Thursday, January 17, 2013

Printable Newsletter


Printable version of the January 2013 FMWC Newsletter is available at www.FranklinMountains.org .

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Word from the President January 2013

Dear Friends of the Franklin Mountains,

Welcome to 2013!!

As the new year unfolds, FMWC will be holding its annual meeting with a twist.   We will be partnering with the Friends of the Rio Bosque to celebrate not only the mountains but the wetlands as well.  Both organizations will hold short business meetings, followed by dinner and then a group of exciting speakers.  Dr. Cesar Mendez, Superintendent of the Franklin Mountains State Park will update us on events within the park.  This will be followed by Deidre Hisler who will talk with us about the Franklin Mountains State Park as it fits into the larger scheme of the State Park System.  We will also be honored to have John Sproul, manager of the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park, inform us of exciting changes and opportunities coming to Rio Bosque.  It should be an exciting evening with a chance to meet friends and learn more about our parks.  Both organizations will also be holding their elections of officers.
We will need everyone to RSVP so that we can provide the restaurant with an accurate count of who will attend.  Please contact Scott Cutler at 581-6071 with your RSVP or any questions.
I do hope you will be able to join us.

Sincerely,
Scott Cutler,
President, Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition


Event Details:

When: Wednesday, January 23
Time: from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
Location: Ardovino’s Desert Crossing in Sunland Park, New Mexico
We have arranged for four items on Ardovino’s regular menu.  These include:
  1. Chicken Vincenza - roasted chicken breast marinated in mustard with chile-infused olive oil, caramelized brussel sprouts with bacon & tomato - $20;
  2. Lasagna Nove - ayered grilled zucchini, squash, eggplant, ricotta, mozzarella, parmigiano, with sweet Italian sausage, ground beef with house marinara, served with asparagus - $18;
  3. Stuffed Salmon - pan-seared Atlantic salmon stuffed with herbed goat cheese over toasted pearl pasta with parmigiano, fresh tomato piccata and asparagus - $24;
  4. Red Mender’s Tender - grilled 8 ounce, red wine-marinated tenderloin fillet on gorgonzola potato gratin with a Bordelaise sauce and asparagus - $31.
Drinks, salads and desserts are extra and the gratuity is 20% because of the large group.  Payment will be made by each diner at the event.

El Paso Museum of Archaeology January 2013 Exhibits & Programs

Walking with the Ancestors: From Mesoamerica to the Southwest.
Extended through March 24, 2013

Dr. Yolanda Chávez Leyva curated this exhibit about the connections among peoples across time and space from ancient Mesoamerica to the American Southwest and an altar illustrating the journey to Mictlan in commemoration of El Día de los Muertos. This exhibit was created in collaboration with the Department of History at the University of Texas at El Paso and Museo Urbano, a public history project of UTEP.
Free Admission


Membership Appreciation Party
Saturday, January 12, 2013, 2:00 to 4:00 pm

Membership is your admission ticket to this party.  Your membership helps bring the fascinating 14,000 years of El Paso prehistory to families, children and adults.  You receive discounts in the museum store, on camps and events, invitations to member-only events, and other benefits at higher levels. Memberships start at $15 for students, $20 for seniors, $40 for families. More membership rates and info from 915-755-4332, enriquezrx@elpasotexas.gov


Native American Storytelling
Saturday, January 19, 2013, 4 to 7 pm

Advanced registration and payment required before 3:00 pm, January 18, 2013.  Gather on the museum’s grounds as storyteller Alex Mares tells stories of Pottery, Coyote and the Night Sky from Navajo, Pueblo, and Apache tribes and leads an exploration of the night sky.  Recommended for adults and children over 4 years, bring chair and flashlight for each person. Space for 85 people, registration packet and info from Curator of Education, Marilyn Guida, 915-755-4332 or guidamr@elpasotexas.gov
Admission fees per person:
Museum Members: $2.00 ages 4-12;
$4.00 ages 13 and above
Non-Members: $4.00 ages 4-12
$6.00 ages 13 and above

El Paso Museum of Archaeology
4301 Transmountain Road, El Paso Texas 79924;
915-755-4332;
guidamr@elpasotexas.gov;
www.elpasotexas.gov/arch_museum/
Closed Mondays and City Holidays

2013 Franklin Mountains Poppies Fest on Castner Range planned for March 23

Sign up to be a volunteer, exhibitor or vendor 

The seventh annual 2013 Poppies Celebration on Castner Range will take place on Saturday, March 23 at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology at 4301 Transmountain Road. The day will feature a full program of nature talks, wildlife displays, educational exhibits, demonstrations, live wolf, Houdini the Harris Hawk, children’s activity center, music and refreshments. Everyone is welcome to come out and enjoy the beauty of the mountains and the poppies during this free educational family fun event.

What: 2013 Franklin Mountains Poppies Celebration on Castner Range
When: Saturday March 23, 2012
Time: 10am – 4pm
Where: El Paso Museum of  Archaeology (4301 Transmountain Road)

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for this event please contact Sylvia Price at slyfox7tx@att.net.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or vendor for this event please contact Lisa Gutierrez at 915-269-1239 or lisamarie177@juno.com.

Free Admission and Parking at El Paso Community College NE Campus. Also free Shuttle service provided from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm.

This event celebrates the marvelous open space in Northeast El Paso where we frequently enjoy a stunning spring display of our native Mexican Gold poppies. This festival is an opportunity to enjoy our beautiful outdoors while learning about all our mountains and desert have to offer. It takes place on the 15-acre grounds of the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. The museum’s Chihuahuan Desert Gardens boast examples of more than 200 native plants.

Castner Range is a former artillery range known for its cultural, geologic and unique biology. If the rain and weather cooperate, it is most known for its beautiful and vast display of Mexican Poppies in the spring.

Friends of the Rio Bosque

The Friends of the Rio Bosque is the volunteer-support group for Rio Bosque Wetlands Park. The Friends are active in all aspects of the park, from education programs, to outreach, to ecosystem management, to faunal monitoring, to fundraising, to advocacy.

Vision
Rio Bosque Wetlands Park will be a unique natural landscape where visitors from throughout the Paso del Norte region and the world experience first-hand the biologically rich ecosystems once found in our river valley, learn about those ecosystems, and become inspired to be careful stewards of our natural world.

Mission
Our mission is to provide the volunteer support needed to make Rio Bosque Wetlands Park a world-class nature park through active involvement in the Park’s habitat-restoration, education, research, public outreach, advocacy and fundraising programs.

More at www.riobosque.org

TX Master Naturalists Class

The Trans Pecos Chapter of the TX Master Naturalists is accepting applications for their 2013 class which runs from February to May.  If you are interested in working with one of the friendliest and most fun groups around, please contact Matt Santillan at msantill@ag.tamu.edu, 860-2515 for details.

Welcome Trinity First United Methodist Men!

FMWC’s newest Member Organization is Trinity First United Methodist Men.  Their representative to our Coalition, Rodney Smith, explains that the Methodist Men have been serving our community for decades, helping families and individuals in need.  If you would like more information, contact Rodney at 915-755-0110 or RJDPKM@aol.com

We now have 31 local non-profit/civic organizational members of the FMWC.  These organizations support our efforts to preserve and protect our Franklin Mountains and designate a representative to serve on the FMWC Board.  If you know of an organization that might be interested in joining, please contact judy Ackerman, 915-755-7371 or jpackerman@gmail.com.