PASO DEL NORTE-CENTRIC NEWS
EL PASO WATER’S TECH20 LEARNING CENTER AND WILDLIFE HABITAT IS LIKE A ZOO BUT WITHOUT THE PESKY CAGES. SO IT’S ACTUALLY BETTER THAN A ZOO BUT SLIGHTLY MORE DANGEROUS – A hidden gem wildlife preserve exists in far East El Paso that protects local wildlife and preserves the Chihuahuan Desert from the encroaching urban environment. The wildlife habitat is run by the TecH20 Learning Center and welcomes the Paso Del Norte community. The El Paso Herald Post has a nice write up on the habitat but you can do one better and go visit it in person to learn more about the Chihuahuan Desert in all its natural glory. Just don’t get bitten by a coyote, mountain lion, jackrabbit, snake and/or tarantula. (elpasoheraldpost.com)
FORT BLISS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO PRESERVE A HISTORICAL MURAL. GOOD JOB, FORT BLISS – In 1943, soldier and artist Baron Carl Rudolph Von Ripper painted a mural at the William Beaumont Hospital Library of a multi-ethnic group of people holding up a map of the United States. The mural has stood the test of time and, even though most of the buildings are now dilapidated, the mural is still in pretty good condition. Even though there was some confusion on the ultimate fate of the mural, Fort Bliss has just announced that the mural will be restored and preserved. The City of El Paso is currently in negotiations to lease the old land of the William Beaumont complex from the base and this is the first word we have received that the mural will not be destroyed as part of any demolition in the area. Kudos, Fort Bliss. Now if they can just finish up the new William Beaumont Medical Center before the end of the century. (cbs4local.com)
LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM, THE TRUE VALUE OF A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM IS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THEY BRING TO A CITY – The El Paso Locomotive has announced that they will be adding the Locomotive Futures Program to their youth futball development program. The Locomotive already provide plenty of youth development for under-17 futball players and the new programs announced will offer even more opportunity for local youth to take their game to the next level and maybe get a scholarship or professional playing opportunities in the future. Though many people don’t like pro sports teams because of the perceived taxpayer benefits they feel the organizations get, you can’t deny they do provide a boost to the local community. (elpasoheraldpost.com)
REST OF THE WORLD-CENTRIC NEWS
EUROPE IS BURNING, THE ARCTIC IS ON FIRE AND SIBERIA IS COVERED IN SMOKE. THE WHOLE WORLD IS GOING TO BURST INTO FLAMES! – Fresh on the heels of last month’s European heatwave, another dome of high temperatures has parked itself over most of the continent bringing even hotter temperatures to some places. Paris saw a record all-time high temperature of 42.6C (108.7F) and many places in Europe have also experienced record temperatures and evaporating rivers and lakes. Not to be outdone, a record amount of fires are burning throughout the Arctic and a part of Siberia – of all places – is experiencing an extreme influx of smoke because of the fires in the area. Although climate change is not responsible for these events, most scientists agree that global climate change is making these types of events more severe and more frequent. So get ready to become a giant desert, Europe. (bbc.com)
I’VE GOT NO PROBLEM WITH WOODEN SKYSCRAPERS. LET’S START BUILDING MORE OF THEM – On the topic of our imploding environment, researchers have found that building with wood is much more sustainable and beneficial for the environment than using concrete and steel. It might seem counter-intuitive, but when done correctly and with proper forest management, using wood as the main construction material has great benefits for the environment as opposed to traditional concrete and steel construction. Hell, thanks to new laminated timber technology it is possible to build rather tall structures using only wood. The BBC has a great write up on the people pioneering the use of modern wood products in construction projects and the ways they can help the environment. Who knows? One day you might be living in a wooden skyscraper. (bbc.com)
HEY KIDS! DROP OUT OF SCHOOL AND JUST FOCUS ON PLAYING VIDEO GAMES. THAT’S WHERE THE MONEY IS AT! – This weekend will see the Fortnite World Cup in New York City where a bunch of teenagers will compete for millions of dollars in prizes. Who needs an education when you can get Fortnite money! The event will feature the largest shared purse for an e-sports event – worth $30 million – and the winners of each event will get around $3 million. Not bad for giving up your entire social life and ignoring people of the opposite sex as you play video games non-stop for 10 hours a day, seven days a week. (polygon.com)
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