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Fifth Annual State of the Community: Shaping Our Town

The fifth annual State of the Community luncheon was held Friday, February 26 at First Baptist

Church Mineral Wells. This year’s theme highlighted the City of Mineral Wells and the Chamber’s

initiative for preparing for the hopeful future. With over two hundred in attendance, presentations

were made by the UT Arlington Institute of Urban Studies and Kotmatsu Architecture.

Karl Kotmatsu of Komatsu Architecture shared the

firm’s work related to restoring the historic high

school on West Hubbard Street. Komatsu offered

impressive examples of the firm’s portfolio of work,

including schools, courthouses, churches and

hotels. Working on a master plan for the property,

several tasks have already been accomplished, such

as a site survey, engineering reports and building

code review. Several community meetings have been

held in recent months to identify the best uses for the

building. Many attendees at the luncheon reported

excitement seeing the potential floor plans and

learning more about the future of the project.

Alan Klein and Ahoura Zandiatashbar from UT Arlington Institute of Urban Studies presented a de-

tailed proposal of a downtown revitalization plan for the

City of Mineral Wells. Having worked with a citizen’s

steering committee appointed by the City Council, the

group from UTA discussed redevelopment recom-

mendations that would benefit both locals and visitors

alike. The plan included three development phases creat-

ed to preserve, protect, promote and enrich the iconic

buildings of downtown and the surrounding neighbor-

hoods. The heart of the plan is to be prepared for future

growth, with consistent community engagement

being a fundamental key.

The success of the State of the Community luncheon

would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. Special continued thanks to Community

Developer Progressive Waste Solutions. Community Champion sponsors included: Amor

Self Storage, Bennett’s Office Supply, Cantex, Community National Bank & Trust, Genesys Aerosys-

tems, Jerry Durant Auto Group, PECOFacet, and Titan Bank. Community Booster sponsors were:

Clark Gardens, Diamond Pharmacy, First National Bank of Santo, HDR Engineering, Holiday Inn Ex-

press, and Komatsu Architecture.

Adina Morris- Palo Pinto County DA Office Amy Paredes- Genesys Aerosystems Inc Blaire Zahn-Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce Bradley Gibson- Ram Country Brett Chapman-Palo Pinto General Hospital Christina Phenix- CASA Hope for Children

Clif Wright- City of Mineral Wells Hannah Foster- Corner Post Financial Planning Jo Ritter-TJR Services Lloyd Foley- City of Mineral Wells Marilyn Wilson- Wilson Enterprises Megan Hudson-Palo Pinto General Hospital Megan Thompson- Mineral Wells Chevy Buick GMC Michelle Gilley- Texas Department of Family & Protective Services Rachel Lively-Mineral Wells

Area Chamber of Commerce Randi Eldridge-Community National Bank & Trust Roger Smith- Genesys Aerosystems Inc Sarah Baker-Titan Bank Shanna Coker- Mineral Wells ISD Tee Jay Burge- Farmers Insurance Tina Guzman-Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Wayne Johnson- City of Mineral Wells Wendell Barker- Mineral Wells ISD

Board of Directors

Mitch Bradshaw-Chairman of the Board Ace Hardware

Raymond Greenwood–Chair Elect Suddenlink Roger Smith-Vice Chair Genesys Aerosystems

Dacey Malone-Finance Chair Titan Bank

Kelli Buschow-Secretary Nix Rental Homes

Brian Bennett-Past ChaIrman Bennett’s Office Supply & Equipment

Casey Lister Baum-Carlock Bumgardner Funeral Home Mel Kincaid First Baptist Church Mineral Wells Linda Porter-Bradford Children’s Alliance Center

Major Investors Chairman’s Council: City of Mineral Wells, First Financial Bank, Jerry Durant Auto Group, Mineral Wells Chevy Buick GMC, Mineral Wells Index, QXFM Radio, Ram Country Dodge, Community National Bank, Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Executive Members: Baum-Carlock-Bumgardner Funeral Home, Oncor Electric Delivery, Texas Gas Service, First National Bank of Santo Staff Ryan Roach President

Marcelinda Williams Director of Member Services

Nikki Bossaller Office Manager Blaire Zahn Tourism Director Rachel Lively Director of Sales & Marketing

The Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau advances, supports and promotes the economic vitality of the Mineral Wells Area and Palo Pinto County.

Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce 511 E. Hubbard St. P.O. Box 1408 Mineral Wells, TX 76067 Phone: (940) 325-2557 Fax: (940) 328-0850 Web: www.mineralwellstx.com www.visitmineralwells.org Follow us on:

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Spring Break Staycation!

Spring Break is right around the corner...before making big plans to get out of town, stop and

think about what Mineral Wells has to offer for a great “staycation” that won’t break the bank!

Did you know that within a 30-mile radius you can paddle a beautiful river, climb rocks, paddle

board, hike, bike, water ski, wander through lush gardens, and even dig up fossils? And that’s

just a few of our outdoor attractions!

March is the perfect time to get out and explore your surroundings. Here are a few daytrip

ideas—-

For the Nature Lover:

Lake Mineral Wells State Park. Spend your day in the third m ost visited state park

in Texas. Hiking, biking, rock climbing, canoeing and horseback riding are just a few things

you can do. Check the Park website for more information on these activities and many more!

Clark Gardens Botanical Park. W ander through 35 acres of lush gardens filled

with Texas native and adaptable plants. Not only are there glorious gardens, but this park is

home to wildlife including swans, peacocks, frogs, ducks and fish, just to name a few.

