Saturday's Internet Edition, May 17, 2008.
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- As mentioned in last week’s Advocate, Culberson Hospital District directors are planning to propose a $7.5 million bond issue to be voted on by local voters on May 10th.
Directors have called a Town Hall Meeting for tonight to discuss the results of the recent study which led to this recommendation.
The Town Hall Meeting will be held at the High School Auditorium beginning at 6:30 p.m. tonight. The entire community is invited and encouraged to attend this meeting to find out what the plans are for our hospital in the next 40 years and how a bond issue at this time makes perfect sense. It will not cost taxpayers any more than they are already paying, the interest rates are attractively low now, and Medicare will pick up the tab for most of the cost.
In addition to hospital directors at the meeting tonight, representatives of Business Strategies, Inc., who did the research study, and Preferred Management, managers of the hospital, will be on hand to explain the reasoning behind the proposal and why it is best to pursue this action at this time.
Make plans, now, to attend tonight’s Town Hall Meeting and find out why this proposed bond issue is in the best interest of our hospital and community.
Council hears "We're working hard to get a handle on the dog problem"
The Van Horn City Council met Tuesday evening and heard Raquel Mendez, of the Utilities Department, state, “We’re working hard to get a handle on the dog problem!”
Mendez told council members that in January of this year, they responded to some 47 dog complaints compared to just 6 in January of 2007.
Mendez also told council members that the department has acquired new snares as well as some new cages that will be tougher for locals to get to and release dogs.
Mendez further told council that, “We’re going out every morning in an attempt to bring the loose dog population under control, and we now have the pound facility under triple lock.”
Council members told Mendez to, “Keep up the effort as we don’t want a repeat of the incident we had a couple of weeks ago.” Additionally they suggested that “Security cameras be installed at the pound site to catch anyone letting dogs free and then prosecute them.”
Council also reminded citizens that, “It is your responsibility to keep your dogs fenced or on a leash. If you don’t, we will try to catch them and prosecute you.”
After hearing that report, council turned their attention to the forthcoming May 10th City Officer Election. They ordered that the election be held on that date to elect a Mayor and two aldermen.
Mayor Okey Lucas’ term is up and so are the terms of aldermen Rudy Hinojos and Emilio Yglescias.
The first day to file to have your name on the May 10th ballot is February 9th and the last day will be March 10th.
At the same time, council members approved holding a joint election with the School District and the Hospital District if these entities wanted to hold them jointly.
They also approved the hiring of election judges and set the early voting place as City Hall during normal business hours.
And, council members also approved a boring contractor for the, soon to start, water line extension grant project. Council okayed the hiring of West Texas Boring, out of Odessa, to handle the under the pavement boring for the grant project.
The cost to the city will be $153 per linear foot, with used casing. In the event the boring is in rock, the fee will be $238 per linear foot with used casing.
Mayor Lucas asked Raquel Mendez want kind of time frame she was looking at to perform the work, however, she declined to give an estimate since no one knows what other jobs would come up that will interfere with the grant project.
Mendez also reported that next month, the city will be having it’s annual water tank inspections performed on all water storage tanks.
City Administrator Becky Brewster reported that she has been advised by U.S. Cable that the cable rates for Van Horn will be going up effective March 1st.
Russ Wyatt appeared before council to report that the final repeater had been installed to provide adequate communications coverage throughout the county. The last repeater was installed up near Guadalupe Peak. He also reported that another siren for the emergency warning system would be installed this week.
Council went behind closed doors for an executive session prior to adjourning the meeting.
Trustees name Dr. Mancha as superintendent finalist
Trustees of Culberson County Independent School District met last Wednesday evening and named Dr. Guillermo Mancha as the finalist in their search for a new district superintendent.
Dr. Mancha, an educator since 1997, received his Bachelors degree in Physical Education and Special Education from Southwest Texas State University.
He earned his Masters degree in Educational Management at New Mexico State University, and earned his Doctor of Education degree from the University of Texas.
Dr. Mancha has taught and served in various administrative positions in San Marcus, Seguin, Las Cruces and most recently in the Fort Bend Independent School District.
Currently, Dr. Mancha is principal of Hodges Bend Middle School, and prior to that served as principal at Quail Valley Middle School in the Fort Bend district.
At Hodges Bend, Dr. Mancha oversees a campus with over 700 students and staff and faculty that is more than our whole district.
This assignment will be his first as a superintendent.
Dr. Mancha is married and district trustees are very excited about him being named as the finalist.
Trustees are expected to meet on February 21st to formally extend a contract to Dr. Mancha and he is expected to be ready to go to work here by sometime in early March.