Anna gets a Freestanding Emergecy Room

Anna Mayor Nate Pike addresses the group gathered at the new Texoma Medical Center Freestanding Emergency Department in Anna.

TMC brings cutting-edge emergency care to Anna

By Joyce Godwin Photos by Xaviar Jukes

Before now, a trip for emergency medical attention was a 15-minute drive to McKinney from Anna or even longer to Sherman. Texoma Medical Center has changed all that with the opening of a freestanding emergency department north of White Street on the east side of U.S. Highway 75.

During the recent ribbon cutting for the facility orchestrated by the Greater Anna Chamber of Commerce, Anna Mayor Nate Pike said, “This is a place of healing. TMC had the forward thinking to understand the importance of moving up 75, and here we are, right in the middle of it. It’s a great time to be in this community.” He added that TMC is a great community partner.

Ron Seal, president and CEO of TMC, told the crowd gathered for the event that it is an honor to be in Anna. “We have 15,000 square feet of space including a Cat Scan, a 24/7 X-ray and a 3D mammography machine with 13 exam rooms and access to 450 medical specialists.” Seal went on to say TMC invested approximately $16 million in the facility and there will soon be retail development just south of the ER project.

Seal also complimented TMC’s Director of Outpatient Services Jared Johnson. “He made this happen. He’s been here day and night spending numerous hours to be sure we would be ready.”

The ER at Anna also has an outpatient imaging center that includes open MRI, 3D digital mammography, CT scan, and ultrasound. Same day appointments are available for those services pending insurance pre-certification. X-ray services will also be available 24/7, without the need for an appointment.

The facility opened September 1. It is located at 710 Hackberry Drive and will be open 24 hours, seven days a week to serve patients who experience medical emergencies. In addition to services mentioned above, the ER offers laboratory services, and is staffed by boardcertified and board-eligible physicians. And because ER at Anna operates under TMC’s hospital license, most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid are accepted.

Seal said, “In the event that a patient needs hospitalized care, ER at Anna provides direct admission to Texoma Medical Center, or arranges transfer to a hospital of the patient’s choosing. This facility is an entry point into the TMC healthcare system, and provides patients with access to over 450 world-class providers and specialists.”

For more information about ER at Anna, please visit the website at https://www.texomamedicalcenter.net/services/emergency-department/er-at-anna.

About Texoma Medical Center Texoma Medical Center is a 414-bed acute care facility located in Denison, serving the healthcare needs of the Texoma region. The hospital offers a comprehensive range of specialty and surgical services. Texoma Medical Center has been rated one of the safest hospitals in the nation receiving an ‘A’ from the Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing the hospital’s achievements in protecting patients from harm and providing safe healthcare. More than 3,500 employees, 450 multi-specialty physicians, and more than 100 volunteers are essential in maintaining TMC’s dedication to providing quality healthcare and excellence.

Alexander Cemetery Compiled by Janet Smith for AAHPS, 2017 Photos by Grif Servati/Griff Servati Photography/www.photogriffy.com

The Alexander Cemetery was started as Alexander Family Cemetery. James Alexander (1806-1891) and his wife, Catherine and ten children came to Collin County in the early 1850s from South Carolina and settled in the north-central part of the county.

James was a farmer. The earliest marked grave is for his son, William (1858), although there may have been burials before that time, James lost seven more of his children by 1872, all of whom are buried in the cemetery.

James Alexander gave two acres of land to the “Precinct” in 1890 for the cemetery. Many early families have burials in this cemetery including Alexander, White, Miller, Hayes, McLain and Sanstrom.

Benjamin White, who was a veteran of the War of 1812, is buried in the cemetery. A War of 1812 Veteran’s marker was placed on his grave by the General Society of the War of 1812, Craig Austin Rowley Chapter, Plano, Texas and dedicated on November 6, 2013. Veterans of the Civil War, WWI and WWII are also buried here.

An additional interesting tie to Alexander Cemetery is through John Sanstrom and Sarah Sanstrom, who are both buried at Alexander. The Sanstrom’s granddaughter, Jonnie Louise Brock Fifer, (1904-2006), was the only one in her family of six to survive the hurricane that hit Corpus Christi on September 13, 1919. When Jonnie was found, she was 20 miles up the Nieces River in Odom, Texas. In 1980, because no monuments were ever erected in Corpus Christi to honor those who perished in the hurricane, Jonnie decided to honor her family, who are buried in Alexander Cemetery, with a stone marker which she placed at the foot of her grandparents’ graves.

Jonnie was 102 years old when she died. She was buried beside her husband in the Van Alstyne Cemetery. In 2008, Jonnie’s daughters, Ora Maye Botsford and Juliet Hilbun, had the memory marker moved to the Van Alstyne cemetery and placed beside their mother’s grave.

