45 a.m. Lisa Knowles said she kept her children home from school to go to the parade.
-The parade concluded with the playing of the Army song by the 62nd Army Band. Many in the crowd sang along loudly and proudly. World War II veteran Luis Mario Ortiz, 82, was front and center at Mesa and Mills to cheer on the soldiers. Ortiz said he had volunteered to be in the Army as WWII was in its later years.
"I like to see the other guys," Ortiz said of why he came down to the parade.
The admiration for the current soldiers is not a one-way street. An active-duty soldier noticed Ortiz's World War II veteran's baseball cap and thanked him for his service. Pictures from the parade will be posted here shortly.
Posted by Leonard Martinez at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A few technical notes
-Several soldiers and family members expressed gratitude to El Paso Mayor John Cook for getting the city to put on the parade. They said they saw how much Cook cared when the mayor recounted in the Times his own less-than-hospitable homecoming from Vietnam in which he was pelted with an egg.
-Soldiers took the time to eat and drink plenty of water before the parade started. One guy wasn't just handing out the bottled water to the soldiers, he tossed them 30 feet to them. It didn't look like any one was hit by the flying water bottles.
-Spc. Colin Christopher,23, said he was a bit surprised to hear there would be a parade to honor the troops. "At first, I was kind of stunned that a city this large would do something like this," Christopher said. He said it was something he expected from the small, 15,000-person town in Ohio he is from. Christopher said it was nice to see a person on a bus waving the American flag toward the troops as it passed by this morning. Christopher said life has been a whirlwind since he got back from Iraq in mid-December. He got back Dec. 14 and his daughter, Caelin was born the next day. His wife Megan, 1-year-old Ciearra and newborn Caelin moved into a new home on Dec. 16.
-Spc. Anthony Scheffel, 23, practiced marching with his 19-month old son Brenden before the start of the parade. Scheffel joked that his son wasn't imitating him, but mocking him.
-Merardo "Mano" Bonilla and a few other members of the Texas Veterans Commission have been on Stanton since 10 a.m. He said they're out here to show they are 100 percent behind the troops. -About 40 Boy Scouts took the time to walk the parade route to hand out small American flags to members of the crowd.
-Some people tried to get a better view by standing on building rooftops or on the second and third floors of parking garages. -The 4-1 Cav units each seemed to have a different chant they would sing as they marched. One unit shouted "We are the demons. The mighty, mighty demons." Another had a bit more flair. "We got a lot of soul and a little bit of rock n roll." -Lisa Knowles and her children Breanna, 6, and Brandon Rivera, 8, watched the parade on Stanton Street. Knowles said she had arrived Downtown about 9:30 a.m., but didn't find one for quite a while. She finally found a spot to watch the parade and her husband Sgt. Roger Knowles about 11:45 a.m. Lisa Knowles said she kept her children home from school to go to the parade.
-The parade concluded with the playing of the Army song by the 62nd Army Band. Many in the crowd sang along loudly and proudly. World War II veteran Luis Mario Ortiz, 82, was front and center at Mesa and Mills to cheer on the soldiers. Ortiz said he had volunteered to be in the Army as WWII was in its later years.
"I like to see the other guys," Ortiz said of why he came down to the parade.
The admiration for the current soldiers is not a one-way street. An active-duty soldier noticed Ortiz's World War II veteran's baseball cap and thanked him for his service. Pictures from the parade will be posted here shortly.
Posted by Leonard Martinez at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
A few technical notes
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Feds May cut rates AGAIN
Fed Ready to Cut Interest Rates Again
Wednesday February 27, 3:28 pm ET
By Jeannine Aversa, AP Economics Writer
Bernanke Says Fed's Priority Is Shoring Up the Economy, Pledges to Cut Interest Rates
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Reserve is ready to lower interest rates again to brace the wobbly economy even as zooming oil prices spread inflation, Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled to Congress on Wednesday.
He is fighting to keep the economy afloat after mighty blows from the housing and credit crises, while trying to contain inflation.
For now, the priority is shoring up the economy, Bernanke suggested in an appearance before the House Financial Services Committee. He pledged anew to slice a key interest rate and help the economy, which many fear is on the verge of a recession, if not already in one.
"The economic situation has become distinctly less favorable" since the summer, the Fed chief told lawmakers.
Since that time, the housing slump has worsened, credit problems have intensified and the job market has deteriorated. Bernanke said that combination of bad news has made people and businesses more cautious about spending and investing -- further weakening the economy.
The country should prepare for "sluggish economic activity in the near term," Bernanke said. Concern is growing about the possible return of stagflation, when stagnant growth is combined with rising inflation, for the first time since the 1970's.
Were energy prices to continue to rise at a sharp clip -- something the Fed does not anticipate -- it would "create a very difficult problem" for the economy, Bernanke said. Inflation would spread and growth would be further restrained, he said. If that happened, it would be a "very tough situation," he added.
The Fed is prepared to lower rates again to bolster economic growth, Bernanke said. The Fed "will act in a timely manner as needed to support growth and to provide adequate insurance against downside risks," he said, sticking closely to assurances he offered earlier this month.
The central bank started lowering a key interest rate in September. Over just eight days in January, the Fed shaved 1.25 percentage points, the biggest one-month reduction in a quarter-century. Economists and Wall Street investors predict the Fed will cut rates again at its next meeting, March 18. Some analysts believe rates will drop again in April.
Brian Bethune, economist at Global Insight, said Bernanke's remarks "keeps the door wide open for further rate cuts."
Bernanke said at some point this year, the Fed will need to "assess whether the stance of monetary policy is properly calibrated" to foster the Fed's objectives of price stability "in an environment of downside risks to growth."
He was hopeful that previous rate reductions and the $168 billion economic aid plan of tax rebates for people and tax breaks for business would energize the economy in the second half of 2008.
As the Fed chief began his first day of back-to-back appearances on Capitol Hill to discuss the economy, there was more bad news on the housing and manufacturing fronts. Sales of new homes fell in January for a third straight month. Orders to factories for big-ticket manufactured goods dropped in January by the largest amount in five months.
Bernanke has come under some criticism for not acting sooner in cutting rates. But Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus, the committee's top Republican, expressed sympathy. "There is perhaps no other public figure in American who has been subjected to as much Monday morning quarterbacking as you have over the past six months," Bachus said.
The committee chairman, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., suggested the economy is not suffering through a garden-variety slowdown.
"I don't want to appeal to you to use the word recession because I'm not going to be responsible for the nervous people at the stock market who overreact when you twitch your nose," Frank told Bernanke. "But the problems we now have are different."
