Spotlight EP News June 17, 2011 No. 383

DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD
SPL NOW! SPL NOW!

www.spotlightepnews.com
Photo: Night at the McDonald Observatory. Fort Davis, Tx (April 2011)
SPOTLIGHT EP NEWS JUNE 17, 2011 PAGE 2
Fire danger in Arizona lessen,
but El Paso is not immune
El Pasos desert conditions
plus the advent of the Fourth
of July present excellent op-
portunities for raging wild-
fires, not unlike the fires that
have devastated almost 700-
square-miles in Arizona, de-
stroying 30 homes and
presenting threats such as res-
idents inhaling dangerous par-
ticles created by the fires. To
boot, the El Paso Electric
Company is warning El Pa-
soans to prepare to conserve
energy in the event that a
deadly fire known as the Wal-
low Fire strikes electrical
lines that carry electricity to
El Paso customers.
Although that por-
tion of the fire, which lies just
15 miles from the electrical
lines that feed El Paso, seems
to be contained, the danger
still exists which could prove
devastating to this city if the
fire were to advance any fur-
ther. Already the fires in Ari-
zona have crossed the border
into New Mexico, forcing the
closure of NASA exit 161
east and west bound. The city
of Alamogordo, New Mexico,
only about 80 miles from El
Paso has been shut down and
motorists are being encour-
aged to seek shelter in the
City of Las Cruces, New
Mexico until conditions
change. The New Mexico
Dept. of Transportation is
warning motorists to steer
clear of U.S. 70, where traffic
control is down to one lane
eastbound from mile post 164
to 165. Drivers are urged to
slow down in the area and to
proceed with caution.
Fire officials are
also warning El Paso resi-
dents about the dangers of
using fireworks in that fire-
works are illegal inside the
City of El Paso. Anyone
caught with contraband
within city limits, including
5,000 feet beyond the city
limits, will be issued citations
that can go as high as $2,000.
A prolonged drought, coupled
by extremely dry vegetation,
creates the danger of starting
brush fires. Even harmless-
seeming childrens sparklers,
which often reach tempera-
tures of 1,000 degrees are po-
tentially dangerous.
Other safety pre-
cautions that El Pasoans can
take to lessen the danger of
wildfires include removing
dry brush, trash and other ma-
terials from yards. During
Arson Awareness Week which
started June 1 and ended June
8, homeowners were warned
to take extra precautions to
ensure safe conditions. Minor
fires have been created in El
Paso, fueled by strong winds,
but, nothing major has oc-
curred. Fire officials said that
other precautions which El
Pasoans can take to remove
fire dangers include:
*Remove trash, flammable
liquids, unused gas contain-
ers, and dry vegetation from
yards;
*Remove abandoned vehi-
cles;
*Secure vacant homes with
additional locks, board up
the windows, and other
openings;
*Vacant homes can be a
property risk. Owners
should have all utilities dis-
connected;
*At vacant properties, any
liquefied petroleum or
propane tanks should be
disconnected and removed;
*Report any suspicious ac-
tivities to the El Paso Fire
Department.
By Joe Olvera , 2011
Beat the Heat with Sun Metro
El Paso, TexasWith temper-
atures expected to reach into
the 100-plus degrees over the
next few days, Sun Metro
would like to encourage El
Pasos residents to step on-
board a bus and take a cool
trip to any popular, air-condi-
tioned destination such as a
shopping center, movie the-
ater, recreational center, li-
brary or museum.
While people of all ages are
sensitive to extreme tempera-
tures, our elderly population
is more prone to heat-related
illnesses. Air conditioning is
the best safeguard, but seniors
looking to save money on
their utilities or living without
air conditioning can ride Sun
Metro to refrigerated build-
ings.
Seniors can ride any regular
(fixed-route) bus for just 30
cents per trip with a valid
ID card. Active seniors look-
ing to travel daily can save
money by purchasing a
weekly pass for $2.50 or a
monthly pass for $10. The
passes are good for an unlim-
ited number of bus trips for
the life of the pass and can be
used on any regular routes,
except County Routes 83 and
84.
Weekly passes can be pur-
chased on any regular bus and
at a Sun Metro ticket vending
machine located at the Down-
town Transfer Center (601
Santa Fe), Westside Transfer
Center (7535 Remcon), Mis-
sion Valley Transfer Center
(9065 Alameda), and Glory
Road Transfer Center (100 E.
Glory Road).
Monthly passes can be pur-
chased at any public library,
Sun Metro ticket vending ma-
chine, or at a Sun Metro ticket
office located at the Eastside
Transit Terminal (1165 Sun-
mount) ...
Continues on page 4
2.5 mile Walk for Healthy
Babies & Recovery Health
Fair will be June 25
The first Annual Walk for Healthy Babies will be Saturday,
June 25, at the El Paso Community Colleges Valle Verde
Campuss Soccer Field. Event coordinator, Julie Priego Ali-
vianes Program Director of Prevention Services - said that
more than 25 different organizations have signed up to offer
such health-care tests as blood pressure blood sugar, and other
services that will promote healthy pregnant and post-partuim
women.
The event is primarily for pregnant and post-par-
tum women who may need services that promote wellness
and recovery, Priego said. We hope to attract as many preg-
nant and post-partum women as we can. We will have on-site
such features as dentists for the kids, immunization programs,
information on fetal alcohol syndromes, al-anon, and recovery
services. Alamo Auto Supply will also be on hand to check
that car seats for children are correctly installed.
The 2.5 mile Walk for Healthy Babies is jointly
sponsored by Aliviane, Inc. and the West Texas Recovery Col-
laborative. Registration begins at 7 a.m., with the race starting
at 8 a.m. Prizes and awards will be given throughout the
event. Registration includes a $10 fee which features a t-
shirt for each registrant. Pregnant or postpartum women will
be allowed to participate at no cost.
Nick Dominguez, a member of the Board of
Trustees of the El Paso Community College will also be on
hand to make sure events run smoothly. Part of the Walk for
Healthy Babies mission is to provide a print and web based
community resource directory for pregnant and post-partum
women that will facilitate access to comprehensive pre and
post natal services for both the mother and child.
By Joe Olvera , 2011
EPWU ANNOUNCES
SANDBAG DISTRIBUTION
SCHEDULE
EL PASO El Paso Water
Utilities summer sand-
bag distribution schedule
begins Monday. From
June 13 through
Sept. 16, all distri-
bution sites will be
open from 2 p.m. to 8
p.m. every day.
The locations are:
Northeast (new
location): 4801
Fred Wilson
(EPWU
Stormwater Op-
erations Center)
West: 140 Kappa (adjacent
to Keystone Heritage Park)
Central (new location):
913 S. Boone (Haskell R.
Street Wastewater Treatment
Plant)
East:2981 Wedgewood
(Album Park)
Mission Valley:9292 Es-
cobar (Blackie Chesher
Park)
Each site has a more
than ample supply
of sandbags; how-
ever, they are avail-
able only to EPWU
customers for flood-
control purposes.
Customers in flood-
prone areas are en-
couraged to be
proactive by ob-
taining sandbags before the
summer rains begin. There is
a 25 bag per person limit.
Sandbags Information:
Stormwater Operations
Center
(915) 621-2086
Well the regular session is now
history but I am still in Austin for
the special session. Since some
appropriation bills did not pass,
and the session failed to pass other
issues, the governor proclaimed a
special session.
In the regular session, my office
worked on several bills with the
intent of passing them or incorpo-
rating them in other bills. Over
the next weeks, I shall update you on those bills.
Another bill that I filed that I considered a priority dealt with
manifiestos; the name given to the document that refunds
state sales taxes to international travelers. The U.S. constitu-
tion prohibits states from charging sales taxes on exported
items. Texas created a unique system that extended the re-
fund to retail shoppers if the items returned to a foreign
country with the purchaser.
Without adequate controls in place, the refund process be-
came corrupted. The legislature put new laws on the books
in 2003 which controlled the wrongdoing to a certain point
until recently.
Audits and undercover stings found that customs brokers
and their employees were interpreting state law to their ad-
vantage. They decided what was a proper inspection of pur-
chased goods even though the law is clear that all
merchandise needed to be inspected. It was apparent that the
brokers were out of control so some legislators talked about
doing away completely with the manifiestos.
My office worked with brokers and merchants in El Paso
and McAllen to put together language for a bill that man-
dated more enforcement and good business practices. It
seemed that there was support for that bill.
However, when the brokers saw that the effort to kill mani-
fiestos was going nowhere, they started to back away from
the legislation they previously supported. They were going
to try and pass a bill with no teeth.
In addition to my bill, Senator Zaffirini and Representative
Guillen had identical bills with less language but with four
main points also in my bill. Those points basically prohib-
ited some things brokers were doing, required acknowledg-
ing inspection of the goods and added fifty cents to the cost
which would be used only for enforcing the tax laws.
In order for any of the bills to be passed, the chair of the
committee that heard the bills had our offices negotiate one
bill from all of the bills. In this process of negotiation, the
brokers again started an effort to water down the bill.
It would not have been fair to Texas taxpayers to allow a
weak bill to be passed. Too much money was being re-
funded unlawfully. My office stood firm on a stronger ver-
sion.
As deadlines were quickly approaching, my chief of staff
had a draft that was strong yet allowed some flexibility that
the other bills did not. In the end, our determination won
out.
Even though I am listed as the co-sponsor, the language in
Senate Bill 832 is the language that we fought for and won.
The bill has higher penalties for violations; it does not allow
brokers to have unauthorized employees sign manifiestos; it
requires more proper documentation of the purchasers; and,
it gives the comptroller half million dollars annually to keep
customs brokers from doing things the way they want. In
the past they have been their own worst enemy.
Chente Quintanilla
Legislative
Update
Continued from page 3
.....and the Downtown
Transfer Center (601 Santa
Fe).
Sun Metro also would like
to remind all of its passen-
gers to drink plenty of water
and to protect their skin by
wearing sun block, hats
and/or using an umbrella.
For more information about
Sun Metro, visit www.elpa-
sotexas.gov/sunmetro or call
(915)533-3333.
Summer Heat Safety
Tips
EL PASO, TEXAS Anyone
can be affected by the heat of
the summer sun, with triple
digit temperatures being fore-
cast for the El Paso area, fire
officials are urging the public
to take the necessary precau-
tions to avoid becoming a vic-
tim of the heat. Those most at
risk of heat related illnesses
are people over 65, the very
young, people with blood
pressure problems, diabetes,
heart disease, malnutrition
and those taking certain med-
ications. The risk is especially
high when air conditioning is
unavailable for long periods
of time. The El Paso Fire De-
partment offers the following
Summer Heat Safety Tips:
Heat Exhaustion is a
warning that the body is
getting too hot.
Heat Stroke: Body organs
start to overheat. A heat stroke
can result in death.
SIGNS &
SymPTOmS
For a Heat Stroke:
These signs and symptoms
can occur suddenly with little
warning:
Very high temperature.
Hot, dry, red skin. No
sweating.
Deep breathing and fast
pulse. Then shallow breathing
and weak pulse.
Confusion. Hallucinations.
Convulsions.
Loss of consciousness.
For Heat
Exhaustion:
Normal, low, or only
slightly elevated body temper-
ature.
Cool, clammy, pale skin.
Sweating.
Dry mouth. Thirst.
Fatigue. Weakness. Feeling
dizzy.
Headache.
Nausea. Vomiting can
occur.
Muscle cramps.
Self-Care /
First Aid
First Aid for a Heat Stroke
Call 9-1-1!
Move the person to a cool
place indoors or under a
shady tree.
Remove clothing. Fan the
person.
Don't give fever reducing
medicine.
Don't use rubbing alcohol.
First Aid for Heat Exhaustion
Move to a cool place in-
doors or in the shade.
Continues on page 6
Weather Trivia:
August is the wettest month of the Monsoon. How
much rain do we average that month?
A n s w e r : D 1 . 7 5
Welcome to the Monsoon season! It officially arrived this past
Wednesday. As you may recall, this is the third year that we offi-
cially have specific dates for the monsoon. It began June 15th and
will run through September 30th. This will be similar to the Hurri-
cane season which has specific dates as well.
In the past, the monsoon was declared to be underway following
three straight days with dew points of 55 degrees or higher. The
change was made so that forecasters can emphasize lightning,
flash floods and other potential problems associated with monsoon
storms.
So what exactly is the Monsoon? Our Southwest's rainy season normally begins when the
clockwise flow of winds around high atmospheric pressure in the central U.S. brings a deep
layer of humid air north from the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of California. During the winter
and spring, the primary wind flow across our area is from the west or southwest. As we move
into the summer, the winds shift to a southerly or southeasterly direction. Moisture streams
northward from the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, the intense heat in
June causes surface air pressure to fall, forming an area of low pressure out to the west
known as a thermal low. Adjacent large bodies of water (such as the Pacific Ocean and
Gulf of California) are also warmed, but not as quickly. Thus air pressures remain high rela-
