www.elpasotexas.gov - Mayor's Newsletter

In this issue of “¿Qué Pasa?” you will learn about the following:

El Paso Named Best in Hispanic Business in Texas
Character First!
First Lady’s Program to Feed the Homeless
Do You Want to Improve Your Neighborhood?
Free After School Program
El Paso-Las Cruces Metropolitan Planning Organizations Meet
UTEP MBA Students Recognized Nationally
TPWD Awards Cities $9 Million in Local Park Grants
Flu Prevention Campaign
El Paso-Las Cruces Shuttle
Development Services News
What Property Owners and Tenants Should Know about Tall Grass & Weeds
Animal Services Offering Low-Cost Vaccine, Registration & Microchipping
TxDOT Responds to Citizens Comments
For the Teens – 4^th Generation of Mayor’s 100 Teens Announced

I hope you enjoy our efforts to keep you informed,

Mayor John F. Cook - City of El Paso

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

When you're getting kicked from the rear it means you're out in front.

Bishop Fulton Sheen

REFLECTION

Let others praise ancient times; I am glad I was born in these.

Ovid (81 BC)

* Recently I spoke to an elementary school class and was asked when I graduated from high school. When I answered 1964, one of the students gasped and said, "Back in the 1900's!" Well, at least it wasn't in the early 1900's!

EL PASO NAMED THE BEST IN HISPANIC BUSINESS IN TEXAS

The City of El Paso shone at the 34^th annual Texas Association of Mexican American Chamber of Commerce Convention in August in McAllen Texas. The City of El Paso swept the awards granted by the most prestigious Hispanic Business Organization in the state of Texas, showing that El Paso is the best place for business in the state of Texas. The honorees for the 34^th TAMACC Business Awards are Ray Hernando of RHO Logistics Experts Inc, Patty Holland-Branch of Facilities Connections, Maria Mendez of Aetna Inc and the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to the various honors received by El Paso at the 2009 TAMACC Business Awards, The El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was recognized by the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce as the best in the State of Texas. “The El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce continues to adapt, while seizing the opportunity to reach its goals. By rapidly expanding and revamping its product lines, entering new markets, installing new technologies and working to create new markets of opportunity for the small, minority and women owned businesses they serve in El Paso. Their work is to be recognized,” added Guzman. Each year TAMACC presents the most prestigious awards in the Lone Star State to extraordinary and visionary Hispanic chambers, businessmen and women, as well as corporate and government advocates, who have contributed to and demonstrated exemplary excellence and leadership in business. Through these prestigious awards, TAMACC honors leadership and the business success of Latinos in the State of Texas. TAMACC is a private non-profit corporation founded 34 years ago by a small group of Hispanic business persons interested in increasing business opportunities for themselves and other similar business owners. The association, with headquarters in Austin, Texas, acts as the organizational umbrella providing advocacy, technical support, programs, and services to the network of 23 Hispanic Chambers of Commerce across the State of Texas.

CHARACTER FIRST!

by Laurie Huffman

Character Qualities of the Month – FAITH AND RESPONSIBILITY

Faith is the confidence that actions rooted in good character will yield the best outcome, even when I cannot see how. The opposite of faith is presumption.

FREE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

Effective in September, the City of El Paso Parks and Recreation After School programs will be free for registered participants. The After School program is for ages 6-16 and is scheduled to start September 14 lasting until December 11. Registration is ongoing.

EL PASO ~ LAS CRUCES METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS MEET

The first joint meeting between the El Paso and Las Cruces Metropolitan Planning Organization policy boards was the first ever with the ambience that was evident throughout the event. The historic meeting took place at the Carlos M. Ramirez TecH20 Center at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Desalination Plant in east El Paso, on Friday, August 14, 2009. Ed Archuleta, President and CEO of the El Paso Water Utilities (EPWU), gave a short presentation that gave a brief tour of the facilities and its operations.

12^th ANNUAL TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE SUMMIT

On August 11-14, 2009, the 12^th Annual Transportation & Infrastructure Summit was held in Irving, Texas. Over 1,000 participants attended this four day event that has attracted the most prestigious registrants and speakers from 41 states, 13 countries, and 55 national and international trade and transportation organizations, making it the premier multi-modal transportation policy summit in the world. El Paso was well represented at the summit and featured Mayor Cook’s participation on the “Mayors Roundtable” session. Mayor Cook discussed with other mayors from Brampton Canada, Oklahoma City, OK, North Little Rock, AR, Irving, TX, and Compton, CA their understanding and the “key” to the advancement of the public’s welfare in the 21^st century regarding transportation and infrastructure.

