A roundup of news for our publication family!
Ad sales training a success Happy 2nd quarter! It looks like the chilly first three months have blown their final breath of cold air and springtime is in full bloom, as are your publications, I hope. (cheesy, I know) In the January issue I wrote about sprucing up your publications, and while going through your newspapers a n d website I have noticed a few nice changes throughout the group. If you’re ever needing some new ideas, read your sister newspapers, website and social media. It’s quite possible you will get some new ideas. Actually, we had a new idea that we implemented for our recent Advertising Meeting in March. Many of you have attended one of our meetings in the past, so we really wanted to have something unique and educational for all level of sales people, from the newbies on up. While looking for ideas, Daniel Philhower and I ran across a sales guru named Ryan Dorhn. He is the creator of a sales training strategy called 360 Ad Sales. After talking to Ryan about coming to Taylor to give his presentation (his fees were a little high for our budget, about $8,000), we had to figure another way to get this training. We discovered that Dorhn also offered video sales training courses for a price that fit our See TRAINING Page 3
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April 2018 | Issue 4, Volumn 28 SEE INSIDE!
Faster. Smarter. Stronger. Colorado County Citizen Ad Rep. Brackston Nutt has a superpower he uses both on and off the job.
FIND OUT MORE on page 4
Orlando Red Good Day Who is Orlando Red-Good Day you ask? Well, it’s Orlando Rojo-Buendia, our own ad designer extraordinaire!
FIND OUT MORE on page ##
THANK A VETERAN OR A SERVICEMAN EVERY DAY!
FIND INSIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOR THE SEASON
AD SALES TRAINING A SUCCESS......................................................1 Table of Contents..........................................................................2 Employee Anniversaries................................................................3 Top Bookkeepers...........................................................................3 GIVE TILL IT HURTS........................................................................4 Birthdays......................................................................................5 Question of the Month...................................................................6
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THE RUNDOWN
Anahuac Progress..........................................................................8 Bandera Bulletin...........................................................................8 Boerne Star...................................................................................9 Colorado County Citizen..............................................................10 FUN FOR COLUMBUS................................................................... 11 ASTER. SMARTER. STRONGER.......................................................12 Elgin Courier...............................................................................14 Liberty Vindicator........................................................................15 ORLANDO RED GOOD DAY............................................................ 16 Navasota Examiner.....................................................................18 Taylor Press................................................................................20 FAMILY FUN DAY..........................................................................22 Granite Publications....................................................................24 DIRECTORY..................................................................................25
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TRAINING continued from 1
TOP BOOKKEEPERS
budget. So, we got it. On March 23rd and 24th we held the meeting. 15 salespeople, publishers and advertising directors attended. After two days of watching and learning, the final outcome from attendees was unanimous. Everyone said it was well worth their time. Although it was on video, it seemed like he was here working with each of us. There were corresponding worksheets and handouts that we used, and after every 30-45-minute segment there was much discussion. The topics we went over were very enlightening, even for the pros in the room. The topics were about prospecting, what to say when sending emails, follow-up ideas, creating great proposals and time-management. In addition to the 360 Ad Sales training, Patti Slavych, Creative Services’ Ad Services Manager, spoke for about an hour about the do’s and don’ts of turning in ad copy for both print and web. Thanks, Patti! I will be sending out some short sales videos around the middle of the month, so watch for them. In addition, the 360 Ad Sales training course will also be used for new salespeople to our company. In closing, as a reminder, now is the time to start making spec ads made for your upcoming Graduation sections. Go through last year’s edition and get something ready for those advertisers, and make a list of specs for as many new businesses as you can. Metro has dozens of great specs you can use. Let’s all shoot for exceeding last year’s edition. If you have any other ideas or tips, post it on the Advertising channel of Slack. Have a great quarter and Happy Selling!
1ST Lori Ligues Colorado County Citizen
2ND Fran Fox Bandera Bulletin
3RD Carrie Little Navasota Examiner
Jim Beaver, Director of Sales and Marketing EMPLOYEE ANNIVERSARIES APRIL ANNIVERSARIES
Rose Stewart, 1 year Boerne Star
Stephanie Locke, 6 years Boerne Star
Matthew Schoch, 1 year Boerne Star
Fernando Castro, 10 years Elgin Courier
MAY ANNIVERSARIES
JUNE ANNIVERSARIES
Granite Publications
Colorado County Citizen
Kim Marlow, 6 years
Gail Schoeby, 12 years
Ann Miller, 1 year
Lauren Jette, 2 years
Richard Stone, 4 year
Phillip Guiterrez, 9 years
Jim Chionsini, 30 years
Liberty Vindicator Taylor Press Taylor Press
Lori Ligues, 1 year
Elgin Courier Elgin Courier
Taylor Granite Printing
Cheryl Madewell, 1 year
Jim Beaver, 10 years
Debra Weatherford, 2 years
Carolyn Hill, 8 years
Elgin Courier
Granite Publications
April 2018 Newsletter
Granite Publications Taylor Press
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Give till it hurts Daniel Philhower Granite Publications
“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”
Mother Teresa
Giving back to those around us who are in need can be the most rewarding experiences life offers. Within every socioeconomic class, there is a need that can be met by someone. Whether that be a financial need, physical need (clothes, food, etc.), or emotional need, we can each contribute in some manor to improve the lives of those around us. Children alone bring such joy to our lives, what better lesson to teach our kids then to give back. In the past few issues of The Pub, we laid out the frame work for this year’s financial education series for kids. There I introduced methods on how to teach your kids that money doesn’t grow on trees and set the foundation on which we can build a financial foundation for our kids. As a parent, I believe it’s my responsibility to invest in our children’s financial education, because one day our kids will be running our businesses and our government. We’ve already discussed some key foundations; money isn’t endless and the art of savings. We’ll be discussing budgeting this summer. In this article we are going to discuss the art of giving and how to cultivate a generous heart in our kids. These four foundations of financial literacy are key to ensuring our children grow up to be self-sufficient citizens who can contribute to the tax base and be successful long into adulthood. Mother Teresa is famously quoted saying we should learn to give until hit hurts. “I must be willing to give whatever it takes to do good to others. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is no true love in me, and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.” Imagine if we all lived
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this way. There would be no need for government welfare assistance and poverty could become a thing of the past. This may be a daunting task for the “Atypical” American family, but there are many areas of need that even us Newspaper folks can do now. Similarly to the other articles in this series, I’ll give some examples in each age group on how your kids could learn the art of giving. From birth to adulthood, “sharing” is a hard concept to fully grasp and implement. When we’re kids, sharing our toys proves to be a difficult task and that same mentality of sharing our possessions as adults can be equally as difficult. Before we dive in, let’s first start by establishing “why” we give to begin with. If anyone has ever had a 3 year old, their favorite question to ask is “WHY?” Let’s explore why we need to instill the art of generosity with our kids. As a matter of information, half of Texas households are one crisis away from poverty, according to a new report that ranks the state 37th in residents’ overall financial security. In Texas, 49.8 percent of households are liquid-asset poor, compared to 43.5 percent in the nation as a whole. Texas ranks 30th in the country for liquid-asset poverty. The report also ranks Texas 42nd for its percentage of low-wage jobs: 27.8 percent (MacLaggan, C, 2014). So let’s put this into “normal” language. In the 1996-97 school year, about 1.8 million students, or 48.1 percent of all Texas students, were identified as economically disadvantaged. In the 2006-07 school year, about 2.5 million children – 55.5 percent of all Texas students – were considered economically disadvantaged (Texas State Comptroller, 2008). As of 2014 that percentage is 60.10% of Texas students are designated economically disadvantaged (TEA, 2014). Many of you are in these school districts and can see the need first hand. The “need” is out there and is rising. What can you and your kids do to help? Let’s discuss that next.
