Wednesday's Internet Edition, September 08, 2010.
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- This is the weekend you’ll want to be in town! The annual Frontier Days Celebration is this weekend and it promises to be a fun filled event for the whole family.
Things get off to a big bang on Friday evening as the town enjoys a huge fireworks display over at Veterans Park. The display, sponsored by Telstar Communications, the Town of Van Horn and the Van Horn Rotary Club, is going to be even bigger and better than last year’s show, which was hard to beat! By the way, it is set for around 10 p.m. because that is when it gets dark enough to see the display good.
Following the fireworks display, Main Street will be hosting a “Movie on the Wall” at the downtown parking area. You’ll want to remember to bring chairs, blankets and soft drinks. Main Street will provide the pop corn.
This event may be late but will definitely be worth your attendance!
Kicking things off on Saturday will be a pancake brunch served at the Clark Hotel Historical Museum. The brunch will be from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. and promises to be a place where folks can come together and reminisce.
Oh, the cost will be very reasonable and all the proceeds will benefit the Museum so come on down!
Things begin in earnest downtown by 5 p.m. on Saturday as all the street vendors will be set up in and around the downtown parking lot. Simply put, there will be great food, beverages and some of the unnecessary but fun things that make such an event even more fun.
Music to start off the evening will be provided by Liquid Skin, an El Paso band that has a popular following in the area. They’ll be playing from around 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. for your listening and dancing pleasure.
Then, at 9 p.m., Broadway will be closed and folks will be asked to meander over to the gate to pay their $6 entry fee to hear and enjoy the sounds of Wayne West & Grupo Potrero, a Sierra Blanca band that features some of west Texas’ best live music and puts on a great show.
There’ll be dancing until 1 a.m.
And, remember that no ice chests will be permitted inside the event as Main Street will be selling all the sodas, water, sport drinks and beer for the evening.
Also, don’t forget to bring your own chairs and come ready to have a great night of fun and entertainment with event sponsorship from West Desert Builders.
City council adopts fireworks/burn ban within city & ETJ
Van Horn City Council members met Tuesday evening and with the 4th of July approaching, adopted a fireworks and no burning ban within the town of Van Horn and the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ).
In adopting the ordinance which bans fireworks and burning within the city, council members did approve Veterans Park to be the site of the annual fireworks display which is set for this Friday night.
Sheriff Oscar Carrillo was present at the meeting and told council members that he would need assistance in enforcing the ban. He asked if the volunteer fire department members could assist his deputies and was told, “Yes!.”
Sheriff Carrillo was at the meeting to request that some of the language in the 1979 agreement between the county and city for police services be changed to reflect the years since the original contract was entered into.
Specifically, Sheriff Carrillo wanted to change the document so that it might be modified by each successive sheriff. Carrillo also asked for the change in the language so that he will have the authority to enforce city ordinances and codes.
Council agreed to have Mayor Ben Flanagan and Attorney Steve Mitchell meet with the sheriff and County Judge Molinar to work out the details and bring back to council.
Alderman Marcial Gonzalez suggested at the meeting that council consider combining the Youth Association with the Boys and Girls Club of Rural West Texas. He thought that there might be some economy in doing so.
Sentiment on the council seemed to be for this proposal, however council opted to have Michael Baeza and Chello Gonzalez come before them at their next meeting to discuss the matter at length.
At the recommendation of Alderwoman Gilda Morales, council members entertained the idea of creating a Thrift Shop in the old Post Office building which is a part of the Clark Hotel Historical Museum.
The Thrift Shop would offer items for sale to the public and the public may make donations to the Thrift Shop. Proceeds from the Thrift Shop sales will benefit the Clark Hotel Historical Museum.
Patricia Golden, a CCVB staffer, will be tapped to operate the Thrift Shop and would provide tourism and travel information at the Thrift Shop as well.
The object of this idea is to bring some CCVB activity down into the central business district and capitalize on increased activity in the area once the Hotel El Capitan opens.
