Annual Family Fest will help benefit the South Texas Food Bank

 (Laredo, TX )  The City of Laredo is once again hosting this year’s annual 4^th of July Family Fest celebration and thanks to their partners, including: V Parade Company; R Communications; Budweiser; AB Cattle co, by Ana & John Galo; Dannenbaum Engineering; Casa Raul, Cricket; Lone Star Autoplex; and UETA, this event promises to be a sizzling celebration. 

 For only a $1.00 suggested donation entrance fee, which will benefit the South Texas Food Bank, attendees will be able to enjoy: music; food; vendors, entertainment; kiddy activities; Loteria; a bike display; watermelon and Jell-O eating contest and even, help judge the rib and brisket cook-off; dance groups; an Elvis impersonator; a moonwalk; rides; and fireworks, to close out the evening. 

 A separate concert area, hosted by R Communications and sponsored by Budweiser/ Bud Light will require a $10 entrance fee.  This event, the 5^th Annual Batalla de Talento “La Voz de Laredo” which benefits STARS and the UISD/LISD school uniform fund will be held during the festival. 

 For a limited time, the concert tickets are on sale now at the Civic Center Box Office.  Get your tickets now and avoid the rush.  For $10, you get to enjoy the following line-up:

 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.  Budweiser/Bud Light La Ley/Digital Batalla del Talento “La Voz de Laredo”

7:00 p.m.        Paty y Sonora

8:00 p.m.        Grupo Mazz

9:00 p.m.        Salomon Robles

10:00 p.m.      Presentation of Colors and National Anthem by U.S. Border Patrol

Fireworks Display

10:30 p.m.      Grupo Duelo

 “The City of Laredo’s 4^th of July celebration has become a Laredo tradition and gives our community an opportunity for area families to enjoy food, music and activities all the while supporting the South Texas Food Bank,” said Ana Rivera Soto, general sales manager for R Communications.  “Additionally, it is a great way for R Communications to kick-off our two week radio drive for the food bank.”

  Texas A&M International University employees will spend part the afternoon and part of the morning at the University’s annual TAMIU Enrichment Day, Friday, May 18 starting at 11:30 a.m.

   While University offices will remain open, staff and services will be greatly reduced.  The annual event is set aside to offer development sessions to all University employees under relaxed and fun-filled conditions.

         The University will recognize certain employees for Employee Service Awards, Outstanding Employee Awards, degree completion, state employee charitable contribution and All4TAMIU.

         All TAMIU full-time employees will attend small afternoon sessions covering topics ranging from healthy lifestyle habits, communication, better customer service and office etiquette.

         The event is coordinated by the University’s Office of Human Resources.

         For more information, contact the Office of Human Resources at 326.2365, visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Library, room 320 orclick on tamiu.edu

University office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For mobile access to TAMIU, download the free Powered by TAMIU application for smartphones and iPad at http://www.tamiu.edu/mobile/apps.shtml

(Laredo, Tx)- What started out as a community based idea in the early fall of 2010 to assist families facing a specific challenge to insure their children’s safety has now come full circle from the planning stage to completion.  On Tuesday May 15th the Webb County Family Drug Treatment Court will host its first graduation of families who have completed the requirements of the court’s program to graduate.

According to Alma Gomez, Program Director for Family Based Safety Services and one of the catalyst for the program, it took the efforts of the Webb County community to make the project come to fruition, as more than 100 community members joined together for the first planning meeting in August of 2010. 

 Locally, Judge Oscar Hale along with the Women’s Shelter, CASA, MHMR and Anna L. Cavazos Ramirez from the Webb County Attorney’s Office, along with many others has lent their support to the courts success.  During the past year, the court received a sixteen thousand dollar grant to fund a court coordinator and assist in funding the project.

 The Webb County drug court is based on other Texas drug courts in Bexar, Nueces and Travis counties, to name a few.  

 ”The Bottom line is, the success of any drug court is dependent on the leadership of the judge. The judge sets the tone they have to be supportive, and at times firm. A judge has to have the ability to engage participants and keep them coming back each week. We are very lucky to have Judge Paul Gallego as he has really embraced this project” says Gomez.

