Drayage Brokersin El Paso, TX

About 5 hours worth of Def and Motley mayhem ... with a nice helping of some creepy Cooper ... is coming our way.

Here are a few things I learned at a UTEP press conference that you should read before you head for Sun Bowl Stadium.

Some things will be different for this concert so, please read carefully.

Doors are at 3:45pm, a DJ starts at 5pm and Alice Cooper goes on around 5:45pm.

UTEP is conducting normal business Friday so parking lots will not be open to concert goers until 2pm.

Fans also can't start lining up to get in until 2pm. (Camping is NOT allowed.)

Floor seat holders must have their tickets scanned and be given a wristband before entering the floor area. If you don't have a wristband, you will be sent all the way back to get one.

A big chunk of the parking lot in front of the Sun Bowl has been closed off to do nothing but check people in.

"Floor seat" holders are especially encouraged to take advantage of that area as the smaller gates will get bogged down with just regular ticket holders.

Check these seating maps to see which entrance will be most convenient for you.

The parking area on Sun Bowl Drive, behind the skyboxes, is reserved for season ticket holders only.

The lot by the entrance to the tunnel will also be closed as it's reserved for trucks and as a staging area.

Fun fact: This production requires 19 semis to haul it and a week to build it. About 50 crew members have been in town working since 8/11.

If you bought a concert ticket, you can park in the orange, UTEP, lots for free.

Otherwise, there's a public parking garage at N. Mesa and Glory Road along with street parking all over.

The UTEP garage on Schuster will be open and is also recommended for handicapped parking.

I wouldn't use any of the area business parking lots, you will be towed.

Sun Metro routes will be running normal schedules as will the Streetcar. Busses and the Streetcar both stop at the parking garage across from the Don Haskins Center.

Part of it is for check-in while most is for handicapped parking only. First come, first served there ... more handicapped parking is available in other UTEP parking areas.

Fans can't start lining up until 2pm. UTEP parking lots won't open until 2pm either.

No major road closures are planned though there is a possibility Glory Road may be closed between Sun Bowl Drive and the parking garage at Glory Road and Mesa.

It's going to be hot so drink a lot of water (SAFETY LINK) before heading into the Sun Bowl.

I'd take it easy on the pre-gaming festivities too, that sun's intense.

Concessions, merch and port 'a potties will be available in the stadium and down on the floor as well.

Alcohol sales will stop about an hour before the show ends, probably around 9:45.

End of show is expected to be about 10:45.

Normal security procedures will be in effect and the usual items will not be allowed. Weapons, food, drinks, professional camera equipment, laser pointers, umbrellas etc.

No strollers or car seats either and clear bag policies also apply.

Make sure your phone is charged and/or bring a backup battery as there are no charging stations in the Sun Bowl.

While El Paso and Fort Worth made the top 10.

The US is filled with cities that are home to vibrant cultures, open-hearted residents, and welcoming atmospheres for everyone, but the level of friendliness is unique in each city. To measure the level of friendliness across the U.S., researchers asked 1,258 Americans from the 25 most populous cities about how friendly the residents of their cities are. Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 76 years old and were 49% female, 49% male, and 2% nonbinary.

Austin, Charlotte, and Columbus top the charts for the friendliest cities in America.

And while Austin took home the title of the friendliest city in the survey, San Antonio's clinched the second spot with El Paso and Fort Worth making the top ten. The cities considered the least friendly are Philadelphia, Seattle, and Boston. On the west coast, San Diego ranks as the friendliest city in California.

Respondents revealed that the friendliest cities towards pets are Austin, Denver, and San Diego. The friendliest cities for kids are El Paso, Charlotte, and Austin. The friendliest cities towards strangers are El Paso, San Antonio, and Charlotte.

In almost every category of friendly actions, Southern states came out on top as the most friendly. According to the poll, Austin’s noticeable welcoming demeanor was key to taking the top spot in the survey. San Antonio's wide-open hospitality helped it take the second spot. The city earned a top-five spot for multiple categories including Most Likely to Greet a Neighbor, Most Likely to Say Hello to People in Public, and Most Likely to Guide New Residents or Tourists.

The key takeaways from the survey are that simple acts like holding the door open, holding the elevator, and offering directions are the most common friendly actions. Another is that people are friendlier towards residents than strangers. Finally, States in the South ranked as the most friendly in almost all of the categories.

