June 15, 2025 • 35 mins
Segment 1: Amber Banda interviews Walli Haley, Founder and Chairwoman of the Board of the El Paso Preservation Alliance. This organiation was created to promote and preserve historic neighborhoods, homes and landmark buildings, and to foster appreciation for these structures through education and advocacy. Some of these districs and buildings include the Austin Terrace District, Historic Downtown El Paso, Magoffin Historic District, and Manhattan Hieghts.
Walli is very knowledgeable and passionate about preserving these buildings and helping homeowners in this districts preserve and maintain their houses.
For more information go to elpasopreservation.org
Segment 2 and 3:
Amber Banda interviews VJ Smith of Marathon Petroleum, and Andrea Tirres, CEO of Borderplex Connect.
Many people here in the border city still do not have access electronics and internet access. Being connected this day and age is extremey important; from applying for jobs and colleges, looking for work, submitting resumes, researching for school projects, paying bills, and even checking on medical records. Marathon and Borderplex Connect are working to close the didgtal divide in underserved communities here in El Paso.
For more information go to borderplexconnect.org
Some other helpful websites:
Financial assistance for Internet Service:
lifelinesupport.org
Low cost-internet service and computers in your area:
everyoneon.org/find-offers
Report Internet Crimes:
www.ic3.gov
Walli is very knowledgeable and passionate about preserving these buildings and helping homeowners in this districts preserve and maintain their houses.
For more information go to elpasopreservation.org
Segment 2 and 3:
Amber Banda interviews VJ Smith of Marathon Petroleum, and Andrea Tirres, CEO of Borderplex Connect.
Many people here in the border city still do not have access electronics and internet access. Being connected this day and age is extremey important; from applying for jobs and colleges, looking for work, submitting resumes, researching for school projects, paying bills, and even checking on medical records. Marathon and Borderplex Connect are working to close the didgtal divide in underserved communities here in El Paso.
For more information go to borderplexconnect.org
Some other helpful websites:
Financial assistance for Internet Service:
lifelinesupport.org
Low cost-internet service and computers in your area:
everyoneon.org/find-offers
Report Internet Crimes:
www.ic3.gov
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to El Paso Public Forum, a weekly half hour
public affairs presentation of iHeartRadio El Paso for over twenty years,
featuring local news and interviews of interest to our listeners
in West Texas and southern New Mexico. All views and
opinions expressed on this program are those of the host
and guest, and not necessarily those of iHeartRadio Management and
now El Paso Public Forum.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Welcome back to the al Paso Public Forum. I am
your host, Amberbanda, and today we have Wally Hayley. She
is the founder and chairwoman of the board of the
al Paso Preservation Alliance. Wally, thank you so much for
being here with me today.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Thank you so much. Amber. I'm really excited about being here.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yes, I got to tell you, I love the name Wally.
It reminds me of the Disney Pixar movie. Have you
seen the movie, Wally.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
I've heard of it, definitely never heard.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I've never heard that name before. I love that name. Anyway,
we're going to be talking today about the al Paso
Preservation Alliance. Wally, tell us a little bit about this nonprofit.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Okay, Well, this is a nonprofit that I actually founded
with you know, we had a founding board back in
nineteen ninety six, and the idea was to kind of
capitalize on our historic neighborhoods in El Paso. I'm not
a native l Paso in I moved here in nineteen
seventy one and I noticed that, you know, El Paso
(01:21):
really has some beautiful neighborhoods, and I noticed that the
downtown had some incredible buildings. I remember as a college
student when I first the first day that I started
at UTIP, I remember looking, you know, I was only seventeen,
what did I know, you know, and I remember kind
of turning around thinking, Wow, what a beautiful campus. Like
I just really appreciated the architecture, and that's just something
(01:45):
that's just I've always appreciated architecture and just beautiful surroundings.
And so I've always appreciated. Like I grew up, I
went to high school outside of Chicago, which I think
is one of the most beautiful cities in the country,
if not the most beautiful to me, And part of
what I liked about it was the architecture and how
studying the buildings were. I mean, I just that's just
(02:06):
something I've always appreciated. And as I learned more about it,
I learned that in al Paso we have a wealth
of beautiful buildings downtown, beautiful neighborhoods, and I just wanted
to be able to help people learn to appreciate that
more because it's really not only just a matter of
appreciating the beauty that's around us, but it's also an
(02:29):
economic development tool.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
So is that what brought you to really?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Capitalizem Devanel was actually the army. The army brought my
dad here and so that's what what happen. So I
was an army brat, So I moved here in nineteen
seventy one at seventeen, and then I started UTEP and
like I said, then it kind of all went from there.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
And so you didn't really have you didn't come from
a family that there were architects or anything. You just
always had a fascination for the architecture and honestly the
history that goes into it, because I think the more
you know about something, the more you appreciate it. And
so you know, you were saying that this organization promotes
and preserves historic neighborhoods, homes and landmark buildings. Foster appreciation
(03:09):
through education and advocacy. So when I was looking at
your website Alpasseopreservation dot org, I saw that there was
four main districts that you kind of advocated for and
educated people on. The Austin Terrace District, the Historic Downtown,
Historic Downtown of El Paso, Macgoffin Historic District, and Manhattan Heights.
(03:31):
Can you tell us a little bit about why you
chose those districts?
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Well, I mean, I want to actually include all of them,
but I'm the one who's taking the pictures and upload
you know, getting them uploaded, so I just haven't gotten
around to doing the other's like nine historic districts, so
for sure, you know, I want to include. Oh yeah,
I want to include all of them because they're all
fascinating in their own way. You know, we have Chiwawita,
(03:55):
you know downtown. We've got course of since At Heights District,
which is gorgeous. You know, we have Manhattan Heights, which
is the first designated historic neighborhood, and then Austin Terris
is the second. You know, So I want to include
all of them, but I just you.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Know, that's just me, you know, just not being able
to you know, get around to doing that, and if
anybody wants to help out with that, I would love
to have some volunteers maybe, but yeah, so anybody that
wants to help us with our social media that knows
more about it than I do, that would be fantastic.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
And so I don't know if you know that. Recently,
we had a home tour that we had in Manhattan
Heights and we were lucky enough to get docent students
from the Huckabee School of Architecture Texas Tech that are
here in ol Paso. And so that was so wonderful
because these students were fantastic. You know, these were young people.
(04:51):
I definitely want to get more young people interested in
historic preservation. These are students that are already interested in architecture.
Some of them are actually getting degrees in historic preservation.
So that was a really wonderful introduction. So to be
able to meet these young students and to see their enthusiasm,
(05:13):
and some of them had never been to this neighborhood before,
so that was exciting and so I just enjoyed that
so much, and I think they enjoyed it too. So
I'd like to just see.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
More of that for people like me that I've lived
here my whole life. Now I'm familiar that we have
different districts, but for people that are like me or
maybe they're new to all pass so can you kind
of go down the districts and give us an idea
of where they're located, because I grew up in Austin
Terrace and I just barely found out by talking to
you before this interview that that's what that district is called.
(05:46):
But just you know, give us an idea of where
they're at.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
A few of the well, like for example, Sunset Heights
is on the west side of town around the Utep area,
so it's it's like on the so we're Masa Street divide,
so there's like Mesa Street and then it's on the
west side of Mesa And it's one of the older
historic neighborhoods in Alpaso. Really started around the late eighteen hundreds.