Rochelle’s Canoe Rental. If you ’re feeling really adventurous, you can rent canoes or kay-

aks and paddle down the beautiful Brazos River. Breathtaking views of cliffs and historic bridg-

es are just a couple of the wonders that complete your excursion.

For an educational Family Getaway:

Mineral Wells Fossil Park. This is one of the few fossil parks in the nation w here

you can take your fossil finds home with you. This would be a great learning opportunity for

kids to get a hands on experience with these Pennsylvanian Period fossils. Be sure to pack some

water!

National Vietnam War Museum. Reflect on one of the m ost m isunderstood eras in

US history. The museum grounds are home to a ½ scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall

that is in Washington, D.C., a replica of the Camp Holloway wall that was destroyed in Pleiku,

South Vietnam and a Huey Helicopter which was flown in the Vietnam War.

For more staycation ideas, visit our website www.VisitMineralWells.org or stop by the Chamber Office!

Community

Certifications, Certificates and Technical Dual Credit 11 Texas State Florist’s Association Floral Design Certifications 2 Texas Veterinary Association Certified Veterinary Assistant 10 ServSafe-Food safety and handling 9 Nurses Aid Training Program 2 AutoCAD Ce rtified User 2 Certified PC Pro 1 Autodesk Revit Architecture Adobe Certified Associate 12 Photoshop 6 Dreamweaver 5 Illustrator 2 Premiere Pro 1 InDesign Microsoft Office 9 PowerPoint Specialist 2 Excel Specialist 1 Excel Expert

Automotive Service Excellence 10 Brakes 10 Suspension and Steering 7 Engine Repair 12 Maintenance & Light Repair 6 AYES Career Readiness Internship, Certificate of Achievement Certificate Programs-Weatherford College 32 Basic CAD 37 Architectural Drafting 4 3D Animation 104 Intro to Computers 91 Computer Fundamentals 20 Interactive Storyboarding 73 Intro to Game Design and

Development 107 Automotive 154 Welding 92 Floral and Flower Shop Management

Technical Dual Credit 24 Welding 12 Automotive

PREMIUM

PECOFacet

ENTREPRENEUR

Brazos Animal Hospital

Buckley Oil Company

Jack Powell Ford

Mesquite Pit

Randy’s Service Center

BASIC

All Tex Insurance Backforty Bunkhouse Productions Bourquin Realty Budget Host Inn Central Insurance Agency Christi’s Cleaning Corner Post Financial Planning Days Inns & Suites Extreme Internet Law Offices of Mark Creighton Merle Norman Cosmetics & More Mineral Wells Center of Life Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Palo Pinto Historical Foundation Personnel Services Pollard Hill Ranch Rochelle’s Canoe Rental State Farm Insurance-Phil Luker Texas Frontier Trails Texas Star RV Resort & Bluebonnet Hall VFW Post 2399 Wilson Enterprises Zonta Club of Mineral Wells FRIENDS

Stephen Byars

John Hampton

Ken & Cathy Johnson

Renewing Investors

Name: K aren Shadden

Business: Make Green Go Green

Title: CEO

Education: BBA in Accounting

Family/Pets: I have nine children, 3 still at hom e.

I home school my children so that allows us to spend a lot

of time together: learning, volunteering, and growing to-

gether. We have three dogs: Sugar, Baby Girl, and Tux.

Hobbies: l love to be a part of m y com m unity and

serve in all capacities. I love to spend time camping, bike

riding, reading, watching movies, playing games, and just

hanging with my children.

Something most people do not know about me: I played saxophone in high

school and was invited to play in a jazz band.

Years of Service as an Ambassador: 2 years

Why I became an Ambassador? As an am bassador, I can help prom ote and

support businesses as well as promote Mineral Wells.

The Chamber is important to me because: The Cham ber provides learning

resources for my business as well as opportunities to be a part of the community. It also

provides ways to support other businesses.

What is your passion for Mineral Wells? My passion for Mineral W ells is to

see generational curses be broken by teaching the young people how to take pride in

what they do, how to enter the work field and make a positive impact in the their com-

munity. I want to see the residents of Mineral Wells excited about where they live and

what we have to offer tourists or those looking for a new home.

Ambassador Spotlight

MWHS-Career and Tech Education by the Numbers

The CTE department of Mineral Wells High School has a mission to ensure that career and technology programs are dedicated to preparing young people to manage the dual roles of family member and wage earner. Career and technology programs enable students to gain entry-level employment in a high-skill, high-wage job and/or to continue their education. The numbers below represent the different achievements produced through the CTE programs:

2015-2016 MWHS Total Enrollment-927 Number of Students enrolled in CTE Courses-852

STD MAIL

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Mineral Wells, TX

76067

Permit No. 72

Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce

& Convention and Visitors Bureau

P.O. Box 1408

Mineral Wells, TX 76068

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

The Chamber newsletter is supported by Weaver’s Print Shop.

The February 2016 Business

Beautification Award was

presented to Ichiban Asian

Fusion for their beautiful

remodel of a once vacant

building. Ichiban serves sushi,

hibachi and other oriental fare.

The February 2016 Member

of the Month was awarded to

Farmers Insurance Brad

Jones Agency. The team at

the Brad Jones Agency went

to Garland to help during the

clean up of the December

2015 tornado.

New Members

Accountable Care Now 109 NW 2nd St. Mineral Wells (940) 654-6200

Pat Bazzell PO Box 176 Mineral Wells

Cawley Medical & Aesthetic Center 218 SW 2th Ave Mineral Wells (940) 327-8505

The Chamber will be

closed

Friday, March 25

in observance of

Good Friday.

Happy Easter!