Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education members meet at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 25 at the district board office, 500 Laser Road.
The Rio Rancho Capital Improvement Plan Citizens Advisory Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 25 at City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle.
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Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board members meet at 6 p.m. on Aug. 26 at City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle.
Rio Rancho Governing Body members meet at 6 p.m. on Aug. 27 at City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle.
County Planning and Zon-ing Commission meeting at 6 p.m. on Aug. 28 in the County Commission Chambers, Bern-alillo.
Paseo del Volcan
community meeting
A public meeting to discuss the city’s Paseo del Volcan Extension Project will take place on Aug. 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Vista Grande Elementary School, 7001 Chayote Rd. NE, off of Enchanted Hills Blvd. At this meeting, staff from the City of Rio Rancho Public Works Department, New Mexico Department of Transportation, federal Highway Administration, and project consultant HDR Engineering will provide infor-mation about this project and answer questions from those in attendance. For information about this project, visit www.ci.rio-rancho.nm.us/pdvextension.
New water fountain
The City of Rio Rancho accepted a $6,416 grant from Sandoval County to purchase and install a water fountain at Sierra Norte II Park.
Legacy Church honors
Rio Rancho firefighters
In remembrance of 9/11, Legacy Church will honor local heroes — Albuquerque and Rio Rancho firefighters — at a special service and barbecue at 6 p.m. on Sept. 10. As a thank-you for their dedication and commitment to serve, the church will present the City of Albuquerque Fire Department and the Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue Department with three lifesaving thermo-graphic in-frared cameras, two for the Albuquerque Fire Department and one for the Rio Rancho Fire Department. Firefighters use the cameras to see through smoke, find people and animals, and localize hot spots in a fire. The cameras cost $33,000 and are remarkably accurate, capable of detecting even slight variations in temperature.
“Our church members felt strongly that we needed to pay tribute to these selfless heroes and give the firefighters a practical gift that will keep them safer and help them rescue victims,” Legacy Church Pastor Steve Smothermon said. “The Heroes Barbecue will give citizens the opportunity to come out and meet these courageous men and women and tell them how much we all appreciate everything they do for us.”
Welcome home ceremony for Olympian Joey Hagerty
The City of Rio Rancho will officially welcome home Olympic gymnast Joey Hagerty on Monday. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and take place at Rio Rancho City Hall.
At this ceremony, Rio Rancho Mayor Tom Swisstack will formally present Hagerty with a key to the city along with proclaiming Aug. 25, 2008 as “Joey Hagerty Day” in Rio Rancho. This event will recognize Hagerty as the city’s first Olympic athlete and for his contributions that helped the United States men’s gymnastics team win a bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. This event is open to the public. Rio Rancho City Hall is located at 3200 Civic Center Circle.
Third episode of mayor’s
talk show now airing
The third episode of Rio Rancho Mayor Tom Swisstack’s talk show has begun airing on the city’s public, education and government cable channels. In this installment, the mayor focuses on new higher education opportunities coming to Rio Rancho by interviewing Central New Mexico Community College President Dr. Katharine Winograd and University of New Mexico Vice President for Rio Rancho Dr. Marc Nigliazzo. “Conversations with Mayor Swisstack” airs on RioVision cable channels 15 and 22 for those Rio Rancho residents who are Cable One subscribers. The mayor’s talk show airs each day on channel 15 at 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Channel 22 shows this program each Sunday (6:30 p.m.), Monday (9 a.m.), Wednesday (noon), Friday (8:30 a.m.) and Saturday (9 a.m.).
“It is my hope that residents will find this new show informative and will provide them updates on how the city is addressing their needs,” Swisstack said. “It is my intent that each episode will give residents the opportunity to hear from guests and community stakeholders who are working on the issues and projects that are important to our city.”
Approximately every four weeks, a new episode will begin showing on both cable channels in their regular time slots. In addition, episodes will be posted to the city’s Web site (ci.rio-rancho.nm.us/mayorswisstack) shortly after a new episode debuts on RioVision. Edit House Productions, LLC is the contracted service provider for the city’s RioVision cable channels. “Conversations with Mayor Swisstack” is directed, produced and edited by Edit House and RioVision staff.
