Fond memories of Kress, old El Paso
I read Trish Long’s article “El Paso's Kress Building begins newchapter“ (Oct 11, 2026) about the old Kress department store, and it brought so many memories for me.
I was a junior at Jefferson High School and enrolled in a program that allowed us to go to school in the morning and work in the afternoon. I was selected to apply at Kress Downtown and was hired immediately. I was thrilled.
The job was working in the men's department as a sales girl. I worked 20 hours a week and got paid $.87 per hour! I think I was paid $16.50 per week of which I gave my mom $10.00 and kept the rest.
I loved my job.
I grew up in Tay’s housing projects on Magoffin Street and now live in East El Paso. I have come a long way from those days of catching the bus to go to and from work.
I have so many memories of good old El Paso and I love to share with my grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Maria Elena Bencomo
East El Paso
Make USAA National Monument permanent replacement for Triumphal Arch
The construction of the United States Triumphal Arch the president’s "vanity arch," which is to be built between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, should be stopped and discontinued immediately.
Instead, I propose that taxpayer funds be wisely spent by making the USAA National Monument a permanent replacement. Rather than honoring one flawed man with a multimillion-dollar Arch, we should give recognition to the 41 million military veterans who have honorably served this nation with their own National Monument.
Let’s do it!
Daniel Barr
Northeast El Paso
Stop feeding the animals
To the well-meaning citizens who insist on putting out bags of food and throwing bushels of apples to feed the deer who are coming into our neighborhoods with lice and ticks and fleas, and God knows what else, please, the Bible tells you that God knows the numbers of the hair on your head and the birds in the trees the animals in the fields and he provides we have an abundance of rain and foliage.
Please stop putting out the deer food. You are endangering the citizens of El Paso and Environmental Services Department should be putting a stop to it. There should be heavy fines.
We do not need to feed the deer, the geese, the birds, the ducks, the wolves, the fox, the stray cats, nor the mice, rats, raccoons, squirrels, and skunks. The city and county should be enforcing this and protecting the citizens.
Judeth A Maddox
West El Paseo
Why no debates?
I have two simple questions: 1) Why won't Gov. Greg Abbott debate Gina Hinojosa? and 2) Why won't Ken Paxton debate James Talarico?
Christine Granados
Alpine, Texas
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Letters: Fond memories of Kress, old El Paso; Stop feeding the animals
