TABLEOFCONTENTS
FEATURES 8 SUMMER DRINKS Drinks that will keep you cool.
12 COVER
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Guadalupe De la Vega: La señora who makes a difference.
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SOCIAL STUDIES Pro-Musica Soiree and El Paso Opera Vegas Night Out.
20 MILESTONES Perfect gifts for Dad.
22 PROFILE Jose Manuel de la Rosa: The doctor who makes the medical school go.
26 TRAVEL
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In search of New Mexico wineries.
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OUTDOOR GADGETS that make your backyard work
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COVER: GUADALUPE DE LA VEGA • PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIST CHAVEZ
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june/july 2009
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HOME
28 Backyards to die for.
38 Fran Timbrook: Expanding your living space.
39 Q & A: Getting that Southwest look.
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Before & After: A kitchen makeover.
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Xeriscaping tips.
FOOD
44 Wines and barbecue: A beautiful pairing.
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The art of backyard grilling.
49 Jane Steele: Girls can barbecue too.
FASHION
50 Hairstylists: Five questions you always wanted to ask.
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Cool fashion for hot weather.
61 UTEP How to stay cool.
62 CARS Convertibles to envy.
65
Outdoor events.
66
Calendar: Things to do.
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Adair Margo: Honoring El Paso icons.
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Parting shot.
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR There are some important characters portrayed in this issue of El Paso Style – people the history books will extol for their work, their vision, and their contributions to the border region. We open with Lupe Arizpe De la Vega, an incredible woman whose work in Juarez has never been more important. We set out to reflect her life, and through a revealing profile written by Diana Washington Valdez, we go inside the Hospital de la Familia/Family Hospital and see a determined and proud woman.
EL PASO
EDITOR ART DIRECTOR LEAD DESIGNER DESIGNERS
ASSOCIATE EDITOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
“She is the most remarkable woman I have ever met,” says Adair Margo, who herself is pretty remarkable. “She deserves the Nobel Prize for the lives she has saved and the hope she has brought to Juarez.” As you move deeper into the magazine, you’ll spot another person who is changing lives daily on the border. Dr. Jose Manuel de la Rosa is not an easy man to catch up to, and nearly an impossible figure to get to open up. But he did with our own Ramon Renteria, who delivers a fascinating look at the man who leads Texas Tech University’s Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in El Paso. Through Renteria’s reporting, we learn how de la Rosa’s trademark bow tie came to be and we get a glimpse inside his private life when he’s not consumed by his work at the medical school.
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
GENERAL MANAGER ADVERTISING SALES
“In my off hours, I’m not Dr. de la Rosa and I’m not the dean. I’m just a dad,” he says. It would be enough just to read about Lupe De la Vega and Dr. Jose Manuel de la Rosa, but then we also have another icon – artist Jose Cisneros. As is customary for us, we end each issue with a column written by Adair Margo on the arts community of El Paso. For this issue she devotes her space to two artistic icons – the late Tom Lea, who the history books already reflect, and Cisneros, the living 99-year-old artistic giant who continues to make his home in El Paso and whose legacy in the art world has been secured. Of course in this issue of El Paso Style, we also have some fun. We take you into five amazing backyards, and we get you up close and personal with six of El Paso’s favorite hairstylists. Until August, have a great summer.
PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER TNP VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES TNP VICE PRESIDENT OF CIRCULATION TNP DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Chris Lopez Carlita Montoya Costello Gris Campos Javier Guzman Jr. Hector Becerra Charlie Flores Richard Nicholson Albert Juarez Paula Monarez Diaz Marie Graf Maria Cortes Gonzalez Candi M. Lopez Adair Margo Victor Martinez Erica Molina Johnson Jane McFarland Doug Pullen Ramon Renteria Stephanie Sanchez Jane Steele Felipa Solis Ruth Taber Fran Timbrook Diana Washington Valdez Ruben R. Ramirez Victor Calzada Christ Chavez Mark Lambie Alicia Cardoza Fernie Castillo Rudy Gutierrez Jim Weddell 915-546-6341 Ray Stafford William Southern Jeri Norris Jim Dove Kent Hummel
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Bob Braswell
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
Malena Field
TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
Amy G. French
Established in 2009 as El Paso Style, a publication of the El Paso Times. www.elpasotimes.com
Chris Lopez june/july 2009
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cool summer drinks
F R O S T Y
&
F L A V O R F U L
DRINKS WITH FRESH PIZZAZ by Stephanie Sanchez photography by Rudy Gutierrez
SCORCHING HOT DAYS MEAN YOU NEED SOMETHING POWERFUL TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST. How about vibrant-colored, frosty and flavorful cocktails? Drinks that feature fresh fruits, herbs and organic edible flowers. El Paso Style visited bartenders at Ardovino’s Desert Crossing, Thyme Matters and Magic Pan to get their top summer cocktail recipes. These drinks are sure to make your day or night party a standout.
POMEGRANATE MARGARITA Thyme Matters Ivan Torres, owner
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THYME FOR KIWI Thyme Matters Ivan Torres, owner
PEACH MARTINI
Magic Pan Ruben Carmona, manager
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3
MANGO MARTINI
Ardovino’s Desert Crossing Jessica Flores, bar manager
(recipes on page 10) june/july 2009
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1
Pomegranate Margarita
2
Thyme for Kiwi
Delaney’s Steakhouse
Thyme Matters
Ingredients/
Ingredients/
1 1⁄4 ounce Don Julio Silver Tequila (any tequila will do)
2 ounces of Cachaça 1
⁄2 ounce simple syrup***
⁄4 ounce Cointreau orange liqueur
Three branches of thyme leaves
3/4 ounce pomegranate syrup
4 wedges of lime
Lemon and lime sweet and sour mix
Splash of club soda
3
Sugar
Mix Don Julio Silver Tequila, Cointreau orange liqueur, pomegranate syrup, lemon and lime sweet and sour mix and shake. Wet rim with lemon and dip in sugar. Dress with orange and lime slice.
3
3
⁄4 of a kiwi
Muddle (mix) kiwi, lime, two thyme branches and simple syrup. Add ice and Cachaça, which is a Brazilian rum liquor. Strain to eliminate lime seeds and thyme branches in your drink. Strain again. Top off with club soda. Dress with slice of kiwi and a thyme leaf. *** Make simple syrup by boiling water and adding equal parts sugar.
4 Peach Martini
Signature Mango Margarita
Ardovino’s Desert Crossing
Ingredients/
Magic Pan
1 oz of Absolut Mango
Ingredients/
3
⁄4 oz of triple sec
11⁄4 ounces tequila
1 oz mango puree
3
⁄4 ounce Cointreau orange liqueur
Splash of orange juice Splash of Sprite
Lemon and lime sweet and sour mix 1 ounce Mango puree
Mix Absolute Mango, triple sec, mango puree, splash of orange juice, splash of sprite and ice. Shake. Throw a cherry in to dress up the drink.
Lava Punch
Mix tequila, Cointreau liqueur, lemon and lime sweet and sour mix and mango puree. Wet rim with lemon and dip in sugar. Dress with an edible orchid.
non-alcoholic!
Ardovino’s Desert Crossing
Ingredients/ Pineapple juice • Cranberry • juice • Orange juice • Grenadine Mix equal parts of pineapple juice, cranberry juice and orange juice. Pour grenadine or cherry juice on top. It will flow down like lava.
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cover profile
humble, amazing LUPE
These are dangerous times in Juárez, similar to those of the 1910 Mexican Revolution, except this time the culprits are drug dealers and their minions. Guadalupe Arizpe De la Vega knows that life is abnormal, but the troubled times do not stop her. Friends call her Lupita. Others, out of respect, refer to her as la Señora. She fills many roles at once: wife, mother, humanitarian, world traveler, crusader, entrepreneur, leader. by Diana Washington Valdez photography by Christ Chavez
legacy is not limited to a single effort or organization; behind her is nearly 30 years of work on behalf of residents less fortunate than herself. Perhaps only one other Juárez citizen has left such a profound imprint on the border community — A. Jaime Bermudez, architect of the maquiladora industry. One recent day, De la Vega weaved in and out of wards of the Hospital de la Familia/Family Hospital, which is getting ready to celebrate its 100,000th birth. De la Vega’s work centers on her love of children, especially babies, and the empowerment of women in Mexico’s still largely machista society. Her efforts have reached out to poor women, brickmakers and prostitutes. At the hospital, it seemed that every nook and cranny was packed with new and returning patients. De la Vega stopped momentarily to point out a sculpture of a young girl that holds a special place inside the building. “She’s called ‘Joy.’ See how free and happy she is?” De la Vega said. “That’s what we’re all about. We work every day to empower women so they can lead the lives they want instead of what society tries to force on them. We do it through the hospital, our community banks, our nursing school and the promotora networks.” De la Vega paused again to chat with doctors, staff and patients.
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Her gaze turned to a young mother holding her newborn child. “How beautiful! Look at that smile. Look at the hands!” De la Vega exclaimed. The mother, beaming with pride, smiled back at La Señora.
“I don’t know how we became so fortunate. We serve the poorest people in Juárez, yet we managed to get the best and most highly skilled and specialized doctors anyone could ask for.”
Outside the 110-bed hospital, armed Mexican army soldiers ride in Hummers and patrol the streets, trying to hold back the wave of drug violence and lawlessness that crashed on the border city two years ago.
The hospital’s fine medical reputation also attracts U.S. patients from across the border, who make up about 20 percent of its patient load.
“We’ve been through our ups and downs over the years. We’ve survived previous recessions and peso devaluations. We overcame obstacles that officials and others tried to put in our way,” said De la Vega, a native of Monterrey, who moved to Juárez in 1960 after she married Federico De la Vega, a prominent businessman. One of her daughters is married to Paul Foster, CEO of Western Refining in El Paso. “But this, the violence, is the worst thing we have ever encountered.” Kidnappings, murders, disappearances, robberies, arsons and extortions have intimidated many city residents. A video posting on the Internet warned the city’s affluent families they would not escape, causing many of them to seek refuge across the border in cities including El Paso. “Because of the extortions, some of our women entrepreneurs who received micro loans from us ($100 to $200) had to shut down. The extorters have devastated many small businesses in Juárez,” De la Vega lamented. She confirmed that her children virtually dragged her and her husband from their Juárez home.
The hospital is part of a national network, the Mexican Federation of Private Health and Community Development Association, which includes 41 clinics. For De la Vega, finding ways to raise the money for the expansion is but one more item on her list of pressing things to do. Suárez, who left his practice in Tijuana 26 years ago to work with De la Vega, affirms that she is the catalyst for everything that gets done at the hospital. He also can attest to her deep reluctance to be the focus of the news media. “Several years ago, several reporters came to the hospital because they wanted to interview her. To avoid them, she sneaked out by climbing through a window in the back. I saw her do it.”
De la Vega, who agreed to the El Paso Style interview because the story might reach readers who want to help, explained, “Our philosophy is that we are a horizontal organization that gains its strength from each one of us interlocking arms with the other. If I’m set apart as someone special, then the structure of empowerment collapses.” She says she’s proud of doctors such as Suárez and the rest of the medical professionals who joined the hospital as well as a cause.
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De la Vega said, “Before the march, Chihuahua Governor Patricio Martinez called and asked me as a favor to him not to participate in the march. I told him that not only was I going to participate, but I was one of the organizers. When we ran into the antimarch group, some of the counter protesters who were patients of ours recognized me. One of them yelled out to the others, ‘Stop, it’s Lupita of the Hospital de la Familia. Leave right now!’ ”
“I discovered up, shook off the dirt from something I had DethelafallVegaandgotcontinued to march with her in hand. The march ended on the never expected to sign Juárez side of the Paso del Norte Bridge, where the protesters installed a cross in find. The people of memory of the victims. El Paso welcomed On occasion, Catholic Church leaders have us with open criticized De la Vega for promoting family planning; she is Catholic and the church hierararms.” chy has not embraced birth control. Two of her
Standing in the hallway, Dr. José Suárez Toriello stopped De la Vega long enough to tell her the private hospital was busting at the seams, especially after it received approval to process patients with the Seguro Popular, a government health-insurance initiative. “We need at least $300,000 to expand our capacity. We have no more room,” he said.
