July 2009 - Posts

• LULAC’s Gran Festival Starts Friday At Ascarate Park

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   Public Information Office                    Aracely Lazcano I PIO    County of El Paso, Texas                    500 E. San Antonio I  Suite 301 Tuesday, July 28, 2009                         (P) 915.546.2000 I Ext 4106 I                                                             I http://www.epcounty.com/ I    LULAC’s Gran Festival (El Paso, TX) – The first annual Gran Festival sponsored by the League of United Latin-American Citizens Council 132 will be held this weekend at Ascarate Park. The festival will feature one musical performer each day; Banda Machos (Friday), Kumbia Allstarz (Saturday), and Sonny Ozuna and the Sunliners (Sunday). Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the gate. Children 12 and under FREE. The festival will sell alcoholic beverages in a contained area. The County Parks and Recreation Department does not allow alcoholic beverages in the park for individual consumption. Attendees are encouraged to bring their chairs, however no tents will be allowed because they could impair the view of others. On Saturday, there will be a Huacha Tournament and registration starts at 11:00 a.m. On Sunday there will be a car show.   IN BRIEF:  What: LULAC’s Gran Festival  Where: Ascarate Park When: -Friday, July 31, 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Performing: Banda Machos          -Saturday, August 1, 5:00 p.m. -12:00 a.m. Performing: Kumbia All Starz        Huacha Tournament – registration @ 11:00 a.m.          -Sunday, August 2, 3:00 - 11:00 p.m.  Performing: Sonny Ozuna & the Sunliners          Car Show    For additional information you may contact the Gran Festival at 915.219.0567      (CC07-09-73)   Posted Jul 28 2009, 02:54 PM by alazcano with no comments

• Meeting Highlights for Monday, July 27, 2009

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   Public Information Office                    Aracely Lazcano I PIO    County of El Paso, Texas                    500 E. San Antonio I  Suite 301 Monday, July 27, 2009                         (P) 915.546.2000 I Ext 4106 I                                                             I http://www.epcounty.com/ I   El Paso County to Improve Water Service for Colonia Residents (El Paso, TX) – Over a thousand of Colonia resident’s located far-east of the county will have access to quality water for the first time, thanks to the approval of $1.5 million for two water improvement projects. The members of commissioners court unanimously approved both proposals allocating money from the 2002 and 2007 Capital Improvements Fund. The first project which involves close collaboration with Lower Valley Water District through a 3.5 miles extension of a 12 inch water line to provide clean water to about 150 families or 600 residents of the Lourdes and El Conquistador sub-divisions located adjacent to Fabens. “My priority is to close the gap in potable water needs in all the county, families in El Paso deserve access to water in order to have better quality of life,” said County Commissioner Pct. 3 Willie Gandara. The second project which involves close collaboration with the Tornillo Water Supply Corporation is the construction of new water well in the area of Tornillo. This will provide approximately 300 families or 1200 resident’s access to first-time water.   DRO Director Retires  El Paso County Commissioners Court honored the retiring Executive Director of the Domestic Relations Office (DRO), Terry Pasqualone. County Judge Anthony Cobos presented him with a plaque in appreciation and recognition for his dedication and devotion to the principles and ideals of the Domestic Relations Office and his service for the County of El Paso. Mr. Pasqualone, a former Family Judge, will retire after nine years of continuous service leading the El Paso County Domestic Relations Office. “The DRO has met its challenges through your administration and you’ve handle them with dignity and integrity. You are truly an example of good government that works for the people,” said County Commissioner Pct. 1 Anna Perez. Terry Pasqualone has served as the DRO Execute Director since 2000. He will retire effectively on July 31, 2009.     Posted Jul 27 2009, 03:47 PM by alazcano with no comments

