Thursday's Internet Edition, September 09, 2010.
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| Winning float.... Last Saturday evenings Annual Lighted Christmas Parade attracted some wonderful floats. Judges reported that they had a tough time determiningn the winners. But determining winners they had to do. And the first place float was entered by Familia Cristiana. They will get a check in the amount of $250, courtesy of the Van Horn Chamber of Commerce. The other float winners as announced were: The Sheriff’s Office float took 2nd place and will receive $150, courtesy of the Van Horn Chamber; and the 3rd place float was won by the Culberson County 4-H, and they’ll get $100, courtesy of the Van Horn Chamber. The city and Convention Center expressed their appreciation for the support for this year’s parade. |
- Van Horn City Council members met Tuesday evening and voted to purchase a skid steer loader and a motor for a water well at the airport.
Councl first approved the purchase of a 2008 skid steer loader from Sierra Machinery for $28,644. This purchase replaces a skid steer loader lost to fire damage at the land fill earlier this year.
City Administrator Fran Malafronte suggested that the city pay foro the loader with the proceeds from the insurance settlement amounting to some $24,000. They will try to get Sierra to come down on the price by telling them thais is all the insurance settlement we have.
Following that action, council members also voted to proceed with the purchase of an $8,650 electrical motor for a weater well located at the airport.
The motor will come from B & H Machinery and is necessitated by the fact that the existing motor has already be reworked until it can’t be done anymore.
Municipal Services director Israel Borrego told council that the motor would be ordered right away and it should be here and installed within two weeks to get that well back up and running.
Following a behind closed doors executive session, council reconvened and did three things:
* They agreed to pay former City Administrator Becky Brewster some vacation pay she had chalenged them on but they denied payment of travel pay Brewster had sought.
* They agreed to compensate golf course manager Raul Rodriguez and his helper by increasing their salaries $1.25 per hour to compensate them for extra work caused by Sabino Talavara’s medical leave. Raul, as a salaried employee, will have his increase computed from hourly to salary.
* And, they awarded a park maintenance contract to Cuco Corrales, the man who had it previously. There is a 30 day escape clause if the contractor does not perform as expected.
With regard to other agenda items considered, council took the following actions:
* Agreed to seriously look at the existing policy preventing gas department staff from lighting furnaces of the elderly here. In the meantime, gas department staff will determine whether to do it or not on a case by case basis.
* Council named Lainie Koch to be the city’s representative to the EPA’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Commmittee.
* Council upped the mileage rate paid and per diem rate paid to city employees. The mileage rate was raised from 40 cents per mile to 50 cents per mile. The per diem rate was raised from $36 a day to $51 a day.
* Council approved renewing a note with Western Bank and City Administrator Fran Malafronte told council she would attempt to negotiate a lower rate than the 5.75% now being charged.
* Approved payment of bills amounting to over $63,000.
FBI raids office of JP Espinoza
On Tuesday afternoon, authorities from the El Paso office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided the local office of Justice of the Peace Oscar Espinoza.
According to reports, numerous boxes of items were removed from his office as evidence. The evidence, according to the FBI is sealed for the present and no charges have been filed.
On Wednesday, sevveral news agencies were in town to follow up on this story and did not get any more information.
Once information becomes available, the Advocate will bring it to you.
Will not publish nest week (December 24th)
Our next issue will be on December 31, 2009
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!