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Always perfectly coiffed and fashionably dressed, De la Vega is unique among the upper crust of Juárez society. She is not a woman one would expect to find being knocked down during a march protesting the murders of women in Juárez. That happened during the 2002 “Women in Black March for Life.”
brothers are priests. In Juárez, everyone has heard the story about how the Hospital de Familia got started. It’s a town legend. De la Vega saw a Mexican newspaper headline, ‘Human Hyena Kills Own Child.’ She was intrigued. She went to interview the woman who was in custody. The woman lived in dire poverty, had nine children and a 10th on the way. She was despairing because her husband had left the family. She told De la Vega she stabbed herself and her unborn child because she did not want to bring another child into the world to suffer like the rest. “I asked why she didn’t plan her pregnancies, and she told me she didn’t know what that meant. She never heard about birth control, either. I figured she and many other women lacked vital information that would make a difference in their lives,” said De la Vega, who hired a lawyer to represent the woman. “Women, young and old, need information so they can direct their destinies.” After that, De la Vega experienced a shattering event that led her to start the hospital by the border. She was taken to see a woman who was gravely ill and had no access to health care. De la Vega transported the woman, who had an intravenous tube in her arm, so she could receive emergency treatment. By the time she reached a doctor, it was too late. The woman died. Suárez said De la Vega has been known to pull doctors out of important meetings to attend to a patient in crisis. She also has managed to get famous medical institutions in the United States and Europe to provide her staff with the latest medical training. She works constantly to acquire modern technology for the hospital.
Throughout the hospital, she has placed pricey paintings she purchased to brighten the hospital corridors. She also ordered that bedding and curtains be colorful so patients can feel better while they are receiving treatment. In one of the hallways, she complains to Suárez about a crooked picture frame and some wall discolorations. He promised to take care of them right away. Vicky Caraveo Vallina, founder of Mujeres por Juárez and a friend of De la Vega’s, is another rare Juárez woman from the upper class who shares De la Vega’s vision of helping women from low-income families. “I met Lupita when I was very young. She had just married and was attending a ladies sewing group so she could meet the women of the Juárez society. She was very restless. She pursued university studies and was always up to something. I was proud that she included me at time in her work. I have a great regard for her.” El Pasoan Adair Margo, an art gallery owner and friend of U.S. politicians, including former President George W. Bush, believes De la Vega deserves a special global recognition. “I have known Lupe for 25 years. I knew from the moment I met her and visited her then-tiny hospital in Juárez, that I wanted to be around her, her staff and her volunteers. They had so much to live for! She is the most remarkable woman I have ever met, and she deserves the Nobel Prize for the lives she has saved and the hope she has brought to Juárez.” Margo, who helped start the FEMAP Foundation in El Paso to support De la Vega’s work, said “My mom, Betty Wakefield Haley, and I began visiting the hospital that had about 10 beds then, taking cookies and layettes that my sister Sallie would send from Tennessee. My friends and I later began helping when there was an expressed need, such as sewing machines for transvestite sex workers who wanted to start sewing clothes instead of working in the sex trade.” El Paso Natural Gas gave $100,000 to start the FEMAP Foundation, and Margo became the founding chairwoman. Noted pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton, professor emeritus at Harvard, has said, “I wish the same innovative, caring model that FEMAP uses in Mexico could be used in the United States to provide preventive health services for families.” That model includes efficiency and keeping down costs. After finishing her rounds at the hospital, De la Vega sat down and reflected a bit on her move to El Paso. “I discovered something I had never expected to find. The people of El Paso welcomed us with open arms. Neighbors, complete strangers, brought us fruit and other treats at our new home. I never experienced this sense of community in a neighborhood.” She continued, “To cheer us up after leaving Juárez, our children got us a dog named Chocolate, who is always getting out of the house. One day, a young woman drove up to my house. She had a baby in her car and a wet dog, who turned out to be Chocolate. He had his tag with our contact information. She told me she found him swimming in the Rio Grande. I was taken aback. Who would bother to pack a wet dog in a car with a baby and drive all the way to my home to return the canine? I am still taking this in. This is what I mean about the people of El Paso being special.” Despite the comfort and safety of her new home, De la Vega makes it clear that she is not about to end her work in Juárez; there is too much to do. ◗
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Guadalupe Arizpe De la Vega’s leadership has led to the following in Juárez and elsewhere along U.S.-Mexican border: • Hospital de la Familia and 41 family-planning clinics throughout the country. • AIDS prevention program and educational outreach to prostitutes. • Health and family-planning services for the maquiladora industry. • Nursing school that is targeting young women who might not have any other opportunities for formal education. • Brickmakers project helping Mexican brickmakers move from firing their kilns with tires and other polluting materials to natural gas or propane, or at least cleanerburning wood or sawdust. • Safe water program to reduce gastrointestinal illnesses due to unclean drinking water. • Recycling program to raise awareness of solidwaste disposal problems. • Ecotechnological Research Institute. • Community banks offering low-income families loans to create small businesses. • Microenterprises program, economic development for those who have outgrown the community banks. • Housing program that offers home-improvement loans.
World crusader Guadalupe Arizpe De la Vega has been on the United Nations Council for Family Planning and has participated in forums at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She has taken her message to groups in cities and countries that include New York, Geneva, Cairo, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Korea, Indonesia and Dublin. Her honors include the Hannah G. Solomon Award from the El Paso section of the National Council of Jewish Women and the Women’s Resource Center’s True Woman Award.
women
empower
“We work every day to so they can lead the lives they want instead of what society tries to force on them.�
june/july 2009
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social studies
PRO-MUSICA 28TH PRO-MUSICA SOIREE “TWILIGHT ON TUSCANY"
DAN O'LEARY, LEFT, NANCY KURTYKA, JERRY KURTYKA AND TOMMIE O'LEARY
PATSY JURAD, LEFT, BILL AND PAT QUINN
ROBERT VERA, LEFT, BARBARA AND DAVID DUCHOUQUETTE
KATHLEEN COLEMAN, LEFT, PAUL COLEMAN, JUSTINE COLEMAN AND BECKY HOLMES
JAN AND RAY MCNUTT, LEFT, AND FRANCIS AXELSON
ERIC AND KATE RESENDEZ
JAMES STEWART, LEFT, JACK AND JOY WINTON
SHIRLEY SCAFURI AND LUCIUS DE’ANGELO
MATTHEW STREEM, LEFT, CATHERINE CAMILLETTI, PATRICIA AND DARRELL STARNES
MICHAEL SPORE AND BANJO STANLEY
KATHRIN BERG PETTIT AND RUTH ELLEN JACOBSON
photography by Alicia Cardoza
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EL PASO OPERA
social studies
VEGAS NIGHT OUT
ROSANNA ESPARZA LEFT, JOE ESPARZA AND LIZ ESPARZA
RENE HURTADO LEFT, ANTONIO VALTIER, JENNIFER HERNANDEZ AND ANTHONY TOMASHESKI
LUIS IGLESIAS LEFT, ANA IGLESIAS, EDUARDO QUIROZ AND SUSANA QUIROZ
CYGNE NEMIR LEFT, ANN WARD, KITTY SCHILD AND KATLEEN ANDERSON
VICTOR AND MARISA VILLEGAS
SOCORRO DIAMONDSTEIN LEFT, PRENTICE HOFTIN AND YVONNE MARMOLEJO
DINORA AND JAVIER CUEVAS
GLORIA AND OSCAR MELENDEZ
LIZ POTTER LEFT AND MEGAN BARBER
ERIN BARRAZA AND BIANCA TORRES
photography by Fernie Castillo june/july 2009
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father’s day gifts by Ste ph photo anie Sanc h graph y by M ez a rk L
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5
2
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ambi e
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june/july 2009
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profile
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BEHIND
THE BOW TIE by Ram贸n Renter铆a photography by Victor Calzada and Mark Lambie
DR. JOSE MANUEL DE LA ROSA RARELY LIFTS THE CURTAIN INTO HIS PERSONAL LIFE.
De la Rosa is just not the type to shine the spotlight on himself, not the type to brag about his achievements as one of El Paso’s prominent MexicanAmerican leaders, and not the type to hog the credit as the often outspoken but diplomatic founding dean of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine — the huge El Paso dream he nursed for a decade.
“I’m able to move out of the circle that I do business with and be somebody else,” he says. “I’m a family man like anybody else. That’s my off life.” De la Rosa, a 51-year-old pediatrician, has been identified over the years not only as “an angel of mercy” who once provided free medical care to El Paso County’s poorest children, but also as a persistent voice for El Paso’s four-year medical school. Now that the first 40 medical school students are about to start the first round of classes this fall, the man behind the trademark bow tie can’t help smiling. He relishes the “tough but sensible” reputation he earned in a 10-year political struggle to establish the only four-year medical school on the United States-Mexico border. “That’s what I do,” de la Rosa says while kicking back in a big corner office filled with plaques and religious icons. “I irritate people. I get under their skin and make ’em move.” Almost 2,700 students applied for the first medical school slots. The school will gradually expand to accommodate 100 students. De la Rosa can hardly wait for the first batch — nine from El Paso, one from the border in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, and the rest from across Texas and the United States. “It’s just like giving birth. It’s going to happen. There’s no turning back,” de la Rosa says. “Right now, we’re feeling some labor pains. We’re getting anxious. We’re getting that nesting instinct.” Nobody paints a better picture of de la Rosa than El Paso’s Maria Elena Flood, a retired administrator at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso, who has known him since he began his career. De la Rosa respects her as if she were a second mother. “He’s a very interesting fellow, very bright. He has great intellect but doesn’t like to throw that around and try to talk big words and all,” Flood says. “We immediately recruited him to become a faculty member as soon as he finished his residency (in 1987).” Flood and other acquaintances describe de la Rosa as a man devoted to El Paso and his 14-year-old twins and four older children, a charitable man who has few hobbies other than traveling with his family, a man who can easily stash away his professional prestige and titles and mow the grass or prune the trees at his upper-middle-class house in East El Paso. At Cathedral High School, he was always more of a
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el paso style
geek, never an athlete. “He’s not pompous at all,” Flood says. “When I’ve seen him lose his cool, he just walks away from it and comes back later all calmado.” De la Rosa comes from a hardworking Catholic family. His late father, Manuel, an educator for 30 years, insisted that his son had no choice but to go to college to become a priest, a lawyer, an architect, a doctor, an engineer or teacher. De la Rosa couldn’t draw or do math very well, so he opted for medicine, never imagining he would also end up teaching pediatrics. “I learned what a privilege it is to be a doctor,” de la Rosa says. “People tell doctors things they don’t tell a priest. They literally and figuratively disrobe in front of you.” He started wearing a bow tie “just to be a clown” and thumb his nose at a faculty member who said he should dress the part if he wanted to be respected as a doctor. “When he saw me with a bow tie on, he just rolled his eyes. I wanted to be a little bit of a maverick,” de la Rosa says. “Afterward, I learned bow ties are traditional for pediatricians.” The bow tie tradition stuck. But de la Rosa says he also never wore long ties after a 4-year-old patient grabbed a bolo tie he was wearing and yanked him down. De la Rosa once thought he might become a classical violinist. He also studied at a seminary for a spell. He’s still addicted to classical music. Monsignor Francis J. Smith, pastor of St. Raphael Catholic Church, describes de la Rosa as a natural and decisive diplomat who can defuse any situation, the type of generous parishioner who quietly donates to various causes not only in his neighborhood church but also across El Paso, often in partnership with his wife, Maureen. “He’s a phenomenal human being, very loyal to this city and to the school of medicine,” Smith says. “Spiritually, he’s at Mass every morning at 6:30.” Elizabeth Wiehe, the principal at St. Raphael Catholic School, applauds de la Rosa for being involved in every aspect of his children’s education. “He makes time for everything that he’s involved in even though he doesn’t have a whole lot of extra time,” Wiehe says. “El Paso is so fortunate to have him in charge of the new medical school. The man is very committed, a very good human being.” People often ask de la Rosa why he doesn’t live on the West Side like other rich doctors. He tells them he’s well-off but would rather stay on the East Side in the brick house he has occupied for 27 years. None of the neighbors make a fuss when de la Rosa tosses aside the bow tie, walks around in sweats and does his own yard work. That’s how he relaxes away from the dinner and lecture circuit, away from the multiple demands on his professional time. “In my off hours, I’m not Dr. de la Rosa and I’m not the dean. I’m just a dad,” he says. “That’s neat to be able to have a whole separate identity.” ◗
DR. JOSE MANUEL DE LA ROSA
BORN: May 18, 1958, at El Paso’s Hotel Dieu hospital. FAMILY: Maureen, his wife; and children, Michael Manuel, 28; Mary Margaret, 27; Melissa Marie, 25; Meaghan Martha, 21; and twins Mercedes Moira and Maximilano Marcos, 14. He also has a sister, Maria de los Angeles de la Rosa Rupinen. ROOTS: His father, Manuel, taught school for 30 years at E.B. Jones Elementary in Smeltertown and at Houston Elementary. His mother, Lupita, came from a Juárez family. EDUCATION: Cathedral High School, 1976; Notre Dame University, 1980; Texas Tech University School of Medicine, 1984. WHAT’S ON HIS NIGHTSTAND: “The Lion in the Senate,” the life story of President Lyndon Baines Johnson. SOMETHING INTERESTING: He and his wife, Maureen, met in the Notre Dame University cafeteria, where they worked as undergraduate students. PET PEEVE: “People who think they can fix things by yelling and shouting. It just doesn’t work.” SOMETHING HE ENJOYS: “My kids give me grief because I love shopping at Wal-Mart.” ONE SURPRISE: “I hate ties.” QUOTE: “We think of ourselves as a poor community and we are in a certain sense. But if we all cooperate, we can do things in El Paso like you can’t do anywhere else. It just takes somebody to keep pushing constantly.”
