Images San Angelo, TX: 2008-09

2008-09 | IMAGESSANANGELO.COM | VIDEO VIGNETTES TM

OF SAN ANGELO, TEXAS

FEASTING FOR PHILANTHROPY Gourmets rejoice at many food-inspired fundraisers

PECKING, PAINTING AND PICKING Old Chicken Farm still bustles with artistic activity

What A Difference A Day Trip Makes SPONSORED BY THE SAN ANGELO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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Turning houses into homes

Norman Dierschke Broker/Owner

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

Binnie Dierschke Broker/Owner

Sammye Gonzales

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

Pat Zeitler

Cody Newton

Dorothy Burch

Rhonda Carroll

Kristal Kypfer

Connie Fox

Robin Taylor

Karla Stewart

2008-09 EDITION | VOLUME 4 TM

OF SAN ANGELO, ANGELO TEXAS

26 CO NTE NT S F E AT U R E S 14 FEASTING FOR PHILANTHROPY Food and fundraising often go hand in hand here, but don’t look for a lot of pancake breakfasts or spaghetti suppers.

1 8 GET YOUR KICKS HERE Local boot makers are famous for creating footwear that’s been seen everywhere from rodeos to the big screen.

22 BUILDING AN EDUCATION DESTINATION Angelo State University is planning to ramp up its residence hall options and revamp key areas of campus.

26 PECKING, PAINTING AND PICKING To find creative inspiration in San Angelo, head out to the Old Chicken Farm.

30 WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY TRIP MAKES Being near the geographic center of the state puts San Angelo in the middle of many options for mini vacations.

34 DIVINE DESIGN Churches convey a sense of deep local roots and history through their architectural features.

ON THE COVER Photo by Wes Aldridge Award-winning boots by Brest

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HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS Free Continental Breakfast Cable TV with HBO Meeting Room Pool & Spa

Free High-Speed Internet Business Center Fitness Center

4613 Houston Harte San Angelo, TX (325) 223-2200 www.hiexpress.com/sanangelo

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OF SAN ANGELO ANGELO, TEX AS

SAN ANGELO BUSINESS 46 Heart of the City Pulses With Energy City leaders hope to continue building on the momentum of downtown revitalization efforts.

Ignite

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50 Biz Briefs 53 Chamber Report 54 Economic Profile

SAN ANGELO CIVIC BALLET www.sanangelocivicballet.org (325) 653-8877

D E PA R TM E NT S 10 Almanac: a colorful sampling of

ANGELO CIVIC THEATRE

San Angelo culture

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

www.angelocivictheatre.com (325) 949-4400

57 Education SAN ANGELO CULTURAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL

59 Arts & Culture 60 Sports & Recreation 63 Health & Wellness

www.sanangeloarts.com (325) 653-6793

65 Community Profile: facts, stats and important numbers to know SAN ANGELO MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS www.samfa.org (325) 653-3333

Inside:

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SAN ANGELO SYMPHONY

SAN ANGELO COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER SPECIAL SECTION

www.sanangelosymphony.org (325) 658-5877

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SAN A NGELO R EGIONAL A IRPORT Your connection to the world Why drive when you can fly?

There’s no traffic at 20,000 feet.

Save time and money with competitive flights that connect you to the world – in safety, comfort and style.

First-class service and modern facilities FREE short and long-term parking Stay connected with FREE wireless Internet Convenient restaurants and lounge in terminal

(325) 659-6409 • www.sanangelotexas.us

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WEB SITE EXTRA

MOVING PICTURES VIDEO 1 INSIDE LOOK Join us on a virtual tour of San Angelo through the lenses of our award-winning photographers at imagessanangelo.com.

VIDEO 2 CONCHO PEARLS

Watch custom boots being created at M.L. Leddy’s in downtown San Angelo at imagessanangelo.com.

INSTANT LINKS Read the entire magazine online using our ActiveMagazine™ technology and link instantly to community businesses and services.

EVEN MORE Read full-length versions of the magazine’s articles; find related stories; or read new content exclusive to the Web. Look for the See More Online reference in this issue.

GARDENING IN TEXAS Texans have excellent opportunities for establishing all kinds of gardens. Soils and climatic zones are quite diverse, and there are wonderful plants available to all of us.

Find out more at imagessanangelo.com.

BAR-B-QUE: A SIMPLE SOUTHERN PLEASURE One of the simple pleasures of Southern dining is the down-home bar-b-que experience. Beef is most often the meat of choice for Texas bar-b-que. Get a taste of regional cuisine at imagessanangelo.com.

A B O U T T H I S M AG A 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

Voted San Angelo’s “Favorite Credit Union”

VIDEO 3 M.L. LEDDY’S BOOTS

SEARCH OUR ARCHIVES Browse past issues of the magazine by year or search for specific articles by subject.

3505 Wildewood • 620 W. 29th • Goodfellow AFB • (325) 653-1465 • (800) 749-1465 • www.1cfcu.org

Learn more about San Angelo’s signature Concho pearls from Legend Jewelers owner Mark Priest at imagessanangelo.com.

PLUS

Be Smart. Bank Smart.

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

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

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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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That’s a Nice Center

Lilies and More Lilies San Angelo boasts that it has more varieties of water lilies than any other city in the United States.

One of the reasons is San Angelo is home to the International Water Lily Collection, which consists of eight large pools that are blooming with lilies in the city’s Civic League Park. The scenic and fragrant displays draw tourists and horticulturalists alike from April to October, at no charge to the public.

San Angelo is also home to an annual Lily Fest, with the next get-together scheduled for Sept. 6, 2008.

The San Angelo Visitor Center gets a lot of compliments from, well, visitors.

The center turns five years old in 2009 and is home to the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce and the San Angelo C Health Foundation. The building H was featured in the November/ w December 2006 issue of Texas D Architect Magazine, thanks to A the center’s interesting look. th The facility was specifically designed to reflect the city’s d environment, including a e curving roof that emulates c the Concho River’s flow. Other th elements include stone from e Texas quarries and benches Te made of mesquite wood. m

Pink, Peach and Purple Pearls Forget white pearls. If you really want to turn heads, wear pink, peach or purple ones instead.

Concho pearls are found in freshwater mussel shells that live in San Angelo lakes and rivers, and no two pearls are alike.

The naturally produced jewels come in radiant colors, and harvesters have been attracted to the gems for at least 400 years. Legend has it that Concho pearls are included in several pieces of the Spanish Crown Jewels.

Concho pearl jewelry may be found at select jewelry stores in town, most notably at Legend Jewelers, where the owner, Mark Priest, is considered among the first to incorporate the pearls in modern designs.

SEE VIDEO ONLINE Learn more about Concho pearls from Legend Jewelers owner Mark Priest at imagessanangelo.com.

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Almanac

Fast Facts Life Is a Drag Boats going 100 mph?

That is a common sight at the Showdown in San Angelo drag boat races that now occur in late June on Lake Nasworthy. The event is sponsored by the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce and sanctioned by the Southern Drag Boat Association, which stages races every summer in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

The boats are outfitted with 1,000-horsepower engines and roar down a quarter-mile course.

More than 100 racers compete, and estimated crowds are close to 10,000 for the two-day event.

Hail to the King Cotton is king in Tom Green County, especially in 2007.

The county is one of 12 that composes the Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Growers Association, a region that covers 280,000 acres in western and central Texas. The Lone Star State grows about 40 percent of the nation’s cotton each year, and near-perfect weather conditions in 2007 produced one of the highest yields in history.

Tom Green County and the 11 other counties in the Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Growers Association accounted for 7.5 million bales of cotton in 2007.

Music to Our Ears Take note: San Angelo features a wide range of musical genres that are well represented by talented local musicians.

The city is home to brothers JoJo, Ringo and Henry Garza who make up the band Los Lonely Boys. The Grammy-winning brothers skyrocketed to the top of the record charts in 2006 with the release of their first album entitled Heaven, which featured a hit single of the same name.

Also calling San Angelo home are the San Angelo Symphony, the San Angelo Blues Society and the Mariachi Golden Angels – also known as the Mariachi Angeles Dorados.

Q Goodfellow Air Force Base is home to the 17th Training Wing as well as the 344th Military Intelligence Battalion (Army), the Center for Cryptology (Navy) and a Marine Corps detachment.

Q The American Boer Goat Association is headquartered in San Angelo.

Q See one of Alexander Graham Bell’s first telephones at the E. H. Danner Museum of Telephony, located at Fort Concho. The old Army fort operated from 1867 to 1889 and today serves as a tourism destination.

Q Author and San Angelo resident Elmer Kelton has written dozens of books and was voted All-Time Best Western Author by the Western Writers of America.

Q The Concho River Walk winds for six miles along the waterway.

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

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

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RESTORE YOUR HEARING

Hearing and Balance Center at West Texas Rehabilitation Center.

West Texas Rehabilitation Center 3001 S. Jackson | (325) 223-6360 San Angelo, TX 76904

Almanac

Just Add Butter

Saddle Up and Ride

Now thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entertainment: San Angelo has added another performing arts venue.

The Friends of San Angelo State Park broke ground Feb. 1, 2008, at the park for The Butterfield Stage, which will primarily be utilized as an outdoor theater.

The Butterfield Stage is named after a stagecoach mail route that used to run through the park in the 1800s.

The amphitheater-type setting was constructed at a cost of $15,000 and has a large mesquite tree serving as its backdrop. San Angelo State Park itself is a 7,563-acre recreational area that is located at O.C. Fisher Reservoir.

There are a lot of bucks involved with the annual San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and not just bucking broncos.

The event, which marked its 75th anniversary in February 2007, is known for being one of the highest-paying stops on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit. It is the sixth-largest rodeo with regard to pay scale, and it brings $10 million into the San Angelo local economy each year.

The show always takes place at the San Angelo Coliseum and Fairgrounds, which recently underwent $6 million in improvements thanks to a half-cent sales tax extension approved by voters in 2004.

San Angelo | At A Glance POPULATION (2008 ESTIMATE) San Angelo: 90,000 Tom Green County: 106,342 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 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.

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

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SEE VIDEO ONLINE | Take a virtual tour of San Angelo at imagessanangelo.com, courtesy of our award-winning photographers.

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Feasting for Philanthropy GOURMETS REJOICE AT SAN ANGELO’S FULL CALENDAR OF FOOD-LADEN FESTIVALS

STORY BY JOE MORRIS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ALDRIDGE

F

ood and fundraising often go hand in hand, but in San Angelo don’t look for a lot of pancake breakfasts or spaghetti suppers.

Area cultural organizations turn to the city’s restaurants when they’re looking to drum up support, and the eateries never disappoint. So whether it’s Savor the Flavor, Concho Chocolate Festival, Taste of San Angelo or the San Angelo Wine and Food Festival, the happy combination of great food and community support sets lips smacking year round.

The Taste of San Angelo is an October event that has grown from a handful of participants in the back of a restaurant parking lot to an event that now has more than 40 participants and feeds upwards of 5,000. Presented by the San Angelo Restaurant Association, the funds raised go to local culinary arts programs and for scholarships. It’s also

given birth to a cookbook of the same name, a joint venture between the SARA and the San Angelo Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“It’s a good partnership between the chamber and our local restaurants,” says John Fuentes, president of the restaurant association and owner of Fuentes Café Downtown, a fixture on the San Angelo dining scene since 1984.

“They help promote the restaurants and the event, and it ties the restaurants in with tourism and everything that they do.”

The cookbook, which debuted in October 2007, is the brainchild of Eve Keim, visitor center coordinator, who says that she wanted something that could serve as a souvenir of the city and also promote the local dining scene.

“I always look at cookbooks when I travel, so my idea was to gather recipes from anyone who wanted to share and to ask SARA members if they would give

John Fuentes is the owner of Fuentes Café Downtown, a popular destination for Tex-Mex food. Opposite page: The recipe for Fuentes’ frijoles is among several that may be found in the new A Taste of San Angelo cookbook.

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SEE MORE ONLINE | For the recipes for dishes on these pages, visit imagessanangelo.com.

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Chef Earl Mulley of River Terrace Restaurant contributed ted recipes for Calypso Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloins, left, and Senegalese Soup, right, for the A Taste of San Angelo cookbook. The cookbook is available for purchase at the San Angelo Visitor Center.

us some of their prize recipes,” Keim says. “Many of them agreed, and so we named the cookbook after the festival and a dollar from every sale goes to the scholarship fund.”

In addition to recipes and helpful hints, the cookbook also offers up lots of interesting tidbits on things, such as the Concho pearl and the International Water Lily Collection that make San Angelo unique.

Another treat for the tastebuds is the annual San Angelo Wine and Food Festival, presented each spring by the San Angelo Cultural Affairs Council. The event, which will mark its 25th anniversary in 2009, features outstanding food and wines complemented by live music. For some events over the years, attendees also have enjoyed members of San Angelo’s Intense Football League team – the

press – serving as waiters Stampede Express and pourers.

The festival has been a bigger success with each passing year, says Tara Rainey, executive director of the cultural affairs council, who adds that San Angelo has earned a well-deserved reputation as an arts town.

“The hospitality of the people and the extensive array of arts programming, groups and support here have gained a reputation nationally,” Rainey says.

“San Angelo and Concho Valley residents take great pride in their city and what it has to offer, and their dedication to making this area prosper is limitless.”

