The City Magazine El Paso

The City Magazine El Paso would like to present you with the
WINNERS OF “BEST OF THE CITY” 2014.

A PASSION  SO DEEP

By Erika Lopez

“If today was your last day on earth, what would you like to be remembered by?” To most of us, this question is not one that we discuss often. Instead, we focus on mantras that begin with “life is short,” in hopes that one day we can live our lives like today was our last. To those like Hospice El Paso’s chief operating officer Tina-Marie Hew Len – who dedicate their lives and careers to assuring that terminally ill patients live their remaining days in a pain-free, loving atmosphere – “life is short” is not a phrase taken for granted, but a lesson to live by.

While attending college, she worked as an office manager at an environmental consulting firm and quickly moved up as an environmental technician in the field. “I was the one (and only woman) with the baby blue hard hat and steel-toed hikers with red shoe laces! Looking back, I think my boss would have done anything to keep me from bouncing off the walls. I loved the experience! I was able to travel all over Mexico and learned how to work with and appreciate the culture of our distant neighbors. I also realized that learning Spanish should be moved to the top of the list (my father is Hawaiian and mother is White),” explained Hew Len.

Even though Hew Len discovered El Paso during her father’s station, she continues to call the Sun City her home. Hew Len joined Hospice in 2001 and worked her way up from marketing to the director of admissions and marketing. In 2012, she accepted a position as vice president of the Visiting Nurse Association and due to unfortunate circumstances, assisted in the dissolution of the 45-year-old organization. She then took a position with Sierra Providence Health Network overseeing the operations of six Total Care Imaging Centers in El Paso. Only eight months after settling into the position, Jim Paul, chief executive officer of Hospice El Paso, asked her to “come home.” “My decision to return to Hospice El Paso was extremely difficult. It was hard to walk away from the new family of mentors and employees who were supportive and who gave me the resources to continue to grow in my career. For that, I’ll always be thankful,” said Hew Len.

Personal Board Of Directors

Although Hew Len has built an impressive career path, she credits much of her success to her parents and her personal board of directors who offer both personal and professional advice. The idea of a personal board of directors stemmed from a piece of advice from close friend and former colleague Eric Evans, Sierra and Providence Medical Centers’ CEO, who suggested to Hew Len the initiation of a personal board of directors to help guide her through both personal and professional ventures. Among her personal board of directors is Jim Paul, who is famously known as former owner of the El Paso Diablos. “When people think of Jim Paul, they think of the former El Paso Diablos owner who revolutionized minor league baseball, but he’s so much more than that. His sincerity runs much deeper than most people even know,” said Hew Len. Adding, “I’m very lucky to have the right ingredients to succeed: faith, my parents and my siblings. Unfortunately, not everyone has that. My strength and structure come from my strict and loving father and my compassion and patience come from my mom. I credit them for teaching me integrity, a good work ethic and simply believing in every choice I’ve made throughout the years. If it weren’t for my father, I couldn’t do this. If it weren’t for my mother, I couldn’t do it well,” expressed Hew Len enthusiastically. Naming her mother as a member of her personal board of directors, Hew Len reminisces about the advice she has received from her mother since she was a child and that she continues to live by today, “Baby, everyone loves you and those who don’t, don’t know you.”

On Hew Len’s striking personal board of directors is also Robert (Bob) Wingo, president and chief executive officer of Sanders/Wingo Advertising. “He is the most caring gentleman who will stop everything to be there for you when you need him, and if he doesn’t have the time at that moment, he will make the time to give you his undivided attention. He is truly a wonderful mentor,” said Hew Len. Adding, “Bob always gives the best advice, he’ll say, “Tee, be real, be honest and be yourself.”

An Experience of a Lifetime

Most people believe that working in a hospice environment is a difficult task, but to those like Tina-Marie Hew Len and her team, working in a hospice environment is an experience of a lifetime. “It was a very personal choice and an opportunity to work together with Jim Paul to continue the vision of providing the hospice benefit to patients and families in our community. All of our employees are personally invested in what they do. Every day they come to work and make a positive impact in someone’s life – through a visit, a kind word, a phone call, simply sitting and listening, holding someone’s hand and sharing a moment. I could go on. There are no words that describe the effect our staff has on so many people in need of hospice care,” said Hew Len enthusiastically.

Looking to the Future

What’s in store for the Tina-Marie Hew Len? A goal not too far from being accomplished making Hospice El Paso one of the top 10 places to work in the city. On a personal level, anyone who has ever met Tina-Marie Hew Len will automatically describe her as a vibrant, nurturing soul, with a heart so big it hardly fits in her being. But it is not without saying that her role with Hospice El Paso has helped shape the incredible woman behind the scenes. “I don’t hesitate. I apologize, even if I feel I’m not at fault. Working at Hospice El Paso and learning from the mistakes I’ve made in my lifetime has taught me patience, humility, and how to be strong but not tough. Life is short, I know we all say that, but I don’t think we always comprehend the meaning of it until it’s experienced personally,” said Hew Len.

Laura Bush visit  to the Sun City

Laura Bush brought friends from Dallas to visit the mission valley and downtown October 23-24. She, Nancy Dedman and Caren Prothro had anticipated their trip since last spring, when the four of us visited the San Antonio missions. “Shouldn’t El Paso be next?” Laura asked. Her memories of El Paso go back to childhood. At 6 years old, her mother put her on the train from Midland to El Paso, where she visited her grandparents. Since she was too young to fill out the meal card in the dining car, her mother packed a lunch and told the porter that Jessie and Hal Hawkins would be waiting on the other end. In her autobiography “From the Heart,” Laura shares memories of her grandparents’ home in Canutillo with the Rio Grande on one side and the Franklin Mountains bumping up against them on the other.

