Pick us up at Long John Silver, Drug Emporium & Los Arcos Mex Rest | COMMUNITY | 3
SEPTEMBER 2016
Volume 7, Issue 5
Office Park West 209 S. Danville, Suite B-103 Abilene, Texas 79605 (325) 701-9505 www.HispanicLifeMedia.com [currently under construction]
PUBLISHER David A. Hernandez EDITOR HispanicLife Magazine editorial@hispaniclifemedia.com ADVISING EDITOR AND ACCEPTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS Amy Hernández info@hispaniclifemedia.com (325) 701-9505 Office
GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT Debbie Heep
SALES DEPARTMENT David Hernandez (325) 518-7091 sales@hispaniclifemedia.com
About Us
We are dedicated to serving the Abilene and the Big Country by providing up-to-date information and resources that promote healthy families and homes. We also promote our clients businesses by increasing their customer bases and enhancing their public images within the Hispanic community. HispanicLife Magazine is published on a monthly basis and is owned & operated locally. Advertising rates are available upon request. While we use great care in creating our display ads, mistakes can happen. HispanicLife and the publisher are not liable for any damages arising from any typographical or mechanical errors beyond the cost of the ad. HispanicLife does not necessarily endorse any of the advertisers, products or services listed in this publication. 2016 HispanicLIfe Media
All rights reserved. No reproduction of any portion of this issue is allowed without permission from the publisher. www.facebook.com/HispanicLifeMagazine
CALL US TO ADVERTISE (325) 701-9505 209 S. Danville, Suite B-103 Email: info@hispaniclifemedia.com
With much anticipation, we bring you the September 2016 issue of HispanicLife Magazine. We are truly blessed to have the readership we do and are forerver grateful for you! In this edtion, you will find some great stories of awesome people here in Abilene and The Big Country. It’s always a blessing to be able to bring you these unique stories. With school already in motion, we pray a blessing of protection over your children. We confess that they are sharp, smart and are always ready to learn. We pray for the teachers at every school, that they would be an instrument to impart blessings of knowledge and wisdom to your children as well. Everyone counts! Seek God, stay close to your family and friends and make the best in every situation! Here is a list of this months stories: • Q & A - West Texas Fair & Rodeo, pg 5 • HispanicLife Magazine Community Drive, pg 7 • First Abilene Federal Credit Union, pg 10-11 • Shrimp & Wine Festival, pg 17 • Alex Ortega (Stamford, TX), pg 19 • Boost Your Child’s Confidence, pg 25 • AISD - New Faces, pg 31 • Cisco College, pg 41 • Healthy Woman Event, pg 45 • Lori McDonald, pg 47 Have a great month and as always….First God, then Family and finally Friends…. David & Amy Hernández & the girls & all the staff here at HispanicLife
4 | COMMUNITY | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Connecting The Community of Abilene & The Big Country
Big Brothers Big Sisters Announces Abilene Market President By Jamie Bearden | Public Relations Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters
Mark Rogers was raised in Plano, TX. He ing the lives of those around me, especially moved to Abilene in 1999 to attend Abilene kids, and I’m thrilled to join the BBBS famChristian University and he fell in love with ily. I love fund-raising and I can’t think of the area. After 17 years, he’s a more important mission to enproud to call Abilene home. hance than the BBBS mission.” Mark joins the Big Brothers Big Sisters team after spending six years as a development officer in the Advancement division at Abilene Christian University. In previous positions, Mark raised funds and recruited physicians at Hendrick Medical Center. He began his career as a sports broadcaster and reporter at KTXS-TV in Abilene. Mark is eager to begin developing relationships with new and existing BBBS supporters across Abilene.
Mark has been married to Jenn for 13 years and together they have three children: Haelyn (7), Hope (5), and Hunter (2). “The board of directors is very pleased that Mark Rogers will be leading the Abilene agency. Mark’s energy is contagious. We are confident that the children of Abilene will benefit greatly from his enthusiasm and experience. BIG things are ahead for Big Brothers Big Sisters,” stated Luke Longhofer, BBBS Abilene Board Chair.
For more information about Big Brothers Mark explains, “I have a passion for improv- Big Sisters, please visit bbbstx.org
Oktoberfest : Beer, Brats & Beethoven
Saturday, Sept.17th | 4p.m. – 7p.m. Abilene Civic Center
It’s FREE — no tickets necessary — food and drink for purchase. This is the day the Mayor of Munich opens Oktoberfest in Germany and the Abilene Philharmonic will give Abilenians a taste of the festivities right here. Food trucks with German fare will be parked outside the Abilene Civic Center. Tables will be available inside, along with craft beers to sample. There will be musical entertainment and kids activities.
Concert — Beloved Beethoven:
Beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Civic Center’s auditorium the orchestra performs three of Beethoven’s masterworks featuring guest pianist Adam Wodnicki. Tickets for the concert are $18-$42, with discounts for students of all ages, active military and groups. Call for 325-677-6710 for more info.
Pick us up at First Financial Bank inside both WalMart’s | COMMUNITY | 5
West Texas Fair & Rodeo By Caitlin Richards | HispanicLife Magazine
Who’s better to learn about the West Texas Fair and Rodeo from than the gal who plans it? Rochelle Johnson, executive vice president and general manager for the Taylor County Expo Center, told us all of the in’s and out’s for this year’s fair, Sept. 8-17, 2016.
What is the best food booth ing the rides together. The carnival provides a good family atmosphere and safe area. But it at the West Texas Fair? Now, you are going to get me in trouble. There are a lot of really good booths out here. There isn’t a bad place to eat from the Mexican food booths and the Aggie French fries, to Viddle
What is the West Texas Fair and Rodeo?
Do I have to wear boots and a cowboy hat?
Heck no, I would wear tennis shoes to be able to come out and walk quite a bit. There is so much to do out here that there really is something for everyone.
It is an annual event that has been held since the first fair in 1897. It is an opportunity for people to display their agriculture projects, whether it is livestock animals, or things they have grown in their garden. There is also a creative arts department where people can bring clothing, quilting, food, needlework, or any kind of display to be judged. Plus, it has lots of entertainment. Including a carnival, Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeo, and a variety of entertainers and artists. Overall, it is an annual event that brings together the community for a lot of fun.
When is the best day to come to the West Texas Fair?
Every day is a good day to come to the West Texas Fair! It just depends on what you want to come out and see. Admission is free of charge weekdays before 1 p.m. but on weekends we start charging at 8 a.m.
What’s new this year? The main thing that changes year to year is the entertainment. This year we have a great schedule of entertainers. Everybody will find something to enjoy and come out to be a part of. Thursday, Sept. 8 – Sneak-a-Peek Friday, Sept. 9 – Tractor Pull Saturday, Sept. 10 – Tractor Pull Sunday, Sept. 11 – La Energia Nortena, AJ Castillo, Solido and Audio M Monday, Sept. 12 – ‘Elvis’ and the Roustabouts Tuesday, Sept. 13 – SA Lights Wednesday, Sept. 14 – Crystal Gayle Thursday, Sept. 15 – Love is Blind Friday, Sept. 16 – Twyla Foreman Saturday, Sept. 17 – Gary P. Nunn
depends what you are interested in. The livestock show and rodeo are very family oriented events too.
CALL US TO ADVERTISE (325) 701-9505 209 S. Danville, Suite B-103 Email: info@hispaniclifemedia.com
Are there any special I think all of it! The West Texas Fair is one of deals and promotions? those things I enjoy every part of. We have a
Barn’s baked potatoes, and Pizza Hut and Papa Murphy’s pizza you can’t go wrong. I get to do it for 10 days, so trust me.
We have armbands that get you admission onto the grounds and unlimited rides for the entire 10 days of the Fair. They are $70 through Sept. 7 and $90 during the Fair. You just can’t beat that deal! On Thursday, Sept. 15, you can get on the grounds with six empty Coca-Cola product cans for Coca-Cola Cantastic Night. Plus, all military families – active duty and veterans – have free admission and special armband pricing.
What is the most popular What are you most excited family fun activity? about for this year’s West Families really enjoy the carnival rides. I al- Texas Fair? ways see families down on the midway enjoy-
great group of volunteers across the board out here that help put the West Texas Fair on. For me, it is great to see the atmosphere of people volunteering their time and working together to bring entertainment to our community.
Rochelle and the rest Taylor County Expo Center staff have been planning since the last day of last year’s fair. They can’t wait for the 2016 fair to kickoff on Sept. 8, 2016. To find out more, about the West Texas Fair visit www.taylorcountyexpocenter.com or call 325-677-4376.
6 | COMMUNITY | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
HispanicLife Media
Big Country Men Unite to Help Area Non-Profits Big Hearts in The Big Country By KTAB TV
. Advertise Today! Call (325) 518-7091
AISD Ribbon Cuttings
A typical work day for Abe Walzer begins at They’re looking to unite with at least 98 other 5 am and doesn’t really end until 9 at night. men in the community four times a year. He’s an owner and trainer at ICON Fitness in Area non-profits will have the opportunity to Abilene, where he helps clients build muscle apply for the financial assistance. and self esteem. Employees with the agencies will have the chance to tell the men what their respective organization does and what they would do with the money. That’s when the members of the Big Country 100 Men Who Care will vote on which agency to support.
New Bonham Grand Reopening Ribbon Cutting
Walzer adds, “We’ll take a ballot and then every man after that will write a personal check to that organization. So, you’ve got $100 men giving $100. That makes $10,000. That’s a lot for any organization.” Walzer and Hubbard are both busy guys and agree this is the perfect opportunity to pay it forward. “I love to help others. Again running the gym, and then just life in general with the kids and wife, you don’t have a lot of time. So, when I was presented the opportunity to do something big but not have to spend a lot of time, it really appealed to me,” adds Walzer. Long term, they’d like to do more He has another goal. He hopes to help build than donate money, but for now it’s just about up a unique organization called, Big Country making a difference. 100 Men Who Care. Walzer says, “We’re not a 501c, we’re not an It’s a national organization to support small LLC, we’re just some guys trying to do some non-profit organizations. good.” The group is still looking for more men to join. They’d love to have more than “I figured this would be good for the Big 100 to help out. Country, got together with the other four guys and we decided to make it happen,” says The first meeting is scheduled for September Board Member, Michael Hubbard. He helped 20th at 6:30 pm. It’ll be held at the Abilene bring the local chapter to the Big Country. Country Club. To learn more about it, head to: http://www.bigcountry100menwhocare. Walzer says, “I’m kind of following his lead. com/. I’m blessed to be a part of it.”
New Johnston Grand Reopening Ribbon Cutting
Pick us up at Law Enforcement Office & Cisco College | COMMUNITY | 7
City to start removing illegal signage By City of Abilene Abilene City Manager Robert Hanna has issued an administrative directive authorizing all city staff members to remove “bandit signs” and similar nuisance signage that has been posted illegally throughout Abilene. “Multiple council members and citizens both have expressed concerns over the proliferation of illegal signage in Abilene. This directive will help employees understand that
it is all of our jobs to keep Abilene’s public rights of way free and clear of illegal signage and litter,” said Hanna. City employees have been directed to begin removing and disposing of illegal signs as they encounter them. Citizens and businesses placing these signs in the public right of way should know that they do so at the risk of having their signs tossed in the trash. The City’s authority to remove these signs comes from State litter statutes and the
City’s sign ordinance. “Bandit signs” and other Illegal signage includes signs posted on utility poles, street sign poles, signal control cabinets, and off-premise temporary signs in the right of way advertising goods, services or other products. Signs on private property, political campaign signs, signs on residential streets or private residences, and on premise real estate signs are exempt. Garage sale or estate signs will not be removed unless it is clear the sign has been there for a while (weathered and falling apart). Citizens are asked to remove their garage sale or estate sale signs at the conclusion of their event.
Thank you to the Abilene Community and surrounding areas that
participated in our Community Drive with their donations! A special shout out to The Country Giant 106.9, KRBC TV / KTAB-TV and 95.1 The Wolf. “There is no Happiness in Having or in Getting, but only in Giving!”.....
J Sanders joined the Abilene Fire Department in February of 2002. He is currently certified as an EMTIntermediate and Master Firefighter. He is curently serving the department on Ladder 1 at the central fire station on A shift.
Justin Tiemann was recently promoted from being a Lieutenant on Engine 6 A shift, to the rank of Captain. Justin will be serving the department as the new training Captain at our training field. Justin is currently certified as a firefighter advanced, fire instructor 1, fire officer 1, and EMT-Intermediate.
Dan Cox, Development Director, of Noah Project received our first donation of household necessities.
Suzy Wilcock & Missy Williams from Abilene Hope Haven receive our second donation of household necessities.
Tim Yandell, Vice President of Disability Resources, Inc. received our third donation of household necessities.
TOGETHER WE CAN DO MORE
8 | COMMUNITY | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Connecting The Community of Abilene & The Big Country
Teacher education instructor turns trauma into encouragement
Pick us up at Hernandez Bakery, Mr. Jiffy & Daniela’s Tex-Mex Rest | COMMUNITY | 9
By ACU NEWS
Pregnant and restricted to a hospital room for 11 weeks, Jenn Rogers found comfort in handwritten notes from a group of mothers she had never met. Those mothers had once been on bedrest too, and their words gave Rogers solace through the dark time in the hospital. After her son was born at 36 weeks and perfectly healthy, Rogers decided to support mothers in similar situations by starting a nonprofit. “How in the world do you repay anyone for this kind of support?” said Rogers, a 2003 graduate who teaches in ACU’s Department of Teacher Education. “You feel this desire in your heart to do something. I always knew that at some point I would need to give back in the same way that was given to me.” Rogers started World’s Okayest Mom (WOM), a nonprofit that has delivered more than 500 care packages to mothers in need. Each care package is custom made for the woman’s situation, whether she’s on bedrest, chronically ill or even homeless. On the WOM blog and Facebook group, mothers connect and encourage each other in the daily joys and struggles of motherhood.
hours. Twenty-four hours turned into 11 weeks, and Rogers was not allowed to return to Abilene. She could only take a 20-minute wheelchair ride or a 10-minute shower each day. Her in-laws and some friends lived in Arlington and visited often. She received care packages with toys for her daughters, jewelry, meals and hygiene products. “I wrote probably 400 thank-you notes,” Rogers said. “It’s amazing that there are women out there who would support other women they don’t even know.” Hunter was born at 36 weeks, weighing 6 pounds. A year later, in April 2015, Rogers started an invite-only Facebook group to encourage other moms. Inspired by a phrase on a coffee mug, World’s Okayest Mom started with just 10 members and has grown to more than 15,000. Rogers decided to sell T-shirts with the phrase printed on them. At first she said “no” to selling Tshirts, “but then I thought that would be a really great way to give back to moms in need,” she said.
