On a particularly windy Saturday, Rolling Thunder helped out the Transmountain Optimist club by organizing a run out to to the Desert Downs BMX track in Northeast El Paso. Transmountain Optimist Club has been running and operating the track for over 20 years, in cooperation with the City of El Paso. Dusty, President of Rolling Thunder NM1 says, “When the Optimist Club came to us for help, we, of course, responded. We came out here today because they were having other activities, a chili cook-off, RC track racing. It’s a good place for the families to get outside and have fun.”

One of the participants is Rolling Thunder’s newest member, Spc. Joseph Hudson, Army, Ret. who was one of seven soldiers captured and held as POWs in Nasiriyah, Iraq, in 2003. He had was held for 22 days before being rescued by US forces. Since Rolling Thunder primarily acts for POW/MIAs and Veteran’s rights, it was a natural fit for Hudson to be part of the organization. “It’s great to be free and participating with all the families out here. We support veterans 100%, but we came out today to support and recognize the kids who use this park. It’s too easy to be indoors today and be playing Call of Duty all day. They should be outside on their bikes!”

Story and photos by: Ricky Jimenez Carrasco

“Love thy neighbor as thyself.” But does that mean only the people who live next to you? Or your friends or the people who are there? On Easter Sunday, the Seed of Abraham M/C, led by Pastor J.R. and Pastor Carol, brought some cheer to their “neighbors” who are currently  facing unfortunate circumstances inside the new Children’s Hospital at University Medical Center.  Through their own fundraising and labor, Seed created many gift baskets for the kids, boys and girls, older and younger.

Pastor J.R. told the media, “We wanted to bring some happiness to the kids who are undergoing some tough times. We brought them toys and teddy bears and other things to hopefully brighten their day (no candy as per hospital diet restrictions).  We’d like them to have their happy day of celebration even though it’s sad that they’re here. It’s a wonderful act of kindness to be recieved by the hospital the way that we have.”  Hospital staff created lists of the kids who were currently in the Pediatric ICU and other wards and seperated them into age and gender groups, then assisted the Seed in distributing the gift baskets, not only to the patients but to any kids who were in the halls and waiting rooms.

Georgina Panahi, Marketing Manager for El Paso Children’s Hospital at UMC,  told the media that the recently opened division of the hospital is a community bourne hospital and they depend on the El Paso community, businesses and groups to make it a better place. “We want the patients to thrive. If we can get some kind of a smile, it makes their stay less painful. We’re grateful for any and all involvement from the community.  We encourage any non-profit groups or businesses to become involved and donate to our patients.”

When asked to describe her thoughts about how they were recieved by the patients after they delivered the toys and prayed over them (Seed of Abraham is a Christian ministry), Pastor Carol simply said, “When you bring joy to a child, there are simply no words to describe the way we feel.”

Story and photos by: Ricky Jimenez Carrasco

When people see a homeless man on the street corner with a “Vietnam Veteran” or other sign, they have various reactions. Some dismiss them as part of the scenery, turn up the radio and roll up the window. Some give a dollar or whatever change they have on themselves. Others, though, see a brother, someone who has gone through the same ordeals as they have, ordeals brought by war, service that most of us are only too lucky not to know.

President Hi-Tower and his men from Rough Riders MC see brothers and sisters in these veterans because he and the rest of his club are veterans themselves. ” We have 12 members, all veterans or current active duty from every branch of the armed services, Army, Air Force, Marines, etc.”  The Rough Riders are part of a larger organization, having 23 chapters around the world from Korea to Germany to the Persian Gulf. “We are a traditional M/C with traditional M/C values. Our goal is to do our best to provide help to needy people, specifically veterans. We have a couple runs a year. The funds we raise we use to help various organizations. Last Thanksgiving, we donated $4000 in turkeys  to the Battered Women’s Shelter, the Rescue Mission, the Salvation Army and the Ambrosio Guillen Veteran’s home in the northeast.”

One of Hi-Tower’s favorite memories is of Mr. Finley at the Guillen Vet’s home.  “Mr. Finley was a helluva guy. He lost both legs and he was one of the first residents of the home. He wasn’t from here and he had no family here as they lived out of town. WE were his family. He passed away last year.” Hi-Tower, himself a 26 year veteran and a retired Command Sgt. Major, practically beams when talking about his club’s involvement with veterans like Mr. Finley. He recounts how the Rough Riders built a fountain and an Alzheimer’s garden for the home. My favorite project that he told me about was a pellet gun shooting range that they installed in the home to entertain the veterans.