Though Laura’s recent trip wasn’t public, the word got out. A red, white and blue sign in hand-painted letters announced LAURA BUSH WELCOME TO SAN ELIZARIO at Alarcón Elementary School. Gaspar Enriquez and Phyllis Price met us at the front door of their historic, adobe home where Gaspar’s studio is filled with paintings of El Paso’s baseball history, commissioned for the ballpark downtown. Laura took pictures, texting them to George because she knew how much he’d enjoy them. He’s a painter now.

Before lunch, Mayor Maya Sanchez presented craft boxes tied in brown ribbon with a cotton ball at the bow’s center. “When is the last time you saw real cotton?” Nancy Dedman asked. Inside the boxes were crosses carved from the old wood removed during the San Elizario Chapel’s restoration. After lunch was announced, we ate enchiladas, salad, beans, rice and a flan so delicious everybody wanted the recipe.

Gaspar restores old adobes and we toured his projects in town. Ramon Holguin took us on a tour of the chapel, named for Saint Elcear, the French patron saint of the military. Though sometimes called a mission, it was started as a chapel for soldiers at the presidio. Its shape is rectangular, unlike the mission churches that are shaped like crosses. A rectangle is easier to defend than a cross. After we left the Los Portales Museum, with its handsome displays of San Elizario heritage and history, Laura wanted to visit the children at Alarcón Elementary who were exercising on the blacktop. When the coach saw her peering through the chain link fence, he asked the children, “Do you know who this is?” Everybody sure did, yelling “Laura Bush! Laura Bush!” Laura hugged the children and teachers who gathered around her and happily posed for pictures.

We sensed the spirit of the Socorro Mission, whose painted vigas communicate through painted circles and crossed lines made by the indigenous people. It is connected to San Elizario and Ysleta by the Old Socorro Road, the word socorro meaning help. Early travelers along the Camino Real could find assistance along that stretch of road should they face trouble, with a guarded fort and two missions there.

The beautiful Ysleta mission with its beehive silver dome was our last stop before dinner. Considered the oldest mission in Texas, it is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. After spending the night at Dee’s and my home off Sunset in the upper valley, where a handful of friends gathered for chiles en nogadas, we headed to H&H Carwash for a plate of huevos rancheros the next morning. Maynard Haddad, his picture with President

By: Austin Savage

The idea that a facility can support an eclectic collection of artists is not a new idea. Communal creative facilities have popped up all throughout history in various forms and Glasbox is no different. Now in its 15th year of operation, Glasbox stands as a beacon of passion and will. Its very survival through difficult times has created a community of artists, thinkers, and innovators that thrive not only on their individual abilities but also with the knowledge that their unified personalities are a source of strength. “I’m truly humbled by the support we have received,” says Glasbox founder Chris Bevins. “There is no doubt we mean something to the community because overtime when we have been in need, they community has risen up to support us.”

The community has had cause to rise up. Glasbox has offered a consistent stream of live performance and communal events combined with workspaces for any persons interested in using their abilities to better the region. Megan Aizpuro is one such person. “Not too long after my first visit I was pretty hooked. I began performing small vignettes for the Border Theatre’s larger-scale shows to fill in time gaps or as pre-show types of things. I also got involved with Border Theatre as an actress in addition to a dancer.” Aizpuro continues to explain the strange allure of the place, “I was really active in the Glasbox community, I was a part of some pretty life-changing work. Some of it was really successful and some not so much on many different levels. I saw relationships build and crumble right alongside my beliefs about art, life, dance, struggle, everything. I feel like the life of Glasbox and I paralleled in many ways for a while there and even now the relationship I have with Chris and with the happenings of the facility are really off-and-on, but I feel like even that is remnant of what Glasbox means to me – that I can always come home even if I’m away for a long time.”

The home that Aizpuro (presently working for a major dance festival in Durham, North Carolina) will be returning to will be radically different from the one she left. Now in its 7th building, an old warehouse space located at 210 Poplar, Bevins and his army of altruists are pushing to reach the potential that the empty space has locked away. Incoming artist studios, a photography lab and a black box performance theatre are on their way to supplement the existent services already in place. These present offerings include weekly life drawing sessions, a wood shop, a metal shop, a blacksmithing facility, artist studios, and even rehearsal space for dance and theatrical performances. “It’s all about manufacturing creativity,” states Bevins. ”It’s the basic idea of providing a place for a variety of good people to pass by each other on a consistent basis and trusting that their innate personalities and talents will begin to bleed into each other. Inspiration and collaboration comes about naturally when people see the work that others are willing to put into their creations. You are who you surround yourself with and if you put enough high character and driven people together beautiful things are bound to happen.”

This is an idea that Aizpuro echoes, “I definitely see myself collaborating with the new mix of artists surrounding Glasbox. Getting back to that idea of coming home to it though, I almost feel like I need to have something to show for whenever I go back. Kind of like when you come home from being away at school and you hope you can prove yourself as something more to your parents. We all believe we have something more to give.”

The unique niche that Glasbox has already carved out as made it a valuable jewel, but as it continues to polish itself it will only continue to increase in value. Live music events and public showcases will soon be supplemented by Boomtown, helping to heighten the experience for visitors seeking an escape from the routine evening out. Visitors have always been touched by the offerings of the residents. Many end up becoming lifers like Aizpuro, “Our city needs Glasbox. Artists need that home, that place where they can always go back to, always contribute to, always take away from. It’s like Miracle Gro for all who enter. All who enter get sprinkled with it and walk out the door with their creativity and inspiration blossoming.”

