Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros: Take Part!

The 10th Annual Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros celebration will be held on Saturday, April 29th from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Washington Park. This event celebrates children and literacy. The goal each year is to provide a free book to every child who attends the event. In past years, this means over 30,000 books were distributed on this day. If you are interested in volunteering to help out at Día de los Niños / Día de los Libros, please call Jim Przepasniak at 541-4089 or contact by email at: przepasniakjr@elpasolibrary.org. We hope to see you there!

April 1st marked the date for the Great American Clean Up nationwide and El Paso was one of numerous cities across the U.S. who worked to clean up their community. Once a year, community organizations get together to clean up their neighborhoods. This year there were 35 pick-up sites put in place by the City’s Environmental Services Department and Keep El Paso Beautiful, which were located throughout the City to assist citizens with their clean up. Congratulations and great job to all who participated in this important event.

Rose Garden to Hold Grand Opening

The City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Department will have the Grand Opening of the Rose Garden at 3418 Aurora at 2:00 p.m. on April 30. The event will highlight the recent expansion of the Rose Garden at a cost of $750,000. The Garden now has a new waterfall, new irrigation and over double the previous space of the facility. The Rose Garden Society members along with representatives of the Texas A&M Extension Service will be on hand as the roses should be in full bloom at the time of the dedication. For more information contact Barry Russell at 541-4331.

Pool Safety Tips for the Upcoming Summer Season

Due to the recent drowning in the El Paso area last week, El Paso Fire Department officials would like to remind the public to take extra safety precautions around swimming pools as the days begin to warm up. Each year in the United States 250 children under 5 years of age drown in swimming pools. In addition 2,300 children will be treated at hospitals for injuries suffered in swimming pool accidents.

To prevent swimming pool drowning and accidents, layers of protection are essential. Closely supervising young children and being prepared in case of an emergency are two very important things to remember. In addition:

1.  If a child is missing always look in the swimming pool first.  Seconds count!

2.  Knowing how to swim doesn’t make a child drown proof.

3.  Never use a floatation device as a substitute for supervision.

4.  Keep rescue equipment and a phone next to the pool.

5.  Install barriers around the pool. Fences and walls should be at least 4 feet high.

6.  Gates should be self-closing and self-latching.

7.  Never leave toys floating in the pool. They attract young children who might try to reach for them.

8.  Use a pool cover when the pool is not in use.

9.  Learn Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The life you save might be your child’s.

Earth Day Weekend is less than 2 weeks away! The Zoo needs volunteers to come and help visitors better understand our endangered species and how people can help protect the Earth. An important part of the event will be a special program planned for the Asia elephant viewing area. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day volunteers will be needed to participate in an Endangered Species Awareness Program. Using a public address system, eight hours each day, the Zoo plans to read off the names and countries of 15,000 plus endangered species from around the world. 64 different volunteers are needed to sign up to read for 15 minutes each. Rick Lobello will coordinate the schedule and you can sign up by sending an email to lobellorl@elpasotexas.gov or by calling 521-1881. Volunteers who are proficient with Microsoft Office Word and Excel are also needed to help put the list together by copying information from the Redlist.org website database into an Excel document.

Fire Station # 33 at 3475 Nolan Richardson opened Wednesday March 22nd. Station 33 will help to protect life and property in the fast growing east side section of the city. The El Paso Fire Department continues to look for ways to reduce the cost of running its fire stations and saving the taxpayer money. The 8,800 sq. ft. station has employed the latest in energy efficiency with a Geo Thermal heating and cooling system making this the first City building in history to utilize such a system. The station is staffed by 9 firefighters and units Pumper 33 and Reserve Ladder 6 are housed at this facility. The station joins the adjacent Chester Jordan Park and Jane Hambric Elementary School to provide a true secure and safe atmosphere for this eastside neighborhood. El Paso Fire Chief Roberto Rivera welcomes the citizens of El Paso to stop by and meet their new firefighter neighbors and take a tour of their new fire station..