june/july 2009
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travel excursion
SOUTHWEST WINES by Felipa Solis
TULAROSA VINEYARDS: Just outside of Alamogordo, New York native David Wickham decided to cultivate his dream. After much study and research, Wickham decided on a business venture that meant the creation of fine wines. He opened the Tularosa Vineyards in 1989 with the production of 100 cases. Soon his wines began winning national competitions and it became clear that the Tularosa Basin would be the perfect backdrop for growing grapes and making wine. The Wickhams have made their love of wine a family affair, and son Chris is now in the mix. Visitors to the vineyards can sample the wines and enjoy them on picnic tables surrounded by pecan trees. Where: 23 Coyote Canyon, Tularosa, N.M. Hours: 9 a.m. Monday to Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Information: 575-585-2260
LA VIĂ‘A: Hailed as the oldest New Mexico winery, the vineyard owned by Ken and Denise Stark, also takes advantage of its location along the Don Juan de OĂąate trail. The wines are fun. Rojo Loco and Reislings are popular wines. This vineyard is all about the party. The beautiful grounds boast a tasting room, and private tours can be arranged daily at 11:30 a.m., and there are celebrations wrapped around the harvest, grape stomps, the Fourth of July and some of the finest blues and jazz around. Where: 4201 S. Highway 28, La Union. Hours: noon to 5 p.m. Thursday to Tuesday. Closed Wednesday. Information: 505-882-7632.
ZIN VALLE VINEYARDS: Do not be fooled by the signs; this is a Texas grape. Vic Poulos was intrigued by the geographic history of the region, and the Mesilla Valley appellation was where he decided fine wines could come back to life. In August 2000, Zin Valle Vineyards was born when the Poulos family bought 10 acres in Canutillo. The name Rising Star was registered and the rest is wine history. The success of his first zinfandel vineyard prompted the growth of the Malvasia and Guwurztraminer plants, adding even more dimension to the wine made available. The tasting room is at the heart of the operation, where a long porch allows guests to have a picnic lunch while enjoying the wines. Their Barrel Room is the wine storage space, but also lends itself to candlelight dinners with the barrels as a charming backdrop. Where: 7315 Highway 28 (at Milepost 1 on Highway 28) in Canutillo. When: Noon to 5 p.m. Friday- Monday. By appointment only Tuesday-Thursday. Information: 877-4544.
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el paso style
THE SOUTHWEST MAY NOT LOOK LIKE WINE COUNTRY, BUT DO NOT LET THE DESERT SUNSETS AND LANDSCAPE FOOL YOU. THE CLIMATE IS IDEAL FOR CERTAIN KINDS OF GRAPES, AND THE WINEMAKING INDUSTRY IS NOT SHYING AWAY FROM SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO. EVEN THE EDGES OF TEXAS ARE PRODUCING WINES COMPARABLE TO THOSE OF CALIFORNIA’S RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY. FOR CONNOISSEURS OR JUST FANS OF A FINE-TASTING WHITE OR RED, SOME AMAZING FINDS AWAIT, NO MORE THAN TWO HOURS AWAY.
ST. CLAIR VINEYARDS: Just 47 miles from Deming, the hot sunny days, cool evenings and sandy soil filled with nutrients combine to grow the best grapes possible. The harvest begins in late August, and as in France, it is the soil that prevails. The Lescombes family works daily on their 180 acres to create bottles of cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, Malvasia Bianca and others. The winery is nestled in the Mimbres Valley, but tasting rooms are now located on site in Deming, Las Cruces and Albuquerque. You can also try the young delicious wines at the St. Clair Bistro in Mesilla. Where: St. Clair Vineyards, 1325 De Baca Road, Deming. Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Information: 877-366-4637. Where: St. Clair Wine and Bistro, 1800 Avenida De Mesilla, Las Cruces, 88005. Hours: Restaurant and tasting room are open daily. Information: 575-524-2408. Where: St. Clair Bistro, 901 Rio Grand NW, Albuquerque. Hours: Open 7 days a week. Information: 505-243-9916.
WILLMON VINEYARDS: This Ruidoso winery has a variety of tastings. Free samples of all wines available. A gift shop not only has wine, but imported cheeses and other gourmet items. You can sit at the wine bar and enjoy the mountain view. Where: 2801 Sudderth, Ruidoso. Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Information: 575-630-9463 or jessica@winesofnewmexico.com
RIO GRANDE VINEYARDS & WINERY: This Las Cruces winery specializes in Spanish wines. They include tempranillo and queue tendre. The wine is stored in Hungarian oak barrels. Where: Highway 28, about 4 miles south of the Mesilla Plaza. Hours: Noon to 5:30 p.m. Friday to Sunday. Information: 575-524-3985 or riograndewinery@aol.com
LUNA ROSSA WINERY: Located west of Deming in the Mimbres Valley, the winery is run by Paolo and Sylvia D’Andrea. Paolo D’Andrea is from the Fruili region of Italy. He now produces wines using 100 percent New Mexico grapes. The winery offers Italian, German, Rhone and Spanish varieties. Where: 3710 W. Pine, Deming. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Information: 575-544-1160. ◗
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backyards
OUTDOOR LIVING AT ITS
Finest by Maria Cortés González
CHILDREN ARE OUT OF SCHOOL. THE WEATHER IS TYPICAL EL PASO — HOT AND SUNNY. And Father’s Day is just around the corner. Which can mean only one thing — El Pasoans are outdoors, barbecuing on stainless-steel grills, taking dips in backyard swimming pools or sipping tea under a refreshing pergola. El Paso may be known for its desert terrain, but it’s still home to some amazing lush and picture-perfect Southwest landscapes. With some expert advice, hard work and general gardening knowledge, some El Pasoans have created their own retreats in their own backyards. Though not an easy task, El Paso Style took a stroll through some of the city’s finest yards and picked five stunning landscapes that would make Martha Stewart jealous. We’re talking about sitting in a sophisticated outdoor room and sipping wine while watching the sun bid adieu. Or enjoying the view of the mountains while sinking your body into the hot, soothing waters of a gurgling hot tub in your pool. Or how about this, Martha — feeling like you’re in a cottage garden as you take a walk around a multicolor bed of roses, or sway in a wooden swing from a decades-old tree, while water trickles through a stone fountain nearby. So get yourself a glass of your favorite cool beverage, sit back in your favorite chair and take a pictorial tour of some of El Paso’s finest landscapes. Now this is outdoor living.
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photography Rudy Gutierrez
outdoor KITCHENS THE OUTDOOR KITCHEN HAD ITS HUMBLE beginnings as a grill in a cabinet enclosure. These days, the grill is only the beginning for an amazing outdoor kitchen, which can rival its indoor counterpart when it comes to entertaining. And when it’s about hosting family and friends outdoors — this West El Paso kitchen under a romantic wooden pergola rivals most. For starters, there are the top-of-the-line Viking appliances including spacious grill, and an ice maker and beverage cooler conveniently under the bar. You just know you have a well-designed outdoor kitchen
Italian design A tin table, inspired by Italian design, provides plenty of space for outdoor dining and a great backdrop for colorful summer dishes.
when no one is scurrying back and forth for ice. Interior designer Anne Steele, who helped her clients create their ideal outdoor space, said this couple needed plenty of dining space for their entertaining lifestyle. “It was real important that they had a table that would seat 10 for the family that comes over,” she said.
Votive candles and lanterns spaced throughout the patio help provide ambience once the sun goes down. The homeowners also have done a great job of integrating their love for outdoor entertaining with their yard. Pots of color, brimming with petunias and other annuals or an elegant topiary, help soften the look of the brick hardscape around the kitchen.
A tin table, inspired by Italian design, provides plenty of space for outdoor dining and a great backdrop for colorful summer dishes.
“At the end of the day, this is where they like to spend their time,” Steele said.
Raised beds and potted plants surround a nearby outdoor fireplace, creating a cozy room within an outdoor room.
By the looks of this comfortable and inviting outdoor display, absolutely nothing is wrong with that sentiment. june/july 2009
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outdoor haunt From the warm rust colors of the furniture cushions and the Canterastyle concrete of the fireplace to the natural surroundings, every element of this room contributes to an amazing ambience.
outdoor AMBIANCE
ASK EL PASOAN MARIA WOODY ABOUT HER favorite room in her Mediterranean-style home in the Willows, and she’ll take you for a walk — outside. Woody, who is a Master Gardener, spends more time outside than inside during the summer. Nothing beats “being al fresco,” she said, especially in her outdoor room, which looks like an indoor room, except for the clear blue sky. The outdoor patio is one part of the expansive yard, which also includes a variety of raised beds, a rose garden, a swimming pool and a separate, enclosed vegetable garden. “The whole idea is that we have great weather in El Paso 10 months out of 12 and we definitely wanted to be able to enjoy it and do a lot of outdoor entertaining,” Woody said.
photography Mark Lambie
Woody put a lot of thought into designing her outdoor room, making sure to include an outdoor fireplace and durable wrought-iron furniture. The patio is extended so that it gets some morning sun, without it bearing down on the weather-resistant seating pieces. And yes, El Paso does have some chilly nights that just call for sitting around the majestic fireplace, while sipping a glass of wine. The aroma of the burning pine wood adds to the evening splendor. “It is so inviting, and we have like the best view of the town and the mountains,” Woody said. “In the mornings on the weekends, we like to go out there and read the paper, and in the evenings, it’s just the two of us out there watching the sunset,” Woody said of herself and her husband, Darren. “It’s romantic and peaceful.” june/july 2009
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waterfall blends The sound of water flowing through the waterfall blends with the contemporary, instrumental music playing throughout the home.
