Opera recital of classical arias and Mexican songs performed by Baritone Roberto Bañuelas and Soprano Hortensia Cervantes

Tomorrow's Celebration of Lights Info

The evolve program hosted by the City of El Paso is around the corner and just a reminder that paid parking will be available at the Mills Plaza Parking Garage, right next to San Jacinto Plaza. The parking fee is $5 and the entrance is located right off Stanton St. Main St. and the exit from the garage at the end of the event will take you away from the throngs of people in attendance downtown. There are numerous other free parking locations downtown as well.

Festivities Schedule 

4:30 p.m. 1st Armored Division Band of Fort Bliss

5:00 p.m. St. Anthony Franciscanos Choir

5:30 p.m. Celebration of Lights Ceremony  (Musical Interlude by Deniese Baisley)

5:50 - 5:55 Downtown Christmas Tree is lighted by Mayor John Cook and Uriel Gandara of Candlelighters of El Paso

5:55 p.m. evolve Federal Credit Union Holiday Lights Parade

7:15 p.m. Fireworks Show (sponsored by evolve Federal Credit Union)

Parade Map Attached courtesy of El Paso Times

Tree Lighting Tomorrow at Freedom Crossing

The commanding general of the 1st Armored Division and
Fort Bliss, Maj. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard along with Freedom Crossing
officials, will host a "Tree Lighting" ceremony at Freedom Crossing,
tomorrow at 5:30p.m. (actual tree lighting at 6p.m.)

Join Family and MWR (morale, welfare & recreation) for the Night of Dancing
Lights, games, live music, train rides, bungee jumping, face painting and
much more all at Freedom Crossing.

This marks the third Christmas for the new mall, the largest in the
Department of Defense.

The event will be festive and colorful and is FREE and open to the public.

UPDATE - Fire at Sierra Providence

The following is from Sierra Providence Health Network.

"This afternoon, an electrical surge caused a small fire in the basement of the hospital.  The fire department quickly extinguished it but the hospital was unable to regain power to some areas of the hospital. We have evacuated some patients to our sister hospitals, Providence Memorial Hospital and Sierra Providence East Medical Center. The fire department and local power company are on-site working with us to restore full power.  The emergency room is on diversion for EMS and we will let everyone know when our electricity is fully restored.

We take the health and safety or our patients, employees and visitors very seriously. We routinely practice for situations like this to ensure that we're able to respond quickly and appropriately."

El Paso Zoo Closed on Thanksgiving Day

As a reminder, the El Paso Zoo will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. The El Paso Zoo will resume regular zoo hours on Friday, November 23 from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Ticket gate closes at 4 p.m.

The Zoo is open year-round and only closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

For more information visit elpasozoo.org.

HOLIDAY SEASON SAFETY TIPS

The El Paso Police Department wants everyone to have a safe winter and upcoming Holiday Season.  As a reminder here are some safety tips to keep in mind.

At Home:

• NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN ALONE
• Be sure to lock your doors and windows when you leave your home.
• Do not display holiday gifts where they can be seen from a window or doorway.
• Leave some lights on
• Leave a radio on
• Leave drapes/curtains in a normal position
• Mark your valuables with your driver’s license number
• Pickup mail and newspapers
• Never give information about your home over the telephone
• Always call police to report any suspicious activity

While Shopping:

• Always keep your children close to you
• Do not shop alone
• Never take more money than you need to make your purchases
• Do not flash your money when paying for items
• Pay with a check card or credit card
• Be aware of your surroundings
• Do not leave any purchases or purses unattended
• Do not overburden yourself with packages
• Carry your purse close to your body

Your car:

• Lock your vehicle
• Use any antitheft devices
• Do not leave any packages or valuables inside the vehicle
• Approach your vehicle with your keys out and ready
• Park in well lighted areas
• Keep your vehicle in proper working order
• If something seems wrong, get help from security or call the police

Outside Activities:

• Dress appropriate to weather conditions and type of activity
• If Walking, Running, or Riding a Bike
• Wear reflective of light colored clothing
• Be aware of your surroundings
• Obey all traffic laws
• Don’t let yourself become distracted
• Hiking – notify individuals of intended route
• Estimated length of trip
• Expected return time
• Be prepared for inclement weather
• Driving – obey all traffic laws
• Be aware of individuals walking, running, and biking during the cooler weather
• Don’t drink and drive
• Be aware of your surroundings.

Traffic Alerts and Road Closures For The Weekend

FORT BLISS OVERPASS BRIDGE PROJECT:

The northbound lanes on the Purple Heart Memorial Highway (Loop 375) will be completely closed between the Liberty Expressway (Spur 601) Exit Ramp and the Montana Overpass.