By: Matthew Abraham

As the summer comes to an end, many of us want to hold onto that bronze glow that we acquired either on vacation, at home poolside or on the golf course. While we may love the way that a tan may make us look, we can’t deny the risks and long –term damage that can result from our sun worshipping. Sun exposure causes collagen breakdown leading to premature aging of the skin, wrinkling, and skin discoloration. Even more serious, sun exposure is also the primary cause of skin cancer and melanoma.

Self-tanners however, can offer a safe alternative to laying in the sun or in tanning beds. Long gone are the days of unnatural looking, orange, and streaky self-tanners. Applying self-tanner can be messy but with proper preparation and by following a few expert tips, even the messiest of us can avoid a tanning catastrophe.

• First off lay down a towel on your bathroom or floor to avoid getting self-tanner everywhere, and also put on either flip-flops or no-show low rise socks to avoid stepping in the self-tanner that may have gotten on the floor or your towel. If you don’t, the soles of your feet will most likely end up becoming orange or dark brown from self-tanner getting on them.
• Use either latex gloves on your hands or a tanning mitt to avoid getting self-tanner on your palms and hands. Always wash and scrub hands thoroughly after applying self-tanner.
• Also pay careful attention to the face, neck, ears, elbows, knees, and ankles as these body parts can be drier and hard to apply to resulting in mistakes. Use a minimal amount of tanning lotion in these areas, and consider wearing latex gloves or a tanning mitt to apply it.

• Be sure to exfoliate your body prior to application and apply a light moisturizer to any drier areas and let it completely soak in. Do not use a scrub containing oil to exfoliate as they leave a barrier on the skin which will prevent the self-tanner from properly and evenly soaking into the skin.
• Whether using a lotion, spray, or mousse be sure to even apply layers of self-tanner letting them dry completely before touching, sweating, or putting on clothes. Use either a fan or blow dryer on the cool setting to make sure the self-tanner is completely dry before dressing and wear darker, loose-fitting clothes while you have on self-tanner.

      Once you have applied the self-tanner it takes in general four to eight hours for the color to properly and completely develop, which is why many find it ideal to leave them on overnight. If you shower or exercise or wipe off the self-tanner prior to this four to eight hour period, you run the risk of your tam not fully developing. If you find that this time frame is too long to have on self-tanner, there are a few formulas that develop in as little as one to three hours such as the Vita Liberata Rapid Tan Mousse ($43) and the Fake Bake 60 minute Tan Spray ($32). If you have trouble with applying self-tanner evenly, try a spray formula that emits a fine mist as they are the easiest to apply without worrying about streaks and uneven application such as Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Mist ($9.99) or Sally’s Salon Bronze Airbrush Tanning System ($12.99). If you tend to turn orange with self-tanners use a formula that are specifically designed to develop into a dark golden brown such as the popular St. Tropez Self Tan Dark Bronzing Mousse ($44) or the Norvell Professional Venetian Sunless Mousse ($30).

By: Brenda Castaneda
Photos By: Dav Anmed

“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”– Confucius

If you happen to be dining in the Union Plaza district on a Wednesday night at The Garden, or on a Friday evening at Tablaor perhaps at the Magic Bistro for brunch on a Saturday morning, you are sure to be entertained by the soothing, acoustic sounds of El Paso’s own Julio Ortiz. He performs almost daily at various locations in and around El Paso and possesses a style of music that captivates his audience. They become part of an experience like no other. His performance is magical.

In my interview with Ortiz, our conversation was just as poetic and mesmerizing as his music. Every word he speaks tells passionately of experiences that reach into the depths of his soul that is conveyed through song. His love for art, music and nature is a huge part of who he is as an artist.  His passion is easily transferred to his audience in a way that they are brought to a spiritual level, captivated, embraced by his music.  He has created his own style. He plays his guitar and performs for the sheer beauty of the music and describes it as a form of therapy.  He goes wherever the music takes him.  “One of the reasons I never studied music, I didn’t want any boundaries to govern where my music would take me,”he said.

Whether he is on the terrace of the Double Tree Hotel with the glorious sunset as his backdrop or the lush greenery of the Zin Valle Vineyards, it is the beauty of nature that is a huge part of his performance.  His delivery is flawless. Fluent in many languages, hesings not only in English, but is equally powerful in Spanish, Portuguese and French. He transitions from one song to another without any interruption in the flow of the magic that is his music.

Ortiz’s story of his passion for music and the arts begins with family. His initial exposure to music began, like so many other musicians, at home. The youngest of five, two older sisters and two older brothers, they were surrounded by music at a fairly early age.  At family gatherings, music was a huge part of his life.  His early influences in music came from whatever his parents listened to at these family events, mostly boleros, trios and mariachis.  Everyone would sing and play music. A piano was always in his home and as young adults he and his siblings took piano lessons. While his sisters took very quickly to the piano and continued their lessons, he and his brothers did not. Typical of boys, he tells a story of how he fell asleep during a piano lesson at which time his mother quickly recognized that perhaps piano was not for him.

However, during his senior year, his mother came home with a guitar for him. She simply handed it to him and hoped he would enjoy the guitar more than he did the piano.  He describes how little by little he would strum the guitar and gradually becoming comfortable with his mother’s gift, he was hooked. As for his singing, he knew that although his father had an amazing voice, he never seriously pursued singing. He thought, “if dad can sing, maybe I can, too.”  He was right. And now some twenty years later, Ortiz is a unique talent and renowned artist throughout the region.

He is a different musician who not only entertains but becomes part of the experience as is evident in the venues at which he performs. There is not elaborate stage set-up. It is Ortiz, his guitar and his audience. There is genuine beauty in the simplicity of his performances. No distractions for the fans who follow him.