Jenn Rogers
“We live in this world of ‘mommy-comparison,’” Rogers said. “We’re all doing the same thing, raising little humans. I am not always going to be the best mom. Perfection is not attainable.” The sentiment struck a chord with other moms who flocked to join her Facebook group and purchased Tshirts by the hundreds. Rogers, who has taught at ACU for eight years, has three children: Haelyn, 7; Hope, 5; and Hunter, 2. Her husband, Mark, also a 2003 ACU graduate, was recently named president of Abilene’s Big Brothers Big Sisters. When she was pregnant with Hunter, Rogers’ doctor told her she had placenta previa. While on a trip to Arlington for her husband’s work, Rogers suffered intense bleeding and was rushed to the emergency room. “They could hear his heartbeat,” Rogers said. “They knew he was moving but until you have a baby, you’re the patient.” Her doctors decided it was safe to wait to deliver the baby, but Rogers had to remain in bed, closely monitored for 24
The sale of T-shirts quickly became a taxable amount so Rogers and her husband decided to apply for nonprofit status. They submitted their paperwork in May 2016 and received notice of their 501c3 status in July. Now people can submit a request form online, and Rogers works with a nine-member board of directors to plan care packages. Sometimes WOM donates funds to groups like Hope Mommies or Young Lives. “Our cause is to just care for moms,” Rogers said. Experiencing WOM has given Rogers more emotional intelligence, something she uses as a teacher to understand her students. She also encourages students to be aware of the issues facing their future classes and ways to interact with parents who may be suffering. “I read some of these moms’ stories about their experiences, and it opens my eyes,” Rogers said. “It has made me a more understanding educator.”Donors to WOM can give one-time gifts, purchase a T-shirt, or become a Wonder Wom giving $20 a month. For more information, visit www.worldsokayestmom. org/ or email worldsokayestmom15@gmail.com.
10 | COMMUNITY | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
HispanicLife Media
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TROY KYLE • President/CEO How many years in the credit union industry? 16 Years at First Abilene FCU? <1 Job Description: Responsible for day to day operations and success of the credit union. Strengths: Security,a technology, strategy, and a good sense of humor. Favorite Part Of Your Job: Having the opportunity to work every day with our talented and exceptional employees, and lead an organization that passionately believes and lives by a core purpose to serve our members. Favorite Thing About A Financial Cooperative: Helping our members achieve financial success -- whether it is their first car, first home, or counseling to repair or strengthen their financial standing -- for every stage of their lives.
First Abilene Federal Credit Union Practices Their Principles
Community Involvement: American Cancer Society Volunteer and previously Drive A Senior Northwest Volunteer.
SHEILA KIDD • Executive Vice President/ CFO
Seven Cooperative Principles keep FAFCU on track in member service and community involvement
How many years in the credit union industry? 21
By Sandy Lowe | HispanicLife Magazine
Job Description: Assist Credit Union Management and Board of Directors with financial planning, record keeping and financial reporting. Assist in budget management, cost-benefit analysis and financial forecasting needs.
It’s been a long time since seven Hendrick Medical Center employees pooled their savings into an old cigar box and began lending to their co-workers at lower rates than banks, the beginning of First Abilene Federal Credit Union. The First Abilene FCU of today is a financial cooperative, guided by Seven Cooperative Principles. According to the website of the International Cooperative Alliance, the modern cooperative movement was born in Lancashire, England in 1844 where the Rochdale Pioneers agreed to improve food supplies and use any surplus to benefit the community. That’s what First Abilene does too in the economic and financial industry.
Runnels, and Eastland Counties. Those members have the opportunity to participate in annually electing a board of eleven people who serve three-year terms. The local board leads First Abilene without direction from any national or corporate group, focusing on local needs, community situations and members’ concerns.
Strengths: 35 Years Financial Accounting Experience, Financial Analysis, HR Responsibilities
That service philosophy extends all the way to the front lobby where new President and CEO Troy Kyle’s office is located.
Community Involvement: Parents Who Care / Project Graduation, HEB Feast of Sharing, Abilene Tennis Association, CMN Legends Dove Hunt
The Seven Cooperative Principles
Principle #1: Voluntary and Open Membership Principle #2: Democratic Member Control Principle #3: Member’s Economic Participation Principle #4: Autonomy and Independence Principle #5: Education, Training, and Information Principle #6: Cooperation Among Cooperatives Principle #7: Concern for Community
The cooperative principles below resulted from the Rochdale movement and are the foundation for First Abilene’s vision as well as the values for cooperative organizations around the world. These principles sound wholesome and helpful, but what do they really mean? Here are some of the ways the Seven Cooperative Principles show in First Abilene’s daily business. First Abilene proudly serves those who live, work, worship, or attend school in, as well as businesses and other legal entities located in Taylor, Jones, Callahan, Nolan,
Years at First Abilene FCU? 21
“We have some new faces and a few new rules and regulations,” says Assistant Vice President for Business Development Megan Allred, “but that doesn’t mean we’re changing our values.”
Members’ interests come first. Mainstream, publicly traded banks focus on increasing short-term profits for the benefit of shareholders, who may have absolutely no relation to the bank’s customers. Cooperative organizations exist for their members and return benefits to their members. As a financial cooperative, First Abilene is owned by its members. “We’re a full-service financial institution,” Megan says, “And we’re consumer driven. We serve the everyday person.”
Favorite Part Of Your Job:Assisting our Board of Directors and awesome Management Team in molding the future of First Abilene FCU. Favorite Thing About A Financial Cooperative: Providing financial services and education to our membership and developing relationships to encourage their financial independence and success.
PAULA CLOWDUS • Vice President, Compliance Officer How many years in the credit union industry? 18 Years at First Abilene FCU? 18 Job Description: I work to ensure the credit union is in compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations. I monitor and review policies and procedures to implement the regulations. Strengths: I started as a part-time teller and have worked in most departments. I feel that this diversity is an asset in my current position. Favorite Part Of Your Job: There is always something new to learn and I enjoy the variety of duties. Favorite Thing About A Financial Cooperative: Our focus is people not profits. When we consider a new product or service, our focus is cost vs. benefit rather than how much money can it make. Community Involvement: Bryce Kennedy Memorial, Treasurer for 9 years. Leadership Abilene, Meals on Wheels, United Way CIRT, CMN Legends Dove Hunt
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Pick us up at Taqueria Riojas & Texas Workforce Center | COMMUNITY | 11
Continued from page 10...
First Abilene is a not-for-profit organization and any profits go back to products and services for members as well as increases in savings interest rates and reduction of loan interest rates. Strategy emphasizes economic empowerment and financial justice. The staff majors in sharing financial literacy, helping members determine what products and financial choices are best for their individual situation. “We partner with local nonprofits dedicated to economic development and financial education for all age ranges, to provide a comprehensive financial education program including free financial literacy workshops for teens and those entering the work force,” Megan says. The word “community” appears in First Abilene’s name, so a community connection is expected. But First Abilene goes the extra mile in addressing economic and social development in the area. Involvement takes the form of volunteerism, donations and sponsorships. You can even visit the web page at www. firstabilenefcu.org and see the recorded hours individual employees have spent volunteering for local nonprofits. The staff of twenty-six averages over 650 volunteer hours a year. Lofty, historic values are worthwhile only if they continue to guide daily goals and decisions. At First Abilene Federal Credit Union you can depend on the Seven Cooperative Principles and on a group of people involved in their community and focused on you.
MISTY HAYWARD • Vice President of Lending How many years in the credit union industry? 19 Years at First Abilene FCU? 9
JULIE WAGNER
Assistant Vice President/ Catclaw Branch Manager How many years in the credit union industry? 21, 39 years in financial services Years at First Abilene FCU? 6
Job Description: Manage the day-to-day operations of the consumer loan department. Set the strategic plan for the loan department to grow the credit union’s loan portfolio while providing loan services to members and cultivating relationships with potential members.
Strengths: Member Relations, Lending, Credit Counseling
Strengths: Analytical, Problem Solver, Credit Guidance, Lending & Product Knowledge
Favorite Part Of Your Job: Being able to help someone that had given up.
Favorite Part Of Your Job: Being able to provide a positive financial influence in my members’ lives, honoring their hard work and determination as they achieve their financial dreams.
Favorite Thing About A Financial Cooperative: Informal, Personable
Favorite Thing About A Financial Cooperative: We strive to strengthen the community and counties we serve through volunteering and support of local nonprofits. Also being able to be a leader and provider of integrating technology in all financial aspects for our members. Community Involvement: Leadership Abilene, United Way CIRT, Big Country Master Gardener, Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee, Kiwanis
VIRGINIA D’AMATO
Vice President of Information Technology How many years in the credit union industry? 14 Years at First Abilene FCU? 14 Job Description: Responsible for all equipment and software installation and maintenance, e-services, processing and debit card department. Strengths: Problem Solving, Core Operating System Knowledge, Our members know me by my British accent. Favorite Part Of Your Job: I never know what new challenges each day will bring. Favorite Thing About A Financial Cooperative: We strive to have more of a family relationship with our members and co-workers, which makes my commitment to the credit union stronger and more fulfilling.
Job Description: I oversee the cash and lending operations. I also continue to be a lender.
Community Involvement: wanis, Junior Achievement
Meals on Wheels, Ki-
ELAINE COFFMAN
Assistant Vice President / Pine Branch Manager How many years in the credit union industry? 19 Years at First Abilene FCU? 5.5 Job Description: Monitoring teller, new accounts & lending activity. Providing support to management in the daily operations of the credit union. Strengths: Managing employees, Consumer Lending, Credit Education, Front line duties Favorite Part Of Your Job: Working with FAFCU members and employees Favorite Thing About A Financial Cooperative: Helping members understand their financial business Community Involvement: Treasurer/ Volunteer Services Council- Abilene State Supported Living Center
12 | COMMUNITY | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Connecting The Community of Abilene & The Big Country
Required Food Handlers Courses Being Offered In Abilene By Jane Rowan | County Extension Agent/FCS, Taylor County
The “Texas Food Establishment Rules (TFER)” were revised and updated and became effective October, 2015. A major change in the revision now requires all food employees to complete an accredited food handlers training program within 60 days of employment, effective September, 2016. Two food handler courses accredited by the Texas Department of State Health Services are being offered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Taylor County. Food Safety: It’s In Your Hands is scheduled for Thursday – August 25, 2016 and repeated on Thursday – September 22, 2016. Both courses will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Extension office - 1982 Lytle Way, Abilene. The Extension office is located on the Taylor County Expo Center grounds. This 2-hour course will now be required for all food service employees to help promote the service of safe food. The certificate is good for 2 years and is valid anywhere in
the State of Texas. The course is a basic overview of food safety practices that are necessary to ensure that safe food is served at your establishment. Practices discussed include good personal hygiene, cross contamination, and time and temperature abuse. The class is taught in English but Spanish handouts are available if requested in advance. To register for the course, call the Taylor County Extension office at 325-672-6048. Registration can also be done inperson the day of the course. Cost is $20.00 per person and must be paid in full before the course begins. The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife.
Pick us up at Drug Emporium, Monterrey Mex Rest & Lytle Land & Cattle | COMMUNITY | 13
Bone Builders and Bone Breakers By Dennis Miller | Abilene Public Library
An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, according to a nutrition specialist who will present a workshop at the Abilene Public Library on how to prevent or at least delay and minimize this disease.
news is that bones are living, changing tissue that respond to bone building care throughout one’s lifetime. We can make lifelong bone health easier by understanding bones and their lifecycle.”
Dessire Armstrong with Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage will present “Bone Builders and Bone Breakers” on Tuesday, September 6 at 11 a.m. in the second floor auditorium of the Main Library at 202 Cedar Street. While targeted mainly to those over 55, the workshop is open to anyone and as with all library workshops, presented free of charge.
Ms. Armstrong has been with Natural Grocers since 2011. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and an associate of science degree in gerontology from Abilene Christian University. She maintains a nationally accredited personal training certification from the National Council of Strength and Fitness.
“Contrary to popular belief, simply drinking milk is not sufficient to keep bones healthy,” according to Ms. Armstrong. “The good
While most library programs begin at 6:30 p.m., those interested in attending are reminded to note that this program will begin at 11 a.m. and last about an hour. An elevator is available for anyone having difficulty with stairs.
14 | COMMUNITY | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
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. Advertise Today! Call (325) 701-9505
Day Nursery of Abilene will host 8th Annual Putt “Fore” Children Miniature Golf Tournament By Cynthia Pearson | Day Nursery of Abilene The Day Nursery of Abilene will host its 8th Annual Putt “Fore” Children Miniature Golf Tournament fundraising event on Saturday, October 1, 2016, at the PrimeTime Family Entertainment Center located at 4541 Loop 322 in Abilene.
We are excited about an affordable event that will attract children, their parents, youth and others alike to come out and have fun. And all for a good cause! Team registration deadline is Sept. 9th. Register your team soon to participate in this fun family event!
There will be two shotgun starts; one at 9:45 am and one at 11:00 am. Teams of four golfers will compete for cash prizes to be awarded during lunch. Teams are encouraged to pick a themed team name and dress the part. A costume contest prize will be awarded. A professional photographer will provide team photos.
Visit our website www.daynurseryabilene.org for more information.
TxDOT schedules public meetings seeking input on Interstate 20 By Mary Belle Turner | Texas Department of Transportation
TxDOT is gearing up to host a series of public meetings throughout the Abilene district to gather feedback and ideas about Interstate 20. The agency is seeking input to identify roadway improvement opportunities for the interstate by reaching out to communities and interested citizens for input and comments. These meetings are part of a district-wide safety study to explore possible safety enhancements to the I-20 corridor in the Abilene district. Experts will be available at each meeting to discuss issues and ideas with stakeholders in the community, and all input will be considered as the agency moves forward in developing a plan that will enhance the safety of this corridor while preparing for future growth. Meetings will be presented in a come-and-go open house format, and there will be no formal presentation.
Abilene - Tuesday, Sept. 6th • 4 – 8 p.m. TxDOT Training Center, 4210 Clack St. Sweetwater - Tuesday, Sept. 13th • 4 – 8 p.m. TSTC Seminar Room, 300 Homer K. Taylor Drive Colorado City & Loraine - Tuesday, Sept. 20th • 4 – 8 p.m. St. Ann’s Church, 2005 Walnut St. - Colorado City Big Spring - Tuesday, Sept. 27th • 4 – 8 p.m. Dora Roberts Community Center, 100 Whipkey Drive Interested individuals are encouraged to attend and exchange ideas about the future of I-20. Attendees will have the opportunity to complete a survey either at the meeting or on TxDOT’s website www.txdot.gov, by searching for keyword “Abilene I-20,” where they may also sign up for updates and review additional information.
Pick us up at Primetime Family Entertainment, Sears Rec Center & Kentucky Fried Chicken | COMMUNITY | 15
The 2016 Fall Luncheon
Thursday, September 15th at the Abilene Civic Center featuring Rosalind Wiseman Wiseman is most famously the author of Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World—the groundbreaking, best-selling book that was the basis for the movie Mean Girls. A sought-after speaker on bullying, parenting, ethical leadership, and the use of social media, Wiseman’s presentations transcend cultural and economic boundaries in her appeal to ensure children’s and teenagers’ wellbeing. For ticket information: visit www. allianceforwomenandchildren.org / or call 325-677-5321
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Tickets now on sale for Golden Zoobilation 50th Anniversary celebration to be held September 24 By Kelly Thompson | Marketing & Development Coordinator, Abilene Zoo
The Abilene Zoological Society will wrap up the Caribbean, Africa, and of course, Texas. a year of wild celebration with a party: Gold- They’ll pair these bites with complementary en Zoobilation: Brews & Barbeques. beverages. Guests must be 21 and older to attend, and tickets are now available in the Set for the evening of Saturday, Sept. 24, Zoo Store and online at http://abilenezoo. Golden Zoobilation will mark the Abilene org/calendar-of-events-2016/zoobilationZoo’s 50th anniversary brews-and-barbeques with dining and dancing About the Abilene Zoo: among the beasts, as well Since its founding in 1966, as a tribute to longtime the Abilene Zoo has stood AZS member Donald Mcas a place of learning and Donald, who has served adventure, where visitors on the board since 1965. make memories, share the joy of discovery and become inspired to preserve wildlife. Situated on 16 acres in the award-winning Grover Nelson Park, the zoo has more than 1000 animals of 270 species from around the globe. The zoo is open 9 a.m. “We’ve booked the talentto 5 p.m. daily. Last admited musicians of Freeride tance is 4 p.m. The zoo is for entertainment, and open until 9 p.m. each Thurswe’re cooking up a menu Donald McDonald will be honored at this day all summer, with last Golden Zoobilation for 50 years of serthat will be an internation- year’s vice on the Abilene Zoological Society board. admittance at 8 p.m. Tickets al culinary experience,” are $7 for adults, $4.50 for Sutton said. “Our silent children ages 3-12, $6 for seauction feature items you can only get from niors aged 60 and older. Members are admitted the zoo – art created by animals and even a free. www.abilenezoo.org. 325-676-6085.
