Create Winter 2018

create

Winter 2018

Life. Community. Growth.

‘TIS THE

Season

A LOOK AT DOWNTOWN SAN ANGELO’S UNIQUE BUSINESSES OLIVE’S NURSERY : A FAMILY BUSINESS BUILT ON THE LOVE OF JESUS

HONORING A NAME THROUGH PASSION FEATURING

SHELLI CARTER

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I love being a Phlebotomist. It gives me the opportunity to see every aspect of the Hospital.

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2018 Winter E d i t i o n

The Cover

Kim Torres Photography

Shelli Carter is photographed in the new downtown home for Carter’s Sugar Shop, her eponymous bakery well known in San Angelo for its delectable custom cakes and cookies.

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GROWING OLIVE’S ONE DAY AT A TIME San Angelo is the colorful, cozy quilt; longtime businesses such as Olive’s Nursery are the small squares, all stitched together, that make it so unique.

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CAKES IN A CUP There’s an old saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” In San Angelo, that person could be Sasha Armenta, one of the busiest people in town.

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‘TIS THE SEASON A look at Downtown Some of the most memorable places to experience Christmas in San Angelo can be found on the historic streets of Downtown.

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MISS HATTIE’S RESTAURANT AND CATHOUSE LOUNGE Miss Hattie’s Restaurant and Cathouse Lounge was founded on a legend – literally.

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EGGEMEYER’S San Angelo’s downtown general store is the epitomizes the community’s faith, as well as its love of family, local history and shopping.

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J. WILDE’S AND FRIENDS The oldest business on Concho Street, J. Wilde’s and Friends has a history of making design waves in San Angelo - and far beyond.

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create Life. Community. Growth.

PUBLISHER JOSE PALOS jose.palos@gracemediacompany.com EDITOR BECCA NELSON SANKEY becca@gracemediacompany.com WRITERS BECCA NELSON SANKEY AMANDA RAZANI LINDA BOND AMI MIZELL-FLINT ASHLEY YOUNG-TURNER ERIN WHITFORD DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY KIM DENDLE PHOTOGRAPHY KIM TORRES PHOTOGRAPHY JILLIAN SHELTON PHOTOGRAPHY BECCA SANKEY PHOTOGRAPHY BRANDON WHITFORD ILLUSTRATOR JESSICA ELKS

CREATESANANGELO.COM @CreateSanAngelo Create magazine is a Grace Media publication.

Copyright © 2018. Create Magazine is published bi-annually. Mail may be sent to Grace Media, P.O. Box 5931, San Angelo, TX 76902. For advertising rates or editorial correspondence email info@ gracemediacompany.com or visit createsanangelo.com

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M.L. LEDDY Each worker at the longtime San Angelo boot shop does one thing, and does it exceptionally well.

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SASSY FOX First opened in the mid ’80s, Sassy Fox Boutique has become a pillar of the downtown shopping scene.

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CARTER’S SUGAR SHOP What’s in a name? For Shelli Carter of Carter’s Sugar Shop, it’s taste, freshness, attention to detail and – ultimately – happiness.

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A NEW HOME While Damascene Uwitije’s life and legacy are far from a fairytale, his story is a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of perseverance.

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CREATING SMILES AND GIVING BACK Founded in 1982, Halfmann’s Cake Cottage has been an important complement to many of San Angelo’s most memorable occasions.

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SLANGING DOUGH Two things are happening to Jason Churchwell. He is making people happy, and he is making people sad.

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L e tte r f r o m t h e Pu b lis he r

JO SE PALO S As children we looked forward to Christmas because of the excitement of opening a gift that we anticipated receiving. What a rush that moment was; being handed a gift or finding it under the tree and quickly sizing it up, analyzing if it met the characteristics of what you expected to find underneath the wrapping paper. The moment we laid eyes on the gift itself is a moment some may never forget.

That exact excitement is what I feel knowing that you have flipped open this edition of Create. I learned as a child, yet understood as an adult, that Christmas was not about receiving a gift that you can hold, keep on a shelf, wear, hang on the wall, or eat. Christmas symbolizes the beginning of man and woman being exposed to the flesh of our Lord, the birth of Jesus Christ. As an infant, He was brought gifts. We mimic that gesture and gift each other items as a symbol of caring, hope and love.

The excitement I have in readers browsing this edition of Create exists because it is my way of giving my Lord a gift – the very gift He’s graced me with, which is the ability to ensure Create’s existence and spread the goodness within this community. I hope you enjoy reading about the individuals who are passionate about influencing San Angelo in the most positive way.

