Star on the Mountain returns after repairs due to wind damage
The Star on the Mountain lit up the El Paso nighttime sky again Monday after repairs to fix damage from a recent windstorm.
The El Paso Chamber announced Feb. 27 that it would go dark after a windstorm the previous day caused damage to the star that has come to symbolize El Paso.
The star was first lit Nov. 29, 1940, according to a Dec. 22 column by Trish Long. In 1941, the star was enlarged to 350 bulbs from 300.
About $32,000 was spent to renovate the star in 2007.
Facts about El Paso's Star on the Mountain
For 50 years, the star was only lit during the Christmas season, with two exceptions, Long noted.
In 1979, the star was illuminated every night for 444 nights in support of the U.S. hostages held in Iran. When the hostages were released Jan. 21, 1981, the star went dark.
It also shone every night from the 1990 Christmas season to Aug. 21, 1991, when the last Fort Bliss soldier returned from the first Persian Gulf war, Long wrote.
In 1993, through a joint project of the then-Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and the El Paso Electric Co., the star became a nightly feature in El Paso's skyline. El Pasoans now can sponsor the lighting of the star in a loved one's honor or for special occasions.
In 2009, the city government took over ownership of the star when council members voted 7-1 to accept a donation of its lights, equipment and logo from the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce.
Long wrote that in 2010, the El Paso City Council voted 7-1 to approve a 50-year lease with 88 Investments Inc., an El Paso company owning the land the star sits on. Instead of paying rent, the city agreed to pay the taxes on the land, which at the time was about $1,200 a year.
See more photos at elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Star on the Mountain in El Paso lit after repairs due to wind damage