The San Angelo Symphony has experienced that support, not just in terms of attendance at its performances, but for its fundraising efforts over the course of each season. The symphony’s Savor the Flavor Series treats diners

throughout the year to everything from a home-cooked m meal in a private residence to a chuck wagon dinner at Fort Concho to a brunch that also features bridge and mah-jongg playing, says Jennifer Odom, executive director.

“Our dinner offers have changed as the volunteer hosts have changed,” Odom says. “They plan the dinner at their own expense, and our dinners are now eagerly anticipated. They sell out as soon as the series brochure is mailed out.”

And don’t forget to save room for dessert: The symphony rolled out the Concho Chocolate Festival in 2007.

Done in partnership with Shannon Right Choices for Youth, the February festival is its own miniseries of events that include a spa night, candy fashion show, chocolate tasting and dinner featuring chocolate-infused goodies.

The recipe for Fuentes Café Downtown’s Tortilla Soup is featured in the new A Taste of San Angelo cookbook.

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Get

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BOOT MAKERS ENSURE CLIENTS AT HOME AND ABROAD ARE WELL-HEELED

Colorful, handcrafted boots line the shelves at J.L. Mercer Boot Co., one of three long-established custom boot businesses in downtown San Angelo.

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STORY BY JOE MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ALDRIDGE

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ure, you’d expect to find cowboy boots in Texas, but in San Angelo, boot makers are world famous for creating unique footwear that has been seen everywhere from rodeos to the big screen.

For nearly 100 years, the city has been home to three custom boot makers: J.L. Mercer Boot Co., Brest Boots and M.L. Leddy’s. Watch the craftsmen work with the leather, speak with the owners for a bit, and you’ll know why this profession continues to thrive here.

“We do everything like you’re supposed to, and that’s what gets our name out there,” says Robert Brest, who along with his wife, Karen, owns Brest Boots.

The two bought the business, which was founded in 1923, four years ago and have wasted little time elevating its profile.

Brest’s most recent accolades include first-place honors at the Best of American Bootmakers competition at the Festival of American Music and Crafts, as well as a repeat win in the Best Shop Effort category.

In addition to boots, the shop also makes R.E. Donaho saddles and carries a line of jewelry and purses created by Karen Brest. Yet, the boots get the most attention, most recently on the feet of several actors in the Academy Awardwinning movie, No Country for Old Men. “We’re a true West Texas boot shop, and we just want to be the best we can be,” Brest says.

Such is the allure of the boot-making trade that it can even make a banker give up her day job. At least that’s the case for former bank CFO Lindsay Cranek, who bought J.L. Mercer & Son in 2007. The shop, which was founded in 1923, just had an appeal she could not deny.

“I kept seeing that it was for sale, and I collect boots, so I just decided it was a good time to have my own business,” Cranek says.

Over the years, Mercer boots have emerged from the pants legs of President Lyndon Johnson, John Wayne, Charlie Daniels and more. And although she’s fairly new to the trade, Cranek has a definite ace in the hole.

“Even though he’s 87 now, Mr. Mercer comes by most days,” Cranek says. “He checks on us, and he can tell how good the boots are just by feel.”

Over at M.L. Leddy’s it’s still all in the family, as Leddy granddaughter Beverly Franklin Allen handles sales at the San Angelo store while her brother, Wilson, operates the Fort

A craftsman stretches and secures leather around the sole of a boot at J.L. Mercer Boot Co., which was founded in San Angelo in 1923. Top left: Elaborate stitching is created by a craftsman at Brest Boots.

Top right: M.L. Leddy’s retro sign greets visitors at the business’s new downtown location.

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Worth headquarters and store. M.L. Leddy founded the business in Brady in 1922 and moved the shop to San Angelo in 1936. Five years later, he opened the Fort Worth location, yet all of the custom boot orders are filled here. The San Angelo shop returned to downtown in 2007 from a 20-year stint within a nearby shopping center.

The new downtown location has become a tourist destination in its own right after adding a glass window that looks onto the assembly area.

“We’re still using the same equipment that M.L. used,” Allen says. “We still do it the exact same way as when he started, and we’ve got people who’ve been with us 30, 40 years.

People like to come in and watch, and sometimes I take them back there for a closer look. I’m not supposed to, but I just can’t help myself. It really is a dying art, and I really want people to see the quality, the touch that goes into each boot.”

SEE MORE ONLINE | Watch custom boots being created at M.L. Leddy’s in downtown San Angelo at imagessanangelo.com.

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Building an

Education Destination ANGELO STATE UNIVERSITY SETS STAGE FOR MAJOR EXPANSION

A

ngelo State University is bolstering its reputation as a destination college and has drawn up a Centennial Master Plan to ramp up its residence hall options and revamp some key areas of campus. The target date: 2028, when the institution turns 100.

ASU joined the Texas Tech University System in fall 2007, and since then, its physics department received a $2 million share of a $20 million grant and the university garnered a $1.3 million grant for its nursing program, beating out 13 other state institutions.

Those accomplishments are noteworthy, but the campus has to be inviting to bring in the students it is targeting, says ASU President Dr. Joseph C. Rallo. The demographics of the

campus are almost identical to those of larger universities, with students coming from almost every county in Texas, almost every state and numerous foreign countries. Enrollment at ASU hovers at 6,200 students.

“We’re going to have to increasingly draw from the population areas of Houston, Dallas and San Antonio to keep the students driving past all those other campuses they pass along the way to come to our campus,” Rallo explains.

“That means having solid programming and the quality of facilities and social aspects that are being demanded. The changes we’re undergoing are not just aesthetic, they are also meeting the expectations of our students.”

On the facility expansion front, the goal is to build on the existing design of

PHOTOS BY WES ALDRIDGE

STORY BY KELLI LEVEY

In June 2007, Dr. Joseph Rallo took the post of president at ASU. Rallo has nearly three decades of experience in higher education. Left: Angelo State University students already enjoy a beautifully landscaped campus and can now look forward to a host of facility improvements and increased residential options coming in the next several years.

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From Farm to Fork

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he goal of the Meat and Food Science Program at Angelo State University is to produce students who can recognize and produce top-quality food products.

“We provide research and outreach initiatives, and teach things ranging from where meat comes from to what steak is more tender,” says Kirk Braden, who oversees the program with fellow faculty member Loree Brenham.

“The students learn the whole continuum from farm to fork.”

In addition to being primed for careers in the meat science and food safety field, some of the students are learning firsthand the business end of the industry. They process meat products and sell them at the campus Meat Market, which is open on Fridays. Others offer a catering business through the student-run Meat and Food Science Association, and proceeds fund scholarships and competition fees.

Undergraduate students also get to show off what they know in the recently formed Meat & Food Science Quiz Bowl team.

When the team debuted at the national Reciprocal Meats Conference in 2006, it won the national championship. In 2007, the team finished second. ASU is the smallest school to ever claim the national title in the competition, which draws about 20 teams.

“That competition is academic, so it is rewarding to see them doing so well because that shows they know the information,” Braden says.

– Kelli Levey

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the campus. A pivotal piece of the plan is the renovation of the Hardeman Building into a one-stop center that will cater to student services, as well as international studies and multicultural studies programs.

Another step is designed to address one of the school’s biggest challenges – a tight residential market.

“At most colleges, the students live on campus the first two years. Here, about half the students stay in campus housing all four years,” Rallo explains.

“While that’s a good testament to our campus, it presents a challenge for providing that housing.”

Thus evolved the commitment to build Centennial Village, a $28.2 million, 526-bed residence hall on campus that is slated to open in fall 2008. In addition, one of school’s two 1970s-era high-rises is slated for demolition, with an additional residence hall to take its place.

Another project on the drawing

board is an upgraded recreational center. Students approved a fee to fund the new building, which will boost the school’s marketing and recruiting while enhancing the wellness of students.

Construction will start in late 2008 in order to complete the project by late 2009 or early 2010.

“Of all the things we’re doing, that will be one of the most visible and popular,” Rallo says. “Those centers tend to be true hubs of activity on a college campus.”

Proposed program additions include a college for nursing and allied health and a physical therapy program at the doctoral level. Rallo says campus leaders are also working with community groups to create a performing arts center.

“That will allow us to grow our programs while extending our outreach to the community,” Rallo says.

“It will be a very positive move for our whole area.”

STAFF PHOTO

PROGRAM YIELDS FOOD SCIENCE PROS

ASU currently has a diverse student population that consists of approximately 6,200 students. Above right: ASU students Elliot Barnes, left, and Giovanny Lujan take a break from classes for a game of air hockey.

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ext time you renew your driver’s license, the data may take a virtual detour through San Angelo.

The Texas State Data Center serves as a centralized operational center for 26 state agencies, ranging from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to the Texas Education Agency. The Texas Workforce Commission and the Attorney General’s Child Support Office also are clients of the center, which is administered by a group headed by IBM. The setup sprawls across the third floor of the math and computer science building at Angelo State University, and the partnership provides about 50 technology-related jobs to the university.

The university benefits from the center occupying space there, as it allows for enhanced computer capabilities. The campus has access to state-of-theart mainframe hardware, software and administrative information services, and is considering using the system to expand its BlackBoard program – its online classroom management system. The university’s current uses of the data center include storing student records, as well as data used by the fiscal and accounting, payroll and personnel, library services, financial aid management, and alumni development departments.

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“We get to take advantage of expanded computer capabilities, and it allows us to participate in disaster recovery,” says Kent Corder, assistant director of infrastructure services at Angelo State.

The first university in Texas to offer a degree in computer science seems a logical home for the sophisticated system.

Besides that, it’s intriguing to think of the breadth of information passing through the campus.

“There really is a lot of activity, and we never even know it,” Corder says.

– Kelli Levey

WES ALDRIDGE

Virtual Visitors Swerve Through ASU

ASU graduate Jason Wickham is a computer operator for IBM’s Team for Texas program at the university.

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Pecking,

Painting& Picking

SEE VIDEO ONLINE | Visit with the artists at the Old Chicken Farm Art Center at imagessanangelo.com.

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CREATIVITY THRIVES AT THE OLD CHICKEN FARM ART CENTER

STORY BY KATHRYN ROYSTER

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o find creative inspiration in San Angelo, head out to the chicken farm.

Yes, the chicken farm.

Cofounded by ceramicist Roger Allen, the Old Chicken Farm Art Center is an unexpected, yet ultimately suitable venue for some of the area’s freshest displays of artistic talent. After all, many artists will tell you they do their best work when they are able to coop up somewhere.

Allen, who lives at the center, bought the property in 1971 after losing the lease on his rented studio to redevelopment.

“I didn’t want to be at the mercy of somebody else,” he says.

“I felt that I needed to buy something, and I didn’t care what it was. Of course, I wasn’t thinking of old chicken coops, but I found this abandoned farm and told myself I could do it.”

Allen partnered with former students Richard Ramirez and Bill Rich to rehab the dilapidated property, which has since grown into a full-fledged artistic community.

According to Oscar Latham, a stone carver who has worked at the center since 2003, “chicken farmers” are known for welcoming artists and visitors alike.

“It’s a very supportive place to be an artist – people stop and help each other with projects,” Latham says. “It’s also a laid-back place where everyone’s accepted and just invited to come out and enjoy themselves.”

And there are plenty of opportunities to do just that.

Each month, the center hosts a First Saturday festival with demonstrations, children’s activities and live music from

Vibrantly colored and intricately decorated ceramics are among the many works on display and for sale at the Old Chicken Farm Art Center. PHOTO BY ANTONY BOSHIER

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Old Chicken Farm Art Center artists have welcomed guests since the center opened in 1971. PHOTO BY ANTONY BOSHIER

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the Chicken Pickers band. There is also a yearly spring ceramics festival, cosponsored by the fine arts museum and Angelo State University, as well as an annual Thanksgiving open house.

For visitors who want to experience the daily rhythms of a working art community, there is the Inn at the Art Center, situated on the farm’s back acreage. Inn owners Jerry and Susan Warnell are accomplished hobby artists, and Jerry is a former resort manager.

“Having a bed-and-breakfast in the midst of where artists live and work is a different kind of thing,” Susan Warnell says.

“We never know who’s going to show up and hang around for a week. It’s a fascinating place to live and gives us a lot to consider in our artistic endeavors.”

For Allen, that give-and-take is a primary reason he opened the center.

“I want this to be a place that’s open to people and ideas,” he says. “Just last week, a visitor said, ‘I could stay at this place all day.’ I love that people feel that way about it.”

And he’s appreciative of the way San Angelo has welcomed his work and made the center a success.

“I love that people who came here as kids 25 or 30 years ago are bringing their kids now,” Allen says. “San Angelo is a vibrant little town, a great place to be. It’s been an absolutely wonderful journey.”

The Inn at the Art Center’s Silo House Restaurant offers a five-course meal with exquisite cuisine, such as this wild black cherry tart with vanilla ice cream. PHOTO BY WES ALDRIDGE Below: Clay chicken sculptures line a ledge at the center.

Below right: The Old Chicken Farm Art Center is a source of inspiration for visual and musical artists alike.

ANTONY BOSHIER

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What a

Difference a Day Trip Makes NEIGHBORING CITIES PROVIDE ATTRACTIONS FOR DELIGHTFUL MINI VACATIONS STORY BY CAROL COWAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ALDRIDGE

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alk about being in the middle of everything. San Angelo lies near the geographic center of the state and the city also is the retail and services hub of a 13-county region – literally making it the Concho Valley shopping center.

Consequently, San Angelo’s economic well-being is directly linked to that of its outlying towns.

