fourth annual state of the community: laying a foundation...
TRANSCRIPT
STD MAIL
US Postage PAID
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.
Member of the month
First Financial Bank
contributes to our
community in many
ways including being
the title sponsor for the
annual Chamber
Banquet.
Congratulations to Palo Pinto
General Hospital on their new
Profession Health Center.
Their new building houses
doctor’s offices, the hospital
clinic and room for future
growth.
Allison Buchanan-Best Western Hotel
Bethany Tarpley-Palo Pinto General Hospital
Carey Carter- Mineral Wells ISD
Catrina Richards- First Financial Bank
Cayler Banks-Nix Rental Homes
Daven Robinson-Holiday Hills Country Club
Frances Wampler-CASA-Hope for Children
Frank Wolfe-Mineral Wells Chevy Buick GMC
Heath Farmer-PECOFacet
Hollye Foster-Titan Bank
Jeremy Hamscher-City of Mineral Wells
Juana Velazquez-Genesys AeroSystems
Karen Shadden-Make Green Go Green
Kay Bridges-Community National Bank
Kellci Baker-Communication Connection- Verizon
Lauren Wright-Clark Gardens
Mary Howell-Palo Pinto General Hospital
Murielle Gillet-First Financial Bank
Nicholas Wells-City of Mineral Wells
Nikki Bossaller-Mineral Wells Chamber
Sheila Charles-Texas Farm Bureau Insurance
L E A D E R S H I P
C L A S S
2 1
Thank you to these
newsletter sponsors!
Fourth Annual State of the Community: Laying a Foundation for Success
On Friday, February 20 at the First Baptist Church
in Mineral Wells, the Chamber of Commerce held
their fourth annual State of the Community
Luncheon. It is estimated that 230 individuals
attended the luncheon to learn about plans being
made for our water, our city, and the Baker Hotel.
Ken Choffel from HDR Engineering briefly
discussed the strategies for providing water from the
Brazos River using a reverse osmosis system. He also
highlighted the current status of the Turkey Peak
Reservoir, an expansion of Lake Palo Pinto. The
project is finally moving forward and TCEQ has
approved a temporary permit to conduct the public
hearing process. It is estimated that after the next
twelve to eighteen months, land will be purchased
and the contractor bid process can begin. While the
Turkey Peak Project doesn’t address our immediate
need for water, it is a viable long-term solution. In the
short term however, the Water District has an
agreement with TCEQ to meet our current needs for
water to supply the city and all of its customers.
City Manager Lance Howerton shared with the
attendees the timeline and process for the downtown
revitalization plan. A citizen’s steering committee was
appointed by the council to assist the Institute for
Urban Studies from UT Arlington in creating a plan
that addresses parking, traffic, pedestrian control as
well as landscape and architectural concepts. The
City Manager also briefly mentioned another steering
committee was created to select projects for
consideration in a future bond package.
Chad Patton and Laird Fairchild once again closed
out the luncheon and provided the audience an up-
date on the status of the Baker Hotel project. They
informed everyone of a brief roadblock this past
summer because of issues with their major financial
investor. This investment group pulled out due to
other investment projects and could not justify
supporting the Baker. Despite this setback, they
quickly found another investment group which has
been much more promising and are close to finalizing
the deal with this new group. Chad and Laird are
extremely confident that their diligence and
perseverance are about to pay off and all their
construction capital will be in place.
It is very evident that after today’s luncheon that “A Foundation for Success” is being laid. The City,
County, Chamber, Industrial Foundation, and the Area Growth Council are working hard to ensure that our community is moving forward and we are ready for when the first guest checks in to the Baker Hotel.