With that in mind, Zoobilation Chairman Thora Sutton and her committee are creating a memorable evening for a herd of safari chic-clad guests.
giraffe sculpture comprised of pieces from Mission Statement: The Abilene Zoo is a place the old Highneck Bridge.” of learning and adventure, where families make
The group hopes to titillate taste buds with memories, share the joy of discovery and become a bill of fare featuring barbecue recipes from inspired to preserve wildlife.
16 | COMMUNITY | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Connecting The Community of Abilene & The Big Country
Shrimp, Wine, Music – Oh My
Pick us up at Communities of Abilene FCU, SBDC & Lytle Land & Cattle | COMMUNITY | 17
KLGD 106.9 FM Celebrates The 2nd Annual Shrimp & Wine Festival in Downtown Abilene By Caitlin Richards | HispanicLife Magazine
Everyone knows how to pair wine with beef, chicken and fish- but what about shrimp? Is it the same as fish? The KLGD 2nd Annual Shrimp and Wine Festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016 can help you out. Put on by The Country Giant KLGD 106.9 FM from 1 – 11 p.m. Cypress Street between North 2nd Street and North 3rd Street will be full of excellent food, wine and live music. “We are looking to establish fun, family activities in downtown Abilene,” Jim Vance, president and general manager of KLGD, said. “The goal is to not keep Abilene boring while giving back to the community because we are a community involved station.” Richard Kemp, KLGD reporter, who gives the farm and ranch report said Abilene and the Big Country now has 10-12 vineyards. With the growth of the wine industry in the area, KLGD wanted to establish an event to promote local wineries, as well as Texas wineries. “We didn’t have a wine festival to support the local wine and grape industry,” Kemp said. “So last year we put it together and it became very successful. This year it is going to be even better.” The festival will feature local vineyards like the Winery at Willow Creek and Trails End Vineyard and , plus Texas vineyards like Brennan Vineyards and Becker Vineyards. They will be setup up and down Cypress Street to do wine tastings. “We are inviting all of the Go Texan vineyards and wineries to be supportive,” Kemp said. “We hope to have Miranda Lambert’s winery, Red 55, come out too.” Of course, there can’t be wine without food. KLGD has invited Abilene food trucks and restaurants to come out and participate. Stillwater BBQ, Wayne’s World Comfort Cuisine, the Sweet Side and Vagabond Pizza are a couple of food trucks
that will be there. In addition to the food trucks, restaurants like Cypress Street and Lytle Land and Cattle will be preparing special shrimp dishes. “They will be grilling and sautéing shrimp like Bubba Gump’s, how many different ways can you sauté shrimp,” Kemp said. While enjoying excellent wine and tasty food, a variety of local and Texas artists will take the Bud Light Stage to perform live music. This year’s line up includes: Francie Krienitz, Greg Young, Amber Leigh White, Will Carter, the Cornell Hurd Band, Holly Tucker and SA Lights a Journey Tribute Band. “Come prepared to have some fun and bring your dancing shoes,” Kemp said. While the event is a whole lot of fun, the goal is to educate the community on the importance of agriculture and how diverse it is in the Big Country. In the Abilene area, one out of every seven people Kemp said has an agriculture-related job. Making agriculture a huge economic indicator. “Growing grapes is another component of our growing agricultural commodities here in the Big Country,” Kemp said. “The wine and grape industry is just getting started here. So, we want to support that as much as we can.” Looking toward 2017, KLGD is planning on hosting a big farm and ranch expo to promote agriculture, as well. Be on the look out for details about this event. “We pride ourselves on putting on our own events to help Abilene,” Vance said. “We create events that we feel will be helpful to the revitalization of the downtown and greater community.” Admission to the festival is free. So come check it out and be a part of the Big Country’s wine and grape industry grass roots. For more information, call KLGD at 325-701-7820.
18 | COMMUNITY | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
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08
OCTober
. Advertise Today! Call (325) 518-7091
Abilene Civic Center
9 am - 3 pm
FREE ADMISSION Opening Ceremony 8:30 am
Family Texas Tech Food! Mariachi Los FUN! Matadores Children’s Games & Activities
Hispanic Ballet Heritage Folklórico! Display Contact Kim Bosher for more information at 325.677.7241
Pick us up at First Financial Bank inside both WalMart’s | EDUCATION | 19
Student Walks Down the Road to Recovery By Mercedez Hernandez | HispanicLife Media
On an evening in early February, Stamford na- ways remind myself that some people have it tive Alex Ortega and two friends were driving worse, some people have lost both legs, some along US Highway 277 -until suddenly they people didn’t even make it.” weren’t. The biggest challenge, Ortega said, has been Ortega, the driver of the vehicle, was overtaken by sleep for just a moment when –CRASHa loud noise jolted him awake. Ortega opened his eyes and saw plumes of smoke erupting from the front of his car, he had hit a guardrail. A passerby saw the accident and called an ambulance and Ortega was removed from the mangled mess. Under the bright West Texas stars, Ortega lay on the ground, knowing he was injured but not how severely, and waited for help to arrive. As the young man laid on the side of the road, the stars slowly faded to black. He woke up one month later in a Fort Worth hospital.
“We’re never going to be able to repay what they’ve done for us,” Refugio said, teary-eyed. When Ortega first began his physical therapy at HealthSouth about two months after being moved from John Peter Smith hospital in Fort Worth to Hendrick Medical Center, his physical therapist, Jay Tapia, had the young man set a goal. Ortega said that goal was to walk across the stage at his high school graduation to claim his diploma.
The two other passengers in the vehicle were unharmed but Ortega sustained severe injuries in the crash, forcing doctors to amputate his left leg. “I was really drugged up and I just remember looking down and I saw one leg looked shorter than the other,” Ortega said. “So I asked the nurse why one leg looked shorter than the other, but it never really hit me that I got my leg amputated.” Ortega’s father, Robert, remembers when he and Ortega’s mother, Refugio, got the call that their son had been in an accident. “I didn’t believe it,” Robert said. “We were actually in Midland when it happened so we went from straight from there to Fort Worth that night.” Although Ortega had been in a severe accident, his parents said they knew their boy was a fighter. Even today, Ortega said he views he views his situation as a challenge, not a tragedy.
gether around Ortega’s family, with support in the form of prayer circles, hospital visits and multiple fundraising events like school basketball games. His physical therapy hospital, HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Abilene, even threw Ortega a prom at the facility, complete with all his friends dolled up in dresses and tuxes and a dance with his girlfriend, Miya Sanchez.
After weeks of training, Ortega, who had gone from only being able to move his arms, was now able to walk 10 feet on the facility’s parallel bars. As graduation approached, Ortega said that distance multiplied and 10 feet expanded to 130 feet. Ortega went from training at HealthSouth to West Texas Rehabilitation Center, giving up his independence and having to rely where physical therapists began to help Ortega on other people, and when he needs extra mo- polish the progress he had made with Tapia at tivation, he said he looks for it from family and HealthSouth. friends and remembers a quote from the boxing movie, Rocky. The night before he was due to walk across the stage, Ortega said nervousness began to set in “It’s not about how hard you hit, it’s about how and he wanted to back out of his plan. hard you get hit and keep moving forward,” Ortega said.
That’s what Ortega has been doing ever since, “I look at this as a challenge,” Ortega said. “I and not by himself either. The community of see myself as a person who can take it. I al- Stamford and its surrounding areas came to-
Continued on page 21
Free Child Safety Seat Check-Up Event & Safety Day Sept. 24, 2016 | 8 a.m. to Noon HEB Parking Lot 1345 Barrow St., Abilene Certified technicians will: Provide hands on instructions on how to correctly place a child in a child safety seat and assist parents/caregivers with installation of their child’s safety seat in the vehicle. Each seat will require approximately 30 minutes of time.
This is a project of the D.R.I.V.E. Safe Coalition. Fun and events for the entire family. Various child-focused vendors will also be available.
20 | EDUCATION | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Connecting The Community of Abilene & The Big Country
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Pick us up at Monterrey Mexican Restaurant, H.E.B. & CISCO College | EDUCATION | 21
Continued from page 19, “Student Walks Down Road to Recovery”
Interested in Volunteering at the Zoo? The Abilene Zoo will be hosting an information meeting on volunteer opportunities that are available at the zoo.
“I told my parents that I would just wait for to study kinesiology. He wants to be a coach everybody to leave,” Ortega said. “But my dad and impact kids’ lives the way his coaches had pushed me and I decided I could do it.” impacted his. At the ceremony, after a heartfelt speech from Ortega and his family would like to thank evTapia and a slew of graduates before him, eryone in the Stamford community and surOrtega walked across the rounding areas for their unwavstage and achieved his ering support and the medical goal, something Tapia said teams that helped Ortega along was remarkable. the way: John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Hendrick “Going back to day one Medical Center, HealthSouth and starting that journey Rehabilitation Hospital and with him, I knew that West Texas Rehabilitation. all the praying I did for the strength to get him there – the prayers were answered,” Tapia said. “When you have those kind of special moments in life, there are no words. To see him do that and be a part of something so special, I can definitely say that was one of the most special moments of my life.” Ortega said he plans to attend Angelo State University in the near future
The meeting will take place in Classroom A in the administration building on Saturday, Sept. 17th at 10 a.m. During this meeting, we will go discuss the areas in which people can volunteer, hours available to volunteer and answer any questions. If you have any questions, you may email your questions to abilene.zoo@abilenetx.com or call 325-676-6451. Volunteer applications will be available to fill out or you may bring the completed form with you. Volunteer applications can be found online at http://abilenezoo.org/support-the-zoo/volunteer/
22 | EDUCATION | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
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Abilene Kids Prime Themselves for the Annual Mathnasium TriMathlon Contest By Mac Leavell | Center Director, Mathnasium of Abilene
Abilene students are getting ready to test their math skills while raising funds for local schools. Mathnasium’s Annual TriMathlon is a community event designed to encourage kids in grades 2 to 5 to engage in math while giving back to schools. Mathnasium will donate money to local schools on behalf of TriMathlon participants, targeting an aggregate donation of about $40,000 throughout the U.S.! The TriMathlon consists of three events: •Magic Squares, where students are awarded points for developing their own math problems. •The Counting Game, which tests students’ ability to count from any number, to any number, by any number. •Mental Math Workout, which asks students to solve problems without a pencil and paper in order to showcase their number sense. The competition, open to students in 2nd through 5th grade, will be held at 9:00 AM on November 5 at the Abilene Mathnasium Learning Center at 3230 S. 27th St. Winners at each grade level will compete against other local winners from across the country
for the National Grand Prize the following weekend. Participation is free and open to all Abilene students—kids do not need to be enrolled in a Mathnasium center to join the fun. All contestants will receive goody bags for their effort and participation, while winners will be recognized with medals for their accomplishments. Mathnasium is also donating $10 to the school of each participant. To register or for more information on the Mathnasium TriMathlon for students in the Abilene area, please contact Mac Leavell, owner of the Abilene Mathnasium center, at (325) 690-0579 or abilene@mathnasium. com, or visit www.mathnasiumtrimathlon. com. About Mathnasium • Mathnasium, the nation’s lead-
ing math-only learning center franchise, specializes in teaching kids math in a way that makes sense to them. The result of 40+ years of instruction and research, the Mathnasium Method has transformed the way children understand and appreciate math— whether they’re ahead of the curve, performing at grade level, or falling behind. Franchising since 2003, Mathnasium has become one of the fastestgrowing educational franchises, with two new centers opening each week. There are more than 700 Mathnasium franchises in the U.S. and abroad. For more information, visit www.mathnasium.com.
Pick us up at H.E.B., CISCO College & China Star | EDUCATION | 23
24 | EDUCATION | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Connecting The Community of Abilene & The Big Country
New Civic Orchestra of Abilene Formed by Three Universities By Linnea Kirgan | Coordinator of Media Relations and Social Media, HSU
Peliculas en Espanol: “Stand and Deliver” Sept. 8 at 5:30PM, Main Library
Sinopsis de la Pelicula: Jaime Escalante es un profesor de matemáticas en una escuela en un barrio hispano. Convencido de que sus alumnos tienen potencial, él adopta no convencionales métodos de enseñanza ayuda a miembros de pandillas y no hopers pasan el riguroso examen de colocación avanzada de cálculo. Family Flix: “Inside Out” Sept. 10 at 11:00AM, South Branch Library Movie Summary: After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.
Mockingbird Movies: “Point Break” Sept. 12 at 6:30PM, Mockingbird Branch Library
Movie Summary: A young FBI agent infiltrates an extraordinary team of extreme sports athletes he suspects of masterminding a string of unprecedented, sophisticated corporate heists.
Family Flix: “Mulan” Sept. 17 at 3:00PM, Main Library
Movie Summary: To save her father from death in the army, a young maiden secretly goes in his place and becomes one of the China’s greatest heroines in the process.
Teen Flix: “Captain America Civil War” Sept. 20 at 6:00PM, Main Library
Movie Summary: Political interference in the Avengers’ activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man. Now the Avengers are split in their alliances, leading to a clash between the superheroes while also introducing Black Panther and Spider-Man.
Hardin-Simmons University has recently joined with McMurry and Abilene Christian University to form a new civic orchestra.
about the possibility of serving the musical needs of the students and the community of Abilene,” said Tucker.
“This is an exciting opportunity for our students and a grand collaboration of all three universities,” said Dr. Robert Tucker, Dean of the College of Fine Arts.
The fundraising campaign to fully endow the HSU orchestra and its two full-time string teaching positions will continue. Learn more about this effort at: https://connect.hsutx.edu/ fundhsu.
The three colleges recently formed the Civic Orchestra of Abilene through a Memorandum of Understanding. The new ensemble will be comprised of students from all three universities, as well as community members, and will conducted by Dr. Steven Ward. A similar collegiate orchestra had been successful in Abilene in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. A new component of this orchestra is the added element of community members participating.
Mockingbird Movies: “The Muppets Take Manhattan” Sept. 24 at 2:30PM,
The opportunity arose this year following the announcement by HSU that its orchestra program would be discontinued in 2017.
Mockingbird Movies: “Spare Parts” Oct. 10 at 6:30PM, Mockingbird Branch Library
“After announcing the loss of our two fulltime string positions, McMurry, Abilene Christian, and Hardin-Simmons met to see
Mockingbird Branch Library Movie Summary: Kermit and his friends go to New York to get their musical on Broadway only to find it’s a more difficult task than they anticipated. Movie Summary: Four Hispanic high school students form a robotics club. With no experience, 800 bucks, used car parts and a dream, this rag tag team goes up against the country’s reigning robotics champion, MIT.