He is booked every day of the week, except for Mondays, playing regularly at The Garden, Tabla, Doubletree Hotel, Zin Valle Vineyardsand The Magic Bistro,as well as many private events throughout the year.  He is coined as “one of the Hardest Working Musicians in the City” because he is everywhere, often performing several gigs in one day.

Ortiz is passionate about the arts, all of the arts. “I love everything that has to do with music and the arts and nature,”he proclaims as he describes his love for the theater.A theater arts major, Ortiz discovered his love for acting while attending New Mexico State University where he received his degree in theater arts and a minor in French. Not only is he an accomplished musician, he is also a very successful actor and screenwriter. He has written many children’s plays of which he is proud to say have been performed in El Paso and in cities throughout the United States.  His acting experience started here under the guidance of Hector Serrano whom he credits for pushing him to uncover his acting talents. As a result, Ortiz adds to his credits, several years with Viva!El Paso under the direction of Hector Serrano and David Mills and Shakespeare on the Rocks. He also studied acting in Los Angeles and has appeared in several movies. The last several years, however, music has taken over. And while he does miss the theater and being on stage, he is dedicated to his music here.

Ortiz and his wife have been married 14 years and they have two children, their 10-year-old daughter and their8-year-old son.  Family is extremely important to him and early on he made a conscious decision to be there for his children during their formative years. Now that they are a little bit older, he can think about returning to the theater, when the time is right.

Ortiz is forever indebted to this city for its undying support. “I am so grateful that El Paso has supported me and allowed me to do what I want to do.”In addition to his regular gigs at the different venues across this region, he also supports many major events throughout the year as their featured performer and just last month played at the annual Chalk the Block Arts Festival in downtown and entertained the audience at the Big Brothers-Big Sisters of El Paso annual fundraiser,the 8th annual Dance for Kids’ Sake.Something he has done since its first year.

Ortiz is an El Paso gem. Simply stated, he is multi-talented, extremely versatile and creates an intimate setting for his audience, regardless of the venue. Singing everything from Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Van Morrison and numerous other artists, Ortiz is a gift to El Pasoand we should continue to embrace and support this amazing talent.

For more information and his calendar of events, visit http://ortizjulio.com/.

“This article is dedicated in loving memory of Raquel Ortiz, Julio’s mother, who passed away in June.”

By: Ladonna Apodaca
 PhotosCourtesy of Laura Tate

Although many of us may know Laura Tate as a committed, community activist, she is now also on the verge of breaking through with her singing and performing talents, gaining national and international recognition. At a stage when other performers are opting for a quiet life, Tate’s musical career, on the other hand,has taken off like gangbusters. With the recent release of her third album, which is getting airplay and recognition all over the world, it’s clear this local girl… is on fire.

Many people in El Paso recognize the name of Laura Tate Goldman. They know it because Laura, whose maiden name is Tate, which she uses professionally, has been a leader in our community since arriving here almost 18 years ago.From the moment sheset foot in town, Tate fell in love with the beauty of El Paso, its people and the magicof

Photo by Dav Anmed

oursouthwestern culture. El Paso was a refreshing change from the fast paced life that Laura had experiencedwhile living in Los Angeles, Nashville and New York. Choosing to plant new roots in El Paso, Tate opted to put her performing career on the back burner as she pursued her passion for community service. One can only admire her knack of balancing her time-consuming dedication to community service with the considerable efforts required to restart her professional music career.

The list of her accomplishments as a leader in El Paso is impressive. It’s noteworthy to mention that sheserved as president of the Junior League of El Paso, served onthe statewide Board of Directors of the Texas STAR Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, served on the board for The Stanley and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts and most recently completed a four-year volunteer commitment as Co-Chair for the University of Texas at El Paso 2014 Centennial Commission. These accolades barely touch the surface of all that Tate has done for the City of El Paso.

During this time, Tate also managed to go return to school and earned a Master of Arts degree from UTEP. All along the way she quietly continued to juggle a number of projects thatwould ultimately cause her to place her music career at the forefront once again.Multiple live charitable performances, as well as the release of her two albums, “Blue Train” and “Songs From My Suitcase,”paved the way for Laura’s return to Los Angeles to record her most recent body of work entitled, “I Must Be Dreaming.”This is the albumthat has changed everything.“The reviews for, ‘I Must Be Dreaming,’have been phenomenal,” said Tate. “It’s very humbling for me to know that I have fans listening to my music from all over the world.”With the advent of social media,her talents are now exposed to a global market. Her albumsand music videos can be accessed through Tate’s website,as well as on streaming websites such as Spotify and Apple Music. Her albums are also available on iTunes, CD Baby, Bandzoogle and her music videos can now be seenon YouTube.

Tateoften receives feedback from her LA record promoter that her music appears on playlists from radio stations located in countries as far reaching asItaly, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Australia and even Croatia. Laura states that“I Must Be Dreaming” has been a critical success in a way she never could have imagined.

She is very thankful for the seasoned musicians in LA who played on her new album and to thetalented and prolific songwriter, Mel Harker, who wrote or co-wrote all the tunes on this latest release. Veteran musician, Terry Wilson, well known in the music industry,produced arranged and mastered the album at Jesi-Lu Recording Studio in LA. Wilson and Laura are now collaborating and in pre-production for her fourth album slated to begin recording in 2016.

Tate has been overwhelmed by the reviews that continue to pour in since the release of “I Must Be Dreaming.”The Nashville Blues Society writes, “Tate is a Texas Blues Lady with one of those voices that can easily go from soulful growl to a sultry, passionate delivery perfect for ballads.Tate lends her sweet sultry and sassy vocals to torch songs such as the title cut which finds her backed by a lush full band.”

