ASE -- El Paso (Texas) Times

Wasn't my intent to do that. My intention was to suggest that it would make quality of life outside the job a lot better if the person knew how to speak Spanish. That's all.

 

good enough. you are correct.

 

90 percent Spanish to 10 percent English? Really? If that were the case, do you really think there'd be a 63,000/80,000 English newspaper there?

And basing an assumption on 90 percent of the people there speaking Spanish on your car breaking down in Juarez, Mexico, isn't the smartest thing you could do.

Being from the area and having worked with John some when I was SE at a sister paper in New Mexico, I can tell you he's a good guy and the gig is probably a good one if its what you want to get into and you take seriously the line about there being limited writing opportunities.

Deadline issues were a problem that tied their hands some when I was still around. If I remember correctly, the Times' bigwigs wouldn't move Thursday night deadlines back to get UTEP's season opening football game in the paper to start the 2006 season. The game was in California, but being in the Mountain time zone, one hour later on a football start time for the only game in town should not be a problem.

And while Spanish is a big part of the El Paso culture, a huge part in fact, you can actually walk down the streets of El Paso without a Spanish-to-English dictionary.

 

GOING to Juarez, Mexico, wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done.
And I'll stand by what I said. Maybe the 90 percent to 10 percent was high, and was based on the part of the city I was in. But from my experience, it still seems like knowing some Spanish would be a big help if you moved to that area.

 

My wife's family is from El Paso and I have been there many times. It is helpful to know Spanish, but it isn't mandatory. I have always said I learned more Spanish in four days in Juarez (visiting my soon-to-be wife) than I learned in two years of high school.

You can get ripped off getting your car fixed any time you are in a strange city. There is crime from narcos in Juarez and it is like any city in the US where there is a risk, but I have found the people to be friendly when I have visited and when they heard me speak in Spanish, many just speak English because it will make a transaction go faster.

The problem for an English-language newspaper in El Paso is that the city is 70 percent Mexican. Just as you can get by without knowing Spanish in the area, you can also get by easily without knowing English. People know English but, given a choice to read something in English or Spanish, most people would probably read it in their first language. It would be a business challenge.

El Paso is also the largest city in the US (something like 600,000) without a major league franchise. That is a little deceptive because there is little outside the city - you don't really have suburbs and 8 or 10 miles outside the city you are talking cactus.

It is a nice place to live - housing and utility costs are low. The sun does shine all of the time but it is the desert and it can get pretty cold in the winter - although when my wife tells me that, I always laugh and tell her she doesn't know real cold. It also gets real hot in the summer - not Vegas hot, but pretty hot.

If I could get a job there (my full-time job isn't a media job) I would move there because I think it is a good community to raise a family.

 

one other thing - in the 80s and early 90s, my wife saw a lot of good concerts there - she still keeps the ticket stubs as souvenirs.

 

I'd take that job. Just for the chance to marry a Mexican woman.

 

worked for me... the marriage, not the job

 

Out in the West Texas town of El Paso
I fell in love with a Mexican girl.
Night-time would find me in Rosa's cantina;
Music would play and Felina would whirl.

Blacker than night were the eyes of Felina,
Wicked and evil while casting a spell.
My love was deep for this Mexican maiden;
I was in love but in vain, I could tell.

One night a wild young cowboy came in,
Wild as the West Texas wind.
Dashing and daring,
A drink he was sharing
With wicked Felina,
The girl that I loved.

So in anger I

Challenged his right for the love of this maiden.
Down went his hand for the gun that he wore.
My challenge was answered in less than a heart-beat;
The handsome young stranger lay dead on the floor.

Just for a moment I stood there in silence,
Shocked by the FOUL EVIL deed I had done.
Many thoughts raced through my mind as I stood there;
I had but one chance and that was to run.

Out through the back door of Rosa's I ran,
Out where the horses were tied.
I caught a good one.
It looked like it could run.
Up on its back
And away I did ride,

Just as fast as I

Could from the West Texas town of El Paso
Out to the bad-lands of New Mexico.

Back in El Paso my life would be worthless.
Everything's gone in life; nothing is left.
It's been so long since I've seen the young maiden
My love is stronger than my fear of death.

I saddled up and away I did go,
Riding alone in the dark.
Maybe tomorrow
A bullet may find me.
Tonight nothing's worse than this
Pain in my heart.

And at last here I

Am on the hill overlooking El Paso;
I can see Rosa's cantina below.
My love is strong and it pushes me onward.
Down off the hill to Felina I go.

Off to my right I see five mounted cowboys;
Off to my left ride a dozen or more.
Shouting and shooting I can't let them catch me.
I have to make it to Rosa's back door.

Something is dreadfully wrong for I feel
A deep burning pain in my side.
Though I am trying
To stay in the saddle,
I'm getting weary,
Unable to ride.

But my love for

Felina is strong and I rise where I've fallen,
Though I am weary I can't stop to rest.
I see the white puff of smoke from the rifle.
I feel the bullet go deep in my chest.

From out of nowhere Felina has found me,
Kissing my cheek as she kneels by my side.
Cradled by two loving arms that I'll die for,
One little kiss and Felina, good-bye.

 

I met Felina once.

Her sister was way hot.

 

Any updates on this one? (The job, not Felina and her sister.)

 

I heard a former staffer is the frontrunner.