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“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
Winston Churchill
Elementary Age Group I believe it’s pivotal to teach your elementary student about generosity. Teach them at a young age, model a giving attitude and you’ll see your child grow into a charitable giver. At this age, consider teaching them about what it means to be disadvantaged. Show them different levels of poverty and safely expose them to the need in your community. We started in our house by talking about toys. Like most play rooms in American households, our toy bins are overrun with toys collected from birthday parties, from kid’s meals, and homemade trinkets from school. Consider cleaning out toy bins about every 6 months. Start a “donate” box and let the kids choose what toys to donate. Try not to just donate the toys no longer played with, but have each child choose a special toy to give away. It may not be easy at first, but with your follow through, you’ll see your child start to make good choices. Another great option for any age, is Operation Christmas Child. Take a shoe box and fill it with toys and hygiene products. Opt to “follow” the package when signing up on line and show your child where their gift is going and how it will impact another community. I had the honor to work with Samaritan’s Purse (creator of Operation Christmas Child) while in South Africa the summer of 2003. There we got to hand out these shoe boxes to kids in a small village outside of Cape Town. It brought me great joy to see the smiling faces of all of those kids and I want my kids to experience the giving here in the US. Middle School Age Group By Middles School your child knows about disadvantage and may be able to pick out opportunities where they can contribute. At this stage, their “toys” are bigger and generally cost more. Consider the same clean up task here but have the children consider giving something away that they themselves paid for and do so joyfully. This is not only a good age group to reiterate the need to be generous, but it’s also a great time to teach your kids to think outside of themselves. Selflessly with joy and happiness are traits that few adults can master let alone a hormonal tween. BUT again, if you yourself can model this behavior
and continually expose your child to safe opportunities to give then do so. This is also a good age group to start teaching about giving financially. Like savings, start small and work with realistic goals. Continue the habits of savings you’ve instilled in them and learned about in the last Pub issue, by setting aside a portion for financial giving as well. Even if that means giving the homeless man on the corner $5 each month, you’ll be teaching your middle school pre-teen to think beyond themselves and how they can impact their community by putting their money to good use. High School Age Group Your high school child may be thinking of everything else at this age besides those in need around them. But a high school student who can give with happiness and do so consistently is more likely to be a success in college and is more likely to grow up as a leader in their community. Any individual who can think and act outside of their own self is more likely to be successful in all they do. Many schools have community service programs that require its students to participate in some sort of charitable activity. Though these programs are good to have, the giving shouldn’t stop there. High school students are at the age where they can give financially of their allowance and earnings. Do some research with them and find a cause they can “buy” into. If college is on their minds, they may want to consider contributing to a scholarship fund for disadvantaged students in their community. At this age, time may be more valuable than money. With sports and school, your high schooler’s time is precious. Have them consider donating their time at a food pantry or at a community build project. Make it a family event and have the whole family join the project. Model the behavior you’re looking for to be engaged in what your student is doing and you’ll help them succeed. “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” — Charles Dickens “How wonderful that no one need wait a single moment to improve the world.” — Anne Frank No matter how big or small, your students can and will make a difference in your communities. The biggest take-away in this financial literacy series to be engaged with your kids. Not only teach, but model these financial foundations for your children. Showing them that money doesn’t grow on trees, that saving can be done easily, and budget isn’t a dirty word (coming soon). Your involvement in your child’s lives is pivotal for their success. With a giving spirit, you and your children can make a huge impact in our communities across Texas.
BIRTHDAYS Gail Schobey, 4/19
Jim Chionsini, 5/19
Elaine Maltsberger, 6/18
Susan Nelson, 5/9
Minerva Patrino Kutch, 5/21
Michael Carrington, 6/21
Mandy Carroll, 5/11
Ana Cosino, 5/23
Fernando Castro, 6/21
Jennifer Gray, 5/13
Nicole Shupe, 5/27
Gretchen Dyson, 6/21
Elgin Courier Boerne Star
Anahuac Progress Liberty Vindicator
Monetta Dusek, 5/14 Granite Publications
April 2018 Newsletter
Granite Publications Granite Publications Navasota Examiner Navasota Examiner
Boerne Star
Navasota Examiner Elgin Courier
Granite Publications
Richard Stone, 6/24 Taylor Press
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Q
UESTION What was you OF THE MONTH Ana Cosino
Navasota Examiner I haven’t been to a lot of places, but I think the most fun and memorable vacation is the one my little family and I took last year. We took my son Jason to Legoland in Florida for his 8th birthday. The look on his face, the excitement in his eyes, My mos and his laughter… to P t mem aris orab now that is • , Fr land l Nav , it w ance w e and fu something I a s i n th as a ota n am my Fr vacatio will never Exa ench n wa azin mine s the Club g, e forget! r ye o pen class. A Spring ing B s rea a exp erie teenag k of 19 e nce that r trave 91 durin li I ha g ve n ng to a a trip ever fore ig forg otte n n.