This closure will be in place Friday, November 16 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning.

DETOUR:

Northbound traffic will be exited at the Montana Exit Ramp; westbound to Global Reach; northbound to Spur 601 and back onto Loop 375.

The southbound lanes on the Purple Heart Memorial Highway (Loop 375) will be completely closed between the Montana Overpass to the Liberty Expressway (Spur 601) Exit Ramp on Saturday, November 17 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning.

DETOUR: 

Southbound traffic will continue westbound on Spur 601 to the Global Reach Exit Ramp; continue on Global Reach to Montana Ave.; then eastbound until back onto Loop 375.

MAINTENANCE: 

Two westbound right lanes will be closed on RAMP (Ramp leading from US 54 southbound into I-10) this Saturday, November 17 from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m.

DETOUR:

Traffic wanting to go on US 54 North, will need to take the Paisano Exit Ramp on US 54 southbound and turnaround to US 54 North. 

There will be alternate left and right lane closures eastbound on I-10 starting Sunday, November 18 through Tuesday, November 20, each night from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. (the following morning).    

The closure is between the Copia Overpass past the Chelsea Exit Ramp.   

This closure is necessary to repair bridge joints. 

I-10 MILL & INLAY RAMPS PROJECT: 

The following east and westbound closures will be in place Sunday, November 18 through Wednesday, November 21 from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. (the following morning):

Right lane closure on I-10 between the Mesa Overpass and Transmountain (Loop 375)

Artcraft Exit and Entrance Ramps 

Redd Exit and Entrance Ramps 

ARTCRAFT (SH 178) TRAFFIC SIGNAL INTERCONNECT PROJECT:

Expect east and westbound shoulder closures on Artcraft Rd. (SH-178) between I-10 and the Texas/New Mexico State Line Monday, November 19 through Wednesday, November 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

DONIPHAN (SH 20) MILL & INLAY PROJECT: 

There will be alternate north and southbound right and left lane closures on Doniphan Dr. between the Texas/New Mexico State Line and the Mesa Intersection Monday, November 19 through Wednesday, November 21 from                 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

WOODROW BEAN / TRANSMOUNTAIN (Loop 375) EXTENSION PROJECT: 

The following closures will be in place Monday, November 19 through Wednesday, November 21 along 

Woodrow Bean/Transmountain (Loop 375) between Dyer St. (BU 54) and 1 mile West of US 54 from 

7 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

East and westbound center median

East and westbound alternate lane closures and shoulders on the frontage roads

Alternate north and southbound lanes at the Kenworthy, Rushing and Alcan Intersections with Transmountain/Woodrow Bean.

PLEASE NOTE:

The eastbound Alcan Entrance Ramp onto Loop 375 and the westbound Alcan Exit are now permanently closed. Westbound traffic will need to use the McCombs/Dyer Exit Ramp.  

Eastbound traffic will need to use the Bomarc Entrance Ramp. 

TRANSMOUNTAIN (Loop 375) - WEST PROJECT: 

Traffic will need to be delayed for approximately 5 minutes during construction operations starting Monday, 

November 19 and continuing through Wednesday, November 21.  These temporary delays will be in place eastbound along Transmountain between Tom May Park and 1 mile east of Resler Dr. daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.   

Expect the left lane on IH-10 westbound between Artcraft to the Transmountain Overpass to be closed on Tuesday, November 20 from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Work crew/ flaggers will be on site.  Please be prepared to stop!

**THE FOLLOWING OPERATIONS CONTINUE IN PLACE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE:

The westbound Transmountain Exit Ramp remains open.

The U-turn going from North Desert Blvd. to South Desert Blvd. remains open

The left lane on South Desert Blvd. between the Transmountain Entrance Ramp and 

Isela Rubalcava Ave. remains closed

The left lane on North Desert Blvd. between Artcraft Rd. and Transmountain Dr. remains closed 

The left lane on North Desert Blvd. between the Transmountain Exit Ramp and the Transmountain Overpass remains closed 

The eastbound Tom Mays Park Entrance on Loop 375 remains closed 

**The Resler Dr. closure between Loop 375 and Trade Center Way has been extended through the 

end of  November 2012 

I-10 ANTHONY RAMP RELOCATION PROJECT:

The following closures will continue through Wednesday, November 21: 

Left lane closure on North Desert Blvd. between Oceanside Rd. and the Anthony Exit Ramp.

Westbound right shoulder on I-10 between the Westway Exit Ramp (Exit 2) and the Anthony Exit Ramp (Exit 0) is closed until further notice.