Board of Directors
Brian Bennett-Chairman of the Board Bennett’s Office Supply & Equipment
Mitch Bradshaw-Chair-Elect Ace Hardware
Raymond Greenwood– Vice Chair Suddenlink
Dacey Malone-Finance Chair Titan Bank
Mary Braddock-Secretary Palo Pinto General Hospital
Pat Bazzell-Ex-Officio Texas Farm Bureau Insurance
Kelli Buschow Nix Rental Homes
Les Dorton First National Bank of Santo
Tina Kidwell Genesys Aerosystems
Casey Lister Baum-Carlock Bumgardner Funeral Home
John Ludlum Ram Country
Major Investors Chairman’s Council: Cedillo Roofing, 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: Alpine Construc-tion, 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
Christian Garcia Tourism Director
Nikki Bossaller Office Manager
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:
Identity Theft Challenges Identity theft presents a challenge to
businesses, organizations and governments, including the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS meets the challenge of tax-related identity theft and is making progress against it with an aggressive strategy of prevention, detection and victim assistance.
Tips to protect you from becoming a victim of identity theft:
Don’t carry your Social Security card or any documents that include your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
Don’t give a business your SSN or ITIN just because they ask. Give it only when required.
Protect your financial information.
Check your credit report every 12 months.
Review your Social Security Administration earnings statement annually.
Secure personal information in your home.
Protect your personal computers by using firewalls and anti-spam/virus software, updating security patches and changing passwords for Internet accounts.
Don’t give personal information over the phone, through the mail or on the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or you are sure you know who you are dealing with.
Be alert to possible tax-related identity theft if you receive a notice from the IRS or learn from your tax professional that:
More than one tax return was filed for you;
You owe additional tax, have a refund offset or have had collection actions taken against you for a year you did not file a tax return;
IRS records indicate you received more wages than you actually earned or
Your state or federal benefits were reduced or cancelled because the agency received information reporting an income change.
If your SSN has been compromised and you know or suspect you may be a victim of tax-related identity theft, take these additional steps:
Respond immediately to any IRS notice; call the number provided.
Complete IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit. Use a fillable form at IRS.gov, print, then mail or fax according to instructions.
Continue to pay your taxes and file your tax return, even if you must do so by paper.
If you previously contacted the IRS and did not have a resolution, contact the Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490. We have teams available to assist.
Remember the IRS doesn't initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or finan-cial information. This includes any type of elec-tronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Taxpayer-Guide-to-Identity-Theft
The Chamber of Commerce will be partnering with the Texas Workforce Solutions to host a Job Fair
open to any business in the community looking for employees. With the recent job layoffs from
businesses in the oil and gas industry, it is
important that we do our part to get these people
back to work.
The Job Fair will be on Thursday, March 19
from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We are looking for
businesses to sign up to host a booth and share the
opportunities within their company for immediate
employment. If you are an interested business,
please contact Ryan or Marcelinda at
(940) 325-2557.
Texas Workforce Solutions will be helping to
bring interested and qualified candidates to the Job Fair. We will also be providing a resume’ and
interview workshop prior to the event. The deadline for signing up will be March 11 at 5:00 pm. Please
don’t delay, sign up now!
Chamber announces Community Job Fair Are you looking for something fun to do for Spring Break with your family? Mineral Wells has
something fun for every age and these activities won’t break the bank. Our area is known for its
outdoor activities and March is the perfect time to spend outside.
Did you know we have the third most traveled Texas State Park right in our backyard? Hikers,
bikers and horseback riders can enjoy the 20 mile long trail way at Lake Mineral Wells State Park
that is a reclaimed railroad bed with flat grades and soft curves. The park also offers a variety of
Ranger Programs including a Cross Timers Bird Walk, Penitentiary Hollow Wild Walk and a Kid’s
Wilderness Survival program the weekend before and after Spring Break. Check the Park website
for more information on these activities and many more!
The Mineral Wells Fossil Park is one of the only fossil parks in the nation where 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 Peri-
od fossils.
The Vietnam Era in America is often misunderstood and the mission of the National Vietnam
War Museum to help individuals understand the era. The museum holds 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.