The El Paso Public Library is seeking individuals that have been impacted in a positive way by libraries. If selected, your story may be used in a campaign to promote libraries and be displayed at the Grand Opening of the new Main Library this summer. Deadline for entries is April 28th. Stories can be submitted to any branch library; by mail to Armijo Branch Library, Attn: Jack Galindo, 620 E. 7th, El Paso, TX 79901; by email to galindojw@elpasotexas.gov or by fax to 532-1758.

Guidelines can be acquired at any public library or by visiting www.elpasolibrary.org. For more information call 274-3336.

Spring and summer months bring changes in lifestyles and recreational activities for many Americans. People are outdoors swimming, having cook -outs, mowing lawns and other outdoor activities.

El Paso Fire Officials want to remind the public to think safety while enjoying outdoor activities and offers the following safety information.

Please click on the following links to view information on each of the specific topics listed below:

House And Garden Equipment
Power Lawn Mowers
Insecticides/Pesticides/Toxic Household Substances
Swimming Pools
Charcoal Grills

El Paso County Celebrates National County Government Week

Visit the 3rd annual El Paso County Open House, which will take place Wednesday, April 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the El Paso County Courthouse (500 E. San Antonio).
Find Out What the County Can Do For You.

The County can help if you need to:

• Register a vehicle or pay your taxes;

•Require a protective order or file a complaint;

•Have trouble collecting child support;

•Have a problem with the law and need legal aid.

•Want to get married, register to vote or open a new business.

•Need a birth or death certificate, a job or want to do business with the County

•More than 30 booths and exhibits with representatives from every County department will be answering your questions.

•Live entertainment, snacks, giveaways, door prize

For information call 834-8235.

City Employee to Work With Local Non-Profit

Chris Cummings, grant writer with the City of El Paso, took a new position as the Chief Development Officer at Big Brothers, Big Sisters of El Paso at the beginning of April, where he will be responsible for managing grant writing and fundraising activities for the organization. Mr. Cummings began working for the City in 2001, assisting multiple Mayors with Grant Research and Grant Writing. Since 2003, Mr. Cummings continued to work in the Grant Office under the direction of OMB, and then under the Community & Human Development Department. During the last six months he has been working for the Police Department were he was “very impressed by the leadership and professionalism of the staff and administration.” Being a principle writer for over $7 million in grants, for projects including the Plaza Theatre, Mr. Cummings is proud of the work he has provided to the City. Though he is very excited to begin his new position, he is also sorry to say goodbye to so many good friends he has made in his time at the City. Anyone wishing to contact Mr. Cummings can do so through email: cummingsc_bbbsofep@yahoo.com

The Engineering Department would like to extend a much-deserved thank you and congratulations to Lourdes Cardenas who will retire from the City after 20 years of dedicated service. A native El Pasoan and key player in the Traffic Division, Lourdes or “Lulu” has been noted for her vibrant personality and has been attributed to many acknowledgments throughout her career including continual proficiency in the Traffic Management Center (TMC), holding a license as a Professional Engineer in Texas and most recently becoming the voice of El Paso in the New Audible Pedestrian Signals Program.

“Lulu has been instrumental in keeping the TMC up to par with the rest of the larger cities in Texas,” said Ted Marquez, Traffic Engineer Division Manager.

Lulu will be relocating to California with her family. Best of life and luck goes out to Lulu in all of her personal and professional endeavors on behalf of her co-workers and friends from Engineering.

City Employee to be Recognized During Upcoming UTEP Graduation

Julie Baldwin, Public Relations Specialist assisting with the Development and Engineering Services Departments, will be recognized at UTEP’s upcoming commencement ceremony on May 13th for outstanding academic achievement for Organizational and Corporate Communication division of the Department of Communication.

Miss Baldwin was chosen by faculty members within the department to be recognized as the sole recipient in this capacity. Congratulations on your recognition and upcoming graduation!