Carr ie Li ttle
Gretchen Dyson •
Kit Brenner •
Boerne Star
Three years ago my daughter and I took a cruise to Alaska that created a lifetime of memories. A float plane trip over five glaciers to a remote lodge for a freshly caught salmon dinner was a highlight, but the real surprise was yet to come. From the time I was a child I dreamed of seeing the Aurora Borealis, but we only had a 20 percent chance of catching it. One night we were on the balcony and there it was. I still get cold chills remembering. I purchased fabric in several Alaskan shops and created a quilt that reflects the image of the northern lights. Of course, it’s named Aurora.
Granite Publications
All of the trips I took while studying abroad in France, but the best was probably Nice, France, where I met a group of amazing people and had fun from the moment I arrived to the moment I left.
Michelle Banse Stokes Colorado County Citizen
Casey Stinnett •
Liberty Vindicator
My most fun vacation was my 2007 trip to London. I lucked into a ticket to the Trouping of the Colours, the annual celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s birthday, held in June, despite her birthday being in April. I did not realize until the morning of the event that there was a dress code. I needed a suit but had not packed one. So I bought a suit with shirt socks and a tie from Marks and Spencer (the only clothing store open), sprinted back to my hotel, dressed, and sprinted to the event. I made just in time. I also met former Prime Minister John Major during intermission at a West End production of “The Letter.”
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I piled my daughter and dogs in the back of my Subaru and headed across the country to Montana. We stayed with my friend who had moved there years ago, touring Red Lodge, Beartooth Pass and Yellowstone National Park.
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ur most memorable vacation? Debra Weatherford •
Granite Publications
My son and daughter in law gave me the best 47th birthday. I flew into England and got a surprise I didn’t expect. I was told to drive us to their house. I said,” NO WAY, I can’t drive on the left side of the road”. Ashley said, “Thank goodness, since we have a baby on board!” That’s how I found out I was going to be a Nonnie. I was informed that I was going to go to Florence, followed by Dublin for the March 17th parade. It was one of the best vacations that was so special to me. In high school I wrote reports about Dublin and on the reason for St. Patrick’s Day. I wanted to visit because of family history. I have a wonderful son that remembers me talking about a dream.
Jim Beaver
Ann Miller
Granite Publications One of my most memorable vacations was two years ago when me and Penny took a 5-day cruise with her sister and brother-in-law. It was so relaxing, yet gave us the opportunity to visit parts of Mexico we had never been to. Plus, I could gamble, watch movies at night in the hot tub or pool, plus eat all I wanted!
Taylor Press Mother/Daughter trip to San Francisco (Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Ghiradelli Square, Magic Bus Tour, Haight-Ashbury District, Golden Gate Park, City Lights Bookstore, Alcatraz, Lombard Street, Painted Ladies)/Monterrey (Monterrey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf)/Napa Valley (Sterling and Beringer Wineries/Muir Woods National Monument/Sausalito/ Golden Gate Bridge from Kirby Cove)/Hwy. 1 Drive (Mori Point to Monterrey) BUT NO Tony Bennett!
Kim Marlow
Liberty Vindicator I was 22 in 1982 and went to Lisbon, Portugal for five days. Most memorable part of that trip – one day I walked miles through the city, literally up a mountainside and through the Alfama district to Castelo St. George, overlooking the city. St. George was a bird sanctuary then and wide open to the public...I spent an afternoon exploring the nearly empty grounds and castle. It was incredible! There’s more that was memorable about that trip (including nearly crashing into the N. Atlantic Ocean going home!) but it could take up the whole page, lol.
April 2018 Newsletter
Dayna .Haynes
. Anuhuac . Progress
Most memorable vacation for me was in 2004 while we were living in Minnesota, we rented a houseboat in Ely, Minnesota for a week. It was so beautiful, we saw moose, beavers, loons and of course got to explore all the islands that were scattered throughout the chain of lakes. It was a very unique experience and would recommend it to anyone looking for time away from everything.
Valeri Stair
Granite Publications All my childhood family vacations were fun and memorable. You can only imagine what it was like for my parents having 6 kids to wrangle for 14 hours in a car. But I think the most fun so far has been the snow skiing trip to Santa Fe, NM a couple of years ago for Christmas. It snowed the morning after we got there, and I got to relax while the hubby and kids had a blast on the slopes for a few days. I got to see a childhood dream of the Staircase of Loretto in a chapel in Santa Fe. It was spectacular and just as amazing as I had anticipated. I intend to go on more fun adventures with my family in the future.
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Photo by Matt Hellman
Spring is here! For now... Summer is coming. Just ask Gretchen...
THE RUNDOWN
Granite Pub takes an interest in the family buzz over the past few months. ANAHUAC PROGRESS
BANDERA BULLETIN
It’s been a busy and a bit daunting first quarter for the New Year. Personally I have been fighting the flu, which has been terrible, especially since I am not usually one to get sick. But the time has been filled with many activities with work and for fun too. In February I treated my friend to a day at the casino for his birthday. We went to the Isle of Capri in Louisiana, which I have not been to since the 90’s! It was a lot of fun, though I didn’t win anything, just lost all my cash! There was a live band that played all those wonderful sounds from the 60’s & 70’s! Good ole dancing music, we had a great time! Helped out with the Chamber of Commerce awards banquet, there was a really good turn out for the event this year. This year they decided they would honor all of those who volunteered their help during Hurricane Harvey. It was very moving hearing all the rescue stories and honoring all those who helped in such a trying time. For my birthday in March I got to go see Pat Benatar in concert. She was AMAZING! At 65, that woman can still belt out “Love is a Battlefield” like no ones business! She performed all her great hits and played three new songs from a new album she is currently working on. It was an acoustic session with just Pat and her husband, Geraldo at the Smart Financial Center. It was just such a great concert and just made my birthday extra special!