(06:10):
The time it was built, it was kind of the
silk Stocking neighborhood. Really fancy, you know, we had these
big old houses, which a lot of them began to
fall into disrepair in the sixties and seventies or maybe before,
and they began to be cut up into apartments, and
you know, because they just weren't viable as a single
family home. Now some of them are still being used
(06:32):
as single family homes and they're absolutely beautiful and it's
a lovely neighborhood and it has And what's cool about
it is these older neighborhoods are economically integrated in other words,
like some neighborhoods like currently, when new neighborhoods are built,
like when a developer is building a new neighborhood, they're
(06:52):
usually building it for a certain economic group. Like in
other words, we're building houses in this price range, you know,
saying like all the houses are going to be built
to be say two hundred thousand, three hundred thousand, four
hundred thousand, whatever that price range is. But these neighborhoods
were organic in other words, you know, there were some
fancy homes and then so not fancy halls, and so
(07:15):
you had people of all different economic levels living in
the same neighborhood. And that's interesting because that's not how
we build neighborhoods now So, and the other thing I
love about these old neighborhoods is the variety of architectural
styles like new neighborhoods all look alike, you know, the
very cookie cutter you know, they all they're interchangeable. And
(07:38):
then from what I'm hearing, I follow some home inspectors
on YouTube, and these home inspectors are inspecting brand new
homes in developments like in Arizona and Texas, and the
shoddiness of the construction is horrifying, I mean horrifying. So
what I so, I'm living in a house was built
in nineteen nineteen by Auto Thorman, who is a famous
(08:01):
local architect, but it was actually kind of a regional architect.
But when I look at my house, it's, you know,
one hundred and six years old. I'm so grateful because
it's solid brick construction. The walls are plaster and laugh
so they're really hard. You can't like punch your fist
through the wall. If you do, you break your hand.
But I mean, you know, so, I just feel like
(08:21):
it's very solid. And obviously there's some maintenance that now
goes into taking care of a home that's one hundred
and six years old, but to me, it's worth it.
And I want people to be proud of living in
a historic district because you know, it's it's not for everybody.
I mean meaning not everybody appreciates wanting to take care
(08:42):
of an older home. You know, a lot of people
want a new home because they think, oh, it's not
going to require as much upkeep because it's new. Those
of us who live in these older homes, we know that,
you know, we've had to do things and it can
be expensive, and it's what's yeah, and what our biggest
challenge is. I think it's fine workmen that know or
(09:02):
construction people or contractors that know how to do the
things that we need to have done.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
My thing, my mom, we grew up in a historic district,
Austin Terrace, and that's one thing that we do admire
about is that most of the homes are very different
from the others. And then this one particular home that
we lived in, they added on to the back, so
it's very unique. Every time someone goes to my mom's house,
it's you know, not huge, but they're like, wow, this
is cool. This is like something we've never seen before.
(09:31):
And again, if you're just joining us, we have Wally Haley,
founder and chairwoman of the board of the al Pacle
Preservation Alliance now the al Pacle Preservation Alliance promotes and
preserves historic neighborhoods, homes, and landmark buildings foster's appreciation through
education and advocacy. Now, while you did explain a little
(09:52):
bit right now, like the benefits of living in a
historic district, and can you tell the listening audience what
what is the benefit? Why should people preserve these neighborhoods
and these homes and these buildings.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Well, I think they should do it because it represents
different architectural styles that aren't common today. So that's one thing.
And one of the things that I like. For example,
the kind of house that I live in, it's called
a craftsman style bungalow, meaning it has a big front porch,
you know, a big wrap around porch, and it's got
you know, has certain architectural details. So inside the house
(10:29):
there's built in you know, bookcases, and I'm sitting in
my breakfast nook right now that I use as my
office currently. You know, it's built in like a little
like a little bankhett and it's really cute and it's
original from you know, nineteen nineteen. So just fostering a
love of that. But what I was explaining to the
architecture students is you know, you see the front porch.
(10:51):
The reason they have these front porches is because, you know,
televisions didn't exist in nineteen nineteen, so people entertain themselves
by on their front porches. And what that did was
it helped them engage with the neighbors and the neighborhood.
So as a result, like I, you know my house,
I know almost all of my neighbors. I mean I
(11:12):
know them by name. I interact with them, They know me,
and we know each other because we see each other.
You know, we don't just drive into our garage and
then go inside our house. You know, we have garages,
but they're in the back. They're not prominant. And that
was another big feature because cars were not We weren't
so car centric back then. Yeah I don't have cars, Yeah,
(11:37):
but we don't like showcase the garage like yay, look
at this great garage. I mean, you know, there are
some homes in the neighborhood that have two garages. I
mean maybe even one or two that even has three garages,
but it's not so prominent. You know, it's more tucked
away on the side or in the back.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Nowadays, people use the garage to run into their homes.
Like myself. I like, I's so right, you know, like,
oh man, I'm not dress to see people right now.
I'm just gonna use it to run inside house. But
that's interesting. I didn't know that about the porches. And so,
you know, you have these events where you give tours
of the homes and the districts and the buildings, and
you could tell people about the history of them. I
think it's really interesting. And the funds that are raised
(12:16):
during these tours or your fundraising events, what are those
funds used for?
Speaker 3 (12:19):
Well, right now, this was actually our first fundraiser that
we have had in many, many years, and so we
don't have a paid executive director or anything. And what
we're trying to do is, you know, we're keeping that funds.
We're hoping to Maybe it's my hope. I can't speak
for the whole court. I don't think at this point,
but I think my hope is to eventually maybe have
(12:42):
a paid executive director who would be able to do
more outreach, to be able to you know, it'd be
wonderful if we had jillions of dollars, because I would
love to set up like a grant program to help
homeowners pay for things that they need to have done
to their homes, or maybe have a training, some sort
(13:03):
of training where we would train local craftsmen to for example,
restore windows, restore these old windows as opposed to buy
new ones, which is actually cheaper than buy new ones
if you buy architecturally correct new ones. Or for example,
there's something called pointing, and what that means is when
you have a brick house, the brick is held together
(13:26):
by mortar, right, it's like grow right, So over a century,
that mortar starts to deteriorate and you have to replace
it because otherwise your bricks will fall out or know
what that to happen is that's holding your house together. Well,
a lot of people don't know, and why would they.
They don't know that the bricks from one hundred years
ago are softer than the bricks that they started making
(13:49):
after nineteen thirty. And what that means is the mortar
has to be softer too. The mortar has to be
softer than the bricks. If it's not, it will eventually
crack and break the bricks. That process is called spawling,
and it can take place over a very long period
of time, but eventually it can ruin your bricks. So
(14:11):
it's important to have the right and mortar. But people
don't know that, Like then why would they know that?
It's just not common knowledge. So education is something that
I think we need to do. So I actually flew
myself to Pennsylvania to take a class to learn how
to do the appointing. Why it's all hard. I mean,
it's not like rocket science, but it's it's a skill,
(14:33):
and it's a skill that I don't really have, and
it's very tedious and time consuming and you know, and
you have to mix the mortar to the right consistency,
and well that's like, yeah, it's a whole thing.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Someone like my mom, I don't even think she knows
that because she does have a hard time trying to
get people to go fix different things around her house.