• NEW PROJECT MANAGER SELECTED

  New Project Manager Selected for Border Children Mental Health Collaborative (El Paso, TX) – Rita Ruelas, Family Court Services Chief for the Department of Domestic Relations (DRO) has been named Project Manager of the Border Children Mental Health Collaborative (BCMHC).Ruelas, who was top choice among the 4 finalists, was nominated during Monday’s regular meeting by County Commissioner Pct. 4, Daniel R. Haggerty. Ruelas succeeds Roger Martinez, whom on June 1st was selected as the new Chief Juvenile Probation Officer of the Juvenile Probation Department.Ms. Ruelas has 27 years of experience as a social services professional in our community. She joins the collaborative after nine years with the DRO; while in the DRO, she led the agency to develop and implement social services provided by the Family Court Services Division and created a uniform format for Contested Custody Social Studies utilized by the Family District Courts, among other achievements.   The new project manager for the BCMHC has held various social services positions in our community including working at the Lee and Beulah Moor Children’s Home as Director of Adoptions and Foster Care and actively participated in several boards such as the Mental Health Mental Retardation Board, the Child Welfare Board and the Board of Directors at La Fe. “Rita has long been a highly respected social worker in El Paso and we are so please to have her join us to start the office and very proud to see her move on to the director of the Border Children Collaborative,” said Terry Pasqualone, Executive Director of the Domestic Relations Office. Ms. Ruelas holds a B.A. Degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Masters Degree in Social Work from the Our Lady of the Lake University.    Posted Jul 23 2009, 04:15 PM by alazcano with no comments

• JULY 25 PASSPORT FAIR

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   Public Information Office                    Aracely Lazcano I PIO    County of El Paso, Texas                    500 E. San Antonio I  Suite 301 Tuesday, July 21, 2009                        (P) 915.546.2000 I Ext 4106 I                                                            I http://www.epcounty.com/ I  PASSPORT FAIR Saturday,July 25, 2009 8:00a.m.–2:00p.m. ElPasoCountyCourthouse (FirstFloor) 500E. San AntonioElPaso Texas, 79901  First-Come,First-Served Basis  To viewpassport requirements and costs please visit: http://www.epcounty.com/districtclerk/passports.htm For additional information please call (915)546.2202  FERIA DE PASAPORTES Sábado, 25 de julio, 2009 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Edificio del Condado de El Paso (Primer piso) 500 E. San AntonioEl Paso Texas, 79901 SERVICIO POR ORDEN DE ARRIBO Para costos y requisitos visite la página de Internet: http://www.epcounty.com/districtclerk/passports.htm  Para informacion adicional hablar al teléfono (915)546.2202      Posted Jul 21 2009, 11:12 AM by alazcano with no comments

• Ascarate Lake Kids Fishing Tournament

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   Public Information Office                    Aracely Lazcano I PIO    County of El Paso, Texas                    500 E. San Antonio I  Suite 301 Thursday, July 14, 2009                       (P) 915.546.2000 I Ext 4106 I                                                            I http://www.epcounty.com/ I  Free fishing poles and bait   (El Paso, Texas) – The El Paso County Parks, Aquatics Golf & Recreation Department in partnership with the Ascarate Fishing club and other sponsoring organizations will be hosting a fishing tournament for kids 16 and under on Saturday, July 18, 2009.Members of the fishing club and game wardens will be at hand to teach young anglers fishing techniques and rules to help them enjoy the sport. The Ascarate Fishing Club will provide fishing poles and bait free of charge, while supplies last.Free food and refreshments will be given to all registered kids. Prizes will be awarded in all three age categories: 3-6 years old, 7-12 years old and 13-16 years old. Tournament registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. and the tournament will run form 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon.   In Brief: What:        Fishing Tournament for Kids When:       Saturday, July 18, 2009 from 8:00 to noon                    Registration runs from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.       Where:    Ascarate Lake  6800  Delta Avenue For additional information please visit us online at: http://www.epcounty.com/parksandrec/ascaratepark/fishing.htm    (CC07-09-71)   Posted Jul 16 2009, 10:10 AM by alazcano with no comments

• Hotel-Motel Occupancy Tax Funds Available

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   Public Information Office                    Aracely Lazcano I PIO    County of El Paso, Texas                    500 E. San Antonio I  Suite 301 Thursday, July 02, 2009                       (P) 915.546.2000 I Ext 4106 I                                                            I http://www.epcounty.com/ I  Application Period Begins  (El Paso, Texas) - Local non-profit organizations boosting our area’s tourism are encouraged to request money from the hotel occupancy tax funds for the 2010 fiscal year. The County of El Paso promotes tourism as an important economic development tool and each year the Commissioners Court awards money to non-profit organizations that advertise events outside El Paso County and are dedicated to historic site tourism promotion and preservation. From July 01 to the 31st  2009, the County of El Paso will be taking applications for those interested in requesting these funds.  What: Application Period to Request Funds from the Hotel-Motel Occupancy Tax When: From July 1 to July 31, 2009 Where: For Applications, call Rosemary Neill, Director of Family and Community Services, (915) 834-8201 Forms are also available online at: http://www.epcounty.com/famcom/documents/HOT%20Application%202010.pdf  To report on the use of County Hotel Occupancy Tax Funds: http://www.epcounty.com/famcom/documents/HOT%20Funds%20Expenditure%20Report.pdf      (CC07-09-66)   Posted Jul 02 2009, 03:06 PM by alazcano with no comments Filed under: historical sites, promotion, tourism, non-profits, H.O.T. Funds