Unclaimed stimulus checks
U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., joined Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Doug Schulman at a news conference to highlight the fact that 35,000 New Mexico seniors and disabled veterans have yet to claim their economic stimulus checks – but can do so through Oct. 15. The amount of these unclaimed checks exceeds $10 million.
TaxHelp New Mexico Director Diana Matier will be on hand to discuss the free assistance her organization can provide these individuals in securing their checks.
“The economic stimulus checks would help thousands of New Mexicans make ends meet, while boosting New Mexico’s economy,” Bingaman said. “TaxHelp New Mexico is ready and waiting to help seniors and veterans secure their checks.”
Earlier this year, Congress took action to boost the flagging economy by authorizing stimulus payments to millions of Americans. Most individuals who worked for pay in 2007, but who earned less than $75,000, were eligible to receive $600 – or $1200 for couples who earned less than $150,000 – with an additional $300 per child. For individuals whose sole income was from social security or disability benefits, Congress authorized payments of $300 per person.
Only individuals who filed 2007 tax forms with the IRS received a stimulus check. While most individuals whose sole income is from social security or disability benefits typically do not file tax returns, they needed to file in order to obtain their $300.
But 35,000 of these New Mexicans have still yet to file.
Bingaman, Schulman and Matier highlighted that the IRS has extended the filing deadline for seniors and people with disabilities to October 15.
TaxHelp New Mexico offers free tax return preparation services to New Mexican’s whose annual household income is less than $39,000 or who are age 65 or older.
TaxHelp volunteers will be available on Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Albuquerque Veterans Affairs Clinic at 1501 San Pedro, SE, Albuquerque.
Boater Safety Class
The State of New Mexico boating program is offering the final opportunities in 2008 to learn boating safety and receive the New Mexico Boater Education certification card. Classes are offered at Elephant Butte Lake State Park and in Albuquerque.
All motorboat operators born on or after Jan. 1, 1989, must complete a boating safety course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, or NASBLA, and certified by New Mexico State Parks.
This includes personal watercraft and sailboats. Beginning in January 2009, this requirement will cover all operators 20 years of age and younger.
Proof of boater education must be carried aboard during boat operation. Many insurance companies recognize the classroom courses only for boat insurance discount purposes.
Classes are free and take about eight hours to complete, with a half-hour lunch break. Classes give students the chance to interact with an instructor who are marine officers or are experienced boaters and to network with other boaters. Students must score 80 percent or higher on the proctored, closed-book exam to receive their Boater Education Card, honored in almost every state in the country.
It can take up to 45 days to receive your education card in the mail, so plan your classes now. The free classes are scheduled as follows:
Albuquerque: Sept. 13 or Oct. 4, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
For information, call New Mexico Environment Department District 1 Office, 5500 San Antonio Drive N.E., Albuquerque with Officer Stephen Verchinski, 505-476-3390
Albuquerque: Saturdays, Sept. 20 or Oct. 11, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Governor Bill Richardson reacts to special session
Gov. Bill Richardson characterized the special session as a good, solid, yet modest effort that helps New Mexico families.
“The winners are kids, working families and our most vulnerable citizens,” Richardson said. “While the Legislature did not go as far as I would have liked to cover all children with health insurance, I believe modest, but solid gains were made toward that goal.
“I am particularly pleased that legislators agreed to provide permanent tax relief for working New Mexico families. These tax credits, on top of the modest rebates, additional child care assistance and funding for home-heating, will provide much-needed relief for working families.
“I appreciate the hard work and leadership from Majority Leader Michael Sanchez and Speaker Ben Lujan during this special session.”
The governor outlined five priorities for the Legislature to consider in the special session that started on Friday.
The legislators made progress on all five issues:
Health Care Reform
$20 million to help cover kids through age 18. $10 million to treat developmentally disabled children. $2.5 million for mental health services.
CARE package: Cost-of-living tax rebate, $55.8 million.
Working Families Tax Credit, $7.8 million.
Increase child care assistance eligibility , $7.2 million.
Home heating assistance, $1.9 million.
School bus fuel assistance, $3.2 million.
Highway projects:
Complete most GRIP road projects, $200 million.
Emergency money for 2008 election: Anticipated additional expenses for November General Election, $1.6 million.
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