AFTER CAREFUL SCANNING, JACK WINTON PICKS his favorite spot in his backyard. “It has to be in this lounge chair where I can see the pool and the plants and on a clear day, the mountains of New Mexico,” he said, of a couple of rattan-style lounge chairs outside the family room. Winton, of Winton & Associates, and his wife, Joy have created the perfect setting for intimate and relaxing brunches or for entertaining friends and family in their back yard.
photography Christ Chavez
The two-story abode sits on a high elevation on the West Side that allows the couple an overview of the still-growing West Side, Mt. Cristo Rey and a touch of Northern New Mexico. When entertaining, the couple can open the retractable doors of their family room and instantly create an indoor-outdoor room. There are numerous comfortable chairs to lounge by the pool, a durable patio set tucked in a shady corner of the yard, as well as an outdoor kitchen outfitted with a Wolf barbecue grill and refrigerator. Guests are welcome to travel upstairs to the game room, to play a game of pool, or enjoy a glass of merlot on the balcony overlooking the back yard. The swimming pool, built by Paradise Pools, is laguna style, with enough curves to make a Hollywood starlet envious. A natural-rock laden spa with clear, blue water is inviting for an intimate dip. Then there are those little details that only an experienced, high-end home builder might envision.
outdoor ENTERTAINMENT
Remote-controlled screens on various outdoor arches can glide down, to block the harsh sunrays of a typical El Paso afternoon. Though she’s an avid traveler, Joy Winton has come to realize she doesn’t need to leave her doorstep for an outdoor retreat. “I can stay home and have my own resort,” she said.
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outdoor pool YOU HEAR ITALLTHE TIME — IT’S HOTAND DRY HERE IN THE SOUTHWEST. But there are some oases in the desert. This lagoon-style swimming pool is a refreshing and stunning focal point of this West El Paso yard. It sits in the middle of the well-designed yard, which also features a small lawn area, several flower beds and a pergola over a stainless-steel barbecue grill and outdoor fireplace. Joe Beechler, owner of Paradise Pools, is the designer of this swimming pool with a vanishing edge. “It’s called by different names — infinity edge or negative edge,” he said. “Basically, it creates the illusion that the water is hanging in midair from a certain perspective.” When you stand at certain spots in the pool, it can look as if the water touches the horizon, without any means of support. The high elevation of the house, overlooking the West Side, enhances the enjoyment of this feature while providing plenty of privacy. The pool also has a stunning waterfall, with water jetting through three small rock pockets into a hot tub. The waterfall also serves as a privacy wall between the pool and the lawn. The waterfall, hot tub and pool are surrounded by a dark red, Colorado-harvested rock, known as moss rock. Rain or the humidity from the pool encourages moss to grow on the rock, providing an attractive bright green texture. During drier times, the moss simply goes dormant. Beechler, who has been in business for 22 years, said he has pretty high standards for himself and his clients. “Ultimately, we want something that is uniquely theirs, built to the highest possible standards and with the best equipment available,” he said. No doubt, uniqueness, beautiful surroundings and the best in pool features come together in this West Side landscape.
water paradise During the day, the pergola provides some shade over the pool. But nothing beats watching the sun go down, from the comfort of your own water paradise.
photography Rudy Gutierrez
colorful palette Again, the colorful palette stands out against the home’s
outdoor garden
white exterior walls.
IT MIGHT BE HARD TO IMAGINE A LUSH COTTAGE-STYLE garden in the middle of the desert — until you step into this West El Paso landscape. It’s like opening a beautiful page in Better Homes & Gardens, but better, because you can actually smell the roses. It is evident this garden is a treasure for owner Mary Gaddy. Containers brimming with purple and yellow pansies, geraniums and bright purple lobelia greet visitors as they walk out of the Cape Codstyle home. Throughout the landscape, there is a wonderful contrast between the bright hues of blooming flowers and the bright, clean white, exterior walls, benches and swings. Visitors must stop to take in the numerous vignettes of color and flowers, some in raised beds, that surround the main grass area. On one side of the home is a half-moon bed of roses, in shades of pink, red and white. Again, the colorful palette stands out against the home’s white exterior walls. Steppingstones lead visitors to a towering mulberry tree that provides plenty of shade and the perfect setting for an afternoon tea.
While every flower seems perfect in its spot, Gaddy is relaxed about what she grows and how she grows it. She doesn’t mind plants overflowing or mixing bright colors together. She certainly doesn’t mind her golden retriever and his dogs, Trapper and Grateful, meandering through the yard. And even when she’s alone pulling weeds, she is surrounded by creatures, dear and small. “I have tons of hummingbirds and robins visiting... and a razorback woodpecker family. It’s just really fun to watch all the birds,” she said. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, you must return soon. On every visit, you’re sure to discover something different in bloom. ◗
photography Rudy Gutierrez
The grand tree easily supports a white porch swing, facing a flower bed brimming with spring color including aromatic alyssum and slender irises and lilies.
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fran timbrook
Bring the indoors
outside
Textures and treatments transform patios with illusions of rooms
When creating an outdoor room, plan it the way you plan your home, giving consideration to its use and how each area relates to the inside of the house.
as
an interior designer, I work on new homes and remodels daily. I specify finishes, colors, plumbing fixtures, lighting and furniture that are not just for the interior of the home. Frequently I am also asked to design the exterior living spaces of the home.
Our glorious El Paso climate allows us to use our patios and gardens nearly nine months out of the year, so why not take advantage of the extra square footage and make it just as livable and comfortable as the inside? Today’s patios include outdoor kitchens outfitted with all of the latest appliances, seating areas around a fireplace and/or television and dining areas. When creating an outdoor room, plan it the way you plan your home, giving consideration to its use and how each area relates to the inside of the house. The kitchen area should be close to your indoor kitchen to allow for easy transfer of the food and utensils. The living room should have comfortable seating groups that can be easily drawn around the fireplace and engage everyone into conversation. And the dining area can have several square tables for intimate seating or grouped together to create a large family-style gathering table. Place a small twoperson breakfast table in the best viewing spot, where you can enjoy an early cup of coffee and plan your day. But there is more to creating an outdoor room than just furniture. A
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el paso style
kitchen created with rustic materials and modern appliances can include a refrigerator, beverage center, cooking island, warming drawer and dishwasher in addition to the grill (and remember to add a vent above the grill if there is a roof over the area to prevent it from catching on fire). Add a sink and icemaker for even more convenience. Because most patios tend to be long rectangular areas, you can break up the space with the addition of columns or a different wall material. Stone can be used to delineate the space and give each area a distinctive feel. Color for contrast on the walls and ceilings helps create the illusion of rooms, while deeper tones that have less of a reflective character tend to cool the space. Draperies from outdoor fabrics can be tied back to create a tentlike feel. Add interest and depth to the patio with an extension that is covered by a pergola and has the same flooring as the main patio.Floor materials should be skid-resistant because they are frequently wet, but they can include stone, tile, treated wood and even carpet. Polypropylene products look like sisal but will stand up to the elements. Stained and stamped concrete can create interesting texture on the floor. Ceilings look great when covered with wood and beamed or even covered with faux brick. Last, consider the lighting, because it is an integral part in creating ambience. You need to provide several sources of light by using ceiling fixtures, wall sconces and indirect lighting from landscape lighting. Add plants and accessories to these elements, and you will have created a comfortable outdoor living room. â——
FRAN TIMBROOK IS A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF INTERIOR DESIGNERS.
Q
q&a
Different textures, patterns can complement each other I’ve recently moved to El Paso and love the Southwest look. How can I transition my furniture to fit in with the new pieces I need for my new home?
The trend has been all about mixing styles, wood finishes and great-looking fabrics. One of the important considerations to keep in mind is the scale of the pieces. I love mixing styles “eclectic,” not matchy-matchy, but the pieces in the rooms need to complement each other in size. That is one of the challenges we have — if you’ve had your furniture for a long time. I’m sure you’ve noticed the larger scale of the furniture being produced now. New homes have open connecting spaces that allow you to add a few larger pieces and make the room feel warm and cozy. Some of the existing pieces can be used as accent pieces. Remember you can use that living room piece in the bedroom — who knew?
>
A
I used a wonderful round small dining table as a great living room piece next to the sofa my client ordered. The chairs she used in her living room were great accent chairs for the guest bedrooms. She also had antiques that worked great with the new furniture. The different wood finishes were a wonderful complement to each other. Accessories were so very important to pull the styles together. That’s what made so many of her old pieces work with her new ones. People are more comfortable mixing fabric patterns, colors and textures. For the most part, adding upholstered pieces is getting easier without replacing the existing furniture because of all the fabric choices. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns and textures — as long as the palette is similar. Have fun with the great fabrics — from contemporary to traditional. I love a whimsical piece that also helps pull the old and the new together. It’s all about comfort, and every look should reflect your style and say something about — “YOU”! ◗
MARIE GRAF IS A DESIGNER. SEND QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR DESIGN WOES TO PDIAZ@ELPASOTIMES.COM
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before and after
From Pakistani cuisine and Italian entrees to juicy, grilled burgers. VERSATILE KITCHEN CAN HANDLE
Plenty of Guests by María Cortés González
photography by Mark Lambie
AFTER
When it comes to cooking in the kitchen, the couple in this home love to mix it up, while having lots of friends over. Their original kitchen, however, was not made for two cooks who love to eat in. It was tucked in one corner of the house and offered little view. And the white-washed oak cabinetry made it look dated. A complete remodeling, including relocating part of the kitchen to make it more spacious, now has the couple singing its praises while preparing dinner for their 30 closest friends. The chef can see vistas of the Upper Valley while mincing garlic on a 10-foot long, granite-covered island. The new, contemporary–transitional kitchen features walnut cabinetry, which provides plenty of storage space including thin, pull-out spice racks. Appliances are stainless steel, including two dishwashers and a sixburner stove with a grill.
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BEFORE
The remodeled kitchen flooring is a hand-scraped dark wood with a small area of travertine tile between the island and kitchen sink, to make wiping up spills an easy task. It still may not be good manners to be late. But thanks to a warming oven with six compartments in this kitchen, even the last guest to arrive will not miss a warm, scrumptious morsel. ◗
DESIGNER: FRAN TIMBROOK • REMODELING WORK BY LUIS MEDINA • CABINETRY: KRISTIE’S KITCHENS
el paso style
ready to xeriscape? Here is some food for thought:
•
•
design:
Think of intended uses for your landscape. If you have children or dogs, keep an area with lawn. If you like to entertain, include a patio for the grill and patio furniture.
This Upper Valley yard is in full bloom with drought-tolerant plants including ice plants, several sage plants and a palo verde.
•
irrigation: Look into drip irrigation or underground irrigation, which is more efficient than traditional watering with a hose. •
•
plants:
Look for nurseries that carry drought-tolerant or native plants. Great flowering plants include lantana, penstemons, butterfly bush, damianita, cherry sage and yellow bells.
> MARIA
plants with a purpose:
Native plants tend to have interesting colors and shapes. But they also are functional: shrubs can provide a foundation for the landscape and be used for screening or aesthetic barriers. Deciduous trees can provide shade in the summer and allow sunshine through in the winter.
•
•
water: When planting new plants, give them water several times a week until they acclimate. Once established, plants don’t need as much water.
planting:
Drought-tolerant plants tend to look scrawny at first, but will fill out within a few years. When planting, be sure to consider their mature size. Plants and shrubs with similar watering needs should be grouped together in the landscape.
sunny disposition:
Remember that drought-tolerant plants thrive in sunny areas and are used to desert terrain. So there’s no need to amend the soil when planting.
