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“Name-your-own-price” pet adoptions every time weather takes a dip

EL PASO, Texas – The temperature is dropping which means the fall cuddle season is here. If you are looking for a cuddle buddy, you are in luck. For the entire month of October, Animal Services will be hosting a “Fall Friend” adoption special. Any time the weather forecast predicts a temperature of 65 degrees or lower, all pet adoptions at Animal Services will be “name-your-own-price.” When the weather dips, you can adopt a pet for $1, $5, or whatever you chose to pay.

All adoptions will include the pet’s spay/neuter procedure, microchip, age-appropriate vaccinations and city license.

Animal Services is encouraging its media partners to take part in this fun adoption promotion by sharing the news any time their forecast lists a temperature of 65 degrees or lower. Animal Services will honor all forecast predictions from its media partners.

WHO: El Paso Animal Services

WHAT: “Fall Friend” adoption promotion with “name-your-own-price” adoptions anytime the weather forecast predicts a temperature of 65 degrees or lower.

WHEN: The entire month of October.

WHERE: El Paso Animal Services Center – 5001 Fred Wilson Ave.
Every day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday, October 5. Cafe Mayapan, 6 pm.
Author, Christine Eber, debuts book at Café Mayapan

El Paso, TX.- La Mujer Obrera presents: When a Woman Rises, the debut novel of Weaving for Justice founding member Christine Eber on Friday, October 5th at 6pm at Cafe Mayapan, 2000 Texas Ave. The book draws from Eber’s 30+ years of friendships with Tsotsil-Maya women weavers and community organizers in highland Chiapas, Mexico. Join us for an evening featuring author, Christine Eber, with dinner, dessert and silent auction to support the efforts of La Mujer Obrera. The event is free and open to the public.

When a Woman Rises begins in the Maya township of Chenalhó in Chiapas, where Veronica, a teenage girl, is recovering from a disastrous early marriage. Spurred on by a community program of women telling their stories, she asks her mother, Magdalena to record the story of her growing up. Magdalena summons the soul of her comadre who has disappeared. She tells how, as young girls, they yearned to be teachers and how poverty, cultural beliefs, and gender roles stole away their dreams.

In 1987, Christine Engla Eber lived for a year with a family in San Pedro Chenalhó, doing fieldwork for her PhD in Anthropology. She shared daily life with women and their families, witnessing the difficulties they faced. It changed her life. After all these years she continues visiting with her friends in San Pedro Chenalhó, working with weaving and fabric collectives; and she has created a non-profit WEAVING JUSTICE to sell their work in the U.S. Now, as a respected anthropologist, she writes of their communities. Her research is centered in Chiapas, Mexico, where she studies the gendered aspects of social change, specifically women’s participation in the Zapatista movement, the weaving cooperative movement, and the Liberation Theology movement of the Catholic Church. She is author of Women and Alcohol in a Highland Maya Town: WATER OF HOPE, WATER OF SORROW which was recently translated into Spanish, and co-editor with Christine Kovic of WOMEN OF CHIAPAS: MAKING HISTORY IN TIMES OF STRUGGLE AND HOPE. She is also a board member of the Maya Educational Foundation (www.mayaedufound.org) which seeks support for scholarships for young people in Maya communities of Chiapas, Guatemala, and Belize. She lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The Foundation for El Paso Community College (EPCC) will be hosting an event with the Culinary Arts program to benefit student scholarships.

What: Fajitas and Margaritas for Scholarships
When: Thursday, September 27th, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Where: EPCC Administrative Services Center 9050 Viscount Blvd. Building B – Foyer
Visuals: EPCC Culinary Arts students will be having a fajita cook-off and margarita shake-off.

Tickets are $50 for EPCC faculty, staff, and students. General admission tickets are $100. Tickets are available at the door and at all EPCC campus cashiers or online at www.epcc.edu/foundation.

