December 2007 AACOG Region Newsletter

The 19th Annual Christmas Along the Corridor, a 150-mile celebration of history, heritage, and the holidays as 120 Pony Express Christmas Couriers carry proclamations to the communities in the seven counties (Atascosa, Bexar, Comal, Goliad, Guadalupe, Karnes, Wilson) of the Alamo-La Bahia Corridor and other segments of the Camino Real de los Tejas to San Antonio, will be held on Saturday, December 1, 2007. The Christmas Along the Corridor Grand Finale and Fair will be hosted by AACOG and the Alamo La-Bahia Corridor Committee on Saturday at MacArthur Field, Fort Sam Houston, from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information on this event including the courier and city event schedules, click here or call (210) 362-5220.

Christmas Events throughout the AACOG Region

The December Semiannual Meeting of the Area Council and Board of Directors will be next Wednesday, December 5, 2007, at 10:30 a.m., at the Radisson Hotel San Antonio Downtown Market Square.

Following the meeting will be a luncheon celebrating AACOG’s 40 years of service to the region. Our keynote speaker will be Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Region 26, who will speak about current legislative issues affecting the region. Former AACOG Executive Director Al J. Notzon III will also give a brief historical introduction of AACOG. Contact Melissa Pulido at (210) 362-5281 for more information about this event.

According to a recent report from the the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Laboratory (NREL), Clean Cities coalitions around the nation displaced an equivalent of 375 million gallons of gasoline in 2006. According to NREL, this number was 50 percent more than the 250 million gallons of gasoline displaced in 2005. During 2006 and 2007 the Alamo Area Clean Cities Coalition has been taking steps to displace large amounts of petroleum in the AACOG region. Several highlights from 2006 and 2007 include HEB opening an E85 pump on IH-35, which dispenses at least 1,000 gallons of Ethanol a week to San Antonio area residents. In addition the CPS Energy continues to expand the use of E85 in the majority of their fleet vehicles. Read this article.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007, marked the first day of distance learning training at the AACOG Academy with the enhanced features that were added to the system over the summer.

Instructor John Correu taught a TCLEOSE mandated Cultural Diversity class simultaneously to peace officers in attendance at both the Academy and the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office.

The Academy developed the distance learning program with the expressed purpose of bringing more training opportunities to the rural areas of the Alamo Area Region.

Distance Learning Courses will be offered every quarter. Please check the Academy In-Service Training Catalog for dates and times. For more information, contact Doris Haby at (210) 362-5291.

Larry Roos, a volunteer Benefits Counselor II with the AACOG Bexar Area Agency on Aging (AAA), recently received the 2007 President's Volunteer Service Award. The award was presented by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation to Larry in recognition of his commitment to strengthening our Nation and for making a difference through volunteer service.

Mr. Larry Roos has been a volunteer with the AACOG Bexar Area Agency on Aging, which serves Bexar county seniors 60 years of age or older and their caregivers, since December 1996. Mr. Roos provides information and assistance regarding public benefits such as Medicare and Medicaid, private health insurance, long-term care insurance, and the Medicare Prescription Benefit. He also provides legal assistance and conducts training for new Benefit Counselor volunteers on a variety of required topics. Mr. Roos is a great asset to our Benefits Counselor program and the clients we serve. Congratulations Larry!

To find out about becoming a volunteer with the Area Agencies on Aging, visit our volunteer page or contact Henri Eaton at (210) 362-5261.

Growing population in AACOG Counties is driving traffic volume, road usage, and road work to record levels. Worker, motorist, and pedestrian safety are critical considerations as work is performed on public roadways. To assist supervisors and workers with safe and efficient design, construction and maintenance of public roadways, the Texas Department of Transportation is utilizing UT Arlington to design and deliver a suite of courses that train personnel to perform work in the safest manner practical as well as regulatory requirements of the 2006 Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

Courses included under the program are: Work Zone Planning and Traffic Control; Qualified Flagger; Work Zone and General Construction Safety; Planning and Implementing Night Road Work; Installation and Maintenance of Signs and Pavement Markings. There is no cost for this training for city and county participants. Contact Bill Staley at (817) 272-0225 or email: wstaley@uta.edu to arrange a class in your area.

Anyone affected by the flooding August 14 through August 20, 2007 in Bexar, Medina, and Kendall Counties, are encouraged to register with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or logging on to www.fema.gov. The deadline to register is December 3, 2007.

AACOG’s main office will be closed Christmas Day through New Year’s Day. The Bexar Mental Retardation Authority and the WorkSource Career Centers will be closed Christmas and New Year’s Day, but will remain open during regular business hours on Christmas Eve, and Wednesday, December 26 through New Year’s Eve. Alamo Regional Transit services will also be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day, but will continue regular service Wednesday, December 26 through New Year’s Eve. Please call in your transportation requests two days prior to your transportation needs. All offices will return to normal business hours on Wednesday, January 2.