Morales reported that she and Mayor Flanagan had met with the Museum’s board and they were very supportive of the idea.
After hearing this, council approved of an interlocal agreement between the city and the Clark Hotel Historical Museum so that the venture can be started.
With regard to other agenda matters which council considered, the following actions were taken:
* Council unanimously voted to waive any late fees or disconnect fees associated with Josephine Stevens’ water bill.
* Council approved a request from the Women’s Service League relating to their planned 4th of July Celebration at the City-County Park.
* Council voted unanimously to have the Mountain View Golf Association hold their meetings at city hall and to have the city secretary keep minutes of them.
* Council appointed Efrain Hinojos to become the Emergency Management Coordinator for the town effective July 1, 2009. He will replace Jose Aguilar who has resigned.
* Following a photo presentation by Alderwoman Morales, council members voted unanimously to set aside $7,500 for immediate emergency and non-emergency repairs at the city swimming pool.
The work is expected to commence at once.
* Council members also approved the purchase of a $50 one page ad in the 4-H Club’s AJRA Rodeo program.
* Council members voted to see if the city might be able to purchase a new trash truck through the State’s Bid-Buy Board. If they can find one, council will proceed to look for funding for the purchase.
* Council members told a pony league representative to have his kids sign up at the Boys and Girls Club of Rural West Texas.
As members, they could then utilize city vehicles for transportation and be covered by the Boys and Girls Club umbrella insurance policy, thereby reducing the risk of exposure to the city.
* Council members unanimously put their stamp of approval on a grant proposal to erect a new fire station here. The grant will be submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Administration for approval.
* Council approved payment of bills amounting to some $132,660.
* And, following a behind-closed-doors executive session, council reconvened and voted unanimously to increase City Secretary/City Administrator Fran Malafronte’s salary to $55,000 (to reflect her additional duties and responsibilities) and to pay her a $50 per month cell phone allotment provided she gets a cell phone with a local number.
Senior Citizen Nutrition Center operation gets closer look from commissioners
Culberson County commissioners met Monday morning and right off the bat scrutinized the Senior Citizen Nutrition Center operation.
Commissioner Lyndon McDonald had asked to meet with manager Tencha Sanchez to discuss discrepancies in various numbers, how the Center gets paid, and who gets their meals paid for.
Manager Sanchez reported that her clients, in order to be paid for by the Area Agency on the Aging, must be approved by them. She noted that many folks eat at the Center who are not approved by the Agency and the county provides for them.
McDonald stated, “If they are not approved, then they should be paying $5 a meal instead of the $1 they pay if they pay.” This is what cost the county nearly $40,000 a year in losses.
McDonald further noted, “The Center is currently showing a loss of some $176,000 and we’re going in the red to the tune of $40,000 a year.”
McDonald said, “We must get this budget in line!”
McDonald concluded by saying, “In light of this, I’d like to see the Center audited. I can’t believe the feds aren’t auditing it.”
Following the discussion, County Judge Molinar stated that he’d “get with the auditor about this and in the meantime, the county auditor will spot check the Center.”
Sheriff Oscar Carrillo appeared before commissioners to explain some of the work he has done to prepare for this month’s jail standards inspection. He reported that he has installed security fencing, purchased a van, added a canopy and bought new televisions.
Carrillo noted that he expects these things to see us through the inspection again this year and keep the jail open.
He also reported that he had advertised for bids for vehicle purchase and received no bids. Commissioners told him to call dealers and see if he could get a bid that way.
And, Carrillo reported that he may have an opportunity to accept prisoners from the City of Marfa since the Presidio County jail facility may be closing. Commissioners told Carrillo to get with County Attorney Steve Mitchell to work out some sort of agreement to be considered next month.