UTEP MBA STUDENTS RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY

This summer graduating MBA students enrolled in the capstone Strategic Management class at UTEP had the opportunity to manage companies. Part of their class work entailed competition in a Global Business simulation game. Dr. Lawrence Marsh was the instructor for the class. There were 6 teams who built business models with performance results that included: Earnings per Share, Investor Expectations, Return on Investment, Image and Corporate Responsibility, and Credit Rating among others. Four of UTEP's Strategic Management class teams were recognized by the Global Business simulation authors for being in the “Top 25” out of the 352 teams from colleges and universities participating in the simulation. The teams who were recognized by the authors were Epic (for Corporate Responsibility) and G Company, Cash Money Champs, DigiCam Corp (for highest Return on Equity). The following picture was provided by DigiCam Corp participants from right to left: Melanie Thomas, Malu Picard, Nahum Avila, and Norma Castillo.

TPWD AWARDS CITIES $9 MILLION IN LOCAL PARK GRANTS

The Dallas, Austin, El Paso and San Antonio areas were the big winners in funding as those areas reaped a combined total of $3.8 million from the $9 million in local park grants awarded by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. The funding comes from the Urban Outdoor Recreation Grants program. San Antonio also was awarded a $1 million grant from the department's Indoor Recreation Grants program. The indoor and outdoor classifications of grants are awarded to communities with populations of 500,000 or more and provide matching grants of up to $1 million. The Urban Outdoor grants are for acquisition and development of parkland while the Urban Indoor grants are for building public recreation centers, community centers and nature centers.

FLU PREVENTION CAMPAIGN

This flu season there are more uncertainties than usual because of the Pandemic Influenza (H1N1) 2009. While is not possible to predict the severity of this flu season, the City of El Paso Department of Public Health recommends that citizens get their yearly seasonal flu vaccine to shield themselves from some of the circulating flu viruses. Annually, influenza causes more than 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths in the United States.

“This is the most important step in protecting yourself against seasonal influenza,” said Roxann Parks, R.N., B.S.N., who oversees the public health department’s Immunization Program. Citizens should make arrangements with their health-care provider for the seasonal flu vaccine. Vaccination is especially important for people at high risk of serious flu complications, including young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older. While there are many different flu viruses, the seasonal flu vaccine protects against the three seasonal viruses that research suggests will be most common. A seasonal vaccine will not protect you against the H1N1 virus. An H1N1 vaccine should be available by mid-October.

EL PASO - LAS CRUCES SHUTTLE

The New Mexico Department of Transportation Park and Ride Express Bus Service is now providing bus service between El Paso and Anthony, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. The service, known as the Park and Ride Gold Route, will pick up and drop off passengers at the following locations:

El Paso’s Bert Williams Downtown Transfer Center, 601 Santa Fe Street
Anthony’s Lowes Big 8 parking lot, on the north side of Franklin Street
NMSU Main Campus; east of the Pan American Center on the northeast corner of the International Mall and Payne Street
Las Cruces Bus Terminal, 180 W. Amador

[click to read]

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES NEWS

Local requirements for residential pools, spas & hot tubs

As part of an ongoing initiative, the Development Services Department would like to remind the community that there are established local requirements already in place and key information available emphasizing safety tools for residential swimming pools, spas and hot tubs.

WHAT PROPERTY OWNERS AND TENANTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TALL GRASS AND WEEDS

To safeguard the community’s quality of life, the City of El Paso Code Compliance Division, which enforces anti-blight and public nuisance laws, is seeking voluntary compliance with the municipal Vegetation and Weed ordinance.

Property owners or tenants are responsible for maintenance of vegetation on their properties and abutting sidewalks, parkways and alleys, under Title 9 of the El Paso Municipal Code states. Grass, weeds or uncultivated plants should not be allowed to grow taller than 12 inches. Violations are punishable by a $270 fine, which includes court courts.

ANIMAL SERVICES OFFERING LOW-COST VACCINE, REGISTRATION, AND MICROCHIP CLINIC

The City of El Paso Animal Services Division is hosting a vaccine, registration and microchip clinic for dogs and cats from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Oct. 24th 2009. Vaccinations and microchips will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis at the El Paso Animal Services Shelter, at 5001 Fred Wilson Road.

TxDOT RESPONDS TO CITIZEN COMMENTS ON TTC-35

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) officials announced Wednesday that, in response to citizen comments received during the environmental review of Trans-Texas Corridor-35, the department has recommended the No Action Alternative on the TTC-35 environmental study to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This recommendation by TxDOT will effectively end efforts to develop TTC-35 through the Trans-Texas Corridor concept.

FOR THE TEENS

THE MAYOR’S 100 TEENS FOR 2009-2010 ANNOUNCED!

Mayor John Cook announces the selected teens to “The Mayor’s 100 Teens” for the year 2009-2010. This group is the fourth generation of the program, which is targeted at recognizing youth within the El Paso community who have overcome adversity, provided service to others, achieved something significant and who lead by example. The Teens will be involved in the program for one year. Activities in which the Teens participate in throughout the year include major public events, public speaking opportunities and community action/service projects and initiatives. The Teens will be presented at a banquet at the latter part of October.

Throughout the year sponsors are sought to donate time, in-kind services and/or monetary resources. There is still time to make a donation to this worthy project. Contact Diana Nunez at nunezdx@elpasotexas.gov.

List of 100 Teens...