B and B

Stop the Border Wall

Our own government apparently plans to turn Texas and the Rio Grande Valley into a new Berlin, divided by a wall -- a wall thorougly destructive of the communities which it splits and the land which it occupies.  I know I am not alone in finding this an extremely repulsive concept.

From the Express-News today:

Construction of nearly 70 miles of border fencing in the Rio Grande Valley is scheduled to begin as early as next spring, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Monday, spawning renewed cries that local officials are being shut out of the controversial plan.

...

Though the final design won't be approved until the close of the public comment period, which ends Oct. 15, the agency said the fence will be at least 16 feet high and 3 to 6 feet below ground, capable of withstanding vandalism, cutting and penetrating, as well as a crash of a 10,000-pound vehicle traveling 40 mph.

Border community leaders were surprised, disappointed and even angry over the government's announcement of the environmental study.

"We continue to be confused and bewildered, and I don't think it's by accident," said Chad Foster, mayor of Eagle Pass and chairman of the Texas Border Coalition, a group of leaders from El Paso to Brownsville. "They've never been open. They've never been above board. There's never a good time for a bad idea, but at least they're consistent about that."

The wall will consist of 21 segments, which will range from 1 to 13 miles, along the border near Rio Grande City, McAllen, Mercedes, Harlingen, Brownsville and Fort Brown.

The agency said it would clear vegetation to build temporary access roads and construction staging areas, which will affect a swath of about 60 feet, stretching along the 70 miles.

"They're supposed to be working with us, but instead they are running it down the throats of the residents of Brownsville," said Pat Ahumada, mayor of Brownsville.

The construction also will affect portions of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, which has raised concerns among environmentalists, who fear the fence will destroy riverfront wildlife habitat that attracts thousands of eco-tourists from all over the world.

The environmentalists also say the fence could cut access to the Rio Grande for endangered species, such as ocelots and jaguarondi, destroying one of the most biologically diverse regions in the country.

For more information and for info on how to help fight the Border Wall, see the No Border Wall website at notexasborderwall.com.

Jazz Festival, this weekend, downtown San Antonio

San Antonio's annual Jazz'SAlive festival is today and tomorrow, downtown at Travis Park.  In my nearly nine years living here, I've yet to attend, but this year should finally be different. 

After all, playing tonight are Artruo Sandoval and Henry Brun and the Latin Playerz.  Sandoval is a Latin Jazz great whose music I've been enjoying for many years.  I've seen him live twice before, both back in the late 1990s, once in Honolulu and once here in San Antonio.  Henry Brun I've discovered more recently.  He has a great band as well, and also happens to be my bongo teacher.

I'm still kicking myself for missing this event last year, when the legendary salsa pianist and band leader Eddie Palmieri was here.  But last-minute work responsibilities shot that entire weekend and ruined those plans

That's not going to happen again!

The show starts early this afternoon.  Then Henry Brun takes the stage at 6:15, followed by singer Jane Monheit at 7:45 and Arturo Sandoval at 9:30.  It should be great.

Wind energy battle on the south Texas coast

The fight over wind farms along the south Texas coast continues.  From the Express-News over the weekend:

A coalition of bird and conservation organizations will make a last-ditch effort Monday to stall or kill two large wind farms on the Texas Coast.

The increasingly acrimonious dispute pits two favorites of the environmental movement against each other — the supporters of wind energy and bird lovers.

A coalition of bird and conservation organizations will make a last-ditch effort Monday to stall or kill two large wind farms on the Texas Coast.

The increasingly acrimonious dispute pits two favorites of the environmental movement against each other — the supporters of wind energy and bird lovers.

...

The debate has become nasty at times, with local Audubon societies and the famous King Ranch facing off against the John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation and the John G. Kenedy Jr. Charitable Trust, which own the land where the turbines would be built.

The developers of one of the farms, the Australian-based Babcock & Brown Ltd., claims it has conducted more environmental study on this site than almost any other in the world.

The company's chief development officer, John Calaway, said those studies show the wind farm has little potential to harm birds. Calaway said the company is even pioneering a radar-based system for the project that can shut down the turbines within a minute in the event of a massive bird run-in.

But Calaway said it's unlikely at this point that he would share the studies with any of the groups in opposition.

"I don't think that, because of the way they've been referring to us, that we will be jumping up and down to accommodate then," he said. "And quite frankly we don't have to."

It is this kind of in-your-face arrogance that makes me, who might normally be sympathetic to this particular energy development, extremely suspicious.

What are Calaway and his company hiding?