tive to the land. Eventually, the pressure difference increases to the point that the cooler and
much more humid air over the ocean is drawn toward the hot, dry air over land. This moist
air becomes unstable and we begin to see thunderstorm development. Once this occurs and
rain begins to fall, humidity levels increase over land which triggers more thunderstorms.
This will continue until the land areas begin to cool in the early fall and water temperatures
reach their peak temperature. This reduces the pressure difference, which in turn causes the
moist onshore flow to diminish, and the monsoon gradually ends (typically at the end of Sep-
tember).
Doppler" Dave Speelman is the chief meteorologist at KVIA-TV in El Paso. You can watch
his forecasts at 4, 5, 6 and 10 pm on ABC-7 (channel 6 cable). If you would like Doppler
Dave to address (explain) any weather issues you can email him at Dopplerdave@kvia.com.
Its Officially Monsoon
Season!
By: Doppler Dave Speelman
A. .75
B. 1.23
C. 1.50
D. 1.75
E. 2.00
El Paso Monsoon (Courtesy NWS Tucson)
6) 1.66"/1953
7) 1.78"/2003
8) 1.85"/1969
9) 2.19"/1963
10) 2.28"/1937
1) 15.28"/2006
2) 12.78"/1881
3) 11.94"/1880
4) 10.08"/1958
5) 10.04"/1897
6) 9.88"/1974
7) 9.68"/1984
8) 9.40"/1990
9) 8.95"/2008
10) 8.33"/1988
1) 0.23"/1994
2) 0.82"/1891
3) 0.96"/1934
4) 1.33"/1892
5) 1.46"/1945
Top Ten Driest Top Ten Wettest
The Sin Fin Column by Joe Olvera
On the Road to
Violent San Blas
The recent complaint from the Mexican gov-
ernment that the United States is exaggerating
the dangers of traveling in Mexico reminded
me of a similar occurrence several years ago
when I was a reporter/columnist with the El
Paso Herald-Post. It seems that some Ameri-
cans had been murdered on the infamous
Highway 15, which leads from Nogales, AZ
to Tepic, Mexico. Two Americans had also
been murdered in the coastal village of San
Blas, Nayarit. My editor, Harry Moskos was
concerned that the U.S. had placed or was
thinking of placing an advisory warning
Americans to stay away from Carretera 15,
Harrys bright idea was for me to travel on
that road to determine if it, indeed, was as
dangerous as the U.S. was making it out to be.
In a similar vein, the Mexican gov-
ernment, losing tourist dollars, blasted the
U.S. for saying that the entire country of Mex-
ico is dangerous for U.S. visitors. The Mexi-
cans are aware that Ciudad Juarez is one of
the most dangerous cities in the world and is
warning its own people to stay away from the
border community. But, the Mexicans say, the
nation, as a whole is safer than a humming-
birds nest. Oh, yeah? Havent we all read
about murders in the drug war also happening
in Acapulco and other jewels on a tourists
itinerary? Yes, we have.
So, anyway, Harry suggested that I
lead an expedition along Highway 15 and
record my experiences along the way on an
assignment that would be called On the Road
to San Blas. Harry, not truly understanding
Mexico (he was a first-generation Greek-
American), wanted me to hire a cop from
Juarez, or someone who could legally carry a
gun in Mexico. But, that was the farthest thing
from my mind. Instead, I told Harry to send
Peter Copeland, Ruben Ramirez and me on
this assignment. Copeland was an ace re-
porter, Rubie was a tough, ex-Marine and
chief photog for the paper, and, of course, me
as a tag along.
Harry agreed and we rented a car so
that we could drive to Nogales, Arizona, then
cross the border into Nogales, Mexico, to
begin our exciting trip. Since we were sup-
posed to be filing stories as we went along,
our first stop was at a box-car community
where entire families lived in box cars in rela-
tive comfort. No desert environment here, the
place was lush with flora and fauna. We con-
ducted our interviews amidst stifling heat and
wondered how they could survive on such
temperatures but, survive they did. Our next
stop was Culiacan, Sinaloa birthplace of great
Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez. This was
where a professor from Colorado had been
murdered, ostensibly by the chief of police
and his seven deputies. How did the chief
come into suspicion? He was seen driving the
professors truck as if I were his own.
Thus far, the road was peaceful, no
bandits on the surface, and no cartels trying to
stop us from doing our jobs. We did our inter-
views and laid over in Mazatlan, a touristy
area where we relaxed on the Herald-Posts
nickel. We didnt just relax, however, we also
interviewed a couple of Americans who were
being detained in the Mexican penitentiary
there. We werent prepared for the smell and
the filth that permeated the prison. But, we
went ahead and interviewed the two guys who
both proclaimed their innocence. One had
been arrested for gun-running, while the other
had been caught with two pounds of weed. In
weepful terms, they complained about their
treatment, about being raped and beaten con-
stantly. Their innocence was moot because in
Mexico, you are guilty until proven innocent.
Thus far, neither of them had been able to
prove otherwise.
Our next stop was San Blas, Na-
yarit, where two Americans had been killed in
a drug deal gone sour. Not wanting to spend
more time there than was necessary, we inter-
viewed whom we had to interview and got out
of there fast. Of course, we were safe the
whole trip into Mexico. We never feared for
our lives, except, maybe, in San Blas. But,
other than that, we got off scot free and
traipsed down to Nogales, Arizona where we
happily crossed the border into the United
States, and veered our vehicle to El Paso
where a well-deserved rest awaited us.
One thing that does stand out in my
mind is when we passed through this small
city, driving through a tent city. There mustve
been about 100 people standing by the side of
the road, with their arms outstretched, beg-
ging for money. We were amazed. These peo-
ple were not rowdy, they were calm, quiet and
peaceful. We gave what few alms we could,
and continued driving past them, turning our
heads around to continue staring at them. Ob-
viously, they begged every day of their lives.
It was a sight Ill never forget. So, anyway,
should the U.S. issue an advisory to U.S. trav-
elers? By all means. Our trek to San Blas was
uneventful, but, that was then, this is now. The
rules have changed. The violence is more per-
meable, totally out of control. Lets face it,
Mexico is dangerous, and I dont mean just
Ciudad Juarez. Maybe there are braver souls
than me who still travel into the Aztec Repub-
lic. But, me? I wouldnt go there. Chale, car-
nal!
Sin Fin
Self-Care /
First Aid
Loosen clothing.
Drink fluids, such as cool
or cold water. drink sport
drinks, such as Gatorade, etc.
Prevention of
Heat Exhaustion
and Heat Stroke
Drink lots of liquids, water,
sport drinks, such as
Gatorade, etc.
Do not stay in or leave any-
one in a closed, parked car
during hot weather.
Keep your body hydrated by
drinking 8oz of cool water
every 15 -20 minutes.
Don't have drinks with al-
cohol or caffeine.
Use caution when you are
in the sun. At the first sign of
heat exhaustion, get out of the
sun.
Perform the most stressful
job in the cooler part of the
day if possible
Wear light, loose-fitting
clothing, such as cotton, so
sweat can evaporate. Wear a
wide-brimmed hat with vents.
Use an umbrella for shade.
If you feel hot, try to cool
off. Open a window. Use a
fan. Go to an air-conditioned
place.
Check with your doctor
about sun exposure if you
take:
Water pills.
Mood-altering medicines.
Some antibiotics
Summer Safety...
Rose Bennett Gilbert
Q: We have arched windows all
around our sun porch. The arches are
really pretty, but they are hard to deco-
rate. I have decided to leave them bare,
but I am worried about the glare fading
the fabric, etc.
Also, I'm wondering if I should play up
to the curvy motif or try to balance it
out somehow. But how?
A: Everyone should have such a
lovely problem! But a problem it can be
trying to balance the pretty and the
practical.
Let's attack the practical thing first: Big
bare windows do make a dramatic ar-
chitectural statement, but you'll be sorry
by summer's end if you don't find a way
to soften that strong sunlight. It will
fade not only your fabrics, but it will
also fade wood furniture, floors and any
artworks in the room.
Two suggestions: 1. Sheer shades, such
as the whisper-thin Roman shades that
have been custom fit to the arched tops
of the three windows in the photo we
show here. Framed in narrow gray ma-
terial, the shades are barely there not
interfering with the elegant architecture
when they're drawn up, ....
Continues on page 10
Graceful arched windows inspired the subtle curved motif that repeats all over this antiques-rich family room.
Photo courtesy of John Gruen, The Monacelli Press.
DEAR ABBY by Abigail Van Buren
DEAR ABBy: I'm a gui-
tarist in a rock band that has
been performing in the San
Francisco Bay area for five
years. Because my on-again,
off-again girlfriend, "Robin,"
didn't get along with my band
mates, I found myself often
caught in the middle. Her dis-
like of the band scene dis-
tanced me from the other
members of the band and re-
sulted in my not hanging out
with them like I used to.
Mounting pressures from
both sides caused my breakup
with Robin, someone I cared
about and loved deeply.
The split resolved
the problem with the band,
but now they are asking me
for reassurance that I won't
date anyone in the future who
will have a negative impact
on the band. I made a big per-
sonal sacrifice for them, and I
think it's insulting and insen-
sitive to demand reassurance
that history won't repeat it-
self. I have told them I'm
ready to move forward with
no more obstacles. Abby,
please advise. -- DISSO-
NANT CHORD IN THE
COMPOSITION
DEAR DISSONANT
CHORD: You may be a
"dissonant chord," but your
band mates' demand strikes a
sour note with me. While a
career in music -- particularly
if you get lucky and spend a
lot of time touring -- is unde-
niably demanding, your part-
ners in this business should
not have the right to dictate
your personal life. You gave
'em an inch, and now they ex-
pect a mile.
If you're prepared to have
them dictate your life for as
long as the band lasts, then
keep on strumming and keep
your promise.
But I predict
that at some
point you are
going to have
to draw the
line. Have an-
other gig lined
up when you do.
**
DEAR ABBy: I'm a gay
man in a bad situation. My
boyfriend, "Kyle," is bipo-
lar/schizophrenic. Sometimes
he can be violent. Much of
our time together is spent tak-
ing care of him. I work; he
doesn't.
We are both college
students and I believe, re-
gardless of what I have been
through, I have a bright fu-
ture ahead of me. Kyle is ver-
bally and physically abusive
at times, and yes, I end up
hurt most of those times. I
have convinced myself that
it's my fault because I make
him mad when he is under
stress or he is manic. He
breaks up with me every
week and then tells me he
loves me, then turns around
and says he hates me.
Abby, all I want to
do is love him and help him. I
don't know what he wants or
what will make him happy. I
need to know if I should stick
with Kyle or give up. --
HOPELESSLY DEVOTED
IN JERSEY CITY, N.J.
DEAR HOPELESSLy
DEVOTED: Healthy, loving
relationships are based on a
relatively even give-and-take
between partners. You may
want to help Kyle, but you
are not qualified to do so.
Because you say
your situation is a "bad"
one, and your boyfriend
is verbally abusive and
hurts you physically as
well as emotionally, I am
advising you to find out
from a mental health profes-
sional why you would subject
yourself to the emotional
roller coaster ride that you
have. If you do, this will hap-
pen to you less often in the
future. Also, the counselor
can help you decide whether
this relationship is salvage-
able.
**
DEAR ABBy: After mov-
ing out of your parents' home,
is one expected to knock on
the door when visiting, or is
it OK to just open the door
and walk in? -- HEY MOM,
I'M HOME!
DEAR "HEy mOm!":
The considerate thing to do
would be to knock, which
would prevent any embar-
rassing surprises.
**
Dear Abby is written by Abi-
gail Van Buren, also known
as Jeanne Phillips, and was
founded by her mother,
Pauline Phillips. Write Dear
Abby at www.DearAbby.com
or P.O. Box 69440, Los An-
geles, CA 90069.
**
To order "How to Write Let-
ters for All Occasions," send
a business-sized, self-ad-
dressed envelope, plus check
or money order for $6 (U.S.
funds) to: Dear Abby -- Let-
ter Booklet, P.O. Box 447,
Mount Morris, IL 61054-
0447. (Postage is included in
the price.)
COPYRIGHT 2011 UNIVERSAL UCLICK
Dear Abby
GUITARIST IS UNHAPPY DANC-
ING TO HIS BAND MATES' TUNE
www.mymaturetimes.com CaII 915-346-5243 Nancy Minter Take control of your life
Emeral d Pl acement
Criminal checks, conduct checks,
attendence records, grade averages
Criminal checks.done
Hire a nursing assistant for home health, child
care, hospital stay, personal care, shopping, house
cleaning, cooking, companionship
Make sure your loved one is safe.
You Choose the time, you choose the pay.
We have
LVNs CNAs Nursing Assistants
RNs
Painters
Movers
Labors
Energy Express
The Pyramid vs. the Plate: Can
an Icon Change Bad Behavior?
Marilynn Preston
After 20 years of confusion
and failure, the Food Pyramid
is finally dead meat. No one
really liked it or paid atten-
tion to it, and last week the
USDA officially replaced it
with the Food Plate, a color-
ful new icon that looks as if it
were designed by Playskool
for the 6-and-under set.
Out with the overly
complex and con-
troversial. In
with some-
thing that
first lady
Michele
Obama and
Agriculture
Secretary
Tom Vilsack
hope will be sim-
pler, more practical
and 10 million times more
effective at influencing Amer-
icans to make smarter, health-
ier food choices.
"What's simpler than a
plate?" asked Michelle
Obama at their joint press
conference. "Parent's don't
have the time to measure out
exactly 3 ounces of protein.
We do have time to look at
our kids' plates."
The new Food Plate it's
supposed to be an 8 inch
plate, so keep that in mind
when you're piling on the
mashed potatoes is di-
vided into four color-coded,
