Come on, Presidio. It's a parade for cryin' out loud!

Probably the most underwhelming community events in our town are our parades. Unlike Marfa and Alpine where the local populace turns out to enthusiastically support their various parades, you'd think that a Presidio parade was a processional to an I.R.S. audit. Our parades have just about everything you'd find in such an event: a marching band, floats, hot rods, politicians, etc. That is not where the problem lies. The problem is that many of our townspeople don't show the slightest inclination to joining in on the fun of what a parade is.

Imagine giving a pep talk to a 12 year-old about carrying a 26" bass drum a mile and a half down Main Street. Oh, and he'll need to play it non-stop, too. Outside of the encouragement of the band director and a bargain brand soda waiting at the end, that's about all a typical Presidio band kid gets out of helping out in a parade. Yeah, there'll be a few random souls whooping it up along the way, but for the most part people just stand there and stare expressionless. Weird.

I think the underlying problem in this situation is that we lack ownership in this town. So many of us either still count Ojinaga as our home town, or we haven't decided that Presidio is worth rooting for--win, lose, or draw. We are not yet a true community. We all happen to live in the same village, but the esprit de corps is absent. We all love to cheer the local baseball champs, but forget about cheering on the local team that has no chance at the playoffs. We all want to be a part of the fervor when times are great, but what about the lean times?

I guess you have to keep trying...

Viva Presidio!

Presidio Arts Festival 2009 was awesome! See you in '10!

Jesus Hernandez performs with Muela de Juicio.





Paisano Dancers from Terlingua School.

Rondalla de CeTIS 98.

Vamonos a Guajira

Hey so now members of Congress are seriously talking about introducing legislation to lift the travel restrictions to Cuba? All right! Now we're talking!

My previous post dealt with lifting the embargo, but now there's a good chance I won't have to sneak over to Cuba to visit. The times, they are a changin'. It would almost be like adding a new island to the earth, because practically none of us have ever been there. How I would love to hang out in Havana and just soak up everything.

By the way the title of this post comes from some lyrics from a Santana tune.

An end to the Cuban embargo?

The US Congress is apparently getting ready to loosen the (ludicrous) embargo that has been in place against Cuba since the early 1960's. Once upon a time, when communism, was on the march, the US put into place an almost total embargo against Cuba due to Fidel Castro's assuming power of the island nation. Castro definitely is no saint, but the Cuban people have borne the brunt of this embargo over the years. It's time for the embargo to end.

Cuba is economically poor; it's people are, in so many other ways, very rich. Out of necessity, they are resourceful and are quite resilient. From my perspective, their culture is extraordinary, and I would guess many people share this opinion. Cuba is also an interesting land--one that I must visit during my lifetime.

President Obama, let's bring to a close this strange chapter in our nation's history and make some new friends in Cuba.

Next door: Mexico

Right across the river from Presidio lies Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico. Ah, Mexico... A land with never a dull moment. The food, the scenery, the culture, the romance... Like a siren, she entranced me when I was just a boy. Now, as a man, I remain her blissful devotee. Alas, she has suffered a sad fate in the year 2008. Years of disfunctional leadership, coupled with a persistently weak economy have brought much suffering to her people, with no end in sight.

More to come...

President Barack Obama!

10:00 PM CST, November 4, 2008: The Bradley Effect is debunked. America, we have done it! Barack Obama will be our next president and I can't wait!

Presidio didn't seem to be very interested in any spontaneous partying in the streets, probably because many were ill-informed about Obama's candidacy. Let's give those people some time to see what President Obama can and will do, and they'll likely come around.

Oh, and congrats Pete Gallego and Ciro Rodriguez for your victories, too.

I think I 'll drink a beer and celebrate tonight. It'll be time to get to work very soon.

Just One Victory!

Back in 1992 I clearly remember Bill Clinton winning the presidential election and how excited I was. At the time I was Mayor of Presidio and felt like the stars were really starting to "align". Unfortunately I gave up the mayor business in May of 1994 and that was that. I was a loyal Clinton supporter during his two terms, but some of his mis-steps fired up Republicans so much, we got George Bush in 2000.

I already lived through the 1980's and was in no mood to repeat that period of history. We got it anyway, as Bush brought back people and ideology that so pervaded that decade. I just knew his presidency would be one huge bummer and I was right. Bad news: he took 8 good years of my life. Good news: It's basically over now.

So, here we are on election eve 2008. Barack Obama is out in front and seems to have everything going his way. John McCain and Sarah Palin are making last-minute desperation attacks and showing me that they will continue to divide our nation, should they win. I prefer coming together. I prefer not fearing everyone and everything that is different from me. I prefer going down the road not previously taken, because the one we're on doesn't seem to be one I want to continue traveling.

I read where 23% of my fellow Texans still think Barack Obama is a Muslim. He's not, but so what? I remember my grandfather running down every other denomination except our own. And I married a Catholic! Wow! Didn't see that one coming, huh, grandpa? So I guess I can see why so many people are uncomfortable with people who are different. The good news in Texas is that 77% of us are able to be a little more open-minded.

I really hope that I am witnessing a watershed moment in our nation's history. I honestly believe that Brack Obama can and will be right up there with some of the giants whom most all of us look up to. He just needs to keep his focus, keep his pants on, and remember he is President of us all.

In the unlikely event that Mr. Obama were to read this, here are some recommendations I would have:

• Put every penny you can find into developing alternative energy.
• Make health care affordable to every American.
• Bring jobs back to the US.
• Revamp or trash "No Child Left Behind."
• Make Mexico a true neighbor and work hand in hand with her to address her many problems.
• End the Cuban embargo.
• Work for peace around the world.

We can make this happen. All we need is just one victory on November 4th!