INSIGHTS SUMMER 2022 EDITION
A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE MAREK FAMILY OF COMPANIES
MAJOR PROJECTS HOUSTON MAREK Houston recently began the 2nd phase of work at Memorial Hermann Hospital - The Woodlands. MAREK onsite teams will demo, remodel and add 137,952 sf in other hospital areas. These additions are in a conscious effort to meet the healthcare needs of a growing population. This project is scheduled to end in November of 2023. Our teams recently completed construction on the new 351,636 square foot, eight-story South Tower, including a pedestrian connector bridge to the new tower to Parking Garage 2. Drywall Foreman is Herman Valdez, Finishing Forman is Adrian Ortiz, Superintendents are Terry Holcombe and Dave McMillian and Drywall PM is Matt Gressler. Austin Commercial is GC and PhiloWilke is Architect. coustical Foreman David Alfaro, Acoustical Superintendent Art Villarreal, Acoustical PM Andy Chien to the Memorial Hermann Hospital – The Woodlands.
ATLANTA We are beginning our second year on-site at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) project for Brasfield & Gorrie in Atlanta. We currently have approximately 150 workers spread out over floors 4-19 and starting on the 20th floor soon. We are proud to be part of this massive project which will add 480 new patient beds for CHOA. We recently celebrated our Top Out Party with around 2,000 employees working to make this important project happen. Mr. Arthur Blank spoke at the party and praised the whole team for their efforts in being safe and on schedule with the new hospital. Our on-site team, which remains mostly unchanged, continues to work hard and is dedicated to making this project another MAREK success story. Our on-site project teams are led by: Superintendent for this ongoing project Tony Smith; Area Foremen include Ismael Bravo, Juan Lopez, Jack Smith, Andres Diaz, and Martin Martinez; Finishing Foremen are Deni Carillo and Ismael Grimaldo; Safety Advisors are Brian Smith and Danny Williams. Don Hicke is handling logistics. DALLAS/FORT WORTH Work continues on Sadler Hall, a fourPage 1
story interior renovation of a building built in 1960. Named in honor of Chancellor MacGruder Ellis Sadler, who led the university from 1941 through 1965. The renovated building will now consist of levels 1 & 2 mainly for classrooms, while levels 3 & 4 are primarily office spaces except for two classrooms. Partial removal of the level 3 slab allowed a taller ceiling design as you enter through the main entrance on level 2. The new steps & ramps found on the main entry are made of cold-formed metal framing with structural concrete board topped off with a Terrazzo finish. Scheduled completion is at the end of 2022, with Martin Andrade as Leadman, Jose Rodriguez as Foreman, Frank Suarez as PM, and Robert Brazel rounding out the team as Superintendent. Linbeck is GC and Hahnfeld Hoffer Stanford is Architect. HOUSTON Houston doesn’t just have a vision for a healthier future; they have a plan. It all starts with building a world-class life science campus consisting of four industry research sites bringing together the best of the best to rapidly drive new research breakthroughs. The first of four buildings on the TMC3 campus are Industry Building 1, which is ten stories tall and spans 700,000 sf. This building will house biotech companies, pharmaceutical firms, commercial enterprises, and investment partners. Elkus Manfredi Architects designed SUMMER 2022
this much-needed campus, led by GC Vaughn Construction. Our onsite drywall team, including Michael Romero as Drywall Superintendent and Allan Nevlud as Drywall PM, is led by Foreman Oscar Miller and will be responsible for performing the core and shell scope of work on the North Tower.