role-model portions: Vegeta-
bles (green), fruits (red),
grains (orange) and proteins
(purple). That's it. No refer-
ence to number of servings;
no mention of sugars, fats or
oils; no little man running up
and down the side of the
pyramid trying to convey the
importance of exercise.
It's all been utterly simplified,
which is a much nicer expres-
sion, I think, than dumbed-
down. Fruits and vegetables
are shown taking up half the
plate, grains and protein the
other half. Vegetables get the
biggest wedge; protein the
smallest, but not by a lot.
Next to the plate is a blue cir-
cle that represents a serving
of dairy (milk, yogurt or
cheese.) And on the other
side of the plate sits a single
fork. No spoon. No knife.
Just a fork. I hate to be a
spoilsport, but really, how do
we eat our soup?
"It's an enormous improve-
ment!" commented Marion
Nestle, a highly regarded nu-
trition expert, one of many
who trashed the old My Pyra-
mid icon as useless and con-
fusing. "You can put on your
plate whatever you like,
so it's not saying
what you have to
eat and can't
eat and must
eat."
She's espe-
cially
pleased that
one of the
main messages
conveyed is to
fill half your plate
with fruits and vegeta-
bles. If people all across
America did that one thing
alone made fruits and veg-
etables half of every meal
we'd all be healthier, and the
nation's obesity problem
would fit into a size 6.
"My quibble is calling that
group 'protein' when grains
and dairy foods also have
protein and are very good
sources of protein," says Nes-
tle. "It's a nutritionist's quib-
ble. Mostly I think (the Food
Plate) is really good."
Continues on page 10
Paying off Student Loans,
Debt Is Next Lesson for
College Graduates
Terry Savage
You've graduated. Congratula-
tions! Now what about those
student loans?
The average graduate this
year has $24,000 in loans
but many have nearly
$75,000. Don't even think of
leaving campus until you've
had a meeting at the finan-
cial aid office. This "exit
counseling" for federal stu-
dent loans is a requirement
and failure to go
through the process
could hold up your
diploma or tran-
scripts.
So don't procras-
tinate when it comes to deal-
ing with your student loans.
Remember, it is your respon-
sibility to stay in contact with
your student loan servicing
agency or lending company.
When you move, keep your
address current. Even if you
don't receive a bill, your loan
payment is due on time.
There's really no way to es-
cape your student loans. They
can't be discharged in bank-
ruptcy. And if you default, the
government will eventually
take its money from your So-
cial Security check. Plus, de-
faults on student loans will
have a big impact on your
credit report. So it's worth
paying attention so you don't
have to pay forever.
Here are some other things to
think about as you deal with
your student loans after grad-
uation:
Track your loans. The "exit
counseling" process is de-
signed to help you keep track
of all your student loans
except for private loans and
PLUS loans taken out by your
parents. If you haven't kept
track of your student loans,
you can go to the National
Student Loan Data System at
nslds.ed.gov.
Check the grace period. After
leaving school (or dropping
below half-time status) you
have a six-month grace period
on Stafford loans and nine
months on Perkins loans. Indi-
vidual private loans may have
different repay-
ment start
times. Remind your
parents that PLUS
loans typically do not qualify
for a grace period.
Understand interest rates.
Current student loans carry
fixed interest rates. But if
you have federal student
loans taken out before 2010,
under the FFEL program
where private lenders dis-
bursed the loans, you may
get a break on interest rates
by agreeing to automatic
monthly deductions. Or you
may get a lower rate after
completing
several
years
of on-
time
pay-
ments.
Understand
repayment
options.
There are
two basic repayment plans
the standard 10-year plan,
and a stretch plan that allows
you to make payments over
30 years. If you take the lat-
ter route, you can choose a
fixed payment every month or
graduated payments that start
low and increase every two
years.
Just remember that the longer
you take to repay the loan, the
more interest you will pay
over the years. That can really
add up. Check the calculators
at SimpleTuition.com to see
how much more it will cost to
stretch out your repayment
period.
Income-based repayment
plan. Recognizing the
burden of student loans,
starting in 2009 the
government created the
income-based repayment
plan. Using your current
income information, an af-
fordable monthly payment
is created.
Continues on next page
Summer Wardrobe
Wreckers
Sharon Mosley
Do you think just because it's
summer and the livin' is easy
that you can throw caution to
those beach breezes and for-
get about what you wear?
After all, summer is all about
less is more, right? Well, not
so fast, says fashion trend ex-
pert, Andy Paige, author of
"Style on a Shoestring" (Mc-
Graw Hill, $16.95).
"At any mall USA on any
given Saturday," says Paige,
"you will find hundreds of
women who have willingly
sacrificed their power, femi-
ninity and confidence by opt-
ing to drown in fabric, logos
and flip-flops. The national
devotion to sloppy, comfort-
able clothes keeps me in an
absolute tizzy and has be-
come seriously ridiculous."
But Paige who regularly
travels the country conducting
"Beauty Boot Camps" says
she has discovered that there's
a "predictability" to the
wardrobe mistakes that many
of us make. "And remember,
there is nothing more com-
fortable than looking fabu-
lous!"
Here are some of her
tips:
Choose clothes that fit.
Horrible oversized sweat-
shirts add 40 pounds and
smother any glimmer of femi-
nine shape. Choose ac-
tivewear that creates shape
through the waist, ends
around your hip bone, and
contains Lycra or spandex.
"It's just as easy to throw on a
flattering active jacket as it is
a fleece blob," she says.
Instead of wearing
sweatpants that look like
"oversized clown
bloomers," Paige advises
wearing straight-leg yoga or
running pants instead. "You
still get the simplicity of just
pulling them on, but the cut
and lighter weight fabric cre-
ate a much more figure-
friendly look."
Skip the long tube skirts.
"If an ankle-length body tube
is hanging in your closet, use
it to insulate your water
heater," she says. "Casual
ankle-length skirts make us
look like shapeless trunks."
Paige recommends wearing
knee-length A-line skirts that
fall freely from the largest
part of the hip. "It's a timeless
silhouette that is the most flat-
tering on everyone, from your
grandma to your cousin Gra-
cie."
Beware of horizontal de-
tails. "Whether they're from
stripes, rickrack, ribbons or
ruffles, keep all wide lines
and voluminous details off
your rump," she says. Vertical
or diagonal details will elon-
gate your body and
give you more of an
hourglass shape.
No pleats,
please. Pleated
tapered-leg pants
are a big no-no
in Paige's fash-
ion book. She
advises stick-
ing to flat,
front boot-cut
or stovepipe-
leg pants
hemmed to
the bottom of
your heel to
make your
legs look
longer. She
also cautions
about "muffin
tops" and suggests wearing
pants with comfortable waist-
bands that "frowns in the
back and smiles in the front."
Leggings worn with crop
tops, see-through white pants
and splotchy bleached denim
are also summer no-nos.
Keep midriffs on alert.
"Midriff tops are done," says
Paige. "Stick a fork in them,
pull down your shirt, and ship
back that useless Ab Master
while you can still get a re-
fund! Showcase your new
belly ring at the beach, not a
bar mitzvah." Instead, choose
figure-flattering tees and tops
in saturated colors that skim
the body.
Put away thick-soled
shoes. "Frankenstein's mon-
ster was big, green and dim-
witted in the movies; why
would you want to wear his
shoes? There is nothing femi-
nine, modern or attractive
about thick, chunky man
shoes. Plus, the thicker the
sole, the thicker your legs
look." Anybody still wearing
combat boots with shorts?
Some other summer shoe
wardrobe wreckers: white
pumps (go for silver pumps
or slingbacks), sandals with
toe overhang (you generally
want about a half-inch of
room at the heel and
toe), bulky he-man
jock sneakers (there
are lots of sleek,
"declunkified"
urban walking
shoes available)
or socks with san-
dals ("sandals are
for freshly
painted toes).
Last
thoughts. "So
considering
the dynamic
potential of cloth-
ing," says Paige,
"something we
all have to buy
and wear any-
way, since most
of us don't live
in a nudist camp, why would
you choose to tell the world
you'd rather be napping, as
you sport a comfortable outfit
that's barely a step above
footie pajamas? Smarter fash-
ion choices simply make you
look smarter."
Sharon Mosley is a former
fashion editor of the Arkansas
Gazette in Little Rock and ex-
ecutive director of the Fash-
ion Editors and Reporters
Association.
COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM
Well-fitting skirts are key to
keeping comfortable and styl-
ish in summer months. Photo
courtesy of Kohl's.
Continued from page 9..
This program can be used for
25 years, and at the end of
that time, any remaining bal-
ance is discharged if you have
kept up with your payments.
There is more information at
IBRinfo.gov.
Deferring loans. One other
possibility is deferring your
student loans. This is often al-
lowed when you go back to
school on at least a half-time
basis, or go on to graduate
school. But interest keeps ac-
cruing unless it is a subsi-
dized Stafford loan.
Forbearance. Proving that it is
not completely hard-hearted,
the government may allow
you to temporarily postpone
payments on your student
loan. That will require docu-
mented proof of unemploy-
ment or some other
qualifying circumstance. A
deferment can be for up to 12
months and may be extended,
but interest continues to ac-
crue.
Forgiveness?
Well, that's the most
unlikely solution to your
repayment problems. Simply
being unemployed will not
qualify you for forgiveness.
But you can contact your
lender or loan-servicing
agency if you truly have a sad
story to tell.
Remember, a loan that is
late by even one
day can cost
you a discount for on-time
payment. If you are 21 days
late, a loan goes into delin-
quency, and you can expect a
collection notice if you are a
month late. A two months'
delay will be a delinquency
that is reported to the credit
bureaus. After 270 days, the
loan is considered in default
and the borrower is subject
to wage garnishment and
other
penal-
ties.
Your
best bet
in dealing
with
student
loans is to be
proactive. Go to
FinAid.org,
and use the
repayment
calculators
to figure
out how
much your
monthly
payment will be
under the standard 10-
year re-
payment plan.
That's the place
to start if you
know you will have an in-
come. Set up an automatic
monthly payment so you can
get the loan behind you be-
fore you consider buying a
home or starting a family.
That's the sensible thing
to do. And that's The
Savage Truth.
Terry Savage is a regis-
tered investment adviser and
is on the board of the
Chicago Mercantile Ex-
change. She appears weekly
on WMAQ-Channel 5's 4:30
p.m. newscast, and can be
reached at
www.terrysavage.com. She is
the author of the new book,
"The New Savage Number:
How Much Money Do You
Really Need to Retire?"
COPYRIGHT 2011 TERRYSAVAGE
PRODUCTIONS
Lots of folks do, but the proof
is in the pudding, which has
no place at all on the new
Food Plate. Dessert isn't men-
tioned. Neither is exercise,
my own minor quibble. Also
missing are important expla-
nations of what foods consti-
tute a food group. For those
details, you have to click on
the computerized version of
the Food Plate or go to the
website www.choosemy-
plate.gov, where you'll find
service-for-12, all the back-
ground nutritional informa-
tion that wouldn't fit on the
plate, including some of the
best USDA tidbits: enjoy
your food, but eat less; avoid
oversized portions; make at
least half your grains whole
grains; and my absolute fa-
vorite, drink water instead of
sugary drinks.
While My Plate is a big im-
provement over My Pyramid,
blogs Dr. Andrew Weil, it still
has some cracks, including
the fact it doesn't differentiate
between real fruit and fruit
juice (whole fruit is better!)
and it suggests eating sword-
fish, which Weil says is an
over-fished and toxic species.
Another well-respected
physician, Neal Bernard,
mixes praise with politics.
While the USDA advises
Americans to limit high-fat
products like meat and
cheese, and to eat more fruits
and veggies, he says, annual
U.S. agriculture subsidies do
exactly the opposite: About
60 percent of the $16 billion
supports meat and dairy pro-
duction, while less than 1 per-
cent goes to fruits and
vegetables.
Hmmm ... Note to Michelle:
Tell Congress to put our
money where our mouths
should be. Without proper
funding and education, this
Plate won't amount to a hill
of beans.
ENERGY EXPRESS-O!
LOL
"When the waitress asked if I
wanted my pizza cut into four
or eight slices I said: 'Four. I
don't think I can eat eight.'"
Yogi Berra
Marilynn Preston fitness
expert, personal trainer and
speaker on healthy lifestyle
issues is the creator of En-
ergy Express, the longest-run-
ning syndicated fitness
column in the country. She
has a website, http://marilyn-
npreston.com and welcomes
reader questions, which can
be sent to MyEnergyEx-
press@aol.com.
COPYRIGHT 2011 ENERGYEX-
PRESS, LTD.
The Pyramid vs. the Plate...
...but effectively filtering the glare when
they're let down over the glass.
2. Investigate sun-blocking window films that
are applied (professionally) to the glass panes
and will bounce back 99.9 percent of the glare
without darkening the room itself. A couple of
top-grade window film sources to check out:
3m.com/windowfilm and vista-films.com.)
Meanwhile, back to your other more difficult
question: dealing with your elegant but ex-
troverted architecture. It's rather like being
in a room with someone so attractive that
he/she dominates everything else. Do you ig-
nore their attractions or accentuate the posi-
tive?
Designer Matthew Patrick Smyth's answer is