Rough Riders would like to invite all the EP area bikers to their “Biker Night” at the Comic Strip on June 3rd. All funds continue the Rider’s work with veterans and the community. Hi-Tower would further like to express his gratitude with the local businesses that supported this run, including Barnett HD, Viva PowerSports, Landry’s, the Holiday Inn (where the run ended and the bikers took over the central garden and the parking lot for the biker rodeo) and too many more to mention here.

Story and photos by: Ricky Jimenez Carrasco

The little boy in these photos has had a heart condition since before he was born. He wasn’t supposed to have lived for all his 7 years. He has had many complications from his condition, and come back from it all. He is listed as day-to-day. But, none of that is important. What is important is that he is a fighter, and he has his own will. This Sunday, when he was being granted wishes by “Reach for a Star” and the Mission Riders M/C, the weather turned ugly. 60 mph winds, dusty conditions, low visibility. I asked Angel’s mom if she had any apprehensions about letting him ride in this weather. “I allowed him to ride because HE wanted to. I’ll let him live his life however he wants to.”

Gil, president of the Mission Riders, tells me how he met with Debra Ruz, president of “Reach for a Star” at another biker event. “Debra approached me to tell me that she had a little boy that needed a wish granted urgently.  We immediately got to work.”  I asked him what affected Gil about Angel and his situation. “My sons are my life. When I see a little one like Angel, it breaks my heart that he may not be able to be like them.” Gil was impressed by Angel because of his lack of fear the first time they met. “He just ran out to meet us and started to climb on my bike! Today, we were worried (because of blowing dust), but he jumped on the bike, adjusted his helmet, bandana, and oxygen line and said ‘I’m riding’ like a real biker.”

Angel’s mom was very appreciative of all the attention being showered on her little miracle. She tells me the roller coaster ride that has been his life. Surprisingly, she is in complete control of the situation and herself. Many parents would be beside themselves if their child simply had a scraped knee, much less a critical illness. She’s a fighter, alongside her son. “Many of his organs are failing. He doesn’t want dialysis and he hates IVs. He is non-responsive to normal medication. In fact, the only thing he’s really taking is pain medication.”  I asked her what she thought of all the bikers coming out to support her, “It’s wonderful. I’d like to thank all the bikers who came out in all this wind, Hospice of El Paso, and Reach for a Star for everything they’ve done today.”

As Renee’, a social worker with Hospice of El Paso assigned to Angel, says it “Moms are THE strongest people you’ll ever meet.”  Renee’ has only known Angel for about 6 weeks, “but I know him like you’re seeing him, a happy little boy. He knows he’s sick, but that hasn’t stopped him from doing what he wants to do.” It didn’t stop him today. Angel looked wide eyed at all the cameras pointed his way and he never flinched, never took cover behind family. If a bunch of big, bad bikers or huge masked men came your way, most adults would at least stop. Angel took pictures with every biker and wrestler there, accepted their gifts and handshakes graciously.

Angel had several wishes for the day. The first was to ride on a real bike. Angel’s family met up with the Mission Riders and a group of other clubs who came out to support them, including Chamucos MC, Seed of Abraham MC, Centauros MC and the Red Dragons. They rode along North Loop (that at the time had about a 1/4 mile visibility) to the Mission Riders clubhouse. Angel was inundated with gifts by various organizations and businesses who responded to Debra’s pleas for help from the community. Debra, who has been with the all-volunteer organization for 20 years, simply wanted to state her gratitude to everyone: “Our kids thank you!” She also stated that this was the fastest a wish has been granted, only 2 weeks from meeting Gil to fulfilling the wish.

The last wish was granted at Wild Wild West where he got to attend a local wrestling event and got to meet his favorite wrestler, Sin Cara. When Sin Cara came out, little Angel smiled from ear to ear. He hugged him tight and didn’t want to let go. The wrestler also presented him with an Xbox 360, donated by DKD realty. When I contacted the family the next day, I was told that Angel still hadn’t come down off his cloud.

As for Gil, he summed up the day by stating, “Whatever happens, Angel, you know all these big ugly bikers will always be there to help.”

