Guest Post: GREETINGS FROM ALTERNATE-EL PASO!

By Chris Babcock, KVIA

Hello citizens of El Paso, thanks to a new trans-dimensional portal here at Tier 1 University Texas Western (I believe it is called UTEP in your timeline) we would like to congratulate you on taking your first definite steps toward becoming the city a majority of your citizens have always dreamed of.

From trolleys, to shopping malls, to pro-teams, our cities have taken very different paths, however it does warm our hearts that our fellow non-parallel universe El Pasoans are now on a very familiar and positive track. 

Here are just a few examples of what you missed out on, and what the next few decades may hold for you guys.

Now here in our timeline, our City Council and Mayors have been making what you'd call 'progressive' calls since the mid-1920's, but we didn't really start to see the results of those decisions until after World War 2, so don't expect a transformation overnight.

In your timeline, thanks to pressure from internal combustion engine-based transportation companies, your city council began shutting down trolley lines in the late 1930's so they could be replaced by 'cheaper' buses. 

Here, council members decided not only to keep the trolley lines (in partnership with El Paso Electric) but re-invested city money in the lines and even bought the Ysleta Interburban Line and extended it all the way to Socorro.

The old 'Smelter Line' that runs along Paisano was also upgraded, extended and connected to the North Mesa line creating an 'Inner Loop' for commuters. 

This investment in what is now known as 'light rail' set the stage for the growth our cities experienced right after the war. By 1950, the trolley lines running to Ft. Bliss were extended all the way down to the new developments near Sunrise Center, Beaumont Army Medical Center and (eventually) Northgate Shopping Center. 

This ability to get from the outer reaches of the city to the heart of the shopping district allowed stores to remain in central El Paso, as well as our city's theater district, where they remained movies houses or concert venues, not the discount stores you have now.

In your timeline, the city tore up the tracks, paved over the remains and relegated the trolleys to Downtown and South El Paso, cutting the revenue of the lines and creating an excuse to kill the remaining unprofitable lines over the next couple of decades. 

On the good side, at least you've decided to undo that mistake, so good for you guys on that point.

The freeway that came through in the early 60's allowed for the city to plan for further growth. Here that project was completed by the early 70's, along with a companion loop called the Cesar Chavez Highway. 

It runs all the way around the outskirts of the city, allowing for a secondary route for east-west traffic to get through the Pass of the North when I-10 is jammed up.

The bridge over Chihuahuita is a marvel of engineering, leaving that community virtually untouched. The land underneath the bridge is now the Southwest's largest skatepark and is used for countless fiestas and family gatherings by residents and visitors alike. 

The residents protect it and care for it as if it was their own backyard and it is now a badge of pride for the entire community.

We understand that in your timeline, a few residents stood up and complained that about the loss of their homes or identity, and would not even consider a bridge. It appears that the vital link may never get done.

Had the infrastructure investment not been made, our El Paso would have ended up like yours: being surpassed in population (and other quality of life issues) by Phoenix, and then Tucson by 1960.

But transportation infrastructure aside, it was the decisions of local businessmen, forward-thinking city council members coupled with an invested voting public that really allowed our El Paso to explode from the Mid-60's right on through today.

We are so happy for you getting the ballpark deal done and getting that AAA ballclub for the 2014 season. It reminds us so much of ourselves when we got our pro teams. Of course, we had naysayers here too, but that over 50 years ago and 5 professional franchises ago.

Shortly after the Sun Bowl was completed, local businessmen working with El Paso County Commissioners tried to secure a seasonal lease for the 53,000 seat stadium for an upstart league called the AFL.

While El Paso didn't get one of the first AFL teams, the league remembered the group's presentation about how the population of the of the city (and county) doubled from 1950 to 1960, and how our sister city of Juarez brought the region's population to nearly 1 million. 

When the Dallas Texans franchise couldn't compete with the NFL's Cowboys, El Paso was selected as the city to relocate to; Owner Lamar Hunt and league officials cited our city's 'positive business attitude and international flair' as the best match for the team. 

History was made a few years later when our El Paso Texans won 2 AFL championships ('66 & '69) and beating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl 4 in 1970. But the sports success did not stop there.

With Texas Western winning the NCAA Championship back to back ('66 & '67), the city was more than willing to foot the bill for a new 18,000 seat arena, right where the original Kidd Field stood. 