“Somewhere between 20 and 40 percent of San Angelo’s retail trade comes from the surrounding communities,” says Fred Hernandez, board chair of the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce. “That’s a huge impact. The surrounding communities are a critical component of our economy.”

So, in recognition of that impact, the chamber developed the Concho Valley Partnership, a program that

Paint Rock is home to more than 1,000 Indian pictographs that were created hundreds of years ago.

Right: “Living” calcite formations within the Caverns of Sonora

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highlights the interdependence of area communities and promotes the selling points of each.

Among those are the many unique attractions to be found in San Angelo’s neighboring towns, and each seems tailor-made for a day trip.

For example, the Caverns of Sonora, about 90 minutes south of San Angelo and eight miles west of Sonora, keeps open to the public two miles of underground passages, out of a total seven. On the tour, visitors enjoy spectacular views of the cave’s still-growing formations.

“These are some of the most highly decorated show caves in the world,” says tour guide Angela Mayfield. “The walls and ceiling are completely covered with calcite formations. It’s really pretty.”

In addition to walking the caves, guests can mine for gemstones, hike a nature trail, browse the gift shop and break out a picnic lunch on the park grounds.

Head in a different direction to Paint Rock, which is about 30 miles to San Angelo’s east, and you’ll find centuriesold American Indian pictographs that decorate the limestone bluffs along the Concho River. Paint Rock Excursions offers the best way to see them.

Owners Fred and Kay Campbell conduct the excursions from a working ranch that has been in their family since the 1870s. The Campbells, both octogenarians, still raise Rambouillet sheep and Angora goats there.

“This area was a much-used campsite of American Indian nomads for about

12,000 years,” Kay Campbell says.

“These pictographs are the nearest thing we have to a library of Indian picture-writing.”

The two-hour tour includes an orientation, a drive through the ranch, and a walk along the riverbank for a close look at the pictographs.

Christoval, just 20 miles south of San Angelo, is a hot spot for birders – or for anyone seeking the serenity of nature.

Hummer House, a nature-tourism destination located there, boasts the largest concentration of Black-chinned Hummingbirds in the state. The site’s air-conditioned observation room gives guests a front-row seat to view the activities of these tiny creatures and a lot more.

“Because of our location on the South Concho River, we are kind of like an oasis,” says Cathy Brown, who, with husband Dan Brown, owns and operates the Brown Ranch and Hummer House. “If you look on a map or fly overhead, you’ll see lots of trees – so the birds flock here.”

The Concho Valley Partnership encompasses some 15 communities, and every one possesses jaunt-worthy attractions, from fishing and antique shopping in Ballinger to golfing in Eden, Robert Lee and Sonora. In Bronte, Coleman, Fort McKavett and Ozona, military forts, cemeteries and museums highlight the region’s pioneer history.

The renowned Way Off Broadway Players call Eldorado home, and Sterling City is known as the City of Windmills.

Visitors to the Hummer House in Christoval, just south of San Angelo, can observe the state’s largest concentration of Black-chinned Hummingbirds, as well as many other colorful creatures and native plants.

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Photo Essay

Divine Design CHURCHES CONVEY DEEP LOCAL ROOTS THROUGH ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ALDRIDGE

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common thread through many of the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s religious denominations is the presence of deep local roots, and for most, that history is visibly manifested through their buildingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; architecture.

In fact, several churches in San Angelo are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including Emmanuel Episcopal Church, built in 1929; First Presbyterian Church, built in 1909; Greater St. Paul AME Church, constructed in 1927; and Iglesia Santa Maria, built in 1930.

In addition to these four, there are many others not yet listed on the registry but displaying stunning and historically significant design features.

The city is home to more than 140 churches and one synagogue.

For a more complete listing of places of worship in San Angelo, visit www.sanangelo.org.

First United Methodist Church Right: Emmanuel Episcopal Church

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First United Methodist Church Top: First Baptist Church Right: Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd

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Photo Essay

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Photo Essay

First United Methodist Church Left: Emmanuel Episcopal Church

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

Tommie Weatherby 26 Years

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Graduate of the Realtor Institute Certified Residential Specialist Accredited Buyers Representative

BBA Finance & Real Estate Angelo State University Graduate of the Chamber of Commerce Leadership San Angelo

tweather@airmail.net (325) 656-7435

cmundell@airmail.net (325) 450-6485

Allison & Lacy Real Estate 1151 Knickerbocker Rd. • San Angelo, TX 76903 (325) 658-5100

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Valerie (Allison) Priess 31 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

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Portfolio

Locals Have Something To Be Sheepish About SHEEPTACULAR EVENT CELEBRATES WOOL HERITAGE AND BENEFITS DOWNTOWN

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nce referred to as the “wool capital of the nation,” San Angelo is home to the biggest sheep auction in the United States, Producers Livestock Auction Co. The wooly mammals are now being used as inspiration for an annual Sheeptacular event, a fundraiser to support Downtown San Angelo Inc., a Texas Main Street Program.

DTSA secretary and promotions chairwoman Brenda Gunter masterminded Sheeptacular, which was celebrated for the first time on Oct. 13, 2007.

“I believe it is very important for us to preserve the historical downtown area,” Gunter says. “San Angelo is also very proud of its agricultural heritage.

Historically, we are the largest supplier of wool in the nation.”

The inaugural event featured a recreation of San Angelo’s Miss Wool of America pageant of the 1960s and 1970s. Only this time, large, decorated fiberglass sheep were the contestants.

“Members of the local artists’ group Art in Uncommon Places were commissioned to paint the sheep by the sponsors who bought them,” Gunter says.

All American Chevrolet donated the use of 21 new pickup trucks for the parade through downtown. The “contestants” were placed on temporary display in a building where members of the community voted on which work of art they thought was worthy to be crowned Miss Wool.

In addition to the parade, the DTSA held a Shepherd’s Shindig. Among good barbecue and dancing were 12 small fiberglass sheep that were decorated by Central High School students and auctioned off over the course of the evening.

The 2008 Sheeptacular event will again take place in October. Gunter hopes it will continue to be a success and an annual event for years to come.

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The first Sheeptacular event, held in October 2007, featured an art project in which artists were commissioned to paint large, fiberglass sheep.

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Portfolio

Honoring the Minority Business Elite E is always an impressive assortment of nominees, says Phil Neighbors, president of the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce.

“When selecting for the Diversity Awards, the Diversity Committee assesses whether the candidate is either owning or managing a successful business and a member of the chamber,” Neighbors says. “It is also important that the candidate has a record of giving back to the community, both through

their business as well as personally.

We want businesses who share our focus – to ultimately make San Angelo a better place to live and work.”

In 2007, the three local business leaders selected for the honor are either owned or managed by women: Mary Valva of The Glass Prism; Amy Atkins of Suddenlink Communications; and Susan Ball of City Café and Bakery.

Valva is an artist who crafts stainedglass windows for residents throughout the West Texas area. Atkins manages a large number of employees who operate the cable system for San Angelo. Ball is a caterer with 20 years of experience who built her growing company through a reputation for consistently delivering quality.

“The awards ceremony is a very positive experience for the community,” Neighbors says. “To have role models who are willing to share some of their hardships and triumphs can be very helpful to existing or pre-existing businesses; highlighting females and minority-owned and managed businesses in the area through this process brings us all together.”

PHOTOS BY WES ALDRIDGE

ach year, the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce selects three businesses for its Celebration of Diversity Awards.

These awards recognize minority-owned or minority-managed businesses in the San Angelo area.

The chamber’s ninth annual Celebration of Diversity Awards ceremony took place in November 2007. The Diversity Committee of the chamber makes the selection after using stringent criteria to consider what

Mary Valva of The Glass Prism is one of three women to receive a 2007 Celebration of Diversity Award.

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Sharing an Affinity for History

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hile most fifth-graders spend their summers playing with their friends or attending summer camp, Gus Clemens spent it at the San Angelo Business College, learning how to type.

“I always knew I wanted to be a writer,” says Clemens, president of Clemens Weaver Advertising. “Learning how to type was the first step in this pursuit.”

Years later, Clemens achieved his goal. Attending Angelo State University for two years before completing his undergraduate degree at St. Mary’s University, he worked in New York at The Star and the New York Post. He was also the sports editor of the San Antonio Express-News for several years.

“I love finding the story [and] putting the pieces together,” Clemens says. “Being a writer prompts you to dig for facts and gives the reader a sense of place.”

Clemens’ love for writing and history carries over to his fondness of his Texas roots – and of San Angelo.

“I am pleased to have grown up in a town that supports the arts,” Clemens says. “Our first-class art museum and university, civic ballet and symphony orchestra make us different from other towns … softer around the edges.”

Clemens has written or collaborated on more than a dozen books on Texas history; Legacy, on the history of Midland and The Concho Country, on San Angelo are two of his well-known titles. An excerpt from Legacy was included in former President George H.W. Bush’s biography, Looking Forward.

Clemens is also an active community member. He is president of The Rotary Club of San Angelo and currently serves on the boards of the Salvation Army and the San Angelo Civic Theatre.

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Gus Clemens is president of Clemens Weaver Advertising and has written or collaborated on more than a dozen books about Texas history.

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Portfolio The San Angelo group Concho Grass serves as the host band for the Concho Valley Bluegrass Festival.

Splendor in the Concho Grass S

THANK YOU SAN A NGELO FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! Performant is celebrating six successful years in San Angelo.

Performant continues to grow our client base and our organization.

We are proud to call San Angelo home and are committed to providing exciting opportunities for income and career growth to all of our employees.

All of our managers have been promoted from our local office and we are committed to developing our people in our core business lines – recovering government receivables in Federal and State arenas across a spectrum of industries including education, tax and health care.

WE A RE STILL HIRING. Come join one of San Angelo’s most dynamic firms and take a step toward building your future with us!

2763 Southwest Blvd.

(325) 224-6226 www.performantcorp.com

Equal Opportunity Employer

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ome would say that San Angelo has an affinity for bluegrass music, and it now has a fitting showcase with the Concho Valley Bluegrass Festival.

Currently in its second year, the festival offers local bluegrass lovers and out-of-towners the opportunity to chow down on barbecue, peruse the vendors’ goodies, listen to some down-home pickin’ and help a worthy cause. A large portion of the festival’s proceeds benefits the Concho Valley Home for Girls and the Children’s Emergency Shelter.

“I wanted to do something to help both organizations,” says Nelson McGee, guitarist with the band Concho Grass and coordinator of the event.

“Last year [2007], we raised $15,000 and we are hoping to have an even better year this year.”

The musical lineup includes local favorite and host band Concho Grass; the Wildwood Valley Boys, from Indiana; Tennessee Valley Authority, from San Antonio; Saltgrass, from Houston; Batten Family, from Lubbock; and Triple L, from New Mexico.

“I am thrilled to be a part of an event that brings the San Angelo community together to listen to good, upbeat, American music,” McGee says.

“And there’s always quite a good bit of people who come in from out of town as well.”

For visitors, there are campsites available by reservation, free day camping and full RV hookups that require a small fee.

In 2008, the Concho Valley Bluegrass Festival took place March 14 and 15 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion at the San Angelo Fairgrounds.

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an Angelo resident and awardwinning photographer and writer Mike Thompson is what some might call a jack-of-all-trades.

“I guess you could say that I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up,” Thompson says.

Thompson’s many interests are conveyed through an impressive resumé that includes varied positions in diverse fields.

Thompson retired from testing explosives for the government and became a U.S. Army museum curator.

A Vietnam veteran medic, he has a 36-year military career that includes the Air Force, Army, Army National Guard and Reserves.

For his photography, he won Best of Show at the Arizona Yuma County Fair three years in a row and Best of Show in the adult photography category at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo.

He has owned two businesses and has worked as an actor, carpenter, oil landman, cowboy and Teddy Roosevelt portrayer. In spite of his wide-ranging experience in so many different fields, writing suits Thompson just fine.

“Writing is where my heart is,” says Thompson. “I’ll keep doing it because I have a fascination with it.”

Thompson’s fondness for the Prohibition Era and the Old West is evident in a number of his stories, especially in his newest novel, Curse of Al Capone’s Gold. The fast-paced pageturner recently received a starred review from Booklist and took a mere 90 days to write, Thompson said.

Other titles by Thompson include The Legendary Texas Jackhorn, a children’s book and toy line; The Travels and Tribulations of Theodore Roosevelt’s Cabin; Charlie Deegan, an audio book; and the short stories Younger and Faster, What You Got for Santa? and Just the Way I Told ‘Em. Thompson and his wife, Ruthie, live on the Laughing Horse Ranch, Land and Cattle Company in San Angelo.

– Stories by Sarah Ward San Angelo resident and author Mike Thompson’s latest book is a mystery titled Curse of Al Capone’s Gold.

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BRIAN M C CORD

Mike Thompson Pens the Past S

Farmer’s Daughter Landscaping

We bring landscaping dreams to life

Native Plant Specialist

Farmer’s Daughter Landscaping is a full-service garden center. Landscape design and installation services available. Come browse over an acre of gardens and over 15,000 sq. ft. of greenhouse space. Our retail center offers outdoor furnishings, pottery, cast stone, home accents, beautiful fountains and more unique creations. We want to be your inspiration. We are proud to offer products from Alu-mont, Hanamint, Trevi, Jackson Pottery, Unique Stone, and Napa Home and Garden. Farmer’s Daughter is also a Monrovia Retailer. So stop by and soak up the outdoors, we would love to have you.

