Images San Angelo, TX: 2007-08

2007-08 | IMAGESSANANGELO.COM | VIDEO TOUR ONLINE TM

OF SAN ANGELO, TEXAS

Splashes of Color Waterlily expert paints the town with a world-renowned collection

IN THE MOOD FOR MARIACHI? CULINARY WHIZ KIDS High school cooks up program for young chefs

SPONSORED BY THE SAN ANGELO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

2 a.m. or 2 p.m.

We provide 24/7 emergency heart and vascular services at San Angelo Community Medical Center. If you’re experiencing chest pains at 2 a.m., we suggest that you come see us at 2 a.m. Because if you are having a heart attack or stroke, every minute counts.

Our on-call team of Drs. Michael Blanc, David Ivans, Miltiadis Leon and James Neill, perform diagnostic, invasive and interventional cardiology procedures. They’re all part of San Angelo Community’s heart and vascular program.

These are the doctors you want.

Good news. Every Monday is Screening Day at Community.

Poor vascular health is a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

Make an appointment today to check your vascular health.

Call 325-947-6757 or visit www.ScreeningDay.com.

Leg Pain?

Meet our doctors.

Dr. Jason Felger, cardiothoracic surgeon, Drs. Michael Blanc and Miltiadis Leon, interventional cardiologists, and Dr. John Alexander, an interventional radiologist, now perform a number of endovascular procedures to remedy vascular problems.

This includes leg pain, peripheral atherectomy, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, peripheral vascular bypass and carotid endarterectomy.

Leg pain can be an indication of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), a treatable and easily diagnosed condition. If leg pain limits your activity, come to our screenings every Monday for a simple, non-invasive exam to determine if you need vascular attention.

These are the doctors you want.

Good news. Every Monday is Screening Day at Community.

Poor vascular health is a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

Make an appointment today to check your vascular health.

Call 325-947-6757 or visit www.ScreeningDay.com.

Yes. He’s here.

Dr. Jason Felger, cardiothoracic surgeon affiliated with the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons Group in Austin, now performs endovascular surgery, as well as open-heart surgery, here at Community.

We have worked tirelessly to recruit top heart specialists and provide an outstanding cardiovascular staff, all to elevate Community’s heart and vascular program to a marquee level service. With surgeons like Dr. Felger, we are a great choice for your heart.

Good news. Every Monday is Screening Day at Community.

Poor vascular health is a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

Make an appointment today to check your vascular health.

Call 325-947-6757 or visit www.ScreeningDay.com.

V-Day.

Vascular Screenings every Monday.

Victory Day is every Monday at San Angelo Community Medical Center.

Every Monday we conduct vascular screenings to check your vascular health, a leading cause of heart attack and stroke. Because this risk can be so easily identified, and because treatment today is so advanced, we can win.

Vascular screenings will be read by cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jason Felger.

If you need further evaluation, San Angelo Community’s winning team is made up of Dr. Felger, interventional cardiologists Drs. Michael Blanc, David Ivans and Miltiadis Leon; interventional radiologist Dr. John Alexander; and vascular surgeons Drs. Pat Gibson, David Saborio and Karman Weatherby. They’re all part of San Angelo Community’s heart and vascular program.

These are the doctors you want.

Good news. Every Monday is Screening Day at Community.

Poor vascular health is a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

Make an appointment today to check your vascular health.

Call 325-947-6757 or visit www.ScreeningDay.com.

速

We specialize in personal professional service.

Norman Dierschke Broker/Owner

Sammye Gonzales

5026 Knickerbocker Rd. | San Angelo, TX 76904 (325) 944-3596 | (800) 926-4864 ddrealtors@airmail.net | www.dierschke.com

Binnie Dierschke Broker/Owner

Jeff & Pam Bomer

Bob Reeves

Dave & Melanie Love

Glinda Martindale

Pat & Susan Callahan

Oleita Kline

Sandy Caudle

Janice Conaway

Linda Moore

Linda Dierschke

Larry Edgington

Kim Williams

Roland Allen

John Harris

Teri Jackson

Mandee Kennedy

Billy Park

Cynthia Watkins

Kim Leabo

Judy Burton

Weldon Davis

Bill Burch

Dorothy Burch

Rhonda Carroll

Kristal Kypfer

Connie Fox

Robin Taylor

2007-08 EDITION | VOLUME 3 TM

OF SAN ANGELO, TEXAS

33 CO NTE NT S F E AT U R E S 14

A TOWN WITH GOOD TASTE San Angelo’s menu of restaurant choices seems to be adding tasty new choices by the day.

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SPLASHES OF COLOR The San Angelo International Waterlily Collection has blossomed into a national attraction.

22 THERE’S A NEW SHEEP IN TOWN Dorpers aren’t the soft and woolly sheep most of us count in our sleep.

30 FLOCKING FOR THE BIRDS What San Angelo birders lack in rare sightings, they make up for in their raring-to-go attitudes.

49 FINDING BEAUTY IN THE BEAST While others may see mesquite as a nuisance plant, artist Roger Ellison only sees the beauty of its wood.

50 CULINARY WHIZ KIDS The classroom meets the kitchen in Central High School’s culinary arts program.

26 IN THE MOOD FOR MARIACHI? Music adds a lot of spice to life in San Angelo.

53 TAKING A HEALTHY APPROACH Membership has almost quadrupled since the YMCA moved into a new 35,000-square-foot building downtown.

ON THE COVER International Waterlily Collection Photo by Antony Boshier

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10 SAN ANGELO BUSINESS 38 Flying High Air travelers to and from San Angelo are getting the royal treatment.

40 Super Sales Tax It’s amazing what a half-cent sales tax can accomplish.

Inspiration available from:

42 Biz Briefs 45 Chamber Report 47 Economic Profile

SA Civic Ballet www.sanangelocivicballet.org (325) 653-8877

D E PA R TM E NT S

Angelo Civic Theatre 10 Almanac: a colorful sampling of San Angelo’s culture

www.angelocivictheatre.com (325) 949-4400

33 Portfolio: people, places and events that define San Angelo

55 Health & Wellness 57 Community Profile: facts, stats

SA Cultural Affairs Council www.sanangeloarts.com (325) 653-6793

and important numbers to know

SA Museum of Fine Arts www.samfa.org (325) 653-3333

Inside:

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SAN ANGELO COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER SPECIAL SECTION

SA Symphony www.sanangelosymphony.org (325) 658-5877

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ONLINE CONTENTS More lists, links and tips for newcomers

IMAGESSANANGELO.COM MOVING PICTURES Mosey on over for a peek at San Angelo’s Wild West past – brought to life by Concho Cowboy re–enactors. Also showing in our video theater: llama-hair rugs, made the old–fashioned way.

GET SMART ABOUT LOCAL SCHOOLS Find listings and links to schools, colleges and universities.

SEE HOW THE GARDENS GROW Get the dirt on growing seasons, soils and common challenges.

WHAT DO THE LOCALS EAT? Discover what makes cuisine in this region so deliciously different.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME Search for a new home, plus get moving tips and more at www.realtor.com.

A B O U T TH I S M AGA Z I N E Images of San Angelo is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is sponsored by the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce. In print and online, Images gives readers a taste of what makes San Angelo tick – from business and education to sports, health care and the arts .

“Find the good – and praise it.”

– Alex Haley (1921-1992), Journal Communications co-founder

jnlcom.com

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ACTION! ADVENTURE! “IT KEPT ME ON THE EDGE OF MY LAPTOP!”

“ SAN ANGELO LIKE IT’S NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!”

Images of San Angelo

THE MOVIE

STARTS TODAY!

WORLD WIDE WEB SHOWTIMES VALID MONDAY-SUNDAY 24/7

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT ANY RESEMBLANCE TO PLACES, EVENTS OR QUALITY OF LIFE IN SAN ANGELO IS PURELY INTENTIONAL!

AT IM AGESSANANGELO.COM

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Almanac

Art Opens Doors

Take a Breath of Fresh Air San Angelo’s parks – already well loved and well used – just keep getting bigger and better.

Walkers will appreciate the new portion of El Paseo de Santa Angela, a popular and scenic walkway along the downtown waterfront. The parks department is now putting finishing touches on the 600-foot stretch, which runs between Celebration Bridge and the art museum.

Also coming soon: a complete revamping of City Park, originally opened in 1903. New amenities will include a gazebo, playground equipment, walkways, lighting and adult fitness areas. Reopening of the park is slated for March 2008.

And there’s still more. San Angelo’s parks system includes more than 375 acres of developed park and open-space land, a 33-acre municipal golf course, 10 botanical and garden areas (including the famous International Waterlily Collection), and 25 playgrounds (the popular Kids Kingdom is pictured above).

Painting the town red – and green, blue and yellow – continues in San Angelo’s downtown district, with two new outdoor art projects unveiled in 2007.

A huge display called “Art Opens Doors” is now featured on the exterior of J B Automotive on South Oakes Street. The project involved 17 local artists who painted various images on doors hung on the building. Nearby, a painting/sculpture called The Cat Burglars now dresses up a West Beauregard Avenue building, between Wells Fargo Bank and Farmers Insurance.

The downtown buildings of San Angelo have been coming to life since 2002, when an AlleyScapes initiative began.

Several large murals now grace the district, with the art community planning more to come.

You Can Bank on It Texas Bank has made an investment in future recreation in San Angelo.

The bank has purchased the naming rights to the Rio Concho Sports Complex, which is now known as the Texas Bank Sports Complex. Construction on the city-owned sports facility began in July 2007, in what will ultimately be Rio Rancho Community Park.

Both the park and sports complex are slated to open in July 2008.

The sports facility will have 12 multipurpose fields as well as three Little League baseball diamonds. The first tournament at the complex has already been booked – a statewide all-star fast-pitch softball tournament for girls 18 and under is scheduled for July 2008.

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San Angelo | At A Glance POPULATION San Angelo: 88,014 Tom Green County: 103,938 LOCATION San Angelo is near the geographical center of Texas, about 130 miles from Midland-Odessa, 200 miles from Austin and San Antonio, and 250 miles from Dallas.

BEGINNINGS 163 San Angelo was founded in the late 1860s as a frontier town and was known as Santa Angela and San Angela before adopting its current name. The city was incorporated in 1903 and serves as the county seat of Tom Green County.

FOR MORE INFORMATION San Angelo Chamber of Commerce 418 West Ave. B San Angelo, TX 76903 (325) 655-4136 Fax: (325) 658-1110 www.sanangelo.org

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A Good Neighbor Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost like a city in itself. The average weekday population at Goodfellow Air Force Base is 6,500.

More than 3,500 are full-time residents at Goodfellow, and the base has been a part of San Angelo since the early 1940s. Today, its primary mission is to provide intelligence training and firefighting training to members of all branches of the U.S. armed forces.

Speaking of firefighting, Goodfellow is such an expert in this category that the San Angelo Fire Department trains at the base as do firefighters from surrounding communities.

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Almanac

Look, Up in the Ceiling There are plenty of oohs and aahs whenever visitors attend astronomy shows at the Angelo State University planetarium.

The planetarium is housed in the Lloyd D. and Johnell S. Vincent Nursing-Physical Science Building on the ASU campus, and galactic shows take place every Thursday at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. The ASU planetarium seats 114 and is also used for astronomy classes offered at the university.

The facility is the second-largest planetarium in Texas and the nation’s fourth largest at a university.

There’s Money in Mussels An annual permit is required in San Angelo – for pearl collecting.

Concho pearls are found in freshwater mussels that live in lakes and rivers in the San Angelo area. The pearls come in colors of pink, peach and purple, and no two Concho pearls are alike.

Harvesters have been attracted to the valuable gems for at least 400 years, and legend has it that the pearls are found in pieces of the Spanish Crown Jewels.

Today, local jewelers offer several exquisite settings for the valued gems.

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Better Than Chicken Scratchings This is no yoke – some of the most unusual works of art in West Texas can be found at the Chicken Farm Art Center.

Opened in 1971, the center – and, yes, it was formerly the site of a large chicken farm – is now a complex of two galleries, 15 artist studios, a bed-and-breakfast operation and the Silo House Restaurant. The main objective of the San Angelo attraction is to trumpet the accomplishments of local artists. Visitors can see the artists at work, as well as have the opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind artwork.

The Chicken Farm hosts three main showings each year – at a San Angelo Ceramic Festival, a Blacksmith Fellowship event and a three-day Thanksgiving Open House.

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Fast Facts Q San Angelo is an interesting blend of cowboys and culture, maintaining its proud heritage while finding its place in the 21st century.

Q The town of Paint Rock is named for 1,500 American Indian hunting paintings that line the limestone cliffs bordering the Concho River.

Q The stone in the San Angelo Visitor Center is from Texas stone quarries, and the floor and benches are made of mesquite wood.

Toast of the Town Looking for the best view in San Angelo?

The wonderfully ornate Cactus Hotel – a downtown landmark – recently opened its “Top of the Cactus” floor for special events. The view from the city’s tallest building is said to be stunning, but it would be hard to top the view downstairs at what is said to be the largest, most opulent and most expensive hotel ever built by Conrad Hilton.

Built in 1929 as the fourth in Hilton’s worldwide chain, the Cactus no longer accepts overnight guests, but instead serves as an impressive cultural center for the city. Its extensive scrollwork, elegant chandeliers and ornate frieze reliefs provide an appropriate setting for offices of the San Angelo Symphony and Cultural Affairs Council.