If you love history the Old Jail Museum Complex in Palo Pinto is the place for you! The
complex holds the history of Palo Pinto County in the old jail and surrounding buildings. The
two story jail along with other structures house artifacts from the county and tell the story that is
Palo Pinto County.
Mineral Wells is known for its crazy heritage and our mineral water plays a huge part in that. The Famous Mineral Water Company is the
only place that still bottles the mineral water and now they offer mineral baths in the new Crazy Bath House. Sip and soak in the waters that
make our little town famous.
If you are looking for other things to see and do during spring break come by the Chamber and pick up a Visitor’s Guide and browse our
other brochures!
March Ribbon Cutting Photos
The Painted Post Chapter of Legacy Outfitters is a men’s
ministry that uses the outdoors as a way to encourage men to
be better husbands, fathers, and the spiritual leaders they are
called to be. They meet the first Monday of the month at
6:30pm in the Chamber Community Room.
Spend Spring Break As a Tourist in Your Own Town!
EXECUTIVE Texas Gas Services
PREMIUM PECOFacet
ENTREPRENEUR Brazos Animal Hospital
BASIC All Tex Insurance
Backforty Bunkhouse Productions
Brazos Mall Merchants Association
Brazos Pointe Church
Buckets and Boots Foundation
Cole's House of Flowers
Cowboy Church of Mineral Wells
Dr. Cary Labbe, O.D.
Kowpoke Architect LLC
Lofts & Hospitality LLC
Merle Norman - Merle Norman Cosmetics
Mineral Wells Heritage Association
Mineral Wells Little League, Inc
Newton Manufacturing
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Palo Pinto County Democratic Club
Pollard Hill Ranch LLC
State Farm Insurance-Phil Luker
VFW Post 2399
Wilson Enterprises
The Switch Café
112 S. FM 113
Cool, TX 76066
(940) 682-2024
New Member
Chamber
Members 431
Member Referrals 81
Relocation Packets 15
Tourism
Guests 50
Tourism Inquiries
(Mail) 129
Promotional Items 1080
R OI
Board of Directors
Brian Bennett-Chairman of the Board Bennett’s Office Supply & Equipment
Mitch Bradshaw-Chair-Elect Ace Hardware
Raymond Greenwood– Vice Chair Suddenlink
Dacey Malone-Finance Chair Titan Bank
Mary Braddock-Secretary Palo Pinto General Hospital
Pat Bazzell-Ex-Officio Texas Farm Bureau Insurance
Kelli Buschow Nix Rental Homes
Les Dorton First National Bank of Santo
Tina Kidwell Genesys Aerosystems
Casey Lister Baum-Carlock Bumgardner Funeral Home
John Ludlum Ram Country
Major Investors Chairman’s Council: Cedillo Roofing, 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: Alpine Construc-tion, 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
Christian Garcia Tourism Director
Nikki Bossaller Office Manager
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:
Identity Theft Challenges Identity theft presents a challenge to
businesses, organizations and governments, including the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS meets the challenge of tax-related identity theft and is making progress against it with an aggressive strategy of prevention, detection and victim assistance.
Tips to protect you from becoming a victim of identity theft:
Don’t carry your Social Security card or any documents that include your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
Don’t give a business your SSN or ITIN just because they ask. Give it only when required.
Protect your financial information.
Check your credit report every 12 months.
Review your Social Security Administration earnings statement annually.
Secure personal information in your home.
Protect your personal computers by using firewalls and anti-spam/virus software, updating security patches and changing passwords for Internet accounts.
Don’t give personal information over the phone, through the mail or on the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or you are sure you know who you are dealing with.
Be alert to possible tax-related identity theft if you receive a notice from the IRS or learn from your tax professional that:
More than one tax return was filed for you;
You owe additional tax, have a refund offset or have had collection actions taken against you for a year you did not file a tax return;
IRS records indicate you received more wages than you actually earned or
Your state or federal benefits were reduced or cancelled because the agency received information reporting an income change.