beautifully apparent in the photo (which we
borrowed from his book, "Living Traditions,"
The Monacelli Press). The
designer took his cue
with quiet joy, it seems
from the arch theme started
by the architect Peter Pen-
noyer and decided to echo
it in the
furnish-
ings. Look
around and
you'll dis-
cover curves
everywhere,
from the
Josef
Hoffmann
chair
to the
'40s French coffee table to the '50s desk with a
double-helping of arches (by Jacques Adner).
As Smyth analyzes his own work: "These com-
bine to balance the room's more linear aspect,
including the carpet's grid pattern."
There. Now all you have to do to solve the
curve your own room has thrown you is follow
this skilled design pro's approach.
Q: Summer is a-coming in, but is your
house ready?
A: It will be with these tips from our friend
Gale Steves, aka "Design Diva," and author of
"Right-Sizing Your Home" (Northwest Arm
Press Trade Paperback, right-sizing.com).
Ever practical, Steves says, "Before you head
outdoors this summer take a good, long look at
your house. You may be surprised to discover
that things have been accumulating ... "
How to get them back to the right size? Among
her tips:
Rotate out-of-season stuff out of your active
coat closet.
Get control of your picnic gear and beach
towel oversupply. Give your tired and poor-
condition towels to a local animal shelter.
Treat your bedroom to a summer makeover;
spring for new sheets and pillowcases and toss
tired linens. No fair recycling them into the
guest room!
Rose Bennett Gilbert is the co-author of "Man-
hattan Style" and six other books on interior
design.
COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM.
Dcor Score
Student Loans
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY with Jim Daly and Dr. Juli Slattery
Q: This will be my first Fa-
ther's Day (our daughter was
born four months ago). Quite
frankly, the entire concept
scares me. Who thought it
would be a good idea to let
ME be a dad? I don't think I
have what it takes.
Jim: If you're not
a little scared at the thought of
being a parent, there's proba-
bly something wrong. It's a
tough assignment -- but it's
also one of God's greatest
gifts!
Years ago, my
friend, Dr. Ken Canfield,
wrote a book called "The
Seven Secrets of Effective Fa-
thers." Perhaps you'll find
these principles empowering
as you start your journey.
First, effective fa-
thers are committed to their
children. Nothing else can fill
a dad's role -- not TV, not
school and not even Mom.
Fathers need to be there for
their kids.
Second, effective
fathers know their children.
They ask them questions,
spend time on their turf, and
help them develop their own
talents and interests.
Third, effective fa-
thers are consistent in their at-
titudes and behavior. They
keep their promises. Their
lives are characterized by reg-
ularity and predictability.
Fourth, effective fa-
thers protect and provide for
their kids. This means not
only putting a roof over their
heads, but also knowing their
emotional needs.
Fifth, effective fa-
thers love their children's
mother. Dr. Canfield calls
this "one of the best things
you can do for your kids."
Dads need to go on dates with
their wives, and show them
affection in front of the kids.
Sixth, effective fa-
thers are active listeners. They
pay attention when their kids
talk to them, and block out
distractions.
Finally, effective fa-
thers spiritually equip their
children. They take them to
church, and teach them to
pray.
Some of these prin-
ciples won't apply until your
daughter is older, but ingrain
them in your mind now.
Happy Father's Day, and may
God bless you in your role as
a dad!
**
Q: My husband and I have
been married for almost 15
years. We have two children
together, and we have just
grown apart. We live under
the same roof, but don't seem
to communicate. Recently
I've started voicing my un-
happiness, but my husband
doesn't seem to be too con-
cerned, and if anything, seems
shocked that I'm unhappy.
What do I do?
Juli: During the
busyness of raising kids and
managing life, it's pretty nor-
mal for couples in your life
stage to feel like the connec-
tion has gone out of your mar-
riage. It is also common for
you to be more sensitive to
this lack of intimacy than
your husband is. In general,
women desire more emotional
intimacy in marriage and are
the first to notice when you
begin to drift apart.
You didn't mention
any major conflicts that are
contributing to "drifting
apart." This is good. How-
ever, if your marriage contin-
ues to drift, you'll become
more and more vulnerable to
a crisis like infidelity. Now is
the time to change things.
Since your husband
doesn't think there's a prob-
lem, he may not be interested
in marriage counseling. How-
ever, he might be willing to
read a good book together on
marriage or even attend a
weekend marriage confer-
ence.
One of the simplest
and most important things
you can do is to start invest-
ing time in one another. Plan
a date night at least twice a
month. Take 15 to 20 minutes
a day to check in with each
other. Go out of your way to
connect during the day with a
quick text that says "I'm
thinking about you" or a
sweet note with lipstick on
the mirror. These might seem
like very minor adjustments,
but they can make a big dif-
ference in working toward in-
timacy.
Finally, don't give
up. Many couples go through
stretches in which marriage is
not fun or emotionally fulfill-
ing. Investing through these
rough spots will build an even
deeper emotional connection
for the future of your mar-
riage.
**
Jim Daly is president of
Focus on the Family, host of
the Focus on the Family radio
program, and a husband and
father of two.
Dr. Juli Slattery is a
licensed psychologist, co-host
of Focus on the Family, au-
thor of several books, and a
wife and mother of three.
Submit your questions to:
ask@FocusOnTheFamily.com
Copyright 2011 Focus on the Family, Colorado
Springs, CO 80995
International Copyright Secured. All Rights reserved.
FATHER'S DAY A TIME TO REMEMBER WHAT MAKES A GOOD DAD
Red Faction: Armageddon
Jeb Haught
DEVELOPER: Volition
PUBLISHER: THQ
SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox
360 (PC, PS3)
PRICE: $59.99
ESRB RATING: Mature
REVIEW RATING: 4 stars
(out of 5)
I remember spending count-
less hours playing "Red Fac-
tion" multiplayer matches
against my roommate. At the
time, it was the only game
that offered destructible envi-
ronments, and we simply
couldn't create enough con-
crete-carnage! Now "Red
Faction: Armageddon" has
been unleashed, and the art of
creating destruction has
reached new heights.
This sequel is set 50 years
after the events of "Red Fac-
tion: Guerrilla." Now the Red
Faction is in control of Mars,
and a rival faction intends to
gain control. When the Ter-
raformer is destroyed, the sur-
face no longer becomes
habitable and humans are
forced underground. Now the
new hero, Darius Mason,
must put his demolitions
training to the ultimate test as
he faces off against deadly
humans and even deadlier
aliens.
Navigating through the sub-
terranean depths of Mars is
pretty straightforward now
that the series has gone back
to its linear roots. This is a
mixed blessing, since I en-
joyed the open-world nature
of the last game, but "RF: Ar-
mageddon" looks so much
better! There is also more de-
struction available to the
player now, but the level de-
sign is somewhat lacking.
This would be an average
shooter if not for the awe-
some weapons, new
Nanoforge abilities, and the
incredible destruction they
cause. With the new magnet
gun, players can tether objects
together and watch as they at-
tract each other with tremen-
dous force. This awesome
weapon can be used in many
ways, like smashing enemies
together, yanking them up to
the ceiling, and more.
With the Nanoforge attached
to his arm, Darius can create a
shockwave, a protective shell,
overcharge his weapons and
use reconstruction (my fa-
vorite). Imagine being chased
by enemies, blowing a hole in
a building, rushing in, and
then reconstructing the wall
you just blew to pieces. How
about blowing up a bridge
with enemies on it and then
reconstructing it so you can
safely pass?
Add fun multiplayer modes to
the destructive mix, and "Red
Faction: Armageddon" takes
destruction to a whole new
level!
REVIEW SCORING
SYSTEM
5 stars = Must Have
4 stars = Very Good
3 stars = Above Average
2 stars = Bargain Bin
1 star = Don't Bother
RATINGS KEY
Entertainment Software Rat-
ing Board (ESRB)
E: Everyone
E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and
older)
T: Teen (13 and older)
M: Mature (17 and older)
COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM.
Exercise classes have people,
pets working out as a team
By Arden Moore
Universal Uclick
Who says that exercise must be
limited to sweating at the gym,
fighting for an elliptical machine
or failing to keep pace in a spin-
ning class? Cant seem to muster
the motivation to remove the
clothes draped on the stationary
bike in your bedroom to pedal a
few miles?
The solution to staying
in shape and having fun
may be just a tail wag away.
Check out the latest fitness trend:
people-dog workout classes that
focus on strength, flexibility and
aerobics while unleashing plenty
of fun for you and your dog.
By teaming up with
your best workout buddy your
dog both of you can shed
pounds, tone muscles and
strengthen your connection.
Regular exercise pro-
vides people and pets with physi-
cal and mental benefits, says Dr.
Christine Zink, a veterinarian and
professor of pathology at Johns
Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Exercise releases endorphins
feel-good chemicals that provide
a sense of well-being. Exercise
helps maintain proper weight, im-
proves coordination and balance,
and stabilizes joints to prevent
arthritis and acute injuries.
These special workout
programs also reinforce good
doggy manners. They bring out
play with a purpose, offering dogs
the chance to master basic com-
mands such as sit, stay, down and
come in positive settings. For the
past two years, Ive regularly at-
tended Leash Your Fitness classes
in San Diego with my two dogs:
Chipper, a 60-pound golden re-
triever/husky mix, and Cleo, a 12-
pound terrier-poodle mix.
Our gym is a huge
fenced grassy field. Certified per-
sonal-fitness trainer Dawn
Celapino credits Jack, her ener-
getic cairn terrier, for inspiring
her to create Leash Your Fitness.
I hated having to leave
Jack at home while I went to a
gym to teach or work out, says
Celapino. He loves running, hik-
ing and swimming with me. I dis-
covered a lot of other dog people
looking for new ways to work out
with their dogs.
During each hour-long
class, people sprint, skip and even
hop while their leashed dogs
match their strides. Together, they
leap over hurdles or weave
through agility poles. At any time,
Celapino will call out for people
to drop into squats and get their
dogs to maintain a down stance.
Or well heed the command to do
pushups, and then get our canine
pals to perform doggy pushups
a series of quick sit-downs.
Since enrolling, Ive
shed 20 excess pounds and can-
celed my gym membership. My
veterinarian has deemed my 8-
year-old dogs to be at ideal
weights.
Before you enroll, get a
physical examination from your
physician and book a head-to-tail
checkup for your dog with your
veterinarian. Go at your own pace
and set your goals to gradually
get better.
Exercise fortifies your
body against a host of medical
woes, including obesity, diabetes
and heart disease. It can also save
money on doctor and veterinary
bills. Regular workouts can pro-
vide your dog with a perfect set-
ting to unleash pent-up energy
and reduce the amount of doggy
destructiveness in the home thats
often due to sheer boredom.
Try one of these classes
or work out with your dog on
your own and together you
will give a welcomed, new mean-
ing to the expression dog tired.
To learn more about people-pet
workouts, visit Leash Your Fit-
ness at leashyourfitness.com.
Arden Moore is the founder of
Four Legged Life (four-
leggedlife.com), the author of 20
pet books and host of the Oh Be-
have Show on Pet Life Radio
(petliferadio.com).
Heed These
Cautionary Signs
Be careful not to overexert your dog during workouts. Stop the
activity and allow your dog to rest if he displays any of these
signs:
Drooping tongue
Rapid panting an early sign of overheating
Hesitation taking a few extra seconds before
retrieving a tossed ball
Weight shifting using different muscle groups to
offset soreness
Staggered walking
Muscle tremors
Limping check footpads for cuts and bruises and
legs for sprains or muscle pulls
Dogs ease MRI
worries
GET FIT TOGETHER
Dawn Celapino and her
dog, Jack, lead fitness
classes for people and
dogs together.
A study has found that patients who interacted
with therapy dogs prior to MRI procedures suf-
fered fewer anxiety symptoms than those pa-
tients in the study who did not. Researchers
said therapy dogs could be a viable substitute
for anti-anxiety medication normally given to
patients before their MRI and would have fewer
side effects.
Science Daily reports that the project
was conceived by a 15-year-old high school
student, Allison Ruchman. During the course of
her MRI, she experienced anxiety and claustro-
phobia. She relieved her tension by creating a
mental picture of her dog, Wally, and believed
that her experience could be applicable to other
patients who often need anti-anxiety drugs in
order to complete the examination.
Allison became a certified dog thera-
pist, and conducted the research on this project,
assisting physicians who compiled and ana-
lyzed data, and prepared an abstract of the
study at Monmouth Medical Center in Long
Branch, N.J.
Money bet on greyhound racing na-
tionally has declined from $3.5 billion in 1991
to $1.1 billion in 2007, according to numbers
released by Caesars Entertainment in Las
Vegas. Ten years ago, there were 50 tracks in 15
states, but today there are only 25 tracks in
seven states.
An 8-year-old Clydesdale-thorough-
bred cross named Maggie recently put her best
nose forward in her bid to become the Guinness
Book Of World Records smartest horse.
Maggie learned to identify numerals