 The first set of parents will be graduating after having completed the program.  However before entering the program, the parents had to meet certain criteria: 

•             Must sign the required “Release of Information” documents.

•             Must have an open Conservatorship case with CPS.

•             Must not have a conviction/pending charges of a violent act, such as injury to child/family member, and cannot have drug trafficking conviction.

•             They must be over the age of 18.

•             They cannot be diagnosed with a serious mental health disorder, such as Schizophrenia. Cases with mental health disorders will be assessed and admitted into the program on a case-by-case basis.

 Today’s graduation is just the first as there are currently ten families participating in the FDTC program.

(Laredo,T x)-  The Dr. Dennis D. Cantu Health Science Magnet School received a $105,000 grant donation from the Lamar Bruni Vergara Foundation Trust on Thursday, May 9. LBV trustees J.C. Martin III and James Pearl presented the check to Cantu Health Science Magnet School teachers and students during a ceremony held at the Tiger’s Den on the Martin High School campus.

 The grant donation will be used to expand programs at the magnet school says director, Gerri Arredondo. The school will be purchasing an ambulance simulator, which will provide real-life, hands-on experiences to students who are preparing for their emergency medical technician certification, as well as equipment to certify students as certified nursing assistants, pharmacy technicians, medical assistants, and medical records assistants.

 “This is a blessing for all of our students and teachers at the Dr. Dennis D. Cantu Health Science Magnet,” said Arredondo. “I am excited because this grant will bring state-of-the-art equipment to our magnet program which will service students from Martin, Nixon, and Cigarroa high schools. Our students will be college ready and at the same time be prepared for the work force.”

 “I am grateful for the support of the Lamar Bruni Vergara Trust and thank them for helping us to achieve our educational goals,” said Dr. Marcus Nelson, LISD Superintendent. “This grant money will ensure the students receive the opportunity to excel academically and to gain employable skills in health science careers.”

Dr. Dennis Cantu attended the presentation and remembered Mrs. Bruni Vergara as a humble lady who cared about her community and left her signature all over Laredo with her generous donations.

 Cantu Magnet School student Gabriela Dominguez thanked the LBV Trust on behalf of her classmates. She plans to go to medical school and return to Laredo to practice medicine. She has completed her medical rotations, and learned CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, and wound care. In appreciation for the donation, Dominguez presented the Lamar Bruni Vergara Foundation Trust with a framed autographed picture on behalf of the school’s student body.

Texas A&M International University will begin its summer work schedule beginning Thursday, May 31, 2012 –Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012.

The University summer schedule is 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. – noon on Fridays.

The Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library is open Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Fridays, 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday, noon – 8 p.m.

Both the Library and University offices will be closed Monday, May 28 in a State-authorized observance of Memorial Day. The Library will also be closed on  Sunday, May 27.

For additional information, contact the University’s Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 326.2180, e-mail prmis@tamiu.edu or

click on tamiu.edu

Library information can be secured at 326.2138 during regular hours. Services hours are updated daily at library.tamiu.edu/about/hours.asp

The City of Laredo is once again hosting this year’s annual 4^th of July Family Fest celebration on Wednesday, July 4, 2012, at the Laredo Civic Center and is reminding the public of the various deadlines and information for participating in various aspects of the celebration, including: the parade; the bar-be-que cook-off; or participating as a food and other venders; or even as entertainment. 

 Organizations and businesses are invited to be a part of the annual parade, this year celebrating the theme “Symbols of a Free Nation.”  Deadline for submitting a parade application is June 4, 2012.  An entry fee is required by each unit payable upon submission of the applications.  Entry fee for non-profit and tax-exempt organizations is $25 and $60 for commercial entries.  Each entry, float or non –float with a generator must pay an additional fee of $20 for the Laredo Fire Department (Permit) for the Fire Extinguisher.  For more parade entry information, contact Cardona at (210) 588-9206 or via e-mail at vparaderentals@yahoo.com.

 For more information on any of the activities or sponsorship opportunities, contact the City of Laredo at 791-7461; the South Texas Food Bank at 763-2107 or R Communications at 725-1000.