The last few months have been busy for the four-person staff at The Bandera Bulletin as more advertisers and subscribers have turned to the newspaper in the wake of the closing of the only other newspaper in Bandera County, the Bandera County Courier. Advertising and circulation has been on the upswing since January, creating more duties and opportunities for the paper’s advertising team, Chris Darus and Dee Russ, and its office manager, Fran Fox. Russ led an effort that produced a 12-page Easter supplement that was the first one the Bulletin has produced in years. The Bulletin also is striving to refine its editorial and graphic content to address the demands of a growing customer base. It added a Sudoku puzzle in January, more recently began reporting on the Medina Lake capacity level in response to customer requests and is seeking other content that will make the paper more relevant and appealing to its readership. A sparkling snowfall that dusted the area in December ushered in what has been a fairly frigid winter that has kept everyone energized as warmer temperatures begin to set it. While visitor traffic appeared to stay heavy during the winter months, merchants are looking forward to more business in the upcoming travel season. A push also is under way to provide
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funding for more cowboys, cattle and other trappings of the Old West to be available for visitors to enjoy so Bandera can live up to its reputation as the Cowboy Capital of the World. In addition, work is about to get started on a 46-room, $4.9 million Best Western Hotels project on Main Street in Bandera that supporters hope will boost the economy somewhat. Bandera saw two, deeply-rooted commercial ventures change hands since December. The site of the long-shuttered Cabaret Dance Hall on Main Street was sold for an undisclosed amount of money to a partnership named Enchanted Properties, but no word has been released on what will become of the property where the dance hall stood for more than 80 years. In addition, the Flying L Hill Country Resort, which features a golf course, water park, conference center, time-share facility
and other amenities, was sold at foreclosure to Equalizer Inc. of Waco for $3 million. The new owners are in the process of rejuvinating the property. Incumbents, including County Judge Richard Evans, fared well in party primary elections as the political parties prepare for the general election in November. The City of Bandera was finding progress difficult as it tried to move forward on improvements for the main city park in Bandera and on the creation of an historic preservation district. But it also wasted little time in March to reach an agreement hiring J. Horry, an assistant city manager in Alpine, as Bandera’s city administrator who will try to move the council’s priority projects into operation in the coming months. The mood in Bandera County, while defiantly independent and even a little, off-beat at times, remained optimistic.
LEFT: Corey Hawley, Sarah Hawley-Kimbrel, Jacob Kimbrel and Kenai Jerome pose for a family photo in Arizona. MIDDLE: Jessica Goode and her daughter Sarah take the top off for some sunny driving in Apache Junction, Arizona. RIGHT: Jessica Goode’s son Kenai enjoys a peaceful morning on Lake Mescalaro in Ruidoso, N.M. BELOW: Jessica Goode takes a selfie with her sons Kenai and Corey in the background at the base of Superstition Mountain in Arizona. BOERNE STAR
Jessica Goode ventured to Arizona and New Mexico with her family over Spring Break. Mainly there to attend her niece’s wedding in Apache Junction, the troupe found many adventures along the way, including exploring caves, panning for gold, a train ride through the desert and a Major League baseball game. On their way back to Texas, they made an impromptu pitstop at the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Mescalaro, N.M., where they spent time at the lake paddle boating and hitting some baseballs in the batting cages. In Boerne, a grassroots community movement has gained members and momentum in their fight against a concrete batch plant slated for development in a residential community. Placing significant pressure on county and state leaders, those challenging the concrete company have linked arms with county commissioners – who passed a unanimous resolution opposing the plant on the grounds of inappropriate land use – and state representatives. A public hearing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is scheduled for next week. Congratulations to Kolleen Roe and Stephanie Locke for
April 2018 Newsletter
developing a political advertising program they marketed to local candidates on the ballot in the recent primary elections. The campaign generated $40,628 in advertising revenue compared to $19,565 in the 2016 primary election.
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received fifth place in district in a UIL cross examination debate competition. He was the only Columbus speaker to place. Bookkeeper Lori Ligues has set the bar high in collections with over 90% current for the past two months. She’s tough on past due accounts and has started several new customers off on the right track with automatic ABOVE AND LEFT: Citizen Advertising payment plans and Representative Brackston Nutt recently reminder notices. turned 32 years-old and his son Everett Publisher Michelle turned four-years old. Stokes and her family recently acquired a new tiny travel trailer for their camping adventures. They’ve been on two trips to the beach and could not be happier with their new toy. They’ve met lots of nice families in the RV parks and are looking forward to more weekend getaways.
COLUMBUS COLORADO COUNTY CITIZEN
The Colorado County Citizen welcomed Brackston Nutt back to the crew as Advertising Representative. Nutt was employed previously at the Citizen as a reporter. His gregarious personality fits sales better and he’s already hit the ground running selling the annual Visitors’ Guide and completing a web sales swat with Jim Beaver, director of sales and marketing with Granite Publications. Citizen staff attended the Columbus Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Casino Night in March. The event was a hit with local businesses and the staff enjoyed some downtime together as a group, even though no one won the jackpot! Reporter Vince Leibowitz was named a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International. This special recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Of course, everyone at the Citizen already knew what a good fellow he is! Reporter Jason Hogan took a break from sports over the Easter weekend to visit family in San Antonio. Typesetter Chris Brown, a junior at Columbus High School,
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The Nutt Family celebrate Easter after Easter egg hunt number three winds down. Citizen Advertising Representative Brackston Nutt is an Elder at LifeBridge Community Church in Sealy and Katie made a lot of food to feed multiple families. After all was said and done, the Nutt family took a well-deserved nap.
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Fun for Columbus!
LEFT: Citizen Publisher Michelle Stokes proudly shows off a black drum that she caught in the surf at Quintana Beach in March. The fish measured 21 inches long. Her husband also caught one later that day, but she’s quick to report that his only measured 15 inches in length. BELOW: Will Stokes, husband of Citizen Publisher Michelle Stokes, prepares fresh shrimp on the beach at Port Aransas on their inaugural trip of their new travel trailer.
Citizen Publisher Michelle Stokes and husband, Will, enjoy some sun at Port Aransas over spring break weekend.