God Bless,

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2019 2019EVENTS EVENTS FEATURED FEATURED

Exclusive Author Author Visit Visit & & Exclusive Book Signing Signing Event Event // January January 31, 31, 2019 2019 Book CactusHotel Hotel Cactus

Come meet the A-List interior designer Richard Keith Landham from Meet A-list interior designer Richard Keith Langham, of About Decorating: About Decorating The Remarkable Rooms Of Richard The Remarkable Rooms of Richard Keith Langham, as heKeith visitsLandham visiting San exclusively Angelo exclusively one thefrom wayNew from York New City.

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19ththAnnual Annual Mardi Mardi Gras Gras Fundraiser Fundraiser 19 March 5, 5, 2019 2019 //March Location to be announced McNeese Convention Centersoon!

Enjoydelicious deliciousfood, food, fantastic fantastic family-friendly family-friendly Enjoy activities,lots lotsof ofopportunities opportunities to to win win prizes, prizes, activities, LIVEmusic, music,auction auction items items and and much much more. more.

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Joinus usfor forour ourTwo Two Rotation Rotation annual annual clay clay shoot shoot with with Breakfast, Breakfast, Join Lunch,Awards, Awards,Auction, Auction, Gun Gun Raffle, Raffle, Music, Music, Shooter Shooter Prize Prize Lunch, Drawingsand andmuch much more! more!

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31ststAnnual Annual Christmas Christmas 31 Open House House // December December 8, 8, 2019 2019 Open Location to be announced soon!

Location to be announced soon!

Touraalocal localresidence residence while while enjoying enjoying aa beverage beverage and and live live music. music.

Tour A select group of Chefs will be serving their finest bite size A select group of Chefs will be serving their finest bite size culinary treats. culinary treats.

All events benefit the Home-Delivered Meal program.

All events benefit Meals For The Elderly program For more more information, information, contact For contact Dannielle Dannielle Dunagan Dunagan at at programs@MealsForTheElderly.org or call 325-655-9200. programs@MealsForTheElderly.org or call 325-655-9200. www.MealsForTheElderly.org www.MealsForTheElderly.org

Growing Olive’s One Day at a Time Becca Nelson Sankey Kim Torres Photography

L

ike any town with history, San Angelo has seen its share of ups and downs since its founding in the late 1800s: Its

population ballooned, its downtown – once a hub of activity – waned in popularity, then experienced a revival. Businesses came and went, but some stood the test of time, evolving to suit the ever-changing needs of the city and its residents. San Angelo is the colorful, cozy quilt; longtime businesses such as Olive’s Nursery are the small squares, all stitched together, that make it so unique.

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F

or decades, Tommy and Debbie Olive have been the face of Olive’s Nursery, the nearly 2-acre garden center nestled on the corner of Horn Road and Sherwood Way. Tommy’s grandfather, Walter Eric Olive, opened Olive’s Feed Store on Concho Avenue in 1942. But the business wasn’t lucrative as a feed store, so Olive found a grower and began selling bedding plants.

Eventually, Tommy’s parents, John and Mary Olive, took over the business and

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began incorporating gifts and Christmas décor, which continue to be staples of the store.

In between speaking with his employees and greeting customers who entered the store by name, Tommy – soft-spoken, slender, gray-haired and bespectacled, a hint of a smile perpetually on his lips – recently sat down for a face-to-face interview with Create Magazine as his wife, Debbie, bustled about the store. “We grew up in it, and what that means is we spent a lot of time here,” he said of Olive’s. “I have three older sisters, and we all did. I’ve always liked to be around people, and there weren’t any at home, so you came to work to be around people.”

“I had a burning desire to serve Him full time.”

-Tommy Olive

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Tommy attended Texas Tech, earned a degree in engineering and went to work at Exxon. But his heart wasn’t in it, and he quit after two and a half years. Around that time, while living in Oklahoma City, he “fell in love with Jesus,” he said, adding, “I had a burning desire to serve Him full time. I said, ‘OK, God, either run with this, give it to someone else, or postpone it, but don’t let me burn here.’ After about two weeks it lessened. I applied for seminary but never went.”

Tommy returned to San Angelo in 1976, and his parents phased themselves out of the business, with Tommy taking the reins. Though Tommy didn’t become a pastor, he said working at Olive’s still allows him to minister. “Every Christian is a minister,” he said. “Our mission is to meet the needs of the customer, and sometimes they come in and state what they think they need, and we oftentimes say, ‘That isn’t what you need.’”

Olive’s offers koi fish and everything needed for water gardens, a plethora of indoor and outdoor plants in all sizes and colors, as well as pottery.

