34 Poll Workers Needed For Valley Election Day

Civic-minded citizens are needed to work at the polls on Election Day. A minimum of 34 volunteers are currently needed in the following communities, and others are being sought as reserves in the event of a vacancy due to illness or other emergencies:
Calexico Area: 8
El Centro Area: 13
Heber Area: 1
Imperial Area: 2
Brawley Area: 7
Calipatria Area: 1
Holtville Area: 2
Registered voters, who read and speak English,with an interest in serving their community, are asked to call the Election Office and volunteer. Poll Workers receive stipend for the day, that ranges from $75.00 for Inspection to $65.00 for all other clerks and an additional $15.00 stipend for attending the required Election School. Bilingual Spanish speaking poll workers are also being recruited to comply with the Voting Right Act.
During every Election, registered voters are recruited to volunteer as poll workers at polling places to fill vacancies from which poll workers have retired or for various reasons can no longer serve.
Call the Elections office to volunteer at 760-482-4226 or stop by the office located at 940 Main St., room 202, El Centro, CA 92243

2008 Sweet Onion Festival In Brawley Draws Huge Crowd

By Chris Furguson

With an orange sunset reminiscent of the Hawaiian Islands, the fourth annual Sweet Onion Festival took place on Saturday, May 10, at the North Plaza Park in Brawley.
Several hundred attendees took in the evening’s festivities which included Hawaiian dances, inflatable bouncing rigs and the traditional onion ring cook-off.
During the highlight of the four-hour event, Cox Farms took first place in the onion ring cook-off as well as the “People’s Choice” tasting award. Rabobank took second place in addition to winning the “best booth” award while First Imperial Credit Union won third place.
The two other teams competing in the cook-off were the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation, who were teamed with the Brawley Elks Lodge, and the Brawley Chamber of Commerce, teamed with the Brawley Lions Club.
John Benson Farms, the winners of the previous Onion Ring Cookoffs, were unable to attend this year, leaving the contest wide open to the remaining teams.
Additionally, a Hawaiian dance troupe performed several routines with volunteers from the crowd as well as fire twirling and other traditional island dances.
Also, the “victims” of this event’s Dunk Tank included Brawley police officer Brett Houser and two members of the Brawley Fire Department.
For the first place win, Cox Farms left the event with $400.00, plus an extra $200 for the people’s choice award. RaboBank took $200 for second place and $100 for best booth while First Imperial took home $100 for third.
The event was put together by the Main Street Association as a way to raise awareness about the downtown area of Brawley.

1st ‘Golden Carrot Award’ To  Be Awarded By The Chamber

 The Holtville Chamber of Commerce will give away another special award to a citizen when it has its first annual Board of Directors’ Dinner.
It will be the first annual dinner and the first annual presentation of what is being called the Golden Carrot Award.
According to Doug Byram, who is a Chamber Board Member, the award will go to a citizen of Holtville who has made large contributions to the community.
Unlike the Citizen of the year award presented every February, the Golden Carrot Award recipient will be chosen exclusively by the Board of Directors and that individual’s name released to the public in advance.
The first recipient, Byram said, is Patricia Salcido, retiring school superintendent and longtime principal in the Holtville school system. She also served as principal of Calipatria High School after resigning following a dispute with former Superintendent Robert Duran.
The Board of directors dinner will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the I.V. Swiss Club on Worthington Road on Friday, June 20th.
Tickets are available through the Chamber of Commerce at a cost of $25.00 per person.
The City agreed to be a $500 sponsor of the dinner as well as pay for tickets for department heads.
Part of the proceeds from the dinner will go toward the purchase of a moving electronic sign for the Chamber to be located at Fifth Street and Holt Avenue.
The Chamber also approached the city about funding through its facade improvement program for $8,000 toward the sign purchase.
Cost of the new sign, according to Linda Layton is over $19,000. the chamber is planning several more fundraisers to meet the cost of the sign.
 

Bowling Alley Set To Open June 9th

Brunswick Zone XL, the long-awaited bowling center in El Centro, will have a grand opening Monday evening, June 9th.
The new establishment located on 950 N. Imperial Highway, just south of Scott Avenue, will have guests in to view the facilities form 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and also stage a charity bowling tournament at the same time.
The bowling establishment, which has been talked about for years and took about three years to get off the ground, will have 16 lanes and billiards, arcade games and laser tag to boot.
For it opening, the Brunswick Zone XL will have a charity bowling tournament that will feature 16 four member teams bowling for prizes to be donated to their favorite charities.
The tournament will use a handicap method that will make it fair for participants of all skill levels. To sign up call Katie Hasse at 312-499-5271.