ON SITE SAN ANTIONIO Texas Public Radio (TPR) is one of the major radio stations in the southern part of Texas. The work was performed at TPR’s new facility built in 2019. The project consisted of approximately 12,000 sf of 4” and 2” stretched fabric panels on the walls and ceilings of their recording studios. The MAREK team developed a method to create the 4” wall system by furring out 2” with fire-treated wood. Everyone at TPR was satisfied with the installation of the stretched fabric wall system. Special thanks to Foreman Edgar Zaldivar, PM Jesus Roman, Carpenters Edgar del Angel, John Kruithof, Kenneth Ezquivel, and Architect RPG Acousticians. HOUSTON Houston Methodist The Woodlands is in the final phase of completing the backfill renovation of the remaining existing tower. Our experienced drywall and finishing teams are doing their part to complete the renovations, including a new CT Scan room, additional surgical waiting areas, and a new MRI suite, set to be completed in November 2022. Houston Methodist The Woodlands is an occupied hospital with several phases of work, all co-occurring. The simultaneous
work has created challenges and offered learning opportunities for all teams involved. We’ve proven that communication, coordination, and teamwork are vital to a successful project. John Nethery and Avel Alcocer are Drywall Foremen, Luis Crus is Finishing Foreman, Rick Morgan is Superintendent and Matt Gressler is Drywall PM. Vaughn Construction is GC and Page is Architect. AUSTIN Metro has 13 NLUC locations between Austin and San Antonio. We have been awarded and started 3 of them (Red River, Greenlawn, Wells Branch) and have bids out on two more, with at least three more to come. We hope to land all these projects with our friends at Metro. Facilities include storefront medical clinics, exam rooms, x-ray rooms, and offices. Most are about 3500-4000 sf. The project is scheduled to end at the end of the year. Key team members include: Miguel Garcia Ruiz, Domitilo Castillo, Lucas Torres, Diego Avila, Ernest Garnica, and Mauricio Enrique. Metropolitan Contracting is GC and Browne McGregor is Architect. ATLANTA Work has recently begun renovating 4 top floors of the 22-story Wells Fargo Tower for the attorney office, Arnall Golden Gregory, LLP. In this approximately 100,000 sf building, we are utilizing Armstrong Ultima, Optima, Calla, and Tectum ACT ceilings and Acoufelt Filasorb specialty ceilings.
Key MAREK employees include Thomas Arckivy, Rick Jecker, Eduardo Ibarra, Page 2
and Raul Villegas. Humphries and Company are GC, and ASD SKY is Architect. DALLAS/FORT WORTH Another one in the books with our loyal customer, the Fort Worth Snoring and Sleep Apnea Center! We successfully completed 1,460 sf of tenant finishout, where we provided interior metal framing, building insulation, acoustical ceilings, and The installation of barn doors. A big thanks to Project Foreman Juan Martinez, PM Nestor Hurtado, and Superintendent Robert Brazel! GC on this project was Aday & Associates and Architect was MODE Design Company. ATLANTA In addition to being very busy with our Healthcare, Corporate, Tenant, Shades, and other “usual” market sector work, we are doing more and more light G.C. and Special Projects through our division. These jobs accommodate our clients’ requests and needs, and we often find them to be “lead-ins” to much bigger jobs. These projects typically consist of start-to-finish office buildouts, turn-key renovations, unique specialty work, and established on-call service relationships. We’re currently working on projects at Camp Southern Ground, Broad Street Row Restaurant and Brewery, Takeda Manufacturing Facility, Glover Park Brewery, and multiple Tidal Wave Car Wash facilities all over the Southeast. Thank you to Keith Cook, Tim Lee, Marty Shonkwiler, and others for their leadership and involvement and these projects… keep them coming! AUSTIN Work is currently underway with another high-end lawyer’s office finish out with Rand Construction. Thompson Coe is a complex litigation firm of more than 200 attorneys who guide clients through highstakes litigation, business disputes, and regulatory matters.
The project has numerous individual offices, conference rooms, and a law library. Armstrong Feltworks Blades, extensive reveals throughout the 23,500 sf lease space in a business park in SW Austin. Project includes Francisco Hernandez, Martin Bonia, Berhnes Baca, David Fuentes, Miguel Hernandez, Alexis Rodriguez with Gensler as Architect.
