City Volunteers with Sunshine Kids Foundation Above and Beyond To
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A Newsle loyees tter for City of San Marcos Emp July/August 2014 City Volunteers with Sunshine Kids Foundation By Melinda Clayton, Administrative Assistant The Sunshine Kids did their annual invasion of Central Texas in June. San Marcos has been the headquarters for provid- ing local and regional activities for the campers for over 20 years. The free camp is for children ages 12-18 battling cancer and they arrive from cities all over the United States. This year the campers were from Orlando, Philadelphia, Chicago, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Palo Alto. The camp adds quality of life to children with cancer by providing them with exciting, encouraging group activities, so they may once again do what kids are meant to do…have fun and enjoy summer! Some of the highlights included; Sea World with a special meeting with Beluga whales, Schlitterbahn, horseback riding at Mittman Ranch, tour of DOUSED! The Sunshine Kids douse Mayor Daniel Guerrero with ice water as he issues his “cold water challenge” to raise funds for the Fallen Firefighters Texas State Capitol, motorcycle rides, tubing, and ending the charity. (Photo by Don Anders) stay with dancing at Dick’s Classic Garage. Volunteers with the City included City Manager Jared The annual camp requires many volunteers to help bring Miller and his whole family along with Mayor Daniel smiles, happiness and sunshine to the lives of about 25 chil- Guerrero. dren with the disease and their nurse attendants. Continued on Page 12 EVERYDAY HEROES Above and Beyond to Save a Stray By Trey Hatt, had on her back,” said Animal Services Communications Specialist Manager Kara Montiel. The little dog gave Animal Control Rita finally caught the little dog at 4 p.m. Officer Rita Hensley a merry chase Friday afternoon. over the course of a week—but she was running from her only hope of survival. “She came in the facility dripping wet with the dog wrapped up in towels to Rita saved a grievously injured dog after show me her injury,” Kara said. “Rita a week of daily attempts to catch her, thought for sure we would have to put including going out in a pouring rain her down because of the severity of her storm on a Friday afternoon before the injury, an old wound that had become end of her shift. infected. We suspect the dog had been hit by a car or fell out of a moving “She was persistent and knew that if she vehicle.” SLIGHTLY BEDRAGGLED BUT SAFE: Rita Hensley comforts the grievously didn’t catch this little dog, it would end injured little Ryta who is now recovering up dying due to the massive injury she and in safe hands of a rescue group. Continued on Page 12 1 SM NEWSLETTER FINAL PRINT.indd 2 2/24/11 8:22:04 PM Citizens Civic Academy Will Begin in Fall By Jared Miller, City citizens who better understand educated about city goals, duties and Manager our operations, our challenges processes, able to interact with city and our achievements—as well officials and personnel, and prepared The City of San as graduates who volunteer to fill appointed and elective offices Marcos has offered and support our public safety in the future. Citizen Police and Fire departments. Academies for many The Citizens Civic Academy will years—the Citizen We will start the first San Marcos provide an overview of all of our Police Academy started Citizens Civic Academy this fall operations—from the structure of city in the late 1990s and to familiarize citizens with the government to details on the duties of the Citizen Fire Academy in 2011. structure, functions and activities of each department and division. Dozens of residents have gone San Marcos city government . Our City government is a complex through these popular and well- creation—serving the essential needs planned programs. The academies Our objective is to create a cadre of of San Marcos residents, providing produce a dedicated group of well-informed citizens who are better public safety, supplying water, power and wastewater treatment, planning our future and building critical Kudos to YOU! infrastructure. Activity Center: Great Staff, Great Place! We promote community health, strong neighborhoods, quality of Dear Mr. Merritt: life, library, parks and recreational facilities, special events and My name is Jimmy Rodriguez and I have been a member of the San Marcos programs, and respond to Activity Center for over ten years. I wish to express my sincere appreciation for emergencies. We manage all the the wonderful job the entire staff has done over the past decade. operations of the city, assist the City Council, coordinate boards and The Activity Center is a great place to workout, it is safe, it is clean and the