FEATURED: “Government For A Day”, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Palmview Community Center, located at 3401 Jordan Avenue in McAllen, on Saturday, April 6, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. “We created ‘Government for a Day’ to inform our community who they have to call for any situation or problem they may face, such as how to get passports, water and garbage services, public safety, serving on city boards, career opportunities, and so on,” said District 4 McAllen City Commissioner Rodolfo “Rudy” Castillo. “All these departments and more, people can call and get information. That’s one of the main things we will be doing – letting the people know.”
Graphic By ANTHONY ACOSTA
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Futuro RGV, McAllen officials to bring leaders of government and nonprofit organizations to meet and serve residents of Commissioner Castillo’s District 4 on Saturday, April 6, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in first-ever “Government for a Day” gathering at Palmview Community Center
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
[email protected]
Futuro RGV and McAllen officials are scheduled to bring leaders with government and nonprofit organizations to meet and serve the District 4 residents of McAllen City Commissioner Rodolfo “Rudy” Castillo for the first-ever “Government for a Day” gathering on Saturday, April 6, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Palmview Community Center, located at 3401 Jordan Avenue, McAllen.
Futuro RGV is a group of citizen volunteers who provide information regarding issues and concerns in deep South Texas.
Futuro RGV is among numerous prominent public affairs organizations in deep South Texas. It began as Futuro McAllen as an advocacy citizen group in 1999 for quality-of-life issues that were in danger of being side tracked due to the tremendous growth taking place in that city.
“We created ‘Government for a Day’ to inform our community who they have to call for any situation or problem they may face, such as how to get passports, water and garbage services, public safety, serving on city boards, career opportunities, and so on,” Castillo said. “All these departments and more, people can call and get information. That’s one of the main things we will be doing – letting the people know.”
There are 30 departments that are part of McAllen city government, ranging from the airport to traffic operations, and 35 city services, from McAllen 311 to the World Birding Center, that are responsible to the residents of McAllen. But too often, people know little about them, what they do, and how they can help them.
“It’s going to be good one, so we want to reach out to the people to come and join us,” Castillo said of the upcoming event. “We will be there from 9 a.m to 2 p.m.”
“Government for a Day” will feature tables for city agencies and also tables for nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations in the area where people can get information regarding programs that provide assistance to city residents.
No political materials will be allowed at the tables.
To make it even more attractive for McAllen residents to show up, Castillo is sponsoring a breakfast and a lunch during “Government for a Day”, which will allow him and other area leaders to meet with people and hear from them on issues that affect them.
Laurel McLeaish, Esq., a member of the Board of Directors for Futuro RGV, expressed the group’s appreciation to Castillo for taking a vital role in this groundbreaking effort.
“Commissioner Castillo is our role model who we are using for this, and he graciously thought it was a good idea, and has been working tirelessly to get the word out to his constituents and the public about what wonderful services are provided by the city,” she said.
McLeaish worked with former Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey, “and he regularly did these in different parts of the state, and the turnout was amazing,” she recalled. “The whole state government went to locations away from the state capitol, and educated people about the fabulous services provided – state government services that no one knew about.
“So we talked with Commissioner Castillo, asked him, what does he think about getting information about city services to his district? Many of his constituents may not know what wonderful staff you have and what wonderful city services are available,” she added.
