Pass of the North: Nestled on the border of the United States and Mexico, El Paso has long been a crossroads of cultures and commerce. In recent years, it has also become a focal point for a different kind of intersection: the meeting of migrants in search of safety and refuge with the American immigration system.
The impact on El Paso’s shelter system cannot be overstated – we’ve spoken to several folks who operate migrant assistant centers in the Sun City. When the pandemic-era Title 42 border restrictions ended, many were concerned about the humanitarian and economic impacts on the city. But so far, the repeal of Title 42 hasn’t resulted in the chaotic increase in new crossings that many feared.
Within range: The Castner Range is a former missile range in the Franklin Mountains, renowned for its beauty and historical significance. El Paso conservationists fought to get a 7,000-acre expanse of high desert wilderness designated a national monument, and their work paid off this spring when the Biden administration designated it as a landmark – protecting it from development.
One last thing: El Paso chef Emiliano Marentes draws inspiration from his parents' agricultural background, showcasing his dedication to crafting Mexican dishes with locally sourced ingredients. His restaurant, Elemi, opened in 2019, and his 2022 semifinalist and 2023 finalist nominations in the James Beard Awards speak to his culinary excellence.
The Las Vegas valley has been building a flood control system for over 20 years. We have miles of these huge tunnels under or along side of most of the major streets. They are built with very large pieces of rectangular cement "tubing" (One semi can only deliver one piece of the "pipe" at a time.) When done a large pickup can easily drive through the tunnels. And there are many retention basins all over town. When I say large, there are usually 6 to 10 soccor fields in each basin. There are quite a few of these basins that are on both sides of the roads. The main problem that we have with this system is the homeless folks live down there with their "furniture", etc. And almost every time we get a strong storm come down, one or two of those folks get killed when the wall of water comes roaring through.
Some of you may have seen (TV) the rush of water roaring by the "Link" (giant ferris wheel). That is by design. That site was where the Imperial Palace used to be. When that casino was built, the bottom floor was the parking garage which by design, was part of the flood control system !!! Now, they just let the water scream accross the concrete. I think that will be one of the next projects for the district.
As far as our home, our front porch is 33" above the street and our home is the second highest on the block. From our front sidewalk, we look down at the top of the "Strat". And that thing is over 800 feet high. And we are not considered to be in a flood plain.
Las Vegas sits in a "bowl" since we are surrounded by four mountain ranges. That is a lot of water coming off of those mountains that we have to deal with.
So we are safe. God bless and Y'all be safe too!!!
We had 1.06" of rain in less than an hour at our home. Thanks to some planning and a lot of hard work when we moved in, it did no damage in our home. There was some tense times during the downpour, but no damage. The 800 miles of flood control tunnels did an admirable job, but at least three homeless folks were lost.
Dolores, Thanks for your concern. Las Vegas got one years worth (average) of rain in less than a week!
And all of the "stupids" got loose. At the same time a lot of folks stepped up to the plate and actually helped each other. One guy spotted an elderly man being swept down the street, jumped out of his truck, picked the man out of the water and literally carried him to safety!!! The man that helped the other guy did not have english as his primary language. Makes you look at things a bit differently.
We did loose three souls to the flooding though.
Y'all be good and have a great time at the gathering.
Herriman, Utah - Robert Whitlock passed away on October 9, 2023. He was born on November 25, 1944 to Gwen and Bob Whitlock in York, Maine.
After graduating from Irving High School, he continued his education at UTEP. His metallurgical engineering degree was followed by professional managerial developmental programs at the University of Utah and the University of Connecticut.
While at UTEP, he met his wife, Lynda Bluth. They were married and sealed as eternal companions in the Mesa Arizona Temple.
Feeling a close connection to nature, Robert focused his life on protecting the earth's resources. He believed that earth is not only place worth living: it is a place worth loving. During his life, he spent countless hours exploring seasides and mountainsides, parched deserts and weathered rock caverns.
Robert translated his love for the earth by actively committing to work tirelessly to protect it. He managed plastic recycling plants, one of which was the largest in the country at that time, as well as a paper recycling facility and a hazardous waste disposal facility. He generated a method to reuse slag mineral wastes and developed operational policies and procedures for numerous landfills.
Although Robert held the titles of vice president, director, general manager, and plant manager, his favorite title was father. He adored his children and grandchildren and to their delight invented captivating games filled with fun and laughter, especially at his Dad jokes.
Robert served in various Stake and Ward callings as well as serving missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, always living as a faithful follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Robert leaves a legacy of hard work, church devotion and family dedication which those of us left behind will carry on.
Robert is predeceased by his parents, Gwen and Bob Whitlock, his brother, Rodney A. Whitlock, his daughter, Shelley E. Avenell (Steven), and his granddaughter, Katie E. Avenell.
Robert is survived by his wife, Lynda, and four children; Chad M. Whitlock, (Bonnie), Jon T. Whitlock, (Jamie), Kimberly E. Jones, Cory R. Whitlock (Angela), and four grandchildren, Jaden Whitlock, Jada Jones, Jaxon Jones, and Elijah Whitlock.
Robert will be remembered in a private family burial. In lieu of flowers, plant a tree in a forest, Arbor Day Foundation
Published by Deseret News from Oct. 13 to Oct. 18, 2023.
