A day to honor veterans

The Veteran and Family Support Services (VFSS) program is hosting a “Veterans Family Honor Day” for Sandoval County veterans and their family members. This free event will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. today, at Hyatt Tamaya Resort.

Refreshments will be provided along with children’s activities and lots of information about VFSS services. Those planning to attend should RSVP by calling 994-1640. For more information, please visit nmvets.com, or call 1-877-929-9797.

Holiday closures

In observance of the Fourth of July holiday, City of Rio Rancho offices and facilities — except for outdoor pools — will be closed on Friday.

On Saturday, July 4, all public libraries will be closed and the Rio Rancho Aquatic Center, 745 Loma Colorado Drive, will close at 4 p.m.

The city’s three outdoor pools will be open from noon until 6 p.m. on July 3 and 4. The city’s outdoor pools are located at Haynes Community Center, 2006 Grande Boulevard; Rainbow Pool, 301 Southern Boulevard; and Cabezon Recreation Center, 2305 Cabezon Boulevard.

Support the troops

RioVision, the city of Rio Rancho’s public, education and government cable channels, and Rio Rancho Blue Star Mothers have teamed together to produce a DVD for care packages being sent overseas to members of the U.S. military who are from Rio Rancho or have family living in the area.

Inspired by Steven Gallegos, a community member who has become a volunteer RioVision producer and parent of a son serving in Iraq, the DVDs contain messages from troop family members. In addition, the DVDs also contain a Rio Rancho City Center update with project information on Hewlett-Packard’s facility, the construction of two new college campuses, and the opening of Cleveland High School this August.

To make the DVDs possible, Rio Rancho Blue Star Mothers contacted organization members and other entities about the opportunity to record messages for loved ones serving overseas. RioVision recorded the messages, helped produce the final DVD that was created and made copies for distribution. 

More than 150 DVDs, funded by Rio Rancho Blue Star Mothers, were placed in care packages recently mailed out.

For more information about Rio Rancho Blue Star Mothers, visit rioranchobluestarmothers.org.

For more information about RioVision, call 896-3388/ext. 240 or visit riovision.tv.

City and Cable One

looking for feedback

The city of Rio Rancho and Cable One are seeking resident feedback via an online survey regarding the city’s public, education and government cable channels — RioVision channels 15 and 22.

The survey is accessible by visiting either Cable One’s Web site, cableone.net, or the city’s Web site, ci.rio-rancho.nm.us. The survey is available now and can be taken through the end of July.

Input that is being sought includes data as to how often residents watch RioVision, what specific content they are viewing and what they would like to see in the future.

Vacation Bible school

Mesa Baptist Church, at 1411 Golf Course Rd., in Rio Rancho, will host a Vacation Bible School, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., July 26-30. There will be free bus transportation.

Call 892-0511 for more information.

Learn about Habitat

Members of Habitat for Humanity and its youth affiliate, Youth United of Greater Albuquerque, will offer an informational talk from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., on Monday, July 6, at Loma Colorado Library Auditorium, 755 Loma Colorado Dr. NE.

The free event is for anyone interested in helping provide affordable shelter for families in need. William Allen, former president and current Youth Coordinator for YUGA will discuss the organizations sponsorship of the construction of two Habitat homes in the Albuquerque area and fundraising  for a third.

For information, call 891-5013, ext. 3030.

Peer Counselors wanted in Sandoval County

Sandoval Senior Connection, a program of Outcomes, Inc., is looking for peer counselors for older adults.

Training is free and begins July 8 and ends July 29. Topics range from exploring what’s normal in aging processes, chemical dependency, and death and dying. The training sessions are three hours long, and summer sessions will be conducted on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings in Rio Rancho.

No experience is necessary; life experience and a listening ear is all that is needed. Sandoval Senior Connection serves older adults in Sandoval County but peer counselors can live in other counties. The organization is especially seeking Spanish speaking volunteers who understand the culture of our Hispanic populations. 

Training sessions are open to the public, no commitment is necessary to become a peer counselor. Call Samantha Apodaca or Cindy Anderson at Outcomes, Inc., at 243-2551, to register for a session or for the whole program. 

Create at the library

Kids on summer vacation can read for fun with the 2009 Summer Reading Program at the Rio Rancho Public Libraries. “Be Creative” is for kids going into kindergarten through sixth grade; books and crafts, games and magazines, play-a-ways and movies. Fill in the puzzle-piece reading logs and get a special prize.

Sign-ups have just begun and will continue at all three library sites through mid-July. Check out the library Web site for the whole scoop ci.rio-rancho.nm.us/library or call 891-5013, ext 3032.

Sunday is Funday

Preparations are underway for the fourth annual mayor’s picnic — Sunday is Funday — which will take place on August 16, from noon until 4:30 p.m., at the Loma Colorado Park located at 755 Loma Colorado Drive.

This year’s event will again feature inexpensive food — fifty cent hot dogs, hamburgers, water, and soda — along with other family entertainment, vendor booths, and a pentathlon competition which will be expanded to include games for businesses, kids, and seniors.

Parking for this event will cost $2 per vehicle and will be located at Rio Rancho High School which is adjacent to the park.

Individual and business sponsors are needed to continue to make this event a success. The fee to have a booth space at the event is $50 and sponsorships are $100 and up. Sponsors will be recognized at the event and in local print advertisements.

The Pentathlon Challenge will be a five-event relay of fun athletic events. Sponsoring your own team or the team of a nonprofit organization helps to fund Sunday is Funday. The fee to participate in the pentathlon is $200 and up and includes sponsorship for the event and booth or banner space. Trophies will be provided to the winning teams.

For more information, to secure a booth, or to register a pentathlon team, please contact Dave Heil at 228-7189 or daveheil16@msn.com, or Tony Popper at 892-0325 or tpopper@qwest.net. You can also visit the city’s Web site at ci.rio-rancho.nm.us/SundayisFunday for more information. Booth and sponsor fees should be mailed to Rio Rancho Kiwanis, 160 Itasca Rd., Rio Rancho, NM 87124.

This event is sponsored and coordinated by the city of Rio Rancho Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, Rio Rancho Kiwanis, the Rio Rancho Civitan Club, and Elks Lodge #2500. 

Any resulting proceeds, after paying expenses, will benefit youth programs in Rio Rancho including: scholarships for the city’s parks and recreation programs, the Rio Rancho Boys and Girls Club, the Sandoval County Juvenile Justice Program, the Sandoval County YMCA, and the Elks Lodge Boy Scouts.