Another review by noted music critic Bill Wilson states, “Whether it’s soulful ballads, country love songs, rock and roll or torch songs that melt to the deepest part of your heart, she does it all and does it with power and a deep felt passion. Frankly, it doesn’t get better than this.  Laura Tate starts a raging fire where all but a fading ember remain. This is good stuff that belongs in every collection.  It’s a keeper to be sure.”

Midwest Record Entertainment Reviews News and Views, by Chris Spector writes, “The album kicks off with “Snake Tattoo,” a dandy rocker and the album goes along in high gear from all involved putting all the right moves in all the right places. With a little something from all popular genres on board, this is a fun, rootsy, vocal set that simply goes the distant without running out of gas. Settle in for some fun listening here.”

Tate is getting ready to perform to a sold out audience at The Mint, a well-known music venue in the heart of West LA, and talks are also in the works for a possible European tour next spring.

For more information on her music or upcoming performances please visit www.musicbylauratate.com.

Laura continues to enjoy living in El Paso with her husband and three rescue dogs.  For more information regarding her music or a schedule of upcoming performances please go to her website at www.musicbylauratate.com.

By: Krysta Ayers
Photos By: Jordan Parker

From the same guys that brought you Blackbird, the freight container bar near the Chihuahua’s stadium, comes Gray Dog, El Paso’s first upscale bar. With a premium spot in a continuously growing downtown, this hidden gem will soon be a go-to, if it isn’t already, for downtown employees, baseball fans, and drinkers of all sorts (21 and older, of course). Under the ownership of Luke Heram, YairoHeram and TJ Karam, the new bar is setting high standards for El Paso when it comes to entertaining the Sun City.

Gray Dog, named after owners Luke and Yairo’s dog, Cejas, who is a gray schnauzer, sits calmly on the corner of Franklin and Oregon Street in downtown El Paso. On the outside, Gray Dog is a just a hole-in-the-wall with subtle window decal to declare its presence. If anyone remembers the previous bar located there, Gray Dog shares no resemblance. “We wanted to create an upscale dive bar so that we could attract a wider range of people. We’ve made it a comfortable place for business people to come during the day and then the younger crowd at night,” says owner, Luke Heram. It achieves the “upscale” half of its description with unique furnishings – the bar top is made up of common materials structured in an innovative way. You can rest your drinks and your elbows on a unique bar top of wooden rings in a clear casing resting on a “caged in” rock wall. The walls are adorned with large art pieces, and on occasion art done by local artists in El Paso can be seen, adding to the distinct atmosphere that Gray Dog creates.

“The location fell into our lap and there’s a rebirth about downtown that we want to be a part of,” saysHeram. With a great location and a steady amount of activity, the bartenders are just as excited about the bar and its future. “There is really something special going on downtown and I think in a couple of years El Paso will have the downtown it deserves,” says Gray Dog bartender, Cesar Muniz. Both Muniz and Jordan Parker, another bartender for the bar, agree that being in the “heart of the city”, amongst the growth, is what makes Gray Dog different and more appealing from other bars in the area. “I think we have a really versatile crowd and staff, so it makes our bar very inviting,” Parker adds. Though it’s not “Cheers,” it can easily become the place everyone knows your name. “Once the Cincinnati district died, we were left with a void. Every big city has at least one major entertainment district and downtown will be the main one,” Muniz says. The growth of downtown juxtaposed with the friendly staff and passion from the owners will make Gray Dog a popular choice amongst many in El Paso.  “ We built the space, but it would not be the way it is without the employees, “ added Luke Heram.

Being a local bar, Gray Dog advocates and supports other local creatives and businesses. “If we can be involved with anything that incorporates downtown, we’ll do it. We want people excited about downtown,” Luke Heram said, passionately speaking about the growth and involvement of the community. Just recently Gray Dog was involved with SunCycle, the city’s bike share program, providing a spot for riders to stop and join in on happy hour and promoting the great new program. On October 13 it was also the place where Beto O’Rourke held his campaign kickoff. “[O’Rourke] is a friend of ours and a real advocate of the growth of downtown. And he’s saying that [Grey Dog] is his favorite downtown location,” explained Luke Heram on how the congressman ended up having his kickoff at the bar.

Gray Dog provides ‘high quality libations” while maintaining the relaxed atmosphere expected in a dive bar. You can find various craft beers to try and love such as Maui Brewing Co.’s Coconut Porter, Big Bend Brewery, Lagunitas’ Hop Stoopid, and Mission Brewery’s Hard Root Beer. And there’s no need to squint your eyes or use your phone light to read the beer menu because Gray Dog has you covered with convenient LED menus.

So whether you have your work meeting over a beer during lunch or mingle with new people in the evening over a cocktail, Gray Dog is the place to let loose and enjoy the city. Go and see for yourself.

By: Javier Caballero

Emily Davis is a nut. She’s more of an acorn. She falls from a tree sporadically. She’ll either be harvested by a squirrel or spend time on the surface of the ground before growing into a tree of her own. Either way Davis, the acorn, has always found a way to reach an audience so entranced by her art that they often become faithful, and loyal fans as well as deeply connected friends.

Enough slanted metaphors; Emily Davis has just completed and released her new album “The Worst Kind of Curse,” which was recorded in Hollywood, California under the guidance of producer Rick Parker whose credits include albums by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Dandy Warhols. According to her press release the album “[diverges]itself sonically from her two previous albums by employing a heavier, more visceral vibe.” The writer of this release could not have hit the nail on the head more directly. One would say, if they ever met Davis, that this is the album that she has been striving to make for her whole career in music.