One of the Alexander Cemetery tombstones was found lying face up in a vacant lot adjacent to the Texas State University (TSU) campus in San Marcos, Texas. It was the stone marking Mary Hayes’ gravesite. It came into the possession of the Hays County Historical Commission (HCHC) when a TSU student’s father spotted it and reported it to county officials. University police determined it was on TSU property and allowed HCHC to take it with the stated intention of trying to return it to its point of origin. Fortunately, several folks at TSU had been “on the case” long before HCHC got any call and had, in fact,

determined the stone’s North Texas origin. University Archivist and Records Manager, Kris Toma, led the research after employees at TSU’s Swinney House spotted the stone. The tombstone of Mary Hayes has been returned to its original site and restored to its base. Its “journey” down south remains a mystery.

The cemetery has numerous large trees including a massive oak, 12-feet in circumference, that has grown around a very old bois d’arc marker. Although the marker is not identified. It is believed that a member of the McLain or Alexander family planted the tree, as it is surrounded by the graves of both families. The slaves that had been brought to Texas by these pioneers were buried at the back of their master’s plots.

Near the center of the cemetery, two large cedar trees have grown to conceal a mystery known only to a few. A headstone inscribed with the letters “L A” was found beneath the eastern cedar. The area surrounding this marker is heavily overgrown and shrouded from view. The only way to get a glimpse of the marker is to crawl between the thick branches.

For years, the cemetery was lovingly maintained by some who are now buried there. Such as, Spencer White, Albert McLain and J.C. Gattis, all of whom helped establish

the Alexander Cemetery Association. The Association has participated annually on Decoration Day the Sunday before Mother’s Day) where visitors can pay respect to loved one’s resting places. The Association takes up a collection from the visitors to assist in the annual maintenance costs. There were years when those participating in Decoration Day could enjoy homemade fried chicken, fried okra, pound cake and sweet tea while visiting with family and friends. Currently, the cemetery is maintained by the Alexander family with the support of the Association.

In 1999, Ben Larkin Harlow, a descendent of the McLain family, built the new decorative entry gate as a special project in shop class at Anna High School. This heartfelt addition depicts and honors the heritage of the families buried in the cemetery.

The cemetery is still active and contains approximately 287 burials. This cemetery, with its long history of family burials, remains a cherished resting place. A county Historical Marker was dedicated in September of 2016.

Thanks to the Anna Area Historical Preservation Society for permission to publish the great stories in the book “The Spark that Ignited the Town of Anna.”

Anna Fire Department Names First Driver/Engineers

By City of Anna

Anna’s Interim Public Safety Director Ray Isom (right) and Interim Fire Chief Dan Wood (left) conducted a promotion ceremony naming the city of Anna’s first three Driver/Engineers at the City Council meeting of Sept. 8. From left D/E Carl Konosky, accompanied by Susan Bryant, D/E Cody Watson, his wife Stephanie and daughter, and D/E Ronald Morgan, accompanied by his father Ron Morgan, were each presented with their new badges during the ceremony. The three are the first to reach the rank, which was recently added to the Fire Department’s career ladder, in anticipation of the additional firefighting engine and other equipment on order. The city council and the assembled audience acknowledged the three with a standing ovation.

TREY BELEW/ANNA LIVING MAGAZINE The city of Anna honored Anna High School 2020 Homecoming by turning on the purple lights for the water tower on Highway 75. The tower was a beautiful Coyote purple.

City of Anna bids farewell to Police Chief Jeff Caponera

Story and photos by Joyce Godwin

He’s been a member of the Anna PD since 2003 and chief since 2018, but now, it’s time to make a change. Caponera is retiring and in the vacancy left behind, Anna Fire Chief Ray Isom is Interim Public Safety Director to run both departments until the city decides on a new police chief. Dan Wood will serve as Interim Fire Chief.

Caponera said he and his wife miss the seasons in weather, and since they have family in Colorado, they are looking forward to being closer to them in Grafton Wisconsin, where Caponera has accepted the position of police chief. His retirement went into effect Aug. 31.

“I will miss it here,” he said. “The last couple of years we have been building a really good culture. We invested in employees to give them the autonomy to do what they need to do to get the job done. We are a family and that is the big thing I will miss.”

He says the next chief will be pleasantly surprised with the peer-support team in place at the Anna PD. “I could not be more proud of the guys and girls here,” Caponera said. “I am really going to miss them.” He added that he is proud the city of Anna has been on the Safest City List for three consecutive years. “I am super appreciative of the opportunities for growth I’ve experienced in Anna.” That also includes the mentoring he received from Chief Kenneth Jenks from the time Caponera was a sergeant. “It prepared me for what I am doing now.”

He says he is also very proud of the relationship the police department has established with the community and the great support received from them.

“It’s a work in progress and I hope it will continue,” Caponera says of the changes in the

Anna retired Police Chief Jeff Caponera

past two years. In Caponera’s tenure as chief, the PD has rebranded and started working with social media. It has helped to garner trust and support in the community. Coffee with the Cops started but COVID took the steam out of that project.

“A lot for the ideas have come from the officers,” Caponera said.

Caponera will officially begin his new position Sept. 21.