Many of those woes are linked to the housing meltdown. Bernake was asked when he thought the housing market might stabilize. It possible, he said, that by "later this year it will stop being such a big drag directly" on the economy. But home prices probably will decline into next year, he added.
"It is very difficult to know, and we've been wrong before," Bernanke said.
Even as the Fed tries to shore up the economy, it must remain mindful of inflationary pressures, Bernanke said.
Oil prices, which have set records, briefly shot past $102 a barrel on Wednesday; prices eased, but still remain above $100 a barrel.
"Should high rates of overall inflation persist," Bernanke said, "the possibility also exists that inflation expectations could become less well-anchored." If people think inflation is escalating, they will act in ways that could make things even worse, a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. Bernanke said that could complicate the Fed's job of trying to nurture growth while also keeping inflation under control.
If oil prices continue to skyrocket this year, it would be "hard to maintain low inflation," Bernanke acknowledged.
Wednesday February 27, 3:28 pm ET
By Jeannine Aversa, AP Economics Writer
Bernanke Says Fed's Priority Is Shoring Up the Economy, Pledges to Cut Interest Rates
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Reserve is ready to lower interest rates again to brace the wobbly economy even as zooming oil prices spread inflation, Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled to Congress on Wednesday.
He is fighting to keep the economy afloat after mighty blows from the housing and credit crises, while trying to contain inflation.
For now, the priority is shoring up the economy, Bernanke suggested in an appearance before the House Financial Services Committee. He pledged anew to slice a key interest rate and help the economy, which many fear is on the verge of a recession, if not already in one.
"The economic situation has become distinctly less favorable" since the summer, the Fed chief told lawmakers.
Since that time, the housing slump has worsened, credit problems have intensified and the job market has deteriorated. Bernanke said that combination of bad news has made people and businesses more cautious about spending and investing -- further weakening the economy.
The country should prepare for "sluggish economic activity in the near term," Bernanke said. Concern is growing about the possible return of stagflation, when stagnant growth is combined with rising inflation, for the first time since the 1970's.
Were energy prices to continue to rise at a sharp clip -- something the Fed does not anticipate -- it would "create a very difficult problem" for the economy, Bernanke said. Inflation would spread and growth would be further restrained, he said. If that happened, it would be a "very tough situation," he added.
The Fed is prepared to lower rates again to bolster economic growth, Bernanke said. The Fed "will act in a timely manner as needed to support growth and to provide adequate insurance against downside risks," he said, sticking closely to assurances he offered earlier this month.
The central bank started lowering a key interest rate in September. Over just eight days in January, the Fed shaved 1.25 percentage points, the biggest one-month reduction in a quarter-century. Economists and Wall Street investors predict the Fed will cut rates again at its next meeting, March 18. Some analysts believe rates will drop again in April.
Brian Bethune, economist at Global Insight, said Bernanke's remarks "keeps the door wide open for further rate cuts."
Bernanke said at some point this year, the Fed will need to "assess whether the stance of monetary policy is properly calibrated" to foster the Fed's objectives of price stability "in an environment of downside risks to growth."
He was hopeful that previous rate reductions and the $168 billion economic aid plan of tax rebates for people and tax breaks for business would energize the economy in the second half of 2008.
As the Fed chief began his first day of back-to-back appearances on Capitol Hill to discuss the economy, there was more bad news on the housing and manufacturing fronts. Sales of new homes fell in January for a third straight month. Orders to factories for big-ticket manufactured goods dropped in January by the largest amount in five months.
Bernanke has come under some criticism for not acting sooner in cutting rates. But Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus, the committee's top Republican, expressed sympathy. "There is perhaps no other public figure in American who has been subjected to as much Monday morning quarterbacking as you have over the past six months," Bachus said.
The committee chairman, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., suggested the economy is not suffering through a garden-variety slowdown.
"I don't want to appeal to you to use the word recession because I'm not going to be responsible for the nervous people at the stock market who overreact when you twitch your nose," Frank told Bernanke. "But the problems we now have are different."
Many of those woes are linked to the housing meltdown. Bernake was asked when he thought the housing market might stabilize. It possible, he said, that by "later this year it will stop being such a big drag directly" on the economy. But home prices probably will decline into next year, he added.
"It is very difficult to know, and we've been wrong before," Bernanke said.
Even as the Fed tries to shore up the economy, it must remain mindful of inflationary pressures, Bernanke said.
Oil prices, which have set records, briefly shot past $102 a barrel on Wednesday; prices eased, but still remain above $100 a barrel.
"Should high rates of overall inflation persist," Bernanke said, "the possibility also exists that inflation expectations could become less well-anchored." If people think inflation is escalating, they will act in ways that could make things even worse, a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. Bernanke said that could complicate the Fed's job of trying to nurture growth while also keeping inflation under control.
If oil prices continue to skyrocket this year, it would be "hard to maintain low inflation," Bernanke acknowledged.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Welcome Home Heroes Parade in El Paso 2/27/2008
Parade marks return of Fort Bliss units from Iraq
By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 02/25/2008 12:00:00 AM MST
When Mayor John Cook returned from the Vietnam War in early 1970, one of the protesters who greeted his bus pelted him with an egg.
"I just wanted to do a better job," Cook said, explaining why he decided to welcome Fort Bliss soldiers home from overseas with a parade. "The entire El Paso community has really stepped up to the plate and people have said that the (4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division) is symbolic of all the soldiers that have served."
On Wednesday, when thousands of 4-1 Cavalry soldiers march through El Paso's streets during the Welcome Home Heroes Parade, they will be accompanied by 31 riderless horses -- empty boots backward in the stirrups -- representing cavalry soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq. The horses are being provided by the El Paso County Sheriff's Posse, Cook said.
Also being honored are the air defenders of the 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery, 11th ADA Brigade, who also returned recently from the Middle East.
Most of the cavalry brigade was operating in Iraq's northwestern Nineveh Province. However, some of the soldiers also served in Baghdad. They left in late 2006 and, after 14 months, the last soldiers returned the day before Christmas. Some 150 wounded soldiers in the Fort Bliss Warrior Transition Unit also will participate in the parade.
The 3-43 ADA soldiers recently completed the longest tour of duty for a Patriot missile unit in the Army's history. Some of the air defenders spent 17 months in the Middle East, including the countries of Kuwait and Qatar. The 3-43 ADA soldiers suffered no loss of life or serious injuries.
Details of the 3-43 ADA's mission have not been available due to the sensitivity of that information, but Patriot batteries generally protect ground assets that include troop concentrations, headquarters, motor pools and ammunition depots. Their deployment was moved up to coincide with President Bush's surge of troops into Baghdad.