“I feel like every major turning point in my life can be found in a Bad Religion song.” Davis is a punk rocker at heart. Her music treads on the lines of the alternative, the indie and the folk, but the spirit reflects that of Joe Strummer, Patti Smith, and Chrissie Hynde. “The one thing about punk rock, and Bad Religion more specifically, that has really captivated me is the idea of accepting and appreciating the self, the individual,” says Davis, a Bad Religion super fan. Davis stated in an interview that she has struggled her whole life with being a “giant nerd” and the “socially awkward kid who wanted desperately for people to like her without really ever liking herself.” She found solace in the music of Bad Religion, “I think more than anywhere else, Bad Religion’s music has helped me in this area.”

After an opportunity to open up for her favorite band at their recent appearance at Tricky Falls, Davis found momentum and hasn’t stopped working since. With numerous appearances around town after a self-imposed hiatus from music, Davis has found a way to generate power and harness it in the creation of music she loves and playing in a city that is inspiring as well as frustrating. “I do think finding success in El Paso can be a bit challenging. It can be frustrating at times… being challenged is a source of motivation.” Davis believes the “rawness and realness” of the El Paso scene is a “byproduct of the desert scenery and our relative isolation geographically.”

On her humble beginnings, Davis states that it was“around 2005/2006 that I started attending and playing shows. Some of my favorite local bands back then were The Fireland Ablaze and Night of the Wrecking Ball.” Frequently playing with local bands such as The Kirk, Concentrated Dopamine, and songwriters like Philip Tubbs (who Davis also claims as an immense inspiration) allowed Emily to hone her craft. With all the practice in front of local crowds and a consistent update to her YouTube channel playing many great punk jams, Emily solidified a method to her approach to creating. This allowed her to further explore the challenges of being a solo artist.

“It’s fun to present an album full of sounds and rhythm and then present stripped-down versions of those songs live.” Emily doesn’t see her new album as a solo record but more of a “collaborative effort.” She has recently enlisted members of bands such as Sound on Sound and Takanakuy to form a new band. The new band performed to a packed house at her album release party which was held at Bowie Feathers on South El Paso Street.

In the studio, Emily chose El Paso native Mike Minjarez and the aforementioned Rick Parker to allow her to realize her vision. “Mike was the one who encouraged me to try and make another album [and connected]me to Rick and came up with some great ideas for the album.” Minjarez also encouraged Davis to employ the use of crowdfunding to make the album. “I think crowdfunding is a great tool, especially if you have a dedicated audience willing to support you in your craft. I know I am super fortunate in this area, which again, is why I definitely consider this a collaborative effort.”

Emily Davis has been an El Paso staple for over ten years, and continues to play around town and tour. The release of her new album has sparked a new conversation which she is not afraid to involve herself in. Anyone who sees her walking the streets of El Paso should stop for a moment and appreciate the great talk they will have with Davis. When asked for final words for this interview, Davis delivered a momentous amount of love for her city, her music, and her friends. Ultimately, her message was this: “If you want to feel a deeper connection with El Paso, if you want to have a greater sense of local pride, go out to a show. Any show.”

By: Krysta Ayers      

Photos By: Tommie Morelos

London is known for a lot of things: Queen Elizabeth, The Beatles, telephone booths, fish and chips and their double-decker red buses (or as they call them, coaches). When I came across the London Grill, I was excited and nostalgic for a country I long ago visited. Now, we can all see a little reminder of London here in El Paso. On the corner of Balboa and North Mesa, a tribute to London’s coach and cuisine can found. It’s the London Grill, and trust me, you’ll want to stop to try it.

The “bustaurant,” as owner Mauricio “Moe” Olivares calls it, is classic. The idea of London Grill as a food truck came when Olivares found the double-decker on EBay. With already a year of experience in food trucks in Austin and Florida, and a culinary degree from El Paso Community College, Olivares was ready to start a new project of his own. “I’ve put so much sweat and hard work into putting this bus together. It was bright pink and it had underwear models advertised on the outside. It was

Queen Elizabeth greets you as you enter the redesigned bus, custom-made for customers to enjoy classic British meals inside the double-decker. Also as you enter, stairs to the left spiral up to the top deck where more seating is made available. Album covers from The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, The Beatles, The Who and more line the top of the walls inside the bus and the British tunes are the only ones you’ll hear being played.

The aesthetics of the food truck are new and unique, but it’s the food that will make you want to keep coming back. Olivares serves British classics like fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and bangers and mash. Also on the menu are British-themed burgers: Rocket Man, Hungry Like the Wolf and London Calling are just a few of the options. Olivares has already had England natives compliment him on his dishes and claim it left them with a nostalgia for home – and for only being open a little over a month, he’s already had repeat costumers. “It has to be about the food, so that people want to come back.” The passion for what he has created is present as we sit to talk. He not only worked hands-on by himself on the bus, but also created the menu and cooks it himself (with a little help from his friends, when needed).

In the future you can expect the London Grill menu to grow. Maybe some Queen tacos? Some TVs that play the music videos to the British songs heard? There’s a lot that the London Grill has to offer and even more that owner, Olivares, wants to bring his hometown.

For now the London Grill has found a home on the corner of Balboa and North Mesa on the Westside. “I want people to get to know the London Grill and easily know where we can be found, get a following,” said Olivares when I asked if I would have to keep checking Facebook in order to find them. “I feel really proud. People come in smiling and it’s huge, it’s a better atmosphere. I see people of all ages coming and taking photos of the bus, it’s great.”

Check it out for yourself. Eat on a bus that once roamed the streets of London, order yourself some fish and chips (I promise you won’t be disappointed) and listen to some David Bowie. The London Grill is here to serve you, El Paso.

W-F 6-10 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday 12-8 p.m.