Note From Parks & Recreation Department

The South El Paso Senior Center’s Staff and participants received very sad news this week as Juan Cornejo, the English instructor who assisted at the center for 10 years, passed away at the age of 87. All participants at the center will sorely miss his positive attitude and work ethic.

El Paso Police Office to Receive State Award for Valor

Officer Elizabeth Jimenez, an 8-year veteran with the El Paso Police Department’s Mission Valley Regional Command, will be awarded the State of Texas Law Enforcement Achievement Award for Valor in May 2006 at the State Capitol building in Austin, Texas. Officer Jimenez was nominated for the award as a result of her heroic actions in ensuring the safety of the tenants of the Valley Ridge Apartments who were unaware that a fire was burning at the complex. Officer Jimenez is credited for saving the lives of several residents who were in harms way.

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE), who reviews nominations provided by different law enforcement agencies, presents this award. The Award for Valor has been awarded by this organization since 1989 and is bestowed upon those who have displayed an act of personal heroism or bravery which exceeds the normal expectations of their job performance, such as placing one’s own life in jeopardy to save another person’s life, prevent serious bodily injury to another or to prevent the consequences of a criminal act. Officer Jimenez is the second Officer and the first female Officer with the El Paso Police Department to receive the Award for Valor.

Recognize an Employee You Know!

If you know a fellow employee who has made an achievement at work, in their personal life or even someone whose efforts should be recognized, help us to congratulate or recognize them in The Employee Connection! Send us an email at elpasopio@elpasotexas.gov.

Take Advantage
Discount for City Employees: Sesame Street Live – Super Grover Ready for Action

As a thank you to City of El Paso Employees, you are being offered $10.00 tickets to ALL 8 SHOWS of "Sesame Street Live: Super Grover Ready for Action!" The shows begin on April 13th and run through April 16th. All you need to do is go to the box office at the Abraham Chavez Theatre and present your City identification. We are limited to 4 tickets each and this discount is not available on "gold circle" seating.

Tickets: $11, $14 & $16. A limited number of $20 Gold Circle seats are also available. Opening night, all seats excluding Gold Circle, are $10. A facility fee of $0.50 will be added to all ticket prices. Additional fees and discounts may apply. To charge tickets by phone, please call Ticketmaster at 915.544.8444. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com. For information online, please visit www.sesamestreetlive.com. If you need more information, please feel free to call Laurie Garcia at 915-534-0615.

Join us at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology for either of the four-day sessions for fun and learning about archaeology. Sessions run from June 6-9 and June 13 – 16, 2006 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Learn about the science of archeology, its tools and the prehistory of the Americas from the Ice Age to European contact. The Museum will be focusing on the prehistory of the El Paso region in particular and the Indian populations that live near us. This camp is offered for children ages 10 and up. Registration fee for either week is $40 and City employees receive a 15% discount. For more information, please contact Lora Jackson at 755-4332.

Take Your Love to Townes
The Friends of the Westside Library present the inimitable Billy Townes at the Westside library, 125 Belvidere, on Wednesday, April 19 at 6:30 PM for a concert featuring songs from his latest album, Everyday Life. The concert is free but seating is limited. For more information call 581-2024.

24th Annual Lower Valley Health Fair This Month!

Socorro ISD nurses and the Lower Valley School Nurses Association in conjunction with Del Sol Medical Center and the El Paso City-County Health and Environmental District are proud to announce the 24th Annual Lower Valley Health Fair. Over 800 people attended last year’s fair. This year the fair will be held on Saturday April 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Socorro High School. Over 80 agencies are participating in this year’s fair with free screenings (glaucoma, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, body fat analysis) for children and adults.

The Health Fair is the start of National Infant Immunization Week/Vaccination Week of the Americas in El Paso. Child immunizations will be administered by the El Paso City-County Health and Environmental District at a cost of $10. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Texas and the Texas Medical Association Foundation will offer free bike helmets to the first 100 kids between the ages of 4-16 who receive immunizations! A Family Fun Walk will also take place at the Socorro track at 9:15 a.m.