About 4,000 soldiers will participate in the parade.
Col. Stephen M. Twitty, 4-1 Cavalry commander and Command Sgt. Maj. Stephan Frennier will lead the cavalry soldiers. The unit's individual battalions will be represented. They are:
1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lt Col. Keitron A. Todd with Command Sgt. Maj. Alex Santos. The unit was responsible for training Iraqi army and police officers in Mosul and Tal'Afar.
2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. Eric Welsh with Command Sgt. Maj. James D. Pippin. The unit conducted combat missions in Mosul and was the only battalion in the area of nearly 2 million residents maintaining security and stability.
2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. James D. Nicholas with Command Sgt. Maj. Charlie L. Payne. The unit was in Baghdad the entire 14 months conducting missions that ranged from combat to humanitarian.
5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. Robert F. McLaughlin with Command Sgt. Maj. Antonio A. Murguia. The unit was responsible for clearing the upper Za'ab Triangle of insurgents who had moved out of Baghdad and Al Anbar looking for safe haven and establishing Iraqi security forces in the area.
27th Brigade Support Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. David O. Whitaker with Command Sgt. Maj. David L. Null. The unit provided equipment, supplies and even engineering expertise to the rest of the deployed 4-1 Cavalry soldiers. Although it was stationed in Mosul, the unit's soldiers went wherever they were needed.
4th Special Troops Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Jay A. Hedstrom with Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald Cook. The unit collected and disseminated intelligence using ground and aerial technology. It also conducted convoy escort missions and was in charge of the brigade's military police.
Officials with the El Paso Independent School District said Friday that buses have been set aside to send students to the parade. The Ysleta and Socorro school districts also have plans to allow students to attend the parade.
Cook said he hopes the soldiers understand that El Paso residents recognize the sacrifices they have made for their country.
4-1 Cavalry's fallen
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division soldiers who lost their lives serving in Iraq.
Capt. Timothy I. McGovern, 2-7 Cavalry.
2nd Lt. Mark J. Daily, 2-7 Cavalry.
Sgt. 1st Class Russell P. Borea, 2-7 Cavalry.
Staff Sgt. John E. Cooper, 2-7 Cavalry.
Staff Sgt. Eric D. Cottrell, 5-82 Field Artillery.
Sgt. John Allen, 2-12 Cavalry.
Sgt. Ian C. Anderson, 2-7 Cavalry.
Sgt. William Bushnell, 2-12 Cavalry.
Sgt. Brent W. Dunkleberger, 2-7 Cavalry.
Sgt. Ed Santini, 2-12 Cavalry.
Sgt. Robert Thrasher, 2-12 Cavalry.
Sgt. Lee C. Wilson, 1-9 Cavalry.
Cpl. Benjamin Bartlett Jr., 2-7 Cavalry.
Cpl. Nicholas P. Brown, 2-7 Cavalry.
Cpl. Jeremiah D. Costello, 5-82 Field Artillery.
Cpl. Matthew J. Emerson, 2-7 Cavalry.
Cpl. Matthew T. Grimm, 2-7 Cavalry.
Cpl. Jason J. Hernandez, 1-9 Cavalry.
Cpl. Thomas L. Hilbert, 1-9 Cavalry.
Cpl. Juan Lopez, 5-82 Field Artillery.
Cpl. Keith V. Nepsa, 5-82 Field Artillery.
Cpl. Paulo Pacificador, 5-82 Field Artillery.
Cpl. Jonathan Rossi, 2-12 Cavalry.
Cpl. Brandon W. Smitherman, 2-7 Cavalry.
Cpl. Raymond Spencer, 2-12 Cavalry.
Cpl. Jeremy Stacey, 2-12 Cavalry.
Spc. Joseph P. Kenny, 27th Brigade Support Battalion.
Spc. Jason B. Koutroubas, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.
Spc. Brandon Thorson, 2-12 Cavalry.
Pfc. William N. Davis, 2-12 Cavalry.
Pfc. John F. Landry Jr., 2-12 Cavalry.
Street closures
Welcome Home Heroes Parade street closures
Interstate 10 westbound Mesa Street exit, 11 a.m. to noon.
Yandell, right-lane closed between Newman and Lee Street, 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Montana, between Lee Street and Stanton, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Stanton, between Montana and Mills, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mills and El Paso, between Mesa and San Antonio, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
San Antonio, between El Paso and Durango, including the access road behind Convention Center and San Francisco, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
El Paso, between Paisano and San Antonio, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Santa Fe, between Overland and Wyoming, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
In school
EPISD: Will give school buses to every high school and middle school to send up to 45 students to the parade. Students will be selected based on grades and behavior records. Some elementary schools will be allowed, but mostly will stay in school to prepare for the TAKS.
YISD: Will give students a half-day to attend the parade.
SISD: Will allow children of active-duty military personnel to attend the parade. Parents must inform their child's school by today that they want their child to leave school early for the parade.
By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 02/25/2008 12:00:00 AM MST
When Mayor John Cook returned from the Vietnam War in early 1970, one of the protesters who greeted his bus pelted him with an egg.
"I just wanted to do a better job," Cook said, explaining why he decided to welcome Fort Bliss soldiers home from overseas with a parade. "The entire El Paso community has really stepped up to the plate and people have said that the (4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division) is symbolic of all the soldiers that have served."
On Wednesday, when thousands of 4-1 Cavalry soldiers march through El Paso's streets during the Welcome Home Heroes Parade, they will be accompanied by 31 riderless horses -- empty boots backward in the stirrups -- representing cavalry soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq. The horses are being provided by the El Paso County Sheriff's Posse, Cook said.
Also being honored are the air defenders of the 3rd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery, 11th ADA Brigade, who also returned recently from the Middle East.
Most of the cavalry brigade was operating in Iraq's northwestern Nineveh Province. However, some of the soldiers also served in Baghdad. They left in late 2006 and, after 14 months, the last soldiers returned the day before Christmas. Some 150 wounded soldiers in the Fort Bliss Warrior Transition Unit also will participate in the parade.
The 3-43 ADA soldiers recently completed the longest tour of duty for a Patriot missile unit in the Army's history. Some of the air defenders spent 17 months in the Middle East, including the countries of Kuwait and Qatar. The 3-43 ADA soldiers suffered no loss of life or serious injuries.
Details of the 3-43 ADA's mission have not been available due to the sensitivity of that information, but Patriot batteries generally protect ground assets that include troop concentrations, headquarters, motor pools and ammunition depots. Their deployment was moved up to coincide with President Bush's surge of troops into Baghdad.