El Paso Community College (EPCC) will have an art exhibition to commemorate the Hispanic Heritage Month, September 6 – October 10 at the Administrative Services Center (ASC) Building A Foyer during business hours. The artists will hold a reception to welcome the community.

WHAT: Art Exhibit Reception
WHEN: Tuesday, September 25th, 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: ASC Building A Foyer, 9050 Viscount Blvd.
WHO: Artists: Gabriel Gaytan, Frank Rosales and Angel Ortiz

Hispanic Heritage Month is the celebration of people of diverse Spanish-speaking backgrounds in the United States. El Paso Community College hosts special programs, events, and cultural exhibits to celebrate the heritage, culture, and contributions of Hispanic Americans.

El Paso Texas, September 14, 2018 –El Paso Community College (EPCC) received the 2018 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. As a recipient of the annual HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — EPCC will be featured, along with 95 other recipients, in the November 2018 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This is the sixth year in a row EPCC has been named a HEED Award recipient.

“El Paso Community College is proud of our efforts to always be at the forefront of diversity and inclusion.” Dr. William Serrata, EPCC President said. “The HEED Award validates the college’s hard work to champion diversity and equity.”

INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine selected EPCC because of its work to foster and promote cultural awareness and respect not only among employees but also among our students and the surrounding El Paso community. The target is to educate and disseminate information that highlights and celebrates the numerous cultures that construct and influence our world.

“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees — and best practices for both — continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being accomplished every day across their campus.”
For more information about the 2018 HEED Award, visit insightintodiversity.com.

El Paso Texas, September 12, 2018 – The El Paso Community College (EPCC) Hispanic Heritage Committee will host a series of events for the annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. This year’s theme is Hispanics: One endless voice to enhance our traditions.

The kick off for the month-long celebration will be from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, September 14 at the Valle Verde campus and end with a Mentor’s Dinner 5:30 p.m., October 10 at the Administrative Services Center (ASC), Building A-Auditorium, 9050 Viscount Blvd,

All events, except Mentor’s Dinner are free and open to the public. Tickets for the dinner are $30 and are on sale through October 3, 2018 at any EPCC cashiers’ offices. Tickets may also be purchased online at: https://secure.touchnet.com/C20715_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=6

This year’s celebration will encompass several free events including campus Read-Ins inviting the public and students to read a poem or work of or about a Hispanic American. The Mentor’s Dinner will honor influential past and present members of the El Paso community where our Keynote speaker will be Mr. Lombardo Boyar, American actor, voice artist, known for his role as Mariachi and Gustavo in the Disney movie Coco.

For more information, contact (915) 831-3324 or https://www.epcc.edu/hispanicheritage. Visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EPCCHispanicHeritage/.

Timeline of events:
Kick Off
Friday, September 14, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Valle Verde campus, Cafeteria Annex and Courtyard. Entertainment and booths will be provided for the general public and students.

Read-Ins
Students and the general public are invited to take the microphone and read a poem, short story or other work by or about Hispanic Americans. Read-Ins will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at:
Tuesday, September 18, Northwest campus, 6701 South Desert Road, Library Multipurpose Room
Wednesday, September 19, Rio Grande campus, 100 West Rio Grande, Room A119-120

Thursday, September 20, Valle Verde campus, 919 Hunter, Cafeteria Annex

Friday, September 28, Mission del Paso campus, 10700 Gateway East, outside area

Friday, September 28, Transmountain campus, 9570 Gateway Blvd. North, Foyer

Art Exhibit
Display from September 6 – October 10, at ASC Building A-Foyer
Reception: Tuesday, September 25, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the ASC Building A-Foyer featuring artists, Gabriel Gaytan, Frank Flores and Angel Ortiz
Lombardo Boyar address to students after PRESS CONFERENCE
Wednesday, October 10, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., Valle Verde campus, 919 Hunter, Architecture Building Z breezeway. More details to follow.