She does have a brick house that could possibly be
brick and mortar since it is in the Austin Terrace district.
So if you do have an older house in one
of these districts you need help, you can reach out
to them at the Alpasslpreservation dot org. And if you
yourself are someone that feels confident enough that you can
(15:06):
provide services to these buildings. Please reach out to the
Alpasso Preservation Alliance at Alpasslpreservation dot org. You can also
find them on Instagram at EPPA nine one five and
on Facebook at Alpassel Preservation Alliance and of course on
Sunday ninety nine point nine on ninety six point three
K Country and Power one oh two point one on
(15:27):
the Instagram and Facebook, go on there. We will be
posting pictures of you know, of Wally, of some of
the houses, all of the information that you need to
get a hold of them in case you want to
help or you need help. And again, Wally, I want
to thank you so much for being here and talking
with us today.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Oh, thank you so much. Amber, I really enjoyed it.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Welcome back to the al Pascol Public Forum. I am
your host, Amber Banda, and right now I am talking
with v J. Smith. He is the Government and Public
Affairs manager for Marathon Petroleum. VJ. Thank you for talking
with me today.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
Well, good morning, Amber. It's an honor to be here,
a pleasure to be with you, and excited to talk
a little bit about this investment we've made.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
I'm excited to talk with you about this too. I've
met you before. You have such a calm energy about you.
So you've a great radio voice, by the way, just
in case you know, no one's ever told you before.
But VJ, we're talking about the grant that was given
from Marathon Petroleum to this project. Can you tell us
a little bit more about that grant?
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Absolutely well, Marathon Petroleum is proud to talk about this.
We've made a supporting investment of one hundred thousand dollars
and it's to fund a project called Project Overcome, which
is a partnership with the Borderplex Connect and it reinforces
our commitment to bringing broadband access to those who do
(16:48):
not have high speed internet.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Project Overcome. That's a nice chunk of change one hundred grand.
And you know, I know that Marathon Petroleum does a
lot for the community. They're always giving grants. But in
in your personal thoughts with you, J, the last question
I'm going to ask you is what do you think
is the benefit of people being better connected? I mean,
I know it sounds kind of obvious, but in your
opinion right right.
Speaker 5 (17:12):
Well, when you think about it being connected in this
day and age and with technology and where things have come.
It's as important as a utility. It's as important as
having water or gas or electricity. It's it's incredibly vitally
important for folks to have connectivity. And you know, we
(17:33):
think of this fast paced world and what they get
from having connectivity, quality of life specifics, also access to jobs,
also access to healthcare, education, and public safety. So it's
it's really something that's vitally important.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
It's no longer a luxury anymore. People think cell phones,
they think Internet, they think, oh, you know, it's just
something if you can afford it. No, like you said,
you needed to stay connected. If you're looking for a job,
you go online. If you're looking to a child of
school age and they're looking for a project, they're going
to look online for you know, my daughter just did.
It was a project on a snake. She's going online
(18:12):
to look for things. So to further your education and
things like that. VJ. Is there anything else that you
would like to tell the listening audience.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
Well, I think Amber, you hit on a big point there,
and that is education. We support a lot of schools
in South El Paso where our facility is, and if
these students do not have connectivity, we can't prepare them
for the future in a lot of ways. So we
need to keep El Paso on the cutting edge. We
(18:39):
need our students to be exceptional in science, technology, engineering, math,
all those good things, and having this connectivity well will
be a big piece of that.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
And you definitely are taking action because again I met
you when I went to tour Marathon Petroleum, because you
all were part of the al Paso Science Festival. Amazing festival.
You all had your thing going on out there.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
Again.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
VJ, thank you so much for talking with me today.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Thank you, Amber.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Welcome back to the al Pasa Public Forum. I am
your host, Amber Banda and right now I am joined
by Andrea Theidas. She is the CEO of border Plex Connect. Andrew,
thank you so much for being here with me today.
Speaker 6 (19:20):
Thank you for having me Amber.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Of course, so Borderplex Connect. I talked to VJ earlier
and Marathon Petroleum Corporation. They just awarded a one hundred
thousand dollars grant to help with you know something, the
digital divide that we'll get to in a little bit.
But Andrew, can you tell us a little bit more
about Borderplex Connect?
Speaker 6 (19:42):
Sure? So, Borderplex Connect is a nonprofit organization under the
umbrella of the al Paso Community Foundation, and we serve
far West Texas and southern New Mexico. We are a
coalition of partners from the nonprofit, for profit and government
spears and we are focused on digital inclusion. So what
that means is connecting people with high speed broadband so connectivity,
(20:08):
looking at ways to make it more affordable for Internet service,
and looking at ways that we can equip people with
the skills and devices so that they can navigate the
Internet and use devices that connect to the Internet. Our
target audience's low income individuals and rural communities.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
I think you know, during the pandemic that was kind
of like an eye opener because everyone had to do
things online, right, They had to do zoom, Skype, they
had to learn, they had to work. So is our
pass so still being affected in this manner even after
the pandemic.
Speaker 6 (20:47):
Yes, definitely. And I want to start off by saying
that when we think about the Internet, many of us
expect to have access to the Internet as we go
about our daily routine, whether we connect to the Internet
for work, education, health, civic engagement, or entertainment. We live
in a world that functions on digital transactions, services, and
(21:09):
exchange of information. So it's not a luxury to have Internet.
It is a necessity in today's day and age exactly.
So there are segments of our community who lack access
to affordable internet service, lag behind on basic digital skills,
and or do not have a reliable device that connects
(21:31):
to the Internet. So when we look at Alpasso County,
the number of households without Internet subscription is more than
thirty four thousand.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (21:41):
So this is from the American Community Survey twenty twenty
three figures. We expect that that number has gone up
since twenty twenty three, oh my gosh. And we expect
that the affordability piece is going to be a major
obstacle for people to continue to pay for Internet. We
know that times are tough, looking at inflation, looking at
(22:05):
workforce opportunities, and so this is going to be a
big issue as we try to make our community stronger
and equip people with the resources and skills they need
to make decisions that meet their life goals and aspirations.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Definitely.
Speaker 6 (22:24):
I also want to point out that when we're looking
at households with only smartphones, because many of us have smartphones.
Not a lot of people have, you know, a tablet
and a laptop and a desktop computer. And you can
certainly do things using your smartphone, but it sure is
easier to use a laptop or a computer at home.
(22:47):
So in Alpasso County, households that only have a smartphone,
you know, no other device, more than forty thousand households.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Wow, with no laptop. I mean, I'm trying to think
of things that I have to do on my laptop alone.
And yeah, I mean maybe I could do them on
the phone, but it's not nearly as efficient or you know,
as vast as having an actual laptop or computer.
Speaker 6 (23:12):
Yes, And then you have to think about, you know,
how do you acquire the skills, right you didn't grow
up with that, if you weren't exposed to that, and
how do you keep pace with the technologies and the
software and the hardware that is constantly changing.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
So I'm thinking about what you were saying earlier that
a lot of these people, especially low income households, they
don't have access to be connected. I'm thinking about trying
to paint a picture for the listening audience. Think about
everything that you do when you're being connected. You check
for job applications, you know, you submit your resumes, you
do online bill pay. Who wants to wait in line anymore?