About 4,000 soldiers will participate in the parade.
Col. Stephen M. Twitty, 4-1 Cavalry commander and Command Sgt. Maj. Stephan Frennier will lead the cavalry soldiers. The unit's individual battalions will be represented. They are:
1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lt Col. Keitron A. Todd with Command Sgt. Maj. Alex Santos. The unit was responsible for training Iraqi army and police officers in Mosul and Tal'Afar.
2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. Eric Welsh with Command Sgt. Maj. James D. Pippin. The unit conducted combat missions in Mosul and was the only battalion in the area of nearly 2 million residents maintaining security and stability.
2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. James D. Nicholas with Command Sgt. Maj. Charlie L. Payne. The unit was in Baghdad the entire 14 months conducting missions that ranged from combat to humanitarian.
5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. Robert F. McLaughlin with Command Sgt. Maj. Antonio A. Murguia. The unit was responsible for clearing the upper Za'ab Triangle of insurgents who had moved out of Baghdad and Al Anbar looking for safe haven and establishing Iraqi security forces in the area.
27th Brigade Support Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. David O. Whitaker with Command Sgt. Maj. David L. Null. The unit provided equipment, supplies and even engineering expertise to the rest of the deployed 4-1 Cavalry soldiers. Although it was stationed in Mosul, the unit's soldiers went wherever they were needed.
4th Special Troops Battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Jay A. Hedstrom with Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald Cook. The unit collected and disseminated intelligence using ground and aerial technology. It also conducted convoy escort missions and was in charge of the brigade's military police.
Officials with the El Paso Independent School District said Friday that buses have been set aside to send students to the parade. The Ysleta and Socorro school districts also have plans to allow students to attend the parade.
Cook said he hopes the soldiers understand that El Paso residents recognize the sacrifices they have made for their country.
4-1 Cavalry's fallen
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division soldiers who lost their lives serving in Iraq.
Capt. Timothy I. McGovern, 2-7 Cavalry.
2nd Lt. Mark J. Daily, 2-7 Cavalry.
Sgt. 1st Class Russell P. Borea, 2-7 Cavalry.
Staff Sgt. John E. Cooper, 2-7 Cavalry.
Staff Sgt. Eric D. Cottrell, 5-82 Field Artillery.
Sgt. John Allen, 2-12 Cavalry.
Sgt. Ian C. Anderson, 2-7 Cavalry.
Sgt. William Bushnell, 2-12 Cavalry.
Sgt. Brent W. Dunkleberger, 2-7 Cavalry.
Sgt. Ed Santini, 2-12 Cavalry.
Sgt. Robert Thrasher, 2-12 Cavalry.
Sgt. Lee C. Wilson, 1-9 Cavalry.
Cpl. Benjamin Bartlett Jr., 2-7 Cavalry.
Cpl. Nicholas P. Brown, 2-7 Cavalry.
Cpl. Jeremiah D. Costello, 5-82 Field Artillery.
Cpl. Matthew J. Emerson, 2-7 Cavalry.
Cpl. Matthew T. Grimm, 2-7 Cavalry.
Cpl. Jason J. Hernandez, 1-9 Cavalry.
Cpl. Thomas L. Hilbert, 1-9 Cavalry.
Cpl. Juan Lopez, 5-82 Field Artillery.
Cpl. Keith V. Nepsa, 5-82 Field Artillery.
Cpl. Paulo Pacificador, 5-82 Field Artillery.
Cpl. Jonathan Rossi, 2-12 Cavalry.
Cpl. Brandon W. Smitherman, 2-7 Cavalry.
Cpl. Raymond Spencer, 2-12 Cavalry.
Cpl. Jeremy Stacey, 2-12 Cavalry.
Spc. Joseph P. Kenny, 27th Brigade Support Battalion.
Spc. Jason B. Koutroubas, 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion.
Spc. Brandon Thorson, 2-12 Cavalry.
Pfc. William N. Davis, 2-12 Cavalry.
Pfc. John F. Landry Jr., 2-12 Cavalry.
Street closures
Welcome Home Heroes Parade street closures
Interstate 10 westbound Mesa Street exit, 11 a.m. to noon.
Yandell, right-lane closed between Newman and Lee Street, 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Montana, between Lee Street and Stanton, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Stanton, between Montana and Mills, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mills and El Paso, between Mesa and San Antonio, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
San Antonio, between El Paso and Durango, including the access road behind Convention Center and San Francisco, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
El Paso, between Paisano and San Antonio, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Santa Fe, between Overland and Wyoming, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
In school
EPISD: Will give school buses to every high school and middle school to send up to 45 students to the parade. Students will be selected based on grades and behavior records. Some elementary schools will be allowed, but mostly will stay in school to prepare for the TAKS.
YISD: Will give students a half-day to attend the parade.
SISD: Will allow children of active-duty military personnel to attend the parade. Parents must inform their child's school by today that they want their child to leave school early for the parade.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
President of Greater El Paso Assoc of Realtors
Dan Olivas Greater El Paso Association of Realtors
Story by Ryan Poulos
No, it’s not Danny Olivas the local astronaut, but this guy’s job might be just as stressful.
Dan Olivas is the newly installed president of the Greater El Paso Association of Realtors, and as most people know, the housing market hasn’t exactly been easy money lately.
According to the Multiple Listings Service, which the association uses to track sales, existing home sales in El Paso dropped by more than 16 percent last year.
Olivas says, however, that with the growth El Paso is seeing related to the military and the medical school, now might be the best time to buy a home in El Paso before prices go up.
He also pointed out that there are approximately 4,500 homes on the market in El Paso right now, which is only slightly higher than last year.
“I am telling everybody that it’s a great time to buy,” he said. “All of these great things that are happening right now are going to eventually make the prices go up from here.”
Olivas got into the real estate business when he came from Albuquerque to Santa Teresa, N.M., to landscape a property owned by golfer Lee Trevino.
“I liked the area a lot and when I was done with the project I was ready for a change,” he said. “Consequently I took some courses in real estate and figured I would dabble in it here in El Paso. One thing led to another and now I’m really loving it.”
Olivas is also the owner of RE/MAX Elite in El Paso and has been in real estate for close to 30 years.
Last year, he was awarded the Distinguished Community Service Award for the State of Texas at the state convention, and he was named El Paso Realtor of the Year in 2004. He said he’s excited about recently taking over as president of the Greater El Paso Association of Realtors.
The Greater El Paso Association of Realtors serves more than 2,700 members and has more than doubled its membership since 2002.