Citizen Publisher Michelle Stokes’ daughter, Zoe, and their Chihuahua, Colorado County Citizen Reporter Vince Leibowitz (sec- Ginger, cry out for help from the ond from right), is shown with other members of the mouth of a great shark while visiting Columbus Rotary Club after he and other members were Port Aransas during the weekend preceding Spring Break. named as Paul Harris Fellows of Rotary International.
Citizen Reporter Jason Hogan took a trip home to the south side of San Antonio to celebrate the Easter weekend with his surrogate family, including his six-year-old nephew, Liam Campbell. Jason plays a game of horse shoes with Sherise Campbell, mother of Liam.
April 2018 Newsletter
Colorado County Citizen Bookkeeper Lori Ligues, right, is joined by Reporter Jason Hogan and Publisher Michelle Stokes, center, after receiving her nomination for Columbus Chamber of Commerce Employee of the Year.
Citizen Publisher Michelle Stokes’ daughter, Zoe, shows off all the eggs she collected on Easter.
Jim Beaver plays guitar for Michelle Stokes, her husband, Will, daughter Zoe, and reporter Vince Leibowitz during his February visit to Colorado County. The Stokes family entertained Beaver and Citizen staff at their home in Weimar during Beaver’s visit.
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Faster. Smarter. Stronger. By Vince Leibowitz
Colorado County Citizen
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or most people, suffering from a condition like Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder would be considered a life-altering detriment. Colorado County Citizen Advertising Representative Brackston Nutt, however, sees a bright side to ADHD. “It allows me to think in ways other people don’t, and to find solutions to problems,” Brackston says. “It also helps me fuel my creative flow.” Although he has suffered from ADHD his entire life, he wasn’t diagnosed until he was 31. “Three years ago, I was sitting in a restaurant with my wife. We had been together for years, and I looked her in the face and I said, ‘something is wrong with me because I can’t finish a thought in my own head,’” he recalls. His wife said he probably suffered from ADHD. He went to a doctor, and was formally diagnosed with the condition. One example he cites is his work with a hard-core band for about two years. “I wrote the lyrics and yelled in to a microphone,” he says. He says ADHD, “helps me think faster.” “I can have an idea and see it from idea to completion immediately,” Brackston says. “I can balance two or three ideas or creations at the same time.” The high level of creativity that Brackston experiences, though, can come with a downside.
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“I can have an idea and see it from idea to completion immediately. I can balance two or three ideas or creations at the same time.”
Brackston Nutt
April 2018 Newsletter
“Sometimes I’ll text my wife and say I’m having a bad mental health day,” he says. “I’ve given myself more grace to have those days,” he notes. Brackston says that he can sense warning signs that may trigger a bad day such as drinking too much coffee. He’s also tried to alter his diet to eat healthier. With the condition comes, Brackston says, good days and bad ones. “A good day is when I’m able to make a list and finish it. A bad day is when I allow my obstacles to get the better of me and not finish a thought in my head,” he says. “I go and close my eyes and take a deep breath and give myself a minute, and reassess, and go forward.” He also communicates with his wife that he’s having what he calls a “bad mental health day,” because he stresses that support is important for those who suffer from ADHD. Brackston says it is important for others in our industry to watch for signs they may have the condition. “As creative as we are, we need to give ourselves a lot of grace and acknowledge that ADHD is not something that is going away, but something a lot of us have if we work in this area” Brackston says. “Find ways to fight anxiety, and exercise.” Brackston would like everyone to know that ADHD is not a deficiency, it is a superpower.
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ELGIN COURIER
It’s been a busy start to 2018 for the staff at the Courier. Towards the end of January, Main Street in front of the office was closed down for an afternoon while a film crew shot a commercial. Between the Clydesdale horse prancing down main street and several cases of Budweiser that weren’t hiding very well, we were able to deduce that the beer company was filming their Super Bowl commercial in Downtown Elgin! It turns out the commercial wasn’t aired during the Super Bowl, however, but was shared on their social media pages during the Super Bowl. The commercial included several small towns, but Elgin was in a good 10 seconds of the commercial. Reporter Fernando Castro has been busy building pages and covering city council, which went to two monthly meetings now that so many projects are in the works for our town. He is now enjoying a much-earned vacation. Managing Editor Lauren Jette has been running all over Elgin and Bastrop County covering sports and school board and commissioners court meetings, all while overseeing the production of the paper each week. She is glad the weather is finally warming up and the multiple layers of warm clothing is no longer needed. Bookkeeper Gail Schobey has gone to part time for the Courier while husband Bill recovers from some medical issues that came up at the beginning of the year. We are glad Bill is finally on the uptick and can’t wait to have Gail back fulltime! It turns out she is pretty vital to keeping our office running smoothly! Publisher Kevin Wright has burned a lot of (shoe) rubber on the sidewalks in Elgin meeting current advertisers and new potential advertisers!
Gail Schobey’s grand-daughter, Shelby Ann Rose will be graduating from ACC on May 10th and from CRCA, Colorado River Collegiate Academy in Bastrop, on May 31st. She will be attending UT starting in the fall and will be double majoring in Composition & Rhetoric and Psychology in the school of Liberal Arts. We are very proud of all of her accomplishments and would like to wish her well in all of her future endeavors.
Budweiser brought their famous Clydesdale horse to downtown Elgin to film a commercial that was shared on their social media pages during the Super Bowl in February. While Courier staff wasn’t allowed to interrupt the filming, we certainly enjoyed watching the scene unfold right in front of our office!
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The Mcdonnel family- Big Brother Nolan and Little Brother Rhyder- Parents Calynn and Kevin Mcdonnel LIBERTY VINDICATOR
The biggest recent news at The Vindicator has been that Publisher Jennifer Gray Richardson welcomed a new grandbaby on March 28. Rhyder Kade Mcdonnel was born weighing 7 lbs 14 oz. He was 19 inches long. Thanks largely to an open casting call held nearby, The Vindicator website experienced a big boost in page views during March. Our Facebook following continues to grow, and we even managed to sell a few new subscriptions this past month. After the primaries, the next big local event in March was
April 2018 Newsletter
the annual Liberty Jubilee. Because of weather and conflicting events scheduled for the same weekend turnout was lower than in past years, but the city was appreciative of our newspaper’s efforts to promote the Jubilee. The Vindicator has started running the “Dear Annie” advice column available through creators.com, and it is going over well with our readers. We also stirred the pot a little with an article about the high school graduation rate in Liberty County. It was only a reminder of what everyone already knew, but it became the subject of a lot of local conversations.