(Laredo, Tx)_Laredo’s rainfall this week and expected rain forecast for this weekend has forced Texas A&M International University to move its traditional outdoor Spring Commencement Exercise indoors Friday and Saturday, May 11 and 12.

            “Taking the safety of our graduates and their families into consideration, we have decided to hold the Spring Commencement Ceremonies indoors. Recent rains have saturated the grounds and made them unstable,” said TAMIU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Pablo Arenaz.

            Ceremonies for the A.R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business and the College of Education will be held Friday, May 11 at 8 p.m.in the Kinesiology-Convocation Building (Gym).

            Candidates for graduation for the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Nursing and Health Science will have their Commencement Ceremonies Saturday, May 12 at 9 a.m. in the Kinesiology-Convocation Building (Gym).

            Both Commencement ceremonies will stream as live broadcast in the Student Center Theater, room 236.

            Additionally, Commencement rehearsals, originally scheduled to take place on the University Green, have also been moved indoors to the Kinesiology-Convocation Building (Gym).

            Rehearsals for the A.R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business and the College of Education will be Friday, May 11 at 9 a.m.

            Rehearsals for the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Nursing and Health Science will be Friday, May 11 at 11 a.m.

            The University has a dedicated micro site with information continually updated at www.tamiu.edu/commencement.

            For additional information, please contact the Office of the University Registrar at 956.326.2250.

            Registrar’s office hours are Monday-Tuesday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

            For mobile access to TAMIU, download the free Powered by TAMIU application for smartphones and iPad at http://www.tamiu.edu/mobile/apps.shtml

Laredo, TX—The City of Laredo Health Department (CLHD) wishes to inform the public that Meningococcal Vaccine is no longer available for college entry through the Health Department.

 Please note that the CLHD receives all public vaccine from The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The DSHS has recently advised us that, due to their funding reduction, there is no further safety-net vaccine available for adults.

 Therefore, college students entering the university for the first time must be vaccinated but will need to seek vaccine from their private provider, university health center, pharmacies, etc.

 If there is a change we will inform the public in the future.  

 This does not affect meningitis vaccine for the students and children 18 years and under covered by the Texas Vaccine for Children’s Program (TVFC).

 For more information, please contact the CLHD Immunization Clinic at (956) 795-4906.

(Laredo, Tx)- The “Teens in the Driver Seat Organization” of the Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts receives accolades Friday, May 5, in Austin at the Texas State Capitol for the TDS Day during the Capitol event. The VMT organization was recognized for its contribution for raising awareness of safe teen driving by for the Texas Teens in the Driver Seat Organization.

 The VMT Teens in the Driver Seat program was recognized as the top program in the state by placing first and winning $500 in the Texas Teens in the Driver Seat Cup in the 2A/3A state division.

 The Trevino Magnet School program once again had two students chosen for the 13 member Texas Teens in the Driver Seat Advisory Board.  Tony Bondoc and Amanda Castaneda were selected as a member of the state board. 

 Highlighted were three activities that the VMT program conducted in Laredo last year which included the Fernando A. Salinas 5K Run in memory of Mercurio Martinez, IV, and both radio and television public service announcements prepared, acted in, and edited by the VMT Communications classes.

(Laredo, Tx)-Come view and experience the magnificent continent of Africa through the lens and eyes of former Laredo Morning Times journalist Tricia Cortez on Saturday, May 19, 201, 2-4 PM at the Laredo Public Library HEB Multi-Purpose Room, 1120 E. Calton Road.

 Says Tricia Cortez:  “I had been dreaming of Africa for several years. I wanted to step onto that red earth, feel its sun, and for one fleeting moment let myself get swept into the daily life of its people. Africa is full of color, vibrancy and life!”

 The goal of hosting this presentation is to bring Laredoans a little closer to Africa, specifically, the countries of Nairobi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zanzibar.

 Tricia is currently the executive director of the Rio Grande International Study Center, a Laredo-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and preserve the Rio Grande and its environment. The San Antonio native is a graduate of Princeton University. She has lived in Laredo since June 2001.

 For more information, contact Pam Burrell at the Laredo Public Library at 795-2400, x2268 or via e-mail at pam@laredolibrary.org.