Realtors are members of the National Association of Realtors, and do business according to its strict code of ethics and standards of practice, including continuing education in the field. Not all real estate agents are Realtors, so the total number of agents in the market is even higher.
The association had managed to grow at a steady rate over the last five years. But outgoing President Sonja Van Nortwick said the association fell about 20 percent short of the growth it had anticipated by the end of 2007.
Olivas talked to El Paso Inc. about the El Paso housing market and why we shouldn’t pay attention to what the media is saying about the market.
Q: How many homes are on the market in El Paso?
There are approximately 4,500 homes for sale in the El Paso market right now. That’s a little higher than where we were at this time last year, but it’s not the dramatic change that you might expect to see after listening to the national media.
If you listen to the national media you will walk away thinking that the entire country’s market is in a freefall, but that certainly isn’t the case in El Paso.
Q: Why are we bucking the trend?
Because there are some great things taking place in El Paso that aren’t happening across the country. We have the federal government investing billions into Fort Bliss. That’s a huge investment in this community and when you’re seeing that kind of investment in preparation for tens of thousands of troops and families moving into the area, it definitely affects our economy.
We also have the four-year medical school that is just coming into being. This is the first four-year medical school built in many years and it’s the only one on the border.
That is what really causes a lot of excitement. That means more business, which means more people moving into El Paso.
Q: What’s the average price of a home on the market in El Paso?
Two years ago you could have come into El Paso and bought homes under $100,000 all day long. Now the average-priced home is around $135,000.
Two years from now, with everything that is happening, I don’t think you’ll be able to buy a home in El Paso for less than $130,000. That’s why I am telling everybody that it’s a great time to buy. All of these great things that are happening right now are going to eventually make the prices go up.
El Paso has never really experienced a housing bubble. While the rest of the country was seeing all kinds of acceleration El Paso just trudged along and never followed the same trend. It changed about two years ago, though, when BRAC was announced and we found out that El Paso would benefit significantly.
Q: Did that attract outside investors?
You immediately saw a group of investors from places like California trying to position themselves to take advantage of the troop influx. It didn’t happen as quickly as they anticipated, but what they were waiting for is now about to happen.
Q: How long does it take the average home to sell in El Paso?
Right now our average marketing time is around 80 to 85 days. Let me give you an example. Prior to the frenzy we experienced in 2005, there was nothing unusual about a home taking six months or longer to sell.
So in comparison, 80-85 days is a relatively quick marketing time. While it’s significantly longer than a few years ago, it’s still shorter than it was before it.
Q: What types of homes are the hardest to sell right now?
When you’re trying to sell anything above $350,000, you have a smaller pool to draw from and therefore it’s taking longer to sell that price range of homes.
Q: So the easiest then is homes under $150,000?
Anytime you can get into homes that are $150,000 and below, they will sell a lot faster. The pool is so much larger to draw from.
The dynamics of our market are changing, though, with all of the new industries coming in. The discretionary spending income is going to change for buyers. Having said that, the price range of the homes that are going to be selling is obviously going to go up. I don’t think that anybody can disagree that as better paying jobs come into the area you’ll have people buying higher priced homes. That’s not to say that there won’t still be a need for lower income properties.
Q: Did the tightening of mortgage money have a big impact?
Anytime there is a change in mortgage underwriting, an impact will be felt. In El Paso it has been less than in other parts of the country and that shows in our foreclosure rates as they have dropped from last year.
Q: Is El Paso insulated from a potential recession because we haven’t had a huge housing bubble or depression?
I wouldn’t say we are totally safe from recession, but as the country supposedly goes into a recession or close to it, the federal government is lowering interest rates.
As they lower those rates and the El Paso economy continues on an upward swing, it can do nothing but help.
I know the employment rate has dropped and that is an indicator that new jobs are being created in the region, which is very positive for our economy as a whole.
You can’t have the government investing billions in the economy and not have an upward swing. You can’t have a medical school bringing in doctors and nurses and not have an upward swing. There are so many positive things happening in El Paso and we are being stimulated in a positive way.
If the country goes into recession – I’m not an economist – but I think El Paso would be okay. I honestly don’t think there has been a better time than today to be a real estate agent in El Paso.
Q: But aren’t agents leaving the market?
I think there will be a drop off in the number of agents, but I don’t think it will be significant. I think the number will drop between 10 to 15 percent, but by the end of the year I think you’ll see agents coming back into the industry.
Q: What does it take to be a good agent?
What happens when there’s a perception of a good market, a lot of people get into the business looking to make some easy money. What they fail to understand is that it is still a service business. They have to build relationships and find out why El Paso is El Paso and know all the city’s qualities. Those are the agents who are in demand.
You can’t get into the business to make a quick buck.
Those that think everything will be handed to them will probably fail no matter what kind of market we are experiencing.
Q: Are real estate agents cutting fees because of the slow market?
Fees are something that everybody handles on their own. We have no way of tracking the fee structures of each agency. There will always be different business models out there.
Q: What’s your advice for somebody considering becoming an agent?
It’s really simple. First of all, do not pay attention to the national media. This is a great time to be in real estate in El Paso.
You need to understand, though, that you are in business for yourself. You must have written goals as well as a mentor in this business that truly understands how to do business in this city.
The biggest asset in this business is yourself. Get as educated as you possibly can, make sure that you get good mentorship in learning how to do this business. Then go out and make sure you know how to promote yourself so you can build relationships to make sure that you’re successful.
©El Paso Inc. All rights Reserved.
Web Services Provided By NETX2, A Software Solutions company
©2004 El Paso Inc. All rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.
Story by Ryan Poulos
No, it’s not Danny Olivas the local astronaut, but this guy’s job might be just as stressful.
Dan Olivas is the newly installed president of the Greater El Paso Association of Realtors, and as most people know, the housing market hasn’t exactly been easy money lately.
According to the Multiple Listings Service, which the association uses to track sales, existing home sales in El Paso dropped by more than 16 percent last year.
Olivas says, however, that with the growth El Paso is seeing related to the military and the medical school, now might be the best time to buy a home in El Paso before prices go up.
He also pointed out that there are approximately 4,500 homes on the market in El Paso right now, which is only slightly higher than last year.
“I am telling everybody that it’s a great time to buy,” he said. “All of these great things that are happening right now are going to eventually make the prices go up from here.”
Olivas got into the real estate business when he came from Albuquerque to Santa Teresa, N.M., to landscape a property owned by golfer Lee Trevino.
“I liked the area a lot and when I was done with the project I was ready for a change,” he said. “Consequently I took some courses in real estate and figured I would dabble in it here in El Paso. One thing led to another and now I’m really loving it.”