(23:48):
When students, especially kids, have to do a project, they
are looking online for the information. You know, you don't
have the time sometimes to drive all the way to
the library, and a lot of people don't even know
how to check out where to check out a book anymore,
because the Internet has made it that much more efficient
for you to be able to do those things and
to not be able to I'm just again imagine you
(24:09):
not being able to just check on your child or
check on a loved one the way you do when
you use the internet to do these things.
Speaker 6 (24:17):
Yes, and also a big part of the usefulness of
the Internet is healthcare and well being. So being able
to set up telehealth appointments, to order prescriptions, to order,
you know, prescriptions from online pharmacies.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
My patient portal with my doctor. That's how I like
look at my results. That is so true. And so Andrea,
there is something that you that we had mentioned, the
digital divide. Can you elaborate a little bit more on that?
Speaker 6 (24:49):
Right, So, the digital divide became a term that many
of us became more familiar with during the pandemic, when
the world you know, basically shut down and in order
to work you needed a computer. You needed internet service
to do email, to have video calls with colleagues and
(25:10):
other partners, to log on to your child's education and
be able to communicate with teachers and school staff.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
So my little one started school online and then my
oldest one started high school online. So yeah, yeah, it's.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
A changed world. And also to engage in ways that
we were unaccustomed to doing, so connecting with people, having
that social aspect.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
People were dating online, right, it was like chat rooms
that were like dating websites. And I remember before my
life on radio, I used to teach fitness classes in person,
and I used to do personal training. When gyms it
was literally illegal to you know, train at the gym.
I would train my clients virtually.
Speaker 6 (25:58):
Yeah, it's so amazing how many doors have opened up
with the Internet. But with that said, there's also some
some negative things about the Internet and some bad actors.
So the fear of scams may keep people off the Internet,
and lack of you know, software and hardware to connect
(26:21):
to the Internet that is up to date that meets
industry standards and being able to connect efficiently. So we
definitely want to uh equip people with the education so
that they can confidently navigate the Internet and make the
most of the technology that is available to us.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
That is another aspect to it. It's not just being connected,
but again if you're not used to being around these things,
watching out for those phishing emails or scams or downloading
that you know, incorrect software which can lead to people
stealing your identity or you know worse. But that that
leads me to ask you now about Project Overcome. I
(27:02):
think this is basically what we have been talking about,
but can you talk a little bit too Project Overcome. Sure.
Speaker 6 (27:08):
So we're so thankful that Marathon Petroleum has donated money
to Borderplex Connect under the Olpaco Community Foundation to expand
broadband accessibility. And we're looking at the seven nine nine
zero one zip code in particular. Okay, so that area
(27:29):
overlaps with Marathon's area of service and it is a
particular interest to us because it is a high need
area in terms of income, educational attainment, language proficiency, access
to devices, and Internet subscription. So we are looking forward
(27:50):
to introducing a project which would allow qualified people. Again,
our target is low income households to tap into affordable internet.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
So seven nine nine oh one. I know where Marathon
Petroleum is located. That's kind of like the Lower Valley
area around Alameda. Can you describe it for maybe people
that aren't familiar too familiar with the zip codes?
Speaker 6 (28:15):
So it's around downtown Central Valley area?
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Yes, okay, yes, And you know with this grant and
being able to have people in this area code have
more access to connectivity, what does that look like like?
Does that mean that they go apply for it or
how does that work?
Speaker 6 (28:34):
Well, we are hopeful that we'll be able to introduce
internet to particular building and that we can offer internet
to inhabitants of that building. So it's not for the
entire zip code. I want people to understand that we
will go to you. There's not going to be an
(28:57):
open application. But the hope is that if we get
this project going, that we can replicate and bring on
other projects.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Definitely, it's the beginning. It's the start of this. And
if you're just joining us, I have Andrea Theidis, she
is the CEO of Borderplex Connect and what we were
just talking about right now is Marathon Patroleum Corporation gave
them one hundred thousand dollars grant for Project Overcome again
helping with the digital divide, helping the low income residents
of seven nine nine oh one have access to things
(29:27):
that we myself anyway else speak for myself take for granted,
I couldn't imagine not having that access like that. And so, Andrea,
how do you work with community entities like Marathon and others.
Speaker 6 (29:40):
Well, it's really about having matched goals, and I think
that for us it is having a stronger community. That's
what it comes down to. And so we work with
partners who are interested in serving low income households and
ural communities in the area of connectivity, affordability and education. So,
(30:04):
for example, we are offering free digital skills classes in
two locations right now, one in the seven nine nine
zero one zip code and one in San A Lazario
at a community center there, and we provide the opportunity
for participants to purchase a refurbished laptop at a highly
(30:27):
reduced price, so as little as twenty five dollars. Oh wow, Yes,
it's a great deal. And the laptop already comes equipped
with software and access to a technology support line for
the life of the device that's staffed by bilingual operators.
So we're looking at this holistically, and the partners we
(30:50):
work with, you know, are interested in strengthening communities and
serving the highest need aspects or segments rather of our community.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Definitely, And before we get into some websites that I
want you to tell the listening audience about, and in
case anyone doesn't know or has forgotten on Sunday ninety
nine point nine on Power one oh two point one
and a ninety six point three K country on our
social media Instagram and Facebook, this information will be there,
so in case you're not sitting right by the radio
with a pen and pad, you'll be able to go
(31:22):
over there and find this information for yourself. But before
I ask you about those helpful websites and ra in
your words, why do you think it is so important
for people to be connected.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
Well, it really comes down to taking advantage of information
and opportunities that would make their life easier and help
them meet their life goals and aspirations.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I think that's well said, And like you were saying earlier,
I tell this to people because I've talked about this
kind of topic. I actually have an endorsement with this
kind of topic. It's not a luxury anymore, it's a necessity.
People think internet Wi Fi, they think Instagram, Facebook. No, again,
we're talking about resumes is finding work, uh, you know, education,
furthering your education, learning about different things, the the medical part,
(32:06):
and so it's very important, uh for people to stay
connected in that capacity. So, Andrea, I I believe you
said that you have some helpful websites that you were
explaining earlier.
Speaker 6 (32:17):
Yes, and I want to say that you know, our
website is available in English and in Spanish, and there
are a slew of resources that people can access on
our website.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Perfect.
Speaker 6 (32:32):
So one is uh borderplex connect b O R D
E R P L E x c O N N
e c T dot org. That's our website. There is
UH there are links to other resources on our under
our resources page, and one of them is Lifeline. So
(32:53):
Lifeline is a federally funded program for low income households
where they can get a subs for internet service. And
this targets low income households again, and so that's Lifeline
support dot org. Another good one is non a national
(33:14):
nonprofit where you can type in your ZIP code and
mark if you are receiving public subsidy and like snap
or you live in public housing and you can look
for low cost internet service and computers in your zip code.
So that one is called everyone on dot org. And
(33:38):
then one of the other websites I want to mention
is the Internet Crime Complaint Center run by the FBI,
and this is to report Internet crimes. And so that
website is I the letter C the number three dot gov.
