Senior citizens interested in serving as advocates for Texas seniors can register their candidacy as a representative to the tenth Texas Silver-Haired Legislature in Austin, Texas. The Silver-Haired Legislature is elected every two years and works directly with the Texas Legislature to promote senior citizen issues and concerns and to enact laws that will help senior citizens. Candidates must file for election by February 28, 2006, at 4:00 p.m. If you live in Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Frio, Guadalupe, Gillespie, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, or Wilson Counties, please click here for more information. If you live in Bexar County, please click here for information.

Texas Silver-Haired Legislature contact: Debbie Billa

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AACOG Calls for Nominations for 2006 Regional Awards

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The Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) is now accepting nominations for the 2006 AACOG Regional Awards, to be presented to the winners at a special ceremony on June 14, 2006. Current elected officials and public sector employees are ineligible for nomination, unless directly involved in a governmental regional project.

Categories for nomination are:

Regional Citizen of the Year
Corporate Citizen of the Year
Community Project of the Year
Governmental Regional Project of the Year

These nominations are open to the public. For information on nominating someone for this award, please click here.

Regional Awards Point of Contact: Tiffany Pickens

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AACOG to host National Association of Regional Councils' 40th Annual Conference & Exhibition

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AACOG will host the National Association of Regional Council (NARC) 40th Annual Conference & Exhibition June 17-20, 2006, at the Westin Riverwalk, 420 West Market Street, San Antonio. More than 400 regional council members and staff come together at this conference, which provides informative sessions on legislative and regulatory issues, as well as training and technical services. Speakers include Henry Cisneros, experts from the public and private sector, congressional and state lawmakers, and individuals from universities and non-profit organizations.

With a productive exhibit schedule, dedicated hours, prize drawings and food functions, the exhibition provides opportunities for exhibitors to discuss their message face-to-face with more than 400 regional leaders and government officials, broaden their contacts, and present their products and services to people who influence buying decisions. NARC conference participants will be looking for innovative and cost-effective tools to maximize the potential of their regional councils and local governments. For information on becoming an exhibitor at this conference, please click here.

NARC is also calling for entries for their Leadership and Achievement Awards, to be presented at the conference. The deadline for receiving nominations is March 1, 2006. For more information about these awards, please click here.

NARC Conference Contact: Gloria Arriaga

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Celebrate Arbor Day!

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On February 4, 2006, join AACOG & the Alamo Forest Partnership for the 3rd Annual Arbor Day! The event will be held from 9 a.m. to Noon at the Institute of Texan Cultures, 801 S. Bowie, San Antonio. CPS Energy will donate FREE trees to the first 1,000 adults who participate in a brief course on tree care. For more information visit www.alamoforestpartnership.org or call (210) 207-7442.

Arbor Day contact: Heather Willden

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Alamo Area Clean Cities Coalition commemorates redesignation

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On February 14, 2006, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Alamo Area Clean Cities will commemorate its redesignation as an active coalition in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program during a “Land of the Free…” luncheon ceremony at the International Center, 203 South St. Mary's Street. City of San Antonio Councilman Chip Haass and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff will speak about the importance of using alternative fuels and clean burning technologies that increase our energy independence as well as help improve our air quality. The ceremony will also include the official signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between stakeholders in the Alamo Area Clean Cities Coalition and the U.S. Department of Energy. By entering this Understanding, the U.S. Department of Energy recognizes the efforts of local stakeholders in promoting the Clean Cities mission of displacing petroleum while enhancing the nation’s economic and energy security. Stakeholders accomplish these efforts by using alternative fuels, alternative fuel vehicles, and hybrid-electric vehicles just to name a few. The use of these technologies in America secures its economic and energy security and gives new meaning to the phrase “land of the free” – free from the dependence on foreign oil and free to sustain its own people.

Clean Cities Coalition contact: Isabel Martinez

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Are You Missing Out on Benefits?

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BenefitsCheckUp® is an online service to screen for federal, state and some local private and public benefits for older adults (ages 55 and over), and provide detailed program descriptions. It contains over 1,300 different programs from all fifty states (including the District of Columbia). On average, there are 50 to 70 programs available to individuals per state.

State, federal private benefit programs may help you cover expenses such as prescription drugs, rent, heating bills, meals and more. BenefitsCheckUp® can help you find and get the benefits you deserve. Completing a BenefitsCheckUp® questionnaire online only takes a few minutes. It's FREE and your answers are confidential. Click on BenefitsCheckUp to find the combination of programs that can save you the most money.

BenefitsCheckUp contact: Tina Smith

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Notice: AACOG Offices will be closed on February 20, 2006, in observance of President's Day.

Newsletter and calendar submissions are encouraged. Please submit any newsletter ideas to mail@aacog.com. Some publication links were created as PDF files. If you do not have the most current version, you may access your free version here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

To subscribe to the AACOG newsletter, click here. To be removed from our mailing list, please e-mail mail@aacog.com.