Olivas is also the owner of RE/MAX Elite in El Paso and has been in real estate for close to 30 years.
Last year, he was awarded the Distinguished Community Service Award for the State of Texas at the state convention, and he was named El Paso Realtor of the Year in 2004. He said he’s excited about recently taking over as president of the Greater El Paso Association of Realtors.
The Greater El Paso Association of Realtors serves more than 2,700 members and has more than doubled its membership since 2002.
Realtors are members of the National Association of Realtors, and do business according to its strict code of ethics and standards of practice, including continuing education in the field. Not all real estate agents are Realtors, so the total number of agents in the market is even higher.
The association had managed to grow at a steady rate over the last five years. But outgoing President Sonja Van Nortwick said the association fell about 20 percent short of the growth it had anticipated by the end of 2007.
Olivas talked to El Paso Inc. about the El Paso housing market and why we shouldn’t pay attention to what the media is saying about the market.
Q: How many homes are on the market in El Paso?
There are approximately 4,500 homes for sale in the El Paso market right now. That’s a little higher than where we were at this time last year, but it’s not the dramatic change that you might expect to see after listening to the national media.
If you listen to the national media you will walk away thinking that the entire country’s market is in a freefall, but that certainly isn’t the case in El Paso.
Q: Why are we bucking the trend?
Because there are some great things taking place in El Paso that aren’t happening across the country. We have the federal government investing billions into Fort Bliss. That’s a huge investment in this community and when you’re seeing that kind of investment in preparation for tens of thousands of troops and families moving into the area, it definitely affects our economy.
We also have the four-year medical school that is just coming into being. This is the first four-year medical school built in many years and it’s the only one on the border.
That is what really causes a lot of excitement. That means more business, which means more people moving into El Paso.
Q: What’s the average price of a home on the market in El Paso?
Two years ago you could have come into El Paso and bought homes under $100,000 all day long. Now the average-priced home is around $135,000.
Two years from now, with everything that is happening, I don’t think you’ll be able to buy a home in El Paso for less than $130,000. That’s why I am telling everybody that it’s a great time to buy. All of these great things that are happening right now are going to eventually make the prices go up.
El Paso has never really experienced a housing bubble. While the rest of the country was seeing all kinds of acceleration El Paso just trudged along and never followed the same trend. It changed about two years ago, though, when BRAC was announced and we found out that El Paso would benefit significantly.
Q: Did that attract outside investors?
You immediately saw a group of investors from places like California trying to position themselves to take advantage of the troop influx. It didn’t happen as quickly as they anticipated, but what they were waiting for is now about to happen.
Q: How long does it take the average home to sell in El Paso?
Right now our average marketing time is around 80 to 85 days. Let me give you an example. Prior to the frenzy we experienced in 2005, there was nothing unusual about a home taking six months or longer to sell.
So in comparison, 80-85 days is a relatively quick marketing time. While it’s significantly longer than a few years ago, it’s still shorter than it was before it.
Q: What types of homes are the hardest to sell right now?
When you’re trying to sell anything above $350,000, you have a smaller pool to draw from and therefore it’s taking longer to sell that price range of homes.
Q: So the easiest then is homes under $150,000?
Anytime you can get into homes that are $150,000 and below, they will sell a lot faster. The pool is so much larger to draw from.
The dynamics of our market are changing, though, with all of the new industries coming in. The discretionary spending income is going to change for buyers. Having said that, the price range of the homes that are going to be selling is obviously going to go up. I don’t think that anybody can disagree that as better paying jobs come into the area you’ll have people buying higher priced homes. That’s not to say that there won’t still be a need for lower income properties.
Q: Did the tightening of mortgage money have a big impact?
Anytime there is a change in mortgage underwriting, an impact will be felt. In El Paso it has been less than in other parts of the country and that shows in our foreclosure rates as they have dropped from last year.
Q: Is El Paso insulated from a potential recession because we haven’t had a huge housing bubble or depression?
I wouldn’t say we are totally safe from recession, but as the country supposedly goes into a recession or close to it, the federal government is lowering interest rates.
As they lower those rates and the El Paso economy continues on an upward swing, it can do nothing but help.
I know the employment rate has dropped and that is an indicator that new jobs are being created in the region, which is very positive for our economy as a whole.
You can’t have the government investing billions in the economy and not have an upward swing. You can’t have a medical school bringing in doctors and nurses and not have an upward swing. There are so many positive things happening in El Paso and we are being stimulated in a positive way.
If the country goes into recession – I’m not an economist – but I think El Paso would be okay. I honestly don’t think there has been a better time than today to be a real estate agent in El Paso.
Q: But aren’t agents leaving the market?
I think there will be a drop off in the number of agents, but I don’t think it will be significant. I think the number will drop between 10 to 15 percent, but by the end of the year I think you’ll see agents coming back into the industry.
Q: What does it take to be a good agent?
What happens when there’s a perception of a good market, a lot of people get into the business looking to make some easy money. What they fail to understand is that it is still a service business. They have to build relationships and find out why El Paso is El Paso and know all the city’s qualities. Those are the agents who are in demand.
You can’t get into the business to make a quick buck.
Those that think everything will be handed to them will probably fail no matter what kind of market we are experiencing.
Q: Are real estate agents cutting fees because of the slow market?
Fees are something that everybody handles on their own. We have no way of tracking the fee structures of each agency. There will always be different business models out there.
Q: What’s your advice for somebody considering becoming an agent?
It’s really simple. First of all, do not pay attention to the national media. This is a great time to be in real estate in El Paso.
You need to understand, though, that you are in business for yourself. You must have written goals as well as a mentor in this business that truly understands how to do business in this city.
The biggest asset in this business is yourself. Get as educated as you possibly can, make sure that you get good mentorship in learning how to do this business. Then go out and make sure you know how to promote yourself so you can build relationships to make sure that you’re successful.
©El Paso Inc. All rights Reserved.
Web Services Provided By NETX2, A Software Solutions company
©2004 El Paso Inc. All rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.
Defense Contract Awarded to El Paso
Lockheed Martin area facility secures missile contract
By Louie Gilot / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 02/12/2008 12:00:00 AM MST
Lockheed Martin's $194 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to build the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, will keep its Horizon City assembly operation busy at least until 2010. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)Lockheed Martin was awarded a $194 million contract to continue producing ATACMS missiles, which bodes well for the future of the Horizon City facility where the high-tech weapons are assembled.
Since production started on the ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile Systems, in the early 1990s, more than 2,000 missiles came out of the plant which employs 20 workers. The new contract is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2010, but more contracts are expected to overlap, said company spokesman Craig Vanbebber.