Life on the Frontier A visit to Fort Concho is a visit to a time often overlooked in history books. From its founding in 1867 to its closing in 1889, the Army fort was charged with protecting the settlers of West Texas from all sorts of perils, as well as mapping out the vast new frontier.

Today, the National Historic Landmark – owned by the city of San Angelo – is one of the best-preserved Indian War forts in the country, with 24 buildings on 40 acres of land that look very much as they did during the site’s heyday. Restoration projects are ongoing, and a variety of special events onsite add to the visitor’s experience.

Q Scraps – a beef cut originating from the tenderloin – has been served in San Angelo steak houses for years.

Q San Angelo Regional Airport/ Mathis Field is named for Jack Mathis, the first aviator in World War II to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Q The city of San Angelo hosts the largest sheep auction in the nation, and Producers Livestock Auction Co. is the largest cattle auction in the Southwest.

Q San Angelo residents love to wake up to their breakfast burritos, sold in shops and stands throughout the city.

Q More than 4 million lights illuminate a 1-mile trail along the Concho River to celebrate Christmas.

SEE MORE ONLINE | For more Fast Facts about San Angelo, visit imagessanangelo.com.

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A Town With

Good

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GROWING RESTAURANT SCENE OFFERS NEW FLAVORS WHILE MAINTAINING CLASSIC FARE

STORY BY LEANNE LIBBY PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTONY BOSHIER

S

an Angelo’s menu of restaurant choices seems to be adding tasty new morsels by the day, while continuing to offer all the comfort foods local residents crave.

“Per capita, I think the people in San Angelo eat out more than any other city anywhere,” says Bernay Sheffield, owner of Zentner’s Daughter Steak House and president of the San Angelo Restaurant Association.

“We keep adding new restaurants and chains, and we’re all doing well. It’s an unbelievable variety for a city under 100,000 people.”

For 32 years, Zentner’s Daughter has served up steaks with a unique flavor that Sheffield says especially pleases garlic lovers.

“Obviously, we are competitors but we’re one of the closestknit organizations I’ve ever seen,” Sheffield says of the industry.

Sheffield enjoys traveling and trying new restaurants, but he always winds up hungry for San Angelo fare. He also gets a little homesick, he says, when he gets the bill.

“Eating out here is an incredible value for the money,” he says. “And the low prices don’t affect the quality.”

One of those restaurants favored by locals is owned by John Bernay Sheffield, owner of Zentner’s Daughter Left: A sizzling fajita plate at Fuentes Café downtown

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Fuentes and his wife, Lisa. Fuentes Café Downtown has been serving mid-priced Mexican fare to San Angelo customers for 23 years; its comprehensive menu includes breakfast tacos, lunch plates, dinner entrees and a full complement of steak selections. Fuentes says the Deluxe Mexican Plate is a favorite, offering diners a cuisine sampler: taco, cheese enchilada, tamale, beans, rice and guacamole salad.

Thankful for ongoing support from area residents, Fuentes says his family has in turn made a commitment to giving back.

“We support civic organizations like the YMCA and the West Texas Rehabilitation Center,” he says.

Residents and the restaurant industry benefit from the variety of entertainment venues in the area, Fuentes says. In a city this size, he adds, getting a bite to eat before or after an event is a snap.

“You can go from one side of town to the other in about seven minutes,” he says.

Henry Wiens, executive chef for the San Angelo Community Medical Center, has dished up regional flavors for about two

years on a popular, local television show.

“Let’s Eat,” shot before a live audience and rebroadcast several times a week, is sponsored by the hospital and cohosted by Randy Coleman, co-director of the Community Health Club of San Angelo.

“We tape four shows every two months, and we’ve done more than 100 shows,” Wiens says.

Wiens often brings local celebrities on the show, including the mayor and fire chief, to demonstrate their cooking prowess.

“We have good recipes with a nutritional twist,” he says.

Even as the former theology student spreads the gospel of vegetables and whole grains, Chef Wiens knows Texans love their beef. One of his favorite demos includes new ways to grill or smoke meat as well as suggestions for healthy side dishes.

“We have a combination of cowboy food and Tex Mex,” Wiens says of classic San Angelo fare. “As we are growing, we are starting to have a larger nutritional slant and talking more about international cuisine. I think we are on the verge of creating new cuisines and new flavors for our community.”

Even the hospital food is gourmet in San Angelo, thanks to award-winning chef and TV personality Henry Wiens.

Right: John Ross Fuentes shows off one of the house specialties at Fuentes Café Downtown.

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Splashes of Color WATERLILY EXPERT TURNS SAN ANGELO’S GARDEN INTO A WORLD-CLASS COLLECTION STORY BY LEANNE LIBBY PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTONY BOSHIER

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enneth Landon’s legacy to the residents of San Angelo is twofold: creating a world-class waterlily garden and making the sky bloom with spectacular fireworks every Fourth of July.

Landon, an engineer, built jet engines during the Vietnam War era, then turned to a quieter life. He ran a waterlily business in Fort Worth, served as curator of the University of Texas’s waterlily collection and then answered the call to overhaul and revamp San Angelo’s then-dilapidated Civic League Park.

From its humble beginnings nearly 20 years ago, the San Angelo International Waterlily Collection has now blossomed into an attraction deserving of the national attention it receives.

“It is the only premier waterlily display in North America,” Landon says. “We show plants that have never been seen by mankind and bring the world to our city.”

The beauty of the display, he says, is its ability to attract garden-variety tourists who want to see pretty flowers as well as horticulture intellectuals who want to study the plants.

All this took root when the city council, with support from then-park superintendent James Rogers and the San Angelo Council of Garden Clubs, gave the go-ahead for Landon to create a waterlily display at the park.

“They handed me a shovel and told me to get after it,”

San Angelo’s International Waterlily Collection blooms from late April through the first frost in October, with tropical varieties blossoming in mid-summer.

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Inset: Kenneth Landon, director of San Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Waterlily Collection

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The collection’s original reflection pool is now framed by seven more pools, each showcasing different varieties, including hybrids not found anywhere else. There’s even a display of night-bloomers, especially dramatic under lights.

Landon recalls. “It took me three or four years.”

The renovation began by overhauling a 125- by 25-foot reflection pool Landon describes as “an eyesore of the worst order.”

He and three part-time employees have gone on to build seven more pools, all paid for with grant money.

The collection now includes a wide variety of rare waterlilies, flowers Landon has created from hybrids and even night-blooming varieties, which are showcased with lights.

And there are even more varieties and bigger plans in the works. Though it’s been nearly 20 years, Landon says, the collection is just getting started.

Internet exposure brought increased interest, Landon says.

He estimates he gives a tour of the collection nearly every other day. He recalled a woman from Bulgaria who made the trip to San Angelo just to see the collection.

“I never knew I would have that kind of influence on society,” he says.

Recently, more than 80 third- and fourth-graders paid a visit and asked to talk to “the waterlily guy.” He always obliges and later delights in the butcher-paper thank-you banners they send him.

“I’m not such a big shot I can’t be there for everybody,” he says.

Paula Biles, executive director of the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society in Bradenton, Fla., says Landon’s impact is immeasurable.

“People who know something of the history of waterlilies SAN ANG E LO

or are interested in new varieties know of him,” Biles says.

“His reputation and impact go far beyond San Angelo.”

Landon’s hybrids, Biles says, are considered some of the most desirable in the world. In 2001, he was inducted into the society’s hall of fame.

Carl White, San Angelo parks and civic services director, describes Landon as an artist who expresses himself through the collection.

“We have our ranches and rodeos out here,” White says.

“This provides a different layer of culture, and it’s something surprising for people to find in San Angelo.”

White says the collection would not exist without Landon’s tireless efforts.

“It’s a place our residents can spend a half-day picnicking and enjoying the wildlife, butterflies and the river,” he says.

Landon enjoys making the San Angelo skies bloom as well.

For about 18 years, he has provided the fireworks for the city’s July 3 pops concert and July 4 celebration on the banks of the Rio Concho.

“There are oceans of people on both sides of the river,” he says, estimating the event draws more than 20,000 people.

Landon tries to match the fireworks to the music, sending up purple during the “purple mountain majesties” portion of “America the Beautiful” and, of course, plenty of red, white and blue ones throughout the show.

“We’re just here for a little while, and I want to do something positive,” Landon says of his life’s work.

“I’m at the public’s mercy. I do what I can for them.”

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There’s a New Sheep in Town FUNNY-LOOKING DORPERS OFFER RANCHERS A MEATY OPTION STORY BY KELLI LEVEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTONY BOSHIER

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hese are definitely not your grandfather’s sheep.

These well-shaped specimens aren’t the soft and woolly sheep most of us count in our sleep. Instead, Dorpers are raised almost exclusively for their meat – they produce no wool and don’t require shearing, though they often sprout hair along their backs in “mohawk” fashion. Some Dorper sheep are pure white, but most have white bodies and black faces.

And one of their biggest proponents in America happens to be Philip Glass of Water Valley, president of the North American Hair Sheep Association and

the first to bring the South African breed to West Texas.

Glass first spotted the breed while on a 1997 safari in Africa.

“I scouted them out there and decided if they could thrive in those conditions, which are so much like ours, it was worth a try here,” Glass says.

“Now I’ve fallen in love with the tenderness and flavor of the meat, and I’ve come to really appreciate that I don’t have to shear them. That cuts down so much on our labor costs and time; I can devote more time to marketing the meat.”

Glass manages about 500 head of Dorpers on his Half-Circle Six Ranches

and promotes the breed enthusiastically.

He sells the meat as a gourmet item in his www.Pecans.com store and online, and says its superior tenderness has been scientifically proven at the Meat Animal Research Center in Nebraska.

Glass says Dorpers bring practical benefits also, leading to a fourth-place national ranking last year among registered breeds. Rapid growth allows for weaning at or near slaughter-weight.

“They’re ready to be to the consumer at five to six months, which is a phenomenal turnaround,” Glass says.

The females can be bred at an earlier age than most other breeds and can

Dorper sheep lead the way when it comes to meat production, and Texas ranchers are beginning to take notice.

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usually be bred three times a year – almost always bearing twin lambs.

Dorper skins are processed on a small scale in this country for boots and fine handbags, Glass says, but the hides are more often exported for use abroad.

“This breed of sheep has secretly boosted the Italian leather market because that is what they use almost exclusively in the products they label as ‘Fine Italian Leather,’ ” he says.

Gary McGehee, president of the Texas Sheep & Goat Ranchers Association, says Dorpers are gaining popularity, often among aging ranchers who typically hire help at shearing time. In addition, the breed is naturally resistant to stomach parasites and is acclimated to hot, drought-prone areas.

McGehee estimates about 10 percent of the state’s sheep stock contains some Dorper blood, though many ranchers prefer to cross a Dorper ram with a wool-producing ewe.

“There are still a lot of us who still enjoy raising a wool crop, especially with wool prices high right now,” he says.

“That breed has its place, but it’s not ever going to take over the sheep industry.”

With their sturdy bodies and distinctive “mohawks” and coloring, Dorpers turn heads.

Above: Philip Glass and his son show off one of their Dorper lambs.

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In the Mood

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for Music?

TRY MARIACHI, CLASSICAL , POPS – OR MAYBE THE POLICE CHIEF’S OWN BAND, THE FUNKY MUNKY STORY BY JESSICA MOZO

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ANTONY BOSHIER

hen San Angelo brothers JoJo, Ringo and Henry Garza – collectively known as the Texican rock and roll band Los Lonely Boys – won a Grammy Award for their No. 1 single “Heaven” in 2005, the world learned something San Angelo residents have known for a long time: This city is ripe with musical talent.

From the San Angelo Symphony to local bands like The Funky Munky and the Mariachi Golden Angels, it’s clear even to newcomers that music adds a lot of spice to life in San Angelo.

The Funky Munky is a nine-member band headed up by San Angelo Police Chief Tim Vasquez; it was voted San Angelo’s favorite live band in 2007 by readers of the San Angelo StandardTimes. The band plays a mix of Motown, disco, soul and funk, and performs regularly at the Oasis and the Little River Club, as well as private parties and weddings.

“A couple years ago, I mentioned starting a band to a couple of close friends, and they thought I was crazy,” says Vasquez, the band’s drummer.

“Later they said, ‘This could be fun,’ and now we have a solid band that’s been together over two years. We usually have sell-out crowds.”

For Vasquez, music is a venue to release the stress of his job in law enforcement.

“It’s lighthearted, so I don’t have to concentrate on the seriousness of my job,” he says. “We rehearse one night a week and play a couple times a month.

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The Mariachi Golden Angels, or Mariachi Angeles Dorados, at the San Angelo Visitor Center: (from left) Adrian Hernandez, Cynthia Aguilar, Eric Hernandez, Bryan Hernandez, Robert Carrales and Clarissa Franco.

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It’s not about making money – we’re just having fun.”

A completely different sound greets patrons at El Mejor, a Mexican restaurant on Bryant Boulevard. The Mariachi Golden Angels – or Mariachi Angeles Dorados – entertain every Friday night.

The group of six teenage musicians has been playing together for three years.

“They get a really good crowd because they play two hours, and one hour is live on a local radio station,” says Araceli Hernandez, who has three sons in the band and serves as its director. “A lot of people show up during the hour they’re on the radio.”

The group dresses in traditional mariachi charro costumes and widebrimmed hats.