So I the letter C number three g O.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
V perfect And again that will be on the Sunday
ninety nine point nine, ninety six point three K Country
and Power No. Two, Instagram and Facebook if you want
those websites. So, Andrea, I want to ask you, is
there anything else that you would like to tell the
listening audience.
Speaker 6 (34:17):
Just to communicate to the Spanish population, Geria Menschia, get
the nemos citio and Espanola intonsis personas kavlin Espanola in
nuestra citos.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Thank you Andrea for being here with me today and again,
take advantage of these services. They are here for you
to still help you stay connected. Andrea, thank you again,
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Amber, You've been listening to El Paso Public Forum, a
weekly public affairs presentation of iHeartRadio El Paso. If you,
your organization or event would like to be featured on
an upcoming program, please email to ep forum at iHeartMedia
dot com or call it us at nine one five
three five one five four zero zero. Tune in again
(35:05):
next week for another additional of El Paso Public Forum.
The preceding program was recorded at the studios of iHeartRadio
El Paso.
Welcome to El Paso Public Forum, a weekly half hour
public affairs presentation of iHeartRadio El Paso for over twenty years,
featuring local news and interviews of interest to our listeners
in West Texas and southern New Mexico. All views and
opinions expressed on this program are those of the host
and guest, and not necessarily those of iHeartRadio Management and
now El Paso Public Forum.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Welcome back to the al Paso Public Forum. I am
your host, Amberbanda, and today we have Wally Hayley. She
is the founder and chairwoman of the board of the
al Paso Preservation Alliance. Wally, thank you so much for
being here with me today.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Thank you so much. Amber. I'm really excited about being here.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yes, I got to tell you, I love the name Wally.
It reminds me of the Disney Pixar movie. Have you
seen the movie, Wally.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
I've heard of it, definitely never heard.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
I've never heard that name before. I love that name. Anyway,
we're going to be talking today about the al Paso
Preservation Alliance. Wally, tell us a little bit about this nonprofit.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Okay, Well, this is a nonprofit that I actually founded
with you know, we had a founding board back in
nineteen ninety six, and the idea was to kind of
capitalize on our historic neighborhoods in El Paso. I'm not
a native l Paso in I moved here in nineteen
seventy one and I noticed that, you know, El Paso
(01:21):
really has some beautiful neighborhoods, and I noticed that the
downtown had some incredible buildings. I remember as a college
student when I first the first day that I started
at UTIP, I remember looking, you know, I was only seventeen,
what did I know, you know, and I remember kind
of turning around thinking, Wow, what a beautiful campus. Like
I just really appreciated the architecture, and that's just something
(01:45):
that's just I've always appreciated architecture and just beautiful surroundings.
And so I've always appreciated. Like I grew up, I
went to high school outside of Chicago, which I think
is one of the most beautiful cities in the country,
if not the most beautiful to me, And part of
what I liked about it was the architecture and how
studying the buildings were. I mean, I just that's just
(02:06):
something I've always appreciated. And as I learned more about it,
I learned that in al Paso we have a wealth
of beautiful buildings downtown, beautiful neighborhoods, and I just wanted
to be able to help people learn to appreciate that
more because it's really not only just a matter of
appreciating the beauty that's around us, but it's also an
(02:29):
economic development tool.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
So is that what brought you to really?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Capitalizem Devanel was actually the army. The army brought my
dad here and so that's what what happen. So I
was an army brat, So I moved here in nineteen
seventy one at seventeen, and then I started UTEP and
like I said, then it kind of all went from there.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
And so you didn't really have you didn't come from
a family that there were architects or anything. You just
always had a fascination for the architecture and honestly the
history that goes into it, because I think the more
you know about something, the more you appreciate it. And
so you know, you were saying that this organization promotes
and preserves historic neighborhoods, homes and landmark buildings. Foster appreciation
(03:09):
through education and advocacy. So when I was looking at
your website Alpasseopreservation dot org, I saw that there was
four main districts that you kind of advocated for and
educated people on. The Austin Terrace District, the Historic Downtown,
Historic Downtown of El Paso, Macgoffin Historic District, and Manhattan Heights.
(03:31):
Can you tell us a little bit about why you
chose those districts?
Speaker 3 (03:34):
Well, I mean, I want to actually include all of them,
but I'm the one who's taking the pictures and upload
you know, getting them uploaded, so I just haven't gotten
around to doing the other's like nine historic districts, so
for sure, you know, I want to include. Oh yeah,
I want to include all of them because they're all
fascinating in their own way. You know, we have Chiwawita,
(03:55):
you know downtown. We've got course of since At Heights District,
which is gorgeous. You know, we have Manhattan Heights, which
is the first designated historic neighborhood, and then Austin Terris
is the second. You know, So I want to include
all of them, but I just you.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Know, that's just me, you know, just not being able
to you know, get around to doing that, and if
anybody wants to help out with that, I would love
to have some volunteers maybe, but yeah, so anybody that
wants to help us with our social media that knows
more about it than I do, that would be fantastic.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
And so I don't know if you know that. Recently,
we had a home tour that we had in Manhattan
Heights and we were lucky enough to get docent students
from the Huckabee School of Architecture Texas Tech that are
here in ol Paso. And so that was so wonderful
because these students were fantastic. You know, these were young people.
(04:51):
I definitely want to get more young people interested in
historic preservation. These are students that are already interested in architecture.
Some of them are actually getting degrees in historic preservation.
So that was a really wonderful introduction. So to be
able to meet these young students and to see their enthusiasm,
(05:13):
and some of them had never been to this neighborhood before,
so that was exciting and so I just enjoyed that
so much, and I think they enjoyed it too. So
I'd like to just see.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
More of that for people like me that I've lived
here my whole life. Now I'm familiar that we have
different districts, but for people that are like me or
maybe they're new to all pass so can you kind
of go down the districts and give us an idea
of where they're located, because I grew up in Austin
Terrace and I just barely found out by talking to
you before this interview that that's what that district is called.
(05:46):
But just you know, give us an idea of where
they're at.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
A few of the well, like for example, Sunset Heights
is on the west side of town around the Utep area,
so it's it's like on the so we're Masa Street divide,
so there's like Mesa Street and then it's on the
west side of Mesa And it's one of the older
historic neighborhoods in Alpaso. Really started around the late eighteen hundreds.
(06:10):
The time it was built, it was kind of the
silk Stocking neighborhood. Really fancy, you know, we had these
big old houses, which a lot of them began to
fall into disrepair in the sixties and seventies or maybe before,
and they began to be cut up into apartments, and
you know, because they just weren't viable as a single
family home. Now some of them are still being used
(06:32):
as single family homes and they're absolutely beautiful and it's
a lovely neighborhood and it has And what's cool about
it is these older neighborhoods are economically integrated in other words,
like some neighborhoods like currently, when new neighborhoods are built,
like when a developer is building a new neighborhood, they're
(06:52):
usually building it for a certain economic group. Like in
other words, we're building houses in this price range, you know,
saying like all the houses are going to be built
to be say two hundred thousand, three hundred thousand, four
hundred thousand, whatever that price range is. But these neighborhoods
were organic in other words, you know, there were some
fancy homes and then so not fancy halls, and so
(07:15):
you had people of all different economic levels living in
the same neighborhood. And that's interesting because that's not how
we build neighborhoods now So, and the other thing I
love about these old neighborhoods is the variety of architectural
styles like new neighborhoods all look alike, you know, the
very cookie cutter you know, they all they're interchangeable. And
(07:38):
then from what I'm hearing, I follow some home inspectors
on YouTube, and these home inspectors are inspecting brand new
homes in developments like in Arizona and Texas, and the
shoddiness of the construction is horrifying, I mean horrifying. So
what I so, I'm living in a house was built
in nineteen nineteen by Auto Thorman, who is a famous
(08:01):
local architect, but it was actually kind of a regional architect.