Mentor’s Dinner
Wednesday, October 10, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., at the EPCC ASC Building A, Auditorium, Keynote speaker: Mr. Lombardo Boyar, stand-up comedian.

El Paso Community College (EPCC) and local dignitaries will share memories and honor our fallen patriots on the 17th anniversary of that fateful day.

What: 9/11 Moments of Remembrance: Honoring the Victims and Reflecting on History
Where: EPCC Administrative Services Center Building A Auditorium
9050 Viscount Blvd.
When: Tuesday, September 11, 2018, 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Who: Sam Faraone, Senior Chaplain, El Paso Police Department
Steve Edmonds, Deputy Director, Fort Bliss Emergency Services
Sergio Renteria, Captain, El Paso Fire Department
Alex Hernandez, Director, EPCC Human Resources Development
Visuals: El Paso Community honoring 9/11, Spoken Word and Visual Presentations

9/11 Moments of Remembrance is free and open to public.

Featuring Texan violinist extraordinaire, Chloé Trevor

Sept. 4, 2018: Today, 92 Keys launches their album “Spring of Fire”, featuring nine-world class violinists who tour with some of the biggest names in music.

This unique project brings together performances from Siobhán Cronin (Starset, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Erica Swindell (The Eagles), Glen McDaniel (Simply Three, Janelle Monáe), YouTube violin star Rob Landes, and Grammy-nominated, Billboard no. 1 violinist, Jenny Oaks Baker.

In addition, today 92 Keys released a music video featuring Texas concert violinist Chloé Trevor performing a fiery rendition of Rolling in the Deep (Adele) from the Spring of Fire album:

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP3nciB4RlI
Spring of Fire full info – https://92keys.com/spring-of-fire

Chloé Trevor has been a dominant force in the Texas music scene for years, performing as a solo concert violinist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, El Paso Symphony and both domestically and internationally for dozens of premier orchestras. Chloé also commands a mass following of music enthusiasts and violin students on Instagram with over 150k followers.

About 92 Keys: Boise, Idaho based 92 Keys focuses on the development of energetic and high-end violin and piano music. 92 Keys is 100% independent, record label-free. In 2016 they released their first project which received nation-wide coverage in U.S. media which included a performance of Welcome Home on top of Shoshone Falls that can be seen on the 92 Keys YouTube channel.

FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS – Oktoberfest, the family-oriented German event taking place in the center of Fredericksburg, is poised to again attract 1,400 volunteers and 25,000 visitors in its 38th year.
As a result, the oom-pah-pah echo of 37 previous years will carry over in the hearts and minds of people who have made the event an annual tradition, many who traversed hundreds of miles to attend. And for others, the event reminds them of Gillespie County organizations and young people who accomplished artistic endeavors, thanks to Oktoberfest proceeds.

Oktoberfest Event Producer Debbie Farquhar said the 38th Oktoberfest is set for October 5-7, 2018, at MarktPlatz (Market Square). “I’m looking forward to all the camaraderie shared by all, the excitement and the gemu?tlichkeit. It’s an amazing family festival.”

The engaging sights and sounds of the annual event are of Fredericksburg’s German heritage, harkening to the first Oktoberfest near Munich in 1810, and to 1981, when Oktoberfest was first held in Fredericksburg.

Among a wide array of activities, included are:
1. 5:45 pm Friday: OkTUBAfest
2. 6:00 pm Friday: Meet the Shiner (Spoetzl Brewery) brew master
3. 7:00 pm Friday: Welcome to the Leinie Side, meet one of Leinenkugel’s founders
4. 8:00 am Saturday: Rotary Kraut Run
5. 9:00 am Saturday: Hauptstrasse Chicken Dance
6. 1:00 pm Saturday: Samuel Adams Stein Hoist
7. 12 noon Sunday: Strassen Zelt 42 Tournament
8. 2:30 pm Sunday: Lederhosen Contest
9. Sunday Afternoon in Strassen Zelt: Mario’s Accordion