Peliculas en Espanol: “McFarland USA” Oct. 13 at 5:30PM, Main Library
Sinopsis de la Pelicula: Jim White se mueve a su familia tras perder su último trabajo como un entrenador de fútbol. Ve que algunos de los estudiantes valen a partir de un equipo a campo través y convierte siete estudiantes sin esperanza en uno de los mejores equipos a campo través.
Rehearsals for the Civic Orchestra of Abilene will be on Tuesday afternoons for string players and the full orchestra will meet on Thursday evenings. The first performance will be Thursday, November 3rd at 7:30 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium on the ACU Campus. Tucker said the new civic orchestra will enrich participating HSU students, as well as the Big Country region. “We sincerely appreciate the vision of those who love orchestral music and the desire to provide this valuable experience for music students as well as the community of Abilene,” said Tucker. Please visit the website for more information: http://www.civicorchabilene.org.
Pick us up at China Star, Abilene Public Library & Martinez Barber Shop | EDUCATION | 25
Get your Business Degree
Boost Your Child’s Self-Confidence This Back-to-School Season
By Brett Blumenthal | Author, Artist and Speaker, SheerBalance.com and TinyToesDesign.com
McMurry University offers an online bachelor’s degree in business that fits your life and goals. The McMurry Online Degree program will provide you with a quality education and the real-world skills employers are demanding and help you thrive in today’s complex business world. Admission to the program requires students to be at least 24 years old and not enrolled at McMurry for the last two full semesters. The online courses are offered every eight weeks, and most students will take two courses during each term. Tuition for the program is very affordable and financial aid is available for students who qualify.
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The “Back to School” season is in full swing. Although many of us are excited to see our kids off to a new school year, many of us can’t help but wonder (and sometimes worry), that although our children will embark on the year confident and self-assured, they may leave the school-year less so. This is a valid concern: In research out of California, “80 percent of the kids entering in the first grade scored high on a self-esteem inventory. By the fifth grade, only 20 percent of them were scoring high. And by the time they graduated from high school, it was down to five percent.” As a speaker, I’ve addressed a wide range of audiences — big and small, domestic and global, consumer and corporate — and what I’ve come to find is that the topic of self-confidence consumes many of my audience members, particularly those of whom are parents. They worry their children aren’t comfortable in their own skin and don’t feel good about themselves. They worry about the effects of peer pressure. And, they worry their children may grow up with confidence issues. Inevitably, at the end of almost every speaking engagement, a parent comes up to me and asks, “How can you instill self-confidence in your kids?” It is no secret that our childhood has a huge impact on how we feel about ourselves as adults. And so, what better time to lay the groundwork for healthy self-esteem, self-talk and self-belief than during childhood? If we can empower our children, they will become empowered adults. If we can inspire them to be themselves, and to swim upstream, no matter how challenging it might be, then they will grow up to be healthy-minded and confident. If we can instill the values necessary to help them feel good about themselves, no matter how “different” they may be, or how “unpopular” they may feel, then they
may grow up to be secure in who they are. So, how might you instill confidence in your child as they enter the new school year?
Talk to Them:
The new school year is a perfect opportunity to talk to your child about the doubts they may have (if any), what they are looking forward to, and what they hope to get out of the school year. If they do have any doubts or fears, talking to them may help them gain better perspective, so they don’t feel so fearful. And of course, encouraging them to talk to you throughout the school year is of great importance, as well.
Give a Gift of Inspiration:
A picture says a thousand words. I remember as a child getting back-to-school gifts that would “pump me up” for the school year. Whether it was a plaque with an inspirational quote or a triumphant mouse figurine, it sent a beautiful message: believe in yourself. I recently launched my Inspiration Art Series for kids. The series isn’t just about artwork, it is about inspiring kids to feel confident and develop self-esteem through art and story. For instance, my first piece — Silver’s Magic — focuses on embracing unique qualities and loving yourself for those unique traits.
Avoid Comparisons: “Why can’t
you be like your brother?” “Why didn’t you get an “A” like Sally?” Even if you don’t verbally communicate these messages, this type of thinking can do great damage. When we compare our children to others, it sends them a message: “You aren’t good enough as you are. You need to be different.” Not only does this eat away at their self-esteem, but it drives a wedge in your relationship. Encourage them to be themselves and if they don’t perform at a level you think is realistic, play detective. Understand the “why” behind performance slip-ups instead of focusing on the actual outcome.
26 | EDUCATION | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
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Community steps up for Walk for Graduates By Abilene Independent School District
The Board of Trustees and Abilene ISD are hosting a community walk to search for students who are not enrolled for the 2016 - 2017 school year. As a community and school district partnership effort, “Every Student Counts: Abilene ISD Walk for Graduates” is a door-todoor program to recover students who are not in school. When students are not in class at the beginning of the school year, trained volunteers will go to their homes, offer encouragement and support, and provide information on the latest, most innovative programs available to When: Saturday, Sept. 17 help them find their Time: 9:30 a.m.—12:30 p.m. way back to the Where: One AISD Center classroom.
SCHEDULE
9:30- 10 a.m. - Registration and Continental Breakfast 10 - 10:30 a.m. - Volunteer Training 10:30 a.m. – Noon - Abilene ISD Walk for Graduates Noon – 12:30 pm - Return Materials
Abilene ISD wants each student not only to graduate from high school but also be prepared for postsecondary opportunities.
We need the community’s involvement to help us reach these students and ensure that they get that diploma. The community’s help is vital to the success of the walk!! Abilene ISD invites anyone 18 or over to participate in the event. You may sign up by visiting www.abileneisd.org and clicking on the “Every Student Counts AISD Walk for Graduates” story to register online. For more information contact Jeff Brokovich at jeffrey.brokovich@abileneisd.org or at 325-677-1444, ext. 5525.
Pick us up at La Familia Mexican Restaurant & YMCA on State St. | EDUCATION | 27
28 | EDUCATION | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Hendrick Health System Donates to TSTC Digital Media Design Program By Debra Gonzalez | TSTC Communications
Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene is bringing the dream of a college education a little bit closer for students of the Digital Media Design program at Texas State Technical College.
vivorship Program event, the Survivorship Culinary Showdown. “The Digital Media students created the event’s intro video,” Hollis said. “We also created the postcard sent for the event and the program, did photography and hosted a live feed of the event.”
Hendrick has donated $2,500 to TSTC’s Make a Texas-Sized Difference Campaign, helping to offer the Texan Success Scholarship to new students in the program. The funds allow TSTC to give students $500 scholarships to be used toward equipment they will need in the program. The TSTC Foundation matches donated funds for this campaign, so the Digital Media Design department will have $5,000 in scholarships to award.
Thursday, September 15th at 11:45am The Abilene Civic Center
Norm Archibald, vice president of development at the Hendrick Medical Center Foundation, said Hendrick was proud to partner with TSTC and the Digital Media Design department. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with the young talent in our community, and we’re excited to have a hand in helping students reach their educational goals,” Archibald said.
Christina Hollis, division director of Computer Information Systems and Design at TSTC, said the scholarships will help students get a head start.
About TSTC
Texas State Technical College serves Texas through 10 campuses in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood, “Not all students have Fort Bend County, Harlinthe funds to purchase a gen, Marshall, North Texas, laptop at the beginning Sweetwater, Waco and Wilof our program,” Hollis liamson County. TSTC is said. “These funds will Linda Neill, Manager of Education Services the only college in Texas help those students hit at Hendrick Medical Center (L) hands the to adopt a funding model the ground running the donation check to Christina Hollis, Division based entirely on student first day of class with Director of Computer Information Systems employment outcomes the technology they and Design at TSTC. aligning with its purpose of need to be successful.” strengthening Texas with a highly skilled, technically competent workforce. A longstanding partnership, TSTC’s Digital Founded in 1965, TSTC celebrated 50 years of Media Design and Culinary Arts departments service to the State of Texas in 2015.
helped with Hendrick’s annual Cancer Sur-
Saturday, October 1st TEAM REGISTRATION DEADLINE September 9th! Register your team soon to participate in this fun family event.
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Pick us up at Texas Cosmetology School, Mr. Gatti’s & La Popular Bakery | EDUCATION | 29
McMurry University To Offer Online Bachelor’s Degree in Business By Gary Ellison | Associate Director Communications, McMurry University
McMurry University will be offering Abilene’s only online bachelor’s degree in business beginning in mid-October, University officials announced today. “Based on research we conducted to determine the viability of the market for this degree, there are more than 9,000 people in Abilene with at least some college hours,” said McMurry University President Dr. Sandra Harper. “The online bachelor’s degree in business will provide them with the ability to finish their degree in business as well as offer non-traditional age students without college experience a more flexible way to earn a college degree.” “McMurry Online Degree (MOD) also aligns with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board strategic plan for the State of Texas 60X30TX, which aims to position Texas among the highest achieving states in the country and maintain global competitiveness. The overarching goal of 60X30TX is that 60 percent of young adults (25-34 years) in Texas will hold some type of post-secondary credential by 2030.” Admission to the program requires students to be at least 24 years old, not enrolled at McMurry for the last two full semesters and have a GPA of at least 2.0. Online courses are offered every eight weeks, and most students take two courses each term. The 120 hour degree can be completed in four years or less, depending on the amount of transfer work accepted and the course load taken each term. Tuition for the program is very affordable and financial aid is available for degree-seeking students who qualify.
“An online degree in business from the McMurry Online Degrees program will prepare graduates with the values, knowledge and skills to apply business principles in a wide array of settings, from small business to a large employer,” said Dr. Paul Mason, the new Dean of the School of Business. “The program will provide our students with a quality education and the real-world skills employers are demanding and help them thrive in today’s complex business world.” The degree provides a foundation from accounting and statistics to management, marketing and finance. Courses offered in ethics, organizational behavior, management of information systems, and business and professional communication round out the program. General education coursework and elective options are available and selected to support the Business degree plan. Graduating students complete their studies with a capstone class focusing on integrating the core requirements and fundamental topics of marketing, finance, accounting, management, and economics. Students work in teams, as senior level management would, in roles like CEO and president, to manage and make decisions for their simulated company. This is the first offering in the University’s new McMurry Online Degrees program. For more information on the online business degree program, contact admission advisor Melanie Long at 325-793-4945 or mlong@ mcm.edu.
30 | EDUCATION | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
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ACU News
Occupational Therapy Program Graduates First Class By ACU News
ACU’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program has received national accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
“I’m very thankful for the accreditation news,” said program director and chair Dr. Hope Martin. “I’m also thankful for the tremendous support from the OT faculty and staff, Abilene community, ACU administration and faculty, and the quality students in our program. I consider it a true blessing that we now have a Christian occupational therapy program in Texas.” ACU’s OT program applied for accreditation before the first classes started in fall 2014 and underwent a rigorous process that included an onsite evaluation in June.
The program graduated its first cohort of 22 students Aug. 5. Those graduates are now eligible to sit for the national certification examination to become licensed occupational therapists. ACU’s program is the first faith-based OT program in Texas.
ACOTE is recognized as the accrediting agency for occupational therapy education by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The accreditation demonstrates the quality of ACU’s occupational therapy curriculum and its alignment with national standards.
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AISD: New faces; New places
Pick us up at Golden Chick, Enterprise Bldg. & Armando’s Mexican Restaurant | EDUCATION | 31
By Abilene Independent School District
New faces. Familiar faces in different places. As we approach the fourth Monday in August, the 2016-17 school year will be no different than any school year: new administrators joining the district and changes in duties for some AISD veterans. Most of the major administrative announcements occurred before the conclusion of last year, but others were made over the summer months. One AISD Center: As announced in May, the Curriculum and Instruction Department has new leadership as Dr. Abigayle Barton comes to the district. Dr. Barton has been an administrator in the C&I Department in Corpus Christi ISD for several years. Dr. Joe Alcorta, who has served as Director of Personnel, is now the Executive Director of Human Resources, and Kari Leong is now an Executive Director for Student Services. Ryder Apple-ton comes from Waxahachie ISD to be the new Director of Career & Technical Education. Former campus administrators – Carla Garrett of Austin Elementary and Gustavo Villanueva of Abilene High – are now Exec-utive Directors of Elementary and Secondary Education. Jeff Brokovich, who led the Elementary Education office before admirably filling in as principal of Ortiz Elementary last spring, is now the Executive Director of Instructional Support. He assumes the role formerly held by Billy Stone, who retired in December.
for Randy Gover, who accepted a position with another district. Secondary: New principals at Abilene High and two middle schools highlight the changes for 2016-17. Robert Morrison, who was principal at Sweeny High School, succeeds the retiring Jennifer Raney at AHS. Rod-
changes among secondary administrators. Patricia Anderson moves into Villanueva’s former position as Associate Principal at AHS, and Jeff Howle comes over from Clack to become an AHS assistant principal. Lori Ladyman also joins the AHS team as 9th Grade Academy instructional specialist. She previously served as assistant principal at Woodson
At the middle school level, Don Kuciemba is the new assistant principal at Clack and is joined there by Joshua Newton, who moves from Madison to become Clack’s new instructional specialist. At Madison, Wyatt’s new administrative team includes two new assistants, Stephanie Hammer (AHS Language Arts teacher) and Brent Cofer (Breckenridge ISD). Dr. Lisa McCool, who served as principal at Long Elementary School, is a new assistant principal at Mann. Elementary: Four new elementary principals were named last spring: • Austin Elementary – Alison Camp, who was the instructional coordinator at Ward Elementary; • Bonham Elementary – Stevanie Jackson, previously the 9th Grade Academy instructional specialist at Cooper; • Jackson Elementary – Deb Hollingsworth, promoted from instructional coordinator at Jackson to replace the retiring Roy Sharp; and • Ortiz Elementary – Debra Stewart, who was the 9th Grade Academy instructional specialist at AHS.
Also announced this summer is the addition of six new assistant principals at the elementary level. Each of the new administrators will share duties at two campuses. They are Leslye Roberts (Johnston, Lee); Kevin Wellborn (Bonham, Bowie); Misty Caddell (Austin, Jackson); Tabitha New principals for 2016-17: (front row from left) Stevanie Jackson, Bonham; Deb Hollingsworth, Jackson; Robert Morrison, Coffman (Taylor, Thomas); Gretchen AHS; (back row from left) Debra Stewart, Ortiz; Alison Camp, Austin; Tina Wyatt, Madison; and Todd Bramwell, Clack. Reicheneker (Dyess, Reagan); and Cody ney Brown also retired as principal at Clack Center for Excellence. At Cooper, Jay Ashby Martin (Bassetti, Ward). Another former campus principal, Cyndi Middle School and will be succeeded by Todd moves from assistant principal to 9th Grade Two campuses, Martinez and Ortiz, will conSmith of Madison Middle School, is now the Bramwell, who was a junior high administra- Academy instructional specialist, and Marlyn tinue to be served by their assistants – Mary Director of Professional Development. tor in Red Oak ISD. Meanwhile, Tina Wyatt, Young, formerly of Madison Middle School, Helen Gonzalez at Martinez and Mike Kinformerly principal at Bonham Elementary, is comes to CHS as an assistant principal. Mon- slow at Ortiz. In one other districtwide move, former AHS the new principal at Madison Middle School. ica Warn-Walker moves from the downtown assistant principal Rene McAden is the new C&I department to become the assistant prinDirector of Transportation as she takes over In addition, there are more new faces and cipal at Woodson Center for Excellence.