But when I look at my house, it's, you know,
one hundred and six years old. I'm so grateful because
it's solid brick construction. The walls are plaster and laugh
so they're really hard. You can't like punch your fist
through the wall. If you do, you break your hand.
But I mean, you know, so, I just feel like
(08:21):
it's very solid. And obviously there's some maintenance that now
goes into taking care of a home that's one hundred
and six years old, but to me, it's worth it.
And I want people to be proud of living in
a historic district because you know, it's it's not for everybody.
I mean meaning not everybody appreciates wanting to take care
(08:42):
of an older home. You know, a lot of people
want a new home because they think, oh, it's not
going to require as much upkeep because it's new. Those
of us who live in these older homes, we know that,
you know, we've had to do things and it can
be expensive, and it's what's yeah, and what our biggest
challenge is. I think it's fine workmen that know or
(09:02):
construction people or contractors that know how to do the
things that we need to have done.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
My thing, my mom, we grew up in a historic district,
Austin Terrace, and that's one thing that we do admire
about is that most of the homes are very different
from the others. And then this one particular home that
we lived in, they added on to the back, so
it's very unique. Every time someone goes to my mom's house,
it's you know, not huge, but they're like, wow, this
is cool. This is like something we've never seen before.
(09:31):
And again, if you're just joining us, we have Wally Haley,
founder and chairwoman of the board of the al Pacle
Preservation Alliance now the al Pacle Preservation Alliance promotes and
preserves historic neighborhoods, homes, and landmark buildings foster's appreciation through
education and advocacy. Now, while you did explain a little
(09:52):
bit right now, like the benefits of living in a
historic district, and can you tell the listening audience what
what is the benefit? Why should people preserve these neighborhoods
and these homes and these buildings.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Well, I think they should do it because it represents
different architectural styles that aren't common today. So that's one thing.
And one of the things that I like. For example,
the kind of house that I live in, it's called
a craftsman style bungalow, meaning it has a big front porch,
you know, a big wrap around porch, and it's got
you know, has certain architectural details. So inside the house
(10:29):
there's built in you know, bookcases, and I'm sitting in
my breakfast nook right now that I use as my
office currently. You know, it's built in like a little
like a little bankhett and it's really cute and it's
original from you know, nineteen nineteen. So just fostering a
love of that. But what I was explaining to the
architecture students is you know, you see the front porch.
(10:51):
The reason they have these front porches is because, you know,
televisions didn't exist in nineteen nineteen, so people entertain themselves
by on their front porches. And what that did was
it helped them engage with the neighbors and the neighborhood.
So as a result, like I, you know my house,
I know almost all of my neighbors. I mean I
(11:12):
know them by name. I interact with them, They know me,
and we know each other because we see each other.
You know, we don't just drive into our garage and
then go inside our house. You know, we have garages,
but they're in the back. They're not prominant. And that
was another big feature because cars were not We weren't
so car centric back then. Yeah I don't have cars, Yeah,
(11:37):
but we don't like showcase the garage like yay, look
at this great garage. I mean, you know, there are
some homes in the neighborhood that have two garages. I
mean maybe even one or two that even has three garages,
but it's not so prominent. You know, it's more tucked
away on the side or in the back.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Nowadays, people use the garage to run into their homes.
Like myself. I like, I's so right, you know, like,
oh man, I'm not dress to see people right now.
I'm just gonna use it to run inside house. But
that's interesting. I didn't know that about the porches. And so,
you know, you have these events where you give tours
of the homes and the districts and the buildings, and
you could tell people about the history of them. I
think it's really interesting. And the funds that are raised
(12:16):
during these tours or your fundraising events, what are those
funds used for?
Speaker 3 (12:19):
Well, right now, this was actually our first fundraiser that
we have had in many, many years, and so we
don't have a paid executive director or anything. And what
we're trying to do is, you know, we're keeping that funds.
We're hoping to Maybe it's my hope. I can't speak
for the whole court. I don't think at this point,
but I think my hope is to eventually maybe have
(12:42):
a paid executive director who would be able to do
more outreach, to be able to you know, it'd be
wonderful if we had jillions of dollars, because I would
love to set up like a grant program to help
homeowners pay for things that they need to have done
to their homes, or maybe have a training, some sort
(13:03):
of training where we would train local craftsmen to for example,
restore windows, restore these old windows as opposed to buy
new ones, which is actually cheaper than buy new ones
if you buy architecturally correct new ones. Or for example,
there's something called pointing, and what that means is when
you have a brick house, the brick is held together
(13:26):
by mortar, right, it's like grow right, So over a century,
that mortar starts to deteriorate and you have to replace
it because otherwise your bricks will fall out or know
what that to happen is that's holding your house together. Well,
a lot of people don't know, and why would they.
They don't know that the bricks from one hundred years
ago are softer than the bricks that they started making
(13:49):
after nineteen thirty. And what that means is the mortar
has to be softer too. The mortar has to be
softer than the bricks. If it's not, it will eventually
crack and break the bricks. That process is called spawling,
and it can take place over a very long period
of time, but eventually it can ruin your bricks. So
(14:11):
it's important to have the right and mortar. But people
don't know that, Like then why would they know that?
It's just not common knowledge. So education is something that
I think we need to do. So I actually flew
myself to Pennsylvania to take a class to learn how
to do the appointing. Why it's all hard. I mean,
it's not like rocket science, but it's it's a skill,
(14:33):
and it's a skill that I don't really have, and
it's very tedious and time consuming and you know, and
you have to mix the mortar to the right consistency,
and well that's like, yeah, it's a whole thing.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Someone like my mom, I don't even think she knows
that because she does have a hard time trying to
get people to go fix different things around her house.
She does have a brick house that could possibly be
brick and mortar since it is in the Austin Terrace district.
So if you do have an older house in one
of these districts you need help, you can reach out
to them at the Alpasslpreservation dot org. And if you
yourself are someone that feels confident enough that you can
(15:06):
provide services to these buildings. Please reach out to the
Alpasso Preservation Alliance at Alpasslpreservation dot org. You can also
find them on Instagram at EPPA nine one five and
on Facebook at Alpassel Preservation Alliance and of course on
Sunday ninety nine point nine on ninety six point three
K Country and Power one oh two point one on
(15:27):
the Instagram and Facebook, go on there. We will be
posting pictures of you know, of Wally, of some of
the houses, all of the information that you need to
get a hold of them in case you want to
help or you need help. And again, Wally, I want
to thank you so much for being here and talking
with us today.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Oh, thank you so much. Amber, I really enjoyed it.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Welcome back to the al Pascol Public Forum. I am
your host, Amber Banda, and right now I am talking
with v J. Smith. He is the Government and Public
Affairs manager for Marathon Petroleum. VJ. Thank you for talking
with me today.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
Well, good morning, Amber. It's an honor to be here,
a pleasure to be with you, and excited to talk
a little bit about this investment we've made.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
I'm excited to talk with you about this too. I've
met you before. You have such a calm energy about you.