Other agenda items considered by commissioners and actions taken included:
* After listening to a presentation by Kit Bramblett addressing mule deer doe permits in the county, commissioners adopted a resolution to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department opposing the issuance of mule deer doe permits in the county. Last year, there were 158 doe permits issued in the county according to Bramblett.
* Heard representatives of the Trans-Pecos Weather Modification Association addressing the fact that weather modification (cloud seeding) works. They wanted the county to consider making a contribution to their operation so that they can work more in Culberson County.
Commissioners told the representatives that they would consider a contribution when they got on budget amendments. However, when they got on budget amendments, commissioners did not consider any funds for this project.
* Heard the monthly AgriLife Extension report as submitted by Extension Agent Elaine Koch.
* Under Auditor’s office matters, commissioners approved setting the mileage rate paid by the county for travel at the rate posted by the state comptroller. Currently, the rate is 5 cents per mile.
They also approved of a resolution to apply for a $10,000 JAG grant which will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Rural West Texas.
And, they approved the establishment of a new bank account for the Juvenile Probation office.
* Commissioners set a cap at $30,000 out of the Records Preservation Fund to be used by the County Clerk to acquire new software and hardware that was approved last month.
* Commissioner Lyndon McDonald reported that there have been numerous violations at the cemetery with regard to installation of sprinkler systems. As a result, commissioners approved an order stating there will be no more sprinkler systems allowed at the cemetery, and those that are in place must have a backflow valve installed.
In essence, the county will control water consumption at the cemetery!
* Commissioners approved leaving contributions to the retirement system for county employees at the current 7% level.
* Commissioners approved the appointment of Efrain Hinojos as Emergency Management Coordinator to be effective July 1, 2009. He replaces Jose Aguilar who has resigned.
* Commissioners approved a request by County Judge Molinar to pay 1/2 the fuel costs associated with getting cots and blankets here. The cost will be shared with Presidio County. The cots and blankets will be part of our emergency management equipment, according to Molinar.
* Commissioners adopted a no fireworks resolution within the unincorporated portions of the county. This action goes along with the no burning order passed a couple of months ago. This due to the extreme drought conditions which exist in the county.
* Commissioners adopted a resolution addressing the under valuation of oil and gas properties within the county. This is an effort to get these properties on the tax rolls at a more realistic value.
* After reporting the county had received $300 from Ultra, a drilling company, for letting them store some pipe at the airport, the commissioners heard Justice of the Peace Espinoza request an additional $1,000 for part-time help.
* When they were making budget amendments, commissioners approved the $1,000 request from Judge Espinoza and approved $5,000 more into the cemetery water fund.
* And, after a behind-closed-door executive session, they approved of submitted bonds for elected officials as presented. It appears that with a change in insurance companies, the bonds had been overlooked earlier in the year.
* After approving the submitted monthly reports, commissioners approved payment of bills and payrolls amounting to $287,696.84.
Trustees agree to move district’s money to Wells Fargo bank
Trustees of Culberson County-Allamoore Independent School District met Tuesday afternoon to consider one item, depository bids for the districts funds.
At last week’s meeting, trustees opened bids from two banking entities. One was local bank, Western Bank, and the other was from Wells Fargo bank in El Paso.
The Western Bank bid was one page, while the Wells Fargo bid consisted of a notebook filled with data.
Trustees had opted to take no action last week to give themselves and Business Manager Julie Uranga time to fully digest the data to see which depository bid would be most beneficial to the district.
According to the data compiled by Business Manager Julie Uranga, Wells Fargo’s bid basically offered some features not offered by Western Bank and their interest rate paid on deposits would change every 90 days instead of the 180 days offered by Western Bank.
One added feature from Wells Fargo was the ability to use a pay card to pay district employees eliminating the need to print payroll checks
And, deposits are posted the same day as long as they are made by 9 p.m.
Following the review, trustees voted unanimously (trustee Lupe Alvarado was absent from the meeting) to accept the two year depository bid from Wells Fargo bank. The period begins on September 1, 2009.