“To buy their first outfits, we did fundraisers and played for tips to save

up money,” Hernandez says. “Now the band has two different outfits.”

The Mariachi Golden Angels started after one of Hernandez’s sons enrolled in a mariachi class.

“I told him, ‘You have to learn about mariachi because that’s our heritage,’ ” Hernandez recalls. “Every song tells a story. The band has turned out to be very good – they perform at weddings, parties, quinceañeras and at church.”

Classical-music lovers aren’t neglected in San Angelo, either; the San Angelo Symphony performs a full schedule of concerts, but classical music is not the only offering.

“We bring Grammy Award-winning artists, Tony Award-winning Broadway singers and world-class musicians to San Angelo,” says Jennifer Odom, symphony executive director.

The symphony’s season runs October though April and features four classical concerts, two pops concerts and an international young-artist competition.

One of the symphony’s most anticipated events, however, is its free July Pops Concert held annually on July 3 outdoors at the Bill Aylor Memorial River Stage.

“It’s the third-largest patriotic celebration in Texas, and we usually have a crowd of 35,000 people,” Odom says. “There are fireworks, a military flyover and a march-in by troops with the U.S. flag. And the Fort Concho cannons help the symphony perform the ‘1812 Overture.’ ” In the mood for more? Fort Concho hosts its own series of summer Campfire Concerts with western/cowboy music. For more information, visit www.fortconcho.com.

Though they’re often on the road, Los Lonely Boys – from left, JoJo, Henry and Ringo – still call San Angelo home.

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ANTONY BOSHIER PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM BEAN

San Angelo Police Chief Tim Vasquez (bottom right, with drum) heads the talented and popular Funky Munky band.

Below: The symphonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outdoor July Pops Concert, held every July 3, is always a hit with San Angelo music-lovers.

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Flocking for the

Birds

SAN ANGELO OFFERS SWEET SPOTS FOR AVID BIRD WATCHERS STORY BY KELLI LEVEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTONY BOSHIER

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hat San Angelo birders lack in rare sightings they make up for in their raring-togo attitudes. On any given weekend, a band of intrepid enthusiasts can be found trekking the area’s hot spots – slathered in sunscreen and bug repellant, binoculars in hand – in search of feathered finds.

Interest is so high that longtime enthusiast Delbert Tarter has taught 60 classes on the topic at the San Angelo Nature Center. He classifies the birds as “winter residents,” “spring and summer residents” and “permanent residents,” and cites scissor-tailed flycatchers and all three species of bluebirds – Eastern, Western and Mountain – as popular species that frequent the area.

“There is enough variety of birds to

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keep things interesting,” Tarter says.

“People of all ages come, and several birders come in to the Air Force base and make sure they make time to go birding while they’re here.”

Terry Maxwell, an ornithologist at Angelo State University who frequently writes newspaper columns about birds, says birding is increasingly popular in the area – even without exotic species.

“We don’t hold any records or anything,” he says. “We just have a nice assemblage of species that comes with having a crossing of two geographic regions.

“Fortunately, most birders are just thrilled with getting out there.”

San Angelo’s location – part prairie, part desert – means a good variety of birds in a relatively small area. The area’s three lakes are popular stopping spots, particularly in the winter. And Maxwell says the state park’s mesquite trees and prickly pear cactus attract desert-dwelling birds like pyrrhuloxia, curve-billed thrasher, Bullock’s oriole and cactus wrens.

The area is also on the migratory path of birds heading to or from warmer southern climates: wood warblers, least flycatchers and Eastern kingbirds.

Russell Wilke, an associate professor of biology at Angelo State University, says a rare-bird sighting does generate a lot of interest. The name and location of the sighting is e-mailed to other Texas bird

enthusiasts via a statewide list-serve.

“People will come from all over the state to see it,” he says.

Newcomers interested in birding should head to the nature center, where Tarter sells his guide to hot birding spots, the culmination of his years of continuing-education courses. The nature center itself ranks high on his list, along with the state park – which has birding blinds – and the nature trail on Spillway Road along the North Concho River.

Terry Richmond, a leader in the local birding club, says she got hooked on the hobby after taking a continuing education class a few years ago. The retired teacher has become the informal information director for the club’s 50 members, sending out notices of outings and keeping the Web page updated. “You always hope for a new sighting, but the main reason you go is just for the pleasure of getting out there and seeing what might come along,” Richmond says.

“It’s a marvelous hobby, and it’s one that doesn’t require any special knowledge or equipment. You can take a book and some binoculars if you want, but those aren’t necessary. Even people who can’t see can enjoy it. They just bird by ear.”

Delbert Tarter (above, left) teaches classes on birding; the white-wing dove (opposite) was spotted at San Angelo State Park.

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Have a suite stay at the

Staybridge Suites • Complimentary deluxe hot breakfast buffet • Dinner for our Wednesday evening guests • Pool, hot tub & fitness center • Fully equipped kitchen suites • Located across from Angelo State University • Walking distance to fine restaurants • Conference & meeting facilities available • High-speed/wireless Internet & business center • Hyatt Gold Passport

1459 Knickerbocker Rd. • San Angelo, TX 76904 (325) 482-8400 • Fax: (325) 482-8411 • Complimentary deluxe continental/hot breakfast buffet • 100% smoke free • Pool, hot tub & fitness center • Located across from Angelo State University • Walking distance to fine restaurants • Conference & meeting facilities available • High-speed Internet & business center • Groups & special events welcome

1355 Knickerbocker Rd. • San Angelo, TX 76904 (325) 653-1500 • Fax: (325) 653-1501

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Portfolio

Have Gun, Will Travel CONCHO COWBOYS PUT ON THEIR STETSONS AND RE-CREATE THE OLD WEST

ots of folks know him as Richard Porter. Remodeling contractor. But inside, he’s Will Ketchum or Willie B. Badd Ketchum, Bounty Hunter. Cowboy.

Not all of us get to live out our fantasies, but Porter is lucky. For 10 years he’s been a Concho Cowboy, one of 15 or so members of a loose-knit group of re-enactors that act out Wild West scenes all over Texas.

The non-profit troupe performs comedy skits, living-history skits and interpretations at various forts around the state. They also go into schools and give talks.

“It’s something that’s dying and if we don’t try to promote that history, relive that history, it’s going to be lost,” Porter says. “It was a very romantic time in our country. Everybody loves cowboys.”

This particular group of cowboys ordinarily runs the gamut from middle management to retirees. Put a Stetson on ’em and they become Marshal Cactus Jack “Bullet Proof” Smith, a legend who never gets shot. Or Capt.

Bart Burnett, an actual descendant of a Texas Ranger.

Others include Ace Surebet, the gambler who deals from the bottom of the deck with cards up his sleeves, Dutchy and his wife Miss Lou, 11-yearold Kit Colby and Porter’s grandson Hawkeye, 13.

“Me, I’m usually like Swiss cheese, I get shot so many times,” Porter says.

“Some have been doing it for years,” he continues. “Jimmy Kidd used to be in the U.S. Cavalry. He also was a guide and an interpreter at Fort Concho. He’s been doing it for 20 years.”

While the Concho Cowboys are dedicated to educating an audience about the area’s history, they are just as serious about having a good time.

“I’ve been a cowboy all my life; I’ve rodeoed,” Porter says. “I liked old Western movies and TV from the ’50s and ’60s. I learned how to walk in boots.

“We’re big kids having fun.”

To contact the Concho Cowboys, e-mail theconchocowboycompany@ wcc.net.

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ANTONY BOSHIER

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SEE VIDEO ONLINE | Watch the Concho Cowboys in action at imagessanangelo.com.

During the week, the Concho Cowboys are regular working folks in San Angelo; on weekends, they turn into Old West re-enactors who tour the state.

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Portfolio Craig Kinney is the man behind many of San Angelo’s favorite buildings.

Building a Firm Foundation PHOTOS BY ANTONY BOSHIER

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Howard College San Angelo’s Community College

“Education … for Learning, for Earning, for Life!”

• Vocational & technical fields of study • Earn an associate’s degree in two years; a certificate in months • Variety of class schedules: day, evening, weekend, five-week, eight-week, mini-semester, online • Financial aid, scholarships and grants available • Continuing Education courses

• Customized training for your business through Workforce Training • GED testing center • Adult Basic Education for GED preparation; basic reading, writing and math; English as a second language; citizenship preparation

Howard College

West Texas Training Center • 3501 N. US Hwy. 67 San Angelo, Texas 76905 • 325-481-8350

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t’s hard to throw a stone in San Angelo without hitting a building designed by Kinney Architects.

Toss a rock in one direction and there is the new YMCA; throw out a few more and you’re likely to land them smack into Unidad Park, Kirby Park, Southside Clinic or the Pediatric Dental Clinic. Go into the suburbs and you’ll find many homes with the Kinney brand.

“We try to respond to each project individually and create a special place for people,” Craig Kinney says.

A fairly new project still drawing attention is the San Angelo Visitor Center on Highway 87 at the Concho River. Completed in 2003, it won an American Institute of Architects Award and was featured in Texas Architect’s November/December 2006 issue.

“It links people to the river,” Kinney says. “It’s a striking building that grabs people’s attention. The outdoor spaces are a great introduction to San Angelo.”

He describes the design, with stonework and curving roof, as “modern with one eye looking backwards toward the past.”

Sited on top of a hill, the visitors center includes a water garden that has proved popular with tourists as well as local residents. Its water fountain starts at the upper plaza and spills down the hillside toward the river.

“It’s very natural, looking like a creek,” he says. “Lots of weddings and other events have happened there.”

Kinney has been in the design world about 27 years, beginning the firm in 2000. He feels he must mention Kye Franke, a member of the firm who is the technical expert behind the projects.

“None of these buildings could be built without him,” Kinney says.

“San Angelo is a great place to live,” he continues, “a great community with great opportunities. Lots of exciting things are starting to happen downtown and along the river. It’s an exciting time to be here.”

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Cutting a Rug I

t should be daunting to jump headfirst into a business for which you have no training. But that didn’t stop Reinhard Schoffthaler in 1981 when he bought Ingrid’s Handwoven Rugs from a cousin.

Schoffthaler had no experience whatsoever in weaving. But he learned.

“After 26 years, I’m getting better,” he says with a chuckle. “I was very optimistic at the time. I don’t give up that quickly.”

Austrian-born Schoffthaler came to the United States when he was 22, intending to learn the language and go back home. He lived in New York, working in the hotel and restaurant business. The “new” of New York wore off, however, and he moved to Texas.

“I like the people here. They are really kind and nice,” he says. “I like the climate now, because when you get older, you want a warmer climate. The wide-open roads and fields – I really like that.”

When he bought the weaving business, he had five looms and six colors. It has now expanded to 13 looms and 76 colors and produces about 40,000 square feet of fabric a year.

His merchandise includes rugs and saddle blankets of wool, mohair, llama and alpaca. His customers are all over the map.

“It’s become very popular,” he says.

“I get thank-you notes all the time, about how much they love the rugs.”

The products are sold to distributors and decorators, as well as to walk-ins at his Paint Rock location. In Texas, customers lean toward Indian designs in earth tones, Schoffthaler says.

California and Florida buyers, however, often want a more contemporary look in blues and greens.

“I had a lady yesterday from Alaska,” he says. “She bought two little rugs.

Tomorrow, I have a lady from Houston.

“It’s so nice being able to meet people from all parts of the world.”

Llama, mohair and alpaca yarns are used in Ingrid’s Handwoven Rugs.

SEE VIDEO ONLINE | Watch a rug being made the old-fashioned way at imagessanangelo.com.

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PHOTOS BY ANTONY BOSHIER

Portfolio

Keeping History on Track M

ore than a decade ago, the Historic Orient/Santa Fe Depot was well on its way to train heaven. Typical of a lot of old depots, it was in total despair. A bottomless pit of tax money for the railroad, it was set to be torn down.

A group of concerned citizens, however, saw value in the history about to be lost forever. They banded together and, since the group was not yet designated a nonprofit organization, talked the railroad into donating the depot to the city of San Angelo. Today, the Rail Museum of San Angelo is proudly housed in the impressive and appropriate setting.

With additional work, the group was awarded a grant for $1.2 million and totally refurbished and remodeled the structure, bringing it back to its original specs and appearance in the 1920s, according to David Wood, museum board member, past president and volunteer. At the time it was built, the two-story brick building was the second-largest building in San Angelo.

“Outside we’ve got two train engines, a caboose, a car and a 100-year-old booth that was used for communications in the railyard,” Wood says. “Inside are all sorts of pictures and railway paraphernalia.”

One room is dedicated to historic pictures, the largest collection of town pictures on display anywhere. Five working railroad models are also on exhibit. The City Transit Department just moved out of the building, almost doubling the museum’s display space.

For information on the museum, visit online at www.railwaymuseum sanangelo.homestead.com.

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Serving Up a Fine Cup of Joe

T

o tell the story of DeCoty Coffee, one needs to go all the way back to 1929.

That’s when the Ducote family bought a peanut roaster and decided to try roasting coffee in it. The idea apparently worked for them, and they started delivering their product in a muledriven wagon. Over the years, the business expanded to include restaurant and office clients. Today, DeCoty sells about 2 million pounds of coffee a year.

And, no, it is no longer heated in a peanut roaster. The company now owns two 225-pound coffee roasters, capable of roasting 3,500 pounds an hour.

But some things haven’t changed.

DeCoty Coffee has remained a family business. Charles Ducote, son and grandson of the original owners, retains partial ownership of the business.