All Weekend….
1. Enjoying Bratwurst – and lots of it
2. Ringing the Bell at The High Striker (plus a junior size striker and kiddie striker for kids)
3. Polkas and Waltzes
4. KinderPark games for children
5. Eating our legendary potato pancakes and funnel cakes
6. Beer & Hymns Saturday sponsored by Pedernales Brewing Company
7. Oompah at its Best! On four stages all weekend long
8. Partaking of a wide variety of domestic, Texas and German beer
9. Shuttle Service – Park & Ride (from the Gillespie County Fairgrounds to MarktPlatz)

Four covered stages host a continuous parade of entertainers. The focus is the German favorites of oompah, polka, and waltzing, with a Lederhosen and Stein Hoist contest, and plenty of opportunities for dancing – including the irresistible “Chicken Dance!” Bands scheduled to perform this year include Oma & The Oompahs, Arion Maennerchor, Comal Community Band, Jodie Mikula Orchestra, Austin Polka Band, German Schuhplattlers, Seven Dutchmen, Walburg Boys, Polkamatics, Boerne Village
Band and Boerne Village Ensemble, Hermann Sons Mixed Choir, Cloverleaf Orchestra, Czech Melody Masters, Czechaholics, Czech & Then Some, Chris Rybak, Swingin’ Dutchmen, Off The Grid, Tubameisters, Fredericksburg Filharmonic, Akkordion Klub of Fredericksburg, Yodel Blitz, ReedMeisters, Mario’s Accordion, Herschel Moody, Shirley Johnson, and Beer & Hymns with Exit 505.

Oktoberfest attracts many visitors just for the shopping opportunities. Over forty juried artisans from across the state fill two big tents, offering their best arts and collectibles. In another tent, a select group of local Hill Country artists will be selling their fine art to the public in a rare showing. Many find it the ideal opportunity to start their holiday shopping with many unique, handmade gift items.

Of course, the best part of any celebration in Fredericksburg is the hearty menu of delicious German and American foods. Over a dozen vendors will be serving up a variety of sausage on a stick and plates with kraut, potato pancakes, plus other scrumptious goodies. Adventurous tasters can sample over 50 varieties of German, American, Texan, and other imported beers.

Oktoberfest is a time for the youngsters as well. Kids can play to their heart’s content on the bungee jump and slide, try their hand at the hi-strikers, or enjoy other fun games and activities, including a stilt-walker, magician and face painter.

An Angle on the Arts
The Pedernales Creative Arts Alliance (PCAA) began and orchestrates the Fredericksburg Oktoberfest, and proceeds are used to fund youth arts and music scholarships, as well as community arts and music programs. Oktoberfest started in Fredericksburg with the specific intent to support the arts and music, and it is the only fundraiser PCAA has each year. Its success has enabled many young people to go to college and study music or the arts. The Oktoberfest proceeds also funds many local
arts organizations.

Debbie Farquhar has worked with volunteers to produce the charitable event since 1992. “Oktoberfest makes it possible for us to have 14 local students studying the arts this year. We provide scholarships to help pay for their education,” she said. “It also enables us to support local arts programs.”

Tooting the Oktoberfest Horn
Ms. Farquhar said the event is also notable for how it comes together. “With over 1,400 volunteers, we’re able to greet our visitors and provide an experience that is remarkable. Local residents blend with guests to create a welcoming and lively event for everyone.”

For more information, visit oktoberfestinfbg.com, or call 830-997-4810.