32 | EDUCATION | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
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Top 10 Habits to Break as a Family By AllPro Dad.com
If you have had multiple kids in diapers at the same time, you know that it’s survival mode time. A friend of mine was telling me that when his kids were that age, he and his wife would be so tired they would want to lay down to watch their favorite TV shows at the end of the day. The problem was that they liked different shows. So they agreed to watch in separate rooms. It wasn’t bad once in a while, but it formed a habit, even after their kids were older. Eventually, their marriage reached a difficult place. Breaking habits like that was the beginning of restoration. There are lots of not-so-great choices families make once in a while with no major consequences. But when those choices become habits, you’ve got a problem. Such is the case with most of these 10 negative habits to kick. If you see them making regular appearances in your family’s life, act fast to correct them. Here are 10 family habits to break.
1. Fast food
The nutrition you get for the calories, sodium, and fat grams you consume is a bad deal. If you find yourself feeding your family from a paper bag with grease stains every few days (or more), it’s time to cut back.
2. Bickering
Some families, especially those with teenagers, find themselves in tense, argumentative conversations over and over all day long. But it doesn’t have to be that way nor should it be. Make a conscious effort to curb the sarcastic or argumentative comments you make as a parent, and demand that your children speak to one another with love and respect, too.
3. Disorganization
For a busy family, organization is a must. [Tweet This] It starts with keeping a great calendar of everyone’s activities and should trickle down to kids keeping their own work
and assignments in order.
do this have happier, healthier kids and parents.
4. Wasteful spending
7. Screen time overload
Making everyone aware of how little expenses add up can turn the family budget around substantially. Help your kids break habits like buying bottled water or soda when they’re out and about and bring a reusable water bottle instead. Eat at home more and dine out less
If you or your kids are spending more than an hour or so a day in front of a screen (TV, computer, video game, etc.), you’re probably spending too much. Families who have major electronic addictions have higher rates of obesity and other health problems. Plus they’re missing out on countless other worthwhile things like reading, outdoor play, games together, and great communication about things that truly matter.
8. Skipping church
Make worship and family church activities a priority. This will pay greater dividends in the life of your family than anything else you can do. It will establish a good habit that will be important to their own spiritual growth and health long after they leave your care.
(see #1). Teach your kids to take care of expensive sports equipment and school shoes so they don’t have to be replaced as often. It all adds up quickly. If you need financial advice, our friends at brightpeak financial can offer help.
9. Hiring help for all the tough chores
For busy suburban families, there’s a great temptation to simplify things by hiring help for all major tasks: housecleaning, yard work, etc. But if your kids never have to pitch in to get these everyday jobs done, how will they ever know how to do them well or appreciate what goes into them? Do your kids a favor by reserv5. Overscheduling ing some key jobs for them that help them deAn overscheduled family is a stressed-out velop a work ethic and sense of responsibility. family where survival, not intentional living, This can also be a great relief to your budget. becomes the rule of the day. Choose carefully and wisely in terms of which commitments 10. Comparing you make or allow your kids to make. You Doing so can create a host of other problems. may find that your family gets greater joy out For starters, you don’t know if the family you’re of doing fewer things with less pressure. comparing yourselves to share your values and priorities, practical limitations, or budget. 6. Failing to eat together For those reasons, it makes more sense to set Busy families often find that the family din- your own pace for life by intentionally choosner table is the big loser when we get caught ing what’s best for you and your family and not up in the rat race. But it’s worth it to schedule worrying too much about everyone else. 3-4 (or more) true family dinners each week where every member of the family is required to be around the table to spend time together and eat well. Statistics show that families who
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Overcomer in Heels By Kristie Carpenter | Blended Mom Moments
I was recently asked to speak to a group of women and share my story of how to become an Overcomer in Christ - in heels no less! I shared with them the story of David in the Bible and how David’s trust and faith in God in his everyday life, prepared him for the battle against the Philistine giant, Goliath. I shared with them the life of Jesus and how His ministry and miracles evolved from turning water into wine to healing the sick and raising the dead back to life, to being the perfect, sinless Son of God who allowed Himself to be sacrificed on a cross to give us the most amazing miracle of all - to have eternal life with Him and His Father for ever and ever.
for my feet, and a light on my path”. I went from carefree sandals to house shoes. This is where I learned to wear responsibility. I could no longer just live and run free - there were others in my life that needed me and depended on me. Second Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” From house shoes to cross trainers and running shoes. This is the trenches and valleys of life - the trials and races that define us and refine us for God’s purposes today and for as many tomorrows as He allows. Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
As I reflect back over my own life, I see God’s hand all over it. He choreographed my being adopted into a family who loved me bigger than Texas. He comforted during times of heartache after my first husband died. He corralled me back into the pen, so to speak, when I was running on the wild side. He chastised me as I battled selfishness as a step mom. He cheered me on as I waited patiently for Dan to be in our marriage 100%. At each phase in life, He challenged me so that I would not stay a child - but be matured and grow in wisdom and strength in the Lord. He made me an Overcomer - in heels - or flip flops! Either way, He set me up for success. My success didn’t start in high heels. I started off barefoot before the Lord. I had to recognize and know that without Christ, I am nothing - my life is nothing. Job 1:21 says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Barefoot and humble - the beginnings of knowing God. From barefoot to sandals. Meager protection for the soles of my feet and yet sturdy enough to let me experience the freedom of exploring my world. This reminds me of God’s Word - “a lamp
In your walk as a blended family mom, your steps - be they barefoot, in sandals, in running shoes, or in heels - are all a necessary part of the journey. Don’t try to skip from barefoot to heels but carefully, cautiously, optimistically wear each pair that God gives you as you walk with your family... also teaching and guiding your family to be Overcomers in Christ - whatever footwear they may have on! Blessings in Your Blending! ___________________________________ Editor’s note: Women’s author, speaker and mentor Kristie Carpenter, aka The Blended Family Mom, has been a blended family/step mom since 2004; her blended family currently includes four children and four grandchildren. Follow Kristie on Facebook (facebook. com/theblendedfamilymom), Twitter (@BlendedFamilyM), and Instagram (theblendedfamilymom). Her books - “The Blended Family Mom,” and “Blended Mom Moments,” are both available on her website at www.theblendedfamilymom.com).
Pick us up at Taqueria La Ranchera, Abilene Funeral Home & Abilene ISD | FAITH & FAMILY | 35
MEDICARE PROGRAMA DE AHORROS DE
El Programa de Ahorro en Medicare (MSP) ayuda a las personas con ingresos y recursos limitados a pagar todas las primas de Medicare o una parte y quizás los deducibles y coseguros de Medicare. Hay cuatro Programas de Ahorro en Medicare (MSP). Si llena los requisitos de uno, automáticamente recibe AYUDA EXTRA para pagar los costos de Medicare Parte D de la cobertura para recetas médicas. Póngase en contacto con la Agencia de Área sobre Envejecimiento al 325-793-8417 para más información.
All publications funded solely or in part by MIPPA funds, shall include express acknowledgement, “This publication has been created or produced by (insert DADS/AAA/ADRC name) with financial assistance, in whole or in part, through funds from the Administration for Community Living”. The SHIP (only for AAA use) and AAA/ADRC logo should also be included on the publication. Just to avoid assumptions, MIPPA funding can only be used to print materials that cover MIPPA topics: MSP, LIS, Medicare prevention & wellness, etc. All publications that use the SHIP logo should also be submitted to DADS Help Desk for approval before printing and distribution. For promotional items, a reference to MIPPA and the funding purpose should be included on all items. Depending on the space available you should include MIPPA specific taglines or references such as “Medicare Savings Programs”, “Low-Income Subsidies”, etc. and when space is limited it should at least include “MIPPA Program.” All items should also include the AAA/ADRC logo or written name as well as the contact phone number for your agency. All promotional items should be submitted to the DADS Help Desk for review and approval before purchasing. Please contact us if you have any questions about these requirements.
7 A’s to Help Your Kids Overcome Failure By Mark Merrill | Helping Families Love Well
One of the hardest things for a parent to have to deal with is to see their child struggle with failure. But how you handle things when they have blown it or not made the grade in some way can turn what seems to be a disaster into a rich learning experience. As a father of five, I have faced this situation countless times. One daughter was crushed when she didn’t get the lead role in a play that she’d set her heart on. A son was devastated when he didn’t make the starting team. When your child comes to you with what they think is an “F” of some kind, these seven A’s will help you encourage them to turn a defeat or setback into an opportunity for growth.
1. Affirm worth.
Let them know that they are loved no matter what. Be sure to separate their identity, who they are at the core of their being, from their actions. This can be especially hard for young people these days who are bombarded by media that says their value is based on their performance. Counter this attack on their worth by speaking about the qualities and strengths that you see in them. Get specific, so they know you mean it.
2. Applaud effort.
No one can ask more of someone else than to give it their best. If your child has done that, then the results are out of their hands. So be sure to commend them for trying. Again, be detailed; remind them of the time they spent revising, rehearsing, or practicing. Point out that their efforts were not wasted: they may not have “succeeded” at something, but they undoubtedly improved.
3. Acknowledge feelings.
Give them room to face and admit what can be difficult emotions like shame, guilt, or embarrassment. Many people run from these kinds of feelings because they can be so uncomfortable; instead, help your children navigate through them and prepare them for other bigger emotional challenges they may face as they get older.
4. Align yourself.
One way to help them wrestle with awkward emotions is to tell them, “Me too!” Share an experience from your own life when you failed in some way, and recall how you felt. Talk about what you learned from it all. Realizing that you have been there and survived will be an encouragement to them.
5. Ask questions.
When you sense they are comfortable enough to talk about it, invite them to examine what went wrong, or where they may have gone wrong. “What might you do differently next time, knowing what you do now?” And help them learn to weigh and balance the powerful way their emotions can affect their perception. “Why do you think it feels so bad to have been left out because that means you’re not acceptable? Is that really true?”
6. Advocate reflection.
Help them put things in perspective. Remind them that failure doesn’t have to be the end of the world, but can just be a stopover on the way to success. Abraham Lincoln, Michael Jordan, and The Beatles are among this list of “successful failures”.
7. Avoid flattery.
We live in a culture that gives trophies to kids just for showing up, but the real world isn’t like that. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Your child must understand that reality. Everyone experiences failure at some point. Avoid false flattery and be authentic in praising your child for who they are and their incredible gifts.
36 | FAITH & FAMILY | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Connecting The Community of Abilene & The Big Country
What You Must Teach Your Daughter Before She Turns 16 By AllProDad.com
This month our daughter turns 16 years old. Right after I typed those words, I just froze. Literally froze. Couldn’t type any more words for a minute or two. That’s the type of impact good ole “sweet sixteen” has on a dad with his daughter, especially his only daughter. I have to admit, my emotions are probably all over the place, probably more than the 16-year-old who is supposed to have emotions all over the place. A big deal is made about the sweet sixteen birthday in our society. At 16, our kids can now legally drive a car. For our daughters, they are no longer our “little girls.” They have matured mentally, physically, and emotionally. And the biggie for me and my wife, soon she will be leaving home. We’ve been counting the summers we have with her — we have 2-3 more summers with her before she is on her own. My hope is all we have taught her has her well prepared for life. So, what are some of those things? What are the things you must teach your daughter before she turns 16? Here are 16 things you must teach your daughter before she turns 16. 1. She is loved. When your daughter knows she is loved, she feels more secure and more self-confident. You teach her this by your words and your actions with her. 2. To defend herself. A dad’s worst nightmare is his daughter having to defend herself. We won’t always be around to stand up physically for her, so it’s important to teach her some ways to defend and protect herself.
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3. To respect and be respected by others. Not everyone will have the same level of respect we have for our daughters. We must teach them disrespect is not acceptable for any reason. We also must teach our daughters the best ways to ensure this is to respect or treat others how they’d like to be treated.
4. Basic car maintenance like changing the oil or a tire. Hopefully, she’ll never have to, but if she has a flat on the side of the road you want her to be able to change the tire and get to her destination safely. While car maintenance can be done by paying someone else, having the skill to do it on her own can be helpful. 5. Never let anyone say you can’t do something. She’ll have many doubters and naysayers in life. Some because she is a woman and some because that’s just who they are. What the doubters say doesn’t matter. We’ve taught our daughter since she was little that she “can do all things through Christ, who gives her strength,” which comes from the book of Philippians in the Bible. 6. Love herself, everything about her. No matter where life brings her, how she looks, or what others do or say, teach your daughter to choose to love herself because she is amazing. 7. Learn from your mistakes. Teaching our daughters that making a mistake isn’t the end of the world, but instead, opportunities to learn and get better that will serve them well. 8. How to drive a stick shift. My wife and I decided that we wanted our daughter to know how to drive a stick, so in any situation with any type of vehicle, she can drive herself to where she needs to be. 9. Budget, save, and live debt free. Finances will have a major impact on her life — either good or bad. Budgeting, saving, and living debt free will empower her to be financially responsible. 10. The mindset of boys. You were once a boy. You know what boys and young men think about. Don’t let your daughter be unaware of this. Help her to see
relationships with boys from other perspectives. 11. Respect your elders, particularly by honoring her mother and father. Our family believes the Bible is the guide for our lives and we do our best to follow the principles it teaches. One of those principles is to honor your mother and father. It says the result will be a long life. Honoring mom and dad is something God values and blesses people who obey. These relationships will impact all of her other relationships. 12. Love God and love others. Again, in our family, we do our best to live by what we learn from studying the Bible. The greatest two commandments in the Bible are to love God and love others. Whether you follow the Bible or not, the principle of loving others is valuable in life. 13. You are always there for her. No matter how old your daughter gets you will always have a special place for her. Teach her you will always be there for her; you are there to protect, to defend, to teach, and to provide as her dad. 14. Have fun and enjoy the moment. She’ll experience a lot during her lifetime. Teach her to have fun and don’t get too serious. Show her that experiencing the memorable moments is a great part of life. 15. Eat healthily and remain physically active. Much like her money, her health will have a major impact on her life — positively or negatively. Teach her the value of eating foods that will improve her health, and stay active. 16. Don’t ever stop learning. As she learns, she grows. As she grows her quality of life will improve. Teach her to be a lifelong learner and to not stop the pursuit of learning, even after her formal education ends.
Pick us up at Alliance For Women & Children, Mary’s Paleteria & H.E.B. | FAITH & FAMILY | 37
Vendor of the month:
A Sense of Bride By Abilene Smart Bride
I knew tat the day would come when I had to make Ester Gonzalez and her team the vendor of the month. I have thought long and hard about how to give this awesome vendor the praises that she deserves....... here it goes. So many times brides are full of ideas. It seems that once an engagement takes place, the ideas just start piling up. Just look at any new brides Pintrest and you can see that every idea that has been building up since the time of her childhood is there. It is going to be a magical night, not only will there be cake, flower, linens, caterers, music, dancing, DJ, band, dresses, tuxes, vendors, candy bar, bar, bartenders, doves, unicorns .. . . . . . . . WAIT are unicorns extinct? where do you find all this stuff?. You need help!!! This is where the team at A Sense of Bride comes in. From the very first consult you will start to put all of your ideas on paper. Ester will begin to make your vision of your wedding day attainable. She will discuss a color theme and the over all feel that you and your groom are looking for on your wedding day. From this moment she will start to become family. As a wedding planner Ester will help you find and build your dream team of vendors, within your budget. She will start to find out your likes and dislikes, Ester is essentially your ace in the hole. The person who is in the background but always on your side.