By Joe Olvera ©, 2012

Rio Grande Shovelheads’ motto, when it comes to motorcycles is “restore, don’t replace.”

And, this motorcycle shop of specialists is just the place to achieve your biggest desire of having the bike of your dreams.  Owner Joe Castillo says that whether you want your “scoot” to look original, or custom, his shop specializes in shovelheads and more. To the uninitiated, a shovelhead is simply the engine on a motorcycle.

“We service all kinds of bikes, including metrics, cruisers, sport, Harleys, dirt bikes, and ATVs,” said Castillo. “We also do high performance upgrades, ground-up customs, custom restoration, custom head work and others. We’ve been in business for two years and always have two projects working at the same time.” In addition to restoring and customizing bikes, the shop, located at 3984 Doniphan Drive, offers already restored or rebuilt bikes. Their most expensive model is a 1983 Shovelhead that runs to $17,000. It has been completely rebuilt. In addition to this beauty, Rio Grande Shovelheads also offers for sale a 2008 Sucker Punch Sally, a 2007 Softtail Deluxe, a 2003 Yamaha Roadster Silver Edition, a 1999 Electroglide, among others.

“I started restoring bikes as a hobby, working from my garage,” Castillo said. “When I hired Oscar Ybarra, the business got serious and we started growing. Now I have three employees. We’re all experts in restoring and rebuilding. For example, Tury Arevalo is our fabricator. He welds frames and does all types of metal work and is an all-around mechanic. When we can’t buy parts because they’re no longer available, Tury can build them from scratch. However, Paul Lujan is our most experienced specialist.”

Lujan, who has been in the business for 30 years, said he began working on bikes from an early age. He is a certified mechanic, and once worked on cars, trucks and everything else. “But, now, restoring and rebuilding is what I like to do the most. “Working on bikes is easier, a lot smaller, and a lot safer,” Lujan said. “I spent eight years, attended Harley Davidson School, where I Iearned to work on bikes of every kind, and here I am today. The training at Harley school was great, working on Harleys at the school prepared me and gave me a big advantage.”

They call them Weekend Bikers – people who are so busy with their professional careers that they can’t find the time to ride their beloved bikes except on weekends. However, one leading El Paso citizen, Julio Cesar Viramontes, said that he has improved on that by riding his bike at least once a month. It used to be that he could only ride his bike three or four times per year. “I now ride at least once a month for a couple of hours,” Viramontes said. “I especially love to ride the back roads in New Mexico, enjoying the scenery and aromas of crops like onions and chiles striking my senses.”

Viramontes, CEO and President of International Garment Processors, started riding bikes when he was very young when he owned a Kawasaki 500. Later, he acquired such bikes as a1979 FLH, a 1976 Electra Glide and a 1994 Springer. His current ride is a 1997 Harley-Davidson Road King. This King of the Road slowed down a bit when he turned 72. Cursed with Diabetes, however, he uses his 600-pound ride as a form of exercise. “I’m attracted to the same elements that attract other bikers, such as the freedom of being on the road, the wind on your face, a powerful machine between your legs and enjoying that the sound of a powerful engine attracts attention.”

The philanthropist has a passion for helping the people of El Paso and surrounding area. Born in a Mexican village known as Praxedis Guerrero, which lies about 40 miles south of Juarez, he hasn’t forgotten his roots. His love of the New Mexico countryside stems from the fact that when he was only five, his family moved to Canutillo, N.M., where he worked the fields for six years, hauling water and tending farm animals. When he was 13, however, his family, which consisted of his mother, his father, three brothers and a sister, moved to the Sherman Housing Projects in South El Paso.

Living in the city changed his life tremendously. He worked hard while dreaming of owning a laundromat. In time, he owned not one, but two laundromats, thanks to a loan from his brother. This beginning led to his highly successful life as the CEO of International Garment Processors. He has owned other businesses in the past, but, has sold them and now retains only that company. His semi-retired life now consists of selling properties he has obtained throughout the years.