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Orlando Red Good Day Ad Designer Extraordinaire Who is Orlando Red-Good Day you ask? Well, it’s our own Orlando Rojo-Buendia from Granite Publications Creative Services aka “O” (all caps). But can Orlando be summed up in a few nicknames or cute sayings? The answer is definitely not. Besides the usual display of his happy-go-lucky nature here in the office, we decided to do an interview of our own to see if we could uncover and introduce you to the REAL Orlando. Orlando’s journey started a little over 20 years ago in Laredo, TX. He was the third-born of four children born to Gustavo Sr. and Aracely. He enjoys his family time and can be found most holidays enjoying celebrations that include his dog,
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Oreo Jr. This dog loves to dress up in costumes, and “O”, with his flair for all things canine fashion, has no problem giving in to his doggie’s desires. He also has a pet tortoise named Mamut, but I’m not sure whether it’s a fashionista or not. Growing up, Orlando was a good student and hated missing school. He was very well-liked by his peers and had many friends as a result of his outgoing personality. “Everybody knew me,” said Orlando. I’ll bet he was a barrel of fun in school! As an adult, Orlando moved to Austin. He wasn’t really planning on a 40-minute commute one way to work each day, but his former employer was less than stellar which led to his seeking employment with Granite Publications in our creative department. Now he really enjoys his commute which could be better described as a 40-minute live Latino concert starring himself while providing his own back-up vocals and dancing. His dream job is to be a concept artist for a video game company, but we hope we to keep him around here a lot longer. We are currently experimenting with the donut and pizza method. It seems to be working as well as on other members of the staff.
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As you can probably tell, Orlando has a tendency to think outside the box. This is a supremely useful tool in his creative toolbox. For example, when asked “how many pennies would fit in this room?”, his response was, “Well, one, I guess. I mean one technically still fits.” You go, Orlando! I like that answer. No one said you had to fill it up. This kind of thinking is exactly what makes him so good at his job. Upon winning the lottery, grand plans will be made to pay off all his and his entire family’s debt. There was no mention of him quitting his job, so hopefully he would stick around to build some ads and keep us entertained with his extensive repertoire of unusual hats and lively hair colors. I hope you have enjoyed this small glimpse into the life and times of Orlando Red-Good Day. He is a joy to have as part of our team as he contributes to our “One team with one vision towards one goal” with generosity and positivity abounding. His unique sense of style and character make him a quick favorite among his co-workers. We are truly blessed to have him as part of our team. Thanks for all you do, Orlando! This one’s for you.
April 2018 Newsletter
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NAVASOTA EXAMINER
The folks at The Examiner have been busy bees attending many meetings and social events including the Blue Hawaii Annual Awards Chamber of Commerce Banquet. With one of the Platinum sponsors not being able to attend, Team Ford’s GM Mike Vivaldi so graciously gave his head table to The Examiner staff. They felt pretty special sitting front and center. Examiner Bookkeeper and Office Manager Carrie Little has been quite the party animal. She celebrated her father’s 72nd birthday in January and celebrated her 43rd birthday in March. But, not all was party, party for Carrie. Her father’s heart issues reared its head after a 4-hour heart ablation procedure. According to Carrie, he is thankfully on the mend. Examiner Editor Nicole Shupe entered 2018 with a whimper. From strep throat to eight funerals, she’s already done with 2018 four months in. Bright spots did include her husband’s 48th birthday with his absolute favorite meal – carrot cake. Holding to tradition, the cake read “Yer a wizard, Hal!” because the first homemade carrot cake Nicole made for his birthday looked like Harry Potter’s birthday cake when it came out of Hagrid’s pocket. The family has also been battling the persistent college and conference mail deliveries for her son, Peyton. He has numerous offers to attend specialized summer programs and chose to participate in The Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders in Boston where Nicole and Peyton will also tour his dream school, MIT. Examiner Sales Rep Angelique Galvan has hit the ground running, literally since her poor car’s engine blew up, after participating in the Advertising Sales Meeting hosted at Granite. She continues to immerce herself in Grimes County business and politics and becoming reacquainted with her hometown. Her daughter Mia participated in PSIA (Private School UIL) for third grade ready writing and placed 4th place out of 47, making her the alternate competitor for state. Mia also won the thirdgrade art show at Texas A&M University Veterinary Science School. Her son Micah is still battling the reasonability of being a puppy daddy. Youngest daughter Maddie attempted a uniform regulation change at her school by showing up with no shoes. Luckily, Walmart saved the day, but did not prevent Maddie from complaining to her teacher about new shoe blisters without explaining the entire situation. Examiner Publisher Ana Cosino and her son Jason are logging frequent driver miles by driving to Bay City to visit her husband Manuel as often as the schedule allows. Even if it’s for only one day they all enjoy spending time together since his job requires him to live in another city. Proving himself to be a polar bear at heart, Jason was thrilled to spend a portion of Spring Break on the beach. Mom and dad may have been bundled for the weather, yet Jason was swimming in the waves. Jason may enjoy playing at the beach, but Ana has been thoroughly enjoying the Navasota Citizens University – her favorite field trip to date, during the 6-week course, has been the excursion to “poop land.” “Poop land” as she has dubbed was the Wastewater
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Nicole’s family continues a tradition on her husband’s birthday.
Albert Green, Examiner Bookkeeper Carrie Little’s dad, celebrates his 72nd birthday.
Examiner staff celebrate Carrie’s 43rd birthday.
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Treatment Facility where she hoped to find her car keys which were flushed earlier this year. The 6-week course allows citizens a behind the scene look of city services and programs. The Examiner staff are asking everyone at Granite to keep our drivers, Ina Lindley and Michael Carrington, in their prayers as they have both experienced recent deaths in the family. Michael lost his twin sister to complications of lupus this week. Ina’s sisterin-law passed away on Ina’s birthday March 20. Grimes County has once again become the go-to location for families and photographers alike, as our hills of bluebonnets and Indian paint brush make for the best photo ops. As Bid Daddy Maddie says (Angelique’s daughter), “until next time, peace out!”