JOYING your wedding preparation such as getting hair done and wrangling up the groomsmen, Ester and her team are busy setting up the tables, receiving vendors, making sure that the stage is set for the magical evening you have envisioned. By the end of the night PERFECTION will be achieved. If there are any issues, the bride and guest rarely know, she steps in and corrects before they are problems. As a wedding designer she will create rooms that wow. You and your guest will be blown away by the table designs decorations and atmosphere that she can create. She takes the brides vision and puts it in action. I have often called Ester the wedding GURU. Her deep commitment to her brides and good standing with vendors makes her a joy to work with. With the help of her, “Honey”, her awesome and supporting husband, and her amazing team of assistants, Ester and her team are a vendor that I wish every bride had the privilege to experience. Check them out • (325) 668-6819
Before the wedding she will not only contact vendors but make sure that an itinerary is delivered to all of the vendors. As if that is not enough she is your rock on the the day of the wedding. While you and your family are EN-
38 | FAITH & FAMILY | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Connecting The Community of Abilene & The Big Country
Highland’s homeless initiative to restore abandoned hospital By Haley Remenar | The Optimist, Abilene Christian University
Highland Church of Christ’s “housing first” initiative will turn the abandoned St. Ann’s Hospital into a permanent residence for the homeless. The church gave funds totaling $100,000 to CitySquare, a Dallas-based nonprofit, to purchase the property on 1350 Cypress St. Part of the church’s “Restore Abilene” initiative, St. Ann’s will be accessible to homeless people without extra requirements, including to have a job or stop drinking. Ben Siburt, executive minister at Highland, said the project may take 18-24 months to complete.
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Highland’s Restore Abilene initiative focuses on local issues including homelessness, poverty and education. The church began fundraising for the housing program three years ago, with many congregation members making monthly pledges towards the fund. Siburt
said the congregation showed overwhelming excitement about the initiative. “We think caring for those who don’t have a place to stay is part of the Jesus story,” Siburt said. “In the margins of society is where Jesus hangs out.”
In the next three months the church will apply to rezone the property and will work on finding a local contractor to do renovations. Siburt said the church hopes the property will eventually become self-sustaining as residents of the apartments become able to pay rent through jobs or government funding. St. Ann’s opened in 1940 as a clinic and closed in 1968 for financial reasons, according to the Abilene Reporter News.
Pick us up at Taqueria La Ranchera, Abilene Funeral Home & Abilene ISD | FAITH & FAMILY | 39
How to Disarm a Dominant Spouse By Jimmy Evans | MarraigeToday
When Karen and I first married, I had a very dominant personality. For several years, it killed our chances at intimacy. Our marriage nearly failed until we learned to disarm it. Dominance means disproportionate control over the relationship. In a good marriage, the husband and wife share 50 percent of everything, from children to money to decision-making. In a dominant marriage, one person holds a bigger share. People always marry according to their level of emotional health. Health marries health, and unhealth marries unhealth. When Karen and I met, I was popular, confident, and had a raging ego. On the other side, Karen had very low self-esteem. I was emotionally unhealthy and so was she. She needed a man with the self-confidence she lacked. I needed a woman who would accommodate my ego. We were a terrible, perfect match. That happens often in dominant marriages: A very assertive woman marries a very passive man, or an unhealthily assertive man marries a passive woman. It’s rare that two dominant people marry each other, or two passive people marry.
Understand What Causes Dominance
___________________________________ A strong personality. This is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, but when one person talks far more than the other—I was never at a loss for words—it can give that spouse more power than the other. Fear. We fear being controlled, and so we become controllers ourselves. Some of the most controlling people I’ve ever met are people who were afraid. It made them into tyrants. Iniquity and inner vows. Iniquity is a sin that passes from generation to generation.
When you’re raised in a chauvinistic or sexist family, you tend to be bent in the same way as your parents. Family systems of male or female dominance will produce dominant men and women. Inner vows are the opposite side of that coin. When we go through pain, we make ourselves promises to comfort ourselves. We say, “No one will ever treat me like that again” or “No woman will ever do that to me.” That prevents Jesus from being Lord over that area in our lives. It makes us unteachable. Bitterness and unforgiveness. If we are unforgiving toward someone in our past, that past pain tends to be reflected in how we treat a spouse. Bitterness takes root, and husbands and wives get the worst of it.
What do you do if you’re being dominated in your marriage?
___________________________________ Be honest and admit it, then stand up. Marriage is like a teeter-totter: When you move, it forces your partner to move, too. When you change, your marriage changes. When Karen began to find healing from her emotional health, she started standing up to me. And I had to sit down. She stopped accommodating my ego and God used her to make me more humble. Today, rather than passively letting me make all the decisions—and rather than me refusing to allow her any input—we make significant decisions together. Once we had an equal marriage, we discovered that intimacy followed. We’ve never been the same. Is dominance destroying your marriage?
40 | FAITH & FAMILY | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
5 Ways to Filter What You Say By Mark Merrill | Helping Families Love Well
I’ve often shared about the power of the tongue and how it can be used for good or evil. I recently thought about some filters our words should have to pass through before they come out of our mouths. If they don’t make it through all of these 5 filters, then they probably should never be spoken.
3. Is it confidential?
Growing up, my dad stressed to me the importance of confidentiality. If someone tells me something in confidence, my job is to make sure I don’t ever mention it to another person.
4. If the person I am speaking about was present, would they be pleased Is my reason for saying it beneficial to the lis- with my words? You’ve heard this one 1. Do I have good motives?
tener or only for selfish purposes? I have to be careful on this one. There have been many times in my life that I’ve said something that is very true, but I only said it so someone will be impressed with me or because I was trying to manipulate them to do something for me.
2. Does it build up?
Words are not neutral. They either tear down or build up. They are either hurtful or helpful. It makes me sad that I’ve let my hurtful words toward my wife and children pass through this filter all too often.
before, but it’s always worth remembering. We should always honor other people whether they are with us or not.
5. Is it true? Truth trumps all. If it’s not
true, don’t say it. Many of us have struggled with one or more of these filters. And, of course, none of us regularly pass our words through all of them. But, these filters will hopefully guard our tongues against speaking evil and, instead, give us the freedom to speak good into people’s lives.
Pick us up at Drug Emporium, Mr Gatti’s Pizza, Long John Silver’s & Alfredo’s | HEALTH | 41
Almost 70 graduate from Cisco College nursing programs By Loretta Fulton, Special to the Abilene Reporter-News
Before long, the students who graduated Thursday night from Cisco College’s nursing programs will get to hear the words that nurses live for. “Where is MY nurse?” a patient will ask, emphasizing the personal relationship between patient and nurse.
Abilene campus of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing. Merritt said that 90 percent of the 50 graduates getting an associate degree Thursday had signed a letter of intent to enroll in Tech’s online bachelor of nursing degree program.
“That’s a wonderful feeling,” said Donella Tucker, guest speaker for the graduation ceremony held at First Baptist Church.
his neighbor was on the line. “Your house is on fire,” was the message. Fortunately, the family was out of the house, but they lost their home and most of their possessions. His parents took them in until a month ago, when they were able to rent their own home. But losing their home was just one in a series of setbacks that could have caused Jacques to drop out of the program.
Tucker retired six months ago as director of the nursing programs at Cisco College in Abilene. Marvella Starlin, current director of the nursing programs, said the crop of 68 graduates Thursday night showed a lot of grit and determination. “Everything you can imagine happened to one of the students in my class,” Starlin said.
Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Cisco College students acknowledge their families during the school’s nursing program graduation Thursday at First Baptist Church of Abilene.
Even so, it appeared that all of the students, plus families and friends, showed up for the graduation ceremony, filling the church sanctuary. Of the 68 students, 50 earned an associate of applied science degree in nursing and 18 earned a licensed vocational nurse certificate. Nursing is filled with tradition, and much of it was on display at the graduation. One table at the front of the sanctuary was covered in red roses, another with neatly lined pins — one side for the LVNs and the other for the RNs. A third table was stacked high with diplomas and a fourth table held pocket-size New Testaments, courtesy of Gideons International, stacked in the shape of a cross.
Thanks to an arrangement between the two institutions, the students will complete their bachelor’s degree in two semesters. And, the majority of those students plan to stay in Abilene after completing their schooling, Merritt said. Among the students earning an associate degree Thursday night was Sean Jacques, who lives in Sweetwater and has been commuting to Abilene. He was one of those students Starlin was talking about who had something happen to him. Actually, he had several “somethings” happen to him.
Each student received three roses, Starlin said. “They give those to people who have had the most impact,” she said.
Jacques, 32, and his wife, Lindsey, who just earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the TTUHSC School of Nursing in Abilene, both work at the state hospital in Big Spring. They think nothing of commuting from Sweetwater to Big Spring one day and Abilene the next.
One of the speakers for Thursday’s ceremony was Pearl Merritt, dean of the nursing programs at Cisco College and also for the
One early morning in March, Jacques was at his parents’ home in Sweetwater, dropping off the couple’s two children. His phone rang and
Jacques had learned at the beginning of the 2015 fall semester that he didn’t qualify for financial aid, forcing him to raise $1,500 in a hurry. One week before the fire, his wife traded in an old car for a newer model. A hailstorm hit before the first payment was made, causing $4,000 in damage.
One month after the fire, Jacques was attacked at his job by a patient, sustaining a concussion that made it impossible to work for a month. “It was a very eventful semester,” Jacques said, but he stuck with it. “We had a lot of support with family and friends.” Commutes from area communities is the norm at Cisco College, but one nursing student, Sam Nyakunda, made the round trip from Arlington twice a week, without fail. He was rewarded Thursday night when his wife, the younger of his two sons, his mother, and a brother, Richard, showed up for graduation. Of course, when it was over, they drove back to Arlington. Richard Nyakunda said the trip had gotten a little long for his brother by the time he finished his degree, but now all is well. “Once you’re done, you don’t remember it,” Richard Nyakunda said, “you just celebrate.”
City Flag Football League Registration Now Open Blue 42, Blue 42...Set, Hutt. This is your opportunity to join the City of Abilene Recreation Division Men’ flag football league. The league is open to men 18 years of age and older. Entry is $350 per team and you can register online at www.abilenetx.com/parksandrec by selecting the ‘Sign Up’ button. This registration is for pre-formed teams only, individuals without a team interesting in playing should email your contact information to parksandrec@abilenetx.com. An end of the season tournament will follow the league season. Games will be played on Tuesday or Thursday evenings. For more information, call 325-676-6217 or visit www.abilenetx.com/parksandrec.
42 | HEALTH | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Courtesy of: HispanicLife Magazine
To place your loved ones obituary or to honor them with a special message, please contact our offices at: (325) 701-9505 Email: info@hispaniclifemedia.com
Ignacia “Nacha” Garcia, 90, passed away Tuesday, August 09, 2016 at a local hospital. Mass of Christian Burial will be 9:00 a.m. Saturday, August 13, 2016 at St. Francis Catholic Church, 826 Cottonwood Street, with Father Bhaskar Morugudi officiating. Burial will follow at the Abilene Municipal Cemetery, directed by Abilene Funeral Home. Mrs. Garcia was born July 31, 1926, in Abilene, Texas to Juan and Ramona Benitez Alvarez. She was a pioneer and former resident of Barrio Sancudo. Nacha worked her way through grammar school and earned a Teacher’s Certificate at Texas Women’s University in Denton, TX. She had a 24 year career with the AISD as a teacher at Locust, Valley View and retiring from Reagan Elementary. Nacha was a woman of faith and life long member of St. Francis Catholic Church where she became a Guadalupana and Cursillista. Ignacia enjoyed crocheting, dancing, music, find-
HispanicLife Media
a Moment in our arms... a Lifetime in our hearts... a-word puzzles, board games, playing bingo and had a sense of humor, like no other. Ignacia was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, greatgreat grandmother, sister, aunt, madrina and friend. Left to cherish her memories include her son, Fred Garcia (Margaret) of Abilene; two daughters, Helen Pruitt (Tommy) and Debbie Garcia (Billy), both of Abilene; three sisters, Felipa Stoll of Michigan, Betty Giminez of Michigan and Rita Gonzales of Abilene; 23 grandchildren; 61 great grand children; 37 great-great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Mrs. Garcia was preceded in death by her parents, Juan and Ramona Alvarez; her husband, Natividad Garcia, Sr.; sons, Ramon Lopez, Simon Garcia and Natividad Garcia, Jr.; grandson, Adam Garcia; brother, Valentin Alvarez; and sisters, Rebecca Garcia and Delores Flores. Estela C. Moreno, 60, passed away Monday, August 29, 2016 at home with her loving family at her side in Anson. Estela was born September 11, 1955, in Strawn, Texas to Pedro and Ansencion Cerda. She moved to Anson and married the love of her life Basilio Moreno at age 16 . Mrs. Moreno graduated from LVN school in 1984 and worked at Sagebrush Living Center in Stamford. She was a wonderful and caring wife, mother, grandmother and friend, a big Anson Tiger and Dallas Cowboy Fan, and we will miss
her heart of gold and gentle soul. Survivors include three sons, Basilio Moreno III (Jennifer) of New Braunfels, Rene Moreno (Amanda) of Anson and Chris Moreno of Hamlin; a daughter, Priscilla Flores (Sam) Of Anson; Six brothers, Pedro Cerda of Clyde, Michael Cerda of Woodhaven, Michigan, Grabiel Cerda of Baird, Joe Cerda of Dallas, Mathew Cerda San Diego, CA and Carlos Cerda of Baird; Four sisters, Concha Cerda, Yolanda Torres, Lydia Hernandez and Becky Carrion, all of Abilene; and thirteen grandchildren Mrs. Moreno was preceded in death by her husband, Basilio Moreno, Jr. and her parents, Pedro and Ansencion Cerda. Joe David “J.D. - Kokomo - Shake and Bake” Flores, 39, passed away Tuesday, August 23, 2016. Mr. Flores was born February 10, 1977, in Anson, Texas to David Suniga Flores and SanJuanita Sepeda Flores. J.D. was very proud of his family, witty, enjoyed country music and loved family gatherings. He was loved by many, enjoyed all kinds of food (especially chinese) and always had a smile with a hand shake. J.D. enjoyed life to it’s fullest and will be missed by everyone that knew him. Survivors include his mother, SanJuanita “Janie” Flores; his sister Brandi Flores (Joey); his brothers, Xavier “Speedy” Flores (Cathy), Omar Flores and Michael Menjares. Mr. Flores was preceded in death by his father David Suniga Flores.
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Jason Scott Cardenas, 41, passed away Friday, August 19, 2016. Jason Cardenas was born December 16, 1974, in Abilene, Texas to Tiodoro and Linda Mae Burks Cardenas. He was a beloved husband, wonderful father, loving son, a talented guitar player and song writer, accomplished and published artist whose work was also televised. He was an avid Carolina Hurricanes hockey fan. He was passionate about his friends especially his cousins Jerry (Vanessa) Portillo, Michelle Cardenas, and best friend Josh Stapp, and family, always showing everyone the same affection when possible, especially his mother. He was a long time volunteer at the Garson Food Bank. Only God knows why he called him home at such a young age, but he will be missed so very much. Rest in peace. Survivors include his loving wife of 18 years, Karen ( Bryant) Cardenas and his children, Dylan Scott( Dil Pickles), Braden Allen (Boo-Boo) and his sun and moon baby girl, Kaitlyn Marie of Canada; his step father Armando Ortega and mother Linda Cardenas of Abilene; his In-laws, Peter and Marilyn Bryant, sister in law Laura (Sean) Lavigne, and brother in law Allen (Pam) Bryant,and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. Mr. Cardenas was preceded in death by his father, Tiodoro Cardenas, his brother and friend Jeremy Cardenas, his beloved grandmother in law Cecelia Mitchell, uncle, Jesse Burks, aunt, Betty Portillo, and friend Greg Van Der Hooft.
