Saturday's Internet Edition, July 31, 2010.
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| Alumni took the field for big game.... Van Horn gridiron alumni took the field last Saturday evening for an alumni grudge football game aginst the Alpine Buck alumni. And, what a game it was! |
- Van Horn city council, at their meeting Tuesday evening, voted unanimously to accept the free gift of an emergency generator and it’s installation courtesy of El Paso Electric Company.
Earlier in the year, council had asked El Paso Electric to consider an emergency generator for the city’s use during periods of power outage. The generator will be placed at the Convention Center so that folks with medical devices that require electricty can come until the power is back on here.
Electric Company officials had, a couple of months ago, agreed to do this and now they asked council to accept the gift and inistallation. Mayor Ben Flanagan reported that a date of April 19th has been set for the official groundbreaking.
Council had on their agenda to consider 4 addresses for a final determination as “Unsafe Buildings” and proceed with condemnation and order their disposal.
However, at the last minute, council members opted to table all four properties until the city can have an inspector examine the structures to insure that they are, in fact, unsafe.
The items will be placed on the agenda for next council meeting.
Darlene Elder, representing Aero Alternative Energy, came before council to clarify some issues regarding the city’s franchise agreement with El Paso Electric Company as it impacts the Power Purchase Agreement which the city has granted her.
She told council, again, that her project will be a win-win situation for the town. Again, she stressed the real potential of the bio-energy portion of her proposal.
As with previous appearances, Elder talked a good talk but offered nothing in writing to document or substantiate her project, its costs, benefits, funding sources and timelines.
In the end, council did tell her to proceed with her project.
And, council took the following actions with regard to other agenda items considered at the meeting.
* Council noted that Western Bank has asked them to either move the storage building located on the banks property or offer it for sale to the bank. Council offered it to the bank for $5,000.
* Council amended the city’s Animal Control Ordinance to reduce the first time fee for dogs that are already legally tagged within the city.
* Council received an update from the newly re-organized Van Horn Chamber of Commerce detailing what it has already accomplished and what it has planned for the future. The presentation was made by Chamber President Sooky Borrego.
* Council members agreed to use the services of Skinner & Lara, PC as independent auditors for the towns fiscal year ending March 31, 2010.
* At the request of El Paso Electric Company, council adopted a resolution suspending El Paso Electric’s proposed rate increase. Council had previously acted but not by resolution.
* And, council members also ractified the hiring of A & J Howco to provide administration services and housing provider services under the terms of the HOME Grant which the town has been awarded. The grant award was for $450,000 to demolish 5 homes and construct 5 new homes on the qualifying property.
This Saturday is City Clean-up Day
Van Horn’s Annual community Cleanup and 1st Annual Tire Amnesty Event will be Saturday, April 10. This event offers clubs and non-profit organizations as well as individuals an opportunity to make a difference for our community while working to earn some much needed cleanup appreciation money.
This year’s event will offer opportunities for local groups and a top individual to earn and win cash prizes.
The first opportunity is the yearly bulk waste collection event where the community is given an opportunity to get rid of those old refrigerators, limb piles, discarded furniture and other bulk debris. In this event, local organizations and individuals are given the opportunity to compete against each other to see who can eliminate the most bulk waste by weight.
Roll-off garbage containers will be set up next to the truck scales, across the street from G&M Video, where the waste will be weighed and then discarded. The group that turns in the most bulk waste will $500 prize mo ney with second place receiving $300 and third place receiving $100. Also, the individual that collects the most bulk waste, apart from the organizations, will receive $250.
The bulk collection event will begin with a group check-in at 8:30 am at the scales and the collection will last until 1:00 pm, at which time the contest portion of the event will end. The roll-off containers will remain in place all weekend for anyone else who has bulk disposal needs.
Illegally dumped scrap tires will be accepted from individuals, clubs and organizations, and will be counted toward bulk weight totals.
The second opportunity for local clubs to earn cash will come in the city-wide trash cleanup that will begin on April 10th and run through the end of May. In this event, local clubs and organizations will receive assigned cleanup areas along major streets in town. Once the club cleans up their area and provides verification of the cleanup effort, then the city will reward them with a check for $200 as a small thank you. To participate in this portion of the cleanup effort, contact Grace Marta for trash bags and safety vests.
Clubs and organizations will receive their letters of assignment mid-March and have until the end of May deadline to do their assigned cleanup area in order to receive their thank you money. Groups may do their cleanup on the day of April 10th cleanup event, but are encouraged to make the arrangements that best fit their organization’s meeting schedule and allow their members, who might be a part of two different groups, to coordinate their cleanup effort.
If you have items that need to be hauled away, please call Grace and we’ll ask one of our bolunteers to come by your home the day of the cleanup to pick it up.
For more information, call cleanup event coordinator Grace Marta at 283-2735, or City Hall at 283-2050.
Hudspeth teen slain in shooting
A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed Sunday night at the Gunsight Ranch in Hudspeth County after he took numerous shots at law enforcement officers. The law enforcement officers had been searching for the boy, who had been reported missing earlier on Sunday by his parents.
A preliminary investigation by the Texas Rangers found that the boy had broken into a deer camp on the ranch, where Hudspeth County Sheriff’s deputies and Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens found him. The boy fired several shots at the law enforcement officers and fled to another deer camp.
The officers followed him to the second deer camp, urging him to put down the firearms, but he continued firing at them. He ran to a third location, where he climbed to the top of a barn and shot at officers. The officers then returned fire, striking the boy and killing him.
The Texas Rangers will continue the investigation and present the completed investigation to the District Attorney’s Office in Hudspeth County.
Hospital honored for patient safety
In the 4th century B.C., the ancient Greeks drafted the Hippocratic Oath that is still used today. It’s premise is “First, do no harm”. All healthcare providers strive to “do no harm” to any patient. Patient safety is an integral part of doing no harm. More specifically, patient safety is the emphasis on reporting, analyzing and preventing medical errors that could lead to adverse healthcare events.
Culberson Hospital puts patient safety in the forefront of its care of all of the patients. The patient comes first and the staff’s efforts have been recognized.
The Texas Hospital Insurance Exchange awarded their highest honor to the staff of Culberson Hospital specifically for patient safety. It was awarded to the hospital, its staff, its medical staff and its leadership to commemorate the fact that they have gone at least two years without a malpractice claim or suit. It represents a commitment to patient safety and to the principles of quality care. All of the staff should be proud and celebrate their excellence.