•
mulch:
Always mulch plants to help retain moisture and control weed growth. Popular materials include bark chips, pea gravel, and shredded pine cones. ◗
C O RT É S G O N Z Á L E Z , A R E P O RT E R F O R E L PA S O S T Y L E M A G A Z I N E , I S A M A S T E R G A R D E N E R .
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▼
backyard gadgets
BRIGHT BACKYARD IDEAS The popular Gershwin song “Summertime” (and the living is easy) just got a boost — thanks to some new items displayed at the 2009 International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago. Americans are spending more time at home — “staycations” — and much of the living and entertaining is enjoyed in the backyard. The grill plays a big role — last year consumers bought more than 17 million grills. Gadgets and appliances enhance outdoor cooking, and menus have moved beyond traditional hamburgers and hot dogs. Elegance is added with attractive portable outdoor lights, inviting dinner guests to linger. Here are some finds from the Housewares Show designed for “living easy” while entertaining outdoors. Relax and enjoy is the name of the game.
The Food Loop Flame by Fusion Brands is designed to replace kitchen string or toothpicks for stuffed, rolled, bunched and wrapped meats, fish and veggies cooked on the grill — gas or charcoal. There’ll be no more problems with splintering, breaking or sticking to food. Made of stainless steel, the 18-inch flexible loop can be adjusted from 2- to 6-inch diameters, and it withstands heat up to 2,000 degrees. This reusable, flameproof trussing tool can also be used in the oven and on the stove top, and it can go into the dishwasher. The food loops come four to a package, and the retail price rages from $16 to $19. It’s available at www.cooking.com or www.chefsresource.com. Credit: Folly Mountain Grilling
by Ruth Taber
▼ A new BBQ star: Cole & Mason King Pepper Baseball Bat Mill is perfect for all sports lovers. Crafted of 100 percent natural beechwood from sustainable forests in Denmark, it’s the same size as a real baseball bat — 281⁄2 inches. The stainless-steel grinding mechanism needs only a twist of the wrist to deliver the “winning” pepper. Little Leaguers can join the team with a 19inch version of the Bat Mill. Large size costs $50; small size costs $35. Both mills are available at www.amazon.com. Credit: Cole Mason
▲ When you don’t want the party to end, outdoor lighting can keep the festivities going. OXO’s Candela Glow lights emit a soft glow like candles but are really rechargeable LED lights, cool to the touch. They stay lit for eight hours after each charge; to recharge, the lights are set back on the charger, which plugs into any standard outlet. (Bonus: Lights in charger illuminate automatically if the power goes off.) Use the lights on the table, around the pool or in the garden. A set of eight retails for $130; a set of four costs $70. Available at www.oxo.com. (OXO’s parent company is El Paso’s Helen of Troy.) Credit: OXO
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el paso style
▼
Gourmet Grilling Wraps from Frieling add flavors of cedar, maple or alder wood to food and make an enticing presentation on the dinner plate. Simple to use, the wood wraps, from sustainable forests in Nova Scotia, must be presoaked for about 20 minutes; water is fine — or try wine for more pizazz. Wrap the food inside and tie with string or soaked green onions (scallions). Place the seam side down on a preheated grate and cook with closed grill. The ontents remain wonderfully moist. Serve directly from the grill to the plate. The wraps are good for fish, meat, poultry, veggies and more. A package of six (onetime use) retails for $11. Available at www.frieling.com
▲
A new portable induction stove and warming plate in one — Fissler’s Cookstar Induction Pro — is a perfect complement to outdoor barbecuing. Plug it in next to the grill or on the table, and let your favorite sauce simmer. The “keep warm” control maintains food at a safe level (145 degrees) as long as the party lasts. Need some pasta in a hurry? The Fissler Induction Pro is powerful enough to boil water in less than a minute. The glassceramic surface is a breeze to clean, and there’s no worrying about burnt fingers. The retail price is $300. The Cookstar Induction Pro will be available this summer at www.fisslerstore.com or www.amazon.com Credit: Fissler USA
▲
For party appetizers or smaller appetites, Jokari’s slider maker is a kitchen time saver. Place one pound of ground meat in the tray and, using the patty cutter, form nine mini hamburgers. (The package comes with two trays.) If you’re not using the meat immediately, freeze the sliders using the enclosed air-tight freezer lids. The slider maker retails at $14 and is available at www.amazon.com.
▲
Grilly Goat Basting Tongs allow you to baste and turn your food with one hand. The 16-inch tongs feature non-slip grips for easy handling and are designed with a scalloped end to firmly grip grilled items. The silicone bristles on the end of the tongs are heat resistant to 500 degrees, won’t clump or frizz, and hold liquids well for easy transport and spreading. The tongs retail for $13, and two replacement silicone brushes cost $6. Available at www.grillygoat.com ◗
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wines & bbq
BARBECUE
& WINE
THE WINNER: UNTI VINEYARD DRY CREEK VALLEY SANGIOVESE 2006 FROM CALIFORNIA ($19.99) by Paula Monarez Diaz
photography by Mark Lambie
THE IDEA SEEMED INTRIGUING ENOUGH — DOES WINE PAIR WELL WITH BARBECUE? A group of wine enthusiasts and growers — Vic Poulos, owner of Zin Valle Winery; Ken Stark, owner of La Vina Winery; Ray Stafford, El Paso Times publisher and wine collector; Mark Heins, wine expert and restaurateur; Mostafa Rifai, wine lover and restaurateur; Pablo Villa, El Paso Times presentation editor and wine novice; Riccardo Barraza, owner of Italian Wine Imports; and Tammy Diaz, wine expert — met on a recent sunny afternoon to taste wines and a variety of barbecue. Sausage, ribs, brisket, chicken and smoked turkey filled the table. Two kinds of sauce were deployed: one sweet, the other fiery hot. And one by one, the bottles were open. As expected, red wines seemed to do better with the spicy, sweet barbecue sauces and meats.
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el paso style
HERE ARE WHAT PANELISTS DISCOVERED WHEN IT CAME TO SERVING WINE AND BARBECUE:
A wine from Italy, Chianti Vecchia Cantina di Montepulciano 2007 ($12.50-$14), got a nod for pairing well with brisket, chicken and any tomato-based barbecue sauce that wasn’t spicy. “But no way should it be served with turkey,” Poulos said. Stafford said: “This is excellent with brisket.” Heins added. “It should not be paired with spicy sausage or ribs.” Wilson Winery Sawyer Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2005 ($30) was considered one of the best wines for barbecue. It went well with the chicken, turkey, sausage and the brisket. “It seems to do well against hot, spicy barbecue,” Barraza said. Tasters said Dona Paula Cabernet Sauvignon, Argentina 2007 ($12), was light and fruity and would be paired with most barbecue and sauces. “It’s subtle and doesn’t overpower,” Diaz said. Another South American wine, 2008 Terra Andina Carmenere from Chile ($9.99), wowed the crowd. Its blend of black currant, blackberry, grilled red pepper and black pepper went well with everything served. “This had the best value of the bunch,” Poulos said. A California wine, Unti Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Sangiovese 2006 ($19.99), won for best wine for barbecue. Sangiovese is a dark, full-bodied wine with classic chocolate, cherry and licorice flavors. “Perfect!” Heins said. “Say no more.” “Works well with turkey, chicken, ribs,” Stafford said. “Excellent.” La Vina’s Rojo Loco ($11) is a blend of ruby cabernet and zinfandel similar to sangria. It’s sweet and goes well with spicy sauce, tasters found. “The higher the sugar content, the higher the rating with barbecue sauce,” Poulos said. “This proves it.” The last wine to work well with barbecue was also from the area — Zin Valle Sweet White: 2007 Gewurztraminer ($11). “This works nice with the sweet barbecue sauce and chicken or turkey,” Heins said. Several wines served at the tasting did not pair with barbecue. French wines — Domain Camplaizens 2006, made from Grenache and Syrah grapes; a Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages Red 2007; and a Perrin & Fils 2007 Cotes Du Rhone Rouge Reserve — in particular, did not work with the smoked meats and the sweet and spicy sauces. “The French must not eat barbecue,” Poulos said. “It’s a good wine, but these really can’t be paired with barbecue.” ◗
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backyard grilling
Where There’s
...there’s bound to be Morris “Mo” Williams grilling up a batch of outrageous award-winning ribs, mouthwatering chicken and brisket, apple-smoked pork or just about anything else you can sear over a live fire.
The warm summer months bring plenty of barbecue, outdoor fiestas and many novice backyard chefs trying to turn patios into a culinary paradise. “The key to any successful barbecue is cooking slow and low and not being in a rush,” said Williams, who owns Mo’z Bar-B-Que, 4011 Fred Wilson. “If you are in a rush, don’t barbecue.” The beauty of living in El Paso is the wonderful weather and the morethan-usual hours of sun we are blessed with. And don’t think for a minute that El Pasoans do not take advantage of being able to partake in one of America’s favorite pastimes — grilling. Using simple techniques and tools, it’s possible to grill like Williams in your own backyard. Williams, a pitmaster who won the sanctioned 2004 Central Texas Cook-off with first- and second-place ribs, second-place brisket and third-place chicken, has the recipes, hot tips and cool techniques that’ll keep things cooking all summer long. Williams said the first thing a host needs to decide is the menu, taking into consideration the number of guests. “One of the mistakes a host makes the most is having too many meats,” he said. “You are not going to eat that much meat, so maybe go with a little bit of beef, a little bit of poultry and you might go with a little turkey. I even grill fish sometimes.” Williams recommended having something waiting in the wings for your vegetarian friends. “I like to get my menu and plan out how I’m going to cook it,” he said. “You have to know the time on your meats because your meats will take the longest to cook. Most of your vegetables don’t take long to cook. You don’t want to prepare your vegetables in advance.” On average, ribs or steak should be between 165 to 185 degrees — depending on how you like them — while chicken should reach 180 degrees. To test the internal temperature of a whole chicken, insert the
thermometer into the thigh, taking care not to touch the bone. “I tell people all the time, pork and chicken are the deadly ones, so you want to make sure you cook them all the way,” Williams said. “People like eating hamburger medium-rare. That should never happen. Always eat your ground meats full-cooked.” Part of the preparation is determining the type of cookout you’re going to have and whether you want to still be cooking when your guests arrive or to have it prepared before the event. “You don’t want to come out and cook for a hundred people and start at the same time your party starts,” Williams said. “If you want to enjoy your guests, start cooking before your guests arrive. But if it’s going to be a pretty small, laid-back affair, you can start later.” At any backyard barbecue, the side dishes are also very important. Matter of fact ... “Side dishes make the barbecue,” Williams said. “I like the acronym, KISS, Keep it Simple Stupid. It’s whatever you want. I like a zucchini, yellow squash and onion combination with rub and a tad bit of sugar. I also love a good mango coleslaw.” Williams said side dishes should be whatever the host enjoys, but be cautious in pairing. “If we do baby carrots with an orange-ginger sauce, well, I don’t think I would put that with ribs,” he said. “To me, with ribs, I might put a baked potato, a corn on the cob, a nice coleslaw, potato salad or something like that.” Williams, who has been barbecuing for 32 years, encouraged weekend backyard chefs to use different techniques until they find something they are comfortable with. “Go out there and try it,” he said. “Practice with different types of woods and charcoal to see what you prefer. Try different types of marinades and rubs. The only way you are going to find out what you like is if you go out there and do it.”
“The key to any successful barbecue is cooking slow and low and
”
not being in a rush.