“I’m easing out of the business and letting my children take over,” Viramontes said. “I’ve also retired from belonging to so many boards and organizations, concentrating on helping raise money for the Father Yermo Foundation. But, I don’t feel that I can completely retire. I must continue being active even if that means that I can ride my bike a little bit more than I used to.” The deeply religious Catholic has plans to travel to Portugal to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. “I love traveling with my wife, especially going to places where I can practice and renew my faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. But, I will always love riding my bike. It’s very satisfying, it helps me relax, and it truly makes me feel like I’m the King of the Road.”

By Joe Olvera ©, 2012

Andrew Pastusch says about his chopper that he will “take it to the grave,” because he is so much in love with his bike that it has become something which he can finally call his own. “All credit goes to my wife, Jessica,” Pastusch said. “While I was overseas in Iraq, she saved all the money I had sent her, plus saving her own money from her job, that I was able to buy my dream bike. It’s a beauty, but, more so, my wife. I owe her a great debt of gratitude.”

Beto Tellez, a Vietnam Veteran now retired, said he too is in love with his chopper that was manufactured by a builder in Wichita, Kansas who, unfortunately, went  out of business due to the economy. “I’ve been riding a bike since I was 15 years old,” said Tellez. “But, this is the ultimate. I love my chopper. I used to ride it every day, but, now I only ride it on Saturday and Sunday.”

A chopper came about following World War II, when G.I.s returning from the war front were dissatisfied with the motorcycles that were available at that time. Built mostly by Harley-Davidson or by Indian, their bikes were more cumbersome than the sleek, lighter bikes they had ridden in Europe. Using their ingenuity, they modified what was available by removing what they considered excess equipment or by removing or shortening the fenders on their bikes. They called this innovation “bobbing,” which soon became “chopping” a term still used today. They made their bikes look cool and uncluttered. The movie, “Easy Rider,” was the catalyst for the craze that soon took over the riding world with choppers appearing everywhere.

The chopper is so named because of the removal of what were considered unnecessary parts, such as the windshield, front fenders, big headlights, clumsy blinkers, crash bars, big seats, and so forth. In addition, handlebars were raised high and called ape hangers. The front tire was made thinner, the back tire was made fatter. Anything not deemed essential was removed, or made smaller. While most of the modifications were once made by the owners themselves, today, there are designers who build choppers from scratch and sold to an eagerly awaiting public.

For Pastusch, his bike was modified by a company called Rio Grande Shovelheads. “Much of the credit for my bike also goes to them,” Pastusch said. “They custom built my bike to my specifications. The company is run by people who are fair and who are more interested in satisfying customers than they are in making a great deal of money.”

Tellez, 66, however, said his bike is worth some $30,000. The beautiful machine satisfied all his cravings. His service in Vietnam created health problems for him and today, he is considered to be 80 percent disabled. “I was born in El Paso but had moved out a long time ago. I hadn’t been back in about 30 years, but, I’m living here today. I’ve had four choppers in my life, but, this is the greatest of them all.”

This Saturday stop by the new Sierra Providence Emergency Room for their Grand Opening!
2400 Trawood
Saturday Feb 25th 11am-3pm
FREE! Hot Dogs, Drinks, Cotton Candy, Bounce House.
Blood and Cholesterol Screenings

By Joe Olvera ©, 2012

Tony Jimenez considers himself just a weekend biker, even though he repairs, rebuilds, and even fabricates them from scratch. It’s no easy job, but it’s a great way to earn a living. “It all depends, of course, on what the customer wants. If he wants a custom-built bike, we manufacture it to order. Riding a bike is a pleasure, it helps you forget about everything. However, I’m not a hard-core rider. I mostly take my bike out on weekends when the weather is nice. I’m not like other guys, who ride their bikes in 30-degree, freezing weather, with the elements working against them. Maybe they want to prove something to themselves. But, then, to each his own.”
Jimenez, a Tigua Indian, says that his shop, TJ Kustoms, Cycle is on the reservation, but he gets business from all over the city. He says some of his customers come from as far away as Albuquerque, with very specific instructions on how they want their bikes rebuilt, or repaired. Weekend bikers abound all over the United States. They are like golfers, who choose weekends to up their game. Riding bikes is no different. Evelyn Shih writes in her article, “Weekend bikers are a far cry from Hell’s Angels,” that weekend bikers can be vice presidents of a company, lawyers, doctors, or any of several professionals who prefer riding bikes on weekends.
“Gone are the days when motorcycle riding was equated with skull-and-wings insignias or long hair,” Shih writes. “Today, motorcycle enthusiasts rarely fit the traditional stereotype of the bikers – they range from single moms to Wall Street traders to computer programmers. Many are baby boomers who choose biking as a lifestyle or hobby – not for a identify or a gang affiliation.”
Jimenez says that there is a new breed of bikers who take to the road for the pure pleasure and to master a throbbing machine. Even more popular are group rides, in which several bikers get together to take trips of up to 80 miles and more. “I’ve been riding since I was a kid,” Jimenez said. “Once you’re on your bike, you get comfortable you tend to forget about everything, about all your troubles. Riding your bike helps you think, it opens and clears your mind.” And the fear factor?
“Some people fear a bike, but, that has a lot to do with the area where they live,” Jimenez said. “It all depends on how you drive, how you ride. In El Paso, there are few speeders, they are more moderate. In California, however, drivers of automobiles go at excessive speeds. For example, I would never drive my bike in Juarez. Once a person gets over the idea of crashing, it’s a sexy thing to do. I’m 48 years old, and riding my bike does make me feel younger. Even though I’m a weekend biker, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