Pick us up at Abilene ISD, La Familia Mex Rest & Lytle Land & Cattle | HEALTH | 43
AgriLife Extension Offers Tips For Avoiding By Jane Rowan | County Extension Agent/FCS, Taylor County
The mosquito-transmitted Zika virus is a potential threat to the health of unborn babies in Texas and other states, and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has stepped up efforts to educate the public on ways to protect themselves from this new menace.
will be much different than fighting West Nile virus. Aedes mosquitoes infected with Zika are not easily detected, so health officials have to rely on actual human cases to identify hot spots.
Extension entomologists share the following information to help Texans develop a better understanding of the Zika virus.
“It’s the global world we live in today,” she said. “As people travel and return from areas affected by Zika, some will return carrying the virus. When Aedes mosquitoes bite infected people, they acquire the virus. The mosquito “Anything that holds water should be dumped then transmits it to an uninfected person, passor treated. Breeding areas can include sites ing the virus to them.” as benign as containers under potted plants and bird baths. Swiger said that as of August 5, 2016, there Other trouble areas were 96 recorded cases of Zika in Texas, all are old tires, empty travel associated, except for one contracted cans and bottles, kid- sexually from their partner who traveled. No die pools, buckets, Texas mosquitoes have been found to be inboat tarps and even fected. Unfortunately, this figure doubled clogged gutters. within one month.
“While people enjoy outdoor activities and travel this summer, it’s important to remember that our first line of defense against Zika is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes,” said Dr. Sonja Swiger, AgriLife Extension entomologist at Stephenville. “The Aedes aegypti and A. albopictus mosquitoes that transmit Zika occur commonly in our backyards where their eggs are laid and larvae live in standing water. Like other mosquito species, they are active at sunrise and sunset, but commonly bite throughout the day as well.” Swiger said it’s important to remember the “Four Ds” as a first line of defense. They are:
• Drain: Empty standing water, thus eliminating mosquito breeding sites. • Dress: Put on long sleeved shirts and pants when going outside. • Defend: Apply mosquito repellent when going outside. • Dusk and Dawn: Avoid outdoor activity during these two most mosquitoactive periods. Swiger said simple steps such as repairing screen doors and windows are critically important to keeping mosquitoes out. Managing landscape water features is another key area in the fight against the spread of the Zika virus. “Mosquito dunks, commonly sold in garden centers for mosquito control in home water features, can be used to treat water that cannot be readily drained,” she said. “The dunks contain insect growth regulators or mosquito-specific bacteria to effectively control mosquito larvae. Neither approach is harmful to fish or other aquatic organisms.” www.facebook.com/hispaniclifemagazine
Dr. Mike Merchant, AgriLife Extension urban entomologist at Dallas, said that fighting Zika
“In addition, city and county truck-mounted sprayers are less effective at killing Aedes mosquitoes, so stopping these mosquitoes in each and every backyard is even more important. Everyone will need to pitch in,” he said.
It doesn’t take much water for them to reproduce,” he said. “Small containers can hold enough water to breed mosquitoes. Aedes mosquitoes don’t travel far from their larval habitat, so if you’ve got them, chances are you unknowingly raised them.”
and breast-feeding mothers can safely use EPA-approved insect repellents.” Swiger said constant vigilance is the key to slowing Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus.
“Epidemics are expected as infected people arrive and locally acquired infections occur,” she said. “As the many media accounts report, women infected by the virus while pregnant are known to have babies with severe neurological defects. Aside from mosquito infections, additional cases may occur from sexual transmission of the disease. So at this point, controlling mosquitoes and protecting yourSwiger said there are many mosquito repel- self from infection are the two key factors in lents available, but all approved formulations the rigorous defense against this new mosquishare two commonalities. The U.S. Envi- to-borne virus threat.” ronmental Protection Agency registration of these repellent products means first, that the For more information contact the Taylor active ingredient has been tested and is safe County Extension Service at 325-672-6048 or for people to use, and second, that it’s effective taylor.agrilife.org. More information is also in repelling mosquitoes when used as directed. available at the following websites: Texasinsects.org, Livestockvetento.tamu.edu, and “EPA and the Centers for Disease Control Preventingzika.org have evaluated scientific reports and conclude mosquito repellents containing DEET, picari- “Texas A&M AgriLife Extension provides din, oil of lemon eucalyptus, called IR3535, equal opportunities in its programs and emas active ingredients provide reasonably ployment to all persons, regardless of race, long-lasting protection from mosquito bites,” color, sex, religion, national origin, disabilSwiger said. ity, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.” “The “Users should always read and follow label Texas A&M University System, U.S. Departinstructions. Most repellents can be used on ment of Agriculture, and the County Commischildren over two months of age, with the ex- sioners Courts of Texas Cooperating” ception of those containing oil of lemon eucalyptus, which should not be used on children Sources: Steve Byrns, s-byrns@tamu.edu younger than 3 years old. For babies under Dr. Sonja Swiger, slswiger@ag.tamu.edu two months of age, infant carriers fitted with Dr. Mike Merchant, m-merchant@tamu.edu mosquito netting are recommended. Pregnant
44 | HEALTH | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Connecting The Community of Abilene & The Big Country
Walk to End Alzheimer’s on September 17th
By Karen Rampy | Regional Director, Alzheimer’s Association - North Central Texas Chapter
Hundreds of Big Country residents will unite in a movement to reclaim the future for millions at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s®. In 2015, the Abilene Walk raised $88,972 contributing to more than $67 million raised nationwide for care, support and research efforts for those impacted by Alzheimer’s disease.
than 340,000 Texans affected by this deadly disease as they play a role in raising funds for necessary research and for free services and programs offered by the Alzheimer’s Association. More than 5 million people are currently affected by Alzheimer’s and the Association is working to make finding a cure for the disease a national priority.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s participants will learn about Alzheimer’s disease, advocacy opportunities, clinical studies enrollment, and support programs and services. Walk participants will also honor those affected by Alzheimer’s disease with a poignant Promise Garden ceremony.
Individuals, family and corporate teams are welcome. To start or join a team visit alz.org/ walk.
Saturday, September 17, 2016 8 a.m. Registration 9 a.m. Opening ceremony 9:30 a.m. Two mile Walk begins Rose Park Senior Center, 2625 S 7th St, Abilene, TX 79605
About the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s®: The Alzheimer’s Associa-
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in both the United States and in the state of Texas. Participants in the 2016 Walk will make a difference for the more
For more information contact: Karen Rampy, 325-672-2907, krampy@alz.org, http://alz. org/northcentraltexas/
tion – North Central Texas Chapter, which is affiliated with the national Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, is a nonprofit organization that covers a 40-county service area. Fort Worth serves as headquarters for the chapter, which has regional offices in Abilene, Waco, and Wichita Falls. The North Central Texas Chapter serves more than 9,000 individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease and dementia annually through programs and services made possible by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations.
Pick us up at Abilene ISD, La Familia Mex Rest & Lytle Land & Cattle | HEALTH | 45
ARMC Hosts Healthy Woman
The annual event, held this year at The Mill, promises fun and information. By Sandy Lowe | HispanicLife Magazine
Not many events give you a chance to enjoy four different activities in a fun atmosphere and learn something useful too. Healthy Woman, presented by Abilene Regional Medical Center meets that double goal. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, September 13 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at The Mill, 239 Locust Street. Four Abilene businesses will provide activities. The Grace Museum will host Custom Stamp Making. Gary’s Floral will offer Seasonal Floral Decorating. Painting With a Twist will provide Canvas Painting. Snaparazzi will be offering a Photo Booth. “Healthy Woman started eight years ago,” says Panissa Dor, marketing manager at ARMC. “Its purpose has always been to educate women on health-related topics because women put themselves last when it comes to their health. It used to be a dinner with a well-known speaker but it has evolved into something more accessible and more fun.” All the activities are completely free and each will be paired with an Abilene Regional Medical Center service. Health professionals will be on hand to answer questions and share information about the Chest Pain Center, the recently accredited Stroke Center, Women and Children’s Services and Women’s Diagnostics. “We wanted to make this information available to all women,” says Delores Cox, director of marketing. “And we wanted a casual atmosphere where you can come with your friends and have fun.” Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served along with one drink ticket. Tuesday night at The Mill features half price sangria and select beers. The Chest Pain Center at Abilene Regional is an accredited PCI, which stands for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, better know as heart catheterization. Helpful information will include how to recognize heart attack symptoms and what to do.
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Email: info@hispaniclifemedia.com
A stroke can strike a person of any age, not just the elderly. The Stroke Center is currently placing on strong emphasis on educating people about the signs and symptoms and the importance of early intervention. Patients often come to the Emergency Department and do not realize they are having a stroke.
The ARMC staff boasts seven OB/GYNs and a Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The Tiny Toes program provides classes in childbirth, infant CPR, breastfeeding and general infant care.
No reservations are needed for the Healthy Woman event. All four activities will start at 5:00 p.m. and restart every half hour. Activities will be first come first served.
For more information, call (325) 428-4950. Since October is National Breast Cancer For more fun and better health, get to the Mill Awareness month, the Healthy Woman event on September 13! will be a great opportunity to learn about breast self-exams, when to schedule a mammogram and when to call your doctor about problems.
46 | HEALTH | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
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Pick us up at Armando’s Mex Rest, Communities of Abilene FCU & Los Arcos Mex Rest | BUSINESS | 47
Fathom Real Estate Gains a Go-Getter
Lori McDonald gets a lot done in a day, and she can meet your real estate needs too. By Sandy Lowe | HispanicLife Magazine
If you want to meet the Energizer Bunny, she lives right here in Abilene, works for Fathom Realty and her name is Lori McDonald. Lori grew up in Abilene and graduated from Cooper High School.
Gary owns and operates Abilene Locksmith Mobile Service, specializing in unlocking cars and houses, cutting car keys, programming car remotes, unlocking safes, residential rekeys and more. After they married, Lori began to learn the business from him, becoming Office “I started working early in life,” Lori says, Manager for the business and managing three “My mom taught me a strong work properties they own. ethic at an early age. My mom was That gave Gary the the greatest person and a mentor for me, like my husband. She instilled in me honesty and integrity, teaching me that if you work hard and live right, you will be blessed. That’s what I’ve always done.” Lori worked for what was once known as Abilene State School, now Abilene State Supported Living Center and for Mental Health Mental Retardation (MHMR), providing direct care at all levels for patients. She then moved to Houston to manage a direct care facility in Katy, Texas and worked in the field for nineteen years.
idea that Lori would do well in real estate.
“He wanted to ensure my future, in case something happened to him,” she says. “He wanted me to have something to A bag full of awards resulted from Lori’s fall back on.” twenty-five years at Dyess Air Force Base. They include a Superior Performance Award Lori says it is Gary who helped her through 550 from Air Combat Command and a Hennessy hours of real estate training and gave her incenAward as well as recognition from the In- tive, drive and support. She traveled around spector General from the Pentagon and the Texas taking classes and learning as much as Base Commander at Dyess. she could in order to serve her clients successfully. After leaving the military Lori worked in retail management. Then she met and mar- “He supported me through it all,” she says, ried Gary McDonald, who she calls her “soul “even when I had doubts, he knew I could do mate.” They celebrated their eighth wedding it.” anniversary on August. 15th.
That education resulted in more than fifteen certifications in areas like military relocation, new home construction and pricing strategy. Lori serves on numerous Abilene Board of Realtors committees including the Women’s Council of Realtors Committee, the Education Committee, the Texas Affordable Housing Committee, the Public Relations/Publicity Committee and the Women in Building Committee She is also a member of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce and the Abilene Home Builders Association. “No matter what position I’ve held in life, I believe in providing the best possible care to clients and customers,” Lori says. “They come first!” In spite of their work schedules, Lori and Gary enjoy riding motorcycles, RVing, dancing, traveling and spending time with their two Yorkshire terriers and cat. “Our goal is to pay off all our bills. Then Gary can retire, I can continue to work and we can see the world,” Lori says. “I want him to enjoy the fruits of his labor.” Gary and Lori also spend time together reading the Bible and praying. They give glory to the Father in Heaven for their success and trust him above all. You may think Lori is so busy that she might be hard to find, but she’s not. You can contact her at (325) 338-5156 or lorilrealtor2017@gmail.com with your real estate needs and she’ll go to work for you!
48 | BUSINESS | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
7 Ways to Attract Customers to Your Small Business By Melinda Emerson | “Small Biz Lady”
When it comes to doing business these days, the deal is – no one wants to be sold to. You must give consistently to eventually get business, especially if you are a professional service business. Here are my 7 ways to attract customers to a small business 1. It’s all about service. You must first try to be helpful when building relationships with prospective clients. It’s all about providing valuable content, engaging paxeople to build a relationship, being a good listener and making sure you are a trusted resource before you attempt to sell anything. 2. Understand Your Business First What do you do and how does it serve your customer? What is your (UVP), Unique Value Proposition? How do you serve your customers and solve their problems? 3. Focus On a Specific Customer Develop a detailed customer profile. Who is your customer? How does she live? Is she married with children or a single working professional? Is she a Baby Boomer or Millennial? Create a mental image of her, and make sure your marketing messages and content speak specifically to her. Remember – if everybody can use your product or service, no one will! 4. Attract Your Niche Customer Depending on who your customer is, some marketing methods will work better than others. Once you develop your customer profile, figure out how to reach them specifically. The more niche focused your business is in the marketplace, the easier it is to reach your market. Start by developing a list of your top 4-6 keywords. These are the top search terms people use to find your products and services online. 5. Determine Your Marketing Approach Your marketing approach will be determined by your niche target customer. Try a few of these ideas to reach your target customer. • Develop a Great Website • Content marketing/Blogging
• Email marketing • Pay per click ads • Direct mail • Vehicle wrap • Flyers/ billboards • Newspapers/magazines 6. Create a Referral Machine Turn your happy customers into an unpaid sales force for your business. Incentivize your customers with discounts and special sales to tell their friends about your business. Find unique ways to reward and acknowledge your most loyal customers. Host a customer appreciation event or give a social media shout out to your customers. Everyone loves acknowledgement. 7. Keep Your Customers It’s cheaper to keep a customer than to go chase a new one. Your best opportunity to generate more revenue is to upsell an existing customer. The best way to upsell customers is to keep in touch with them. Here are a few ideas to incorporate into your business.
• Contact customers within 7-10 days of a sale • Conduct an online survey about your customer service • Invite customers to leave a review on your website, LinkedIn, Yelp, Angie’s list, TripAdvisor, Google+ local, or Yahoo local listings • Send an email newsletter at least monthly (weekly is best) • Send birthday cards • Send holiday cards (It’s not just about Christmas, try Valentine’s Day or 4th of July cards, too) • Ask for feedback on Facebook and Twitter
If you start using these methods of marketing and sales in your business, you will see more repeat customers and that means your business will become sustainable. Remember anyone will buy something once; you need to build a relationship to get them to buy it over and over again from you.
