January 2010 AACOG Region Newsletter

AACOG's next road show will be on January 13, 2010, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Ruhmann C. Franklin Auditorium at City Hall, located at 303 West Main Street, in Kenedy, Texas. The road show will be co-hosted by AACOG's member governments in Karnes County. AACOG programs to be featured at the road show will include Housing & Weatherization, Workforce Solutions-Alamo Employment Assistance and Child Care, Alamo Regional Transit, and the Alamo Area Agency on Aging. Applications for Weatherization Assistance will be accepted at the event.

For more information about any of the programs highlighted at our workshops, contact AACOG at (210) 362-5200. To find out how to host an AACOG workshop in your area, please contact AACOG Public Relations Director Tim Treviño at (210) 832-5089. View the Road Show Flyer

Workforce Solutions Alamo was the recipient of three of the four Workforce Performance Awards presented at the 13^th Annual Texas Workforce Conference, December 2, 2009, in Grapevine, Texas.

These awards were for the Best Performing Large Workforce Board covering seven contracted performance measures. This is the second consecutive year that Workforce Solutions Alamo has won the award and is the first time a Workforce Board has won in consecutive years. Checks totaling $500,000.00 came with the awards which was the largest monetary award ever given by the Texas Workforce Commission to a Workforce Board for these awards.

AACOG's Alamo Regional Transit (ART) announces the introduction of a Commuter Shuttle Service linking residents of Pleasanton, Jourdanton, and Poteet to San Antonio’s Palo Alto College and the VIA Transit Center near IH-35 and South Zarzamora.

The shuttle will begin Monday, January 4, 2010, at 5:05 a.m. It will run Monday through Friday, and make stops at the Pleasanton Workforce Center, Atascosa County Courthouse in Jourdanton, in Poteet at the corner of Hwy 16 and School Road, and at St. Peter the Fisherman Catholic Church in the Primrose area; before heading to the Madla Transit Station on IH-35 and South Zarzamora and Palo Alto College. Riders will arrive in San Antonio early enough to make transfers into VIA’s transit system and to get to classes on the Palo Alto Campus or to work locations throughout the city. The shuttle will return to San Antonio to pick up passengers and return them to Atascosa County at mid-day and early evening.

Schedules with exact pick-up locations and times will be available upon request or at the Atascosa County Courthouse; Pleasanton Workforce Center; Poteet City Hall and St. Peter the Fisherman Church. The fares for the shuttle are:

$5.00 one-way between Atascosa County and San Antonio
$3.00 one-way between Poteet and Pleasanton
$3.00 one-way between Poteet and Jourdanton
$3.00 one-way between Pleasanton and Jourdanton
$1.00 one-way between Poteet and the Primrose Area (St. Peter’s)
Discounted fares are available to Atascosa County residents using public transportation to work related activities or training who are also eligible for government assistance programs or who are residents of households with income at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Primary funding for the Atascosa Commuter Shuttle is being provided by a grant through the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) program. This program is designed to provide transportation services for low to moderate income individuals needing to get to places of employment, training, or continuing education. JARC qualified riders will be eligible to ride the Commuter Shuttle for half-fare. Click here for more information.

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, AACOG will host a 3-hour Texas Notary Law and Procedures Seminar for current new and non-notary participants that would like to receive their Texas notary public commission.

Dixie Lucey, Director of Education for State Notary Commission in Austin, TX will teach the seminar at AACOG's Homeland Security Classroom 6, 8700 Tesoro Drive, Suite 165 (first floor), San Antonio, TX 78217. The cost of the seminar including the course manual is $150.00 per person. The state application and bond fee for non-notaries or those who would like to renew their commissions is $105.00 for a 4-year term.

The course will cover:

The state application and renewal process
Acknowledgement and oath procedures
State record keeping requirements
Certifications and protests
Affidavits, Jurat’s and verifications
Overview of changes in notary laws from the 81^st legislative session
Liability protection
Answers to your notary public questions.

