March 2009 AACOG Region Newsletter

AACOG welcomed the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) as our newest member on January 22, 2009. The Alamo RMA's purpose is to provide Bexar County with opportunities to accelerate needed transportation projects, through the direction of a local board making local choices about local mobility needs that enhance the quality of life and economic growth for all residents in our region.

The Alamo RMA believes in AACOG's mission of partnering with other local agencies to accomplish one goal, seeing that our region succeeds in all areas, including transportation. As the local Regional Mobility Authority, the RMA recognizes that traffic doesn't end at the county line. We all drive the same roads and deal with the same congestion. It doesn't matter who the road or project belongs to--if we don't work together our system breaks down.

The Alamo RMA recognizes the need to look at our growing traffic congestion problems and find solutions at a regional level. According to the Alamo RMA, AACOG provides them with an opportunity to be involved at that region level.

For more about the Alamo RMA, visit their website at www.alamorma.org. For information on the benefits of becoming an AACOG member, please click here or contact Tiffany Harris at (210) 362-5204.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2009 AACOG Regional Awards, to be presented to the winners at a special ceremony on June 24, 2009.

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

Current elected officials and public sector employees are ineligible for nomination, unless directly involved in a governmental regional project.

These nominations are open to the public. For nomination information, visit www.aacog.com/award or call AACOG Community Relations at (210) 362-5204. Nominations are due on May 8, 2009.

The Office of the Governor recently announced the availability of grant opportunities through the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA). Please visit the ORCA website at www.orca.state.tx.us to obtain more information and available applications. Contact AACOG's Government Services Manager, Joe Ramos, at (210) 362-5212 with any questions.

In preparation for the 2009 Ozone Season, AACOG and the City of San Antonio are hosting our third annual Fresh Air Friday Event on April 3 at Main Plaza, from 11:30 to 1:30, to promote walking to lunch in the downtown area rather than driving to another location. Attendees will either bring a brown-bag lunch or buy lunch there, and enjoy live music, informative talks, and exhibits on the latest alternative commuting options, potential improvements to air quality, and many other healthy, green topics. Visit www.cleanairdrive.com for more information about the event.

On February 10, 2009, local area seniors attended Senior Day at the Capitol, a bi-annual event that celebrates the contributions older adults make to the State of Texas. A total of 24 buses travelled to Austin for the event; 21 from Bexar County, two from Wilson County, and one from Comal County. Expenses for the buses were covered by generous donations from local senior providers and elected representatives. The contingent of seniors and senior advocates from the AACOG region is by far the largest group of attendees from anywhere in Texas. Click here to view a slideshow from the event.

The Texas Hurricane Conference and the Texas Homeland Security Conference will be combined this year and held in San Antonio from March 23-26 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. This conference will provide a wide variety of workshops, presentations, and training opportunities involving homeland security, hurricane preparedness, and the role of voluntary agencies in emergency management. Participants include first responders, law enforcement, federal, state, and local officials, private sector representatives, voluntary agencies, and emergency management experts. For more information about this conference, click here or contact Amanda Hood with the Governor's Division of Emergency Management at (512) 424-2450 or amanda.hood@txdps.state.tx.us.

AACOG is hosting a State Notary training seminar on Thursday, May 28, 2009, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The training, presented by the State Notary Commission will be held in AACOG's Al J. Notzon III Board Room, located at 8700 Tesoro Drive, Suite 100 (first floor), San Antonio, TX 78217. The seminar is recommended for current Texas Notaries and persons wanting to obtain their State Notary Public Commission. A minimum of ten (10) seminar participants are required to hold this training seminar. To register, or for more details and State Notary Commission contact information, click here. Individuals interested in attending can also contact AACOG Government Services Manager Joe Ramos at (210) 362-5212 or jramos@aacog.com.

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