People are constantly communicating friendliness with those around them both. And in a fast-moving world where everyone is almost always on the move, being genuinely friendly requires true and intentional effort. You can use seemingly simple acts to be friendly to the different people you come across each day. It could be slowing down to hold the door for someone or helping others find their way in the city. The opportunities to display friendliness towards others are endless.

Guest columnist

City Rep. Cassandra Hernandez' recent guest column in these pages bragged about the City Council vote on July 31 to not increase our city property tax, suggesting this was made possible by “visionary leadership” and a “spirit of innovation and responsibility.”

The truth is that Hernandez is one of the reasons why our city tax has risen faster than those of the four other local taxing entities since she assumed office in June 2017.

More:Our city stands tall, and the future is indeed bright: Cassandra Hernandez

Before this year, she voted for six property tax hikes in a row, in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, helping to ensure that El Pasoans would bear one of the highest overall tax burdens in Texas.

Hernandez laments the sharp increase in property valuations, though she recommended increasing them at a City Council meeting in 2018: "It would be in our best interests, including every taxing entity, to ensure that all of the homes are being appraised at a higher level so that we can see more valuations and more tax revenue."

Hernandez also voted for every certificate of obligation that came before her, including $100 million in January 2019, $100 million in January 2020, $93 million in April 2021, and $96 million in August 2021.

More:Let’s be fair to electric vehicles, Texas: Letters to the editor

She voted to expend CO funds for cost overruns on the Quality of Life Bond projects, vastly exceeding the figures stated on the November 2012 ballot: $22.9 million in August 2017, $15.5 million for the Eastside Sports Complex in December 2017, $20.8 million for the Children’s Museum in July 2018, and $10.8 million for the Mexican-American Cultural Center in September 2018.

Even worse, in March 2020 Hernandez voted to amend Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 13, located on the 2,313 acres acquired by Paul Foster in the controversial Great Wolf Lodge land swap, forgiving 75% of city property tax for 50 years and denying the General Fund untold future revenue. Yet in her column she gleefully cites the savings from “modifications” to TIRZ 10A and Transportation Reinvestment Zone 2, which she neither conceived nor promoted.

Let us also remember that Hernandez was among the city’s most committed supporters of building a 15,000-seat arena in Duranguito, which the city’s own consultants admit would have gone more than $300 million over budget.

She is proud of the 2019 Public Safety Bond, a $413 million wish list that her husband Jeremy Jordan was paid $20,000 to promote, and the $273 million Community Progress Bond, which funds street resurfacing and other items that are supposed to be covered by the General Fund.

If this were not enough, Hernandez announced last month that she wants to issue a new quality of life bond, even as the city is scheduled to issue $600 million in voter-approved debt over the next five years.

The votes and policy positions of Hernandez are concerning to fiscal conservatives like myself, who fear for our city’s financial future and advocate for less debt and taxation; but what is truly disturbing is her abuse of her city gas card, which resulted in a Letter of Reprimand from the Ethics Review Commission on July 24.

The letter states that Hernandez, who spent $6,691 on her gas card in 2022 alone and repeatedly lent it to her husband, used her position “to secure unwarranted privileges for [herself], relatives or others” and that the misuse was “intentional.”

Let us be grateful that our city’s new leadership is taking us in a new and positive fiscal direction and that Hernandez will term out on Jan. 7, 2025.

Max Grossman is an El Paso homeowner and taxpayer.

El Paso Times

Texas prisons lack air conditioning

It's terrible that Texas prisons lack air conditioning — 70% of the prison space, for guards and prisoners, is not air conditioned.

Texas has signs to not leave a pet or a child in a hot car, but we don't mind letting prisoners suffer in hot buildings with the windows sealed and some are dying! Guards are quitting. Young people who may be serving a year or two after being caught with marijuana will be getting the death penalty instead and never come home.

"Don't mess with Texas" if you are considering breaking a law, you could die in a hot prison.

Carol Miller

West El Paso

Give El Paso Water a break

I always get on the opinion section and like to read the current gripes within the city. It strikes me odd that everyone has it out for El Paso Water. Every single week there’s a negative comment about them.

I just wanted to say that we live in the desert and have never run out of water and our water quality is always above par. The people at El Paso Water are planning for our future, but you all only see the bad things.

I stand against all the negative comments about them. I did want to see them build Downtown but hey, who am I to make that decision. They are doing a good job.

Ivan Roman Jr.

