March 2019

4

Spelling Bee 2019

CONNECTING SOUTHERN ARIZONA

8

Dedicated to Service Santa Cruz Recorder’s Office

March Madness

11

Valentine’s Extravaganza

14

Mayor’s Corner

15

Santa Cruz Center Hosts a Meet & Greet

Border Eco Updates CONTENT Border Eco Magazine

Our goal is to continue reporting on the great people, organizations, and services in our community. We want to change the public’s perception on our border town. Border Eco is focused on the positive people, organizations, and services within our community that makes our bordertown unique. Santa Cruz County is a beautiful community with lots of history and cultural background.

4

Spelling Bee 2019

8

Dedicated to Service

We are grateful for the continued support. We want to thank our customers for their support.

Our mission is to change public perception of our border town.

15 Santa Cruz Center

Santa Cruz Recorder’s Office 11 Valentine’s Extravaganza 12 TECHNOLOchicas LiFT 13 Santa Cruz Superintendent Office Awarded $424,850 14 Mayor’s Corner Hosts a Meet & Greet 15 JROTC Receives Highest Rating

“It is never too late to bring in change, that you want to see around you. Let this year be the forefront for introducing new ideas and new concepts to make the world a better and safer place for all of us.”

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Border Eco Magazine now offers TV advertisement.

Contact us for rates and channels to help promote your business in Santa Cruz County.

Our office is located on : 1071 N. Grand Ave. Ste. #122, Nogales, Arizona 85621 (520) 461-4880 Email: contact@bordereco.com

Please send us information on any upcoming events, meetings, or programs to share with our readers.

w w w.bordereco.com

Editor: Adriana Romero Student Intern Reporter: Chris Alcaraz Student Intern Reporter: Nadia Sandoval Magazine Graphic Designer Consultant: Adriana Romero Sales Representative: Tony Montanez Information is correct at press time.

Check www.bordereco.com for updates.

Border Eco, LLC © 2019 copyright all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of Border Eco Magazine is prohibited. Any material produced is the property of Border Eco. Any material published is not necessarily the opinion of Border Eco and will not be held responsible.

Border Eco Magazine accepts material from advertisers, clients, readers and various sources which are not necessarily the opinion of Border Eco Magazine in print or on Border Eco websites and will not be held responsible. |

Border Eco | March 2019

Pg. #3

Santa Cruz County Spelling Bee 2019 The Santa Cruz County Superintendent’s Office hosted the 2019 Spelling Bee. The event was held on Friday, February 8, 2019.

The event coordinators: Marisol Chiquete-Bolaina, Julie A. Ulrich,and Adrian Chamberlain. It was held at the Santa Cruz County Complex.

The entrance of the courtroom had a large decorative bouquet of yellow and black balloons with styrofoam bees. The inside of the courtroom was beautifully decorated with big colorful paper flowers and paper bees. The Spelling Bee began with a pledge of allegiance followed with a warm welcome by the Santa Cruz County Superintendent Alfredo I. Velasquez and Chris A.Young Chief Deputy.

#4 Pg.

Border Eco | March 2019

The event was well attended by students, parents, teachers, and judges who enjoyed a fun filled day of suspense, and surprises. Larry Frederick from Lincoln Elementary School was the pronouncer of the Spelling Bee. The Spelling Bee had 4 judges those included: Santa Cruz County Manager Jennifer St. John, Santa Cruz County Attorney George Silva, Treasurer Elizabeth Gutfahr, and Jovanna Lopez a State Farm Insurance Agent. The Spelling Bee had approximately 29 students participate in the Spelling Bee. This year’s 2019 Santa Cruz County Spelling Bee Champion was, 5th grader Daniel Woodburn from Fco. Vasquez de Coronado Elementary School. The runner-up was , 7th grader Celeste Larson from Little Red School.

|

w w w.bordereco.com

Santa Cruz County Spelling Bee 2019

w w w.bordereco.com

|

Border Eco | March 2019

Pg. #5

#6 Pg.