Examiner Publisher Ana Cosino and local business owner Pattie Pederson take a selfie in the middle of “poop land.”
Iris, Micah’s puppy, will soon be too big to hide under the furniture.
R I G H T: D u r i n g NCU, Navasota Fire Department as Examiner Publisher Ana Cosino attempts carrying a hose across the room in bunker gear. “I couldn’t move. It was too heavy,” Ana said.
Mia, Examiner Sales Rep Angelique Galvan’s daughter, took first place in the Texas Big Daddy Maddie flaunts her unique style. A&M University Veterinary art contest.
April 2018 Newsletter
Jason, Examiner Publisher Ana Cosino’s son, enjoyed his Spring Break at the beach.
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Richard and Tia Stone had a house full for Easter about 40 people counting little kids and the bigger kids ... the confetti egg and silly string battle that followed a huge family dinner and the egg hunt was epic. TAYLOR PRESS
Here it is Spring again! Where does the time fly? Well for us it has flown to Matthew, Carolyn Atkinson’s (Cat) son, finishing his Eagle Scout project at St. Paul Lutheran Church playground painting the playground toys and a complete overhaul on the picnic tables. All of his hard work paid off as Matthew is now an Eagle Scout. Next to Matt is Nate (Cat’s youngest son). No, he is not the invisible son, but he did make it into Legacy College High School for starting next year as a freshman. Yes, we are proud parents. Richard and Tia Stone had a house full for Easter about 40 people counting little kids and the bigger kids ... the confetti egg and silly string battle that followed a huge family dinner and the egg hunt was epic. Jason used spring break to get away from work for a few days, and went to watch his beloved San Antonio Spurs. This was a “man trip” that he took with his older brother from North
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Carolina and his retired dad. Jason’s daughters Jasmine and Tiana got into the Easter spirit by attending several Easter egg hunts over the last few weeks of March. At school, Jasmine was named to the All A Academic Excellence at Ray Elementary in Hutto. She also earned the Best Writer Award (with no help from her dad) and the Friendliest Hutto Hippo Award for first grade. To celebrate, she and her dad visited the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle museum exhibit at Baylor University. Jasmine is not sure who enjoyed it more, her or her dad! In addition to being Family Guy(s), Richard and Jason have begun pushing their separate community summer events. Richard is working on the second annual Stomp ‘N Holler BBQ and music festival June 2 in downtown Taylor, while Jason is promoting and soliciting donations for the Sixth Annual Taylor Press 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament July 14-15.
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Jason and Jasmine at TMNT museum
Jason Hennington, Taylor Press news editor and Reagan Roehl, sports editor produce their weekly Facebook Live program, “Around the Watercooler.” On January 24th they got to show off their new backdrop. It really looks great! If you get a few minutes, check out their show at Taylor Press Facebook page.
Jasmine Friendliest award
Cat’s sons working on Eagle Scout projects. BOTTOM RIGHT: Cat’s sons Matthew and Nate. Jasmine All A’s and Writing award
April 2018 Newsletter
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Granite Fam
LEFT: Perhaps a new annual event? Granite Go-cart Races! RIGHT: Oliver Slavych gets his go kart ready for some fun at the Family Fun Day. Although the day was a little cold, much fun was had by everyone who came.
LEFT: Great BBQ at the Granite Family Picnic. MIDDLE: Colorado County Citizen publisher Michelle Banse Stokes with husband Will enjoy karaoke at the Family Fun Day. RIGHT: Wouldn’t be a Granite Party without Jim Beaver’s “Almost Live Karaoke”. Singing are Tanner and Grace Philhower.
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mily Fun Day Waiting in line for BBQ.
ABOVE: Tanner Philhower is thinking carefully Accounting Manager Valeri Stair and VP/Controller Daniel Philhower at the Fam- about his next move. Watch out Dad! BELOW: Oliver Slavych, grandson of Creative Services Ad ily Picnic at Splashway in Sheridan. Manager Patti Slavych, looks on while he waits for his brother Ciel to make his move on the giant chess board at Splashway Waterpark and Campgrounds. The Family Fun Day was sponsored by the Colorado County Citizen.
Photo bomb!! Elgin Courier Page Designer/Reporter Fernando Castro, Zoe Howard and Colorado County Citizen Bookkeeper Lori Ligues enjoy a game of Uno while Tanner Philhower sneaks in the photo.
April 2018 Newsletter
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GRANITE PUBLICATIONS (MAIN OFFICE)
For Granite Publications, we let our pictures do the talking. Check out what has been going on with all of our people. RIGHT: Daniel coached 6 y/o boys basketball again this year. it’s a like herding cats, but a great team! BELOW LEFT: Dinosaur Valley State Park Hiking. BELOW RIGHT: The Philhower Selfie = Phelfie
LEFT: It’s no wonder why everyone at the TPA Mid-Winter Conference seemed to be lost in the vast hallways of the Moody Gardens Conference Center... RIGHT: Valeri Stair and Ana Cosino promote Interlink in this photo at the TPA Mid-Winter Conference in January. After receiving the water bottle, the Interlink salesman said to promote it with an awesome background. Well…..here it is!
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Jim Beaver and wife Penny visited the Dinosaur Park in Cedar Creek, just west of Elgin. It was a fabulous hour fun, being amidst over 30 life-size dinosaurs. It’s a very interesting place, especially for kids. Of course, the price was right as Jim happened to have a Buy One, Get One coupon.
ABOVE: Gretchen released her first novel, SCINTILLA, which is a young adult science fiction story about artificial intelligence and society (available on Amazon). Countdown to baby girl continues (due date is May 24)! BELOW: Gretchen and her son, Deklin, went to a nearby bluebonnet field to take his photos while they were blooming! Deklin was more interested in blowing dandelion seeds off their stems, but a few pictures The Texas Press Association held it’s annual Spring conference in mid-January. Attending from our newspaper group was, from turned out pretty darn cute. left, Jason Hogan, Colorado County Citizen reporter; Ana Cosino, Navasota Examiner publisher; Richard Stone, Taylor Press publisher; Jim Beaver, Granite Publications Marketing Director; and Valeri Stair, Granite Publications Accounting Manager.