If your SSN has been compromised and you know or suspect you may be a victim of tax-related identity theft, take these additional steps:
Respond immediately to any IRS notice; call the number provided.
Complete IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit. Use a fillable form at IRS.gov, print, then mail or fax according to instructions.
Continue to pay your taxes and file your tax return, even if you must do so by paper.
If you previously contacted the IRS and did not have a resolution, contact the Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490. We have teams available to assist.
Remember the IRS doesn't initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or finan-cial information. This includes any type of elec-tronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Taxpayer-Guide-to-Identity-Theft
The Chamber of Commerce will be partnering with the Texas Workforce Solutions to host a Job Fair
open to any business in the community looking for employees. With the recent job layoffs from
businesses in the oil and gas industry, it is
important that we do our part to get these people
back to work.
The Job Fair will be on Thursday, March 19
from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We are looking for
businesses to sign up to host a booth and share the
opportunities within their company for immediate
employment. If you are an interested business,
please contact Ryan or Marcelinda at
(940) 325-2557.
Texas Workforce Solutions will be helping to
bring interested and qualified candidates to the Job Fair. We will also be providing a resume’ and
interview workshop prior to the event. The deadline for signing up will be March 11 at 5:00 pm. Please
don’t delay, sign up now!
Chamber announces Community Job Fair Are you looking for something fun to do for Spring Break with your family? Mineral Wells has
something fun for every age and these activities won’t break the bank. Our area is known for its
outdoor activities and March is the perfect time to spend outside.
Did you know we have the third most traveled Texas State Park right in our backyard? Hikers,
bikers and horseback riders can enjoy the 20 mile long trail way at Lake Mineral Wells State Park
that is a reclaimed railroad bed with flat grades and soft curves. The park also offers a variety of
Ranger Programs including a Cross Timers Bird Walk, Penitentiary Hollow Wild Walk and a Kid’s
Wilderness Survival program the weekend before and after Spring Break. Check the Park website
for more information on these activities and many more!
The Mineral Wells Fossil Park is one of the only fossil parks in the nation where 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 Peri-
od fossils.
The Vietnam Era in America is often misunderstood and the mission of the National Vietnam
War Museum to help individuals understand the era. The museum holds 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.
If you love history the Old Jail Museum Complex in Palo Pinto is the place for you! The
complex holds the history of Palo Pinto County in the old jail and surrounding buildings. The
two story jail along with other structures house artifacts from the county and tell the story that is
Palo Pinto County.
Mineral Wells is known for its crazy heritage and our mineral water plays a huge part in that. The Famous Mineral Water Company is the
only place that still bottles the mineral water and now they offer mineral baths in the new Crazy Bath House. Sip and soak in the waters that
make our little town famous.
If you are looking for other things to see and do during spring break come by the Chamber and pick up a Visitor’s Guide and browse our
other brochures!
March Ribbon Cutting Photos
The Painted Post Chapter of Legacy Outfitters is a men’s
ministry that uses the outdoors as a way to encourage men to
be better husbands, fathers, and the spiritual leaders they are
called to be. They meet the first Monday of the month at
6:30pm in the Chamber Community Room.
Spend Spring Break As a Tourist in Your Own Town!
EXECUTIVE Texas Gas Services
PREMIUM PECOFacet
ENTREPRENEUR Brazos Animal Hospital
BASIC All Tex Insurance
Backforty Bunkhouse Productions
Brazos Mall Merchants Association
Brazos Pointe Church
Buckets and Boots Foundation
Cole's House of Flowers
Cowboy Church of Mineral Wells
Dr. Cary Labbe, O.D.