Border Eco | March 2019

|

w w w.bordereco.com

w w w.bordereco.com

|

Border Eco | March 2019

Pg. #7

Dedicated to Service Santa Cruz Recorder’s Office

The Santa Cruz County Recorder’s Office has plenty of recorded history, with records dating back from 1899. It is the year, in which Santa Cruz County was first recognized as a county as they were once part of Pima County. In addition to this, the recorder’s office holds election rosters from 1904, 1911 and 1932. The Santa Cruz County Recorder’s Office serves a population of approximately 46,000.

Suzanne “Suzie” Sainz has been the County Recorder for 24 years. A total of 7 staff members work in the recorder’s office.

Staff member are: Patty Garcia-Office Manager, Luiz Gonzalez-Senior Voter Registrar/Recorder Clerk, Stephanie BallesterosVoter/Recorder Clerk and Cristina Rojas Voter/ Recorder Clerk. The part time temporary employees are Omar Armenta, Martha Gomez and Maria Balbuena, an office volunteer. The County Recorder has two primary functions in our county. They provide services to the county by recording important documents such as the transfer of property deeds, property sales, maps, surveys, military discharges, mortgages, federal and state tax liens, or any other types of documents the public wishes to record.

#8 Pg.

Border Eco | March 2019

The recorded documents are assigned a reception number and the data is entered into the recording program as a permanent record. “Our mission is to serve the public.

We help the public with finding recorded documents.

We also help to register and educate eligible voters and document voters voting history. Our office provides voters with the option of early voting, information on early voting sites and voters with the option of voting by mail. We are also in the process of preserving our historical maps from 1899 through the 1960’s and digitizing our historical recorded documents from 1899 through 1982,” said Suzie Sainz County Recorder Officer.

The recorder’s office makes copies of the documents based on public request for research purposes. The documents are also imaged and microfilmed.

The County Recorder’s Office other primary duty is Voter Registration, Vote by Mail and Early Voting. They register eligible voters in the county by conducting voter outreach at community functions and providing qualified electors with voter registration forms.

|

w w w.bordereco.com

The Recorder’s Office maintains voter registrations by entering the data onto a statewide voter registration database that assigns the voters to their appropriate precincts and districts.

They prepare early ballots for electors that choose to vote by mail or vote early in person. The Recorder’s Office provides early voting sites at their location and different locations throughout the county.

“Our office participates in a number of events and programs in Santa Cruz County. We enjoy participating in the Jump Back to School, Rio Rico School Blitz,, Children’s Health Fair, Autism Awareness, Nogales Mercado, 4th of July Celebration in Nogales, 5 de Mayo Event, Patagonia Fall Festival, County Job Fairs, Santa Cruz County Fair, Wellness Connection, Career Day at the local high schools and elementary schools in Santa Cruz County,” said Suzie Sainz County Recorder Officer.

Cristina Rojas “This job is special to me because I have an opportunity to help educate future voters on the importance of voting.”

Patty Garcia-Office Manager “I love my job. I feel fortunate as I am part of the election system.

I am extremely dedicated into providing our customers with a good experience.”

Omar Armenta-”My role within the organization is important because each presentation or information I provide to the public helps to empower them to vote.”

Luiz Gonzalez-Senior Voter Registrar/Recorder Clerk “My role in this office is special as I deal with voting rights. I find it fascinating to see how voting decisions mold our county.”

Martha Gomez Voter/Recorder Clerk “This job has provided me an opportunity for professional growth, while learning new skills. I feel fortunate to work with such a great group of people.”

Stephanie Ballesteros-Voter/ Recorder Clerk “ I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work in this office. I have the privilege of working with the public.”

w w w.bordereco.com

|

Border Eco | March 2019

Pg. #9

#10 Pg.

Border Eco | March 2019

|

w w w.bordereco.com

Valentine’s Extravaganza Hosted by SCPLC

On Thursday, February 14, 2019 the Santa Cruz Parent Love Connection (SCPLC) hosted a celebration of appreciation for children with special needs their families and community members of Santa Cruz County. Children were greeted and were welcomed to enter the BallRoom where dozens of pink, red, lavender and white balloons where on the floor for them to enjoy. Kids received cute Valentine hats to wear during the event. Many of the children brought friends from school and the community.