commissions, administer justice, staff promotes a healthy environment. safeguard the public purse, and keep the public informed. I would like to commend three particular members of your staff: Bruce Goltry, Holly Latham and Frank Oldham. These members of your staff go the extra So there is a lot to talk about! mile to provide excellent customer service. They are true professionals with regards to their duties. They follow up on problems reported to them to make Every department is contributing sure of proper resolution. The Activity Center is a better place because of them. to this effort and will help with I, for one, am thankful for that. presentations throughout the fall. I want to give a special thanks to Sincerely ACM Collette Jamison and Executive Jimmy Rodriguez Assistant, Sr., Holley Garcia for their wonderful help in putting the Library Love! course together and developing the presentations in coordination with I moved here from San Antonio last September. I lived all over San Antonio our departments. in my many years there and visited libraries in each neighborhood. I did not always have the best experiences, sad to say. I just wanted to write and say how pleased I am with the San Marcos library, OUR WRITERS as a fairly new citizen of this city. Everyone is so pleasant and eager to help, River Scene is a bi-monthly newsletter pub- there is always something new and exciting to read, and there’s something for lished by the City of San Marcos for our everyone in my family, even the “non-readers”. :) employees. Editorial Board Members are: Melissa Millecam, Editor, Trey Hatt, Asst. Editor, Melinda Clayton, Cindy Conyers, Ste- The atmosphere is great and I just wish I had applied when you were hiring fanie Daily, Bobette Elliott, Jana Green, Janis for a clerk; it seems like a great place to work! For now I’ll have to be content Hendrix, Joni Jones, Denise Molina, Stepha- with weekly visits. nie Reyes, Denise Ryan, Karen Smith, Linda Spacek, Tammy Strakos, Kristy Stark and Renate Yanity. Contributors: Jared Miller and Awesome job! Don Anders. Copyright: July-August 2014. Sherri Durham 2 WELCOME! New Employees DIANA AMAYA Police Department where I am work- we have two sons, Rudy and Brandon WIC Clerk ing as a Parking Enforcement Techni- and one daughter, Brianna. I am ex- Community Services-WIC cian. cited to announce that we are expect- ing our first granddaughter in August I am the new clerk for the ALYSSA GARCIA and our first grandson in September. Lockhart WIC office. I Juvenile Case Coordinator I cannot wait to hold my grandba- live in Kyle with my husband, Rene Municipal Court bies!!! I enjoy spending time with my and two daughters, Kristal and Ruby. I family and I love spoiling my nephew love spending time with my family, as Hello everyone! I am the Nathan and niece Natalie. well as playing volleyball and swim- Juvenile Case Coordinator ming whenever possible. for the Municipal Court. I am origi- KATIE STEELE nally from Laredo, TX. I transferred to GIS Analyst SARAH CANTRELL Texas State from Laredo Community Information Technology Animal Shelter Technician College. I graduated class of 2013 Department Community Services-Envi- with a BA in Criminal Justice and a ronmental Health minor in Forensic Psychology. I am I grew up in Denton, Tex- 22 years old and have a great support as. I moved to Austin for a few years I am one of the newest San system back home with great parents, as soon as I graduated high school, Marcos Animal Shelter Technicians. I four sisters and one brother. I’ve lived then moved to San Marcos to finish just moved to San Marcos last Decem- in San Marcos for about three years college in the Geography Department ber to finish my degree in psychology and am very excited to be part of the with a focus in Resource and Environ- at Texas State University. I am a huge City of San Marcos team! mental Studies, as well as certificates animal lover and currently own a do- in GIS and water quality monitoring. mestic longhair cat. My hobbies in- AMY GILBERTSON I’m a GIS Analyst for the IT Depart- clude hiking, swimming, and singing. Library Page ment, and I am making maps for vari- I’m very happy to be here serving my Community Services- ous city departments. I love the river, new city! Library my dog, playing Balinese Gamelan guitar, and sports, as well as travel- CARLOS GARCIA I am originally from Iowa ling, being outside, spending time Master Fleet and moved to Texas 14 years ago. I with friends and family. Services Technician am currently a graduate student at Community Services-Fleet Texas State. I love spending time at MICHAEL WALKER the river here in the beautiful City of Information Technology I am originally from Chi- San Marcos, and I’m thrilled to be a Support Technician cago, but grew up in Texas.