Weekend Schedule:
On Stage Friday
MAIN STREET MUSIK KINDER HALLE
6:00 Oma & The Oompahs 6:00 Czechaholics
9:00 TubaMeisters 9:00 Chris Rybak

STRASSEN ZELT ADELSVEREINS HALLE
6:00 Boerne Village Band 6:00 Off the Grid
8:00 Walburg Boys 8:00 Czech & Then Some
10:00 Seven Dutchmen 9:30 Off the Grid

On Stage Saturday
MAIN STREET MUSIK KINDER HALLE
10:00 Czech Melody Masters 10:00 Cloverleaf Orchestra
12:30 Oma & The Oompahs 12:00 Hermann Sons Mixed Choir
3:00 Cloverleaf Orchestra 12:30 Czech & Then Some
5:30 ReedMeisters 3:00 Jodie Mikula Orchestra
8:00 TubaMeisters 5:30 Czechaholics
8:00 Jodie Mikula Orchestra
10:00 Czech & Then Some

STRASSEN ZELT ADELSVEREINS HALLE
10:30 TubaMeisters 10:00 Arion Männerchor
12:30 Yodel Blitz 10:45 Comal Comunity Band
3:00 Austin Polka Band 12:45 Schuhplattlers
6:00 Yodel Blitz 2:30 Walburg Boys
7:30 Schuhplattlers 4:45 Chris Rybak
9:30 Chris Rybak 7:00 Walburg Boys
9:30 Seven Dutchmen

On Stage Sunday
MAIN STREET MUSIK KINDER HALLE
11:00 Boerne Village Ensemble 12:00 Jodie Mikula Orchestra
12:30 ReedMeisters 2:00 The Oompahs
2:00 Swingin’ Dutchmen 4:00 Walburg Boys
4:00 Fredericksburg Filharmonic
STRASSEN ZELT ADELSVEREINS HALLE
11:00 Fredericksburg Akkordion Klub 12:00 Chris Rybak
12:00 Austin Polka Band 2:00 TubaMeisters
1:30 Schuhplatters 4:00 Polkamatics
3:00 Beer & Hymns (Exit 505)
4:30 Yodel Blitz

El Paso, Texas August 23, 2018 – Because of popular demand, El Paso Community College (EPCC) has extended registration for the fall 2018 semester. Online registration is now open through 3:00 p.m., Saturday, August 25th.
The Valle Verde Enrollment Services Center will now be open to assist students on Saturday, August 25th from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Weekday hours through Monday, August 27th at the Valle Verde location are from 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

EPCC provides academic programs and support services that are clear pathways to skill development, timely degree completion.

Spend Labor Day weekend with hot rods and rousing rock at the El Paso County Coliseum.
What is called the premiere “Kustom Kulture” event, The Original Great American Rockabilly Riot will take over the Coliseum, 4100 E. Paisano, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept 1-2. It will feature a variety of rockabilly performers; a 1950s-themed pin-up girl contest and pageant; live tattooing; food, jewelry, clothing and a variety of vendors; a car show with hot rods, custom motorcycles and classic cars; and an auto swap meet.

Performers for the Labor Day celebration will include headliners Voodoo Glow Skulls and Dale Watson, as well as Rockabilly Strangers, Los Chucanos, Sandbox Bullies, Reno Divorce, Sorry About Your Sister, Pope Paul and the Illegals, Ian Rosewood, Radio La Chusma, Bobby Rosales and the Premiers, Kitty Rose and the Rattlers and others.

The Original Great American Rockabilly Riot evolved from a local annual hot rod show,
where car and music lovers would gather at The Original Great American Land and Cattle
Co. restaurant, hence the name. This is the event’s seventh year.

Tickets for the event are $15 each day and $25 for a two-day pass, plus fees, and are
available at the El Paso County Coliseum Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at
800-745-3000 and online at ticketmaster.com. Ages 12 and under get in free.

Information: 533-9899; rockabillyrioteptx.com; @Rockabillyeptx on Twitter;
facebook.com/GreatAmericanRockabillyRiot; countycoliseum.com; @ElPasoColiseum on
Twitter; facebook.com/EPColiseum; instagram.com/elpasocountycoliseum.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Dale Watson