as they were spo-
ken aloud. She
identified numer-
als 21 times in one
minute without
making a mistake.
Patients who
interact with
therapy dogs
prior to MRI
procedures
suffered
fewer anxiety
symptoms.
SPOTLIGHT EP NEWS JUNE 17, 2011
CINEmARK CIELO VISTA
Gateway West Blvd/Cielo Vista Mall
CINEmARK 14 - EL PASO
West side of El Paso at Mesa & I-10
*NO PASSES-NO SUPERSAVERS
Las Palmas i-10 @ Zaragosa
Green LanternCinemark XD-RealD 3D
Showtimes:11:00am1:55pm4:50pm7:4
5pm10:40pmRealD 3D Showtimes:
10:15am1:10pm4:05pm7:00pm9:55pm
12:01amDigital Cinema Showtimes:
11:45am12:35pm2:40pm3:30pm5:35p
m6:30pm8:30pm9:25pm11:25pm
Mr. Popper's PenguinsDigital Cinema
Showtimes:10:00am11:20am12:40pm
2:00pm3:25pm4:40pm6:10pm7:20pm
8:55pm10:05pm11:35pm
Judy Moody and the Not Bummer
SummerDigital Cinema Showtimes:
10:15am1:00pm3:35pm6:15pm8:50pm
Super 8Digital Cinema Showtimes:
9:45am11:15am12:00pm12:45pm2:15p
m3:00pm3:45pm5:15pm6:00pm6:45pm
7:30pm8:15pm9:00pm9:45pm10:30pm
11:15pm12:01am
X-Men: First ClassDigital Cinema
Showtimes:10:25am11:25am1:40pm4:
55pm8:30pm10:55pm11:50pm
The Hangover Part IIDigital Cinema
Showtimes:10:05am12:50pm2:35pm3:
40pm5:20pm6:25pm8:05pm9:10pm
12:01am
Kung Fu Panda 2RealD 3D Show-
times:11:40am7:15pm
Digital Cinema Showtimes:9:55am
12:25pm 2:55pm 5:25pm 7:55pm
10:25pm
Pirates of the Caribbean: On
Stranger TidesRealD 3D Showtimes:
3:20pm10:20pmDigital Cinema Show-
times:10:10am1:35pm5:00pm8:45pm1
2:01am
BridesmaidsDigital Cinema Show-
times:11:10am2:20pm6:05pm9:05pm1
2:05am
ThorDigital Cinema Showtimes:
10:20am1:15pm4:15pm
Fast FiveDigital Cinema Showtimes:
10:00am1:05pm4:05pm7:40pm10:50p
m
Schedule good for Friday June 17
Tinseltown
Green Lantern Cinemark XD-RealD 3D
Showtimes: 10:40am 1:35pm 4:30pm
7:25pm 10:20pm Digital Cinema Show-
times: 9:50am 11:15am 12:15pm 2:10pm
3:00pm5:05pm8:00pm9:40pm10:55pm
Mr. Popper's Penguins Digital Cinema
Showtimes: 9:00am 11:20am 1:55pm
4:35pm7:15pm9:55pm
Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Sum-
mer Digital Cinema Showtimes:
11:35am2:05pm4:40pm7:10pm
Midnight in ParisDigital Cinema Show-
times: 9:30am 12:00pm 2:30pm 5:00pm
7:20pm 10:00pm
Super 8 Digital Cinema Showtimes:
10:20am11:05am1:20pm2:00pm4:10pm4:5
5pm7:05pm7:50pm10:05pm10:45pm
X-Men: First ClassDigital Cinema Show-
times:9:15am12:30pm1:05pm3:45pm4:15p
m7:00pm7:30pm10:15pm10:50pm
The Hangover Part II Digital Cinema
5:10pm 7:55pm 10:40pm
Kung Fu Panda 2 RealD 3D Showtimes:
12:20pm6:05pmDigital Cinema Showtimes:
9:45am3:00pm5:15pm7:45pm10:15pm
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger
TidesRealD 3D Showtimes:9:10am8:30pm
Digital Cinema Showtimes:
9:40am1:00pm4:20pm7:40pm11:00pm
BridesmaidsDigital Cinema Showtimes:
10:15am1:15pm4:25pm7:35pm10:35pm
2-D GREEN LANTERN (PG-13)11:15a 2:00p
2:30p 5:00p 5:35p 7:45p 8:30p 10:30p
2-D KUNG FU PANDA(PG-13)10:45a 12:15p
1:10p 2:35p 3:40p 5:00p 6:10p 7:30p 8:35p
10:00p
2D PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
ON STRANGER TIDES D (PG)10:30a 1:45p
5:00p 8:15p
35MM - NORA'S WILL- EN ESPAOL
(NR) 11:00a 1:30p 4:00p 6:30p 9:00p
3-D GREEN LANTERN (PG-13)
12:05a 10:45a 11:45a 1:30p 4:35p 7:30p 10:15p
3D KUNG FU PANDA2 - DIGITAL
(PG) 10:30a 1:35p 4:00p 6:30p 9:00p
3-D PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
ON STRANGER TIDES D (PG-13)
11:15a 2:30p 6:10p 9:25p
3-D PRIEST - DIGITAL (PG-13)
10:30a 12:55p 3:20p 5:40p 8:00p 10:15p
BRIDESMAIDS - DIGITAL (R)
10:45a 12:45p 1:30p 3:45p 4:30p 6:40p
7:30p 9:35p 10:25p
DBOX 3-D GREEN LANTERN (PG-13)
12:05a 10:45a 1:30p 4:35p 7:30p 10:15p
THE HANGOVER PART TWO
DIGITAL (R) 10:30a 11:30a 12:15p 1:00p
2:00p 2:45p 3:30p 4:30p 5:15p 6:15p 7:00p
7:45p 8:45p 9:30p 10:15p
X-MEN FIRST CLASS (PG-13)
10:30a 11:30a 12:30p 1:45p 2:45p 3:45p
5:00p 6:15p 7:00p 8:15p 9:30p 10:15p
Premiere Cinemas 6101 Gateway West S.15
AFRICAN CATS (G)12:20 2:50 5:00 6:55 9:20
BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (PG-13)
12:25 | 2:40 | 5:05 | 7:35 | 10:00
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID 2: RODRICK RULES (PG)
1:00 | 3:10 | 5:25 | 7:30 | 9:35
HANNA (PG-13) 7:10 | 9:40
HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD VS. EVIL 2-D
(PG) 1:15 | 3:15 | 5:15 | 7:15 | 9:15
HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD VS. EVIL 3-D (PG)
12:30 | 2:30 | 4:30 | 6:50 | 8:45
HOP (2011) (PG) 12:10 | 12:45 | 2:05
2:45 | 4:00 | 4:45 | 6:40 | 8:50
MARS NEEDS MOMS 3-D (PG)
12:55 | 2:55 | 4:50 | 7:00 | 9:00
RANGO (PG) 12:00 | 12:50 | 2:10 3:05 | 4:20 |
5:20 | 7:40 | 9:50
SCREAM 4 (R)7:45 | 9:55
SOUL SURFER (PG)12:40 3:00 5:10 7:20 9:30
LINCOLN LAWYER (R)
12:15 2:35 4:55 7:25 9:45
EAST POINTE mOVIES 12
I-10 & Lee Trevino Schedule good for 6/17 - 6/23
Schedule good for 6-17-11
The Art of Getting By 10:10am 1:10pm
4:10pm 7:10pm 10:10pm
Mr. Popper's Penguins Digital Cinema
2:30pm4:15pm5:30pm7:15pm8:30pm
10:15pm
Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Sum-
mer Digital Cinema Showtimes:
10:00am1:00pm4:00pm7:00pm10:00pm
Midnight in Paris Digital Cinema Show-
times: 10:25am 1:25pm 4:25pm 7:25pm
10:25pm
Super 8 Digital Cinema Showtimes:
10:45am11:45am12:45pm1:45pm2:45pm3:
45pm4:45pm5:45pm6:45pm7:45pm8:45pm
9:45pm10:45pm
Everything Must Go Digital Cinema Show-
times: 1:35pm7:35pm
Jumping the Broom Digital Cinema Show-
times: 10:35am4:35pm10:35pm
Thor RealD 3D Showtimes: 10:40am
4:40pm 10:40pm Digital Cinema Show-
times: 1:05pm 4:05pm 7:05pm10:05pm
Fast Five Digital Cinema Showtimes:
10:30am1:30pm4:30pm7:30pm10:30pm
African Cats Digital Cinema Showtimes:
10:05am
Rio RealD 3D Showtimes: 1:40pm7:40pm
Digital Cinema Showtimes:
10:20am1:20pm4:20pm7:20pm10:20pm
Insidious Digital Cinema Showtimes:
10:50am1:50pm4:50pm7:50pm10:50pm
PREmIERE mONTWOOD 7
Schedule good for June 17 - June 23
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID 2 (PG)
12:45p 3:00p 5:15p 7:35p 9:50p
HOODWINKED2 (PG)12:15p 2:20p 4:25p 6:30p 8:35p
HOP (PG)12:25p 2:40p 4:55p 7:10p 9:25p
LINCOLN LAWYER (R)12:35p 3:15p 5:50p 8:30p
PROM (PG)12:00p 2:25p 4:45p 7:15p 9:35p
RANGO (PG)12:05p 2:30p 4:50p 7:15p 9:40p
SOUL SURFER (PG)12:10p 2:35p 5:05p 7:30p 9:45p
2200 N. Yarbrough
Now Showing
Midnight in
Paris
Runtime 88 min
MPAA Rating PG-13 for some
sexual references and smoking.
Starring Rachel McAdams,
Marion Cotillard, Michael
Sheen, Owen Wilson, Kathy
Bates
Genre Comedy, Romance
Synopsis A family, including a
young couple, travels to Paris,
France for business and have
their lives transformed.
Director Woody Allen
Distributor Sony Pictures Classics
Official Website http://www.sonyclassics.com/midnightin-
paris
THE ART OF
GETTING BY
Open Limited 06/17/11
Runtime 83 min
MPAA Rating PG-13
Starring Freddie Highmore,
Emma Roberts, Michael An-
garano, Elizabeth Reaser, Sam
Robards
Genre Romance
Synopsis George, a lonely and
fatalistic teen who's made it all
the way to his senior year without ever having done a real
day of work, is befriended by Sally, a popular but compli-
cated girl who recognizes in him a kindred spirit.
MR. POPPER'S
PENGUINS
Open Nationwide 06/17/11
Runtime 94 min
MPAA Rating PG for mild rude
humor and some language.
Starring Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino,
Maxwell Perry Cotton, Andrew
Stewart-Jones, Curtis Shumaker
Genre Comedy
Synopsis Mr. Popper is a driven businessman who is clue-
less when it comes to the important things in life. Mr. Pop-
per finally understands what he's been missing, thanks to a
new inheritance: six penguins who turn his swanky New
York apartment into a snowy winter wonderland and the rest
of his life upside-down.
Green Lantern
Runtime 105 min
MPAA Rating PG-13
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Mark
Strong, Peter Sarsgaard, Blake
Lively
Genre Action/Adventure, SciFi/Fan-
tasy
Synopsis Each sector of space is pro-
tected by a Green Lantern, possessing a power ring that uses
a powerful green energy to do anything within the limits of
the user's imagination and will power. When the Green
Lantern assigned to this sector of space finds himself dying
on planet Earth, he tells the ring to find a suitable successor.
The chosen replacement, hot-shot test pilot Hal Jordan, finds
himself with a new job he never expected.
SUPER 8
Runtime 112 min
MPAA Rating PG-13 for in-
tense sequences of sci -fi ac-
tion and violence, language
and some drug use..
Starring Elle Fanning, Kyle
Chandler, Ron Eldard, Noah
Emmerich, Gabriel Basso
Genre SciFi/Fantasy
Synopsis In the summer of
1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a
catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and
soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, un-
usual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take
place in town, and the local sheriff's deputy tries to un-
cover the truth -- something more terrifying than any of
them could have imagined.
Noras Will
Synopsis
Nora had a plan. It would bring her ex-
husband, Jose, and the rest of their
family together for a magnificent
Passover feast. But there is a flaw in
her plan- a mysterious photograph
from the past, hidden under the bed,
which leads Jose to reexamine their re-
lationship and rediscover their undying
love for each other.
Nora's Will - The Best Reviewed Film of the Year!
Los Angeles Times - Top Ten Film of 2010!
Nora's Will is a comedy like nothing you've seen before, a
truly unique tale of lost faith and eternal love from one of
Mexicos most talented new filmmakers, writer/director Mar-
iana Chenillo. Nora's Will was named Mexicos Best Picture
of the Year, taking home seven Ariel Awards. Chenillo is the
first female director ever to win Mexicos Best Picture award.
SUPER STIMULUS TUESDAY: $1
DRINK, $1 POPCORN, or $5.00 OFF
ANY REGULAR COMBO
ALL SEATS ALL SHOWS $5.00
EVERY TUESDAY!!
SUMMER KID SERIES: KUNG FU
PANDA THURSDAY JUNE 23RD
@10:00AM ADMISSION IS ONLY
$1.00!
GREEN LANTERN 2D PG-13 10:30
11:30 1:00 2:00 3:30 4:30 6:00 7:00
8:30 9:30 (11:00 12:00 FRI/SAT)
GREEN LANTERN 3D *3D SUR-
CHARGE APPLIES* 11:00 1:30 4:00
6:30 9:00 (11:30 FRI/SAT)
MR.POPPERS PENGUIN'S PG 10:45
11:45 1:15 2:15 3:45 4:45 6:15 7:15
8:45 9:45 (11:15 FRI/SAT)
SUPER 8 11:00 12:40 1:40 3:20 4:20
6:00 7:00 8:40 9:40 (11:30 FRI/SAT)
JUDY MOODY: NOT SO BUMMER
SUMMER PG 10:30 12:50 3:10 5:30
7:50
X-MEN:FIRST CLASS PG-13 11:00
12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00
7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 (11:00 12:00
FRI/SAT) The 8:00 will not play on 6/19
KUNG FU PANDA 3D PG *3D SUR-
CHARGE APPLIES* 12:00 2:20 4:30
KUNG FU PANDA 2D PG 10:30 11:50
12:50 2:00 3:10 4:10 5:30 7:50 10:10
HANGOVER II R 11:30 2:00 4:30 6:30
7:00 9:00 9:30 (12:00 FRI/SAT)
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2D
PG-13 10:00PM
BRIDESMAIDS R 11:00 1:45 4:20 7:00
9:40
VERDI'S MACBETH ENCORE FROM
THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE
IN LONDON
SUNDAY, JUNE 19TH @7:30PM
Schedule good for 6/17 - 6/23
The City of El
Pasos Museums and Cultural
Affairs Department (MCAD)
in partnership with the El
Paso Convention and Visitors
Bureau (CVB) is pleased to
present a tribute to the King
of Country, George Straight,
performed by Blue Clear Sky
with Marty White at Dancing
in the City.
The outdoor dancing concert
will be held on June 18, 2011
from 7:00pm 10:00pm at
Arts Festival Plaza, between
the El Paso Museum of Art
and the Plaza Theatre. Admis-
sion is $6 per person or $10
per couple. Admission in-
cludes a dance lesson at 7
p.m. and a live music per-
formance from 8 to 10 p.m.
Dance lessons will be given
by Shundo Ballroom Dance
Studio. Tickets can be pur-
chased at the door the day of
the event with cash only. An
ATM will be available. Out-
side food or drinks are not al-
lowed. Food and drinks will
be for sale at the event.
About Blue Clear
Sky with Marty
White
Blue Clear Sky delivers the
hits of the King of Country
Music by combining Marty
White's dynamic vocals with
a studio-quality seven piece
band to create a show full of
country music anthems.
George Strait's many hits -
"The Chair," "Troubadour,"
"Carried Away," Amarillo by
Morning," - and on and on
are presented faithfully to the
originals. Thanks to the
breadth and depth of Mr.
Strait's material, Blue Clear
Sky appeals to country fans
and non-country fans alike.
The band moves seamlessly
from rockers to Texas Swing
to waltzes to two-steppers to
honky-tonk songs.
Unsure if the
show will go on?
MCAD staff will be provid-
ing up-to-the-minute informa-
tion on Facebook. You may
also call our office at 541-
4481 and a recorded message
will advise of any cancella-
tions due to inclement
weather such as rain, light-
ning or wind storms.
Facebook: http://www.face-
book.com/DancingInTheCity
About the Concert
Series
Dancing in the City will be
held every Saturday from
June 11th July 30th, with
the exception of July 2nd and
July 16th in Downtown El
Paso on Arts Festival Plaza.
The six week concert series
includes a variety of styles
and musical influences from
local and visiting music
artists like Blue Clear Sky
with Marty White. Regional
artists include Grupo Son-
cache, Ivon Ulibarri & Caf
Mocha and Havana Son. The
series welcomed local artists
Hillside Gamblers and Team
Havana as the opening act.
The Lineup
Includes:
June 18th Blue Clear Sky
with Marty White (Country)
June 25th Grupo Soncache
(Merengue, Bachata)
July 9th Ivon Ulibarri &
Caf Mocha (Salsa/Cumbia)
July 23th Hillside Gam-
blers (Rockabilly)
July 30th Havana Son (Au-
thentic Cuban Salsa)
to perform at Dancing in the City Outdoor Summer Concert Series
Arts Festival Plaza
Saturday June 18, 2011
7:00pm 10:00pm
Blue Clear Sky
with Marty White
Blue Clear Sky
with Marty White
If you want your upcoming event listed in SPOTLIGHTS Out & About section, please send all your relevant data by e-mail to:
editorial@spotlightepnews.com
Calendar of upcoming events for
El Paso/ Southern New Mexico are
from June 17th - June 23rd, 2011
NORTHEAST/
CENTRAL
Fermentation Na-
tion Border Theatre an-
nounces the launch of its
sister company, APT Move-
ment (Ambition and Produc-
tivity via Tarantism) with the
debut of their live perform-
ance 7 to 11 p.m. Friday
through Sunday, June 17-19,
at Glasbox, 1500 Texas, in-
corporating artists of all disci-