"The continued production of ATACMS is evidence that the missile is working and working well," Vanbebber said.
The new order, awarded by the U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, won't add jobs and there are no local contractors to benefit from the windfall, Lockheed Martin officials said.
But keeping Lockheed Martin's El Paso-area operations going is crucial to attract more high-tech military contractors, business leaders said.
Bob Cook, president of the El Paso Regional Economic Development Corp., said he received an inquiry from an aerospace company last week.
"We tell them about Lockheed Martin," he said. "It's very important for companies in the aerospace industry that are considering El Paso to see that similar production is already taking place here."
Lockheed Martin chose Horizon City because it was a remote location to handle explosives and because it was close to the testing site at White Sands Missile Range.
"It's one of the only places they can fire that missile, because of the size of the range. It adds a lot of value to be able to test and assess the missile nearby," said Chuck Harre, vice president of combat training and installation support for CAS Inc., a weapons system analysis contractor in El Paso, and the armed forces chair for the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce.
The ATACMS were first launched April 26, 1988, at White Sands.
The long-range missile artillery round can hit targets at ranges up to 300 kilometers (180 miles).
"We take great pride in testing the ATACMS," said White Sands spokesman Larry Furrow. "It helps us to hone our skills in the testing area to assist in developing and testing of ATACMS."
Parts for the missiles are made around the country, including in Dallas where the warhead skins are produced, and sent to Horizon City to be assembled and put in a launch canister, Vanbebber said. The ATACMS are used by the U.S. field artillery out of Fort Sill, Okla.
During the first Operation Desert Storm, ATACMS became the first tactical surface-to-surface missile ever fired in combat by the U.S. Army. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, 456 missiles were fired. The newest contract is not necessarily tied to the war in Iraq but the missiles are used "in theater," Vanbebber said.
The Horizon plant is producing only ATACMS, but that could change.
"We hope this facility will be able to attract more contracts, beyond ATACMS," RedCo's Bob Cook said.
By Louie Gilot / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 02/12/2008 12:00:00 AM MST
Lockheed Martin's $194 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to build the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, will keep its Horizon City assembly operation busy at least until 2010. (Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin)Lockheed Martin was awarded a $194 million contract to continue producing ATACMS missiles, which bodes well for the future of the Horizon City facility where the high-tech weapons are assembled.
Since production started on the ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile Systems, in the early 1990s, more than 2,000 missiles came out of the plant which employs 20 workers. The new contract is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2010, but more contracts are expected to overlap, said company spokesman Craig Vanbebber.
"The continued production of ATACMS is evidence that the missile is working and working well," Vanbebber said.
The new order, awarded by the U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, won't add jobs and there are no local contractors to benefit from the windfall, Lockheed Martin officials said.
But keeping Lockheed Martin's El Paso-area operations going is crucial to attract more high-tech military contractors, business leaders said.
Bob Cook, president of the El Paso Regional Economic Development Corp., said he received an inquiry from an aerospace company last week.
"We tell them about Lockheed Martin," he said. "It's very important for companies in the aerospace industry that are considering El Paso to see that similar production is already taking place here."
Lockheed Martin chose Horizon City because it was a remote location to handle explosives and because it was close to the testing site at White Sands Missile Range.
"It's one of the only places they can fire that missile, because of the size of the range. It adds a lot of value to be able to test and assess the missile nearby," said Chuck Harre, vice president of combat training and installation support for CAS Inc., a weapons system analysis contractor in El Paso, and the armed forces chair for the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce.
The ATACMS were first launched April 26, 1988, at White Sands.
The long-range missile artillery round can hit targets at ranges up to 300 kilometers (180 miles).
"We take great pride in testing the ATACMS," said White Sands spokesman Larry Furrow. "It helps us to hone our skills in the testing area to assist in developing and testing of ATACMS."
Parts for the missiles are made around the country, including in Dallas where the warhead skins are produced, and sent to Horizon City to be assembled and put in a launch canister, Vanbebber said. The ATACMS are used by the U.S. field artillery out of Fort Sill, Okla.
During the first Operation Desert Storm, ATACMS became the first tactical surface-to-surface missile ever fired in combat by the U.S. Army. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, 456 missiles were fired. The newest contract is not necessarily tied to the war in Iraq but the missiles are used "in theater," Vanbebber said.
The Horizon plant is producing only ATACMS, but that could change.
"We hope this facility will be able to attract more contracts, beyond ATACMS," RedCo's Bob Cook said.
Medical School a Reality
Med school can infuse El Paso with new doctors, research
By Stephanie Sanchez / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 02/12/2008 12:00:00 AM MST
Dr. German Hernandez and fourth-year medical student Celina Beltran examined patient Blanca Valadez on Friday at Thomason Hospital. El Paso's new four-year medical school opens up research possibilities and a chance to lure more doctors to the city. (Photos by Victor Calzada / El Paso Times)
Fourth-year medical student Rianne Page, second from right, asked a question of Dr. Mateo Pores-Aguilar, left, Friday at Thomason Hospital's oncology department. Dr. Oscar Lopez, right, and third-year medical student Chris Nadorff looked on. As an 80-year-old Hispanic man, Aramis Ayala is suffering from several diseases commonly seen along the border -- diabetes, Parkinson's disease and diabetic neuropathy.
He is among an estimated 85,000 El Pasoans living with Type 2 diabetes. In his lifetime he has seen growth in El Paso and many medical advances.
Although he knows a cure may not come in time for him, research that will be conducted at El Paso's new medical school will help future generations.
"The more places there are, the better," he said. The medical school "will help a lot of people."
Beginning in the fall of 2009 -- when the first class of 40 four-year medical students enters the school -- the newly accredited Paul L. Foster School of Medicine has an opportunity to contribute to research and health care issues at a national and international level, health officials say.
Research conducted locally may be able to help people such as Ayala.
"Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States, however, they remain understudied," said Dr. German Hernandez, an assistant professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. "If you look at large national studies, for the most part Hispanics tend to be under-represented -- even though they are the largest minority group."
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center officials last week learned they received accreditation as a four-year medical school from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, a national accrediting agency.
Texas Tech first opened its El Paso medical school branch for third- and fourth-year medical students in 1973.
In 2003, lawmakers provided money to expand the school. In 2007, $48 million was given to school officials to complete the school's curriculum and a site review by the accrediting body.
Hernandez, who works for the division of nephrology and hypertension, said because of the school's proximity to the border and predominant Hispanic population, faculty, staff and students have an opportunity to contribute to the advancement of Hispanic health research.