“Today we have some national sales, but the most concentrated business is in our route system, most of it in Texas,” says Ronnie Wallace, chief operations officer. The route system primarily includes regular delivery to restaurants and other businesses.

DeCoty has its own private blends – all 100-percent Arabica. Beans come from all over the world, from Brazil, Mexico and Central America, Hawaii, Africa and even China. The most popular is Western Gold.

“That’s been our bread and butter for years and years,” Wallace says. “It’s a smooth, bold flavor. It’s got a great aroma, good to the palate, not heavy in acidity. It’s a good, all-day coffee.”

DeCoty is known for stellar customer service. If a business buys enough coffee to be supplied with the equipment to brew it, a maintenance policy guarantees a freshly brewed cup ’round the clock. If the equipment ever breaks down, DeCoty’s philosophy is to get the customer back in the coffee business within 24 hours.

“I’ve been on call at two or three in the morning, at an all-night truck stop,” Wallace says. “We make sure the customer is taken care of.”

– Stories by Catherine Darnell SAN ANG E LO

PECANS • GIFTS • LAMB

Pecans.com Retail Store is conveniently located on North Bryant in San Angelo. Come by our retail store and see our greatly expanded selection of Pecan Products, Gift Baskets, Homemade Fudge, Pecan Pie and Cobbler, Gourmet Meats, Sauces, Spices, Dressings and much more. UPS Shipping service available for your gift orders.

1700 N. BRYANT BLVD. • SAN ANGELO, TX I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

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Business

Flying

High

PASSENGERS ARE SINGING THE PRAISES OF SAN ANGELO’S NEW AIRPORT TERMINAL

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STORY BY JIM ELLIOTT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTONY BOSHIER

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ir travelers to and from San Angelo are getting the royal treatment now, thanks to a new airport terminal opened in early 2007.

“It’s a tremendous improvement for the community,” says Al Elliott, chief of operations at San Angelo Regional Airport.

Expanded by 8,000 square feet, the terminal can comfortably handle 250 people – compared to the modest 35 that fit in the old terminal. It also has three boarding gates, two of them with passenger boarding bridges or jetways.

“That makes it a lot more appealing for passengers,” says Clint Dockery, station manager for American Eagle Airlines, which – along with Continental Connection – provides connecting service to Dallas and Houston.

“We have unpredictable weather here, and when the wind picked up or it was raining, we used to have to issue umbrellas or just wait until it quit raining,” Dockery says. “Now, with the jetways, we’re always ready to go.”

A third boarding gate at the groundfloor level handles the occasional flights diverted from Dallas or other locations due to inclement weather, as well as one or two charter flights per month for gambling trips to Nevada.

The only escalators currently operating in San Angelo take passengers to and from street level, where the security screening and baggage claim areas are located. The first-floor lobby also has a restaurant and snack bar, with food good enough to attract people from the community. And here’s a shocker: You can park at this airport for free.

“I feel strongly that if you don’t have free parking, the people from town won’t come. I think it’s a nice benefit for our terminal tenants to have those people coming out to eat here as return customers,” Elliott says.

Leases from the restaurants help the airport maintain its self-sufficient status, which is required under the SAN ANG E LO

terms of federal grants it receives. The airport also receives revenues from other vendors, hangar leases, landing fees, fuel flowage fees and passenger facility charges. Although owned by the city, the airport costs local taxpayers virtually nothing.

San Angelo’s first settlers, who came by horseback, two major stagecoach lines and later by railroad, couldn’t have imagined airplanes and airports. The airport has a colorful history, according to Suzanne Campbell, head of the West Texas collection of the Porter Henderson Library at Angelo State University.

Campbell says that oilman Carl Cromwell and his f lying service, Cromwell Airlines, helped back construction of the original airport, south of its present location, in 1929. Not coincidentally, the region had its first oil gusher that same year, and planes were instrumental in getting equipment and personnel to the oil fields.

The city completed a new airport in 1941, just in time to turn it over to the

military for World War II when, as Goodfellow Air Force Base, it served a vital function in the training of bombardiers. One of them was a San Angelo native named Jack Mathis, who would become the war’s first aviator to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

San Angelo Regional Airport is also known as Mathis Field, in honor of his heroics in leading a successful bombing mission despite mortal wounds from an anti-aircraft cannon shell.

Today’s San Angelo airport covers some 1,500 acres and boasts an 8,000-foot runway, long enough to accommodate an 840,000-pound C-5 Galaxy military cargo jet. Goodfellow Air Force Base remains as a training center for military intelligence and firefighting.

Elliott says the airport has space available for businesses that would benefit from being close to an airport, as well as being precisely halfway between the southern east and west coasts of the United States.

Expanded by 8,000 square feet, San Angelo’s new terminal accommodates 250 people. Left: Airport improvements include new boarding jetways.

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Business

Super

Sales Tax HALF-CENT TARIFF RAISES MILLIONS FOR COMMUNITY

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STORY BY JIM ELLIOTT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTONY BOSHIER

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t’s amazing what a half-cent sales tax can accomplish.

In San Angelo’s case, the tax has generated approximately $34 million since city voters first approved it in 1999. About 65 percent of those dollars have been paid by local citizens, with the rest coming from visitors – and the results have been nothing short of dramatic. Most of the funds have been funneled into much-needed projects benefiting the entire community.

“I’m real proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” says Kathy Keane, business relations officer for the City of San Angelo Development Corp. “By next year, the citizens will really be able to see the results, and I think they’ll be tremendously impressed with how far their sales tax dollars have gone.”

According to Keane, the first priorities were to dredge Lake Nasworthy – to increase capacity and improve safety for recreational activities – and to build a new arena for the fairgrounds.

The fairgrounds complex regularly hosts major rodeos and stock shows, and the new Spur Arena brings state-ofthe-art facilities to those events.

The city was also able to make improvements to the San Angelo Coliseum, a multipurpose venue built in the 1950s.

With the success of the 1999 sales tax, voters approved a second refer-

endum in 2004, with a 20-year sunset.

This tax is expected to generate some $93 million over its lifetime, although the tax collections are actually running stronger that previously estimated. Of this amount, 75 percent is earmarked for specific projects, while 25 percent will be used for economic development such as incentives for businesses to relocate or expand in San Angelo.

The first priority this time around: water. Of the total revenues, $17 million has been earmarked for addressing San Angelo’s water supply. A major saltwater underground aquifer about 15 miles west of town is being explored as a possible new supply.

“We’re still going through somewhat of a drought, but at the time of the vote, our water supply was a major concern,” Keane says.

The city is studying the feasibility of building a desalination plant to use the aquifer’s water.

Additional work has also been done at the fairgrounds, adding two new livestock buildings and expanded parking to further complement the arena complex. The facility is now ranked fifth in the nation on the professional rodeo circuit.

The city also is investing in major improvements at the Rio Concho Sports Complex and Community Park, building a new public tennis facility, dredging

the Concho River and initiating a bank stabilization project, and renovating the city-owned convention center.

The pay-as-you-go portion of the sales tax dollars includes an affordable housing initiative, with the city providing mortgage gap financing of up to $25,000 to help low-income residents buy new homes, and economic development incentives to private businesses that have so far helped create or retain about 2,300 jobs.

Left: New Spur Arena is one result of the voter-supported half-cent sales tax.

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Business | Biz Briefs

ANTONY BOSHIER

MAKING CONNECTIONS ON A GLOBAL SCALE Fortune 500 companies don’t answer their own phones. Instead, major corporations increasingly turn to Sitel, a customer-care specialist with offices all over the world.

One of Sitel’s largest operations is in San Angelo, where 1,200 employees handle inbound and outbound customer-service issues for a wide array of companies. For more than 10 years, questions about technical support and billing inquiries have flooded into the San Angelo office.

The company has installed new workstations at the location, which will enable more people to work at the facility. The work will allow for future expansion of the workforce, which is seemingly inevitable.

“For the last few years, we’ve been in a constant growth mode,” says Human Resources Manager Noreen Rodriguez.

Sitel has expanded from fewer than 900 workers when it opened to more than 1,200 in 2006.

That growth mode isn’t limited to San Angelo. In late 2006, Sitel merged with another leading outsourcing business, ClientLogic Corp., to create a company with 68,000 employees worldwide.

Water-pumping windmills built by Aermotor can last more than 100 years.

A STIFF BREEZE GOES A LONG WAY For more than a century, a San Angelo company has been putting the wind to work.

Aermotor Windmill is the nation’s leading builder of water-pumping windmills.

The company ships its windmills from its 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility south of Goodfellow Air Force Base to customers ranging from family farms to municipalities.

Founded in 1888 in Chicago, Aermotor quickly built a reputation for the best design in groundwater windmills.

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687 Business.indd 42

Even today, more than a century after it began harnessing one of the most primitive forms of energy, the company’s services are just as vital. It makes six sizes of windmills and 45 sizes of towers.

“There’s still a tremendous need for water,” says Bob Bracher, president of Aermotor Windmill. “And a windmill is a much more efficient machine than a solar pump.”

The company offers a 7-year manufacturer’s warranty on every product, though that’s hardly the expected lifespan.

Aermotor windmills can last upward of 100 years, with a yearly oil change the only maintenance necessary.

BEACON FOR THE BLIND Since 1963, a small business has served as a lifeline for the blind of Tom Green County.

West Texas Lighthouse for the Blind is a nonprofit organization that employs legally blind individuals in manufacturing. The company started out making mops and brooms, then converted in 1976 to its current line of writing instruments.

“We’re fairly versatile,” says Bob Porter, CEO of the operation. “We look for niche businesses.”

Besides pens, West Texas Lighthouse also manufactures biodegradable trash bags, core-sample bags and laundry bags, primarily for use by government agencies. The business supplies much of its product line to the state of Texas and the U.S. government.

The local operation employs 23 blind individuals and 10 sighted ones, making it one of the smaller Lighthouse organizations in the country. But its small size hasn’t prevented it from being one of the most innovative.

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7/19/07 1:09:11 PM

The San Angelo-based enterprise was the first Lighthouse to accept credit cards and the first to operate its own Web site, allowing it to grab the organization’s plum and most identifiable address of www.lighthousefortheblind.org.

THE GOLDEN TOUCH For years, celebrities and famous folks from around the world have been the proud owners of Western-style jewelry from Holland’s, a San Angelo institution for 89 years. In fact, a long line of U.S. presidents has received the store’s famed tie clip featuring a miniature Texas spur.

But outfitting heads of state is only the second most important thing the Hollands do.

“The biggest part of our business is as a mainline jewelry store,” says Chase Holland III, who operates the familyowned store with brother Bill and mother Virginia. “The most gratifying thing we do is being part of a young couple’s engagement.”

In 1936, company founder Chase Holland added the manufacture of Western jewelry to the business, handcrafting belt buckles, cufflinks and a variety of spur pieces. Initially designed as gifts, the items gained popularity and were added to the store’s line.

Holland’s Western jewelry is renowned, but its specialty is mainline jewelry.

BUILDING A BETTER TANK Conner Steel Products Inc. was launched in the 1980s to fill a small niche in the oil industry, constructing the walkways and stairways that surround large metal tanks. In a few years, the company decided to increase market share by building the whole tank.

Consequently, Conner Steel Products has grown from a small, family business to a major local employer and multimillion-dollar enterprise. Conner Steel Products, which employs 330 at its 90,000-square-foot facility, is expected to enjoy $70 million in sales in 2007. The company produces steel tanks, fiberglass tanks and other high-pressure vessels, in addition to its original walkways.

And the company, founded by Aubrey Conner and now run by son Aubrey “Butch” Conner, continues to grow.

“With the rise in oil prices, things have really taken off,” says Vice President Brian Minzenmayer. “We’re pursuing other markets and other products.”

– Dan Markham SAN ANG E LO

I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

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PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE SAN ANGELO COMMUNITY FOR 43 YEARS

ETHICON, INC. 3348 Pulliam St. (325) 482-5200 San Angelo, TX 76905 www.ethicon.com

© ETHICON, Inc. 2007

ANTONY BOSHIER

Business | Chamber Report

The chamber of commerce is located in the San Angelo Visitor Center on the banks of the Concho River.

Time for a Makeover CORNERSTONE INVESTORS SUPPORT CAMPAIGN TO INTRODUCE A NEW CITY IMAGE

E

conomic development is a need that never ends. Cities like San Angelo increasingly find themselves in competition with other communities for economic growth through tourism, business expansions/relocations and state and federal dollars. Cities must continue to fight for their economic lives – and that, like so many things in life, costs money.

With this in mind, the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce in 2005 launched its Cornerstone Investors Program.

According to its first co-chair, Dr. Brian May of Angelo State University, “The philosophy was to design a plan wherein investors could be a part of the top-level goals of the chamber and the community, and also receive name recognition for that support.”

After identifying the goal, May and co-chair Gary Cox of Texas Bank began a membership campaign that yielded impressive results. Seventy-nine companies stepped up to become Cornerstone members, generating just over $147,000 in 2006. It’s an amount sizeable enough to jumpstart what May calls “the re-invention of San Angelo, Texas.”

One of the top priorities was to overcome many misperceptions identified in a 2004 survey along the key I-35 corridor. Few respondents knew where San Angelo was, and those who had heard of it thought it was a very small city with little or no business or industry, no university or military base, and no tourism appeal.