By: Samuel Horstman

Photos By: Tommie Morelos

As the sun began to set on a chill Saturday evening, several members of the City Magazine family headed out on a “field trip” to find the best nachos in El Paso. What we discovered though was that each restaurant offered a unique quality to their dish and selecting an overall winner seemed unjust.

It was decided that we would determine what we liked best from each restaurant. Members of the nacho excursion ranked each dish on presentation, flavor, topping ratio and crispness of chips. As for restaurant selections, staff members nominated a place from each side of town and those with the most votes were selected.

In the end we visited four restaurants, ate more than a pound of cheese, took countless pictures, made a few “cheesy” puns, met some interesting characters and had a great time doing it. If you plan to do your own “Nacho Field Trip,” it’s recommended to go in a group (you’ll have more fun that way). In no particular order, we present to you our best nacho selection.

Sabertooth

Bar Nachos

$8.00

Found under the “snacks” section of the menu, Sabertooth’s Bar Nachos are topped with cheese, fresh chopped tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, cilantro and your choice of chopped chicken, pork or steak (we chose pork). The homemade chips and their crispness added to the overall flavor of the dish and served as the perfect start to our outing. The serving size of the dish is great for two or three people and is good as an appetizer or a snack with your drinks when you are out in west El Paso. As a whole we liked the flavor of the fresh tomatoes and the pork.

VOTED: Best Chips

Kiki’s Mexican Restaurant

Meat Nachos

$8.70

Located in Northeast El Paso, Kiki’s has become a local favorite and it was no surprise to find the restaurant packed and filled with people from all walks of life. That didn’t stop them from providing us with their signature hospitality though. Kiki’s Meat Nachos are topped with beans, cheese, pickled jalapeños, shredded chicken, tomatoes and sour cream. The vast assortment of toppings is all put on their homemade tostadas. Possibly one of the more hearty plates, it is highly recommended to pair it with a side of their own guacamole if you can find the room.

VOTED: Best Chicken

Steve O’s Eat & Drink

Brisket Nachos

$12

This Eastside establishment has gained a reputation for their creative burgers but what also gets people talking is their Brisket Nachos. Topped with brisket, nacho cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole, you’ll be staring at mountainous plate and wonder how to start eating it. Serving size is excellent for couples or a group of four. Be warned though, as you savor your nachos prepare for the nice kick of heat that settles in your mouth as you reach for your second chip. The traditional nacho cheese was refreshing, as it didn’t take away from the flavor of other toppings.

VOTED: Best Presentation

The Tap

Nachos Mexicana

$12

Our last stop ended at one of downtown El Paso’s oldest dive bars, The Tap. This city favorite offers several choices when it comes to nachos but nothing tops their Nachos Mexicana. Topped with brisket, beans, muenster cheese, tomatoes, onions and pickled jalapeños, The Tap’s homemade and large tostada chips will not leave you hungry at the end of the night. A great dish to eat alone or to share with a friend, you’ll be licking the plate clean. The cheese used on the Nachos Mexicana was selected as our favorite of the night.

VOTED: Best Chip to Topping Ratio

Ode Brewing

Written By: Denise Nelson-Prieto

Photos By: Bobby Gallagher

One of only two local breweries, Ode Brewing is a foray into a delightful dining and drinking adventure. It provides a gourmet experience, minus the fuss. Rustic charm and a laid-back, friendly staff are part of the allure and a great compliment to Ode’s tour de force: great beer and food.  Ode is helping expand the city’s appetite for one-of-a-kind epicurean enterprises.

“Ode is a new concept for El Paso; it’s just a little bit different than what people here are accustomed to. We make sure we train our staff to have a good rapport with the customers. We try to engage our customers and make them as comfortable as possible, while guiding them through the dining experience,” explained co-owner and executive chef, Norbert Portillo.

Co-owner and head brewer, Albert Salinas, began his partnership with Portillo several years ago. Salinas worked as a craft beer rep for a local distributor. Portillo’s claim to fame, the posh downtown eatery Tabla, was one of Salinas’ accounts.

“The inspiration behind Ode came about after we had done a couple of beer dinners when Albert was still a distributor,” Portillo said. “We saw the beer market changing in El Paso and decided to strike while the iron was hot.”

Along with providing a superb epicurean experience, Salinas and Portillo strive to utilize as many local vendors as possible. Case in point is one of the newest brews Salinas has cooked up.

“We teamed up with local coffee roasters, 2 Ten, who cold brews the coffee for our oatmeal coffee porter, ‘Morning Wood,’” Salina said. “We’re distributing that beer, along with our others to all three Crave locations, so when you have Morning Wood you’re really helping out three local businesses—us, Crave, and 2 Ten.”

Other local fare includes wild caught, fresh New Mexico trout for one of Ode’s star attractions, the trout nachos. Similarly, the mushrooms that adorn some of the restaurant’s dishes come from a local grower. Salinas takes advantage of Fabens honey for his Honey IPA, and has employed the services of a local wheat farmer for the grain component of his Belgian Wit.

Portillo explained the importance of utilizing community resources:

“We’re really focusing on using as many local vendors as we can, which is still pretty difficult in El Paso, but it’s getting better. Buying local just puts money back in local pockets. A lot of the vendors start off as sole-owner, small operations, and build up a little capital to expand. By staying local and supporting local, everyone benefits.”

Crave, Tabla, The Black Orchid Lounge and the newly opened Tin Man all offer Ode’s beers. However, Salinas hopes many more establishments will be added to the roster with the addition of two new 14-barrel fermenters, which will be in production soon.

“When that happens you’ll see Ode beer all over the city,” he said.