Granite Publications hosted an Advertising Workshop in mid-March. The workshop was well-attended and well-received by everyone, who went home with lots of new ideas. Above, Ann Miller (Taylor Press) looks to be giving some advice, or maybe telling a great story to Angelique Galvan and Ana Cosino (Navasota Examiner).
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GROUPWIDE DIRECTORY GRANITE HEADQUARTERS GRANITE WEST 3115 Loop 306 Ste. 111, San Angelo, TX 76904 monetta@granitepub.com ACCOUNTING CENTER PO Box 1010 • 211 W. Third St. • Taylor, TX 76574 512-352-8285 • Fax: 512-352-8295 CREATIVE SERVICES 512-352-1009 • Fax 512-352-3227 ads@granitepublications.com pages@granitepublications.com JIM CHIONSINI jchionsini@yahoo.com O: 325-949-4700 | C: 325-315-6328 DANIEL PHILHOWER daniel.philhower@granitepublications.com Cell: 512-203-1893 JIM BEAVER jim.beaver@granitepublications.com Cell: 512-461-6906 VALERI STAIR valeri.stair@granitepublications.com Cell: 512-955-9139 PATTI SLAVYCH patti.slavych@granitepublications.com Cell: 713-377-1372 RICHARD DAVIS richard.davis@granitepublications.com Cell: 479-445-5465 ORY BONEY ory@graniteprinting.net Cell: 512-269-9837 STAFF ACCOUNTING Danita Hutto danita.hutto@granitepublications.com Debra Weatherford debra.weatherford@granitepublications. com AD SERVICES Minerva Kutch minerva.kutch@granitepublications.com Orlando Rojo-Buendia orlando.rojo-buendia@granitepublications. com PAGE DESIGN Gretchen Dyson gretchen.dyson@granitepublications.com Matt Hellman matt.hellman@granitepublications.com
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PUBLICATION OFFICES THE ANAHUAC PROGRESS (Wednesday) General Manager: Dayna Haynes PO Box 100 • 306 Willcox St. Anahuac, TX 77514 409-267-6131 • Fax: 409-267-4157 theananahuacprogress.com theprogress@theanahuacprogress.com • Dayna Haynes: theprogress@theanahuac progress.com THE BANDERA BULLETIN (Wednesday) General Manager: Bill Pack PO Box 697 •606 State Hwy 16 South Bandera, TX 78003 830-796-3718 banderabulletin.com • Bill Pack: bill@banderabulletin.com • Fran Fox: office@banderabulletin.com • Chris Darus: chris@banderabulletin.com BOERNE STAR (Tuesday & Friday) Editor & Publisher: Brian Cartwright PO Box 820 • 941 N. School St. Boerne, TX 78006 830-249-2441 • Fax: 830-249-4607 boernestar.com briancartwright@boernestar.com • Brian Cartwright: briancartwright@boernestar.com • Kolleen Roe: kolleen@boernestar.com • Kerry Barboza: sports@boernestar.com • Rose Stewart: rose@boernestar.com • Dana Smith: subscriptions@boernestar.com • Stephanie Locke: stephanie@boernestar.com • Kit Brenner: kitbrenner@boernestar.com • Suzy Nelson: Suzy@boernestar.com • Jessica Goode: jessica@boernestar.com COLORADO COUNTY CITIZEN (Wednesday) Editor & Publisher: Michelle Banse PO Box 548 • 2024 Hwy. 71 • Columbus, TX 78934-0548 979-732-2304 • Fax: 979-732-8804 coloradocountycitizen.com publisher@coloradocountycitizen.com • Michelle Stokes: publisher@colorado countycitizen.com • Lori Ligues: bookkeeper@coloradocountycitizen.com • Brackston Nutt: ads@coloradocountycitizen.com • Vince Leibowitz: vince@coloradocountycitizen.com • Jason Hogan: reporter@coloradocountycitizen.com • Chris Brown: copy@coloradocountycitizen.com
ELGIN COURIER (Wednesday) Editor & Publisher: PO Box 631 • 105 N. Main • Elgin, TX 78621-0631 512-285-3333 • Fax: 512-285-9406 elgincourier.com publisher@elgincourier.com • Kevin Wright: kevin.wright@elgincourier.com • Gail Schobey: gail.schobey@elgincourier.com • Lauren Jette: lauren.jette@elgincourier.com • Fernando Castro: fernando.castro@elgincourier.com GRANITE PRINTING Director of Print Operations: Ory Boney 2675 CR 374 • Taylor, TX 76574 512-352-3687 • Fax: 512-352-613 • Ory Boney: ory@graniteprinting.net • Grace Rangel: grace@graniteprinting.net THE LIBERTY VINDICATOR (Thursday) Editor & Publisher: Jennifer Richardson 1939 Trinity • Liberty, TX 77575 936-336-3611 • Fax: 936-336-3345 thevindicator.com publisher@thevindicator.com • Jennifer Richardson: accounting@thevindicator.com • Casey Stinnett: editor@thevindicator.com • Kim Marlow: ads@thevindicator.com NAVASOTA EXAMINER (Wednesday) Editor & Publisher: Ana Cosino PO Box 751 • 115 Railroad St. • Navasota, TX 77868 936-825-6484 • Fax 936-825-2230 navasotaexaminer.com publisher@navasotaexaminer.com • Ana Cosino: publisher@navasotaexaminer.com • Carrie Little: bookkeeper@navasotaexaminer.com • Angelique Galvan: ads@navasotaexaminer.com • Nicole Shupe: news@navasotaexaminer.com TAYLOR PRESS/HUTTO NEWS (Sunday, Wednesday) Editor & Publisher: Richard Stone PO Box 1040 • 211 W. Third • Taylor, TX 76574-1040 512-352-8535 • Fax: 512-352-1505 taylorpress.net publisher@taylorpress.net • Richard Stone: publisher@taylorpress.net • Jason Hennington: news@taylorpress.net • Carolyn Hill: business@taylorpress.net • Carolyn Atkinson: classified@taylorpress.net • Reagan Roehl: sports@taylorpress.net • Scott Rucker: scott@taylorpress.net • Ann Miller: amiller@taylorpress.net
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