Dr. Manuel de la Rosa, the school's founding dean, said because diabetes affects a quarter of the local population, research on the disease will be on the school's forefront.
Environmental research, such as air and water pollution, will also be an area of focus, he said. Environmental factors, he said, can impact people's health by contributing to asthma and other health-related issues.
Research focusing on the environment, prevalent diseases, and new and emerging diseases on the border will make the medical school a prime border school, de la Rosa said.
Targeting students from the area is also a goal, he said. "We're depending on it."
Celina Beltran, a fourth-year medical student at the school and an El Paso native, said the accredited four-year school would have been ideal for her four years ago.
Leaving El Paso to get an undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin, Beltran ended up returning to El Paso to get her master's degree at the University of Texas School of Public Health El Paso Regional Campus.
However, after she finished her master's degree, she said, becoming involved with border health issues and helping people in her hometown as a doctor was a priority.
She applied for medical school at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She completed her first two years in Lubbock and moved back -- for the second time -- to do her third and fourth year at the El Paso school.
"The treatment of the patients here is multifactorial. It is not only the diagnosing and treating the patient's ailments, but it is also dealing with a lot of socioeconomic issues that a lot of the patients here in El Paso have to deal with," she said. "I think primary care doctors are really needed here in the El Paso area.
Hernandez said the number of doctors in the area is not enough to serve the population effectively.
"We don't have enough physicians," he said, adding that the recruitment of El Paso students could increase this ratio. "Those students are more likely to remain here."
Dr. Theresa Byrd, an associate professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health El Paso Regional Campus, said having El Paso students in the medical school's first class would be a great start, but the school is probably going to have to recruit students statewide to fill the class.
Under state statute, 90 percent of the medical school's class must be in-state students.
"I think Texas Tech would greatly benefit the community," Byrd said.
Byrd, who is the lead investigator on the AMIGAS project that focuses on cervical cancer among Hispanic women in El Paso, said the school's research will add a clinical aspect to research already done in the area.
Besides professional research done by schools locally, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation and the Pan American Health Organization are two additional research centers that focus on border health issues.
Ida Ortegon, a Paso del Norte Health Foundation spokesperson, said the center is "excited" about collaborating with the school.
There have been discussions about developing a partnership between the foundation and the school, but nothing is set in stone, she said.
By Stephanie Sanchez / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 02/12/2008 12:00:00 AM MST
Dr. German Hernandez and fourth-year medical student Celina Beltran examined patient Blanca Valadez on Friday at Thomason Hospital. El Paso's new four-year medical school opens up research possibilities and a chance to lure more doctors to the city. (Photos by Victor Calzada / El Paso Times)
Fourth-year medical student Rianne Page, second from right, asked a question of Dr. Mateo Pores-Aguilar, left, Friday at Thomason Hospital's oncology department. Dr. Oscar Lopez, right, and third-year medical student Chris Nadorff looked on. As an 80-year-old Hispanic man, Aramis Ayala is suffering from several diseases commonly seen along the border -- diabetes, Parkinson's disease and diabetic neuropathy.
He is among an estimated 85,000 El Pasoans living with Type 2 diabetes. In his lifetime he has seen growth in El Paso and many medical advances.
Although he knows a cure may not come in time for him, research that will be conducted at El Paso's new medical school will help future generations.
"The more places there are, the better," he said. The medical school "will help a lot of people."
Beginning in the fall of 2009 -- when the first class of 40 four-year medical students enters the school -- the newly accredited Paul L. Foster School of Medicine has an opportunity to contribute to research and health care issues at a national and international level, health officials say.
Research conducted locally may be able to help people such as Ayala.
"Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States, however, they remain understudied," said Dr. German Hernandez, an assistant professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. "If you look at large national studies, for the most part Hispanics tend to be under-represented -- even though they are the largest minority group."
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center officials last week learned they received accreditation as a four-year medical school from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, a national accrediting agency.
Texas Tech first opened its El Paso medical school branch for third- and fourth-year medical students in 1973.
In 2003, lawmakers provided money to expand the school. In 2007, $48 million was given to school officials to complete the school's curriculum and a site review by the accrediting body.
Hernandez, who works for the division of nephrology and hypertension, said because of the school's proximity to the border and predominant Hispanic population, faculty, staff and students have an opportunity to contribute to the advancement of Hispanic health research.
Dr. Manuel de la Rosa, the school's founding dean, said because diabetes affects a quarter of the local population, research on the disease will be on the school's forefront.
Environmental research, such as air and water pollution, will also be an area of focus, he said. Environmental factors, he said, can impact people's health by contributing to asthma and other health-related issues.
Research focusing on the environment, prevalent diseases, and new and emerging diseases on the border will make the medical school a prime border school, de la Rosa said.
Targeting students from the area is also a goal, he said. "We're depending on it."
Celina Beltran, a fourth-year medical student at the school and an El Paso native, said the accredited four-year school would have been ideal for her four years ago.
Leaving El Paso to get an undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin, Beltran ended up returning to El Paso to get her master's degree at the University of Texas School of Public Health El Paso Regional Campus.
However, after she finished her master's degree, she said, becoming involved with border health issues and helping people in her hometown as a doctor was a priority.
She applied for medical school at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She completed her first two years in Lubbock and moved back -- for the second time -- to do her third and fourth year at the El Paso school.
"The treatment of the patients here is multifactorial. It is not only the diagnosing and treating the patient's ailments, but it is also dealing with a lot of socioeconomic issues that a lot of the patients here in El Paso have to deal with," she said. "I think primary care doctors are really needed here in the El Paso area.
Hernandez said the number of doctors in the area is not enough to serve the population effectively.
"We don't have enough physicians," he said, adding that the recruitment of El Paso students could increase this ratio. "Those students are more likely to remain here."
Dr. Theresa Byrd, an associate professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health El Paso Regional Campus, said having El Paso students in the medical school's first class would be a great start, but the school is probably going to have to recruit students statewide to fill the class.
Under state statute, 90 percent of the medical school's class must be in-state students.
"I think Texas Tech would greatly benefit the community," Byrd said.
Byrd, who is the lead investigator on the AMIGAS project that focuses on cervical cancer among Hispanic women in El Paso, said the school's research will add a clinical aspect to research already done in the area.
Besides professional research done by schools locally, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation and the Pan American Health Organization are two additional research centers that focus on border health issues.
Ida Ortegon, a Paso del Norte Health Foundation spokesperson, said the center is "excited" about collaborating with the school.
There have been discussions about developing a partnership between the foundation and the school, but nothing is set in stone, she said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