Kowpoke Architect LLC
Lofts & Hospitality LLC
Merle Norman - Merle Norman Cosmetics
Mineral Wells Heritage Association
Mineral Wells Little League, Inc
Newton Manufacturing
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Palo Pinto County Democratic Club
Pollard Hill Ranch LLC
State Farm Insurance-Phil Luker
VFW Post 2399
Wilson Enterprises
The Switch Café
112 S. FM 113
Cool, TX 76066
(940) 682-2024
New Member
Chamber
Members 431
Member Referrals 81
Relocation Packets 15
Tourism
Guests 50
Tourism Inquiries
(Mail) 129
Promotional Items 1080
R OI
STD MAIL
US Postage PAID
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.
Member of the month
First Financial Bank
contributes to our
community in many
ways including being
the title sponsor for the
annual Chamber
Banquet.
Congratulations to Palo Pinto
General Hospital on their new
Profession Health Center.
Their new building houses
doctor’s offices, the hospital
clinic and room for future
growth.
Allison Buchanan-Best Western Hotel
Bethany Tarpley-Palo Pinto General Hospital
Carey Carter- Mineral Wells ISD
Catrina Richards- First Financial Bank
Cayler Banks-Nix Rental Homes
Daven Robinson-Holiday Hills Country Club
Frances Wampler-CASA-Hope for Children
Frank Wolfe-Mineral Wells Chevy Buick GMC
Heath Farmer-PECOFacet
Hollye Foster-Titan Bank
Jeremy Hamscher-City of Mineral Wells
Juana Velazquez-Genesys AeroSystems
Karen Shadden-Make Green Go Green
Kay Bridges-Community National Bank
Kellci Baker-Communication Connection- Verizon
Lauren Wright-Clark Gardens
Mary Howell-Palo Pinto General Hospital
Murielle Gillet-First Financial Bank
Nicholas Wells-City of Mineral Wells
Nikki Bossaller-Mineral Wells Chamber
Sheila Charles-Texas Farm Bureau Insurance
L E A D E R S H I P
C L A S S
2 1
Thank you to these
newsletter sponsors!
Fourth Annual State of the Community: Laying a Foundation for Success
On Friday, February 20 at the First Baptist Church
in Mineral Wells, the Chamber of Commerce held
their fourth annual State of the Community
Luncheon. It is estimated that 230 individuals
attended the luncheon to learn about plans being
made for our water, our city, and the Baker Hotel.
Ken Choffel from HDR Engineering briefly
discussed the strategies for providing water from the
Brazos River using a reverse osmosis system. He also
highlighted the current status of the Turkey Peak
Reservoir, an expansion of Lake Palo Pinto. The
project is finally moving forward and TCEQ has
approved a temporary permit to conduct the public
hearing process. It is estimated that after the next
twelve to eighteen months, land will be purchased
and the contractor bid process can begin. While the
Turkey Peak Project doesn’t address our immediate
need for water, it is a viable long-term solution. In the
short term however, the Water District has an
agreement with TCEQ to meet our current needs for
water to supply the city and all of its customers.
City Manager Lance Howerton shared with the
attendees the timeline and process for the downtown
revitalization plan. A citizen’s steering committee was
appointed by the council to assist the Institute for
Urban Studies from UT Arlington in creating a plan
that addresses parking, traffic, pedestrian control as
well as landscape and architectural concepts. The
City Manager also briefly mentioned another steering
committee was created to select projects for
consideration in a future bond package.
Chad Patton and Laird Fairchild once again closed
out the luncheon and provided the audience an up-
date on the status of the Baker Hotel project. They
informed everyone of a brief roadblock this past
summer because of issues with their major financial
investor. This investment group pulled out due to
other investment projects and could not justify
supporting the Baker. Despite this setback, they
quickly found another investment group which has
been much more promising and are close to finalizing
the deal with this new group. Chad and Laird are
extremely confident that their diligence and
perseverance are about to pay off and all their
construction capital will be in place.
It is very evident that after today’s luncheon that “A Foundation for Success” is being laid. The City,
County, Chamber, Industrial Foundation, and the Area Growth Council are working hard to ensure that our community is moving forward and we are ready for when the first guest checks in to the Baker Hotel.