I ran across this in the weekly "Tributes" section of the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, Utah. If I weren't so inept on the computer I would have loaded the entire obituary. It can be searched at Deseret News/obituaries. Dennis
I thought that we had "Rememberance File" of all out classmates that have passed into the care of our Father and Lord Jesus. I cannot locate this file. Would one of you point me in the right direction?
With the passing of Robert Whitlock, I would like to add my comments to this area.
My thanks to Dennis for making us aware of Robert Whitlock's passing. I know that many of our classmates will be stunned by the news. "Bobby" was popular and well liked by many in our class. Your message has been posted in the In Memory section of our website.
Hi Clint,
The file you are referring to is the "In Memory" page on this website. Click on the button in the right corner of the menu bar at the top of the page. It will bring you to the file you are asking about. There you can add a comment to Bobby's In Memory page. Let me know if you have questions, or need help.
On the topic of rememberances, if you go to the msn.com news feed you'll find an article about the 70 years ago Franklin Mountains crash of an Air Force B-36 bomber.
Our January 2024 puppies and kittens calendar from Frank's company arrived this week. Will be thinking of him every time I look at the calendar.
That B-36 missed the telephone pole in our back yard (HaciendaHeights) by about 75 feet. My Dad, the pilot that lived accross the street, and me were running for all we were worth to not get caught if he went down right there. If he had turned to his left and not toward the mountains, he may have made it back to Biggs AFB. Sadly, he turned to wrong way and could not gain enough altitude to clear Mt. Franklin. Talk about being a bit terrified.
The problem with both is the traffic and going to the store. The tourists are lost, in rented cars that they are not use to driving, and they are texting while they drive.
The definition of driving on our "freway system is thus:
It consists of 100,000 perfect stangers doing an unchoreographed high speed ballet; to the sounds of Tina Turner singing "Proud Mary" .add to that, they are all dressed in 4,000 pound tutus and busy texting.
I have driven in New York City, Las Angeles, Houston, and four different countries...the "freeway system" here had to be designed by a committee of five people that spoke three different languages on a conference call after the bar closed.
A few years ago, I was i my old work truck on I-15 going over Lake Mead Blvd. when I hit a "bump" in the lane. I looked back to see a cloud of dust and the cars behind me going every which way. When I got home, Connie told me that there was a news bulletin on TV warning that an 8 foot chunk of the I-15 had fallen on Lake Mead Blvd beneath the overpass! It turns out that I-15 had not had any major maintenance repairs since it was built in 1957!!!
Sometimes you just feel like walking down the road, talking to yourself.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day wishes to everyone. Does anyone have an amusing story to share about the day when everyone is Irish? I think Henderson is of Scottish origin, but I bet Rick has a story to tell.
My oldest son Corey turned 13 (really 52) on February 29th. His younger brother Patrick, was born on St. Patrick's Day in 1980. Back then, we did not know the baby's sex until it was born. On the way to the hospital, we decided it would be Patrick or Patricia......Patrick it was. Patrick has a 10 year old son whose legal name is Luke Sky Waller. That's all I can offer as we move towards St. Patrick's Day. Hope all is well with you. Semper fi
In truth, I am just a mutt dog. With names like Henderson, Davis, Cline, Johnson, Lacy and many more, I don't really have a "heritage' other than American, just like most folks. Although my great-grandmother was actually born in the Republic of Texas and my grandmother was really born in the back of a covered wagon close to what is now Marfa, Texas. And Connie's heritage is German and Irish, which has been traced back to the 18th century.
At times, I have been envious of folks than can actually trace their heritage.
The next person that tells me how great it is to be retired and live this long is going to get a knuckle sandwich and a busted lip. And are the shingles the most fun I've had in a while!!! If you haven't had the shot...go get one.
But in truth, I feel so blessed. I volunteer at the V.A. hospital here in 'Vegas, and I'm constantly repeating what my grandmother used to say..."But for the grace of God go I" I'm just there every Friday afternoon at the information desk, giving directions to where the clinic is that they need to go to, but there are times I just want to cry when I see what shape some of those men and women are in. And they will stop and tell you what their particular problems are. And how blessed they are for our country. And after a while you realize that all some of them need is a friendly ear to bend. And that is so rewarding. The V.A. needs folks like you and me to help. If all I need to do is to give them someone to just listen to their stories and maybe prevent just one of them from doing the unthinkable, then I will have done something wonderful. And that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
So sorry to hear you have the shingles, my daughter had them a few years back and she had a lesion on her cornea and lost some sight not to mention the pain she was in. Prayers for a quick healing and thanks for what you do at the VA hospital for so many. Sometimes just a smiling face makes a difference to someone who is hurting.
I cannot imagine having shingles anywhere near my eyes! It must have been excruciating. I know how painful and nagging it was for me. You cannot scratch that area, but I could put a "gentle" pressure on whichever patch was itching or aching. I hope that I (or anyone else) have to through that again. Thanks for your concern.
The V.A. can use all of the volunteers they can get. One of our van drivers brings folks to the hospital from Mesquite, Nv. (85) miles away. He lives in Mesquite and he is a retired U.S. Air Force general! One heck of a nice guy.
Joanne, the lady the I work with, is a widow of a retired Marine. We all feel like we need to give back, even if it's just to listen to these veterans tall tales.
We do get to chuckle every so often at their attire. I don't believe that all of them have mirrors in their home.
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