“The message came in loud and clear that we had to do something to turn things around,” May says. “We earmarked SAN ANG E LO

a significant portion of the anticipated funding toward the development of a new marketing and advertising campaign.”

An Austin advertising firm was hired to develop a multifaceted marketing and advertising campaign to promote tourism and economic development, regionally as well as nationally. During the first year, these efforts paid off with an increase in visitors and corresponding 39 percent increase in hotel-tax revenues, and a number of major events bringing thousands of new dollars to the community. San Angelo also has enjoyed positive publicity in major regional and national publications, including The New York Times.

“In our economic development program, we have initiated aggressive marketing programs that include personal visits to business site consultants throughout the country,” Cox says.

The group has also budgeted for trips to Washington and Austin to lobby for expansion of missions at Goodfellow Air Force Base, and to pursue other state and federal dollars to address community needs.

“Now that we’ve built the framework of our image campaign, we will spend this next year aggressively marketing San Angelo,” Cox says. “Our No. 1 goal is to grow our economy.”

By the end of April, the 2007 campaign had already raised nearly $131,000.

“Thanks to the hard work of co-chairs Fred Hernandez and Steve Martin, we are close to exceeding last year’s total, which surpassed our first-year target by 20 percent,” says Phil Neighbors, chamber president.

– Jim Elliott I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

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Whether buying, selling or financing a home ... Experience counts!

Tommie Weatherby 25 Years Graduate of the Realtor Institute Certified Residential Specialist Accredited Buyers Representative

Cynthia Jan Mundell 27 Years • BBA Finance & Real Estate Angelo State University Graduate of the Chamber of Commerce Leadership San Angelo

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tweather@airmail.net (325) 656-7435

Allison & Lacy Real Estate 1151 Knickerbocker Rd. • San Angelo, TX 76903 (325) 949-5575

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I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

Valerie Allison 30 Years • Conventional Loans FHA • VA • Interim Construction Loans TX VET • Bridge Loans valeriea@wcc.net (325) 656-8111

Crockett National Bank 502 S. Koenigheim • San Angelo, TX 76903 (325) 659-4949

SAN ANG E LO

Business | Economic Profile

SAN ANGELO BUSINESS CLIMATE San Angelo is the trade and services hub for a 13-county area supported by agriculture, manufacturing, health services, military and tourism.

COST OF LIVING

TRANSPORTATION

U.S Highway 277 is San Angelo’s closest connection to Mexico – a distance of 155 miles to the border crossing at Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila.

Airport

Railroad

Housing, 70.2

San Angelo Regional Airport (325) 659-6409, Ext. 3 American Eagle (DFW) Continental Express (Houston Bush Intercontinental)

San Angelo is the main railyard for Texas Pacifico Transportation Ltd. This railroad connects the Mexico rail system through the border crossing at Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico and Presidio, Texas, and the main U.S. rail corridor in Fort Worth, Texas. The business office is located in Brownwood, Texas.

Misc. Goods & Services, 91.9

4th Quarter 2006 Percent of National Average 100% Composite Index, 87.4 Grocery Items, 84.4 Health Care, 93.3

Highways San Angelo is located between U.S. Interstate Highways 10 and 20.

The city is approximately 64 miles south of I-20 and 70 miles north of I-10.

Transportation, 98.2 Utilities, 111.6

EMPLOYMENT

BY INDUSTRY Total nonagricultural, 45,200 Education and health services, 7,200 Financial activities, 1,800 Government, 8,900 Information, 1,900

MAJOR EMPLOYERS Company

Classification

Goodfellow Air Force Base

Military training center

6,015

Shannon Health System

Hospital and clinic

2,206

San Angelo Independent School District

Education

2,012

Verizon Inc.

Telephone service

1,300

Angelo State University

Higher education

1,360

SITEL Inc.

Teleservicing

1,350

City of San Angelo

Municipal government

927

Ethicon (Johnson & Johnson)

Sutures and needles

841

San Angelo State School

State school

753

San Angelo Community Medical Center

Hospital

715

Tom Green County

County government

688

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas

Insurance

400

Lone Star Beef Processors

Beef processing

325

Baptist Memorials

Retirement community

322

Hirschfeld Steel

Structural steel

300

San Angelo Packaging

Beef processing

300

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Employees

Leisure and hospitality, 4,500 Manufacturing, 3,600 Natural resources, mining and construction, 3,400 Other services, 1,900 Professional and business services, 4,000 Trade, transportation & utilities, 8,000 March 2007 data

FOR MORE INFORMATION San Angelo Chamber of Commerce 418 W. Ave. B San Angelo, TX 76903 Phone: (325) 655-4136 Fax: (325) 658-1110 www.sanangelo.org

Sources: www.sanangelo.org, www.cvworkforce.org, American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association

I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

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www.bentwoodcc.com • (325) 944-0520

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116 W. 4th St. • San Angelo, TX • (325) 655-MOVE (6683) • www.sanangelotexas.com TX Dot: 536251B, US Dot: 870224, MC 381558

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SAN ANG E LO

Arts & Culture

ANTONY BOSHIER

Roger Ellison transforms the pesky mesquite plant into art and a festival.

Finding Beauty in the Beast MESQUITE IS A NUISANCE PLANT FOR SOME, BUT IT’S A DELIGHT FOR ARTISTS

R

oger Ellison is the first to admit that there’s a lot to hate about mesquite.

Mesquite is an invasive, rapidly spreading plant that is the scourge of local ranchers. It’s a water hog, hoarding much-needed moisture from the soil.

Once managed effectively by range fires, it now overruns many areas of West Texas as fire controls have improved.

At the same time, Ellison adds, “It’s incredibly beautiful.”

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And Ellison has opted to look at his mesquite half-full. He has devoted his life to turning that nuisance into something both attractive and useful.

“It says a lot about West Texas,” Ellison says about his choice of material.

“It’s hardy, rugged and flawed, but underneath the craggy surface, it’s rather beautiful.”

Today, he uses the wood to create upscale furniture, with a specialty in hope chests and liturgical furniture. He

recently completed 14 pieces of furniture for the Holy Angels Catholic Church.

Yet, Ellison isn’t just responsible for turning mesquite into art. He’s also the chief architect behind turning the community into a destination for mesquite art lovers.

In April 2007, Fort Concho National Historic Landmark hosted the fourth Texas Mesquite Art Festival San Angelo, a three-day event that attracted artists and aficionados from across the country. The event is an offshoot of a similar festival conducted in October in Fredericksburg.

With assistance from the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, Ellison persuaded the Texas Mesquite Association to hold a second event in his hometown.

“I knew San Angelo was a growing arts center,” Ellison says. “I thought it would make a perfect partner with the ceramics invitational and other events.”

The partnership is more than symbolic. The mesquite festival is held on the same weekend the Museum of Fine Arts opens its two-month ceramics event, which is alternately the San Angelo National Ceramics Competition and the San Angelo Invitational Ceramics Show.

Howard Taylor, director of the museum, says the addition of the mesquite festival to the calendar is a win-win for the art lovers who come to the ceramics show.

“We have 2,000 people who literally come from all over,” Taylor says. “It was a way of making a richer experience, with one event building on another.”

Taylor and Ellison have worked together to jointly market the events.

The museum has even supplied transportation to take participants to Fort Concho and back.

And the mesquite exhibit has thrived, regularly filling its exhibit hall to capacity, with works ranging in size from pens and small bowls up to large pieces of furniture, with an equal disparity in prices.

“There’s something in the show that appeals to everyone,” Ellison says.

– Dan Markham I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

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Education

Culinary Whiz Kids CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL COOKS UP A WINNING PROGRAM FOR ASPIRING YOUNG CHEFS

T

the opportunity to leave the traditional classroom behind and move into the real world of the restaurant business.

Second-year students participate in internship programs with San Angelo chefs, where they experience the inner workings of some of the city’s top restaurants. They typically work three to four days a week for two hours each morning during the school day.

Bickel says the experience is invaluable: “They prep and cook for the chef, and the chef talks to them and gives them ideas of how to do things better and be creative.”

It must be working. Central students regularly take top honors in local and statewide cooking contests.

But slicing and dicing, baking and broiling are not the only skills that CA students master. The curriculum covers many other aspects of the restaurant business, such as menu, logo, business card, sign and restaurant design.

Bickel admits that the two-year

PHOTOS BY ANTONY BOSHIER

V may have the Iron Chef and the Top Chef, but Central High School has its own culinary whiz kids in the school’s popular Culinary Arts program, where the classroom meets the kitchen.

Each year, about 65 students, mostly juniors and seniors, are enrolled in the Culinary Arts I and II classes. Instructor Gail Bickel says, “Our guidelines are to teach students the basics of all types of dining service.”

But in this program, students don’t just sit in class and read about the food service industry; they actually live it.

Students regularly cook and serve meals in the school’s industrial-sized commercial kitchen and dining room. They cater everything from full meals for all school board meetings to wedding receptions. The program also offers classes on dining etiquette for such groups as the Girl Scouts and the National Honor Society.

Culinary Arts students also have

program is tough, but students aren’t shying away from the challenge. She says TV is responsible for part of the program’s popularity: “I really think a lot of them are watching the Food Network. They like the excitement of it and the notoriety of it, and then sometimes they realize what hard work it is and that it’s not for them.”

But some students retain that great passion, Bickel says, “and they’re going to go the distance.”

Many of Central’s graduates – the ones with that passion – have gone on to study at such prestigious culinary institutions as Johnson and Wales and the Culinary Institute of America.

Last year, one student earned $26,000 in scholarships and another earned $36,000, according to Bickel, who notes that San Angelo’s restaurant association has provided financial support for many students to pursue higher education.

To become part of the Culinary Arts program at Central, students complete an application and an interview, as well as compose an essay explaining why they want to join the program.

“It’s just an outstanding program,” Bickel says. “We just try to help students fulfill their dreams.”

– Kimberly Daly

Students enrolled in Central High School’s culinary arts program get a taste of the restaurant business.

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SAN ANG E LO

Fun and Games – and Physics LAKE VIEW HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER KNOWS HOW TO MAKE LEARNING FUN

T

here is a perfectly good reason Tracy Pippins has 7-foot roller coasters in the back of her physics classroom at Lake View High School.

“I use a lot of innovative strategies in class, as much hands-on as I possibly can,” says the 13-year education veteran. “In my physics class, we were learning kinematics. We were learning about acceleration.”

And, yes, in-class roller coasters make perfect sense.

“After they got the basics, I gave them a chance to be creative. I gave them a template and said, ‘Now you change it however you want to.’ The groups merged their roller coasters to make a giant roller coaster.”

For their effort, they were treated to a field trip to Fiesta Texas, to check out all of their theories on an actual roller coaster.

“They had so much fun. They could have continued working on them for weeks,” Pippins says. “With every big concept we do, they have something they can look forward to, something that’s real to them.”

Another example of Pippins’ real-life, hands-on teaching was in chemistry, in studying titration.

“We determined the amount of vitamin C in the juices they buy. They actually found out that some of the stuff they like is not the best for them.

Imagine that.”

It is not difficult to see why Pippins is popular with the students; she was even voted as favorite teacher her first year at this school.

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“I want my kids to want to be here,” she says. “I do absolutely everything I can to make them love coming to my class every day. If I can get them to want to be here, they will learn.”

Pippins says teaching is her passion: “I cannot think of anything else I would rather do.”

– Catherine Darnell

Tracy Pippins generates interest in physics and chemistry with her hands-on teaching style.

“ O n ly Fu l l Se r vi ce Ho te l ” RECREATION & SERVICES

ACCOMMODATIONS

• Free high-speed Internet • Irons, ironing board, hair dryers & coffee makers in every room • Room service available • Business service available • Five nearby golf courses • Walking distance to Historic Downtown & Fort Concho • Indoor heated pool & hot tub • On-site fitness facility • Voice mail in all rooms

• 148 spacious guest rooms • Two-room Angelo Suite with oven, refrigerator & microwave • Five oversized suites available • Non-smoking rooms & floors

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT • Complimentary full-service breakfast • Cattleman’s Restaurant – serving breakfast & dinner • Cattleman’s Bar – daily drink specials • 4,000 square feet of meeting space

DIRECTIONS From US Hwy. 67 E. Stay on Hwy. 67 for several miles.

Take a right on Oakes, left on Concho Ave. From US Hwy. 67 W. Exit Bell St.; take a right on Rio Concho Dr. From US Hwy. 87 N. Take a right on Concho Ave. From US Hwy. 87 S. Take a left on Concho Ave.

441 RIO CONCHO DR. | SAN ANGELO, TX 76903 | (325) 658-2828 | FAX (325) 658-8741 TOLL-FREE (800) 784-7839 | HOTELSANANGELO.COM

I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

51

Let us help you “Come Home to San Angelo”

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Free High-Speed Internet • Business Center Fitness Center • Free Continental Breakfast Cable TV with HBO • Meeting Room • Pool & Spa

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I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

SAN ANG E LO

Sports & Recreation

ANTONY BOSHIER

Membership has skyrocketed to more than 4,000 since the opening of the new YMCA in San Angelo.

Taking a Healthier Approach to Life YMCA MEMBERSHIP SOARS THANKS TO NEW BUILDING AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING

F

or more than 50 years, the San Angelo YMCA was able to provide a full roster of services to the community despite being housed in an aging community gym. All that changed in 2005, when the ribbon was cut on a new, $4.9 million facility.

And San Angelo residents have taken notice.