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Pick us up at Alfredo’s, Mr. Gatti’s, H.E.B., Albertson’s & The Whitten Inn | BUSINESS | 49
A Quick Q&A with Gayla Fullerton By Mercedez Hernandez | HispanicLife Media
How long have you had your own How many clients do you have? Just Why is it important for business How are you different than other firm? I opened my doors to the public at starting out and trying to build, I have about owners to be educated about things businesses in your field? My main the end of February 2016. I’ve been working 50 clients, but I’d like to build that up to be like that? The bottom line is the bottom focus in my firm is teaching Quickbooks. I as a C.P.A since 2007.
How long have you been an accountant? I’ve actually been
doing accounting for 30 years but I became a licensed C.P.A in 2012. I went to school late in life so I can’t say I went back to school, but I started college in 2006. I went to cisco junior college, got an associate’s degree in management then went to McMurry and graduated from there in 2009.
150 clients so I can hire more people and I want to expand even more than I have in the last couple months.
What made you want to go to school and learn accounting? I was bored sitting at home Why did you want to open your in the evening. I would just go to work then own firm? I wanted to teach small busicome home and not have anything to do, and my friend recommended I take a college class, so I did. I started one class after the other and it snowballed from there.
ness owners the ins and outs of keeping their books and what it means rather than seeing small business owners struggle and showing them what could help them.
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line and to know that if you’re growing really rapidly it’s important to understand why you may not have a lot of cash on hand even though your business is getting larger and larger. Having a business understand why growing slow is important unless you have access to some operating capital to help you with that growth and things like that.
hold those classes and do one-on-one training and teach them how to use that program. That isn’t something that most C.P.A. firms do.
How can people contact you for your services? My next Quickbooks
training class is at the end of October on the 27th and 28th. They’re all-day long and if you’re a C.P.A you get C.P.E credits for it. On October 25th I will be at the downtown library talking about Quickbooks online. It’s Is there any particular way you a little bit of training but it’s only two hours market your services to the Hispanic so there’s not a lot you can learn but you can community? Not really, I just know that initially encounter just a touch of it. Hispanics probably need my business just as much as anybody else. They operate their For more information about Gayla and her own businesses as well and sometimes don’t C.P.A. services, call her office at (325) 268know where to turn to. 1033.
50 | BUSINESS | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
HispanicLife Media
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Pick us up at Golden Corral, MCM Elegante and Long John Silvers | BUSINESS | 51
Working More Hours Leads to Burnout, Not More Productivity By Jonathan Long | Founder and CEO, Market Domination Media
In the early days of my company, Market Domination Media, I worked around the clock. I would be knee deep in work before the sun was up and I wouldn’t stop until the early hours of the next day. My Red Bull and Adderall-fueled days were almost a necessary evil -- while not ideal, it was something I had to do if I planned on launching and growing a successful digital agency. I’ll be the first to admit I used to believe that an entrepreneur had to work insane hours if he or she planned on being successful -- I think many believe this. Heck, I used to glamorize the fact that I put in an 18-hour day. Thankfully I’ve become a bit wiser over the years and now realize that more hours doesn’t necessarily equal more productivity -- it actually equals burnout. I read an article recently, in which Yahoo CEO for the time being, Marissa Mayer, talks about how she worked 130 hours a week and why it matters. Mayer’s has been hailed the hardest working woman in Silicon Valley, which is great, but one has to wonder if all of those hours led to burnout, ultimately having a negative impact on her performance. It’s very possible to be a successful entrepreneur and work semi-normal hours, while still having a life outside of work and experiencing the things that really matter.
Become more productive, work fewer hours. These are just a few things
that have helped me improve my productivity, while cutting down on the amount of hours I work:
Have your daily goals identified before you start your day: I end each
day by writing out my goals and to-do list for the following day. This way, as soon as I start
my day I am diving into tasks, rather than scratching my head wondering where to start. As an entrepreneur you are always going to have an endless list of things that need to get done and you will be pulled in a million different directions. This approach allows you to stay focused and on track all day.
Get adequate rest: When I was work-
ing insane hours I was always tired. Four hours of sleep? No problem, just drink caffeine all day long. I was so physically exhausted some days and my productivity so low, that I was actually hurting my business. Get quality sleep every night and try to take the weekends to recharge your body and mind.
Establish your ‘quitting time’ and
stick to it: There are always going to be emails to answer and tasks on your to-do list. I used to attempt to have all emails answered and all tasks done before quitting for the day. It was a never ending battle that had me working into the early mornings. Establish a time to stop each day and stick to it -- no matter what.
Utilize all available technology:
There is absolutely no reason to be trapped in your office all day. Smartphones allow us to operate on the go -- from email access in the palm of our hand to enterprise cloud-based phone systems we can tap into via a mobile app -- these conveniences empower entrepreneurs to cut down time spent in the office.
Workout daily: You will actually have Final thought.
more energy if you make it a point to hit the Once I realized that working more hours was gym daily. Let’s also not forget about the actually burning me out and crushing my overall productivity, I began to look at the big health benefits. picture a bit more. I’m going to share a personal story from a couple weeks ago. Start your day as early as possible: I’m a huge fan of early mornings -- I have a major chunk of my to-do list My fiancé and I decided to take my 6-year-old completed before 9 a.m. -- this distraction- niece to Disney before she started school. It free time can be ultra productive. I hear many meant seven days “away” from work -- somepeople say, “I’m just not a morning person,” thing I would have never done years ago. This and that is simply an excuse. One thing that was her first trip to Disney, and the look on her every entrepreneur has the ability to do is face when she first saw Cinderella’s Castle is hustle – you either want it so bad that you are something I will never forget. This is somewilling to do anything, including waking up thing I wouldn’t have experienced if I didn’t early, or you let someone that wants it more switch my way of thinking. out work you. My business didn’t suffer -- I was able to keep Learn to delegate properly: This was up, simply working early in the morning and my weak point when I started, and what was then in the evening, often times by the resort responsible for my ridiculous hours. I refused pool. Oh, and I closed a deal waiting in line to delegate. I thought I was the only person for Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Working less capable of handling certain tasks -- after all, it hours will not only improve your productivity, was my business. Once I learned to trust more but it will allow you to experience things in and delegate smaller tasks, it allowed me to life you might miss otherwise. focus on more productive tasks.
THREE EDUCATION TAX CREDITS FOR THE STUDENT
By Sandra J Hastings | Hastings Professional Business Services, Hastingspbs.com
There are 3 educational tax credits that can offset the expenses of higher education: the American Opportunity credit, the Hope Scholarship credit, and the Lifetime Learning credit. However, for any given student in a given year, only one of these credits can be used. The American Opportunity credit applies to expenses for the first 4 years of postsecondary education, with a maximum of $2,500 per student, of which 40% is refundable, meaning that 40% of the credit can be used to offset payroll tax liability and can even be refunded to the taxpayer. The Lifetime Learning credit may be used to offset the expense of higher education beyond the 4th year of postsecondary education and also for non-degree courses for acquiring or improving job skills. The maximum credit is $2,000 per year for any given taxpayer, and can only be used to offset tuition, fees, or expenses that are required by the educational institution. The Hope Scholarship credit is much like the American Opportunity credit except that it only pays for 100% of the first $1,000 of qualified tuition expenses plus 50% of an additional $1,000 paid during the year. It has the same eligibility requirements as the American Opportunity credit, but since the credit is smaller, and both credits cannot be claimed for the same student in the same year, it really only makes sense to claim the American Opportunity credit. However, unlike the American Opportunity credit, the Hope Scholarship credit is indexed for inflation.
52 | BUSINESS | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
Connecting The Community of Abilene & The Big Country
Destination Marketing Principles Seminar HILTON GARDEN INN 4449 Ridgemont Drive; Abilene, Texas 79606 Thursday, September 15, 2016 9:00am – 4:00pm (Registration begins at 8:30am)
Schedule 9:00am – Noon: TACVB Destination Marketing Principles Noon – 1:00pm: Lunch Featuring “Minute at the Mic” 1:00pm – 4:00pm: Bob & Kelli Phillips, Texas Country Reporter Lori Tucker, Tucker PR “Media Toolkit: How to Provide Necessary Tools through Dynamic Pitches to Tell Your Story & Develop a Strategic Press Plan” Dan Quandt, Amarillo CVC Margaret Hoogstra, Texas Forts Trail Region John Osborne, Lubbock EDC “Creating & Maintaining Successful Partnerships: Leveraging current/potential partnerships to build dynamic experiences to retain business & make a greater economic impact in your community” TO REGISTER, PLEASE VISIT tacvb.org/AbileneDestinationMktg
Cost Full Day - $85 member / $100 non-member Morning Session - $50 member / $65 non-member Afternoon Session - $50 member / $65 non-member Student - $50 Seminar registration includes an AM and PM break and a catered lunch.
Hotel Information Hilton Garden Inn 4449 Ridgemont Drive Abilene, TX 79606 For Reservations: (325) 690-6432 or http://group.hiltongardeninn.com/TA CVBDestinationMarketing $109 (Double) Rate Code: TACVB
Wednesday, September 14 join us for “Not Your Granddaddy’s Tour” of historic Abilene, taking from 3:30-6pm, with a reception following at The MIll from 6-8pm. Drink and food tickets will be provided to those attending the tour. This tour is offered for an additional fee of $30.
Texas Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus | www.tacvb.org | (512) 550-3464
Small Business Development
Small Business Development Center
SEMINARS
Trademark, Copyrights & Patent Workshop September 13 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Presented by: Chris Stewart, Burdett Morgan Williamson & Boykin LLP/Attorneys at Law. Stewart will be scheduling FREE 1 hr private appointments (this day only) prior to workshop. This is based on a first come first serve basis. Appointment slots to meet with Stewart are limited and must be scheduled in advance. Please call 325-670-0300 to reserve your appointment today.
How to Start a Small Business September 27 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Workshops will be held at the Texas Tech SBDC Abilene, Training Room. 749 Gateway Street, Ste. #301 Building C, Abilene, TX (Off Loop 322 / near Industrial Blvd.) Call to reserve your seat
325-670-0300
Pick us up at The Whitten Inn, China Star, Wholly Cow Burgers & H.E.B. | BUSINESS | 53
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Tesla Motors installs eight “Supercharger” stations in Sweetwater
By Ken Becker | Executive Director, Sweetwater Enterprise for Economic Development (SEED)
Tesla Motors, manufacturer of electric vehicles, has installed 8 “Supercharger” stations in the parking lot of Holiday Inn Express at 300 SE Georgia, Sweetwater, TX. These “Supercharger” stations will charge a Tesla Model S at 80% in 40 minutes or at 100% in 75 minutes. Sweewtater and Cisco are the only “Supercharge” stations between Dallas and North of Tuscan AZ on the southern route. “Destination” charging stations in the West Texas region include Abilene, Pecos, and El Paso. Tesla is looking for location partners for their “Destination” charging stations. Sweetwater traffic on I-20 is part of the reason for the Tesla location. As per TXDOT traffic count numbers for 2013, Sweetwater had 20,163 vehicles per day on I-20 near Exit 244. In 2014, this numbers have increase to 27,474. As a comparison, on I-10 at Junction, the daily traffic count is 10,723. More information on Tesla and other charging stations can be found at www.tesla.com
Additional information:
Supercharging vs. Destination Charging
As Destination Charging is newer on the scene and the differences between it and Supercharging may not be clear to everyone, here’s a quick rundown of the big differences between the programs. With Superchargers, Tesla pays for every-
thing other than the land itself. That includes the purchase and installation of the Superchargers as well as the ongoing electricity fees, which can be significant, as charging EVs at high speeds can very quickly put the Supercharging station into higher usage tiers, incurring demand charges that add up quickly. Charging throughput can peak out around 175 amps. Imagine the usage spike from 10 Teslas pulling 100+ amps each. Destination Charging is a network of chargers that Tesla pays for (the hardware) that are then installed and owned by the property owner. The property owner is then responsible for defining the terms and conditions for use of the chargers — for example, customers only, residents only, my wife — and for supplying the power. This is great for Tesla because the upfront cost of the hardware is relatively cheap, and the company gets to add another location to the ever-growing list of destination chargers in cars and online. It’s also great for property owners, as they get added to an exclusive list of sites offering Tesla charging and can advertise Tesla charging as a service. On the flipside, they have to buck up the cash for the install and, obviously, ongoing usage charges for power. This seems like a no-brainer for most hotels, as the electricity used would likely be minimal relative to the number of new clients pulled in by the additional service of onsite charging.
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54 | BUSINESS | HispanicLife l Abilene/BigCountry
The First Step to Take to Get Out of Debt
Connecting The Community of Abilene & The Big Country
By DaveRamsey.com
Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to Jump-start Your Fund get out of debt. So now what? If you’re serious about getting out of debt, work as hard as you can to put away $1,000 Some people never get beyond this point be- speedy quick. Sell the mysterious items in the cause they don’t know where to start. The big attic. Get rid of the jewelry you bought to keep picture is overwhelming, so people often quit up with the Joneses. Switch to store-brand before they ever write the first check to pay products. Work overtime. Find an extra job. off a debt. You don’t have to worry about that, Sell the boat. Save every penny, nickel and though, because you’re about to discover the dime you find. Everything adds up. first step toward saying goodbye to debt. Once you’ve reached the magic number, take Before you learn this secret, you need to be fore- your money to the bank. Don’t keep it at home warned: this step may surprise you. It will seem because you’ll use it. On what? You forgot to like the wrong thing to do. You won’t guess it get cash for the school trip. The pizza driver offhand because most people don’t think it has needs a tip. Your coworkers are pooling monanything to do with debt reduction. Are you ey for a farewell gift. Instead of tempting yourready? self with cash on hand, open a savings account that’s separate from your regular checking acThe first step is this: count and put your $1,000 in it. And then leave Save $1,000 as fast as you can. it alone. Don’t touch it. It’s for emergencies. (And a clearance sale at your favorite store is You weren’t expecting that, were you? Why not an emergency.) would you put money in a savings account instead of using it to pay off bills? Proof You Can Do It The safety net for the unexpected isn’t the only Because life happens. Your car has a busted plus in starting your emergency fund. This first transmission. Your husband ends up in the ER. step also gives you confidence, a feeling of acYou bury a loved one. There’s an unexpected complishment and a sense of control. This step pregnancy. Mayhem and surprises are a part of proves you can save money. You can control life. If you have the $1,000 emergency fund, you your behavior. You’ve discovered the power won’t have to go deeper into debt when the in- of intense focus and determination. Now keep evitable but surprising happens. Think of your using those skills to tackle the next step—getemergency fund as a safety net. ting rid of your debt.You can do this!
Pick us up at Dairy Queen, First Financial Bank & Daniela’s Tex Mex | BUSINESS | 55
Sept. 23-Sept.25, 2016 Red Bud Park, Abilene, TX
SEPTEMBER 24, 2016 2 PM - 6 PM FRONTIER TEXAS ABILENEBEERSUMMIT.COM BENEFITS NEW HORIZONS
SAVING IS NOW AS EASY AS SPENDING First Financial Bank is proud to offer WOW checking accounts. These accounts come with some great features. You’ll get to enjoy discounts on shopping, dining and travel, roadside assistance, and identity theft protection. It’s just another way we put You First.
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