“We also try to promote the organic side of growing plants because people are more successful that way,” Tommy said.

The Olives greet their customers by name and often can be found visiting with them one-on-one. “We try to make it a peaceful, inviting place. We pray for our customers. And we keep this station on,” Tommy said, pointing up at hidden speakers, where K-LOVE’s Christian music filtered through. “I try not to gripe. It’s a horrible thing to do. I don’t know how good (my employees) think I’m doing, but I try.”

The couple has four grown children, but none is involved in the family business. “Moses had three careers,” Tommy mused. “I’m just 67 so I don’t know what the future holds. A few years ago we got tired, but we’re not tired anymore.”

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For now, Tommy and Debbie take life and their work one day at a time. They are members of The Life Church, and Tommy serves on the board of TLCA, is involved in a community Bible study and the Walk to Emmaus.

Asked what he enjoys most about owning Olive’s Nursery, Tommy said he doesn’t have a simple answer. A bonus of the job is working all day with his wife, whom he loves and respects, and getting to go home together.

“My greatest joy is the people, but I also have a strong need to be productive; this just fulfills that need,” he said. “And we have fun doing it.”

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Linda Thorsen Bond Kim Torres Photography

here’s an old saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” In San Angelo, that person could be Sasha Armenta, one of the busiest people in town.

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Sasha and her family have worked in the restaurant business since her father Felipe started Armenta’s Café 26 years ago. Sasha now runs Cakes in a Cup and Armenta’s, her brother Marco manages The Grill, and her brother Felipe Jr. has four restaurants in Fort Worth.

Yes, it’s a family dynasty.

Sasha and her Armenta’s crew make all their traditional Mexican food from scratch.

“We get up every morning and make our rice and beans fresh. We make our salsa ourselves, grating dried red chili peppers for flavor,” she said. On top of that, every morning she bakes cakes and cupcakes for Cakes in a Cup.

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Sasha was just a child when she and her brother started learning at her mother’s side. “My mother enjoyed baking and Felipe Jr. and I would read books about it and watch her, and finally we were baking every day,” she said.

In 2010, she bought San Angelo’s Cakes in a Cup bakery and moved it to the east of Armenta’s. The basic idea for the bakery was to make little cups full of cake, decorated and tied with a bow. Sasha has expanded beyond that.

“It’s definitely more than just cakes in a cup now,” she

said. “We have vegan cakes, gluten-free cookies, custom cakes. That’s what removes us from others. We keep our customers happy.”

Karen McCuistion works in the bakery and handles the details, but Sasha still bakes. On a regular day Sasha and Karen make cupcakes, cookies, cutout shortbread cookies, three tres leches cakes, two carrot cakes and two red velvet cakes. All the desserts are sold in the bakery and at the restaurant.

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OMG

Fudge chocolate cake batter with ganache on top, sprinkled with chocolate chips.

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“The tres leches is made in a 9 by 13 pan and we make it with pancake flour so it is rich and light. It’s called tres leches, which means three milks, but we make it with four milks,” she explained. “Flan isn’t on the menu, but people ask for it. It’s so hard to make; it takes at least an hour and a half, and we want to be sure it’s just right. People want it for holidays, and we make sure it’s there.”

The cakes in a cup are especially popular at Valentine’s Day, and Sasha and Karen make plenty so people can grab them and go. Key lime pie in a graham cracker crust is another favorite. “We make four pies at once. They take 38 limes for the four,” Sasha said.

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How does a busy person stay on top of everything?

Sasha said she organizes and cleans everything. “I like things a certain way,” Sasha said. “I do them in order. My house looks like nobody lives there; I organize how I want. I make sure everything is clean. I organize after my son goes to sleep. I want everything washed right after it’s used. If you don’t wash right way, you waste time by washing more.”

And that, friends, is how a busy person like Sasha can accomplish more than the rest of us mortals.

“My mother enjoyed baking

and Felipe Jr and I would read books about it and watch her and finally we were baking every day

“

- Sasha Armenta

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ILLUSTRATOR JESSICA ELKS

For more features go to: CREATESANANGELO.COM Have an idea for a feature to be published in Create? Does your idea involve someone or an organization impacting San Angelo in a positive way? Contact us at: info@gracemediacompany.com Create Magazine is a Grace Media product.

Advertising is available in print and digital.

For rates, contact : atercedo@gracemediacompany.com.