The brewery has its five flagship beers on draught, along with another tap dubbed “The Squeege,” which is reserved for one of Salinas’ friends and guest brewers.

“He comes in once a month and he can pretty much do whatever he wants,” Salinas said.

Portillo explains the food and beer at Ode enjoy an egalitarian status. While he and the other cooks strive to compliment the beer and utilize it in their recipes as much as possible, the ultimate goal is to create quality, unique offerings with no restrictions. He expands:

“The beer and food are creating their own identity, and we don’t want one or the other limiting creativity. We try to use the beer as much as we can to cook with, but the beer takes so long to brew. With cooking, we can add and take stuff off on a daily basis.”

Both Salinas and Portillo strive to expand the offerings at Ode by experimenting with different methods, recipes, ingredients and feeding off the creative synergy that results.

In the pipeline right now is a barrel-aged Russian Imperial stout for which Salinas ordered whiskey barrels.

“It will be the first time El Paso has a bourbon barrel-aged beer,” he said.

Ode Brewing is a casual, comfortable place that offers a variety of delectable treats. Salinas and Portillo are passionate about what they do, and it is readily apparent in every sumptuous sip and bite.

A Golden Milestone in a Groundbreaking History

By: Lauren Macias-Cervantes, Photos courtesy of UTEP

Look on the hardwood during any collegiate basketball game today and it’s not unusual to see a multicultural team that includes African-American players, but that wasn’t the case five decades ago. Texas Western College, now The University of Texas at El Paso, was the first to have an all-black starting lineup in an NCAA championship game. The historic game came March 19, 1966 in College Park, Maryland, when the Miners played the University of Kentucky in the title game. Making history, though, was far from the minds of the team members.

“We were just kids playing one game at a time,” said center Nevil Shed. “We had to stay focused on what got us there.” Forward Willie Cager agreed. “I didn’t worry about being African-American, I worried about playing basketball. I loved the sport. “We knew we had to beat Kentucky, which is what we did,” he said.

The team came home to a champions’ welcome, a homecoming they still clearly remember 50 years later.

“When we came back to El Paso, flying over the city there were lots of people down there. It was a good feeling, people from Mexico and people from here,” Cager recalled.

Guard Willie Worsley reminisces about the moment with a smile. “We were landing in El Paso and we had a ticker tape parade,” he said. “I remember waving from a convertible and feeling like Miss America.” It was after all the celebrations the players say they realized they were part of a special team doing a special thing in our society. Their story was depicted in the 2006 Disney film “Glory Road.”

Cager, Shed and Worsley were a trio recruited from New York to play for legendary coach Don Haskins.

“Me, not knowing anything about Texas except oil wells and cows, I said yes,” Shed recalled. He said the culture shock set in as soon as he flew over the mountains and saw nothing but brown, but he didn’t regret it. “It turned out to be one of the best choices I made. Basketball was one of the things I had to take my life to another level.”

He admits the environment on the court was different than up North, but he says he felt very comfortable playing. “Coach Haskins did a great job of shielding us from what he had to deal with, with black players,” he said. Shed says they didn’t let name-calling get to them as Coach Haskins always encouraged them to prove themselves on the hardwood.

It was that 1966 win that thrust the university into the national spotlight — a historical role President Diana Natalicio says they were not prepared for. “We were joyful in winning the championship, and we continue to be the only Texas team that’s ever done that, but I think the media pressure and interest on the part of a lot of people about the social message that we sent surely came as a surprise to Coach Haskins and others associated with the program,” President Natalicio said.

While the championship team made sports history, it wasn’t the first time the college broke the color barrier. The school was the first public institution in Texas to desegregate its undergraduate programs in 1955. While that action was a result of a lawsuit filed by prospective student Thelma White, Dr. Natalicio says the university was part of a much bigger story in 1966.“We had been quite comfortable having five black players start on our basketball team. That was not something that we were making a statement about, it was quite simply the fact that – as Coach Haskins always said – they were the five best players,” she said.

Changing the attitudes about UTEP, both internally and externally, has been a Miner practice on and off the basketball court. “In 1966 we changed the face of intercollegiate athletics, at least men’s basketball,” President Natalicio said. “For the past 30 years we have been very intentional about trying to change the face of higher education. Not because we wanted to make a major statement, but because it was the right thing to do for a public university in this region to look like the surrounding population.”

Today UTEP continues to be recognized as one the top 10 universities in the nation for its access and excellence mission. Other accolades include recognition for the number of Hispanic graduates in business and engineering. With more than $90 million in annual research spending, UTEP is also the first national research university serving a 21st century student demographic.

Not surprisingly, many of the championship basketball players dedicate their lives to students and giving back through the gift of basketball.

“I think God put me on this earth to help young adults,” Worsley said during his interview from Spring Valley High School, where he works as a high school coach. “I don’t like computers, I am a people person.” When asked if he still plays hoops, he answered with a laugh and no hesitation. “Every now and then I think I am in my 20s or 30s and try to score with the kids. Basketball has been good to me,” he said.

Both Willie Cager and Nevil Shed lead basketball camps for kids. Cager has his own foundation and aims to build basketball facilities in El Paso and Fabens. Shed’s work stems from his job as director of youth basketball camps with the San Antonio Spurs. He also teaches special education.

All are part of a historic win and a Hall of Fame team; all are humble, but proud and all are looking forward to seeing each other again come Feb. 6, 2016, when UTEP will honor the team during the Miners vs. Western Kentucky game. Missing, but represented, will be Coach Don Haskins, who died in 2008, and point guard Bobby Joe Hill, who died in 2002. The team’s 50th anniversary festivities started in late 2015 when the team was the Grand Marshal during the city’s FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Thanksgiving Day Parade.