Attendees enjoyed a beautiful Valentine tardeada, while they also enjoyed a delicious potluck. Attendees enjoyed a variety food items like cold cuts, cheese sandwiches, mini chimichangas, taquitos, pizza, cold salads, pasta salads and a table full of delicious pastries and desserts.

During the event several teddy bears were raffled, attendees also enjoyed three hours of music.

The DJ made birthday announcements for January and February of children celebrating birthday for these months.

“We are very happy were able to host this event for our special needs children, their friends and family. It was an opportunity for parents and the community to get involved by celebrating Valentine’s Day with our special needs children.

It is an opportunity to celebrate love and friendships, while letting the community know that our children are more alike than different. We as parents of special needs children value them and celebrate their lives.

w w w.bordereco.com

We appreciate the support from the public, volunteers, and community leaders for attending this unique social event. A special thank you to our volunteers! This event was funded by parents, community contributions, and Southern Arizona Network for Down syndrome (SANDS.),” said Maria Scholnick Program Director of SCPLC. SCPLC is a support and advocacy system established in 2010 for families raising children with special needs in Santa Cruz County. For more information call Maria Scholnick at 520470-5833

|

Border Eco | March 2019

Pg. #11

TECHNOLOchicas LiFT Program South 32, a global metals and mining company that spans the globe including the Hermosa Project in Patagonia, in collaboration with the Televisa Foundation is carrying out the She Will Connect: TECHNOLOchicas LiFT program in seven of our Santa Cruz County middle schools.

In partnership with Alfredo I. Velásquez and the Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office, South 32 with a sponsorship of $66,000, and guidance from the Televisa Foundation, will be implementing the program for the second year in a row. The after school program for 7th grade girls is at Desert Shadows Middle School, Wade Carpenter Middle School, Calabasas School, Coatimundi Middle School, Lourdes Catholic School, Patagonia Elementary, and Santa Cruz Elementary. It is being coordinated by Chris Young, the Chief Deputy at the Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office.

#12 Pg.

Border Eco | March 2019

TECHNOLOchicas LiFT was developed to increase the number of girls in Hispanic communities pursuing technologyrelated studies by the time they reach high school. A curriculum designed to empower, excite, encourage, and engage girls in computer programming, coding, and robotics is being implemented by site facilitators and assistants on each campus for 2-3 hours a week. Funds are being used for classroom supplies, robotic kits, the mega conference hosted in Nogales, parent engagement, and sustaining the program.

Enrollment is set for a minimum of 20 girls per site, and an application process was followed for acceptance in to the program.

|

w w w.bordereco.com

Aside from weekly meetings, the club will participate in a mega conference with Technolochicas ambassadors from across the country. At the conference, girls will be given the opportunity to network with other middle schools and the official Technolochicas panel of females in technology fields. This is a chance for Santa Cruz County students to ask questions and share ideas with role models who work for NASA, Microsoft, Qualcom, Pinterest, and many other corporations.

This panel will share their stories of success about how being well-rounded students is so important.

Being bilingual, selfconfident, hard-working, and creative will also be discussed as positive attributes when it comes to pursuing a career in technology. The event will be highlighted by workshops dedicated to building teamwork, critical thinking skills, and communication all centered around topics related to engineering, coding, and other types of technology.

Find us on Facebook!

Scan the barcode

Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office

Awarded $424,850

The Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office Consortium is pleased to announce it has received $424,850 through the Schools and Libraries Program (E-Rate) funding.

This funding will expand internet access to schools and libraries within Santa Cruz County, giving students and teachers the infrastructure needed to succeed in today’s changing technology driven world. The fiber optics lines installed in this project will increase broadband services for participating locations which are Nogales Unified School District #1, Santa Cruz Elementary School District #28, both Patagonia School Districts #20 and #6, Sonoita Elementary School District #25, Mexicayotl Academy, Sacred Heart Catholic School, and the libraries in Nogales, Rio Rico, Sonoita, and Tubac.

By forming a consortium, the participating entities were able to produce more buying power in order to lower the monthly internet cost and improve internet speed for everyone in the consortium. The ERATE process requires going out for bid, as a result, the consortium chose the proposal from Century Link in order to be the internet provider and constructor for the project.