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Season ‘TIS THE

DOWNTOWN SAN ANGELO Christmas memories stick with us, some cherished more than others. For those lucky enough, San Angelo brings to life the cheer and warmth that can be found in theatre as an act or a staged photo shoot for a Christmas postcard. Some of the most memorable places to experience Christmas in San Angelo can be found on the

historic streets of Downtown San Angelo. Many merchants take this time of year to showcase just how unique and welcoming they are by providing the community with experiences that memories are made of. Take a look at only a handful of those who’ve been around for quite some time.

Merry Christmas, San Angelo

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H Miss Hattie’s Restaurant and Cathouse Lounge Becca Nelson Sankey Becca Sankey Photography Miss Hattie’s Restaurant and Cathouse Lounge was founded on a legend – literally.

The late Kenneth Gunter and his wife, Brenda Gunter, purchased the building that is now Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum at the same time they were remodeling Miss Hattie’s Restaurant’s current location at 26 E. Concho Ave. A tunnel underneath the restaurant’s dining room connects it to the bordello museum a few buildings further down the street. “We said wouldn’t it be great to tie the bordello in with the restaurant,” said Brenda Gunter, who is now the sole owner of the restaurant and San Angelo’s mayor. “We thought it would help promote the legend of Miss Hattie.”

According to San Angelo folklore, Miss Hattie (or Mrs. Hatton) was a madam in the early 1900s, when San Angelo was booming with bordellos on historic Concho Avenue.

Downtown’s legendary network of underground tunnels ostensibly allowed local businessmen to travel discreetly from businesses to the brothels.

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Twenty years after the restaurant opened, the legend of Miss Hattie’s lures curious visitors, but the food and dining experience bring them back again and again. “It’s West Texas, and we believe if you’re going to be successful, you need to focus on the palate of West Texas,” Gunter said. “West Texas is about steaks and comfort food, so we created a menu that is meat loaf, pot roast, chicken and dumplings, hamburgers and steaks.”

Miss Hattie’s received recognition as Best Burger by Texas Monthly and was featured on its Texas Bucket List.

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(Gunter said its 21-day aged ribeye steak and bacon-wrapped jalapenos are two favorites), a meal there won’t break the bank.

“It’s amazing the number of people who come in and say, ‘This is so fabulous; I love it,’ and then they’re surprised at the quality of food for the price and the environment.

It works,” Gunter said. “We believe dining out is more than just the food – it’s the ambiance, the service, the place; it all works together.”

Miss Hattie’s Restaurant and Cathouse Lounge 26 E. Concho Ave. 325-653-0570 Hours: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Monday – Friday 11 a.m. – midnight Saturday Closed Sunday.

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Eggemeyer’s General Store Ami Mizell-Flint Jillian Shelton Photography After spending some time in San Angelo for a while, the city’s priorities become clear: Faith, family and love of San Angelo’s history. Eggemeyer’s, San Angelo’s downtown general store, is the perfect combination of all three, and adds another thing that San Angeloans love: Shopping.

Eggemeyer’s roots date back to Karen Eggemeyer’s small sewing business, Karen’s Country Collectibles, which she owned in Wall, where her family owns a cotton farm. The original “American Pickers,” the Eggemeyers loved traveling to other states, “junk hunting” for antique treasures. Many of those treasures became gifts that Karen and her husband, Bobby, exchanged for their anniversary each year.

In 1988, a time when Concho Street was lined with automotive shops, Bobby and Karen opened their first store, where J Wilde’s is now. They began making spiral sliced hams and needed a kitchen, so they moved into the building next to the current Miss Hattie’s location.

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The Eggemeyers’ early vision was to create a destination on Concho Street. Karen Eggemeyer thought of the first time she went to Fredericksburg, and said, “I can’t believe this is right here and I have never been here.”

The family wants their store to emit the same feeling. “It’s all about the experience,” said Eric Eggemeyer, Bobby and Karen’s son, who helps run the store with his sister, Tammy.

When their current building became available in 1993, they moved across the street, becoming the general store that San

Angelo and its visitors have come to know and love. Many of the treasures that the Eggemeyers exchanged as anniversary gifts over the years now adorn the top shelves of the store.

Eggemeyer’s expanded to include a kitchen store on its east side in 1998, and most recently added a jewelry store on the other side of the original building.

The family has worked hard over the years but doesn’t regret a minute of it. “If we knew how much work it would be,” said Karen Eggemeyer, “well, we still would have done it.”

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Eggemeyer’s General Store 35 E Concho Ave. (325) 655-1166 Open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Monday – Saturday

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J. Wilde’s and Friends Amanda Razani Jillian Shelton Photography The oldest business on Concho Street, J. Wilde’s and Friends has a history of making design waves in San Angelo - and far beyond.