Among the government departments and nonprofit organizations scheduled to participate in “Government for a Day” are:
- Boys and Girls Club;
- CAMP University;
- Comfort House;
- Hope Family Health Center;
- LUPE;
- Catholic Charities;
- Office of Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra;
- McAllen Cable Network;
- McAllen City Secretary;
- McAllen City Engineering;
- McAllen Fire;
- McAllen Health and Code Enforcement;
- McAllen Independent School District;
- McAllen Legal
- McAllen Library System;
- McAllen Parks and Recreation;
- McAllen Passport Acceptance;
- McAllen Permits and Inspection;
- McAllen Planning;
- McAllen Police;
- McAllen Public Information;
- McAllen Public Works;
- McAllen Transportation;
- Hidalgo County Appraisal District;
- Hidalgo County Community Services Agency;
- Hidalgo County Commissioner;
- Hidalgo County Judge;
- Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force;
- Hidalgo County Sheriff;
- Hidalgo County Tax Assessor-Collector;
- Hidalgo County Veterans Service Office;
- International Museum of Arts and Science;
- Quinta Mazatlan;
- Texas A&M;
- The Libre Initiative;
- TxTurnout;
- South Texas College;
- UMOS – United Migrant Opportunity Services, Inc.; and
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
The Board of Directors for Futuro RGV are, in alphabetic order:
• Annette Franz, Office Manager, John David Franz Law Office, and Past President, McAllen Chamber of Commerce;
• Thomas García, Founder and Director of College Leadership Access Program (CSLAP), and Member. Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force;
• Alex Garrido, Director of Digital Marketing, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley;
• Dr. Nedra S. Kinerk, Retired Professor and Chair, Division of Education, Indiana University at Kokomo, President, Futuro McAllen, and Founding Member, McAllen Heritage Center, Inc., Past Member, Park & Recreation Board, Traffic Commission Board, Civic Center Board, Founding Member of Palmfest International Folklife Festival, and Palmfest Board, all in McAllen;
• Laurel T. McLeaish, Retired Staff Attorney and former Assistant Director for Government Relations,
Pennsylvania State Education Associates, and former Assistant to the Secretary of Legislative Affairs, Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey;
• Albert Morales, Longtime Project Coordinator, AACT (Advocacy Alliance Center of Texas), and former Coordinator/Director 2020 Census for Rio Grande Valley, United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS);
• Davis Rankin, Talk Show Host and News Reporter, KURV-AM, and former part-owner of KURV-AM; and
• Rhonda Salinas, Broker, GRI, owner of The Studios at Bio Bar Gardenia, Hacienda León Real Estate Group, and Infrared workout studio HOTWORX, all in McAllen.
Hidalgo County to host grand opening for Public Health Laboratory Facility on Thursday, April 18, 2024 in Edinburg
Hidalgo County will unveil its latest milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Hidalgo County Public Health Laboratory Facility.
This building is a result of collaborative efforts, funded in part by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in partnership with the Hidalgo County Urban County Program.
The grand opening will be held on Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 11 a.m. at 1200 S. I-69 Frontage Road in Edinburg.
The state-of-the-art, 10,000-square foot laboratory is located next to the Hidalgo County Health and Human Services Department.
The facility will be a Biosafety Level 2+ Lab, and it is adaptable design allows for seamless transition to a Biosafety Level 3 should the need ever arise.
• According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
If you work in a lab that is designated a BSL-2, the microbes there pose moderate hazards to laboratorians and the environment. The microbes are typically indigenous and associated with diseases of varying severity. An example of a microbe that is typically worked with at a BSL-2 laboratory is Staphylococcus aureus; and
• Biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) is applicable to clinical, diagnostic, teaching, research, or production facilities where work is performed with agents that may cause serious or potentially lethal disease through inhalation, to the personnel, and may contaminate the environment.The Hidalgo County Public Health Laboratory Facility will encompass not only a BL2+ laboratory but also incorporates a medical clinic, and office space tailored to accommodate laboratory staff and specialists.
Equipped with cutting-edge technology, the facility shall include a SARS-CoV2 (the virus that causes a COVID-19) testing and testing of other virology diseases through the use of nucleic acid assay (i.e. PCR machine). The lab will also include bacteriology testing equipment with capabilities to identify and report susceptibilities of organisms, as well as serology testing capabilities and other associated services.
The Hidalgo County Public Health Laboratory Facility is designed to serve the community with comprehensive diagnostic services.
More information is available by contacting Precinct 4 at (956) 383-3112.
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For more on this and other Texas legislative news stories that affect the Rio Grande Valley metropolitan region, please log on to Titans of the Texas Legislature (TitansoftheTexasLegislature.com).