He was hired in Anna as a police sergeant, was promoted to lieutenant and served as interim chief for six months.

He has also served as a deputy constable in Collin County, a police officer in Thornton, Colorado and deputy sheriff in Adams County, Colorado. His police service started at age 14 when he entered the Police Explorer program where he stayed until age 21. Then he started in Colorado for Adams County as a reserve officer and then a full-time deputy. He is also proud to be a second-generation cop. His dad was chief for the city of Fowler, Colorado.

Anna’s loss is the gain of Grafton, Wisconsin.

In this section in the next issue of Anna Living Magazine we will feature Anna’s Interim Public Safety Director Ray Isom.

Behind the Badge is a series in Anna Living Magazine in which an Anna first responder is featured for each issue.

Anna Police Chief Jeff Caponera takes a moment in his office just before retiring. Behind him is a bob cat found in one of the Anna parks with a broken leg. The animal couldn’t be helped so he had to be put down. Caponera says he is taking the cat with him to his new office in Grafton, Wisconsin.

City ManagerJIM PROCE

By Joyce Godwin

He’s one of those Texans who wasn’t born here but got here as soon as he could. He started out in New York City and followed his best friend and now wife to Florida and now he’s a died-in-thewool Texan with a heart for Anna. Jim Proce is the city manager for the city of Anna and this is home for him.

After two years on the job Proce says he loves being in Anna with Irene, his wife of 38 years, and she is still his best friend.

“I’m excited to be here,” Proce says. “When I first looked at Anna, I saw a great opportunity to be a part of something I knew was going to be special. Having experienced rapid growth in other places, I knew I was prepared to do it and do it right.” He added that having patience is one of the keys to guiding a city through the tremendous growth Anna is experiencing. Proce understands the importance of a city like Anna holding on to its roots.

“A lot of folks don’t like the growth and want to hold on to the small town,” he said. “But we are doing our comprehensive plan to allow us to hold onto those characteristics while it grows.” He sees the importance of preserving the community as it changes into a thriving city.

He described the Dallas/Fort Worth area as a big pond. When someone drops a rock in it, ripples start moving out away from the rock. Proce says Anna is being hit by those ripples. “The land is still a bit cheaper than further south, and really isn’t that far out,” he said of the Anna area. “It really is only a few minutes from McKinney. We are halfway between two population centers which kind of gives us an advantage. People live here and go north or south so we are kind of a suburb of two population centers. So you might see things (businesses) come here but not to Van Alstyne or Melissa because they are too close.”

There are still a lot of projects in planning stages that have been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the developers of those projects have moved to a wait-and-see status but, “still, growth is crazy,” Proce said.

Although he’s received multiple professional awards throughout his career, Proce said there were two that really mean a lot to him. They both came from the American Public Works Association during his tenures in Rowlett, Texas and Palm Bay, Florida.

In 2016, while in Rowlett, it was the APWA Top Ten Public Works Leader Award. This is a national award so he was one of 10 recognized leaders in the United States. “This is the most coveted,” Proce said. “It goes to only 10 people per year.” In 2011 he received the APWA Community Involvement Award while in Florida. When he started with that city, the population was 10,000 and when he left, it was considerably larger. “But in this case, the award was because I was so involved in so many things in the community,” Proce said. “We enjoyed putting on fund raisers and coaching basketball teams while working 50 hours per week.“

Proce’s wife Irene has lived the life of public service with him. “She has lived through everything I’ve dealt with — hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfire, evacuations and one mass shooting.” She helped him with all

of that while maintaining her own career in HR management. “My wife is the foundation of our family and always has been. I couldn’t do what I do without her.”

After two years on the job in Anna, Proce says he feels good about where Anna is now in its development. Having built 100s of miles of roads and sewer plans and other infrastructure, Proce is up to the challenge. “Developers are buying land and we have to get infrastructure done. It’s like the Sim City video game but it’s real.” Proce added that he is excited for the city staff as well, because they get to be part of building a community. “At build out, this could be a quarter of a million people in Anna,” Proce said.

Proce has worked for numerous city councils with a lot of mayors, some of which have become good friends. He says what he respects most about the Anna City Council is the way they work hard to be a team. “Even when they have disagreements, they stick with it and work it through. They all genuinely care and you can tell because they make tough decisions for the city of Anna. The evidence is in the work we have done in building a detailed, strategic plan. It defines what’s important and what we are going to do about it.”

The local government of Anna is no longer a small, local government and Proce is proud of the team they’ve built. “We could run any city,” Proce said of the people on his team at the city of Anna. “The vision and foresight, and support of this council enabled me to do things that make it worth coming to work every day. That is really important to me going forward,”

The city’s website says the following about Jim Proce. “He is a graduate of the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, Senior Executives of State & Local Government program and has an MBA from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida and a BS from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.

“Jim currently resides in Anna, Texas, with his wife, Irene, and 2 children, Gabriela, a civil engineer and Joseph, a student at the University of North Texas.”