Before opening the store, Joyce Wilde ran a decorating business. Around the time she was asked to help decorate for Christmas at Fort Concho, Wilde decided she wanted to open a country shop in the city. She started out designing clothes and decorator items and making items out of old quilts while continuing her side gig decorating for weddings. Eventually Wilde was asked to ship her designs to showrooms across the U.S., at which time a few popular magazines took notice.

“Designing and decorating were the only things I knew I was really good at,” Wilde said.

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J. Wilde’s and Friends 20 E. Concho Ave. (325) 655-0878 Open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

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The store has since grown and morphed to include other businesses that showcase their wares and services. Since closing, then reopening as J. Wilde’s and Friends, the business’ showroom has been revamped to focus on Wilde’s huge collection of beautiful vintage clothing, along with her recycled and repurposed apparel. “I think what makes J. Wilde’s and Friends so special is the way it is designed and what you will find here,” she said. “All the other businesses located inside the store are unique as well. We have some incredible businesses.”

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M.L. Leddy’s Linda Thorsen Bond Jillian Shelton Photography In the workroom at M.L. Leddy’s in downtown San Angelo, one man is building toes, as he has for 40 years. He doesn’t roam the shop, telling the heel man how to glue leather to wood. He doesn’t stand over the woman painstakingly stitching a fancy pattern. He just makes toes. That’s the way it is in this place where boots are built: Each worker does one thing, and does it exceptionally well.

Since M.L. started his boot shop in 1922 and moved to San Angelo in 1936, the process has been the same. M.L.’s granddaughter Beverly Franklin Allen said, “People come by all the time wanting to sell us machines that would do away with a couple of jobs, but we don’t do that.

There’s a lot we could do to make it faster, but we’re using the machines from my grandfather’s day.”

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ks: c i P ift G y a Holid ts s a d h r a d c n t ts a Gif l e b e . mad t d e n s a e l k H uc b s m r O t n i l C

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When Beverly talks about 40-penny nails, that’s not something symbolic.

There is a nail bent and twisted into the arch supports of each boot. It’s fitted for the arches of the person who will wear that boot for a long, long time.

M.L. Leddy’s old-fashioned bank ledgers record the individual foot measurements of more than 250,000 customers. Footprints of presidents, royalty, rock stars and regular folk have a hand-written code inked inside each boot top that allows Leddy’s to trace each pair to its original owner.

For Christmas presents, Franklin Allen recommended gift cards of any amount that can be applied to custom fit

handmade boots. The boots will be ready 10 to 12 months from the day the foot is traced into the ledger. A basic design, with no “yippee ki yay,” starts at $1,095.

Smooth ostrich boots are $1,795, full quill ostrich boots are $2,495 and alligator or crocodile boots are $5,695; the price depends on what is done to the boot, inlay, height of top and the leather.

She also pointed out that you could give a beautiful handmade belt or perhaps a custom buckle set from Clint Orms, or a fine fitted hat. That’s all part of the way M.L. Leddy’s does things exceptionally well in Downtown San Angelo.

M.L. Leddy’s 222 S. Oakes 325-653-3397 Hours: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Monday – Saturday.

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Sassy Fox Amanda Razani Jillian Shelton Photography First opened in the mid ’80s, Sassy Fox Boutique has become a pillar of the downtown shopping scene in San Angelo.

From gorgeous clothes and handbags to designer shoes and accessories, this colorful shop on Concho Street even has a fun old-fashioned soda fountain.

Owner Barbara Strain was inspired to open the store after spending five years owning and operating a wig salon. The store was located where the first HEB Grocery is now, and wigs filled the entire 10,000-square-foot space. One day, a sales rep for Faded Glory showed up.

“The rep was selling these fabulous jeans at $100 per pair, and I thought I could sell 12 pairs. So I started with those jeans, and then I added tops, and it went on from there,” Strain explained.

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Sassy Fox Boutique 34 E. Concho Ave. 325-658-8083 Hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Monday – Saturday.

After a while, she felt the store needed a new location, so she moved her store downtown, where it has been the past 25 years.

The building was condemned when she bought it, and there was so much space. They utilized the extra space by building the ice cream bar, which has been a big hit. Several other things make Sassy Fox unique. The store offers a wide variety of clothing, and the customers are always well taken care of. “I’ve had customers that have been with me for close to 40 years,” Strain said. “My oldest customer is 101 and started as a wig customer of mine. We just have a special relationship with our customers. We have such a following.”

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fajitas Beef or Chicken, served with beans, rice, guacamole, pico de gallo & flour tortillas.