So you've a great radio voice, by the way, just
in case you know, no one's ever told you before.
But VJ, we're talking about the grant that was given
from Marathon Petroleum to this project. Can you tell us
a little bit more about that grant?
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Absolutely well, Marathon Petroleum is proud to talk about this.
We've made a supporting investment of one hundred thousand dollars
and it's to fund a project called Project Overcome, which
is a partnership with the Borderplex Connect and it reinforces
our commitment to bringing broadband access to those who do
(16:48):
not have high speed internet.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
Project Overcome. That's a nice chunk of change one hundred grand.
And you know, I know that Marathon Petroleum does a
lot for the community. They're always giving grants. But in
in your personal thoughts with you, J, the last question
I'm going to ask you is what do you think
is the benefit of people being better connected? I mean,
I know it sounds kind of obvious, but in your
opinion right right.
Speaker 5 (17:12):
Well, when you think about it being connected in this
day and age and with technology and where things have come.
It's as important as a utility. It's as important as
having water or gas or electricity. It's it's incredibly vitally
important for folks to have connectivity. And you know, we
(17:33):
think of this fast paced world and what they get
from having connectivity, quality of life specifics, also access to jobs,
also access to healthcare, education, and public safety. So it's
it's really something that's vitally important.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
It's no longer a luxury anymore. People think cell phones,
they think Internet, they think, oh, you know, it's just
something if you can afford it. No, like you said,
you needed to stay connected. If you're looking for a job,
you go online. If you're looking to a child of
school age and they're looking for a project, they're going
to look online for you know, my daughter just did.
It was a project on a snake. She's going online
(18:12):
to look for things. So to further your education and
things like that. VJ. Is there anything else that you
would like to tell the listening audience.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
Well, I think Amber, you hit on a big point there,
and that is education. We support a lot of schools
in South El Paso where our facility is, and if
these students do not have connectivity, we can't prepare them
for the future in a lot of ways. So we
need to keep El Paso on the cutting edge. We
(18:39):
need our students to be exceptional in science, technology, engineering, math,
all those good things, and having this connectivity well will
be a big piece of that.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
And you definitely are taking action because again I met
you when I went to tour Marathon Petroleum, because you
all were part of the al Paso Science Festival. Amazing festival.
You all had your thing going on out there.
Speaker 6 (19:00):
Again.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
VJ, thank you so much for talking with me today.
Speaker 5 (19:02):
Thank you, Amber.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Welcome back to the al Pasa Public Forum. I am
your host, Amber Banda and right now I am joined
by Andrea Theidas. She is the CEO of border Plex Connect. Andrew,
thank you so much for being here with me today.
Speaker 6 (19:20):
Thank you for having me Amber.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Of course, so Borderplex Connect. I talked to VJ earlier
and Marathon Petroleum Corporation. They just awarded a one hundred
thousand dollars grant to help with you know something, the
digital divide that we'll get to in a little bit.
But Andrew, can you tell us a little bit more
about Borderplex Connect?
Speaker 6 (19:42):
Sure? So, Borderplex Connect is a nonprofit organization under the
umbrella of the al Paso Community Foundation, and we serve
far West Texas and southern New Mexico. We are a
coalition of partners from the nonprofit, for profit and government
spears and we are focused on digital inclusion. So what
that means is connecting people with high speed broadband so connectivity,
(20:08):
looking at ways to make it more affordable for Internet service,
and looking at ways that we can equip people with
the skills and devices so that they can navigate the
Internet and use devices that connect to the Internet. Our
target audience's low income individuals and rural communities.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
I think you know, during the pandemic that was kind
of like an eye opener because everyone had to do
things online, right, They had to do zoom, Skype, they
had to learn, they had to work. So is our
pass so still being affected in this manner even after
the pandemic.
Speaker 6 (20:47):
Yes, definitely. And I want to start off by saying
that when we think about the Internet, many of us
expect to have access to the Internet as we go
about our daily routine, whether we connect to the Internet
for work, education, health, civic engagement, or entertainment. We live
in a world that functions on digital transactions, services, and
(21:09):
exchange of information. So it's not a luxury to have Internet.
It is a necessity in today's day and age exactly.
So there are segments of our community who lack access
to affordable internet service, lag behind on basic digital skills,
and or do not have a reliable device that connects
(21:31):
to the Internet. So when we look at Alpasso County,
the number of households without Internet subscription is more than
thirty four thousand.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Wow.
Speaker 6 (21:41):
So this is from the American Community Survey twenty twenty
three figures. We expect that that number has gone up
since twenty twenty three, oh my gosh. And we expect
that the affordability piece is going to be a major
obstacle for people to continue to pay for Internet. We
know that times are tough, looking at inflation, looking at
(22:05):
workforce opportunities, and so this is going to be a
big issue as we try to make our community stronger
and equip people with the resources and skills they need
to make decisions that meet their life goals and aspirations.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
Definitely.
Speaker 6 (22:24):
I also want to point out that when we're looking
at households with only smartphones, because many of us have smartphones.
Not a lot of people have, you know, a tablet
and a laptop and a desktop computer. And you can
certainly do things using your smartphone, but it sure is
easier to use a laptop or a computer at home.
(22:47):
So in Alpasso County, households that only have a smartphone,
you know, no other device, more than forty thousand households.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Wow, with no laptop. I mean, I'm trying to think
of things that I have to do on my laptop alone.
And yeah, I mean maybe I could do them on
the phone, but it's not nearly as efficient or you know,
as vast as having an actual laptop or computer.
Speaker 6 (23:12):
Yes, And then you have to think about, you know,
how do you acquire the skills, right you didn't grow
up with that, if you weren't exposed to that, and
how do you keep pace with the technologies and the
software and the hardware that is constantly changing.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
So I'm thinking about what you were saying earlier that
a lot of these people, especially low income households, they
don't have access to be connected. I'm thinking about trying
to paint a picture for the listening audience. Think about
everything that you do when you're being connected. You check
for job applications, you know, you submit your resumes, you
do online bill pay. Who wants to wait in line anymore?
(23:48):
When students, especially kids, have to do a project, they
are looking online for the information. You know, you don't
have the time sometimes to drive all the way to
the library, and a lot of people don't even know
how to check out where to check out a book anymore,
because the Internet has made it that much more efficient
for you to be able to do those things and
to not be able to I'm just again imagine you
(24:09):
not being able to just check on your child or
check on a loved one the way you do when
you use the internet to do these things.
Speaker 6 (24:17):
Yes, and also a big part of the usefulness of
the Internet is healthcare and well being. So being able
to set up telehealth appointments, to order prescriptions, to order,
you know, prescriptions from online pharmacies.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
My patient portal with my doctor. That's how I like
look at my results. That is so true. And so Andrea,
there is something that you that we had mentioned, the
digital divide. Can you elaborate a little bit more on that?