East El Paso

More:Let’s be fair to electric vehicles, Texas: Letters to the editor

You have yourselves to blame

Ten years ago, El Paso had momentum. Baseball was about to begin; voters resoundingly passed a half billion bond election and Downtown was in the midst of a renaissance.Enter Oscar Leeser. First item on the agenda was a new city manager. In came Tommy Gonzalez who was to be paid “not a penny more” than his predecessor. Next item on Leeser’s agenda was inaction on the 2012 QOL Bond projects — to include the arena.

After four years of inertia, Leeser ran for reelection after having apparently decided we needed the pause button hit for another four years — and the voters agreed. Leeser’s major accomplishment of his second term? Again, get a new city manager, this time we paid nearly a million dollars for a no cause removal.As El Paso hits the pause button, San Antonio is finishing up its San Pedro Creek Culture Park, Austin partnered with the US DOT for its “Program of Projects” after having built a state-of-the-art arena and Ft. Worth completed a commuter rail line linking its downtown to DFW Airport. These projects allow these communities to compete for jobs and talent.

When you complain about not having the amenities of our peer cities you have one group to blame: yourselves. If our recipe for success is eschewing modern event venues, saving the crumbling Coliseum, and letting Duranguito be the rallying cry, then let's elect Max Grossman as our next mayor!

John Lopez

East El Paso

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14) — A backlog in pavement projects from El Paso Water led some residents in the northeast to be frustrated with traffic and detours.

Neighbors said it's been a month since a water main break and they haven't seen crews working on the street or received an update from the water company.

"I’m only two houses away from the corner so instead of shooting straight up I gotta go down the detour, down that street, down the other street, turn around on McCombs down to Sean Haggerty just to get to work," Matthew Richards said.

The water main break happened on Sean Haggerty Road near McCombs Street and ever since the street has been temporarily closed.

"I haven’t even seen any water crews out there or nothing. I leave every day at 6:30 in the morning, come home at four and it’s the same thing," Richards said.

"[It's been] really busy. There’s a lot of traffic here. Stop and go traffic," one neighbor said.

Aside from their street being extremely busy during school hours, cars driving down the street is a concern for the children in the neighborhood, residents said.

"They should finish fixing up that street just to stop the traffic and [because]there’s a lot of kids that play around here," the neighbor said.

KFOX14 reached out to El Paso Water and a spokesperson said that when there's a water main break, it gets fixed immediately or within 24 hours.

What takes time, El Paso Water said, is the re-pavement of the streets.

Currently, the water company has 200 projects still pending and only one contractor.

A spokesperson told KFOX14 the 200 project backlog is unacceptable and are taking action to address it.

The water company is hopeful that the number will go down with the hiring of two more contractors.

Jonathan Mejia discusses backlog of El Paso Water pavement projects

El Paso Water told KFOX14 they are required to notify other utilities, like gas and electric, to inspect their respective lines before cuts are made and that takes time.

But a spokesperson said they are looking into improving coordination with other utility companies as well.

"It’s a big worry as you know some people don’t care and they just speed through here. I’ve seen it plenty of times already," Richards said.

In addition to speeding other drivers blatantly ignore the traffic signs and drive through the closed street.

"Some people just don’t care. I think they [El Paso Water] try to close it off, but some people just get out and just move the cones and drive through as opposed to driving around," another neighbor said.

El Paso Water told KFOX14 they estimate the Sean Haggerty project will get resolved in six to eight weeks.

El Paso Water also warns drivers that ignoring traffic signs could lead to a dangerous situation and drivers should respect the hazard signs.

El Paso Water said they're implementing solutions to expedite a growing list of paving projects throughout the city.

Paving is needed after a main break or when a construction project is complete. Steel plates are put in place to provide safe travel for drivers.

On average, there are three pavement cuts made per day across the city and the utility performs emergency repairs from Vinton all the way to Far East El Paso.

The utility currently has about 200 plates on streets that need attention. We are aware this is unacceptable and are taking action to address it.

Previously, EPWater had one vendor performing paving work. The Public Service Board recently authorized the use of three vendors to help perform this work, and we are ramping up those contracts.

EPWater is working closely with the City and other utilities to improve coordination and streamline the process for paving.

oEPWater is required to notify other utilities (gas, electric) to inspect their respective lines before cuts are made. Once the water line is repaired, other utilities will take the opportunity to repair their lines if needed. This sometimes prolongs the time that plates are in place, and so we are also looking at improved coordination on that end as well.

EPWater has established an internal team to focus on paving needs and look at all options to reduce delays.

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