HOURS Tuesday - Thursday 11:00AM - 10:00 PM

Friday - Saturday 11:00AM - 11:00 PM

Sunday

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(325) 223-0171 3015 Sherwood San Angelo, TX 76901

In the family since 1942 In the family since 1942

We must be doing something right to stay in business for 76 years!

Full of flowers, plants, and pots!

And full of great ideas to help you enjoy your home!

Come to Olive's and grow happy!

Celebration Specials details at OlivesNursery.com Mon - Fri 9am to 6pm | Sat 9am to 4pm

We must be doing (325) 949-3756 something right to stay in business for 75 years!

3402 Sherwood Way | San Angelo, TX 76901

Full of flowers, plants, and pots!

And full of great ideas to help you enjoy your home!

Come to Olive's and grow happy!

Celebration Specials details at OlivesNursery.com Mon - Fri 9am to 6pm | Sat 9am to 4pm 3402 Sherwood Way | San Angelo, TX 76901

(325) 949-3756

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“I think we should honor those who came before us because they’ve started the foundation for our future” - Shelli Carter

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Carter seven years ago founded her namesake bakery, which recently reopened at 28 N. Chadbourne (nestled, ironically enough, between two gyms). The downtown bakery will have limited seating and can accommodate walk-in traffic.

In addition to taking orders for the delectable artisan cakes and cookies for which the Carter name has become locally synonymous, Carter’s Sugar Shop offers readymade cakes and cookies; vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free desserts; small plate catering; and graband-go sandwiches and salads with vegetarian, vegan and organic options.

“My name’s on the door,” Carter said during an interview with Create Magazine just weeks prior to the bakery’s opening. “I have the belief that your last name should mean something. I think we should honor those who came before us because they’ve started the foundation for our future.”

The bubbly blonde and mother of six grown children, Carter was raised by her grandparents on a farm in Eola. Her grandmother baked, and when she passed away of Alzheimer’s disease, Carter wanted to honor her memory.

“I started out making chocolate truffles,” she said. “A lady asked me to do a wedding cake. I’d never done a wedding cake, and it turned out great. When friends and family really had a faith and belief that I was doing something I love that other people loved, I knew this was something I was supposed to do.”

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For the first couple of years, Carter had a storefront near Academy that she operated in partnership with a Sonora catering company. When the company moved back to Sonora, she converted an apartment adjacent to her home into a commercial kitchen and worked as a private pastry chef until this year, when she felt she had outgrown those limitations.

More than double the size of her apartment, the space was once a bus transit. In a way, the building still serves as a stop in a journey – but of a different sort.

“My business tagline is Carter’s Sugar Shop, Celebrating Life’s Little Adventures,” Carter said. “If you’ve ever planned a wedding or birthday party, it’s an absolute adventure. I feel like I’m part of somebody else’s celebration. I have customers who I’ve baked their wedding cake and then their baby’s first birthday cake.”

Cakes and desserts mark happy milestones in people’s lives, Carter said, adding that she’s never seen a cake at a funeral. “It is happiness,” she said.

“You cannot be mad or sad or angry at the world when you’re eating cake.”

Baking, and providing a product that customers take delight in, is the perfect job for Carter. “I’m a happy, positive person,” she said. “I could not imagine doing something that did not provide joy to other people.”

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Her decorated sugar cookies and custom cakes have a look unique to Carter’s Sugar Shop. Scrolling through photos on her phone, she paused periodically to point out her favorite creations, including a three-dimensional white and gold three-tiered birthday cake complete with a rainbow and unicorn.

Another swipe at the screen revealed sugar cookies in the shape of llamas, each adorned with a colorful icing saddle and detailed floral headpiece.

“Look, they have little glasses on!” she crowed.

Customers need only provide Carter with a photograph and she can take care of the rest. “I’m going to give you exactly what you want, baked fresh,” she said. “If it’s not a cake I feel confident about going out the door, I’ll stay up all night making sure it is.”

The finished product is proof that Carter loves her work – and so

is her beaming face when she talks about it. “I put a lot of happiness into my cakes,” she said, then added with a laugh, “And probably a lot of bad singing as well.”

u o y e v i g o t g n i , t n a o w g u o m ’ y I “ t a ” . h h w s y l e t c r ex a f d e k a b WINTER 2018

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Hom Erin Whitford Brandon Whitford

Sometimes others’ stories seem incomprehensible because they are so different from our own. Yet, a universal theme most can connect with, regardless of background, is hope. While Damascene Uwitije’s life and legacy are far from a fairytale, his story is a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of perseverance, as well as a remarkable reminder of the unsuspecting stories people carry.