Since moving into the 35,000-squarefoot building downtown, membership

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has almost quadrupled and now numbers more than 4,000, says Jim Heiman, chief executive officer.

“The adage of, ‘If you build it, they will come’ has proven so true here,” Heiman says. “When this facility was being built the board was adamant in promising the community that they would not borrow money to get it done, and so the pledges kept coming in throughout the process. And when

the new Y opened, memberships just skyrocketed.”

For Heiman, who came to the San Angelo Y in January 2005, the building is much more than a family-oriented place to relax and exercise.

“We have senior citizens, babies and all groups in between,” he says. “The pool has been a focal point, as has our wellness center and the gym.”

With its downtown location, the Y had to work with city planners to utilize its land in such a way that it would fit into the historic area. That wasn’t a problem, Heiman says, and the location adjacent to a city park has worked to further bolster the facility’s community presence.

“People are coming in here, joining the group fitness classes, really enjoying the facility,” Heiman says. “Part of the national YMCA’s mission is a program called “Active America,” so we’re pushing from a national and local standpoint to get people involved, to realize that it’s fun to have an active lifestyle.

“This new building has been a huge tool for us in terms of getting people in here from all walks of life, and letting them realize that they can have fun and socialize while walking on the treadmill or taking a water aerobics class.”

Going forward, the Y’s board of directors is looking at everything from expanded programs to new offerings, including eventually adding onto the building. And whether it’s a new gymnastics program for smaller children or new activities for its senior members, San Angelo residents can count on the YMCA to keep things fresh.

“The original footprint of the building was modified when we built, due to costs at the time, so we have some room on the property to grow,” Heiman says.

“Our staff doesn’t let any dust settle around here. They’re always working on something new and exciting, so I’m sure within the next few years we’ll be looking at using that space.

“And since it was originally in the plans, we’ll be able to incorporate any new additions in such a way that there’ll be a nice flow in the building.”

– Joe Morris I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

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Baptist Retirement Community ... The Art of Living!

Over the years, Baptist Retirement Community has added many new services and levels of care. We have also had the joy of serving people from all faiths and backgrounds. We invite you to visit.

902-903 N. Main St. San Angelo, TX 76903 (325) 655-7391 (800) 608-8820 www.bapmem.com

Retirement Living • Home Health Sagecrest Alzheimer’s Care Center Rehab and Long-Term Nursing Care Transitional Care Unit The Green Houses • Hospice

At the RehabCare Unit at San Angelo Community Medical Center, patients find the abundant application of a simple but powerful word – hope.

(325) 947-6292 • (325) 947-6271 By instilling hope and guiding the development of new and relearned skills, the capable, caring professionals of the rehabilitation unit give patients the confidence they need to reclaim their lives.

A sister’s promise couldn’t save Suzy Komen from breast cancer.

But one day it might save you.

In 1982, Nancy Brinker promised her dying sister, Suzy, she’d find a cure for breast cancer. That promise led to research and treatment innovations, education and screening. Join the

REHAB CARE UNIT AT SAN ANGELO COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER 3501 KNICKERBOCKER RD. • SAN ANGELO, TX 76904

54

I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

effort at www.komen.org or 1.800 I’M AWARE®.

This space provided as a public service. ©2004, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

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Health & Wellness

Flying to the Rescue SAN ANGELO RESIDENTS BENEFIT FROM AIRBORNE EMERGENCY SERVICES

S

an Angelo is prized for its wide-open spaces and beautiful countryside. But being away from it all can sometimes become a problem when a medical emergency arises.

Not to worry. San Angelo Community Medical Center and Shannon Medical Center can handle the biggest challenge, and do it quickly, thanks to their use of helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft services

to transport emergency patients.

Shannon operates AirMed 1, a helicopter that can go to the scene of an accident or touch down almost anywhere in the countryside to provide on-site emergency care and rapid transportation for critical medical needs.

The helicopter is staffed 24 hours a day with a registered nurse, paramedic and pilot, and provides coverage for

San Angelo Community Medical Center joins Shannon Medical Center in providing emergency air transport.

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more than 30 West Texas counties and hospitals in a 150-mile radius, including San Angelo Community Medical Center.

It also can transport patients with severe injuries, such as burns, to more specialized facilities in larger cities such as Dallas or San Antonio.

“We are so rural that it truly makes a difference,” says Wendy Keel, director of emergency services at Shannon Medical Center. “We’re not like the towns with trauma centers and hospitals all over.

When you can reduce the ground transport time by half, that makes a difference in patient outcomes.”

Sheryl Pfluger, marketing and public relations director for San Angelo Community Medical Center, agrees.

“We have a lot of ranches out here and other places that are hard to get into,” Pf luger says, “so being able to have an aircraft land there plays a big role.”

SACMC has a landing pad for AirMed 1, and also utilizes the helicopter and fixed-wing services of providers including CareFlight to transport its patients.

For the doctors and nurses who work closely with or on the flight teams, it’s all about the rapid response.

“We take the emergency room to the patient,” says Danny Updike, a flight nurse on AirMed 1, which averages about 40 flights per month.

“We have a nurse and a paramedic on board, as well as all the equipment we need to treat and stabilize the patient at the scene. And when you’re flying at 150 miles an hour, you can get them to one of our hospitals, or to a burn center or neonatal facility in Austin or Dallas, really quickly.”

By working together with other facilities to provide this level of service, everyone wins, adds Pfluger.

“It wouldn’t make sense to have two hospitals running the same service out here,” she says. “The bottom line is that we want to provide good transportation for our patients, and by building good partnerships and rapport with the helicopter and fixed-wing services, we’re able to do that. It’s the perfect answer for the community.”

– Joe Morris I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

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San Angelo Federal Credit Union www.safcu.com

When You’re a Member, You’re an Owner Great Rates • Savings & Loans Free Internet Banking • Free Online Bill Pay

FAMILY OWNED Diamonds, Colored Stones and Concho Pearls set in Gold and Sterling Silver Jewelry Repair, Custom Design, Casting, Stone setting all done in-house Watch Battery replacement and Link adjustments 5th and 6th generation Jewelers with 38 years of experience

GLASS JEWELERS 3260 Sherwood Way (in the Commons Shopping Center behind Blockbuster) San Angelo, Texas 76901 (325) 947-1680 www.glassjewelers.com

questions

GLASS JEWELERS

answers

235 West First Street • San Angelo, TX 76903 (325) 653-8320 tel • (325) 653-8658 fax

© 2002 American Cancer Society, Inc.

8 0 0 . A C S . 2 3 4 5 / c a n c e r. o r g

Our membership is open to everyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Tom Green County, Texas.

Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

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I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

SAN ANG E LO

Community Profile

SAN ANGELO SNAPSHOT In the midst of West Texas ranching country, San Angelo is an oasis, boasting three large lakes, the Concho River and a host of parks.

EDUCATION Public Schools San Angelo Independent School District 947-3700, www.saisd.org

CLIMATE San Angelo receives 251 days of sunshine a year (days that are either mainly sunny or partly cloudy). With three lakes and a river flowing through the area, San Angelo has an average morning humidity of 79 percent, but that turns to a comfortable 44 percent in the afternoon.

Temperatures can rise into the 100s during summer, but low humidity in the 15–percent to 25–percent range helps keep the heat index low.

Twenty-seven public facilities serve preschool through high school students. The public school system also has four special-education schools for vision- or hearingimpaired students and others with special needs.

Technical and Higher Education American Commercial College, 942-6797 www.acc-careers.com Angelo State University 942-2041, www.angelo.edu Howard College San Angelo Campus, 944-9585, www.howardcollege.edu West Texas Training Center 942-2800, www.angelo.edu/dept/wttc

UTILITIES Electricity

Private Schools Ambleside School, of San Angelo, 659-1654 Angelo Catholic School 949-1747, 655-3325

AEP provides line service to San Angelo. Residents may choose from multiple suppliers.

Visit www.powertochoose.org or call (866) 797-4839 for more information on each provider.

Average annual temperature, 64.5 F

Cornerstone Christian School 655-3439

Average annual high temperature, 77.1 F

Gateway Christian Academy 486-1267

Atmos Energy Distribution 481-3716

San Angelo Christian Academy 651-8363

Phone

Average annual rainfall, 20.91 inches

TLC Academy, 659-2464

Water and Sewer

Source: National Weather Service

Trinity Lutheran School 947-1275

San Angelo Public Works Department, 657-4206

Average annual low temperature, 51.8 F

Natural Gas

Verizon, (800) 483-4000

THIS SECTION IS SPONSORED BY

San Angelo Transfer Company Since 1912 • Locally Owned & Operated • Dependable, carefully trained, professional moving personnel • Local, long distance & international moving • Free in-home estimates • Licensed, fully bonded & insured

TXDOT: 005794816C • USDOT: 070851

2015 Ben Ficklin Rd. San Angelo, TX 76903

655-6100 e-mail: info@sanangelotransfer.com

Agent for northAmerican® Van Lines

The area code for San Angelo is 325.

I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

57

Look, a tall purple rectangle!

When you talk to your child you build vocabulary, so everyday moments become learning moments. For more tips, visit bornlearning.org

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I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

SAN ANG E LO

PRICE DISTRIBUTION OF HOMES SOLD IN SAN ANGELO

We’re serious about this job!

2006 $29,000 or less

4.1%

$30,000-$39,999

3.5%

$40,000-$49,999

4.6%

$50,000-$59,000

5.9%

$60,000-$69,999

7.5%

$70,000-$79,000

9.2%

$80,000-$89,999

8.1%

$90,000-$99,999

8.1%

$100,000-$119,999

8.6%

$120,000-$139,999

13.0%

$140,000-$159,999

8.4%

$160,000-$179,999

6.4%

$180,000-$199,999

3.0%

$200,000-$249,000

4.4%

$250,000-$299,000

2.5%

$300,000-$399,999

1.7%

$400,000-$499,999

0.6%

$500,000 and up

0.4%

Source: Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University

And it’s a good thing! Why? Because electric power is far more than just a convenience.

We’re local people – faces you know and people you can trust.

Concho Valley Electric Cooperative Your Touchstone Energy© Partner www.cvec.coop Integrity • Accountability • Innovation • Commitment to Community

Our 48th Year!

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A new home in San Angelo will typically sell in the range of $85-$100 per square foot.

The average cost of homes sold in 2006 was $116,324.

A two-bedroom, unfurnished apartment rents for $430 to $680 a month.

MEDICAL FACILITIES

Conveniently Located Throughout San Angelo

River Crest Hospital, 949-5722 San Angelo Community Medical Center, 949-9511 Shannon Medical Center 653-6741

One-Day Dry Cleaning One-Day Shirt Laundry

Triumph Hospital San Angelo 659-3906

The area code for San Angelo is 325.

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59

RECREATION San Angelo offers a variety of recreational activities.

These include boating, fishing and water-skiing on the area’s lakes and rivers.

There are many organized sports for children. There are 14 public tennis courts, two public swimming pools, two country clubs and three public golf courses. Fall and winter offer excellent deer, turkey and quail hunting.

Professional Sports Baseball – The San Angelo Colts (United League) Rodeo – Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Bull Riding – Professional bull riding Arena Football – San Angelo Stampede

GOLF COURSES Private

Concho Valley Credit Union

Bentwood Country Club (18 holes) 944-8575 San Angelo Country Club (18 holes) 651-7227 Public Quicksand Golf Course (18 holes) 482-8337

Serving this area since 1930.

Riverside Golf Course (18 holes) 653-6130 Santa Fe Golf Course (9 holes) 657-4485

CULTURAL AFFAIRS San Angelo offers many cultural events and activities.

The San Angelo Civic Theatre is the oldest communitybased theater group in Texas.

Annual performances include comedy, musicals and drama. www.angelocivictheatre.com

1002 S. Abe San Angelo, TX 76903

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I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

(325) 658-7557

www.cvgecu.com

Angelo State University is another excellent source for both stage and dinnertheater performances. www.angelo.edu

SAN ANG E LO

The San Angelo Symphony performs eight times each year in the restored City Auditorium. www.sanangelosymphony.org The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, located on the river in its $6 million home, provides an outstanding venue for the visual arts and sponsors the annual National Ceramic Arts Competition. www.samfa.org The Cultural Affairs Council offers many attractive and exciting entertainment options, such as the Cactus Jazz & Blues Festival, Texas Wine & Food Festival, and sponsorship of nationally known acts. www.sanangeloarts.com For more information on the arts, contact the Cultural Affairs Council at 653-6793 or www.sanangeloarts.com.

king • fishing • guided hunts • historic fort concho • boating • nationally r eo • historic downtown • equestrian events • texas state park • prairie dog t nosaur tracks • hummingbird observation • claybird range • antiques• hist thel • nationally ranked museum • live music • outdoor ampitheater • golfi bee golf course • three area lakes • indian paintings • buffalo viewing • cult ts • senior events kayaking • fishing • guided hunts • historic fort concho • • nationally ranked rodeo • historic downtown • equestrian events • texas s • prairie dog town • dinosaur tracks • hummingbird observation • claybird iques• historic brothel • nationally ranked museum • live music • outdoor ater • golfing • frisbee golf course • three lakes • indian paintings • bu Opening Springarea 2008 Spacious River-front Sites • All • Rig Friendly ing • cultural events • senior events kayaking fishing • guided hunts • his Private Baths • Swimming Pool • Laundry

rt concho •

n • equestri

3512 Ben Ficklin Rd. • San Angelo, TX 76903 (800) 440-4119 • conchoriverrvresort.com

ATTRACTIONS Angelo State University Planetarium 942-2136 or 942-2188 The Historic Cactus Hotel 655-5000 Celebration Bridge and 9/11 Memorial Concho Avenue – filled with cultural and historical points of interest E.H. Danner – Museum of Telephony El Paseo de Santa Angela – heritage trail/Old Town Farmer’s Market, 658-6901 Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, 481-2646

First Baptist Church • San Angelo Sunday:

Bible Study – 9:00 a.m.