Just off loop 306, exit Ben Ficklin after Foster Rd. A little hard to find, but worth the effort.

5433 Ben Ficklin Rd. San Angelo, TX 76904 (325) 651-2665 Fax: (325) 651-3994 dianeraschke@verizon.net

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Pulsing With

Energy NEW LEADERS AND BUSINESSES INVIGORATE THE HEART OF THE CITY

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Business

STORY BY VALERIE PASCOE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES ALDRIDGE

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aving grown up in San Angelo in the 1960s, Del V. Velasquez remembers going downtown for everything. During the week, he attended Sacred Heart Catholic School and participated in sports at the YMCA. He returned with friends and family each weekend to see movies or shop at the many department stores and five-anddime shops scattered across San Angelo’s historic city blocks.

“Downtown was the heart of the city for so many years and then, like so

many places, experienced a gradual decline as it fell victim to sprawl,” Velasquez says. “But then something started to happen – people and businesses started to come back and now it’s hard to find a parking space again on Saturdays.”

Velasquez returned to San Angelo in 2007 after an accomplished 32-year career on the East Coast, including a stint as a White House staffer for former President George H.W. Bush and seven years as a senior public affairs officer for a major telecommunications firm.

Today, Velasquez is bringing his wealth of experience in public policy and business, as well as his love for his hometown, to help San Angelo continue building on the momentum of its downtown revitalization efforts. As executive director of Downtown San Angelo Inc., the city’s downtown business association, Velasquez helps promote the interests of long-established businesses as well as recently opened establishments that are attracting a new youthful energy to the city.

“He’s a perfect fit for this position,”

J. Wilde’s boutique lights up the block in downtown San Angelo. Above: Del Velasquez, executive director of Downtown San Angelo Inc., shows the opulent, historic Cactus Hotel, a popular destination for special events.

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Ready for Takeoff BUSINESS INCUBATOR HATCHES SUCCESSES

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Eggemeyer’s General Store has experienced success downtown for 20 years.

says Joyce Wilde, owner of J. Wilde’s, a popular, eclectic boutique on Concho Avenue.

Wilde, who originally opened her decorator shop in 1984, expanded to a 6,000-square-foot building on Concho Avenue eight years ago due to increased demand for her uniquely styled furniture, clothing and accessories.

Across the street, another mainstay retail attraction, Eggemeyer’s General Store, has been drawing residents and tourists alike since it moved to the downtown area in 1988.

“When we originally opened downtown, people told me I was making a mistake, that I needed to be out at the mall, but we wanted a historic building and the atmosphere that you could only find here. Today, Eggemeyer’s is a destination. When people come downtown, they come to see this store,” says Bobby Eggemeyer, who has been involved in local revitalization projects for more than two decades.

Another key player in the transformation of downtown San Angelo, business leader Lee Pfluger, says a strategic planning effort to restructure the city center more than a decade ago has served as the catalyst for today’s progress in the downtown area. In 1992, Pfluger, along with local arts proponent Howard Taylor and architect Henry Schmidt, helped bring together a team of architects and planning experts SAN ANG E LO

from across the country through the American Institute of Architects’ Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team program.

“They developed a plan for the city that should have had a 15-year execution phase, but because of the tremendous support of the city, particularly the city manager at the time, the plan was accomplished in a minimal amount of time, maybe five years,” says Pfluger, who owns the historic Cactus Hotel, a 14-story landmark built in 1929 that today houses a variety of nonprofit organizations and serves as a destination for special events, including wedding receptions, banquets and fundraisers.

For the city’s next generation of entrepreneurs, including John Castillo, owner of Fat Boss’s Pub, a popular new upscale bar on South Chadbourne Street, the continued momentum of downtown San Angelo provides incentives for expansion and additional opportunities for young business owners to pursue new ideas.

“We have been pleasantly surprised by the great response we’ve received since opening. It’s always been a dream of mine to have a business like this in the downtown area – and there’s nothing like owning a piece of history in your own hometown,” says Castillo, who opened his successful pub in August 2007.

ecuring start-up capital was a chief concern for Lisa Maciejewski when she decided to found her own medical billing and consulting firm in 2006.

After reading about an annual business plan competition sponsored by the Concho Valley Center for Entrepreneurial Development, the budding entrepreneur began putting her ideas on paper and presenting them to area business leaders.

By the end of the year, Maciejewski was named the winner of the annual competition and had enough grant money in her pocket to launch her company, Gold Star Medical Business Services, Inc. “Today, I have nine clients located across the United States and have just hired my third employee,” says Maciejewski.

“Our five-year plan is to have about 100 part time employees working out of their homes in the Concho Valley, so we’re hoping to expand quickly.”

Founded in 2003, the CVCED is a business incubator that helps accelerate the growth and success of entrepreneurial companies with a variety of business support resources and services. In April 2007, the organization purchased a 6,000-square-foot facility on West Beauregard Avenue to provide inexpensive office space for new local businesses.

According to Donna Osborne, executive director of the CVCED, the incubator has helped nearly 20 local companies during the early stages of development and onward as they build a strong business base.

– Valerie Pascoe

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WES ALDRIDGE

Business | Biz Briefs

D’Vine Wine offers visitors a chance to create their own flavor of wine. Managing Partner Bobby Frazier, far left, and his wife Vicki, seated on left, talk with customers about the various products offered by the winery.

TASTE THE DIVINE Located in the heart of historic downtown San Angelo, D’Vine Wine is the area’s first and only boutique winery.

The business celebrated its one-year anniversary in April 2008.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the history – part of the revitalization that is happening downtown,” says Roy Green Jr., co-owner.

What visitors and locals may not be aware of is that the D’Vine Wine staff ferments and bottles their 19 different wines on the premises. The eight fruit wines they offer bear colorful names like Lonestar Onyx and Concho Blanc, complemented by an assortment of fullbodied select and reserve wines.

D’Vine Wine offers tours and tastings, as well as custom-labeled bottles of wine for special occasions – perfect for anniversaries, wedding gifts and proposals. This service is available for single bottles; they can also accommodate orders of 28 bottles or more.

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Currently, there are 20 D’Vine Wine locations, with 13 franchises in Texas.

SHOPPERS GET A NEW VIEW OF SUNSET Shoppers at San Angelo’s Sunset Mall recently have experienced a much different atmosphere, thanks to significant aesthetic improvements completed in August 2007.

The mall had not experienced major renovations since its opening in 1979, so after so many years, a makeover was in order.

Owners Radiant Partners LLC took on the renovations, which included floor replacement, repainting of the interior, retiling of the fountains, interior landscape revitalization, staircase reconstruction and restroom improvements that included the addition of a family restroom.

New signage, paint and architectural accents were added to distinguish the north and south entrances to the mall. In addition, Dillard’s expanded

its space to a total of 106,000 square feet.

“Our goal was to recreate a shopping center that complemented the city of San Angelo with new architectural features and colors,” says John Rowland, general manager.

In summer 2007, an assortment of family-friendly activities that included clowns, giveaways, acrobats and fashion shows marked the mall’s completion.

TIRE SAFETY: BIG ENOUGH TO PROVE IT The 80 employees at Goodyear’s Proving Grounds test up to 12,000 tires a year.

While this is an impressive feat, it doesn’t hurt to have access to Goodyear’s largest tire testing facility. The grounds are monstrous in size – over 7,250 acres to be exact – and include an eight-mile L-shaped highway track to transport cars, tractor-trailer rigs and light trucks; a 2.2-mile road course to test highperformance light truck and sports utility tires; a glass plate to test tires’ wet SAN ANG E LO

properties; and an area to evaluate noise, ride and handling.

On June 5, 1965, the eight-mile track caught the attention of astronauts Ed White and James McDivitt, who were on board the Gemini IV; reportedly, they took a picture of the track from space.

Besides the sizeable testing space, it is the exceptional employees responsible for the safety and quality of the Goodyear products who distinguish the grounds from other testing facilities, says Scott Johnson, manager.

“Our associates are dedicated to ensuring that the products they are testing are as safe as they can possibly be,” Johnson says. “It takes a specific skill set to be able to do what they do.”

Mary of Mount Carmel, or Carmelite Hermits, lead a life full of prayer and meditation on a 100-acre, self-supportive community, the Mount Carmel Hermitage, near Christoval.

“Hermits lead a contemplative life, but work is one of the pillars of this life,” explains the Rev. Fabian Rosette.

Daily work responsibilities at the community include caring for the livestock and tending to the vegetable garden, baking, and making chocolate, jellies, preserves and other products.

Anyone who enjoys delicious treats may benefit from this labor, too. Bread,

chocolate, produce and jellies are sold at the Mount Carmel Hermitage Gift Shop and locally at Eggemeyer’s General Store. Some of the products are sold online at www.carmelitehermits.org.

Selling these goods supports the Mount Carmel Hermitage, primarily funding the newly constructed bakery building. A major contribution toward the bakery was given by Bobbie McMillan in memory of her late husband, C.L. “Hap” McMillan, who was a rancher and community leader in Christoval.

– Sarah Ward

GROWING GLOBALLY, EXPANDING LOCALLY In San Angelo, global-oilfield production chemical company MultiChem will be expanding its headquarters into a new 65,000-square-foot space.

This development is indicative of the overall growth of the company; currently there are 55 Multi-Chem locations, and all are dedicated to serving the oil and gas industry not only in the United States, but also in Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Colombia.

“We expect these numbers to increase,” says Jorge Velarde, CFO. “So as we continue to expand nationally and internationally, we need our headquarters to accommodate our increase in staff locally, as well.”

There are now 55 employees at the Mulit-Chem facility on Knickerbocker Road, with an anticipated increase of 145 employees within the next five years. The new facility will offer a gym and cafeteria for its employees, among other amenities.

“A comfortable work environment is conducive to positive results,” Velarde says. “We have quality employees who are dedicated to providing superior customer service.”

HERMITS DELIVER DELICIOUS GOODS While many people may connect solitude and prayer to the life of a hermit, they may not include physical labor such as baking in that context.

The Hermits of the Blessed Virgin SAN ANG E LO

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Helping to build San Angelo’ s future since 1980

3017 Knickerbocker Rd. • San Angelo, TX 76904 • (800) 627-8916 View all listings at: www.cbpatterson.com

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.

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SAN ANGELO, TX

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Business | Chamber Report

WES ALDRIDGE

Boasting 98 years of combined chamber of commerce employment, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Chamber Operations Peggy Arnold, President Phil Neighbors and Financial Administrator Beverly Hanks discuss plans for an upcoming community event.

Happily Donning Many Hats CHAMBER STAFFERS ELEVATE COMMUNITY’S PROFILE IN A MYRIAD OF WAYS

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t’s not easy working on economicdevelopment initiatives while simultaneously organizing a bid for a major sporting event and planning an annual lobbying trip to Washington, but at the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, everyone wears a lot of hats.

The chamber functions as a clearinghouse for tourism, economic development and other communitycentered efforts. At the same time, its staff and members are constantly adding and updating programs and events that benefit not only the businesses here, but also the city and region at large.

It is a tall order, but one that’s fulfilled with distinction, says Phil Neighbors, president and CEO, who manages the combined chamber, convention and visitors bureau and economic development staff of 13.

“People expect the chamber to be involved in a lot of things, and our members certainly are,” Neighbors says.

“There’s been a solid chamber here for 92 years, and there’s an expectation of quality services. We’re here to service our businesses, but also to sustain and grow the economy. We thrive on the variety of challenges we have and SAN ANG E LO

the number of different events and activities we’re always balancing.

That’s the fun part.”

Recently tourism and chamber officials landed a very big fish in the form of a three-year contract with the National Reined Cow Horse Association, which will hold its signature event, the Fort Dodge Animal Health Celebration of Champions, in San Angelo starting in 2009. The NRCHA show and competition will precede San Angelo’s Stock Show & Rodeo, giving the city the chance to entertain thousands of visitors over a few weeks.

“We put up real dollars in order to compete and attract this event, and there were four or five other cities going after it,” Neighbors says. “According to the NRCHA officials, our facilities and amenities were good, but they really liked how friendly and helpful everyone here was. That’s what you’ve got to have when you’re looking to bring a nice event to your community.”

Add the annual Showdown in San Angelo drag boat races that the chamber sponsors in June, and the city now has a solid core of major events on which to build. But local businesses need more

than the occasional influx of visitors and cash, so the chamber works equally hard at the local, state and federal levels on taxation, education, transportation and other day-to-day issues as well.

“We take an annual trip to Washington to work on the needs of Goodfellow Air Force Base, our city and Angelo State University,” Neighbors says. “They are our primary employers, so we meet with our congressional delegation to make recommendations for the next year’s budget. The state legislature only meets every other year, but we communicate with our state representatives then and in the offseason so we can let them know of our needs, as well.”

It’s all in a day’s work for Neighbors and the staff, but he’s quick to credit a very active membership in establishing the organization’s vital role in the community.

“We have committees and task forces that work really hard not only to put on our events, but to brainstorm on what’s going to be beneficial for the members and the community,” Neighbors says.

“It’s their organization, and we couldn’t do it without them.”

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

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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.

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

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. The business office is located in Brownwood.

U.S. Interstate Highways 10 and 20.

The city is approximately 75 miles south of I-20 and 70 miles north of I-10.

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.