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Smoke.. by Victor R. Martinez photgraphy by Victor R. Martinez
5 METHODS OF LIVE FIRE COOKING
• DIRECT
GRILLING:
This is what most of the world means when people speak of grilling: The food is placed and cooked directly over the fire. Direct grilling is a high-heat method used to cook tender, small or thin pieces of food quickly. Typical foods that are direct grilled include steaks, chops, chicken breasts, fish fillets, vegetables and bread. • INDIRECT
“Side dishes should be whatever the host enjoys, but be cautious in
”
pairing.
GRILLING:
Indirect grilling is designed to cook larger, tougher or fattier foods that would burn if direct grilled. As the name suggests, the food is cooked next to, not directly over the fire. The grill lid is closed to hold in the heat, turning the grill into a sort of outdoor oven. Indirect grilling allows you to work over a more moderate temperature (275 to 350 degrees) and makes it easy to introduce the flavor of wood smoke. Typical foods you would indirect grill include pork shoulders, whole turkeys and chickens (including “beer can” chicken, which is marinated in beer), beef and pork ribs, barbecued onions and cabbages, and tough foods like brisket that require long, slow cooking at low or moderate heat. • SMOKING:
Smoking is a particular kind of indirect grilling — generally done at a low temperature (225 to 275 degrees) for an extended time in the presence of abundant wood smoke. Smoking is typically done in an offset barrel smoker (a device with a separate firebox and smoke chamber) or an upright water smoker. You can also smoke in a charcoal kettle or front-loading grill and in gas grills. The key concepts here are low, slow and smoky. Typical foods for smoking include brisket, pork shoulder, ribs and salmon. • SPIT-ROASTING:
Spit-roasting means cooking foods on a rotisserie. The slow, gentle rotation and lateral heat are ideal for cylindrically shaped fatty foods, like whole chickens, ducks and rib roast. Pork and beef ribs are fantastic cooked on the rotisserie. You can spit-roast on both gas and charcoal grills. The procedure varies from grill to grill, so consult the manufacturer’s instructions. Generous basting is essential to successful spit roasting. • ROASTING
IN THE EMBERS:
This was probably the first form of grilling — it’s certainly the most extreme and robust. As the name implies, you lay the food directly on the glowing embers or bury it in the hot coals or ash. The short list of foods you can roast in or on the embers includes onions, beets, corn in the husk, potatoes and sweet potatoes. You can also use this method to cook brisket.◗
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cooking with jane steele
Girl at the Grill When I got married, someone gave my husband and me our first grill.
it
was an odd wedding gift, and it came from an uncle of my husband’s who obviously didn’t know him very well because my husband was born without the barbecue gene. Oh, don’t get me wrong. This was 16 years ago when all he knew about grilling was that he liked to eat what others were able to produce. Now, he can grill with the best of them, but he rarely gets a chance because the grill is mine.
A few years ago I attended an auction where one of the items was the entire Steven Raichlen cookbook library. After no one bid on it, I decided to bite the bullet and walked away with a box of essential grill products along with the cookbooks. (If you don't know who Raichlen is and you like to grill, you owe it to yourself to seek out at least one of his cookbooks. He is the master, and so far he has yet to fail me when I try one of his recipes.) What I also walked away with, although I didn’t know it then, was a wealth of recipes based on Raichlen’s research of grilled foods from around the world. Grilling is the oldest of cooking techniques; man has been throwing meats over fire since time began. But who knew that you could grill almost anything? Strawberries, not so much, but most fruit is even better grilled than it is fresh. Pineapple, bananas, nectarines, peaches, watermelon and figs, oh ... grilled figs stuffed with gorgonzola and wrapped with prosciutto. It’s on my last-meal list. I love gazpacho and make it almost once a week during our hot sum-
>
mers. I make it even better by tossing the tomatoes on the grill to sear first, letting the hot smoke blister and burn the skin. Then I chill the tomatoes, peel them and throw them in the blender along with all the good juices that collect in the bottom of the bowl. Try that by the pool this July and you'll have legions of fans. The debate over charcoal versus gas grills is a no-brainer. Charcoal is always better, but I am not a purist and when I just want to grill some asparagus on a Tuesday, I’ll fire up the gas grill. But if I really want to make something better, I can’t beat hardwood charcoal. I am not talking about Kingsford, but about the allnatural, no-preservative charcoal that I wouldn’t disrespect by throwing lighter fluid on. There are two brands I recommend: Cowboy Charcoal, and the locally produced mesquite charcoal made by the Ramos Brothers and sold at Mando’s Produce at 5420 Doniphan. A rib-eye grilled over mesquite and finished with a pat of cumin garlic butter is so good, I have been known to cry when eating it. Serve it alongside some grilled green onions and grilled corn with lime butter. Sure, it can be smoky by the grill and you do sweat. However, a girl at the grill doesn’t sweat, she glistens, and that smoky aroma is an pheromone to some. And nothing is as pleasurable as jumping into a pool after a few hours spent by a hot grill. When someone hands you a cold beer as you drift in the waters, you’ll smile slightly and realize that it rarely gets any better than this. ◗
JANE STEELE TEACHES COOKING CLASSES AND CAN BE REACHED AT simplygourmetelpaso@y ahoo.com june/july 2009
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hair salons
ST OR IE S FR OM
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TH
n o l a s E
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el paso style
NAME:
Daniel Bilsbarrow 30 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS SALON:
Daniel’s Salon 5411 N. MESA, NO. 12. 581-3555 What one product can’t you do without? Sebastian Shaper Plus aerosol spray. Your most memorable day at work? The first day I opened my salon in 1981. It was exciting. I was too young to realize what I had just done. What’s your No. 1 hair tip? Important to use a professional shampoo. There are a lot of products out there that prevent your hair from doing maximum it can do. There really is a difference between storebought and professional product. Craziest thing you’ve ever overheard or been told by a customer? When a client is trying to ask me out on a date. Now that I am single, I get that a lot. Your perfect evening ...? Having dinner with a friend at a nice restaurant.
YOUR MOST MEMORABLE DAY AT WORK? THE FIRST DAY I OPENED MY SALON IN 1981... june/july 2009
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WHAT’S YOUR NO. 1 HAIR TIP? USE PROPER PRODUCTS.
NAME:
Rosie Barragan 38 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS SALON:
Barragan’s Salon and Day Spa 690 S. MESA HILLS 532-2722 OR BARRAGANSALONSPA.COM
What one product can’t you do without? Texture Twist by Pureology. Your most memorable day at work? I love it when people whose hair I have been doing since they were children come back to me as parents and bring their babies to get their hair done. It’s amazing. Very powerful. They trust you. It’s the most rewarding experience. What’s your No. 1 hair tip? Use proper products. Sure, a cut is good, but using good shampoo and conditioner makes a difference. Craziest thing you’ve ever overheard or been told by a customer? When a customer brings you a picture that is nothing like their hair. It is totally different from what their hair is, and they still want it done that way.. Your perfect evening ...? Having my children and grandchildren close by and relaxing with them at an event such as Music Under the Stars.
NAME:
William Segovia 28 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS SALON:
Segovia’s Nail & Hair Studio 8900 VISCOUNT, SUITE AH 594-1969
What one product can’t you do without? Any professional moisturizer conditioner. Your most memorable day at work? The day I first opened my business, May 30, 1989. It was an accomplishment. I didn’t finish high school. I was a dropout, and opening up the salon game me a sense of accomplishment. What’s your No. 1 hair tip? Don’t try too hard to make it perfect because it never will be. Craziest thing you’ve ever overheard or been told by a customer? I had a customer who stole all her parent’s life savings and some of it was on me. That’s how she paid for her hair getting done! Your perfect evening ...? Spending time in my new backyard with my wife, kids and grandkids by the pool or with my Christian brothers and sisters.
WHAT’S YOUR NO. 1 HAIR TIP? DON’T TRY TOO HARD TO MAKE IT PERFECT BECAUSE IT NEVER WILL BE.
june/july 2009
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CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE BEEN TOLD BY A CUSTOMER? CAN YOU CUT MY HAIR IN TWO LAYERS?
NAME:
Denise Tafoya 10 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS SALON:
Markham Salons
2200 N. YARBROUGH, SUITE D. 592-0839 www.markhamsalon.com
What one product can’t you do without? Aveda Brilliant Anti-Humectant Pomade. Your most memorable day at work? There was woman who came in was battling cancer. She had very short hair, so she wore a wig. When her hair had grown about two inches long, we did a full head of hair extensions. When she saw herself, she cried. She thought she looked so pretty. It had been so hard because she hadn’t had hair for a year. I wanted to cry with her. I had made someone feel good. What’s your No. 1 hair tip? Always use the proper products for hair. Craziest thing you’ve ever overheard or been told by a customer? Can you cut my hair in two layers? She had long hair. She wanted people to see just two layers. It was impossible to do. Your perfect evening ...? Hanging out with my husband and three kids — 4, 3 and 2 — and going to the park or getting pizza. That’s pretty nice.
NAME:
Emilio Ortiz Jr., 30 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS SALON:
Innovations By Emilio Salon Totale 3800 N. MESA, SUITE C5. 544-5054 OR innovationsbyemiliohair.onsmartpages. com
What one product can’t you do without? Sebastian Shaper Plus aerosol spray. Your most memorable day at work? There was a client who thought she was ugly because she had gone through chemotherapy. Well, I installed a wig and did her makeup. And she was so grateful. She learned that if you look beautiful, you will feel beautiful. What’s your No. 1 hair tip? Always allow your image in the hands of a professional. Craziest thing you’ve ever overheard or been told by a customer? A customer asked me to do her color and cut at her home. Her home was Amsterdam. So for a year, I traveled once a month to do her hair. Now she lives in Phoenix and comes here for her hair. Your perfect evening ...? Having a dinner I cooked with my family and friends.
WHAT’S YOUR NO. 1 HAIR TIP? ALWAYS ALLOW YOUR IMAGE IN THE HANDS OF A PROFESSIONAL. june/july 2009
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NAME:
Aide Villalobos 9 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS SALON:
Galeria A Beauty Salon 6330 N. MESA, SUITE F1 833-9977
What one product can’t you do without? It’s a 10: Miracle Living Product conditioner. Your most memorable day at work? On a recent Saturday, a young girl came in at the last minute to get her hair done for the prom. I had a lot of appointments and couldn’t take another person. But she begged me to take her and do whatever I wanted to her hair. I couldn’t say no. So I did it, and she was so happy. She said I had saved her life. I felt so good about helping her. What’s your No. 1 hair tip? Don’t place a hair dryer too close to hair when drying it with brush. It will burn your hair.
WHAT’S YOUR NO. 1 HAIR TIP? DON’T PLACE A HAIR DRYER TOO CLOSE TO HAIR WHEN DRYING IT WITH A BRUSH.
Craziest thing you’ve ever overheard or been told by a customer? I once had a customer come in with really short hair and she wanted a new look — longer hair without extensions. I told her I don’t know how that was going to be possible. Your perfect evening ...? I like getting in my Jacuzzi with a glass of wine and just relaxing for a while. And then later I like to go out dancing. ◗
june/july 2009
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fashion
Dr. Richard Dale Reynolds’ wardrobe courtesy of Dillard’s at Cielo Vista Mall, 8401 Gateway West: Lincs suit separates in eggshell linen, jacket ($195) and pants ($78). Lincs shirt ($98). Hart Schaffner Marx light gray custom-made suit, a brand exclusive to Dillard’s and used by President Obama ($895). Hugo Boss shirt ($95). Roundtree & York leather belts (both $45).
summer style by Candi M. Lopez photography by Mark Lambie & Rudy Gutierrez
Dressing professionally for work during the Sun City’s triple-digit weather shouldn’t leave you hot under the collar. Local fashion experts suggest the stylish pairing of colors and fabrics to keep you cool in more ways than one. Three El Pasoans — a judge, a plastic surgeon and a financial adviser — tried the expert’s suggestions on for size. “Bright colors, which are good for the Southwest,” are trendy this summer, said Nan Napier, owner of Tres Mariposas. Color can be incorporated into an outfit with an accessory such as a highheeled pump or handbag, she said. The popular colors for women are citrus-inspired shades such as lime and tangerine, said Edwardo Herrera, owner of Armoire Men’s and Women’s Clothing. He recommended pairing a classic piece, such as a black blazer, with a colorful one, such as a sheath dress. “It’s fashion, not brain surgery. Have fun,” Herrera said.