Speaker 6 (24:49):
Right, So, the digital divide became a term that many
of us became more familiar with during the pandemic, when
the world you know, basically shut down and in order
to work you needed a computer. You needed internet service
to do email, to have video calls with colleagues and
(25:10):
other partners, to log on to your child's education and
be able to communicate with teachers and school staff.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
So my little one started school online and then my
oldest one started high school online. So yeah, yeah, it's.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
A changed world. And also to engage in ways that
we were unaccustomed to doing, so connecting with people, having
that social aspect.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
People were dating online, right, it was like chat rooms
that were like dating websites. And I remember before my
life on radio, I used to teach fitness classes in person,
and I used to do personal training. When gyms it
was literally illegal to you know, train at the gym.
I would train my clients virtually.
Speaker 6 (25:58):
Yeah, it's so amazing how many doors have opened up
with the Internet. But with that said, there's also some
some negative things about the Internet and some bad actors.
So the fear of scams may keep people off the Internet,
and lack of you know, software and hardware to connect
(26:21):
to the Internet that is up to date that meets
industry standards and being able to connect efficiently. So we
definitely want to uh equip people with the education so
that they can confidently navigate the Internet and make the
most of the technology that is available to us.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
That is another aspect to it. It's not just being connected,
but again if you're not used to being around these things,
watching out for those phishing emails or scams or downloading
that you know, incorrect software which can lead to people
stealing your identity or you know worse. But that that
leads me to ask you now about Project Overcome. I
(27:02):
think this is basically what we have been talking about,
but can you talk a little bit too Project Overcome. Sure.
Speaker 6 (27:08):
So we're so thankful that Marathon Petroleum has donated money
to Borderplex Connect under the Olpaco Community Foundation to expand
broadband accessibility. And we're looking at the seven nine nine
zero one zip code in particular. Okay, so that area
(27:29):
overlaps with Marathon's area of service and it is a
particular interest to us because it is a high need
area in terms of income, educational attainment, language proficiency, access
to devices, and Internet subscription. So we are looking forward
(27:50):
to introducing a project which would allow qualified people. Again,
our target is low income households to tap into affordable internet.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
So seven nine nine oh one. I know where Marathon
Petroleum is located. That's kind of like the Lower Valley
area around Alameda. Can you describe it for maybe people
that aren't familiar too familiar with the zip codes?
Speaker 6 (28:15):
So it's around downtown Central Valley area?
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Yes, okay, yes, And you know with this grant and
being able to have people in this area code have
more access to connectivity, what does that look like like?
Does that mean that they go apply for it or
how does that work?
Speaker 6 (28:34):
Well, we are hopeful that we'll be able to introduce
internet to particular building and that we can offer internet
to inhabitants of that building. So it's not for the
entire zip code. I want people to understand that we
will go to you. There's not going to be an
(28:57):
open application. But the hope is that if we get
this project going, that we can replicate and bring on
other projects.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Definitely, it's the beginning. It's the start of this. And
if you're just joining us, I have Andrea Theidis, she
is the CEO of Borderplex Connect and what we were
just talking about right now is Marathon Patroleum Corporation gave
them one hundred thousand dollars grant for Project Overcome again
helping with the digital divide, helping the low income residents
of seven nine nine oh one have access to things
(29:27):
that we myself anyway else speak for myself take for granted,
I couldn't imagine not having that access like that. And so, Andrea,
how do you work with community entities like Marathon and others.
Speaker 6 (29:40):
Well, it's really about having matched goals, and I think
that for us it is having a stronger community. That's
what it comes down to. And so we work with
partners who are interested in serving low income households and
ural communities in the area of connectivity, affordability and education. So,
(30:04):
for example, we are offering free digital skills classes in
two locations right now, one in the seven nine nine
zero one zip code and one in San A Lazario
at a community center there, and we provide the opportunity
for participants to purchase a refurbished laptop at a highly
(30:27):
reduced price, so as little as twenty five dollars. Oh wow, Yes,
it's a great deal. And the laptop already comes equipped
with software and access to a technology support line for
the life of the device that's staffed by bilingual operators.
So we're looking at this holistically, and the partners we
(30:50):
work with, you know, are interested in strengthening communities and
serving the highest need aspects or segments rather of our community.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Definitely, And before we get into some websites that I
want you to tell the listening audience about, and in
case anyone doesn't know or has forgotten on Sunday ninety
nine point nine on Power one oh two point one
and a ninety six point three K country on our
social media Instagram and Facebook, this information will be there,
so in case you're not sitting right by the radio
with a pen and pad, you'll be able to go
(31:22):
over there and find this information for yourself. But before
I ask you about those helpful websites and ra in
your words, why do you think it is so important
for people to be connected.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
Well, it really comes down to taking advantage of information
and opportunities that would make their life easier and help
them meet their life goals and aspirations.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I think that's well said, And like you were saying earlier,
I tell this to people because I've talked about this
kind of topic. I actually have an endorsement with this
kind of topic. It's not a luxury anymore, it's a necessity.
People think internet Wi Fi, they think Instagram, Facebook. No, again,
we're talking about resumes is finding work, uh, you know, education,
furthering your education, learning about different things, the the medical part,
(32:06):
and so it's very important, uh for people to stay
connected in that capacity. So, Andrea, I I believe you
said that you have some helpful websites that you were
explaining earlier.
Speaker 6 (32:17):
Yes, and I want to say that you know, our
website is available in English and in Spanish, and there
are a slew of resources that people can access on
our website.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Perfect.
Speaker 6 (32:32):
So one is uh borderplex connect b O R D
E R P L E x c O N N
e c T dot org. That's our website. There is
UH there are links to other resources on our under
our resources page, and one of them is Lifeline. So
(32:53):
Lifeline is a federally funded program for low income households
where they can get a subs for internet service. And
this targets low income households again, and so that's Lifeline
support dot org. Another good one is non a national
(33:14):
nonprofit where you can type in your ZIP code and
mark if you are receiving public subsidy and like snap
or you live in public housing and you can look
for low cost internet service and computers in your zip code.
So that one is called everyone on dot org. And
(33:38):
then one of the other websites I want to mention
is the Internet Crime Complaint Center run by the FBI,
and this is to report Internet crimes. And so that
website is I the letter C the number three dot gov.
So I the letter C number three g O.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
V perfect And again that will be on the Sunday
ninety nine point nine, ninety six point three K Country
and Power No. Two, Instagram and Facebook if you want
those websites. So, Andrea, I want to ask you, is
there anything else that you would like to tell the
listening audience.
Speaker 6 (34:17):
Just to communicate to the Spanish population, Geria Menschia, get
the nemos citio and Espanola intonsis personas kavlin Espanola in
nuestra citos.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
Thank you Andrea for being here with me today and again,
take advantage of these services. They are here for you
to still help you stay connected. Andrea, thank you again,
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Amber, You've been listening to El Paso Public Forum, a
weekly public affairs presentation of iHeartRadio El Paso. If you,
your organization or event would like to be featured on
an upcoming program, please email to ep forum at iHeartMedia
dot com or call it us at nine one five
three five one five four zero zero. Tune in again
(35:05):
next week for another additional of El Paso Public Forum.
The preceding program was recorded at the studios of iHeartRadio
El Paso.
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