Worship – 10:30 a.m.

KSAN Channel 3 KCRN 93.9 FM & 1340 AM Evening Worship – 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday Night:

Family Dinner (5:00 p.m.) & Bible Study (6:15 p.m.) in the Fellowship Hall 24-Hour Prayer Line:

(325) 653-8995 First Baptist Church Child Development Center

(325) 653-9130

Historic Murals, 944-1443

Kids Kingdom Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum 633-0112

The area code for San Angelo is 325.

Shannon Hospital

Harris

FBC

Oakes

International Water Lily Garden Civic League Park

Call us for a free weekly Newsletter

37 East Harris • PO Box 2138 • San Angelo, TX 76902 (325) 655-4101 • www.fbcsanangelotx.org

I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

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TM

Visit Our Advertisers 1st Community Federal Credit Union www.1cfcu.org

Howard College www.howardcollege.edu

AEP Texas www.aep.com

Mosaic www.mosaicinfo.org

Allison-Lacy Real Estate www.allisonlacy.com

Pecans.com www.pecans.com

Angelo Apartment Movers www.sanangelotexas.com

Performant www.performantcorp.com

Angelo State University www.angelo.edu

OF SAN ANGELO, TEXAS COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, SUSAN CHAPPELL, KIM MADLOM, ANITA WADHWANI ASSISTANT EDITOR REBECCA DENTON STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN, JESSICA MOZO DIRECTORIES EDITORS AMANDA KING, KRISTY WISE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS KIMBERLY DALY, CATHERINE DARNELL, JIM ELLIOTT, KELLY LEVEY, LEANNE LIBBY, DAN MARKHAM, JOE MORRIS ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER TODD POTTER AD PROJECT MANAGER JOE THOMAS

Rehab Care www.rehabcare.com

SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR SARA SARTIN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS WES ALDRIDGE, ANTONY BOSHIER, MICHAEL W. BUNCH, IAN CURCIO, BRIAN M CCORD PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT JESSY YANCEY CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS

Angelo Water Service www.angelowaterservice.com Baptist Retirement Community www.bapmem.com Bentwood Country Club & Estates www.bentwoodcc.com City of San Angelo www.sanangelotexas.us Coldwell Banker Patterson Properties www.cbpatterson.com

WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR SHAWN DANIEL

San Angelo Chamber of Commerce www.sanangelo.org San Angelo Community Medical Center www.sacmc.com San Angelo Federal Credit Union www.safcu.com San Angelo Independent School District www.saisd.org

Concho River RV Resort Concho Valley Credit Union www.cvgecu.com

San Angelo Inn & Conference Center www.hotelsanangelo.com

Concho Valley Electric Cooperative www.cvec.coop

San Angelo Real Estate www.sanangelorealestate.com

Cultural Affairs Council www.sanangeloarts.com

San Angelo Transfer Co.

Dierschke & Dierschke Realtors www.dierschke.com

Shannon Health www.shannonhealth.com

Ethicon, Inc. www.ethicon.com

Sitel Corporation www.sitel.com

Fairfield Inn & Suites www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ sjtfi-fairfield-inn-and-suite

Suddenlink Communications www.suddenlink.com

Farm Bureau Insurance www.txfb-ins.com

The Bank & Trust www.thebankandtrust.com

First Baptist Church www.fbcsanangelotx.org

The UPS Store www.theupsstore.com

Floyd C. Petitt Insurance www.floydcpetittinsurance.com

Trans Texas Southwest Credit Union www.transtexas.coop

Glass Jewelers www.glassjewelers.com

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS ASST. PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER SENIOR PRODUCTION PROJECT MGR. TADARA SMITH SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, VIKKI WILLAMS LEAD DESIGNER BRITTANY SCHLEICHER GRAPHIC DESIGN JESSICA BRAGONIER, CANDICE HULSEY, LINDA MOREIRAS, DEREK MURRAY, AMY NELSON WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP WEB PRODUCTION JILL TOWNSEND DIGITAL ASSET MANAGER ALISON HUNTER COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN CORY MITCHELL AD TRAFFIC SARAH MILLER, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY, JILL WYATT CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN SR. V.P./PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART EXECUTIVE EDITOR TEREE CARUTHERS MANAGING EDITOR/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA M CFARLAND, LISA OWENS, JACKIE YATES RECRUITING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH IT SYSTEMS DIRECTOR MATT LOCKE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR NICOLE WILLIAMS CLIENT & SALES SERVICES MANAGER/ CUSTOM MAGAZINES PATTI CORNELIUS

Images of San Angelo is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce and its member businesses. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: San Angelo Chamber of Commerce 418 W. Avenue B • San Angelo, Texas 76903 Phone (325) 655-4136 • Fax: (325) 658-1110 E-mail: chamber@sanangelo.org • www.sanangelo.org VISIT IMAGES OF SAN ANGELO ONLINE AT IMAGESSANANGELO.COM

Holiday Cleaners

West Central Wireless www.westcentral.com

Holiday Inn Express www.hiexpress.com/sanangelo

Workforce Solutions www.cvworkforce.org

©Copyright 2007 Journal Communications Inc., 361 Mallory Station Road, Ste. 102, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved.

No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

Member

Magazine Publishers of America

Member Custom Publishing Council Member San Angelo Chamber of Commerce

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I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

SAN ANG E LO

Community Profile Old Chicken Farm Art Center, 653-4936

Conexion Hispana, 655-6371

Television

Goodfellow Monitor, 654-5413

Paint Brush Alley

Rampage, 942-2323

CBS KLST (Cable Channel 5)

Pearl of the Conchos (prizewinning mermaid sculpture)

San Angelo Standard-Times 653-1221

NBC KSAN (Cable Channel 3)

Producers Livestock Auction 653-3371

Radio

FOX KIDY (Cable Channel 10)

Railway Museum of San Angelo, 947-0819

KCLL 100.1 FM

KCRN 93.9 FM, 1340 AM

UNIVISION-KEUS (Spanish language – Cable Channel 16)

KCSA 95.7 FM

River Walk San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 653-3333 San Angelo Nature Center 942-0121

KCSE 96.5 FM

TELEFUTURA-KANG (Spanish language – Cable Channel 18)

KDCD 92.9 FM KELI/K-Lite 98.7 FM KGKL 960 AM, KGKL 97.5 FM

San Angelo State Park 949-4757

KGNZ 90.9 FM

FOR MORE INFORMATION

KIXY 94.7 FM

The Angelas Sculpture 655-4136

KKCN 103.1 FM

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

KMDX 106.1 FM KNRX 96.5 FM

San Angelo Chamber of Commerce 418 W. Ave. B San Angelo, TX 76903 Phone: (325) 655-4136 Fax: (325) 658-1110

MEDIA

KSJT 107.5 FM

www.sanangelo.org

Newspapers

KUTX 90.1 FM

American Classifieds 944-7653

KWFR 101.9 FM

KKSA 1260 AM

FLOYD C. PETITT INSURANCE

“MR. or MRS. Real Estate”

JAMES THOMAS GRI, CRS, CRMS, CCPS, CRRS, CMRS, CPPS, ABR, ABRM, CRB, SRES

Broker/Owner Res.: 659-4663 Mob.: 277-5478

3121 Southwest Blvd.

San Angelo, Texas 76904

JANIE THOMAS

Office: (325) 942-5478

REALTOR®/Owner

(800) 942-5478 Fax: (325) 944-8618

Source: www.sanangelo.org

ROCK 300 Inc.

ABRM, CRS, GRI

Res.: 659-4663 Mob.: 277-7653

thomasrealty.net sanangelorealestate.com

Life • Health Group Health Annuities Medicare Supplements Medicare Part D Long-Term Care Aut • Home • Commercial Floyd C. Petitt, LUTCF Jan Petitt Owners/Agents (325) 223-1563 • (888) 826-1563 3406 Knickerbocker • San Angelo, TX 76904

The UPS Store UPS and so much more Let us help you with that.

TRANS TEXAS SOUTHWEST CREDIT UNION 3401 Loop 306 • San Angelo, TX 76904 (325) 944-3184 • (800) 839-3184 Fax (325) 944-1005 transtexswcu@transtexas.coop

The area code for San Angelo is 325.

The UPS Store 3520 Knickerbocker Rd. Ste. B

Private Mailbox Rentals Copying Services • Fax Services Notary Services Shipping Services • Packaging Services Finishing & Printing Services

947-7395 Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

Sat.: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

E-mail: store2165@theupsstore.com

I M AG E S S A N A N G E L O . C O M

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San Angelo Community Medical Center

Real Heartfelt Efforts

ANTONY BOSHIER

SACMC FIGHTS HEART DISEASE AND STROKE

San Angelo Community Medical Center is focusing on a new heart and vascular initiative with a top team of physicians.

T

ake heart – plenty of help is available at San Angelo Community Medical Center.

It’s no secret that cardiovascular and heart disease are the leading causes of death in the United States, and the San Angelo area is no exception.

Risk factors for heart problems include a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, drinking, a poor diet, old age and a family history of heart disease.

“High cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes are the three leading chronic disease conditions in West Texas and they all lead to heart problems.

“With prevention methods and medical technology, people who are at risk for heart disease can avoid a serious crisis event if diagnosed and treated early,” says Sheryl Pfluger, SACMC marketing and public relations director.

Sixty-three percent of San Angelo’s citizens are overweight or obese, a percentage slightly higher than the national average. Obesity is a leading contributing factor to heart and vascular disease and diabetes.

To combat the growing problem facing Tom Green County and the nation, SACMC initiated a citywide weight-loss program in 2003 called the Get Healthy Challenge.

“Since the challenge began, residents have lost more than 37,000 pounds and lowered their health risk factors,” says Randy Coleman, co-director of the Community Health Club of San Angelo and driving force behind Get Healthy. Four

challenges are held each year.

Cardiologists and heart surgeons in San Angelo describe West Texas as significantly “underdiagnosed” when talking about heart disease, meaning the majority of heart problems can be avoided if diagnosed and treated earlier.

To change the trend, SACMC is focusing on a new heart and vascular initiative. Dr. Jason Felger, heart surgeon, is leading the initiative with four top cardiologists at SACMC. “Heart problems are a top priority for the health of this community and we are taking aggressive steps to change the ‘undiagnosed’ trend in San Angelo,” Pfluger says.

“We have recently implemented a new endovascular program led by Dr. Felger,” she adds. “According to physicians in the vascular arena, if you have vascular problems such as in your legs or neck, you most likely have heart problems, too. A simple vascular screening can help detect problems early.”

If a problem is detected, further tests are available.

The early screening adds to the already comprehensive heart program, from cath procedures to heart surgery to rehabilitation.

Vascular screenings are available every Monday for people who think they might be candidates for heart disease. It is a noninvasive procedure that takes 30 to 45 minutes, and its findings will often save lives.

For more information on the Monday vascular screenings at San Angelo Community Medical Center, call (325) 947-6757.

special repor t

His Beat Goes On … and On HEART AND LUNG SPECIALIST ALSO PERFORMS VASCULAR SURGERY

D

r. Jason Felger has proven that you can come home again.

The Austin native is a heart, lung and vascular surgeon who did his training at the University of Florida in Gainesville but wanted to return to Texas once his medical training was done. He then enrolled at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he completed his general surgery residency.

“After doing my residency, I wanted to return to Austin as a surgeon but saw that Austin had gotten too big,” Felger says. “I wanted a place to work and practice my trade in a nice community where I could spend time with my wife and two small boys. San Angelo was that community.”

Felger chose to work for Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons of Austin, which has a satellite clinic in San Angelo.

“I have been in San Angelo for three years, and I love the friendliness of the people,” he says. “I also like living in a somewhat country setting with acreage but still be close to work.”

Felger performs surgeries at both San Angelo Community Medical Center and Shannon Medical Center.

“Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons has been in San Angelo for nine years, but there was no permanent surgeon here until me – surgeons simply rotated from Austin until I came along,” he says. “A permanent surgeon was needed to serve San Angelo’s population of 100,000, and the surrounding area. San Angelo is the medical hub for

this part of West Texas so people come from all around for medical care.”

Felger initially performed heart and lung surgery but has since taken his training a step further.

“As the need for more vascular surgery has risen in this part of West Texas, I decided to train at Cardiac, Thoracic and Endovascular Therapies in Peoria, Ill.,” he says. “With the extensive training, I am now also proficient in vascular surgery, which involves all the arteries that feed the body except for the heart.

I can diagnose and treat problems such as abdominal aneurysms, blood vessel blockages to the brain and lowerextremity peripheral arterial disease.”

According to the American Medical Association, more than 10 million Americans are living with vascular disease, and 75 percent of those people experience no symptoms and are unaware of their risk factors.