The German Air Defense Center has been in existence in El Paso since 1966, working in conjunction with Ft. Bliss and Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, New Mexico. For about 25 of those years, the German MC has been riding in El Paso, and helping its people along the way.

Volker Vogel has been the German MC President for the last couple of years and he sees the club as a way of giving back and being a part of the community where he feels like a special guest. When asked why it is that he feels such a drive to be part of El Paso, he answered very frankly, “For me, the treatment from the people to the military is perfect. The people stand behind the military. Since we are ourselves military, most people treat us with equal respect. The people here in El Paso are very nice, very friendly. Most people here do not know exactly how well we have it, especially in the biker community. Each month, we and the other 47 clubs meet and talk with one another. We eat together, we drink together. We get together and we discuss how we as bikers can serve the community. It’s great!

“Honestly, this (his tour in El Paso) is the first time that I have been able to HELP. If we need help or we want to help a particular organization or area, there is very little paperwork or permission or red tape that we have to go through. No politics, just simply help!”

In fact, when Andreas Hauke, father of Noel Hauke who was diagnosed with leukemia right before Christmas in 2011, asked to see if Vogel could help in some way, he didn’t hesitate to throw himself and the rest of the German MC into the battle.  Andreas works with the German Air Force out of Holloman, but he did not have many contacts or friends in the area. He started to ask for help on Facebook, but “we didn’t have time to really organize something for Noel and stay with him in the hospital.”   Vogel works as a public media officer, and he knew that he did have enough contacts and people who could help.

Vogel adds: “When Andreas spoke with me as to whether we could help, I told him I was a father of a perfectly healthy 12 year old girl. Of course, I’ll help! When DKMS, a leukemia advocacy group told Vogel that they would need about 40 volunteers to make a bone marrow drive happen, “40 people? There’s at least 20 people in my club, we will start there.”

The German MC has grown from two members to currently more than 24, both here and in Germany. “Members have to get there patch here in El Paso, but they are allowed to fly the colors when they go back to Germany.” The roots to Germany run deep, but some don’t go back to Germany.

Hines Alexander, a German MC member, has been in El Paso for the last 6 years, been married here and has now retired from the German Air Force here in El Paso. He is so invested in the El Paso community, he says many of his friends just call him ‘Alejandro’. The German MC is a way to keep in touch with his homeland friends and culture. “We are aware of our situation, that we are guests of this country and this community. We want to give back to this place that has given to us and we wish to integrate into the community.”

As for Volker Vogel, he says to this date, hasn’t even met Noel Hauke, the reason this day’s bone marrow drive was put together. “For me, meeting Noel was not truly important. His father came to us for help and we will help in whatever way we can. We have already made a monetary donation to the family and for me, this (the organizing of the drive) is my business and the business of this club. I have to run it as perfectly as possible to get the best results for Noel before I get to meet him.”

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If you wish to help, you may contact Noel Hauke and his parents through Facebook. His parents, Andreas and Ramona Hauke, ask that you “friend” Noel through his Facebook page and send him good wishes and prayers. He and his parents read the posts to try to lift his spirits as he fights his illness. If you wish to help others like Noel, you can also give blood, red blood cells, or platelets that help in the recuperation process of cancer patients.