• El Paso County to Observe Independence Day Celebrations

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   Public Information Office                    Aracely Lazcano I PIO    County of El Paso, Texas                    500 E. San Antonio I  Suite 301 Tuesday, June 30, 2009                       (P) 915.546.2000 I Ext 4106 I                                                            I http://www.epcounty.com/ I    Courthouse to Close for Holiday Celebration    (El Paso, TX) – In observance of the Independence Day, the El Paso County Courthouse and the satellite offices, including the warehouses where sandbags are being provided, will be closed for business on Friday, July 3, 2009. We urge the community to take this into consideration and plan ahead in case there is the need to use a service provided by any of our departments. For the public’s convenience, all county facilities will be open during regular office hours on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 and resume normal operations on Monday, July 6th. The 4th of July celebration is commonly associated with the use of fireworks and this year the El Paso County did not meet the minimum requirements for drought conditions as established by the Texas Forest Service; therefore the Commissioners Court did not impose fireworks restrictions as last year. However, the members of the Commissioners Court approved temporary street closures and diversion of traffic pursuant to Texas Transportation Code Section 251.151 and 251.158 in the Montana Vista area. Traffic control measures were authorized for July 4, 2009 from 7:00 a.m. until midnight for civic events.  The Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Road and Bridge Department, will place and monitor road barricades at the beginning of the area where residences exist. The barricades and street closures are as follow: Flager St., Suwanee St., Vista del Este St., Las Casitas Ave., Krag St., Buntline Dr., Desert Meadows Rd., Oshea Dr., Acacia Dr., Century Dr., Edward Williams Dr., Snoqualmie Dr., and Oleary Dr.El Paso County families are encouraged to enjoy their holiday weekend at the county parks.Additional information about parks and their amenities can be found at http://www.epcounty.com/parksandrec/  (Scroll Down for Information in Spanish)(Adelantar el cursos para informacion en Español)   Condado Celebra Fin de Semana Festivo (El Paso, TX) – En el marco de la celebración del día de la Independencia de Estados Unidos, El edificio de la Corte del Condado de El Paso y sus oficinas satélites, incluyendo las bodegas donde se distribuyen los sacos de arena, cerraran sus puertas el viernes 3 de julio del 2009. Urgimos a la comunidad a que tome en cuenta la suspensión de labores por ser fin de semana feriado y anticipe adelantar la solicitud de servicios  provisto por nuestras oficinas. Las oficinas del condado estarán abiertas al público durante horas de  oficina el día Jueves, 2 de julio mientras que el 6 de Julio se reanudaran actividades de forma normal. La celebración del día de la independencia durante el 4 de julio es comúnmente asociada con el uso de fuegos pirotécnicos; sin embargo, este año la corte de comisionados del condado no impuso restricciones a los mismos debido a que no se cumplieron con los requisitos mínimos impuestos por el Servicio de Guarda Bosques del estado de Texas para declarar estado de sequía en el condado de El Paso. Sin embargo, los integrantes de la corte de comisionados aprobaron el cierre de varias calles y caminos y el desvío de tráfico en el área de Montana Vista basado en la sección 251.151 y 251.158 del Código de Transporte del Estado de Texas. El control de tráfico vehicular autorizado para la celebración de actos cívicos el día 4 de julio será implementado de 7:00 A.M. hasta la media noche.Oficiales del la Oficina del Sheriff en coordinación con el Departamento de Calles y Caminos instalaran barricadas y monitorearan el control de trafico desde el inicio de áreas residenciales en Montana Vista. Las intersecciones que estaran bajo continua supervision son: Flager St., Suwanee St., Vista del Este St., Las Casitas Ave., Krag St., Buntline Dr., Desert Meadows Rd., Oshea Dr., Acacia Dr., Century Dr., Edward Williams Dr., Snoqualmie Dr., and Oleary Dr.A su vez el Departamento de Parques, Jardines y Golf del condado de El Paso hace una atenta invitación a las familias residentes del condado para que disfruten los días festivos en nuestras áreas nuestras verdes. Para informes adicionales sobre las áreas de esparcimiento puede visitar la pagina de Internet: http://www.epcounty.com/parksandrec/  (CC06-09-65)    Posted Jul 01 2009, 11:12 AM by alazcano with no comments