Damascene was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo; however, during the bloody civil war that cleaved through the country in the 90s, at only 9 years old, he and his family were forced to leave their home. He, his parents, and seven siblings trekked for a month, witnessing the horrific spoils of war, until they reached a refugee camp in Rwanda that would then be home for the next 16 years.

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In class at Howard College in San Angelo, he seems like a normal student, albeit more attentive than most. Reserved but focused, Damascene is engrossed in learning and connected with his instructors, while taking full advantage of the opportunity that is higher education in America. However, this classroom experience is much different from how his education began.

His educational experience started under a tree with roughly 50 other students in the Kibiza Camp in Rwanda, a far cry compared to where he now sits in a classroom with SMART technology and online-enhanced classes. He said, “Nevertheless, I have gained the knowledge and experiences that are priceless and drove me to make difference in my life.” Met with struggles and opposition that would render most hopeless, Damascene chose gratitude and clung to the knowledge offered. He explained, “I have waited 22 years to perceive the importance of [my teachers’] work until I started college this year and the wisdom that I have learned . . . under the tree is the key to succeed today. . . I wouldn’t achieve anything without their help.”

In 2011, Damascene, and his family shortly thereafter, relocated to the United States.

He describes his move to the U.S. as a “completion of the greatest bridge of my life from hell to heaven.” He admits the cultural adjustment was challenging, but he could not help but think about other refugees who, for example, knew no English at all when they arrived in the U.S. He has given of his time and resources to ensure others can successfully transition to life in America as

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NOW THAT I HAVE STARTED, I WILL NEVER STOP. - Damascene Uwitije WINTER 2018

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well.

Humble and driven, Damascene works nights as a sand truck driver while going to school during the day, taking what would amount to naps in between. He has dreams of working in the Health Professions field, which he adds, “Now that I have started, I will never stop.”

Although, his greatest goal once he finishes school and accomplishing his goal is to have more time to spend with his two young children and wife who live in San Antonio currently.

In 2018, Damascene and his wife were naturalized and are proud to be United States citizens, ending 22 years of being stateless. Damascene is continuing a legacy built by his parents, fraught with determination and a will to make a better life for those ahead. Just a thread of his story is laden with reminders of how far drive, grit, and determination can lead a person. His story echoes our nation’s ethos of equal opportunity to see personal success made real.

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Creating Smiles andGiving Back Ashley Young-Turner Kim Torres Photography

F

ounded in 1982, Halfmann’s Cake Cottage has been an important complement to many of San Angelo’s most memorable occasions. Surveying the glass cases full of brightly colored cookies and fruit-glazed or spice-dusted confections and breathing in the warm smell of toasted sugar and crusts, it’s easy to understand why this locally owned bake-shop would be so special to several generations of clients.

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Earl Mulley is the man behind the counter, handing out melt-aways to the after-school crowd and planning orders for holiday pies. Mulley is a familiar face to many of his Halfmann’s patrons not only because he oversees service and production in his building every day, but also because he has been an important part of San Angelo’s culinary community for many years.

Something of a culinary chameleon, Earl Mulley began his life in food while growing up in St. Louis. Leaving business

school, Mulley followed his passion for the plate to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Mulley has been a part of some of the most demanding sectors of the food and beverage industry, from fourstar Jean-Georges restaurant at Trump Tower to high-end catering at hotels and event spaces all over the country to Jerry Jones’ owner’s suite at Cowboy’s Stadium.

Mulley’s first San Angelo endeavor was the beloved River Terrace Restaurant in 2006, which established him as a culinary leader and friend to many in town.

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There is something romantic in the clinking of glasses, shaking of hands, and the reward of guests’ smiles every day in a restaurant, but for many chefs, the days also end in aching bodies and exhausted minds after extraordinarily long hours of cooking, plating and problem-solving.

Many in the industry struggle to carve out a career that allows for a work-life balance and desired quality of life. For Mulley, the pursuit of that balance led to the purchase of Halfmann’s, which has allowed him to do quality work, maintain a personal life and involvement in various local and state projects that benefit culinary students and restaurateurs.

“You gotta give back,” Mulley said.

“Giving back to the community is what it’s about. I was lucky enough to have people who helped me along my way, so now it’s time to do it for them.”

Mulley has been able to reinvent his varied career yet again at Halfmann’s, all while remaining meticulously devoted to the traditions and recipes that established the bakery as a San Angelo fixture.