TAXES The state mandates a $15,000 homestead exemption for all Texas homes. The tax rate for San Angelo is $2.47582 per $100 of assessed value.

Railroad San Angelo is the main railyard for Texas Pacifico

Property Taxes

MAJOR EMPLOYERS Classification

Goodfellow Air Force Base

Military training center

2,360

Shannon Health System

Hospital and clinic

2,274

San Angelo Independent School District

Education

2,010

Angelo State University

Higher education

Verizon Inc.

Telephone service

SITEL Inc.

Teleservicing

985

City of San Angelo

Municipal government

962

Ethicon (Johnson & Johnson)

Sutures and needles

775

COST OF LIVING

San Angelo Community Medical Center

Hospital

761

3rd Quarter 2007 Percent of National Average

San Angelo State School

State school

740

100% Composite Index, 87.9

Tom Green County

County government

698

Town & Country Food Stores

Convenience stores

410

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas

Insurance

365

Transportation, 95.1

Lone Star Beef Processors

Beef processing

325

Utilities, 97.7

Hirschfeld Steel

Structural steel

322

Baptist Memorials

Retirement community

319

Reece Albert

Highway & street construction

315

San Angelo Packing

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Employees

City tax, 0.84000

Company

County tax, 0.52582 School district tax, 1.11000 Total, $2.47582 Sales Tax

Beef processing

1,311 1,300

300

State, 6.25% County, 0.50% City, 1.50% Total, 8.25%

Grocery Items, 85.8 Health Care, 93.4 Housing, 81.0 Misc. Goods & Services, 88.6

BUSINESS INCENTIVES Tax Abatements The City of San Angelo and Tom Green County may provide personal property and real estate tax abatements for

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periods of five to seven years.

Abatement levels range from 20 percent to 75 percent and are determined by the number of new jobs created and/or the amount of new investment in the community. All companies receiving the abatements must meet the minimum job creation level of five new jobs and no less than $250,000 in new valuation in either real estate and/or personal property.

Inventory Tax Exemptions All three taxing districts within San Angelo (city, county, the San Angelo Independent School District) may provide 100 percent tax exemptions for inventory and work-in-process that will be shipped outside of the state of Texas and kept on site for less than 175 days.

Tom Green County/San Angelo Enterprise Zone Companies that are approved as designated projects within the zone are eligible for sales tax refunds of up to $2,000 per new employee over the five-year period. The total amount of tax refunds is capped at $1,250,000 per company over the five years.

An additional advantage to the program is a refund of state franchise taxes paid.

The company receiving the benefits of the program must agree to hire 25 percent of their new employees from within the zone.

Sales Tax for Economic Development San Angelo voters have approved a half-cent increase in the sales tax for community and economic development projects. The City of San Angelo Development Corp. has established priorities for manufacturing, warehousing/ distribution, telecommunications services, data processing, and home/ regional offices. Loans and grants are available for buildings, land, equipment,

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Business | Economic Profile training, site infrastructure, moving expenses, lease subsidies, and other expansion costs. The minimum job and investment thresholds are five new jobs and $125,000 in new investment.

but may be extended. During this time, the company does not pay city personal property tax (inventory and equipment), but it does pay a negotiated percentage of real estate tax they would normally pay.

owners to helpful services provided by Angelo State University, the Small Business Development Center and the Concho Valley Center for Entrepreneurial Development.

Industrial District Designation A company that wishes to locate outside of the city limits of San Angelo and still avail itself of city services may apply to the city for designation as an industrial district, with the expectation that it will be annexed at some future date. These agreements typically last for seven years

Other Assistance San Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public and private sectors work together to help create an atmosphere for new job creation.

The chamber can provide coordination of services such as incentives, training, arrangements for financing, find available land and buildings, and refer business

WAGE AND SALARY WORKFORCE DISTRIBUTION

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Government Trade, transportation, utilities Education/health services Leisure/hospitality Professional and business services Manufacturing Natural resources, mining and construction Financial activities Information Other services Source: Texas Workforce Commission, November 2007

FOR MORE INFORMATION

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

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

Conta Us Contact San A Angelo, Texas Phone/Fax: (866) 526-8951 Phone designer@miraculousdesigns.com design

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

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Education

Establishing a New Line of Credit LOCAL STUDENTS GET JUMP-START ON COLLEGE THROUGH DUAL CREDIT PROGRAM

I

n the San Angelo and Grape Creek Independent School Districts, high school students are placed on a promising path to their collegiate or vocational futures. Seniors now can graduate with as many as 32 hours of college credit, thanks to Howard College’s innovative dual credit program.

“We match course competency and course rigor,” says Howard College Provost LeAnne Byrd.

According to the provost, college curriculum is matched to curriculum being taught by high school instructors and is evaluated and reevaluated to identify changes and instructors needed to best implement the course. Once administrators have determined curriculum is of the same rigor as college courses, the course is approved for dual credit.

The program began in fall 2006 with nursing, welding and graphic arts, and in 2007 grew to include English III and U.S. History for high school juniors, and classes in English IV, government and economics for high school seniors. Today, nearly 600 students receive dual credit for core and vocational technology courses, which now include drafting, animation, culinary arts, cosmetology, medical terminology, multimedia, Web design, Cisco Systems, Internet, interior design, office administration, basic nursing skills and welding. Byrd says courses are added at the request of the school districts, whose liaisons work closely with college administrators to achieve the best results possible.

Eligibility is dependent upon students’ scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test, as well as coursespecific prerequisite requirements from Howard College.

While core classes are available for a relatively small fee, vo-tech courses are offered at no charge.

“The Texas Legislature has been very wonderful, allowing both the district and the college to claim funding,” Byrd says.

“That allows the college to offer dual credit classes and make it affordable for students.”

Juniors and seniors can take two courses each semester, allowing seniors to graduate with as many as 32 college hours.

Byrd says the program does more than start students off on the right foot. According to the provost, students enrolled in dual credit classes have a better retention rate than those not involved and are more likely to complete college.

“We’ve received wonderful feedback from students, especially in the vocational technology program,” Byrd says.

“A lot of participants are first-generation college students, and doors are really opening for them.”

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The school benefits from the program, as well. Additional enrollment means a greater variety of classes are available to Howard College’s student body, whose recent growth has helped position the institution among the nation’s top 50 fastest-growing colleges for its size.

– Melanie Hill

In fall 2006, Howard College partnered with the San Angelo and Grape Creek Independent School Districts to offer students dual credit. PHOTO BY WES ALDRIDGE

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

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Education

Gifted, Talented and Green SAISD STUDENTS COMPETE AT TACKLING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

S

tudents in the San Angelo Independent School District’s Gifted and Talented program are gearing up to put their knowledge of environmental issues to the test.

In February 2008, 135 elementary, middle and high school students participated in the district’s first Texas

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Research Institute for Young Scholars competition, which encourages students to help solve global environmental issues through critical and creative thinking, communication and research. The TRIYS program was brought to the district by Dr. Carol Ann Bonds, superintendent.

“The students gain a great

deal from the competition,” says Jamie Highsmith, public information officer for the San Angelo ISD. “They not only learn a great deal about their projects but also have a chance to polish their PowerPoint and presentation skills.”

Students presented research projects on global water issues, including water desalination, ocean oil spill cleanup, rainwater harvesting and xeriscape landscaping methods. Seven winning teams and two individuals advanced to the YouthCaN Conference held in New York in April 2008. The national event, organized completely by students, unites environmentally active youth so they may exchange ideas about the environment and empower others to make a difference in their own communities. Every spring, more than 1,000 students and educators present and participate in educational workshops and other activities at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Highsmith expects the district-wide competition to become a yearly occurrence for SAISD students.

“This event allows us to showcase some of our brightest students,” Highsmith says.

More than 600 students are enrolled in the district’s Gifted and Talented program, which encourages academically talented youth to further develop their skills in selfdirected learning, thinking, research and communication.

“Gifted and Talented students benefit from an enhanced curriculum and one that is well suited to their educational needs,” Highsmith says.

– Melanie Hill

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Arts & Culture

Visitors Bowled Over by Museum ARTS FACILITY EMBODIES LOCAL FLAVOR WHILE SHOWCASING WORLD-CLASS WORKS

F

rom floor to ceiling, the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is Texas all the way.

The museum is famous for its National Ceramic Competition and ceramic exhibits that lure artists from around the world, but also is known for its building, which opened in 1999. The construction is centered on showcasing its Texas heritage, with local limestone and end grain Texas mesquite, as well as the area’s rich, red clay used throughout.

Three soaring galleries, a research library, and a rooftop garden with sweeping city views all enhance the museum’s permanent collection and traveling exhibits. From opening day, the building’s mix of local flavor and world-class art has gotten it noticed.

“We’ve been written up around the world,” says Howard Taylor, the museum’s first and only director.

“We’re getting 85,000 people a year through here, which is amazing for a city our size. Many of those are tourists, but we also have more than 300

programs throughout the year, including a chamber music concert series.”

The museum’s highest-profile event is its National Ceramic Competition, begun in 1986 and now so popular that it’s held every other year, rotating with an invitational ceramic event. During both events the ceramic world descends on San Angelo, Taylor says.

“For four days, we have nonstop parties and activities with the artists, as well as a symposium, a daylong workshop in cooperation with the Old Chicken Farm Art Center and a barbecue.”

Over time, the ceramics shows have grown to include other events, including a bus tour on opening night that transports participants to other arts venues. That ability to boost tourism, especially in the city, is a chief goal of the museum, Taylor says, adding that an ambitious urban redevelopment project will further enhance its presence.

“We made a serious commitment to downtown when we came,” Taylor says.

“Things were a little rough around here,

with a lot of decaying buildings. We’ve been able to lead a mini-renaissance, which is continuing as we broaden our reach.”

The museum has purchased an entire block of older buildings and is renovating them. One will become a community gallery, while another will be an apartment and studio for a resident artist who will work on-site while teaching classes in the museum’s well-equipped education wing and in area schools. Another building will house space for the Upper Colorado River Authority, which has created a water recycling system along the El Paseo de Santa Angela just outside the museum.

“It’s runoff rainwater that’s cleaned up underground, then recycled through a series of cascading fountains,” Taylor says.

“We’ll be taking on a really ambitious program of environmental education, which includes taking the grounds around the museum and turning them into a botanical garden of native plants. We want the museum experience to be both inside and outside.”

– Joe Morris

A visitor at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts studies the paintings of Dixie Friend Gay.

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PHOTO BY WES ALDRIDGE

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

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Sports & Recreation

Drawn to the Diamond ATHLETIC TALENT AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT CONVERGE AT BASEBALL GAMES

W

BRIAN M C CORD

ith a population of just over 88,000, San Angelo is remarkably well stocked with baseball teams.

Not only do both area high schools – Central and Lakeview – field successful varsity and junior varsity squads, but a happy confluence of talent and community spirit have turned the Angelo State University Rams and the San Angelo Colts into major attractions.

Though the Rams play in the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and the Colts in the professional United League, they share a stadium. For fans eager to see young players hustle their way up the baseball ladder, Foster Field is the place to be.

The Rams began play in 2004 and posted a 122-61 record in their first three years. In 2007, they reached the Division II College World Series faster than any team in NCAA history.

What’s the secret to such swift success?

“In terms of recruiting, San Angelo and Angelo State bring a lot to the table,” says Rams Coach Kevin Brooks. “We have a good stadium, and our auxiliary facilities are second to none.

Plus, the community has always been so supportive.”

ASU has become something of a factory for turning out pros.

“We have eight or nine former players playing pro ball right now. And [former Ram] Ronnie Gaines recently

signed with the White Sox,” Brooks says.

Before Gaines got his big break, he was just one of several players making the convenient professional leap from San Angelo State to the San Angelo Colts.

Colts General Manager Mike Babcock credits his manager, former big leaguer Doc Edwards, with “doing a great job grabbing some of these overlooked ASU guys. Ronnie Gaines, for example, was our team MVP and league rookie of the year.”

Edwards explains the nature of play and team composition that occurs in the independent United League.

“As far as level of play, we’re a cross between high A and double A,” Babcock says. “We’ve got former big leaguers and guys straight out of college. We’re kind of a second-chance league. Our roster is made up of guys who’ve been hurt or overlooked, and a lot of times they end up playing in the majors.”

The Colts saw a remarkable seven players transition to major-league teams in 2007 and drew 106,000 fans, one of the organization’s best attendance figures to date.

“We’re trying to create an atmosphere where a family of four can come to the ballpark, get something to eat, and go down on the field for a crazy promotion, all for around $40.

And we’ll throw in a baseball game too,” Babcock says.

Promotional events include human bowling, the chicken toss and build-a-human-burger, which Babcock says is best seen rather than described.

Like Brooks, Babcock raves about San Angelo.

“This has been by far the most supportive market I’ve worked in, from both businesses and fans,” Babcock says.

“For example, most of our players are in our host family program, where local people adopt a Colts player for the season. And after they’re through playing, a lot of them end up moving to San Angelo.”

– Jon Brooks

Foster Field is the place to be to catch action by the San Angelo Colts, above, or the Angelo State University Rams.

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Locals Love To Express Themselves

“W

ild and loud!”

That’s San Angelo Stampede Express co-owner Darlene Jones’s description of the atmosphere at the San Angelo Coliseum when the team takes on one of its opponents in the Intense Football League.

For spectators weary of the NFL’s minutes of idling followed by short bursts of action, IFL games can be just the ticket.