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For men, the trend is a “more classic pop of color with baby tones for the shirt,” he said. Brian Mosher, a financial adviser with Edward Jones, tried a pale pink dress shirt from Armoire. “I typically wouldn’t wear a shirt with pink,” said Mosher. He said the hue contrasted “nicely with the dark gray suit” from Armoire. “Pink is the new black (for men),” said Aldo Muñoz, area sales manager for Dillard’s at Cielo Vista Mall. “Combining pink with black gives you a trendy look that is still conservative and professional,” he said. Lime green, purple and off-white are also popular colors for men this summer, Muñoz said. For women, Napier suggested using short-sleeve jackets and sweaters as lightweight alternatives to suit jackets. “I look for nice fabrics that do well throughout the day,” said Judge Guadalupe Rivera of the 8th Court of Appeals. “I like traditional cuts and lighter-weight fabrics.”
Rivera, a judge for 24 years, said she also chooses pieces she can combine with other colors, such as the pink jacket she modeled from Tres Mariposas. “You can expand on your wardrobe,” she said. For men, Herrera said he is a fan of linens and open weaves. Mosher agreed. “The suit was very light and comfortable for moving into spring and summer,” he said. Another popular fabric option for men’s suits is 100 percent wool in light silver pinstripe and windowpane print, Muñoz said. Richard Dale Reynolds, an El Paso plastic surgeon, said he usually has a more conservative look than the clothing he modeled from Dillard’s. He said he would now consider other looks. “Once I tried them on, it looked better than I thought it would,” Reynolds said. “It made me open my eyes to other wardrobe options and colors.”
Edwardo Herrera recommends for workaholics who go from work to dinner or drinks: • Don’t wear bling to work. • Do carry accessories that may be too bold or sparkly for the office for after work. Keep them in your desk or purse. • Add fun with cufflinks and fun ties. • Do go for a higher price point on classic looks. • Go for lower price points on trendy items that will go out of style
Brian Mosher’s wardrobe courtesy of Armoire Men’s and Women’s Clothing, 2005 Montana: Gray, mini-pinstripe blazer ($425) and pants ($225) separates by Nicole Farhi (of England), 100 percent cotton shirt with contrast piping on the collar and cuffs by Manuel (of Spain) ($280), and cufflinks by Paul Smith (of England) ($120).Dark taupe cotton poplin blazer with running stitch detail by J. Lindeberg (of Stockholm) ($525), pale pink-and-white minigingham cotton shirt by J. Lindeberg ($225), and stretch cotton khaki pants with Western pocket by Iceberg ($210).
june/july 2009
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Nan Napier’s tips • Do mix colors with what you already have. • Do pair big stone, natural element jewelry with lightweight pieces. • Have a great pedicure for open-toed shoes. • Use sunless tanning product on legs as alternative to pantyhose.
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Judge Guadalupe Rivera’s wardrobe courtesy of Tres Mariposas, 5857 N. Mesa, Suite A: White jacket ($395) and pants ($255) with lace-up sides by Apriori. Chunky turquoise jewelry by Mia and Me: drop earrings ($90), bracelet ($36) and three-layer necklace ($250). Hot-pink silk double-breasted jacket by JON ($388) with black pants by Charles Nolan ($320). Jewelry by Majorica: pearl necklace ($308), pearl and gold long necklace ($395), baroque pearl necklace ($595), pearl earrings ($125), pearl bracelet ($145), and pearl and gold bracelet ($175). ◗
utep
cool plan
Whether your summer plans include lounging by the pool, participating in recreational sports, or tackling an outdoor home improvement project, fun in the sun should go hand in hand with caution.
As temperatures rise, it is important that we follow a few simple precautions to keep cool and remain safe. Our primary method for controlling body temperature is evaporative heat loss, or sweating. By sweating, heat is wicked away from the body as water on the skin’s surface evaporates. When the body becomes too hot, we are much more likely to suffer a heat illness. Heat illnesses can range from acute heat cramps and heat exertion to the potentially dangerous medical conditions of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. While sweating in general is no cause for concern, uncontrollable sweating is a sign of non-lethal heat exertion and can be treated with cold fluids and rest.
keep cool TO PREVENT DEHYDRATION AND HEAT ILLNESS DURING THE SUMMER HEAT WAVE: • PLAN AHEAD: Carry sunscreen and water, and have a hat or umbrella at hand. • DRESS APPROPRIATELY: Wear lightweight, light-colored clothes and wide-brimmed hats. • Avoid outdoor activity in direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day; instead plan to be outdoors before noon or in the early evening. • DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS: Three to four cups of water within three hours before an outdoor activity, and a halfcup of water every 15 to 20 minutes during activity. • Avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol, which dehydrate the body.
The much more dangerous condition of heat exhaustion is characterized by the cessation of sweating, confusion, shakes and pale clammy skin. This condition must be taken seriously and requires quickly getting out of the sun, drinking lots of cold fluids and decreasing body temperature. If you are nauseated and unable to keep fluids down, seek medical assistance. Exertional heatstroke is a potentially lethal emergency and requires immediate medical attention. Individuals will have a very high body temperature and may exhibit confusion, disorientation, irrational behavior, convulsions or unconsciousness. Remember to take special precautions with children and the elderly, as they do not regulate body temperature as well as adults and are more susceptible to heat illness. Most of all, use common sense and pay attention to what your body is telling you. With the right precautions, it may very well tell you it’s ready for another day of summer fun in the Sun City. ◗
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George A King, Ph.D., and John S. Limon, B.S. • Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas El Paso june/july 2009
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cars
TRANS MOUNTAIN TEST DRIVE
W
ith sleek, hard bodies and curves that just don’t quit, a pair of luxury convertibles are revving
to go for a wild ride this summer. Two local dealerships put their best pedals forward with a
radiant red Jaguar XK convertible and a Montego blue metallic BMW 328i convertible for a recent
test drive across the Franklin Mountains on Trans Mountain Road.
by Candi M. Lopez photography by Mark Lambie
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2008 RADIANT RED JAGUAR XK CONVERTIBLE with caramel leather interior, $94,250 MSRP. Car provided by Viva Jaguar of El Paso.
THE JAGUAR XK can reach 60 mph in 6 seconds flat
The XK cloth-top convertible may turn heads with its shapely aluminum alloy exterior, but a peek under its reverse-open hood revealed a voluptuous 8-cylinder, 4.2-liter engine, growling with 300 horsepower. “It’s (XK) a very fast car. It handles like a dream; it can rip around corners and turn on a dime,” said Philip McLerran, sales manager at Viva Jaguar of El Paso, 5550 North Desert Boulevard. The XK can reach 60 mph in 6 seconds flat and governs out
at 155 mph. The XK polishes off 16 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway, with average driving and maintenance, McLerran said. He said buyers like this convertible because of how it makes them feel and the presence it has. “It’s all about looks, to be able to see a panoramic sky, and have people see you in this luxury vehicle,” McLerran said. “Who wouldn’t want that?” june/july 2009
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THE 328I racks up 18 miles per gallon in the city
2009 MONTEGO BLUE METALLIC BMW 328i convertible with saddle brown/black Dakota leather interior, $53,150 MSRP. Car provided by BMW of El Paso.
The 328i convertible, with its retractable hardtop, proved to be a tamer, yet still flirtatious companion with a more conservative linear shape and high tensile steel and aluminum body exterior. “It’s just a sexy-looking car,” said J. Michael Cheatham, general manager of BMW of El Paso, 6318 Montana. The 328i purrs with a 6-cylinder, 3.0-liter engine, exuding 230 horsepower. This attractive model can reach 60 mph in 7.2 seconds and governs out at 130. The 328i racks up 18 miles per gallon in the city and 27 on the highway. “It’s (328i convertible) always considered one of the most exhilarating to drive,” Cheatham said.
The convertibles sparked their ignitions with keyless start, which required only the push of a button to turn them on. Trans Mountain Road’s winding intricacies and steep inclines were no obstacle for the XK. Its Trac Dynamic Stability Control Buyers like this convertible because of how it makes them feel and the presence it has.
“It’s comfortable for four adults and unbelievably safe.”
system “uses anti-lock braking and traction control to improve directional stability when cornering, helping to prevent skids and loss of control,” according to jaguarusa.com.
Each vehicle possessed a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters for manual transmission mode, which crowned a leather-wrapped steeringwheel.
Its Enhanced Computer Active Technology Suspension also allows for the XK to continuously adjust its shock absorber settings. The XK is fitted with 19-inch or 20-inch alloy wheels.
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The 328i also embraced Trans Mountain with assistance from its Dynamic Stability Control system. Sensors for this system “monitor speed, steering angle, brake pressure and immediately detect and correct any wheel-traction loss,” according to bmwusa.com. The 328i rolls on either 17-inch or 18inch light-alloy wheels. Luxurious features and options abounded on the two convertibles tested. The supple leather interiors in both convertibles evoked the sudden need for tactile interaction and provided a comfortable caress while driving. Smooth music styling could be appreciated through the XK’s 8-speaker, Alpine surround sound system and 6-disc indash CD; and with the 328i’s anti-theft AM/FM stereo CD/MP3 player audio system. The XK convertible will take you for a smooth ride starting at $83,975. The 328i convertible starts at $44,550. ◗
Outdoor Entertainment Summertime and the living is ... hot! Sane people run indoors and crank up the AC. But not us. We run outside! Actually, summer nights are pretty darn comfortable around here, and a great time to enjoy entertainment al fresco. There’s no big concert amphitheater to bring top touring bands to town over the hot weather months, but there is a summer’s worth of outdoor entertainment to soak in, most of it free or at least inexpensive.
by Doug Pullen
Jazz on the Rocks Neil Diamond sang about love on the rocks, but this series is about the love of that uniquely American music — and the rocky setting the McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater provides. JazzEl Paso Connection, a group of jazz lovers, and the El Paso Convention & Visitors Bureau, which runs the amphitheater, teamed up for the new series, which runs at 8 p.m. June 11-Oct. 8 and features top area talent. “I think one of the things we want to do is expose people to the caliber of jazz music we have in the area,” said Rebecca Vaughan, JazzEl Paso secretary and grant writer of the group. The El Paso Youth Jazz Ensemble and Eklectic Band open the series, followed by pianist Ruben Gutierrez and the Latin Exchange (July 9), Alan Vache (Aug. 13), Juárez’s Frank Cano Band (Sept. 10) and Billy Townes with Tony Mac (Oct. 8). Tickets cost $9 per show, $35 for the series. Information: 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com, jazzelpaso-org.
Plaza Classic Film Festival The first one last year drew more than 31,000 people over 10 days. The second one runs Aug. 6-16, mostly in the Plaza Theatre and Philanthropy Theatre. A new plot twist this year is the addition of some outdoor, or “walk-in” movies in the Arts Festival Plaza between the Plaza Theatre and El Paso Museum of Art. Look for a collection of locally made short films, “The Good, The Bad and the Indie” on Aug. 6, plus “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and more Aug. 7-8 and 14-15. They’re free and will start around 9 p.m. “We want to bring the festival outside and continue the fun,” explains Charles Horak, the festival’s artistic director. Information: 533-4020, plazaclassicfilmfestival-com.
Downtown Street Festival The KLAQ-sponsored event brings about 30,000 revelers downtown for the Fourth of July weekend. It includes concerts on Santa Fe Street by the Judson L. Williams Convention Center (Candlebox headlines July 3, The Cult July 4), plus family activities and video game contests inside, topped off by a lavish fireworks show. Information: klaq.com, 544-9550.