“Notary public training protects the notary and the public from liability and protects the long term validity of documentation,” says Dixie Lucey, Director of Notary Education. To register for the seminar contact:

Dixie Lucey, Director of Education, State Notary Commission
PO Box 10141, Austin, TX 78766
dixielucey@prodigy.net | Phone (512) 497-2253

Information on the duties of a notary public is available in this
Notary Public Educational Information PowerPoint presentation.

The State Notary Commission is an educational organization founded in 1990 to promote and enhance the education of notary publics statewide.

AACOG's Board of Directors and Area Council held their semiannual meeting on Wednesday, December 2. The board elected Comal County Commissioner Jay P. Millikin and Wilson County Judge Marvin C. Quinney as 2010 Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively. The board also approved the 2010 operating budget.

Mr. Gary Jesse, Assistant Commissioner of the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), and Helen J. Stevenson, DADS Unit & Contract Manager, presented the Bexar Mental Retardation Authority (BMRA) program a commendation of recognition for their FY08-09 Waiver Program enrollment: Nursing Facility (2); CPS Aging Out (19); Multiple Disability Unit (8); Interest List Reduction (224); Promoting Independence (14); and State Supported Living Centers (12).

In addition, AACOG's 2009 Annual Report was distributed at the meeting. The keynote speaker for the luncheon, following the semiannual meeting, was Texas Secretary of State Hope Andrade. For a listing of 2010 Board Meeting Dates, click here.

Neighbor Helping Neighbor is coming to Wilson County. The Alamo Area Agency on Aging (Alamo AAA) is launching this project with the intent of assisting isolated seniors in maintaining their independence and living safely in their homes.

A leadership team with knowledge of Wilson county neighborhoods and volunteer groups is now being formed. The team will prioritize target areas for the project and determine how neighborhood groups, the real catalyst of Neighbor Helping Neighbor, will function. Whether the target area is a neighborhood or a small community, services will be delivered through Neighborhood Resource Coordination Groups.

A grant specialist from the Alamo AAA will staff these neighborhood groups with local volunteers; who will locate isolated seniors and obtain assistance for them. Typical services might include: volunteer transportation; shopping assistance; home repairs and modification; yard work; bereavement/grief counseling; and telephone reassurance.

The Alamo AAA has set a goal of having several neighborhood groups operational in Wilson County by June 2010. Thanks to a generous grant from the Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio, Alamo AAA will further conduct an evaluation of the program before establishing resource groups throughout Wilson, Guadalupe, Atascosa, and Medina Counties by the end of 2011. As these groups succeed in serving their neighbors, hundreds of seniors will have access to assistance and support that is vital to their independence. For more information, please contact the Alamo AAA toll-free at 1-866-231-4922.

Another academic milestone was again achieved by the Alamo Area Regional Law Enforcement Academy through the successful completion of training by the cadets of the Basic Peace Officer Course (BPOC) Class 2009A and achieving 100 percent first time pass rate on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standard and Education (TCLEOSE) peace officer licensing exam.

Twenty-five cadets achieved this distinction when they received their graduation certificates and various training certifications during their November 10, 2009 graduation ceremony at the University of Texas at San Antonio University Center ballroom. Bexar County Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz was the keynote speaker.

The cadet class commenced training on May 24, 2009. The Academy BPOC curriculum consisted of 1,126 hours of law enforcement and first responder courses of instruction. In addition to classroom lectures and discussions and academic testing, reality-based training scenarios were also included to enhance their critical thinking and tactical skills. Cadets were also certified in the following courses: ASP Baton, OC Spray, Taser, Radar Operator, Active Shooter, Blood borne and Airborne Pathogens, Introduction to the Incident Command System, National Academy of Professional Driving, Texas Crime Information Center/National Crime Information Center for Less than Full Access, and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing.