With a 50-yard field, half the NFL length, and eight men on a side instead of 11, the touchdowns come fast and furious, scores frequently hitting the high double digits. Rosters are stocked primarily with former college football players.

“We’ve got half the field, twice the excitement,” Jones says. “Our fans probably help us score as many touchdowns as our players do.”

According to Jones, Stampede Express fans span all age groups and include an even split of men and women.

The variety lends to a familyfriendly experience at games.

The Stampede Express drew roughly 3,000 fans to each home game in 2007. Giveaways and promotions play a big role in entertaining fans, as well.

“Every time-out, every break in the action, we have a promotion. [From] games on the field to giveaways, there’s always something going on,” Jones says. “On average, we probably have 15 to 20 giveaways throughout the game. There’s never any dead time. “ The Indoor Football League’s season runs 14 games, from the beginning of March to the end of June.

– Jon Brooks

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San Angelo is home to the San Angelo Stampede Express IFL team.

WE’RE

SERIOUS ABOUT THIS JOB!

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

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

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THE TRISUN DIFFERENCE

Short and Long-term Rehabilitation Program Trisun Healthcare – Meadow Creek and Regency House Care Centers provide individualized medical rehabilitation in a beautiful environment. The centers offer state-of-the-art rehabilitation, with short and long-term nursing care options.

Our health care staff consists of a group of trained professionals dedicated to meeting the needs of each resident.

Á la Carte Dining Program We understand that delicious meals are important to our residents’ overall quality of life. Our dining rooms have been designed with comfortable, yet elegant touches to make mealtime one of the most pleasurable times of day.

In addition, we offer an á la carte dining program that allows residents to order from a menu, choosing from an array of delicious entrees and side dishes.

We are committed to providing the best care possible for our residents and place an emphasis on total care, encompassing physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

Call for more information or to arrange a tour of our facilities: Regency House 3745 Summer Crest Dr. San Angelo, TX 76901 (325) 947-8776 Fax: (325) 224-2666 24-hour admissions line: (325) 895-1737

Meadow Creek 4343 Oak Grove Blvd.

San Angelo, TX 76904 (325) 942-4000 Fax: (325) 944-9571 24-hour admissions line: (325) 895-1737

Health & Wellness

WES ALDRIDGE

Baptist Retirement Community opened two Green Houses at its Sagecrest Alzheimer’s Care Center.

Creating a Thriving Setting for Seniors GREEN HOUSES ARE THE FIRST OF THEIR KIND IN STATE

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n San Angelo, a growing number of nursing homes, rehab facilities and senior living communities provide a welcome place to call home for the city’s young at heart.

At Christian Village, Rio Concho Retirement Community, Rio Concho West, Myrtlewood Estates, Royal Estates, The St. Angelus and Village East, seniors enjoy independent living designed with their activities and interests in mind. And for those who need a little more attention, families turn to Legend Oaks Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Riverside

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Healthcare and TRISUN Care CenterRegency House.

Seniors also can find their ideal level of care in San Angelo’s Baptist Retirement Community. The 75-acre community includes a long-term nursing facility, skilled nursing unit, home health services, rehabilitation services and a residential retirement community that’s home to more than 400 seniors.

However, it’s Baptist’s recent $4 million commitment to Alzheimer’s and dementia patients that has earned the community some much deserved attention. The Green Houses at Sagecrest,

built as expansion facilities for Baptist’s 52-bed Sagecrest Alzheimer’s Care Center, are part of a national movement to revolutionize elder care in America, and are the first of their kind in Texas for dementia care.

The 10-bedroom, 10-bathroom houses, which resemble single-family homes inside and out, were designed specifically to break away from the traditional, hospital-style nursing home.

“I have always thought that there was a better way to take care of elders than the typical institutional nursing home, and when I walked into Green Houses in Tupelo, Miss., over four years ago, I thought, ‘this is it,’” says Pat Crump, president and CEO of Baptist Memorials Ministries. “A Green House is a place where I would feel good about having a family member and a place where I would be able to live out my years with dignity and as much autonomy as possible.”

The two Green Houses opened in March 2008 and will be used for training and education by bringing in providers, professionals and students locally and from across the state. Each of the homes’ 10 residents are cared for by self-managed teams of workers with certified nurses’ aide training, chef’s training, housekeeping training and management training.

“Traditionally, certified nursing assistants do the majority of the work but tend to be the least valued and respected,” Crump says. “The Green House model uses a universal worker to do the work the nursing assistant typically does and a whole lot more. We are changing what it means to work in long-term care.”

Crump says the homes are a win-win for both employees and residents.

“To me, the Green Houses just feel right,” he says. “It is my hope and prayer that they will feel right to the elders, family members and employees we serve for many years to come.”

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

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Concho Valley Credit Union

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Serving the area since 1930.

1002 S. Abe

| San Angelo, TX 76903 | (325) 658-7557 | www.cvgecu.com

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

Technical and Higher Education

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

CLIMATE San Angelo receives 251 days of sunshine a year. 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.

Average annual temperature, 64.5 F

Twenty-seven public facilities serve preschool through high school students. The public school system also provides for vision- or hearing-impaired students and others with special needs.

UTILITIES 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.

Angelo Catholic School 949-1747, 655-3325

TLC Academy, 224-2900

Source: National Weather Service

West Texas Training Center 942-2800 www.angelo.edu/dept/wttc

Ambleside School of San Angelo, 659-1654

San Angelo Christian Academy 651-8363

Average annual rainfall, 20.91 inches

Howard College San Angelo Campus, 944-9585 www.howardcollege.edu

Electricity

Gateway Christian Academy 486-1267

Average annual low temperature, 51.8 F

Angelo State University 942-2041, www.angelo.edu

Private Schools

Cornerstone Christian School 655-3439

Average annual high temperature, 77.1 F

American Commercial College, 942-6797 www.acc-careers.com

Trinity Lutheran School 947-1275

Natural Gas Atmos Energy Distribution 481-3716 Phone Verizon, (800) 483-4000 Water and Sewer San Angelo Public Works Department, 657-4206 THIS SECTION IS SPONSORED BY

BIG OR SMALL,

SAN ANGELO TRANSFER COMPANY MOVES IT ALL!

Since 1912 • Locally Owned & Operated Home Apartment Office Pianos Safe, Secure Storage

TXDOT: 005794816C • USDOT: 070851

Call for a Free Estimate

(325) 655-6100 info@sanangelotransfer.com

Local or Long Distance The area code for San Angelo is 325.

Agent for northAmerican Van Lines ®

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Community Profile PRICE DISTRIBUTION OF HOMES SOLD IN SAN ANGELO 2007

RECREATION San Angelo offers a variety of recreational activities.

These include boating, fishing and waterskiing 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.

$29,000 or less

2.7%

$30,000-$39,999

2.9%

$40,000-$49,999

4.5%

$50,000-$59,999

5.5%

$60,000-$69,999

7.5%

$70,000-$79,999

8.1%

$80,000-$89,999

7.4%

$90,000-$99,999

8.0%

$100,000-$119,999

10.4%

$120,000-$139,999

11.4%

$140,000-$159,999

8.7%

Bull Riding – Professional bull riding

$160,000-$179,999

5.9%

$180,000-$199,999

3.2%

Arena Football – San Angelo Stampede

$200,000-$249,999

5.4%

$250,000-$299,999

4.4%

$300,000-$399,999

2.8%

$400,000-$499,999

1.1%

Professional Sports Baseball – The San Angelo Colts (United League) Rodeo – Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association

GOLF COURSES Private

$500,000 and up

0.2%

Bentwood Country Club (18 holes) 944-8575 San Angelo Country Club (18 holes) 651-7227 Public

Source: Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University A new home in San Angelo will typically sell in the range of $90-$120 per square foot.

The average cost of homes sold in 2007 was $126,800.

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

MEDICAL FACILITIES River Crest Hospital, 949-5722 San Angelo Community Medical Center, 949-9511 Shannon Medical Center 653-6741 Triumph Hospital San Angelo 659-3906

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Quicksand Golf Course (18 holes) 482-8337 Riverside Mills Golf Course (18 holes) 653-6130

The San Angelo Symphony performs eight times each year in the restored City Auditorium. www.sanangelosymphony.org The San Angelo Civic Ballet offers dance education classes and is best known for its annual production of The Nutcracker. www.sanangelocivicballet.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.

ATTRACTIONS Angelo State University Planetarium 942-2136 or 942-2188

Santa Fe Golf Course (9 holes) 657-4485

The Historic Cactus Hotel 655-5000

CULTURAL AFFAIRS

Celebration Bridge and 9/11 Memorial

San Angelo offers many cultural events and activities.

The San Angelo Civic Theatre is the oldest community-based theater group in Texas. Annual performances include comedy, musicals and drama. www.angelocivictheatre.com

Concho Avenue – filled with cultural and historical points of interest

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

Farmer’s Market, 658-6901

E.H. Danner Museum of Telephony at Fort Concho El Paseo de Santa Angela – heritage trail/Old Town

Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, 481-2646 Historic Murals, 944-1443

SAN ANG E LO

International Water Lily Garden Civic League Park Kids Kingdom Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum 633-0112 Old Chicken Farm Art Center, 653-4936

San Angelo Federal Credit Union www.safcu.com

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

Paint Brush Alley Pearl of the Conchos (prizewinning mermaid sculpture) Producers Livestock Auction 653-3371 Railway Museum of San Angelo, 947-0819 River Walk San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, 653-3333 San Angelo Nature Center 942-0121 San Angelo State Park 949-4757 The Angelas Sculpture 655-4136

When You’re a Member, You’re an Owner Great Rates • Savings & Loans Free Internet Banking • Free Online Bill Pay 235 West First Street • San Angelo, TX 76903 (325) 653-8320 • (325) 653-8658 fax

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

MEDIA Miscellaneous Lamar Outdoor Advertising 486-0881

The Summit A Professional Office Park

Newspapers American Classifieds 944-7653 Conexion Hispana, 655-6371 Goodfellow Monitor, 654-5413 Rampage, 942-2323 San Angelo Standard-Times 653-1221 Radio KCRN 93.9 FM, 1340 AM KCLL 100.1 FM KCSA 95.7 FM KCSE 96.5 FM KDCD 92.9 FM KELI/K-Lite 98.7 FM KGKL 960 AM, KGKL 97.5 FM KGNZ 90.9 FM KIXY 94.7 FM

Appalousa Circle San Angelo, TX 76901 (325) 374-7702

KKCN 103.1 FM

The area code for San Angelo is 325.

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Community Profile KKSA 1260 AM

(Spanish language –

KMDX 106.1 FM

Cable Channel 16)

KNRX 96.5 FM

TELEFUTURA-KANG

KSJT 107.5 FM KWFR 101.9 FM ROCK 300 Inc. Television CBS KLST (Cable Channel 5) NBC KSAN (Cable Channel 3) FOX KIDY (Cable Channel 10) UNIVISION-KEUS

(Spanish language – Cable Channel 18)

PARKS Bart DeWitt Park Randolph to E. Concho & Magdalen Bell Park Upton & Schroeder

Bradford Park Bradford Street & E. 23rd Street Brentwood Park N. Howard Street & Woodlawn Brown Park Johnson Street & W. Twohig City Park E. Twohig & Magdalen Street Civic League Park Beauregard & Park Street El Paseo de Santa Angela Park S. Orient & Avenue D

Howard College

Glenmore Park Avenue L near Christoval Road

San Angelo’s Community College

Harmon Park Neighborhood Park N. River Drive & W. 14th Street

Vocational & technical fields of study Earn an associate’s degree in two years; a certificate in months

Kiwanis Park A & M Street & W. Beauregard

Variety of class schedules: day, evening, weekend, five-week, eight-week, mini-semester, online

Lake View Park Pecan Street & E. 25th Street

Financial aid, scholarships & grants available

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park M.L.K. Drive & W. 21st Street

Continuing Education courses Customized training for your business through Workforce Training GED testing center

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

Kirby Community Park Edmund Boulevard & Nueces Street

Adult Basic Education for GED preparation; basic reading, writing and math; English as a second language; citizenship preparation

Meadowcreek Park Ridgecrest Lane & Tabosa Mountain View Park Chestnut & Millspaugh Municipal Swimming Pool Park Orient Street & E. Avenue A North Concho Park N. River Drive from W. 14th to W. 19th streets

Howard College West Texas Training Center 3501 N. US Hwy. 67 San Angelo, Texas 76905

(325) 481-8350

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North River Drive Park N. River Drive from 1st St. to Elm Street Park Heights Park S. Randolph to Koenigheim Pete Chapa Park Mini Park S. Randolph & Avenue P Purkey Park N. Emerson & E. 17th Street

SAN ANG E LO

Rio Concho Park Rio Concho Drive eastward past Bell Street Rio Vista Park Ben Ficklin Road & Avenue X San Angelo State Park O.C. Fisher Reservoir along the western boundary of the city Santa Fe Park 4th St. to Abe along N. River Drive Santa Fe East Park Abe Street to Randolph Santa Rita Park S. Madison, 600 block South Concho Park Bell Street to Lone Wolf Bridge Sulphur Springs Park W. Washington to S. Madison Sunken Garden Park S. Abe Street & W. Avenue D Unidad (College Hills Park) College Hills & Vista Del Arroyo Webster Tot-lot Park Webster & Hatcher

4001 SUNSET DR. • SUNSET MALL • SAN ANGELO, TX 76904 (325) 947-1069 • WWW.BARBEDWIREROSES.COM

Our 49th Year!