plines. The event showcases
original choreography and
movement under the supervi-
sion of acclaimed dancers and
Border Theatre Ensemble
members, Music Adame and
Megan Aizpuro. Tickets: $7.
Information: 240-7506 or bor-
dertheatre.org.
A reception with live music
follows the performance each
night.
Summer Repertory
2011 El Paso Commu-
nity College Performers Stu-
dio presents its 3rd Summer
Repertory Season in June and
July at the EPCC Transmoun-
tain Campus Forum Theatre
on Hwy 54 (Diana exit).
Showtime at 7:30 p.m. Thurs-
day through Saturday, unless
listed otherwise. Box office
opens at 6:30 p.m. Admis-
sion: $10 ($5 students, fac-
ulty, staff, military and
seniors). Ages 7 and older
welcome. Information: Forum
Box Office, 831-5056 or 831-
3205.
My Big Gay Ital-
ian Wedding The El
Paso premiere of the Off-
Broadway hit is June 16-18.
Personalities and culture col-
lide in this outlandish com-
edy. Andrew and Anthony are
getting married and everyone
wants to help. The play
spins into a hysterical fiasco
as everyone tries to have their
way, from a saboteur ex-
boyfriend to a loud, opinion-
ated, outspoken Italian
mother. Explicit content; may
not be suitable for all audi-
ences.
Rodeo Mongolia:
A Childrens Musi-
cal 2 p.m. Saturday,
June 18. This different and
engaging story tackles themes
of arrogance, treachery, self-
sacrifice, forgiveness and
hope. Written by Charles Pas-
coe, the show has been per-
formed across the world. Box
office opens at 1:15 p.m.
Viva El Paso! The
summertime pageant returns
to McKelligon Canyon Am-
phitheatre for its 34th season
8:30 p.m. Fridays and Satur-
days, June 3-Aug. 13, offer-
ing an array of multicolored
costumes, electrifying musi-
cal production numbers, and
legendary characters. The
outdoor musical extravaganza
highlights the four major cul-
tures of the region, through
drama, song and dance, that
have called El Paso home:
Native American, Spanish
Conquistadors, Mexican and
Western American. Tickets:
$15 general admission, plus
service charge. Barbeque din-
ner with the show offered
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20
($10 ages 12 and younger).
(Ticketmaster).
Information/group discounts:
231-1165 or viva-ep.org.
Opening weekend $5 dis-
count with canned good dona-
tion for tickets purchased at
McKelligon Canyon box of-
fice.
Scenic Sundays El
Paso area citizens and their
pets are invited to ride, skate,
walk or run on Scenic Drive,
from Rim Road to Richmond,
6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sundays
through September, and 7
a.m. to noon during the fall
and winter months. Safety
barrels will line the area and
the El Paso Police Depart-
ment will provide security
along this popular path.
Hosted by the office of city
Rep. Susie Byrd. Admission
is free. Information: 541-4416
or district2@elpasotexas.gov.
La Fe 5K The 18th an-
nual Fathers Day Commu-
nity Health 5K Run and 5K
Walk is 7:30 a.m. Saturday,
June 18, at La Fe Cultural
and Technology Center, 721
S. Ochoa (rear building) The
3.1-mile course goes through
the historic Segundo Barrio
neighborhood. Entry fee is
$20 in advance, $25 day of
race. Information: 545-7190.
Registration at raceadventure-
sunlimited.com.
Cool Canyon Nights
The summer series of free
outdoor concerts are Thurs-
days at McKelligon Canyon,
sponsored by Townsquare
Media and the El Paso Con-
vention and Performing Arts
Centers. Information: 544-
9550 or 231-1100.
June 16th
Main Stage: The
Sect
EASTSIDE
Newsboys The
Grammy-nominated and
Dove Award-winning Chris-
tian pop rock band performs
at 7 p.m. Friday, June 24, at
Abundant Living Faith Cen-
ter, 1000 Valley Crest. The
band, originally from Queens-
land, Australia, has sold more
then 6.5 million units with
five Gold albums and 26 No.
1 hits. Tickets: $20; available
in advance at the ALFC of-
fice. Information: 532-8543
or alfc.com.
The band features lead vo-
calist Michael Tait, a former
member of the band dc talk
along with guitarist Jody
Davis, keyboardist Jeff
Frankenstein and drummer
Duncan Phillips. Their latest
CD Born Again had the 2nd
highest debut on Billboards
Christian album charts and
placed at No. 4 on the Bill-
board overall charts.
mISSION
VALLEy
Music Under the
Stars The Police Experi-
ence performs 7:30 to 9:30
p.m. Sunday, June 19, at the
Chamizal National Memorial
..Continues on next page
Continued from page 20...
Music Under the
Stars ....amphitheater, 800
S. San Marcial. Admission is
free. Information: 541-4481
(MCAD), 532-7273
(Chamizal) or elpasoartsand-
culture.org.
No alcohol, glass containers,
or pets permitted at park. No
smoking allowed in bowl
area. Free park-and-ride
shuttles available from El
Paso Zoo to Chamizal and de-
part regularly 6:30 to 10 p.m.
June 19th The Police
Experience (Tribute to
the Police)
WESTSIDE/
DOWNTOWN
Dancing in the City
The City of El Paso Muse-
ums and Cultural Affairs De-
partment and Conventions
and Visitors Bureau present
the outdoor dance concerts 8
to 10 p.m. Saturdays, June
11-July 30, at Arts Festival
Plaza, featuring local and re-
gional performers. Dance les-
son precedes the event at 7
p.m. Beverages and food
available for purchase; no
outside food or drinks permit-
ted. Admission: $6 ($10 cou-
ples); available at the door.
Information: 541-4481.
June 18 Blue Clear Sky
with Marty White (Country)
CHICAS ADVANC-
ING IN MEDIA
PROJECT
June 18 from 11-1pm
EPCC Valle Verde Campus,
Room A2518
For Girls in Grades 9-12
Chicas Advancing in Media
Project is a summer-long
multimedia training program
for high school girls with a
focus on helping girls build
confidence through multime-
dia expression. The program
will host a photography work-
shop on June 18th from 11
a.m. to 1 p.m. at the El Paso
Community College Valle
Verde Campus (Room
A2518) hosted by Latinitas
Magazine. Throughout the
summer, our team will partic-
ipate in media trainings led
by local media makers and
field trips to local media out-
lets. With hands-on media
workshops, girls will learn
about self-expression through
writing, photography, audio
production, poetry and film-
making. Space is limited, so
registration is required. To
register, contact 915.219.8554
or
latinitaselpaso@yahoo.com.
For more information, visit
www.LatinitasMagazine.org.
LATINITAS MUL-
TIMEDIA ARTS
SATURDAY
CAMPS
June 25 from 10:30-12:30pm
at the Westside Public Library
For Girls Grades 4-8
Girls are invited to get in
touch with their creative side
in the Latinitas Multimedia
Art Saturday Camps. Latini-
tas hosts a series of free bi-
weekly Saturday Camps
where girls can gather to find
creative ways to express
themselves through multime-
dia arts. In this girl-friendly
place, Latinitas will explore
visual arts, crafts, photogra-
phy, writing and film making.
Each week will offer a differ-
ent hands-on workshop where
girls in grades 4-8th can dis-
cover the power of self-ex-
pression and confidence.
Camps are also held 10:30-
12:30pm the fourth Saturday
of each month (June 25, July
23, August 27) at the West-
side Pubic Library. To regis-
ter, call 219.8554 or email
latinitaselpaso@yahoo.com.
Visit www.Latinitas-
Magazine.org for more infor-
mation.
Big Daddy Car Show
Sunland Park Racetrack
and Casino will host the 12th
annual Fathers Day event
noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, June
19. Events include a car and
motorcycle show with vehi-
cles on display including cars,
trucks and motorcycles. Food
and beverage booths, beer
garden and live music also
featured. Admission is free.
Information: (575) 874-5200.
Continues on next page
Continued from page 21...
Big Daddy Car
Show...All fathers can
enter the Fathers Day Give-
aways for cash prizes of
$500, $1,000 and $1,500.
Entry begins at 2 p.m.
Antiques Roadshow
The Antiques
Roadshow
brings its 2011 Tour through
El Paso Saturday, June 18, at
El Paso Convention Center,
featuring more then 70 ap-
praisers. Tickets to have an
item appraised are free, but
available through a lottery
system in advance at
pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tick-
ets.html.
Information: 534-0600.
Beat El Paso The
gathering of beat poets is 4
t 6 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at
El Paso Public Librarys
Main Branch, 501 N. Oregon,
with Charles Chuck
Taylor reading from he
new book Saving Sebast-
ian and Christo-
pher
Carmona
reading from
his book
Beat.
Hosted by
Chican@ Po-
etic Conspir-
acy and the
Tumblewords
Project. Ad-
mission is
free. Informa-
tion: 258-
0989.
Taylor and
Carmona will
be joined by aspiring El Paso
poet Ira J. Lopez, with music
by BegBorrowSteal.
Maria de Buenos
Aires Opera Tango
The operatic tango with
music by Astor Piazzolla and
libretto by Horacio Ferrer is 8
p.m. Friday, June 17, at
Abraham Chavez Theatre.
The show, which centers on
the life and death of a woman
of the night, Maria, incorpo-
rates dance and opera in a
unique way. Tickets: $30 and
$80, plus service charge
(Ticketmaster).
Alfresco! Fridays
The free outdoor concerts
begin at 5:30 p.m. Fridays
through Sept. 30 at Arts Festi-
val Plaza (between El Paso
Museum of Art and Plaza
Theatre). Presented by the El
Paso Convention and Per-
forming Arts Centers and the
El Paso Convention and Visi-
tors Bureau. No outside food
or beverages, or pets allowed.
Information: 534-0675, or al-
frescofridays.com.
June 17 - Asi (Tejano)
Outdoor Concerts at
the Plaza The City
Parks & Recreation Depart-
ments free family-oriented
summer lunchtime concert
series is noon to 1 p.m.
Wednesdays, June 8-July 6,
at San Jacinto Plaza, 111
Mills, Downtown. Informa-
tion: 252-9031 or 240-3310.
SOUTHERN
NEW
mExICO
Drag Queen Bingo
Southern New Mexico Pride
hosts the return of the popular
sell-out event 6 to 9 p.m. Fri-
day, June 17, at Ramada
Palms de Las Cruces, as part
of New Mexico Pride week-
end events. Ball puller is
Ivonna Bump with musical
momentum by DJ Berto. Live
and silent auctions also fea-
tured, in addition to the Bingo
prizes. Proceeds benefit
Southern New Mexico Pride
and the Sexual and Gender
Diversity Resource Center at
NMSU. Tickets: $15 ($10
students); available in ad-
vance at Spirit Winds, 2260
Locust. Information: Sharna
Horn, sgdrc@nmsu.edu or
southernnmpride.org.
High Rolls/Mountain
Park Lions Club
Cherry Festival The
46th annual festival is 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. and Sunday, June 18-19,
at the High Rolls Community
Center, 56 Cottage Row. The
festival features all varieties
of cherry products pies,
tarts, ciders and, of course,
fresh cherries, childrens ac-
tivities, and more than 60 arts
and crafts vendors.
Admission and parking is
free. No pets. Information:
(575) 682-6044, 682-3260 or
hrmplions.com.
High Rolls is nine miles east
of Alamogordo on U.S. 82
(between Alamogordo and
Cloudcroft). Follow the signs
to the community center.
Proceeds benefit Lions Club
causes, including scholar-
ships, the Lions cornea eye
bank, free eye screenings for
children and the reading im-
provement program.
Kars of Kids The an-
nual Kiwanis Kars for Kids is
Saturday, June 18, at Young
Park, Walnut and Nevada in
Las Cruces. The event in-
cludes antique, classic and
custom cars, trucks and mo-
torcycles. Food and soft drink
booths and prize raffle of-
fered. Bicycles welcome.
Proceeds go to Jardin de los
Nios and other Kiwanis
Foundation projects. Admis-
sion and parking is free. No
alcohol allowed in park. Reg-
istration for entrants is $35.
Information: (575) 525-9478.
Southern New Mex-
ico Pride Festival
The 2011 Gay Pride Month
festival, Diversity Created
Community, is 10 a.m. to 3
p.m. Saturday, June 18, at Pi-
oneer Womens Park, 500 W.
Las Cruces Ave., in Las
Cruces, with a parade, juried
art show, pet blessings, a
queer bake-off and perform-
ances by local entertainers
...Continues on next page
Continued from page
22....Southern New
Mexico Pride Festi-
val ..Nicole Martinez, Randy
Granger and Mari & Belle.
Admission is free. Informa-
tion: soutnernnmpride.org.
Parade begins at 10 a.m.
with Grand Marshall Tom
Smith, Managing Director of
American Southwest Theatre
Company. The presentation of
the Pride Awards, given to
those who have made a sig-
nificant contribution to the
betterment of the GLBTQ
community in Southern New
Mexico. This years recipi-
ents are Mary Jane Garcia,
James Hansen and Santorinis
Restaurant.
A Queer Bake-Off is 12:30
to 1:30 p.m. Winning recipes
will be auctioned off with
proceeds to benefit Southern
New Mexico Pride. Prizes
awarded in the following cat-
egories: Pies/Tarts,
Cake/Cupcake,
Cookies/Bars/Brownies and
Other. Entry is free, and the
contest is open to everyone.
Information/entry forms
southernnmpride.org or park-
wild@aol.com.
Other events include Drag
Bingo, sponsored by Southern
New Mexico Pride and the
Sexual and Gender Diversity
Resource Center at NMSU
Friday, June 17, and a Pride
Dance Party featuring DJ
Sandra Ware Saturday, June
18, both at Ramada Palms
Inn.
Spencer Theater for
Performing Arts
Airport Hwy 220 in Alto,
N.M. (about 12 miles north of
downtown Ruidoso). Infor-
mation: (575) 336-4800,
(888) 818-7872 or
spencertheater.com.
Taste of the
Spencer The annual
fundraiser is 6 p.m. Saturday,
June 18, with a sampling of
some of Ruidosos finest
restaurants in the Crystal
Lobby, followed by a silent
auction and live auction with
celebrity auctioneer Steve
Talbot. Tickets: $50.
Avanti! Or a Very
Uncomplicated Girl
- Las Cruces Community
Theatre presents the witty
comedy by Samuel Taylor for
its season finale June 3-19.
Directed by Joe Pfeiffer.
Showtime is 8 p.m. Friday
and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sun-
day. Tickets: $5. Information:
(575) 523-1200 or
lcctnm.org.
Sandy Claiborne is a young
American businessman in
Rome on a sad errand. Her fa-
ther was killed in an automo-
bile accident on his annual
sabbatical in Italy, and she
goes there to retrieve his
body. She soon meets Alison
Ames, a young British
woman whose mother was
killed in the same accident,
and Baldo, an Italian who can
provide anything for a
price.
Music in the Park
The Las Cruces summer con-
cert series is 7 p.m. Sundays
June 5-Aug. 28, featuring
both local and guest artists.
No pets allowed. Admission