ALAMEDA (SH 20) PROJECT:

The eastbound lanes are closed on Alameda Ave. from Concepcion St. to Boone St. and will continue closed through April 2013.  

The westbound lanes now have one eastbound and one westbound lane in place for traffic flow

The following side streets will have no access to Alameda: 

Boone St.

Evergreen St.

Pera Ave.

Linden St.

Locust St.

Hadlock St.

Concepcion St.

The Alameda/ Val Verde Intersection will be temporarily closed to traffic through Wednesday, November 21.  A detour is in place.  The intersection will be completed and opened to the public by the end of November.

(It will be necessary to work on Saturdays.)

PLEASE OBEY CONSTRUCTION SIGNS 

FOLLOW THE DETOUR SIGNS

ALL WORK IS DEPENDENT UPON WEATHER CONDITIONS

Fort Bliss Overpass Project UPDATE

The northbound lanes on the Purple Heart Memorial Highway (Loop 375) will becompletely closed between the Liberty Expressway (Spur 601) Exit Ramp and theMontana Overpass.

 

This closure will be in place Friday,November 16 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning.

 

DETOUR:

Northbound traffic will be exited at the Montana Exit Ramp; westbound to Global Reach; northbound to Spur 601 and back onto Loop 375.

 

 

 

The southbound lanes on the Purple Heart Memorial Highway (Loop 375) will becompletely closed between the Montana Overpass to the Liberty Expressway (Spur 601) Exit Ramp on Saturday, November 17from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning.

 

 

DETOUR: 

Southbound traffic will continue westbound on Spur 601 to the Global Reach Exit Ramp; continue on Global Reach to Montana Ave.; then eastbound until back onto Loop 375.

Fort Bliss Thanksgiving Hours

In observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday, Thursday, Nov 22, administrative
offices at Fort Bliss will be closed, except for emergency services,
military police, security, and EMS.
The Exchange will be CLOSED and will reopen at 4am Friday with line-up at 2am. Saturday it will open at 6a.m with
line-up at 4am.
The Commissary will be CLOSED, normal hours resume Friday.

At Freedom Crossing several stores and restaurants will be open on
Thanksgiving including Buffalo Wild Wings and The Grand Theatre.
Call in advance.

Friday Entry Deadline for Holiday Lights Parade

The City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Department and evolve Federal Credit Union are proud to host the Celebration of Lights Program on December 1, 2012 at San Jacinto Plaza in downtown El Paso highlighted by the 15^th edition of the Holiday Lights Parade. The largest event in downtown El Paso will have the tree lighting festivities beginning at 4:30 p.m. followed by the parade starting at 5:55 p.m., right after the tree is lighted. Fireworks will light up the downtown skies again this year thanks to the sponsorship of evolve Federal Credit Union.

The parade had upwards of 78,000 people on the parade route last year to partake in the festivities. Ken Walters, President and CEO of evolve Federal Credit Union says “We are excited to once again have the privilege of sponsoring the Celebration of Lights. It is an honor to be able to bring this event to the citizens of El Paso.” The program and the lights parade can be seen live on El Paso – Las Cruces CW affiliated with KVIA-TV.

Parade registration forms are available at the Recreation Administration Office for El Paso Parks and Recreation at 911 S. Ochoa St. or forms can be downloaded at the Parks and Recreation web site at www.elpasotexas.gov/parks. with an entry deadline of November 16^th with forms being taken on a first come basis. There is a fee for the parade based on the size of the entry.

Texas Social Security Offices to Close to the Public a Half Hour Early Each Day and at Noon on Wednesdays

Effective November 19, 2012, Texas Social Security offices will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – a reduction of 30 minutes each weekday.  In addition, beginning January 2, 2013, offices will close to the public at noon every Wednesday.

While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter public window will allow them to complete face-to-face interviews and process claims work without incurring the cost of overtime.   The significantly reduced funding provided by Congress under the continuing resolution for the first six months of the fiscal year makes it impossible for the agency to provide the overtime needed to handle service to the public as it has done in the past.   

In addition, on November 23, the day after Thanksgiving, all Social Security field offices will be closed to the public.  As we did last year, employees working that day will focus on reducing backlogged workloads. 

Most Social Security services do not require a visit to a local office.  Many services, including applying for retirement, disability or Medicare benefits, signing up for direct deposit, replacing a Medicare card, obtaining a proof of income letter or informing us of a change of address or telephone number are conveniently available at  www.socialsecurity.gov or by dialing our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213.  People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.  Many of our online services also are available in Spanish at  www.segurosocial.gov.