“Every Monday at San Angelo Community Medical Center, I oversee a program where people who think they might be at risk for heart attack or stroke can drop in for a 45-minute health screening of their vascular system,” Felger says. “It is a comfortable, noninvasive procedure that could save your life. It’s a lot easier treating a person before a heart attack or stroke happens than dealing with the surgery, pain, recovery, rehabilitation, depression and financial burden after such an event occurs.”

To learn more about peripheral arterial disease (PAD), see story on page 7.

Dr. Jason Felger is the medical center’s primary heart surgeon.

(325) 949-DOCS (3627)

www.sacmc.com

Tugging at Your Heartstrings DIABETES OBESITY CASES CONTINUE TO RISE IN AMERICA

M

ore than 50 percent of all Hispanic women in the United States will have diabetes by 2010.

That amazing statistic comes from Dr. Michael Blanc, an interventional cardiologist at San Angelo Community Medical Center. He sees diabetic patients every day who have suffered heart attacks or strokes as a result of their disease.

“When I take care of people who suffer a heart attack here in San Angelo, one-third of those patients will actually have diabetes discovered at that time,” Blanc says. “I’ll also find that they have a condition called metabolic syndrome.”

Metabolic syndrome is the transition that people experience between being overweight and then developing overt diabetes.

“Five clusters go into metabolic syndrome,” he says. “They are high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, elevated blood sugar, a low goodcholesterol reading and carrying much of your weight in your belly instead of your hips. If you have three of these five clusters, you have metabolic syndrome.”

Blanc says diabetes cases in America have gone up 100 percent in the last seven years, and that is directly related to the increase of obesity in the American population.

“It’s simple – the best way to prevent the development of diabetes and metabolic syndrome is to lose weight

and be more active,” he says. “Even overweight people who are more active have less risk of developing either. So it’s important to be physically active, even when you are not shedding the pounds.”

As for the heart, Blanc says a little known fact is that more women will die this year of heart attacks than men.

“One of every 2.5 deaths for women are related to heart or vascular disease, compared to 1 of every 8 deaths due to breast cancer,” he says. “Breast cancer gets a lot of appropriate publicity, but heart disease is much more of a problem for women.”

Blanc says the same symptoms cause heart disease in women and men, but many more women have been smoking in the past 20 years.

“For diabetic women, death is almost certain when they have any kind of a heart problem,” he says. “That’s why early detection is so important.

Unfortunately, in about 30 percent of Americans, the first sign they ever have of heart problems is having a heart attack and dying.”

San Angelo Community Medical Center offers noninvasive, 45-minute vascular screening tests every Monday that can help detect any heart complications in patients.

“The key to battling any blood vessel disease or heart problem is early detection,” Blanc says. “My advice: Get screened.”

Dr. Michael Blanc is an interventional cardiologist at the medical center.

special repor t

Can You Feel the Burn?

HEARTBURN TREATMENT CENTER IS ONE OF ONLY IN THE COUNTRY

A

bout $15 billion is spent on antacids and other heartburn medication each year in the United States, and more than 60 million Americans suffer from heartburn each month.

For that reason, in 2006 San Angelo Community Medical Center opened the Heartburn Treatment Center to deal with severe heartburn and its side effects. The center is the first of its kind in Texas and joins only 21 others in the country that are devoted to heartburn science.

“In the last 15 years, esophageal cancer has risen 600 percent, and it is all related to the acid coming up from the stomach,” says Christy Nesbitt, nurse coordinator at the Heartburn Treatment Center.

Nesbitt says diet can be a big factor in heartburn, with the culprit being high-fat, greasy and spicy foods. Smoking is also a factor.

“There is a valve between the esophagus and stomach that is supposed to keep stomach acid from coming back up into the esophagus, but that valve gets weak in some patients,” she says. “Nicotine is a natural relaxant for that valve and being overweight also weakens the valve. A poor diet, smoking and being overweight are the key factors in heartburn, and then stress can make the symptoms even worse.”

Some of the recent technology being used to evaluate heartburn includes a Bravo pH capsule that is placed in a patient’s esophagus. The tiny beeper/ receiver capsule sends a message every 12 seconds telling how much acid is being produced.

“The capsule stays in the patient’s esophagus for 48 hours, then dissolves and goes through their system,” Nesbitt says. “The old way featured a catheter in the patient’s nose for 24 hours, which made it difficult to eat, drink and sleep. The Bravo pH pill is minimally invasive and top-of-the-line technology.”

The Heartburn Center also features a revolutionary Nissen surgical procedure that creates a new valve in patients whose valve has weakened between the esophagus and stomach.

“After this surgery, patients will not need heartburn medicine,” Nesbitt says. “It is a permanent fix.”

Nesbitt adds that everyone should get an esophagus screening when they turn 50.

“If you need heartburn medicine three times a week or have been on any kind of heartburn medicine for at least a month, you should get tested,” she says.

“Stomach acid can lead to scar tissue in the esophagus, which can then form little ulcers. From that point, it’s just a stepping stone to esophageal cancer.”

Christy Nesbitt holds a pH capsule.

(325) 949-DOCS (3627)

One Heart at a Time

SACMC’S ER DEPARTMENT TAKES CARE WITH EACH CARDIAC CASE

T

wenty-five to thirty-five people suffering from chest pains visit the emergency room at San Angelo Community Medical Center each week.

“Chest pain is serious, and we are very diligent with our heart protocol procedures,” says Brent Majors, emergency room director. “Patients with chest pain are seen immediately because with a cardiac-type of event, time is muscle.”

Majors says the emergency room uses a triage and treatment system that accelerates care for both minor and major emergencies. A heart patient with traumatic chest pain is immediately taken to a private room, where cardiac monitors are located.

“An EKG [electrocardiogram] test is administered and the patient is placed on oxygen. IVs are set up and blood is drawn if the situation warrants it,” he says. “We also give aspirin to a patient if they are not allergic, and we will administer nitroglycerin if necessary.”

Majors says if a patient isn’t suffering a cardiac event, it often turns out to be anything from gastric reflux to a muscle pull to pneumonia.

“Once a cardiac event is ruled out, we explore other avenues of treatment,” he says. “But until we rule out any kind of heart problem, a detailed protocol is followed. Each cardiac event is taken seriously in the emergency room – for every heart patient we see.”

www.sacmc.com

He Is the Ace of Clubs RANDY COLEMAN TEACHES PEOPLE HOW TO STAY FIT AT THE COMMUNITY HEALTH CLUB

R

andy Coleman weighed 400 pounds in the mid-1980s, when he decided enough was enough.

So the current co-director of the Community Health Club of San Angelo rethought his diet, ate smaller portions and started exercising. He got down to 180 pounds and has remained at that weight for the past 20 years.

“Then in 2003, San Angelo Community Medical Center organized a citywide Get Healthy Challenge. I am pleased to say that San Angelo residents have lost more than 37,000 pounds since 2003,” Coleman says. “And it’s all due to eating less and moving more.”

Thanks to Coleman and co-director Janet Charlesworth, the Community Health Club has won four national awards over the years by staying on the cutting edge of fitness and wellness.

“Randy keeps up with the latest in nutrition and exercise, and Janet schedules more than 85 fitness/wellness group classes a week,” says Sheryl Pfluger, marketing and public relations director of San Angelo Community Medical Center.

“It is a top-notch, progressive facility.”

San Angelo Community Medical Center owns the club, and there are 4,400 members ranging in age from 14 to 94. Membership fees are $45 a month. The Community Health Club is located on W. Loop 306, just minutes from the hospital.

Coleman says the club establishes a wellness plan that is

ideal for individual members.

“For example, we are in West Texas and it’s just a fact that many people are going to eat chicken-fried steak with gravy and french fries,” he says. “My job is not to tell people that they can’t have certain foods. My job is to incorporate those foods into an overall healthy diet. I want to see people feeling great at age 100.”

Coleman says the hospital works with the health club when patients are recovering from a medical problem.

“For instance, this is an ideal place to rehabilitate after heart surgery,” he says. “If someone experiences slight chest pain or something doesn’t seem right during rehab, health professionals are right here to help and advise.”

Coleman is also somewhat of a celebrity in San Angelo because he co-hosts a weekly television cooking show called “Let’s Eat.” Award-winning culinary chef Henry Wiens and Coleman tape the 30-minute show in front of a studio audience, and more than 90 shows have aired on San Angelo television stations.

“Because of their visibility and knowledge, Randy and Henry are asked to speak about healthy eating to groups in town and the surrounding area,” Pf luger says. “‘Let’s Eat’ is fun and informative, and we are looking into national syndication opportunities once the 100th episode has been produced.”

The hospital’s health club is recognized nationally.

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Passing Your Screen Test SIMPLE PROCEDURE CAN DETECT VASCULAR DISEASE IN PATIENTS

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his isn’t Hollywood, but San Angelo Community Medical Center is conducting plenty of screen tests these days.

The hospital conducts vascular screenings every Monday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for patients who think they might be at risk for a heart attack or stroke.

Dr. Jason Felger oversees the blood vessel screenings that take 30 to 45 minutes and are administered to eight to 10 patients each Monday.

“This is a noninvasive screening exam that tests for peripheral arterial disease, which is a potentially lifethreatening condition that can lead to heart attack or stroke,” Felger says. “We conduct an ultrasound of the blood vessels to a patient’s heart, neck and abdomen, as well as a blood-pressure exam of the arteries in the lower extremities. For example, if vascular disease is present in the ankles or legs, a patient is a strong candidate for heart disease or a stroke somewhere down the line.”

According to the American Medical Association, more than 10 million U.S. residents are currently living with vascular disease, and most don’t even know it. These particular people carry seven times the risk factor for stroke, heart attack, disability or death.

“The most common symptom in patients with vascular disease is claudication, which is leg pain felt while exercising or walking, but it disappears after a few minutes of rest,” Felger says. “Most people determine the pain is natural, but it

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is actually due to an artery blockage. People truly at risk for vascular disease are those with diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic smokers and older people who have a family history of these problems.”

Felger says that until now, vascular disease has been underdiagnosed in the medical community. A primary reason is that at-risk people don’t pay attention to their symptoms until it is often too late.

“Way too many patients come through our emergency room with a heart attack or a stroke that could have been prevented,” he says. “All it takes to detect many of these problems is the screening test, which merely involves an ultrasound. If we see something abnormal, a subsequent easy procedure like opening an artery on a patient’s leg might prevent something drastic – like an eventual amputation.”

The price of a vascular screening at San Angelo Community Medical Center is $150, unless a patient is recommended for the procedure by their personal physician. In that case, medical insurance can pay for the screening.

“My basic advice to people is to get screened, then let us quickly treat you if something isn’t quite right,” Felger says.

“Even our hospital CEO [Sam Feazell] and his wife had the vascular screening procedure. They are both in great shape but simply wanted to know if anything was wrong. Nothing was, so now they have peace of mind to go along with their good health.”

www.sacmc.com

San Angelo Community Medical Center Services Allergy & Immunology Anesthesiology Anticoagulation/ Coumadin Auxiliary Cardiac Rehab Cardiac Surgery Cardiology Cardiopulmonary ABG Testing Cardiac Stress Test Dobutamine Stress Test Echocardiogram Adult & Pediatric EEG EKG - Adult & Pediatric Holter monitoring 24 & 48 hour Adult & Pediatric Pulmonary Functions Respiratory Therapy Services Signal Average EKG Adult & Pediatric Sleep Studies Adult & Pediatric Stress Echocardiogram Thallium Cardiac Stress Test Trans Esophageal Echocardiogram Counseling Dermatology Diabetes Care Emergency Department Family Practice Gastroenterology General Surgery Gynecology Health Club Heartburn Treatment Center Hospital Based Medicine (Hospitalist) Humor Therapy Intensive Care Unit Internal Medicine Medical/Surgical Music Therapy Neonatology/Neonatal ICU Nephrology/Dialysis Neurology

Neurosurgery Obstetrics Baby Steps Belly Button Garden Maternal/Child Education OB Anesthesiology (24/7) Two Fit Occupational Medicine Occupational Therapy Oncology/Hematology Ophthalmology Orthopedics Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, Throat) Pastoral Care Pathology Pediatrics Peripheral Arterial Disease Screening Pet Therapy Physical Therapy Podiatry Progressive Care Pulmonology Radiology (Diagnostic/Interventional)

This special section was created for San Angelo Community Medical Center

by Journal Communications Inc. ©Copyright 2007 Journal Communications Inc., 361 Mallory Station Road, Suite 102, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

Arterial Upper & Lower (Segmental Limbs) Bone Density Scoring Cardiac Cath Lab Cardiac Scoring CT Scan Dipyridamole Cardiac Stress Test Duplex Scanning of Arteries Mammography MRI – Adult & Pediatric Nuclear Medicine Pain Management ESI Face & Joint Injection Hip Injection Nerve Blocks Vertebroplasty Radiology Stereotactic Biopsy Vascular Studies Periorbital Mapping Saphenous Graft Mapping Transcranial Doppler Studies Virtual Colonoscopy Rehabilitation Services (Inpatient & Outpatient) Rheumatology Room Service Senior Services (55 Plus) Sleep Lab Speech Therapy Sports Medicine Thoracic Surgery Urology Transurethral Microwave Thermotherapy Lithotripsy Service Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Walk-in/Urgent Care (MediCenter) Wellness Programs Get Healthy (Citywide weight-loss program) Women’s Services Wound Care & Hyperbaric

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: San Angelo Community Medical Center 3501 Knickerbocker Road, San Angelo, TX 76904 (325) 949-9511 www.sacmc.com

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