is free. Information: (575)
541-2200 or las-cruces.org.
June 19 Mariachi Femi-
nil Flores Mexicanas and
Mariachi Real de Chi-
huahua at Klein Park, 155 N.
Mesquite.
COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Attraction between people just
happens naturally sometimes. This week you have to make it
happen. Whether your aim is professional or personal, this is
no time for coy attitudes and subtle moves. Show your inter-
est, or the people around you will assume you don't have any.
The sun and Venus in Gemini pepper the atmosphere with
spontaneity. You could hop aboard a trend because it
makes sense in the moment or just seems like fun. You
could fall in love with a person's mind or chase an intel-
lectual curiosity and, like Alice chasing the white rabbit,
fall into a madcap adventure through Wonderland. The
summer solstice on June 21 will change the mood and
shed light on the pathway home.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). You constantly make sales
"pitches" without thinking too much about it. The purpose of
your pitch may not be profound maybe it's just an idea
about how to schedule the day or what to eat for dinner but
the charming way you put things across is an art form. And
you'll close the deal more often than not this week.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Mistakes are a part of life, and
things would get pretty boring if you never made any. The
mistakes you don't want to make are the kind you've already
made. This week will bring one or two happy accidents and
none of the silly and avoidable mishaps you've dealt with in
the past.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). This week you'll be tempted
often by commercial appeals. Everyone seems to have some
valuable information or product for you that you can only get
for high dollar. Most of it is unnecessary. A $20 book will
teach you more than you can learn from a subscription or pro-
gram that costs hundreds.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). It's no fun getting your way all
the time. There's no challenge in it. Also, you have to take full
responsibility for the way things turn out, and it's not always
good. Anyway, you like to compromise, and you'll be doing
plenty of that. Luckily, you'll be well matched, and the others
will offer excellent input.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Communication errors could
cause unnecessary strife. But this can be easily avoided! Some
people in your life are prone to making wrong assumptions or
not listening very well. You know who they are and should
watch out for them this week. Check to make sure they have
heard and understood you.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It takes confidence to give a fan-
tastic compliment, and you're about as confident as they come
this week. You'll offer up words of praise to one who is either
in competition with you or in charge of you. You'll feed this
person's ego and have fun seeing this person transform into
putty in your hands.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You're excited about what
you've learned, you're eager to apply it, and you want to share
it with others, as well. Strategize before you position yourself.
Once you establish yourself as an expert on a topic, people
will ask you any number of questions about it. Prepare for the
onslaught.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You are amazingly ver-
satile and could probably find common ground with a Mar-
tian. Resist trying to do so in every situation. You don't have
to be constantly agreeable, especially when you're flirting.
Sometimes the best rapport is built by recognizing your dif-
ferences. The tension will be exciting.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). There will be some thought-
lessness or rudeness to tolerate. Think of this as a test. But if
you don't do so well on the "test," cut yourself a break. It's eas-
ier to be graceful when your coping resources are not already
stretched. Carve out some time to relax. A stroke of good luck
comes on Thursday.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). As a humanitarian, you see
the good in people, even when their actions are not reflecting
it. This week it will benefit you to distinguish between the de-
cent but temporarily inept and the truly toxic individuals. The
former will blossom in your love and forgiveness. The latter
should be avoided at all costs.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You are learning how to live in the
moment, and you are increasingly present to all that's going on
around you. You may forget details of your past like the
name of a classmate or colleague and you'll have to do
some fancy footwork to cover this up or fill in the blanks. It's
only because your current life is so compelling.
ACROSS
1 Klugman or Nicklaus
5 Seasonal worker, briefly
9 Poles and Croats
14 Wings
15 Sea thats a lake
16 Tribal symbol
17 Mature
18 African river
19 Earthy clay, or its color
20 Blood, Sweat and Tears
hit
23 Bring into harmony
25 Abu Dhabis fed.
26 What goalies guard
27 Documentary film about
basketball
30 Cola containers
31 Actress Jillian
32 Watched carefully
33 School org.
35 Fashion designer Geoffrey
37 Chemists workplace
39 Green tea
43 Writer LeShan
45 Olfactory organ
47 Digit
48 Hunters quarry
51 Sugary cereal
54 Military asst.
55 Actress Charlotte
56 Cover with raised designs
57 Townies star
61 Heros necessity
62 Author Ephron
63 Uncertain
66 Stupid
67 Kuwaiti ruler
68 Skirt part
69 Actor Ed
70 Common contrac-
tion
71 Love god
DOWN
1 Pickle container
2 The Greatest
3 Turret topper
4 Maintain
5 Leather-making place
6 Ireland, poetically
7 Timbuktus country
8 100 senators, e.g.
9 Uncle Toms Cabin author
10 Word before 42 Down
11 Goddess of wisdom
12 Ben, of Roots
13 Refines ore
21 Truly
22 Reaction of surprise
23 Moby Dicks pursuer
24 Muscle quality
28 Long fish
29 A Bell for ___
30 Coral reef
34 Actress Ritter
36 Born
38 Halloween word
40 Represented
41 Klutzs word
42 One of the Untouchables
44 At a distance
46 Justice Potter
48 African nation
49 Beautifies
50 Actor Stevenson
52 Checked
53 Compel
55 Actress Winona
58 Path
59 1995 NL Rookie of the
Year
60 Broad smile
64 Tos companion
65 Affirmative
By T.J. TOMASI
Pitching the ball requires a different action than chipping. In
pitching, you want the ball to goup in the air for most of its
flight, land softly and then amble gently to the hole. This re-
quires much more of a full-body motion. Instead of staccato,
the image word used in chipping, the image word for pitching is
syrupy.
The distance of your shot is controlled by the position of your
lead arm during the swing and the speed of your body rotation.
Picture a clock with you standing in the middle. Your head is at
12 oclock and your feet at 6. If you have a very short shot,
your lead arm goes to 7. As the shot gets longer, your arm
points to 8, 9, 10 and so on.
The setup
Place the majority of your weight on your front side, (approxi-
mately 70\30), and it starts, stays and finishes in this distribu-
tion. Play the ball in the middle of your feet, using your
highest-lofted club. The more you want the ball to spin, the
more you open your stance and the more aggressively you
swing down your shoulder line.
As you open your stance for an increased spin, make
sure that the clubface continues looking at the hole.
The swing
The key to the swing itself is to rotate both the upper and lower
body at the same rate. Unlike chipping, you want the club to be
vertical while keeping the left arm low in order to provide the
angle of attack necessary to hit the ball up in the air.
The pitch is a smooth, flowing
stroke where you hit the ball pri-
marily with the rotation of your
body, led by your back knee.
The goal is to slide the clubface
under the ball without closing
the clubface as you turn into a
full finish.
Although most pitches are played with the ball in the middle
of the stance, this tour pro has the ball a bit back of center in
order to hit it lower with more spin. Her left arm is at 9 o-
clock with wrists fully cocked.
She has rotated beautifully, releasing her right knee and navel
to the hole. Note that to preserve the loft of the clubface, she
has not allowed her forearms to roll over. If there was a mirror
on the clubface, she could see her reflection a good guide for
a pitch shot.
Dr. T.J.
Tomasi is a
teaching
professional
in Port St.
Lucie, Fla.
Visit his
Web site at
tjtomasi.com.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Pitch with your Ugly swings
that get the
job done
Q: I want some more detail on the worst swings that work.
You said Eamonn Darcy was the worst; how about some oth-
ers? I.M.
A: Ill give you my top four worst swings, other than Darcys.
Send me yours at pblion@aol.com.
Jim Thorpe: When you watch Thorpes swing inreal time, the
whirly-bird finish grabs your attention sohis swing looks more
non-standard than it is. The idiosyncratic finish is more Palmer
than a violationof swing principle.
Miller Barber: Barber, nicknamed Mr. X, didnt look like he
should be a player until you saw the pure ball flight. His swing
was silky choppy with many unusual angles that flowed to-
gether, all meeting about a foot before impact to equal perfect.
He was Mr. X on the tee, but never on the scorecard.
Jim Furyk: Jim Keep Your Hat On Furyk possesses the most
successful homemade swing in the history of golf in terms of
money won. He lifts the club almost straight up to the top of
his swing until his hands are over his ear; then using the $10
million move (he won the $10 million 2010 Fed Ex Cup), he
loops it back down to the inside, slotting the club back on
plane. Both his name and his swing are a jumble loopy but
lucrative.
Tommy Gainey: Gainey looks awkward right from the get-go
because he wears two golf gloves, an oddity that triggers the
perception that youre about to see something weird from a
pro. And sure enough, its an ouch followed by a wow.
See it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zbrMkcwLo8.
(To Ask the Pro a question about golf, email him at: TJIn-
sider@aol.com.)
ASK THE PRO
Open up the
hole
When your teeshot leaves the best
possible angle for the next shot to
the green.
GOLF SPOKEN HERE
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
He was laughing; just a dumb
spectator not showing much re-
spect. I gave him a little stare-
down. He went quiet. Very brave
when youre behind the ropes.
Cool Hand Luke Donald, on the golf groupie from hell.
Play more to play
better
The more experience you have as a
player, the greater the number of
Point A-to-Point B problems youve
seen, and with each problem
solved, you increase your ability to
solve future problems.
Psychologist Anders Ericsson has
determined it takes 10 years and
10,000 hours of deliberate practice to
make an expert, and that experience, hard
work and perseverance are more important
than natural talent in producing a champion.
To wit: The PGA Tour is full of
overnight successes who have worked 10
years in obscurity to get there.
Dr. Dharshan Kumaran and Dr. Eleanor
Maguire at the Wellcome Trust Centre for
Neuroimaging at University College London
have shown that the hippocampus area of the
brain predicts what is likely to happen by ref-
erencing what has already happened. And it
needs to extract very little information from
the current situation to make the correct
match.
It (your hippocampus) does not
appear to be reacting to novelty,
as such, but rather to discrepan-
cies between what it expects to
see and what it actually sees,
says Dr. Kumaran.
This work appears to support Er-
icssons experience theory, and it
tracks what I have found to be the case:
There comes a point in a golfers development
where learning to swing must give way to
learning to play, and the only way to learn to
play is to play.
By playing you acquire the profiles you need
to find the correct solutions to your Point A-
to-Point B problems. Your training ground for
the golf swing is the practice field; the train-
ing ground for golf is the playing field. If you
insist on playing golf swing on the playing
field, you will block yourself off from the
process of accumulating golfing profiles
and not even a perfectly good hippocampus
can save you.
THE GOLF DOCTOR
DONT MISS IT
TRY THIS
The Momentus Speed Whoosh
golf swing trainer is designed
to improve your clubhead
speed. The timing ball can be
set at different ends of the club
to help you with your clubhead
speed and timing. The distinc-
tive whoosh gives you im-
mediate feedback.
It cant hurt, but wait awhile
before you book your ticket to
the long-drive championships
in Nevada.
Look for the speed Whoosh at
www.dwquailgolf.com It costs
$80, with free shipping in the
continentalUnited States.
Feed your need
Making careless bogeys or worse after
hitting your tee ball in the fairway?
Try This: A good drive can entice you to
be too aggressive. Say you hit a 60-yard-
wide fairway with a power shot, but now
have to hit a finesse shot to a tucked pin.
Back off and aim at the center of the
green.
Working out in the gym but not getting
any longer off the tee?
Try This: Hit 50 balls with your driver at
full power. The best exercise for golf is
golf!
Your game has reached a major league
sticking point and youre not improving?
Try This: Ditch your buddies and play
with better players at your course. Then
keep your eyes and ears open. Humans
learn from watching others.
BIRDIES AND BOGEYS
Finally
President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House
John Boehner will tee it up on June 18 the loca-
tion will not be released for obvious reasons.
Golf is so hot that it has itsown weekly page in The
New York Times, and part of the current golf buzz
is due to Donald Trump. Doing his best Rodney
Dangerfield impression, golf nut Trump suggested
last month that he and Obama play golf for the
presidency in 2012 a much more interesting for-
mat than the usual dreary presidential campaign.
But the Donald could be helpful should these polit-
ical protagonists have trouble booking a tee time