Holiday Cleaners SAN A NGELO’S

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

Source: www.sanangelo.org

The area code for San Angelo is 325.

Conveniently Located Throughout San Angelo One-Day Dry Cleaning

One-Day Shirt Laundry

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TM

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

Performant www.performantcorp.com

AEP Texas www.aeptexas.com

San Angelo Community Medical Center www.sacmc.com

Angelo State University www.angelo.edu Baptist Retirement Community www.bapmem.com Barbed Wire & Roses www.barbedwireroses.com Bratton Marketing Group www.cyberwize.com/4446749 Coldwell Banker Patterson Properties www.cbpatterson.com Concho Valley Credit Union www.cvgecu.com Concho Valley Electric Cooperative www.cvec.coop Dierschke & Dierschke Realtors www.dierschke.com Farmer’s Daughter Landscaping www.farmersdaughtertx.com First Baptist Church www.fbcsanangelotx.org

San Angelo Cultural Affairs Council www.sanangeloarts.com San Angelo Economic Development www.sanangelo.org San Angelo Federal Credit Union www.safcu.com San Angelo Independent School District www.saisd.org San Angelo Regional Airport www.sanangelotexas.org San Angelo Transfer Company Shannon Medical Center www.shannonhealth.com Sound Box Audio Video www.soundboxav.com Suddenlink Communications www.suddenlink.com

Floyd C. Petitt Insurance Fuentes Cafe Downtown www.fuentescafedowntown.com

The Bank & Trust www.thebankandtrust.com

Holiday Cleaners

The Summit Professional Office Park

Holiday Inn Express www.hiexpress.com/sanangelo

Tommie Weatherby-AllisonLacy Real Estate

Howard College www.howardcollege.edu

TRISUN Healthcare www.trisunhealthcare.com

Mahon’s Men’s Wear Miraculous Designs www.miraculousdesigns.com Pecans.com www.pecans.com

West Central Wireless www.westcentral.com West Texas Rehabilitation Center www.westtexasrehab.org

OF SAN ANGELO, TEXAS SENIOR EDITOR LISA BATTLES COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS SARAH B. GILLIAM, KIM MADLOM, BILL McMEEKIN, ANITA WADHWANI ASSISTANT EDITOR REBECCA DENTON STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN DATABASE PROJECT MANAGER YANCEY TURTURICE DATA MANAGERS RANETTA SMITH, KRISTY WISE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT JESSY YANCEY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JON BROOKS, MELANIE HILL, KELLI LEVEY JOE MORRIS, VALERIE PASCOE, KATHRYN ROYSTER, SARAH WARD SENIOR INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER JAREK SWEKOSKY SALES SUPPORT MANAGER SARA SARTIN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, JESSE KNISH, BRIAN M CCORD PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT ANNE WHITLOW CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR SHAWN DANIEL PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS ASST. PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER SENIOR PRODUCTION PROJECT MGR. TADARA SMITH PRODUCTION PROJECT MGRS. MELISSA HOOVER, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, KRIS SEXTON, VIKKI WILLIAMS LEAD DESIGNER JESSICA BRAGONIER GRAPHIC DESIGN ERICA HINES, ALISON HUNTER, JANINE MARYLAND, LINDA MOREIRAS, AMY NELSON, CANDICE SWEET WEB PROJECT MANAGERS ANDY HARTLEY, YAMEL RUIZ WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULZ COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN CORY MITCHELL AD TRAFFIC SARAH MILLER, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY 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./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./SALES TODD POTTER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART V.P./EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS MANAGING EDITOR/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS MANAGING EDITOR/TRAVEL SUSAN CHAPPELL PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, RICHIE FITZPATRICK, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA McFARLAND, LISA OWENS RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP COMMUNITY PROMOTION DIRECTOR CINDY COMPERRY DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH IT SYSTEMS DIRECTOR MATT LOCKE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE CUSTOM SALES SUPPORT PATTI CORNELIUS SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR RACHEL MATHEIS SALES COORDINATOR JENNIFER ALEXANDER OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM RECEPTIONIST LINDA BISHOP

CU S TO M M AG A Z INE M ED I A

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, TX 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 ©Copyright 2008 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, 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.

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SAN ANG E LO

Can you imagine … a world without children?

We Can’t.

Call 1-800-996-4100 to help. www.stjude.org

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

Save Money. Smell the Flowers.

Looking for ways to save money on gas and help the environment? The EPA wants to share some smart driving tips that could give you more miles per gallon of gas and reduce air pollution. Tips like making sure your tires are properly inflated and replacing your air filter regularly. And where possible, accelerate and brake slowly. Be aware of your speed ... did you know that for every 5 miles you go over 65 mph, you’re spending about 20 cents more per gallon of gas? If you’re shopping for a new car, choose the cleanest, most efficient vehicle that meets your needs. If we each adopt just one of these tips, we’d get more miles for our money and it would be a little easier to smell the flowers. For more tips and to compare cleaner, more efficient vehicles, visit

www.epa.gov/greenvehicles.

The area code for San Angelo is 325.

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Living Well San Angelo Community Medica Medical dic Center

Living Well

Getting to the Heart of the Matter CARDIAC DEPARTMENT COMBINES PREVENTATIVE PROGRAMS WITH HIGH-TECH TREATMENTS

H

eart health and cardiac-care issues are at the forefront of most adults’ minds these days, and the cardiology program at San Angelo Community Medical Center stands as a ready resource for treatment, diagnostics and prevention education.

In 2007, San Angelo Community Medical Center invested $5.5 million in the newest technology and intervention treatments, and its state-of-the-art facility helps residents from throughout the region take care of existing problems and, more importantly, prevent them from occurring.

“We can provide diagnostic, stress testing and a whole realm of noninvasive tests,” says Michael Blanc, M.D., who practices cardiology at SACMC. “We also perform the whole spectrum of invasive diagnostic testing, catheterization and angiography, which can look for arterial diseases in areas other than the heart.”

Much of Blanc’s work these days involves therapeutic catheterization, or the insertion of stents to allow arteries to strengthen and heal.

“We do a lot of things now that are not as invasive,” he says. “We’re able to go into people’s arteries with stents where before we’d have to do bypass surgery. And in the last four years, we’ve had the introduction of drug-coated stents, which actually heal the arteries more effectively. In recent weeks the second generation of those have come out, and they’re even more effective.”

So far SACMC has treated 100 patients with these biodegradable stents, which dissolve in the artery after about six months, and many more people will be given this option in the future. For those patients who need other procedures, however, the cardiac program has all the latest and best equipment for diagnostics and treatment.

“We have ultrasonography, echocardiography, a nuclear camera, the cath lab, and we’ll be adding more equipment and services during the next year,” Blanc

says. “We’ve also added a new program for vascular screening, which looks for carotid narrowing, peripheral vascular disease and abdominal aortic aneurisms. Its focus is very much on the preventative.”

The cardiac department also is taking part in the national Door-to-Balloon Alliance, which is focused on getting a heart attack patient’s artery open within 90 minutes of the event.

All of this is key as the hospital works to not only treat patients with heart ailments, but also to educate the general public about cardiac care and prevention.

“With increased awareness about heart disease, people are better about coming in,” Blanc says. “Back in 1999, the CDC set a goal to reduce the risk of people dying from heart diseases by 25 percent over 10 years. That goal was met by 2007, so we’ve really had a dramatic impact. But because of the rise in obesity and diabetes, we’re still seeing a lot of people. We want to educate these high-risk individuals so they are better prepared to prevent a serious heart or vascular problem in the future.”

As part of a medical organization that implements patient and community programs like Senior Circle and Healthy Woman, as well as a Diabetes Care Center and Wound Clinic, the cardiac program is able to tap into a network of patients and do some front-end educating, as well as patient follow-up, through its cardiac rehab program.

“We want our patients to get back to a better quality of life after we’ve fixed their heart,” Blanc says. “The surgery is the easy part. The hard part is making the lifestyle changes that will keep them from coming back, or ever coming in. Exercise, diet, it’s all engrained in our program and with the other programs we have here at the hospital.”

Dr. Michael Blanc practices cardiology at SACMC.

special repor t

San Angelo Community Medical Center

Doyle Miller, R.N. and Joe Kasberg, M.D. show one of the two hyperbaric chambers used for treatments at SACMC’s new Wound Care Center.

Healing Powers WOUND CARE CENTER OFFERS INNOVATIVE, COMPREHENSIVE TREATMENT REGIMENS

W

hen San Angelo Community Medical Center opened its new Wound Care Center and Hyperbaric Services, everyone involved knew that it would be successful.

What nobody expected was a glowing review to the Better Business Bureau.

“One patient recommended us for ‘outstanding business of the year,’ ” says Joe Kasberg, M.D., the center’s medical director. “We’re just a small part of the hospital, but the response has been that overwhelming.”

The center opened in July 2004 and is the first of its kind in San Angelo.

SACMC’s diabetes care services and its network of physicians who treat patients with slow-healing wounds work closely with the Wound Care Center. Diabetes and vascular disorders can slow down the healing process of wounds, which can quickly lead to a serious situation in which amputation may be the only option. Constant treatment and monitoring is critical, and patients receive that and more at the center.

“Our main focus is to try to find out if these patients have long-term, chronic wounds, and then find the underlying problem,” Kasberg says. “When you

address that, they tend to get better.”

Those problems can range from autoimmune issues to medication that prevents proper healing. Once the cause is identified, then everything from the type of dressing used to the treatment of the wound itself can be addressed.

That’s key to a plan of action, because the individual often has no idea of the wound’s severity. It’s also why the Wound Care Center is so closely allied with SACMC’s Diabetes Care Center.

“These patients often have poor circulation and little sensation in their feet, so they wound them often and then those wounds don’t heal,” Kasberg says.

“We get a lot of referrals from the diabetes center, because they’re very diligent about looking for these wounds and seeing them when they pop up. The earlier you treat these wounds, the better chance of success you’ll have.”

In addition to its regular wound-care treatment regimens, the center features two hyperbaric chambers. Similar to those used for deep-sea divers who suffer from decompression sickness, the chamber is pressurized based on the patient’s needs and delivers 100 percent oxygen for up to

(325) 949-DOCS (3627)

90 minutes. The heightened oxygen intake helps wounds heal more quickly, helps new blood vessels to form and boosts white blood cell counts.

“We don’t use the chambers on every patient; it really depends on their diagnosis,” Kasberg says. “We like to make sure we’re doing good, basic wound care before we go that route because we want to make sure the patient is a good candidate.”

Assessing the patient’s ability to process oxygen is one of many tests a new patient receives at the center, where the staff compiles a complete medical history and list of medications during the initial visit. Other assessment tools include an ankle-brachial index, where the blood pressure near the foot is compared to that in the arm, as well as a full range of photographs for comparison purposes. It’s that attention to detail from the very beginning that has made the center so popular with both patients and physicians.

“We are in the business of saving our patients’ limbs,” Kasberg says. “And we’re here seven days a week, which our patients really appreciate.”

www.sacmc.com

Living Well

&

Educating, Empowering Energizing Women PROGRAM PROVIDES ONE-STOP INFORMATIONAL SOURCE

W

omen usually are the primary health-care decision makers for their families, but often they put themselves last in line for care. Healthy Woman is looking to change that.

The free program offers monthly events to improve the emotional and physical well-being of women. Healthy Woman’s mission is simple: empower women with the knowledge to make informed health-care decisions for themselves and their loved ones.

And while it’s new at San Angelo Community Medical Center, the Healthy Woman program is benefiting from a lot of community support.

“More than 70 percent of the hospital’s employees are women, so they’re very eager to get involved in women’s health issues and work with women in the community. They are so excited to give women a resource, something they can come to and learn how to make positive health choices,” says Sherian Briley, marketing coordinator.

The program also benefits from having a 15-member advisory council that is composed of women from all walks of life, Briley says.

“We asked our advisory council for input early on,” she says. “Based on what we heard, we’re going all the way from educational programs to social activities.

The panel wanted a mix, so that’s what we’re going to give them.”

The goal of Healthy Woman is to educate and inform in a relaxed setting, but some sobering statistics show just how much this information needs to get out.

Recent studies show that 80 percent of women are at risk for a heart attack, but only 29 percent realized it; they also didn’t know that heart disease is one of the top killers of women. More women than men have died of cardiovascular disease every year since 1984, according to the American Heart Association.

“A woman’s body is not simply a smaller version of a man’s,” Briley says. “We want the women of San Angelo to understand those differences and make informed decisions about their health care, as well as that of their families.”

Healthy Woman also will take advantage of SACMC’s physicians, having a wide variety of specialists come in to address the monthly gatherings and other events.

“They are a resource we plan to use, definitely,” Briley says, adding, “It won’t be all facts and figures. [We’ll cover] everything from education on weight loss to cooking; we’re even looking at doing a walk or a run. It’s all about being proactive and increasing everyone’s awareness of preventative health programs.”

Register today at www.sacmc.com.

SACMC’s Healthy Woman program aims to improve the total well-being of local women.

special repor t

San Angelo Community Medical Center

Exceeding the Expectations of Expecting Moms

NICU AND TINY TOES PROGRAM PROVIDE QUALITY CARE FOR ALL NEWBORNS

S

an Angelo’s tiniest citizens are a big deal at San Angelo Community Medical Center.