One year later the NBA, looking to place a new franchise in the Southwest, selected the Sun City for their newest franchise: the El Paso Suns.

In scanning your timeline, it looks like Texas Western only won in '66 (still a really, REALLY big deal) and there was some hesitancy to upgrade the school's arena until the mid-70's. 
We still can't figure out why your school ever killed the "Texas Western" brand after that historic win, but we digress.

Baseball continued to be red-hot during both of our city's progression from the 60's through the 80's. This was especially so during the heyday of the SunKings/Diablos days, when they were racking up all those Texas League wins.

When rumors of Major League Baseball expansion began popping up in the mid-80's; it was the Diablos' long-time relationship with the Brewers that gave our El Paso a leg up over smaller cities such as Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Orlando and even Denver.

It was decided that a pitch to get a MLB team would be made, and the city would take most of the land reclaimed from the downtown rail yards and a few old warehouses. 

Since the railroad lines were relocated to the land adjacent to the Rio Grande right after the Chamizal Settlement in the 60's, there was plenty of land to spare for the construction of the "new" Dudley Field.

As was the case with the El Paso Texans, the Borderland was initially passed over in favor of Denver. But when it came time for more expansion, the Diablos and entered the majors, along with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1998. 

The Diablos then made Borderland and baseball history when they defeated the New York Yankees, in the wake of September 11th, becoming the fastest expansion team to win a professional championship.

At the same time that New Dudley field was going up, and old Dudley was given over to the El Paso Zoo, the city and county cast their eyes to improving the much maligned County Coliseum, home to the semi-pro hockey El Paso Buzzards. 

Contingent on getting a new arena, the NHL gave conditional approval of a franchise, only IF the city, county and the team's ownership group could move quickly.

In a renovation that Bob Villa himself would have been proud of, the old 'barn' and surrounds were knocked down and a new 15,000 seat arena was put in its place in a mere 18 months. 

Upon completion of the new Southside Coliseum, the Buzzards made the leap to center ice in 2000; just a few miles from the new Texas Tech Medical School and the twin towers of University Medical Center.

When Major League Soccer came knocking on El Paso's door, our community greeted them warmly, authorizing a new 10,000 seat stadium in Northeast El Paso, on some vacant land right beside the gleaming new El Paso Technical University. 

Served by two freeways and a trolley line, the El Paso Patriots made their home there, and have had nearly 15 years of sellouts.

Enchantment Park, the motorsport complex just off I-10 and Sunland Park built in the early '60's, became El Paso International Motor Speedway. 

Had it not been for an amicable and adult conversation between the owners of the Speedway, Sunland Park Racetrack, and governments in both states, the speedway would have been shuttered and plowed under due to noise complaints.

Now the region has NHRA drag races, NASCAR events and horse racing; all playing to sold-out crowds, just not on the same weekend. Amazing what can happen when people discuss and work out their differences, instead of threaten and complain.

Because of the success in the athletic endeavors, the entire region benefited from businesses relocating to the Borderland. Just as the garment industry was dying, the city pursued and got the new Toyota plant that had been rumored to be headed to San Antonio for some reason. 

Aside from the Alamo and the River Walk, there really isn't much to in that humid city, besides tour the World's Fair remnants from 1968 and watch their perennial loser AA baseball franchise. But they do have the Spurs, which seem to always lose to our Suns.

The cooperation between El Paso County and City officials led to the opening of 6 Flags over Ascarate, as well as the preservation of the International Bosque / Wetlands Preserve along the city's southeastern-most boundary. 

It is rumored that both parks, as well as the Wet-n-Wild Schlitterbahn on the city's western-most limits continue to be the big-time draws for companies wanting to relocate to the Sun City.

According to our scanning of your timeline, much of this did not happen. 

Division, suspicion, conspiracies, inaction and corruption all conspired to keep your El Paso down. In fact, it seemed to us that your residents enjoyed living in that sort of suspended animation, no progress, just a lot of noise.

It used to sadden us, until your elected officials decided to make a decision and stick with it. 

Now we get to see your growth and experience the excitement over the next few years and decades. 

It will not be easy, but nothing ever worth doing is. But the good thing is you are finally on your way. 

And now, as fellow parallel universe El Pasoans, we welcome you to your future.