Music Under the Stars The free concert series’ varied mix of classics, classic rock and ranchera music attracts more than 90,000 people to the Chamizal’s rolling lawn each year. The 26th annual edition will range from Latin rock to country to love of country to the muchanticipated Noche Ranchera, which draws the biggest crowds.
“Viva! El Paso” The folks who put on this historical musical about the Pass bill it as “4 Centuries 4 Cultures 1 City.” It’s a colorful, ambitious mission, touching upon native populations, the 17thcentury Spanish missions and the Wild West, told through song, dance and colorful costumes on the McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater stage. About 15,000 people saw it last year, a number likely to grow with addition of two more weekends for the 32nd annual production, which runs at 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, June 5-Aug. 15. Ticket prices range from $9 to $20; group discounts available. Barbecue dinners are extra.
It begins June 14 with salsa music and ends Aug. 16 with ranchera. Highlights include the El Paso Symphony Orchestra’s annual July 4 concert (with fireworks) and Austin rockers Del Castillo on July 12. The concerts are at 7:30 p.m. Sundays (except July 4, a Saturday). Information: 532-7273 (Chamizal) 541-4481 and elpasotexas-gov/mcad/summerprograms-asp.
Information: 588-7054, viva-ep-org june/july 2009
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Calendar of Events
The Jazz on the Rocks concert with the El Paso Youth Jazz Ensemble and the Eklectic Band will be at 8 p.m. $9 tickets on sale at Ticketmaster outlets and www.ticketmaster.com.
CRUCES PRIDE PARADE, PICNIC June 20 Pioneer Women’s Park
Frontera Pride Film Fest June 18-21 Philanthropy Theatre and at the El Paso Main Library The Frontera Pride Film Festival will be June 18-21, and screenings will be in the Philanthropy Theatre and at the El Paso Main Library, 501 N. Oregon. Guests will include Wilson Cruz and other actors. Visit www.fronterapridefilmfestival.com for more information.
The El Paso Zoo will have a Father’s Day breakfast and a Fourth of July “World of the Sea
4001 E. Paisano. Call 521-1850 or visit elpasozoo.org for more information.
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Music Under the Stars World Music Festival will host performances by internationally acclaimed and local artists as part of its 25th Silver Season from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 800 S. San Marcial. The concerts are free. No pets or glass containers will be allowed. elpasotexas.gov/mcad
The 2009 Southern New Mexico Pride Parade and Picnic will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 500 W. Las Cruces Ave. in Las Cruces. A walking parade and a picnic will include live entertainment, speakers and vendors. Booth fees for artisans, craftspeople, groups and other nonprofit organizations: $10 for vendors selling goods; $5, vendors distributing information only. Booth fees support the operating expenses of Southern New Mexico Pride. Booth application deadline is June 14. www.southernnmpride.org.
FATHER’S DAY AT THE ZOO
Lion” encounter at
Music Under the Stars Sundays from June 15 through Aug. 17 Chamizal National Memorial
Alfresco! Fridays Fridays through Aug. 28 Arts Festival Plaza Alfresco! Fridays will present performances by local bands from 6 to 8 p.m. adjacent to the Plaza Theatre and El Paso Museum of Art. Admission is free. No pets or outside food or beverages are allowed. www.elpasotexas.gov/mcad
Yanni at UTEP June 29 UTEP’s Don Haskins Center Yanni will perform as part of the Yanni Voices tour at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $28.75, $43.75 or $78.75, plus service charges; on sale at the UTEP Ticket Center, Ticketmaster outlets, 800-745-3000. www.yanni.com and www.ticketmaster.com.
Renaissance Fair
June
JAZZ AT MCKELLIGON June 11 McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater
June 28-29 Cool Pines RV Park The Cloudcroft Renaissance Fantasy Faire will be June 28-29, 2998 Highway 82 at mile marker 30 in Mayhill, N.M. $2 admission; free parking.
feature story
• Downtown Street Festival: With four outdoor stages, vendor booths, children’s activities and fireworks at the end of each day, will be July 3 and 4. Candlebox will perform July 3, and The Cult will play July 4. • La Viña Winery’s Country Picnic: Eighth annual Country Picnic, with food, activities and music by Live By Request will be from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 4 at the winery, 4201 S. Highway 28 in La Union, N.M. Admission is free, and drinks will be for sale. www.lavinawinery.com. • Rotary’s Independence Day Parade: The Rotary Club of West El Paso’s Annual Independence Day Parade will start at 9 a.m. July 4 and follow a route starting from Thunderbird and Shadow Mountain through the West Side. 546-2351 or rotarywestelpaso.org. • People’s Parade: The Del Norte Lions Club will sponsor the annual People’s Parade, which anyone can join, starting at 9 a.m. July 4 at Hanks High School, 2001 N. Lee Treviño. 731-1549. • Diablos and Fireworks: The El Paso Diablos will play the Shreveport Sports at 7:05 p.m. July 3, at 6:30 p.m. July 4 and at 7:05 p.m. July 5 at Cohen Stadium. Fireworks will follow all three games. Tickets available at 755-2000 or www.diablos.com.
Boney James: July 9
Saxophonist Boney James will perform at 7:30 p.m. July 9 at the Plaza Theatre. Tickets cost $39, plus service charges, at the Plaza Theatre box office, Ticketmaster outlets, 800-7453000 and www.livenation.com.
UTEP play : “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays July 24 through Aug. 2 The Wise Family Theatre, second floor UTEP’s Fox Fine Arts Center.
$8.50, adults; $6.50 children. Tickets on sale at Ticketmaster outlets and www.ticketmaster.com.
Plaza Film Fest: Aug. 6-16 at the Plaza Theatre
The Plaza Classic Film Festival will show such classics as “Mary Poppins,” “The Nutty Professor,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Chinatown,” “Gone with the Wind,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “The Terminator,” “Roman Holiday,” “The French Connection,” “Help!” “The Lady Eve,” The Hidden Fortress” and “Star Wars.” Screenings will be at the Plaza Theatre, the Kendle Elizabeth Kidd Performance Hall, The Philanthropy Theatre, The Alcantar Sky Garden, The Oasis Lounge and the Arts Festival Plaza. Ticket prices will vary, depending on the event, and will be from free to $6. 533-4020, www.plazaclassicfilmfestival.com.
Ruidoso Art Festival July 24 - 26 Ruidoso Convention Center
The Ruidoso Art Festival, with art displays and a silent auction, will be from noon to 9 p.m. July 24, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 25 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 26 at the Ruidoso Convention Center, 111 Sierra Blanca, Ruidoso. Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for children younger than 16. Group day passes are also available. Also planned are concerts and performances at other area venues. Call 575-257-7395 or visit www.ruidosonow.com/artfestival for more information.
Santa Fe Opera July 3 through August 29
The 2009 Santa Fe Opera Festival Season will open with “La Traviata” at 9 p.m. July 3, and continue through Aug. 29 with performances of “The Elixir of Love,” “Don Giovanni,” “The Letter,” “Alceste” and Apprentice Showcase Scenes. The opera is at 17053 Highway 85/285, Santa Fe. Ticket prices vary. Visit santafeopera.org for more information.
July
EL PASO-AREA JULY 4 EVENTS
june/july 2009
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I was born on the 11th of July, 1907, here in El Paso. It was a very hot night in summertime. And I was born, my father said, at 4:44 in the morning on the seventh month and the eleventh day of the seventh year, and making up the 7-11-07, 4:44, I should be lucky as hell at craps. — Tom Lea.
THEY CALLED EACH OTHER
Tomas & Joe Tom Lea went on to share in his oral history that his father was police court judge when he was born, and was so pepped up about having a boy that he went to the court filled with drunks and bums and announced the birth of his first son, saying “You’re all turned loose. Beat it!” And so they celebrated Lea’s birth.
JULY IN EL PASO IS TOM LEA MONTH
Ten decades later, the mayor and the City Council declared July in El Paso as Tom Lea Month. Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced El Paso’s celebration in the Capitol, as did U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, in Washington, D.C. And many institutions, including Fort Bliss, the Mexican Consulate, El Paso Museum of Art, the Adair Margo Gallery, El Paso Public Library, UTEP, Plaza Theatre, History Museum, El Paso County Historical Society, Branigan Cultural Center and New Mexico State University Library came together to focus on Lea’s legacy in El Paso, Juárez and Las Cruces, sharing murals, illustrations, books, movies and paintings he left in our midst. Lea month continues. In July, El Pasoans and visitors will re-discover a man described by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Robert Caro as “an unsung genius of our time, who made it purely on the quality of his work.” A
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subscription series at Adair Margo Fine Art will explore why horsemen, soldiers, ranchers and scholars continue to seek out and learn from his work. The series will feature Peter Mears, curator of the University of Texas at Austin’s Harry Ransom Humanities Center; Mimi Gladstein, professor of American literature at UTEP; Cynthia Farah, film critic and scholar; and Brendan Greeley, editor of “The Two Thousand Yard Stare, Tom Lea’s World War II.” In addition, public lectures, movies and receptions will be free at venues around town. Information: 533-0048 or contact amargo@adairmargo.com. A friend of Lea’s, Jose Cisneros, who used to greet Lea as Tomas (who responded to his friend Joe) turned 99 on April 18, 2009. His modest home houses the highest awards given in the United States, Mexico and Spain. They include the National Humanities Medal; Texas Medal of Arts; the Ohtli (a Nahuatl word meaning pathfinder) Award, given by the Mexican government to extraordinary Mexican American citizens; and recognitions from King Juan Carlos of Spain and the University of Acala. Hundreds of books are illustrated with his distinctive pen-and-ink drawings of historic figures of the borderlands, and the UTEP Library has an impressive collection of his work, 100 pen-and-ink depictions of early horsemen commissioned by Haskell Monroe when he was president. They have been
ADAIR MARGO, OWNER OF ADAIR MARGO FINE ART, IS PAST CHAIRWOMAN OF THE PRESIDENT’S COMMITTEE ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES.
reproduced in “Riders across the Centuries,” published by Texas Western Press with a biography by John O. West. It won the Western Heritage Award from the Cowboy Hall of Fame. While UTEP’s collection is better known, El Paso Community College has its own, comprising Cisneros’ work completed when the artist first began suffering from macular degeneration. With the help of an enlarging machine projecting the strokes of his pen on a television screen, Cisneros continued to use tracings of his favorite subjects, transferring them to illustration board before filling them in with pen or pencil. His “gray period” communicates that learning never ceases, nor does striving to do good work. “The El Paso Community College Collection of Jose Cisneros’ Illustrations from his Later Years” is housed at the Little Temple near the Rio Grande Campus on El Paso Street, a short distance from the UTEP Library, and was purchased by the late Chico Medina, himself a collector of Cisneros, and the owner of Quality Food Marts. While Lea’s archive has been safely housed at the C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections at UTEP for future generations, thanks to the gift of his wife, Sarah Lea, the destination for the Cisneros holdings was less sure until last year. J.P. Bryan, a descendant of Stephen F. Austin and a lover of Texas history, purchased Cisneros’ archive, cataloguing and caring for his books, letters, photographs and more than 1,000 tracings such as those used in his last body of work. Bryan is a generous man with a tradition of sharing. Luckily for El Paso, he has preserved an important part of our heritage while simultaneously providing for the family of one of our artistic giants. ◗ june/july 2009
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parting shot
▲ “A Glance”
– by Rosetta Baquera
ATTENTION LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHERS Want your work showcased?
Send your favorite image to Paula Diaz — pdiaz@elpasotimes.com — and it could be featured in the next issue of
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
El Paso Style.
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For more information call 915-546-6154.
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