The hospital provides Level III neonatal intensive care services and is the only health-care provider with a neona tologist and neonatal nurse practitioner on staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Before this service was launched, most low-weight and high-risk infants had to be taken to hospitals in Forth Worth and San Antonio, making an already difficult time even more stressful for new parents and their families.

The six-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit cares for babies weighing 2 pounds, 2 ounces or more who are born after 28 weeks of gestation and have no surgical or cardiac complications. The hospital continues to invest in the latest technology for these at-risk infants.

“We cannot exactly replicate the

womb,” says Evelyn Ashley, R.N., “but neonatal intensive caregivers such as those at SACMC strive to make our care as womb-like as possible. This commitment is central to everything we do in neonatal intensive care today and sets us apart from other facilities.”

Every baby is special at SACMC, and the hospital’s new Tiny Toes program reflects that. In keeping with the motto “We’ve got your pregnancy covered – from the first trimester until their first birthday,” Tiny Toes works with expectant mothers before, during and after delivery to ensure a safe and happy start for every newborn.

The free program has several benefits, including: – An attractive certificate featuring the baby’s height, weight and time of birth – A digital photo of your baby posted on SACMC’s Tiny Toes Web site [parental consent required]

– A personalized ceramic Belly Button with child’s name and birth date – Infant care seats [available if you do not have one] – Discounted health club membership for pregnant mother Tiny Toes is the latest addition to SACMC’s childcare-education programs, which also include pre-childbirth workshops to prepare parents for the hospital experience. Classes on actual childbirth, breastfeeding, baby basics, safety and security, becoming a new dad and being a big brother or big sister are just some of the classes offered.

“It’s a natural extension of what we already do,” Ashley says. “Tiny Toes will have all of our new moms coming back for a year, so it’ll be good for everybody.

A lot of times people get busy after the baby is born, so we don’t get to do as much follow-up as we’d like. This will really help to bring everything together.”

The staff, programs and services at SACMC ensure that every newborn gets a safe and happy start.

(325) 949-DOCS (3627)

www.sacmc.com

Living Well

Come Play With Someone Your Own Age

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SENIOR CIRCLE PROGRAM HELPS SENIORS STAY ACTIVE, EDUCATED AND ON THE GO

elping senior citizens maintain healthy, active lifestyles is nothing new at San Angelo Community Medical Center. Now, with the addition of the Senior Circle Association, there are even more ways for the region’s older adults to get involved.

Senior Circle is a nonprofit organization with more than 70 chapters and 52,000 members nationwide. Anyone 50 years old or better is eligible to join, and member benefits include health talks; in-hospital benefits; local business bargains; discounts on prescriptions, vision care and personal emergency response systems; and more. The $15 annual membership also gets you into social events all year long, as well as exercise programs, travel opportunities and a subscription to Inside Circle, the organization’s awardwinning quarterly magazine.

Senior Circle is all about encouraging healthy and active lifestyles for seniors in all aspects of their lives, both at home and in the community.

SACMC has had a seniororiented program in place since 1992, and Senior Circle is just the latest evolution in the hospital’s ongoing out reach to the older population, says Shonda Sparks, program coordinator.

“Every Senior Circle program is formatted to fit what the community needs, and ours is going to be very health and patient-care related,” Sparks says. “We will be offering new travel opportunities and social events, but keeping all the services we already had in place. Our services and programs are only going to get better.”

Preventative care is a hallmark of SACMC’s Senior Circle, with popular events such as a monthly blood-screening event, which offers anemia, glucose and lipid profile/full cholesterol screenings at a discounted rate.

“We have people who come in every month for those, because they really want to stay on top of those things,” Sparks says. “It makes them feel like they’re taking an active part in their own health care, which is what we’re all about.”

Sparks and her staff also work with Senior Circle members to untangle various Medicare benefits and programs, so that everyone can find the right fit.

“We want to make sure they’re covering all their medications at the cheapest price,” she says.

“Most of our members are on limited incomes, so that’s a big issue. Our job is to make that process a lot easier, everything from explaining how Part D works to finding out if he or she is eligible for any assistance. Many people don’t know that they can qualify for assistance which can lower their co-pays, deductibles and premiums.”

From health talks to hands-on assistance, Senior Circle works to ensure the health and well-being of all its members, Sparks adds.

“We’ve been embedded in the community for years, so a lot of people come to us,” she says.

“We strive to make sure that when they come in, we make them comfortable. We visit our folks when they’re in the hospital and deliver a meal ticket for that day, so their spouse or a family member can get something to eat on at no charge. Senior Circle is giving us a lot to offer, and we’re working to make sure that there’s even more value for the membership.”

Sign up today by calling (325) 942-5500.

SACMC’s most recent addition to its programming for seniors is a local chapter of the Senior Circle Association.

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San Angelo Community Medical Center

Early Prevention and Intervention SACMC EDUCATES RESIDENTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENINGS

National guidelines recommend that all adults age 50 and older should begin regular screenings for colorectal cancer.

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olorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, but it does not have to be. The gastroenterologists at San Angelo Community Medical Center are determined to reduce the number of cancer-related deaths due to colon cancer through education, screening and early treatment.

In 2004, approximately 145,000 men and women were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 53,000 of these died from the disease.

“This is so unfortunate because colon cancer is the most preventable and treatable cancer we are facing today,” says Edward Artnak, M.D., a

gastroenterologist with Community Medical Associates.

Most colorectal cancers begin from precancerous polyps in the colon and rectum. Fortunately, screening tests can detect these abnormal growths and a physician can remove the precancerous polyps before they turn into cancer.

Screening tests are also beneficial because they can identify a cancerous polyp early when treatment is most effective and the chance for a full recovery is high.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that approximately 41.8 million averagerisk people age 50 or older have not

(325) 949-DOCS (3627)

been screened for colorectal cancer according to national guidelines.

“If everyone began screening tests at the age of 50, we could reduce the number of colon cancer deaths drastically,” says Artnak. “We want the public to know just how important screening is in the prevention and treatment of colon cancer.”

Artnak, along with Robert Danbert, D.O., also a gastroenterologist with Community Medical Associates, are eager to educate the public about this disease and save as many lives as they can.

For more information on colon cancer and colon cancer screenings, call (325) 245-4000. – Stories by Joe Morris

www.sacmc.com

Living Well

MEDICAL STAFF PHYSICIANS WHO PRACTICE AT SAN ANGELO COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER Anesthesiology Herbert Biedermann, M.D. Jeanne Hoffman, M.D. Eric Igler, M.D. Ross K. McClellan, M.D. Patrick L. Moore, M.D. Louis Rhodes, M.D. Joe D. Robinson, M.D. Bob G. Thomas, M.D. Cardiology Michael Blanc, M.D. David B. Harvey, M.D. Miltiadis Leon, M.D. Cardiovascular Surgery Staton Awtrey, M.D. Emery W. Dilling, M.D. Mark C. Felger, M.D. Jason Felger, M.D. Hunter Q. Kirkland, M.D. Dental Surgery Scott B. Brown, D.D.S. S. Ramsey Koschak, D.D.S. Dermatology Ross A. Alexander, M.D. Kay A. Johnston, M.D. Emergency Medicine Mark O. Davis, M.D. James Moyer, M.D. Stephen Nichols, M.D. Michael Strayer, M.D. Richard Y. Thorpe, M.D. Emergency Medicine/ Urgent Care Marvin W. Carroll, M.D. Family Medicine Warren L. Conway, M.D. Walter G. Day, M.D. Darrell T. Herrington, D.O. Loren Lasater, M.D. Kenneth D. Leckie, D.O. Barbara Montague, M.D. Brett Nile, M.D. Gastroenterology Edward J. Artnak, M.D. Stephen Coates, M.D. Robert J. Danbert, D.O. Bruce R. Heare, M.D. Eugene Stokes, M.D. General Dentistry David Henson, D.D.S. William R. Izzard, D.D.S. Kenneth A. Rees, D.M.D. Warren R. Snyder, D.D.S., M.S. General Surgery John S. Cargile III, M.D. J.M. Cornell, M.D. Patrick E. Gibson, M.D.

Robert N. Grant, M.D. David Saborio, M.D. Karman Weatherby, M.D. Gynecology Stephen Cainelli, M.D. Hematology/Oncology Fazlur Rahman, M.D. James L. Studt, M.D. Internal Medicine Carl D. Anderton, M.D. James C. Barnett, M.D. Kirk Brewer, M.D. Dennis Durham, M.D. David J. Easley, M.D. Dawn Gonzalez, D.O. John T. Granaghan Jr., M.D. Alan Hardwicke, M.D. John C. Harvey, M.D. Ahmed Hassan, M.D. Walter R. Hewell, M.D. Roberta Hinshaw, M.D. Ty Hughston, M.D. John D. Hunt, M.D. Charles Jones, M.D. Steven McCloy, M.D. Robert A. Morton, M.D. Tamara Noack, M.D. Stephen H. Smith, M.D. Raymund M. Untalan, M.D. Carlos Wade, M.D. Maxillofacial Surgery Grady W. Bryan, M.D., D.D.S. William A. Buche, D.D.S. Thomas S. Jeter, M.D., D.D.S. Neonatology Remedios Agrawal, M.D. Michael Battista, M.D. Jeffrey Paul, M.D. Jean G. Woodman, M.D. Nephrology Anthony C. DeMory, M.D. Jesse L. Jurado, M.D. Steve F. Montoya Jr., M.D. Gene Ong, M.D. John Stevenson, M.D. Neurological Surgery Luis E. Duarte, M.D. Duncan K. Fischer, M.D., Ph.D. Timothy Hopkins, M.D. Robert H. LeGrand Jr., M.D. Neurology Rebecca Crenshaw, M.D. Russell S. Dickerson, M.D. Bobby Niemann, M.D. Obstetrics/Gynecology Rosalinda Carrizales, D.O. Elizabeth N. Coronado, M.D.

This special section was created for San Angelo Community Medical Center

by Journal Communications Inc. ©Copyright 2008 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, 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.

Dan Cravy, M.D. Joel R. Dickens, M.D. Gregory Dunham, M.D. Sterling O. Gillis III, M.D. Deborah R. Hajovsky, M.D. Charles Harzke, M.D. Clyde A. Henke, M.D. Robert Meyer, M.D. Orloff Monaghan, M.D. Ophthalmology John L. Barnes, M.D. Kenton H. Fish, M.D. Matthew Goldman, M.D. Douglas J. Kappelmann, M.D. Daniel S. Lui, M.D. Daniel M. Wilson, M.D. Mark Levitan, M.D. Orthopedics Robert W. Alexander, M.D. Price Burdine, M.D. Jacob Chun, M.D. Jason M. Defee, M.D. Don W. Hughes, M.D. James R. Mull, M.D. Thomas R. Reid, M.D. Vernon L. Ryan, M.D. Joe B. Wilkinson, M.D. Joseph Zubak, M.D. Otolaryngology David Huchton, M.D. Timothy Lindemann, M.D. Patrick Slater, M.D. Keith D. Walvoord, M.D. Leslie K. Williamson, M.D. Pathology Jerry K. Gideon, M.D. Martin J. Kulig, M.D. Joe Mims, M.D. Stephen M. Stanley, M.D. Pediatric Cardiology Kenneth Bloom, M.D. John Brownlee, M.D. Teresa Hospers, M.D. Jatin Patel, D.O. Rolando Zamora-Salinas, M.D. Pediatric Dentistry Kelly Sawyer, D.D.S. Pediatrics Hector Acton, M.D. Penni D. Cambre, M.D. Fernando Gonzalez, D.O. James W. Herbert, M.D. Robert S. Patyrak, M.D. Marcia Rannefeld, D.O. Jane C. Rider, M.D. Stephen Sawyer, M.D. R.D. Schultz, M.D.

Saundra E. Seifert, M.D. Jerry Tomasovic, M.D. Michael Wagnon, M.D. Karl K. Wehner, M.D. Elizabeth L. Young, M.D. Periodontics Patrick C. Makins, D.D.S. Plastic/Reconstructive Don M. Lewis, M.D. Podiatry Milo D. Anderson, D.P.M. Jimmie D. Lummus, D.P.M. Scott E. Westmoreland, D.P.M. Psychiatry Carlos E. Escobar, M.D. Raymond C. Mays, M.D. John Snuggs, M.D. Pulmonology Mohamad Ammar Ayass, M.D. Walter Rustmann, D.O. Radiology John E. Alexander, M.D. Eddie Shell, M.D. Edward H. Snyder, M.D. Steven M. Walther, M.D. Rheumatology James W. Yost, M.D. Thoracic Surgery Homer S. Arnold, M.D. Stephen J. Dewan, M.D. Andrew T. Hume, M.D. William F. Kessler, M.D. Michael C. Mueller, M.D. John D. Oswalt, M.D. Urgent Care Ross M. Carmichael Jr., M.D. Daniel A. Heimbecker, M.D. Urology John S. Ballard III, M.D. Brian A. Bradley, M.D. Don Cook, M.D. Jack S. Rice Jr. M.D. Vitreoretinal Surgery James Dooner, M.D. M.C. Driver Jr., M.D. Jose Martinez, M.D. Peter Nixon, M.D. Sunil Patel, M.D. Wound Care Timothy Bumann, D.O. Edward Gates, D.O. Samuel J. Kasberg, M.D. For more information, call our physicians referral line at 947-DOCS (3627) … it’s answered 24/7.

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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