The Lower Valley Health Fair is an annual event that started in 1982. It is the brainchild of Lydia Taylor, Montwood High School’s nurse. SISD nurses chair all components of the Health Fair and spend the entire year getting ready for this spectacular event. This is just one of many ways that the SISD nurses give back to the community.

The purpose of the Lower Valley Health Fair is to increase participants’ knowledge about health and to encourage participants to take responsibility for their own health care. We want to promote different aspects of health and wellness and provide education for participants to make informed health choices and also encourage them to utilize local health care resources within the community.

If you're an adult and your blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg or above, you have hypertension and are at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and other medical problems. High blood pressure has no symptoms, so if you haven't had it checked in a while, make an appointment now. One in three adult Americans has high blood pressure, and nearly one-third of them don't know they have it.

Factors that contribute to high blood pressure
Medical science doesn't understand why most cases of high blood pressure occur, so it's hard to say how to prevent it. However, we do know of several factors that may contribute to high blood pressure and raise your risk for heart attack and stroke.

Controllable risk factors

•Obesity — People with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher are more likely to develop high blood pressure.

•Eating too much salt — A high sodium intake increases blood pressure in some people.

•Drinking too much alcohol — Heavy and regular use of alcohol can increase blood pressure dramatically.

•Lack of physical activity — An inactive lifestyle makes it easier to become overweight and increases the chance of high blood pressure.

•Stress — This is often mentioned as a risk factor, but stress levels are hard to measure, and responses to stress vary from person to person.
Uncontrollable risk factors

•Race — African Americans develop high blood pressure more often than Caucasian individuals, and it tends to occur earlier and be more severe.

•Heredity — If your parents or other close blood relatives have high blood pressure, you're more likely to develop it.

•Age — In general, the older you get, the greater your chance of developing high blood pressure. It occurs most often in people over age 35. Men seem to develop it most often between age 35 and 55. Women are more likely to develop it after menopause.

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Our City has seen a great deal of activity recently, both in and outside of the organization. I wanted to recognize some of the City employees who have been involved in these activities and touch on areas that are of interest to employees:

• Classification and compensation plans are currently being updated. You can learn more about this by reading this issue’s feature article.

• The State of the City address recently took place and I wanted to take a moment to thank all of the City staff involved in the planning of and the actual event: Fire and Police Honor Guards, Sgt. Ray Menchaca, Shirley Kaiser, City Hall Building Maintenance staff, Convention & Performing Arts Center staff and the Public Affairs Office. Thank you for a wonderful job.

• The El Paso International Airport recently received the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Southwest Region Environmental Award. This honor was bestowed upon the Airport for going above and beyond the requirements of today’s environmental regulations and for taking to heart concepts that embrace the protection, conservation and enhancement of our environment. Congratulations!

• I would also like to extend thanks to all of the Police, Streets and Environmental Services personnel who assisted with the recent demonstrations that took place throughout the city. Members of these departments helped in the safe management and clean up of the demonstration sites.

General Links

• Human Resources
• City Employees' Pension Fund
• Police and Fire Pension Fund
• Neighborhood Toolbox
• Employee Newsletter Archive
• City Employee Events Photo Gallery
• The Portal
• City Events Calendar
• City News Page

Benefits Services

• Health Benefits - Access Healthsource
• Dental - Concordia
• Dental – Safeguard
• Vision – Block
• Unum Life Insurance – Disability
• ING Life Insurance – Dependent/Basic/
  AD & D
• ING – Deferred Compensation
• EP Fitness
• Del Sol Medical Center
• Las Palmas Medical Center

Contact Us

Do you have a question, comment or feedback on the Employee Newsletter? Let us know!

Send us an email at:
elpasopio@elpasotexas.gov

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