In May 2009, Sherrie Huckabay, the Alamo Area Regional Law Enforcement Academy In-Service Course Supervisor, was contacted by e-mail by Commander Vaaomala Sunia, the American Samoa Police Department chief of detectives. He wanted to lay the groundwork for joint training with their law enforcement agency and the Academy; this involved having their police officers certified through the Academy’s 144-hour Criminal Investigator Certification Course. Although the cost of this training event was the main discussion, the matter was resolved expeditiously when both parties agreed that the Academy send three instructors as a “mobile training team” to certify the American Samoa police officers instead of sending their officers to the Lone Star State.

The Academy’s Criminal Investigator Certification Course is a locally generated course conceived in 2007 by Sergeant Richard Bryan, Ms. Huckabay’s predecessor. This progressive course starts with the Crime Scene Search, Photography, and Fingerprints, then to Writing Search Warrant Affidavits and Execution, and finally to Courtroom Testimony for Investigators. This challenging course also offers Burglary and Insurance Fraud Investigation, Basic Auto Theft Investigation, and the Sexual Assault and Family Violence Investigation Course (SAFVIC). The three instructors who taught these courses are Sergeant Anita Seamans of Live Oak Police Department, Corporal Paul Blea of Seguin Police Department, and Deputy Constable Thomas Brod of Precinct 2, Bexar County.

Through a special federal grant funding secured by Governor Togiola Tulafono, the American Samoa Department of Public Safety financed the endeavor, to include room and board and airfare of the instructors, reproduction of course materials, and excess baggage fees. Due to the large infrastructure damage brought by a tsunami to the Territory during the first week of October, the training schedule was modified. Nevertheless the 5-week course was conducted while recovery efforts were ongoing. Twenty-two American Samoa law enforcement officers were certified as criminal investigators and graduated on November 20, 2009. Through the diligent efforts and dedication of those involved, the Territory of American Samoa has now experienced “southern hospitality” and law enforcement training “Texas style!”

To find out more about the Criminal Investigator Certification Course, contact Sherrie Huckabay at (210) 362-5258.

Business Images Alamo Area Space Available

Advertising space in Business Images Alamo Area is available for local businesses but only for a limited time. Advertisers will be able to advertise in print and online, and have the option to develop a customer acquisition and retention program.

The official lamo Area Council of Governments-sponsored magazine targets a defined audience of potential residents, new businesses and visitors and will be distributed throughout the year.

View the current online edition of Business Images Alamo Area at imagesalamoarea.com. For more information on becoming a part of Business Images Alamo Area contact Jolene McKenzie at (800) 333-8842or by e-mail at jmckenzie@jnlcom.com.

The 2010 Texas Conference on Aging (TCoA) will be held at the Inn of the Hills in Kerrville from March 21-24, 2010. This statewide conference is designed for aging professionals with both administrative and direct service responsibilities who work in a broad range of community-based settings. This annual conference promotes excellence in service delivery through the sharing of technical assistance, best practices, and management tools.

The theme for 2010 “Deep in the Heart of Aging” reflects our passion and commitment to serving older Texans and their families. The event is hosted by the Texas Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the Texas Association of Aging Programs, and Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services. Numerous sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information or to register to attend this conference, visit www.texasconferenceonaging.org.

AACOG will host the 2010 Texas Conference on Regionalism from September 15-17, 2010. Local organizations have an opportunity to support and participate in the 2010 conference through sponsorship. Sponsors will have access to more than 400 decision makers from across the state. From exhibit space to conference signage, sponsorship levels accommodate businesses of all sizes and provide generous benefits to donors. To find out more about sponsoring this exciting conference, contact Tim Treviño at (210) 832-5089 or Brenda Williams at (210) 362-5246. To become a sponsor or exhibitor, click here to fill out and return the sponsorship form.

The AACOG Region Newsletter is compiled and distributed monthly
by Tiffany Harris, AACOG Public Relations.