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“The people really have a desire for what they’ve been known for,” he said with a smile. “I don’t know how many people have come up to me and said, ‘If you stop doing melt-aways, if you stop doing iced tea cakes, I will find you and I will kill you.’ My job is to make sure that I’m delivering the same quality.”

And so Mulley stays true to the long tradition of Halfmann’s, every morning baking fresh sweets – icing brightly colored seasonal cookies, arranging tiered showpieces for a new generation of excited brides, warming the family’s favorite fruit pie – and serving it all, true to his belief that great quality and devoted, personal service are still the foundation of a great business and the pillars of hospitality.

Certainly those principles have served Halfmann’s well and are likely to continue for years to come.

I was lucky enough to have people who helped me along my way, so now it’s time to do it for them.

- Earl Mulley

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SLANGING Linda Thorsen Bond

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Jason Churchwell. He is making people happy, and he is making people sad. People are happy if they are in line early enough ] e e r to buy croissants at Slanging k y e Bakery; they’re b , e e r Dough Artisanal h u k y e [b sad if they’re·too ·ies. erlate.

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“I don’t want people to get upset at me,” Churchwell said. “I really just want to make people happy. If I had more help or a bigger place, I could make more, but I’m doing everything I can for now.”

In the middle of the night until 8 a.m., when the door to his tiny bakery opens and the line of 20 or so customers rush in, Churchwell creates homemade, handmade croissants.

Some customers wait on the little side street in Downtown San Angelo for an hour and a half. Those at the first of the line might buy 20 or 30 croissants; when Churchwell’s 150 to 200 croissants are gone, the people at the end of the line go home empty-handed – and sometimes also broken-hearted, depending on their resilience.

Churchwell is back in his hometown after six months of study at a French pastry school in Chicago. He said that at first his breads were like rocks, and his cakes were flat. After school, he worked in restaurants in Austin and Seattle, where he lived in his car for a couple years and learned how people live on the edge of society.

He likes pastry because it’s more “scientific” than other kinds of cooking, and he enjoys experimenting until the dough gives up its secrets.

Churchwell came back home to his mom, Judy Churchwell, who always had a garage apartment waiting for him and a belief that he would succeed.

“Without my mom, I couldn’t have done any of this,” he said. “I wanted to create a bakery in San Angelo and bring pastries that would be so good.

My goal was to open people’s eyes, give them something they never had and help educate people about what they could expect from a bakery.”

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y l l a “I re ant w t s ju e k a to m e l p o pe ” . y p hap The hardest part was finding a building to call his own. “I kept looking and looking, and I was about a week or two away from moving to Portland,” he said. “But I drove by this place and there’s a little sign in the window that says to go to the House of Chemicals to see about renting it. So I brought in some samples, and the owner let me come in and gut this place, and he made sure I had everything I needed.”

Jason did all the work himself, even scraping glue off the floor. “People don’t understand; you have to be there or you won’t succeed,” he said. “Restaurants are just a difficult thing. I know I won’t have a regular life again for three or four years.”

Slanging Dough has one employee, Beth Lippman, who handles social media and is nice to people when Jason is grumpy from too little sleep. She also posts on Facebook when they’ve run out of pastries or when they have some left.

Making the croissants is a threeday process. “I make the dough and refrigerate it. The next day the dough is rolled out; then the next day it’s in the proofer,” he said. “I get an hour or two of sleep every day. Then I start again. On Saturday when we’re out of croissants by noon, I go home and sleep 20 hours to catch up.”

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The best pastries, Jason said, are made from the best ingredients. He uses Plugrá butter, Barry chocolate de couverture noir, syrup made of orange blossom water, fresh cream, almond and pistachio flour.

His next project is to create savory pastries, like pumpkin or roasted squash with Mornay sauce. That will take some experimenting, of course. When he was mixing the ingredients by hand and got a new mixer, he closed his bakery for a week and made about 400 croissants to be sure he got them right.

“All of cooking is an experiment on a mass scale.

That’s how you improve your skills,” he said.

He puts the croissants in little sandwich bags and warns people not to eat the fruit-filled ones in the car because the berries or pears and cream will make a mess. “But you know people do that anyway,” he said.

Churchwell’s customers can’t resist his croissants, even when they know they’ll be waiting in line to buy them, then later explaining why they have crumbs caked to their shirts.

That’s the happy people, though - the ones who arrived early enough to score a Slanging Dough croissant.

Mixed berry pastry made of a medley of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries over vanilla bean cream with a streusel topping

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Almond croissant filled with a delicate almond cream and sprinkled with toasted almonds and powdered sugar

danish of sautĂŠed spiced apples over apple butter

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