he could get them on at one of his courses.
Maybe Trump will join them to make it a three-
some.
Boehners index is 7.9, while Obamas handicap is
believed to be about 17. Trump says hes a 4, and
the Iranians say they want nuclear power solely for
peaceful purposes. Of this foursome, I believe only
two.
By RICK MINTER / Cox Newspapers
NEXT
UP...
Race: Alliance Truck Parts 250
Where: Michigan International Speedway
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: ABC
2010 winner: Brad Keselowski
SPRINT CUP CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS NATIONWIDE SERIES
Race: UNOH 225
Where: Kentucky Speedway
When: July 7, 8 p.m. (ET)
TV: SPEED
2010 winner: Todd Bodine
Race: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400
Where: Michigan Intl Speedway
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. (ET)
TV: TNT
2010 winner: Denny Hamlin (right)
Penalties, personality conflicts
dominate NASCAR news
Clashes of
the titan
F
ines and fights,
some seen in public
and some not, domi-
nated the NASCAR head-
lines as the Sprint Cup
circuit raced at Pocono
Raceway.
Richard Childress, fined
$150,000 by NASCAR for
slugging Kyle Busch the
week before at Kansas
Speedway, briefly ad-
dressed the media at
Pocono. The veteran team
owner didnt apologize for
his actions and didnt take
questions from reporters.
One thing he did make
clear was that he wouldnt
use the donations hed
been sent by fans to help
pay the fine.
We had a lot of fans to
send in donations last
week toward our fine [but]
I am going to pay it per-
sonally, he said. All that
money that has been sent
in, that is still coming in,
were going to take and do-
nate to the Childress Insti-
tute for Pediatric Trauma.
At least in every bad
situation, something good
will come out of it. Hope-
fully Kyle [Busch] and my-
self will both end up
learning something from
this.
There were numerous
news reports indicating
that Ryan Newman was
secretly fined by NASCAR
for an incident with Juan
Pablo Montoya in the
NASCAR hauler at Dar-
lington Raceway a few
weeks back.
Newman didnt confirm
or deny the fine, unlike a
secret fine last year that
he did acknowledge. Last
years fine apparently was
related to his criticism of
the racing at Talladega,
which he said was unsafe.
Ive always said that
private things happen pri-
vately, and what happens
in the trailer stays in the
trailer and there is a rea-
son that we have private
meetings and there is a
reason that NASCAR does
things the way they do,
Newman said when asked
about the latest situation.
To me, it is something for
you [media] guys to write,
but it is not something that
is good for our sport, so its
not something we want to
keep talking about first of
all Ill just say that it is
a negative aspect of our
sport and we should all be
talking about the positive
things.
Kyle Busch, who was
put on probation and fined
for an incident with Chil-
dress driver Kevin Har-
vick at Darlington and was
apparently punched by
Childress after an on-track
incident with another
Childress driver, Joey
Coulter, at Kansas, told re-
porters at Pocono that he
doesnt feel like hes been
wearing the black hat
lately.
Im not sure that
theres really any hats to
be worn here, he said.
The black hat deal the
villain type thing Im not
sure that I really did a
whole lot to bring that
back upon myself. I feel
like Ive acted in the ut-
most respect to every case
thats come up my way and
has been thrown in front
of me.
Ive tried to do it with
dignity and class, and I
feel like that comes from
people wearing white hats
not black.
He went on to say that
he didnt believe he did
anything that should have
provoked Childress.
Me giving a congratula-
tory bump to Joey Coulter
is what tipped him [Chil-
dress] over the edge there,
he said. I dont recall any
face-to-face conversa-
tion where Richard did tell
me that, If you touch an-
other one of my cars Im
going to come find you.
I dont know if it was
ever said in the media, but
it was never relayed to
me.
Busch said he has
talked recently with his
brother Kurt Busch, who
was involved in several
controversial incidents
earlier in his career.
Hes had some good
things to say and some
good advice to give as
well, Busch said, adding
that others in the sport
have been supportive as
well.
Ive got a lot of friends
that I talk to in the garage
area, whether theyre crew
chiefs or team members
from other teams even
team members from the
[Richard Childress Racing]
camp that are my
friends.
He also said that like
Childress, hes had fans
send in money to help him
pay fines and he sent the
money on to his Kyle
Busch Foundation.
Its cool to have that
support when times get
tough and it is cool that
you can have something
better come out of a situa-
tion like that, he said.
Richard Childress celebrates the victory of one of his drivers, Kevin Har-
vick, in Aprils Sprint Cup Series Goodys Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville
Speedway. (NASCAR photo)
Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet, and Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, race during Sprint Cup Series 5-
Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday in Long Pond, Penn. Gordons victory was a milestone for the record
books, but much of the attention was still on Busch and his altercation with Richard Childress one week earlier.
(NASCAR photo)
24/ 7
www.suncitybiker.com
With his victory at Pocono Raceway on
Sunday, Jeff Gordon tied Darrell Waltrip
in career victories with 84. Some would
say he also tied Bobby Allison, but Alli-
son and most racing historians say Alli-
son has 85 Cup victories, one more than
the official NASCAR records show. (Alli-
son won a race at Bowman Gray Sta-
dium in 1971 that for some reason isnt
counted in the official records.)
I really cant even express in words
what it means to tie Darrell Waltrip and
Bobby Allison at 84 wins because I just
never thought it would ever happen for
me, he said. For anybody to win that
many races is amazing.
And Gordon, who now has two wins
this year, sounded like a driver who
might soon have sole possession of third
place on NASCARs all-time win list,
trailing only David Pearson, who has
105 wins, and Richard Petty, who has
200.
Days like today to me give us that
confidence and momentum and show the
competition that they might need to
start worrying about us again, he said.
But weve got to do that consistently to
show that. Thats why people fear the 48
[Jimmie Johnsons team]. Thats why
people fear Carl [Edwards] and the guys
that have run up front, because theyre
doing it week in and week out.
Gordon also said that hes not at the
point where he spends most of his time
looking back instead of forward.
Man, Im going to be 40, but Im not
in the rocking chair yet, he said.
Gordons Pocono win, his fifth at that
track, tied him with Bill Elliott for most
career Pocono victories.
Kyle Busch finished third, but his car
was too low in a post-race inspection.
Past penalties for such infractions have
included significant points deductions as
well as monetary fines. Busch was only
docked six points, and his crew chief,
Dave Rogers, was fined $25,000.
Jeff Gordon celebrates his record-tying win on Sunday at Pocono Raceway (NASCAR photo)
Gordon ties career win record: Im not
in the rocking chair yet
High voltage Chevy Volt is finally here!
It has been the buzz word in
the auto industry for the past
year now, and its finally here.
Chevrolets ground-breaking
Volt is now available and it is
arguable the most fuel-effi-
cient car on the market.
So what exactly is the Volt?
Well, lets start with the ba-
sics. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt
is a four-seat, four-door com-
pact sedan. But its how the
Volt is powered where things
get a little tricky. GM calls
the Volt an extended-range
electric vehicle while others
call it a hybrid vehicle, since
the Volt does have both an
electric motor as well as a gas
engine, much like the popular
Toyota Prius Hybrid.
But that is about the only sim-
ilarity the Volt has with the
Prius. Whereas the Prius (and
nearly all hybrids on the mar-
ket) constantly switch be-
tween the electric motor and
the gas engine, the Volt runs
solely on its electric motor. If
the lithium-ion battery pack
that supplies the electricity for
the motor is depleted, the gas
engine kicks on and primarily
generates and supplies elec-
tricity to the motor.
Noticed I mention if the
lithium-ion battery is de-
pleted. And there lies the
Volts huge advantage if the
battery never goes empty, you
will never use any gas.
Sound too good to be true?
Looking for a catch? Well,
there is a minor one. On a
full-charge, the Volt can go an
estimated 40 miles before the
battery runs out of juice.
After that, youre back to run-
ning on gasoline, and looking
at getting around 32 mpg.
With a full charge and full
tank of gas, the Volt has a
range of well over 300 miles.
I had an exclusive opportunity
to use a Volt for a week to see
just how it works for the aver-
age driver. My commute
from my residence to my of-
fice is approximately 17 miles
each way. So my total round
trip comes out to 34 miles if I
dont stray anywhere well
within the Volts 40 mile bat-
tery range.
So every night I would plug
the Volt in to my wall outlet
in the garage. The Volt is
easy to charge just plug it
into any 120-volt outlet (or a
240-volt outlet if one is avail-
able, for faster recharges). A
green light on the dash that
can be seen from outside the
car tells you if the car is
charging or is fully charged.
Leaving it plugged in
overnight assured me of a full
charge by the next morning
(GM says to it should take
about 10 hours to full charge
a depleted battery via the 120-
volt outlet and 4 hours via the
240-volt outlet). Every morn-
ing when I got in the Volt
(dont forget to unplug it!),
the fully charged battery indi-
cator said I had 42 miles of
electric driving available.
Starting the Volt is done by
pressing a glowing blue but-
ton on the dash which also
causes a cool electrical sound
through the sound system to
be heard. Once started, the
instrument panel in front of
the driver comes to life as
well as the one in the center
of the dash (that houses the
sound, climate and nav sys-
tems all standard on the
Volt).
Driving the Volt is like driv-
ing a high-powered golf cart.
There is not a lot of noise and
throttle response is instant
with no downshifting or wait-
ing for gears to change (the
Volt uses a gearless CVT
transmission). And for those
that think electric cars are
slow, the Volt will make you
think otherwise by hitting 60
mph in just 9 seconds (about a
second faster than a Prius)
and reaching a top speed of
100 mph.
In the week I had the Volt, I
logged more than 260 miles
on it and didnt use a drop
of gas. I managed to do this
by keeping my drives under
40 miles and plugging it in at
every opportunity. At one
point, I parked the Volt in a
hotel parking lot, where the
attendant helped me locate an
outlet to plug into. One thing
I would recommend to Volt
buyers get an additional
charging cord. The constant
fetching and stowing the cord
in the hatch area got old real
fast.
So is the Volt the answer to
our fuel consumption issues?
No, not really, because the
Volt isnt for everyone. If
your daily commute is longer
than 40 miles, you will find
yourself still having to put
fuel in it, for you will be
using the gas engine. And the
Volt isnt cheap - with a start-
ing price coming in at over
$40,000. Also, just because
you may not be consuming
gas, dont think that driving
the Volt is free each charge
cost about $1.50 worth of
electricity.
Still, though, the Volt im-
pressed the heck out of me.
Again - 260 miles, no gas and
a gas gauge that never moved
from full. That was enough
for me, and apparently
enough for Motor Trend mag-
azine to award it Car of the
Year for 2011. Congratula-
tions GM for a car well done.
- Christopher A. Randazzo
By The Numbers:
2011 Chevrolet Volt
Base Price: $40,280.00
Price as Tested: $44,180.00
Layout: front-engine / front-wheel
drive
Engine:electric drive unit using
Lithium Ion battery; 1.4 liter inline-4 cylinder range extender
Transmission: CVT automatic
Horsepower: 150 hp (estimated)
Torque: 273 lb-ft (estimated)
EPA Fuel Economy: 93 mpg equivalent combined city/highway
[Questions/Comments/Feedback can be sent via email to
car@delorean.net]
1. Carl Edwards
492; Leader
2. Jimmie Johnson
486; behind -6
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
482; behind -10
4. Kevin Harvick
481; behind -11
5. Kyle Busch
461; behind -31
6. Kurt Busch
457; behind -35
7. Matt Kenseth
448; behind -44
8. Clint Bowyer
419; behind -73
9. Tony Stewart
417; behind -75
10. Ryan Newman
417; behind -75
Series points standings recap
With the Nationwide Series idle last week,
Reed Sorenson got to spend some extra time
atop the series points standings, which have
been extremely close this year now that double-
dipping Sprint Cup drivers cant compete for the
driving title.
Sorenson, who is leading the standings for the
third time this year, holds a two-point lead over
second-place Elliott Sadler and is six ahead of
third-place Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Sorenson has
five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 14 starts
this year.
On the Sprint Cup side, points leader Carl Ed-
wards saw his
40-point lead
over Jimmie
Johnson sink
to six because
of a blown en-
gine at
Pocono.
In the
Camping
World Truck
Series,
Johnny
Sauter holds
a 20-point
lead over
rookie Cole
Whitt.
NOTEBOOK
Reed Sorenson
HOmE OWNERS - RENTERS I NSURANCE AVAI LABLE FREE QUOTES
6560 Montana Ave., Suite 6. El Paso 915-779-2489

Spotlight EP News June 17, 2011 No. 383

Enviado por

Dados do documento

Direitos autorais

Formatos disponíveis

Compartilhar este documento

Compartilhar ou incorporar documento

Opções de compartilhamento

Você considera este documento útil?

Este conteúdo é inapropriado?

Direitos autorais:

Formatos disponíveis

Spotlight EP News June 17, 2011 No. 383

Enviado por

Direitos autorais:

Formatos disponíveis

DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD

SPL NOW! SPL NOW!

Você também pode gostar