“This is a great thing, not only for our schools and libraries, but for our entire county. I want to thank everyone who participated and especially NUSD #1 for coming on board with this project. With everyone working together and creating a countywide project, we were able to better the educational experience of our children,” said Alfredo Velasquez, Santa Cruz County School Superintendent.

According to the FCC website, Highspeed Internet access, or broadband, is critical to economic opportunity, job creation, education, and civic engagement. But there are too many parts of this country where broadband is unavailable. In urban areas, 97% of Americans have access to high-speed fixed service. In rural areas, that number falls to 65%.

w w w.bordereco.com

|

E-rate is a program of the FCC that provides schools and libraries discounts of up to 90% for technology related expenses. These expenses include Internet Access, Wide Area Networks (WAN), and the equipment that disseminates the internet throughout school and library buildings and districts. Discounts for support depend on the level of poverty and whether the school or library is located in an urban or rural area.

E-rate is providing the needed funds to allow rural students and patrons the same opportunity that their urban cousins enjoy. Without E-rate the technical divide between rural and urban learning opportunities would be vast indeed.

Contact: Chris Young Chief Deputy Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office cyoung@santacruzcountyaz.gov

Border Eco | March 2019

Pg. #13

The City Council, city employees and Mayor Garino have been busy this past month with many public projects and issues, including: •Water and sewer improvements •Street paving and maintenance tasks •Approving Police Body Camera’s •Unanimously approving a Resolution condemning the use of concertina wire on the U.S./ Mexico wall •Signing of the 8th Annual Sisterhood Agreement with Mexico Mayor Garino has repeatedly mentioned in recent interviews that the Wall has been there for many years, however, the concertina razor wire that has been recently installed by Border Patrol is in the immediate proximity of the residents, children, pets, law enforcement and first responders.

#14 Pg.

“I am first and foremost concerned for the safety of all our citizens. From the calls, texts and emails received people in our community are concerned about the safety and the negative image the concertina wire gives to our city. Our citizens feel that they live in a safe place where they are proud to raise their children and attend school. It’s also important for entrepreneurs to want to set up shop and future developers want to build and make our city their permanent home,” said Mayor Arturo Garino.

On Saturday, February 2, Mayor Garino and Council Members Nubar Hanessian, Marcelino Varona, Jorge Maldonado City Manager, Dr. Frank Felix and John Kissinger Deputy City Manager, attended the 81st Tohono O’odham Nation Rodeo and Fair in Sells, AZ. For our citizens, we are working to ensure that Nogales continues to progress.

Border Eco | March 2019

|

w w w.bordereco.com

Santa Cruz Center Hosts a Meet & Greet On February 7, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. the Santa Cruz Center and the South32 Mining hosted its annual meet and greet luncheon with Pima Community College Lee Lambert for the second year. The event was held at Mr. C’s. The purpose of the luncheon was for Santa Cruz County community members to learn more about Pima Community College in Santa Cruz County.

Special guests invited to the luncheon included: Dr. Dolores Duran-Cerda- PCC Provost Ted Roush- Vice President Desert Vista Campus Greg Lucero- VP Corporate Affairs at South 32

Rio Rico High School Army JROTC program received a 97.8 percent rating in a recent Triennial JROTC Program Accreditation inspection, earning the school’s first-ever Honor Unit with Distinction (HUD) rating. The HUD rating is the highest possible distinction in this review.

The inspection includes an in-ranks inspection of all students in their uniforms, a Color Guard drill sequence, a platoon drill sequence, inspection of student portfolios, a briefing on the RRHS Service Learning Project, and a Continuous Improvement Briefing.

The HUD rating allows RRHS students to wear the HUD Yellow Star on their uniforms.

“I am incredibly proud of our JROTC program,” said RRHS Principal Shelly Vroegh.

“Our students are a wonderful example of good students and good citizens – they continually work hard to excel in school and are always available to serve their community. Along with our JROTC instructors, they certainly earned this high honor.”

Follow us of Facebook: Border Eco w w w.bordereco.com

|

Border Eco | March 2019

Pg. #15