ON THE HORIZON HOUSTON We’re continuing to aim high! The Houston Intercontinental Airport Federal Inspection Services Renovation and Expansion project is focused on planning, programming, and designing to modernize the existing facility to allow growth for future international travel. These facilities will handle additional aircraft, passengers, and cargo departing and arriving from domestic and international destinations. We are looking forward to creating a space that allows travelers room to admire the expanding airport while getting to their destinations on time. Drywall PM, Randy Wakefield. DALLAS/FORT WORTH Work has begun on a drywall and SPD combo job at Traveler’s Insurance. The project includes the renovation of four floors of office space including over 30,000 sf of acoustical ceilings, 35,000 sf of drywall partitions, and over 6,500 sf of Fitzfelt fabric panels.
Drywall team consists of Jamie Smith, Foreman, Daniel Amado, Project Manager, and Koby Newkirk, Superintendent. Specialties team includes: Horacio Grimaldo, Foreman, Fernando Tejada, PM, and Tommy Weeks, Superintendent. HITT is GC and id Group is Architect. AUSTIN This is our first project with Novo Construction, who has a healthy backlog of work in the Austin area. The client is Core Scientific, a leader in highperformance blockchain infrastructure and software solutions, located in the new RiverSouth building at 401 S. 1st. and covers 17,800 sf on the 10th floor.
the 23rd floor in the recently completed 300 Colorado tower in the heart of downtown Austin. McGuireWoods is a full-service firm providing legal and public affairs solutions to corporate, individual, and nonprofit clients worldwide. This high-end space will include Armstrong ACT throughout with 9Wood Linear Wood ceiling extending from the elevator lobby into the reception and break areas. Numerous conference rooms and individual offices cover the entire floor. Heutimio Moreno is Foreman, with Sebastian Dominguez, Frank Acabal, Remigio Acabal, and Jesus Contreras contributing. Harvey Cleary Builders is GC and Gensler is Architect.
Work will include a large area of Acoufelt Filasorb ceiling panels, Certainteed Box Series ceilings, GFRC panels with highend finishes throughout.
WORKFORCE
Project is led by Nathan Watt, Foreman, with Franklin Sanchez, Leonardo Moreno, Gelacio Ortega assisting. Gensler is Architect
HOUSTON By: Quincy Horton, WFD Specialist
ATLANTA Work has begun on the Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville Clinical Expansion (aka North Tower 2 / ED) project located in Gainesville, GA. The project will include 120 patients’ beds + 72 shelled, new emergency department, surgery expansion, heart / vascular / neuro department expansion, new parking deck, central energy facility, and food services expansion. AUSTIN We are currently working on an 18,350 sf first-generation tenant finish out on Page 3
DEVELOPMENT The Houston Workforce Development Team facilitated an Advanced Communication Course for the Houston Safety Department. This course was designed to improve job communication skills that promote a positive, productive, and safe work environment. Our Safety Department participated in learning more about Effective Communication, Collaborative Communication, and Difficult Conversations to elevate their understanding of how this impacts the safety and their teams in the field. The WFD Team thanks the Safety Team for being a part of this course and cannot wait to see the organization’s growth.
ATLANTA By: Reggie Coleman, WFD Head Coach In March of this year, Atlanta Work Force Development began working with students of the Berkmar High School construction program to help them choose a career path they would be interested in pursuing once they finish high school. Students received guidance from their program director that allowed them to get hands-on learning opportunities and a chance to secure an opportunity for summer employment. A “Signing Ceremony and Reception” was held on May 5th, allowing students an opportunity to interview and commit to a career. We are thrilled to work with recruit Jose Rodriguez in the future! Thank you, AGC Georgia, CEFGA, and Berkmar High School, for creating a program that benefits everyone! AUSTIN By: Ed Cheney, WFD Specialist May 20th was an excellent day for graduation! Austin Workforce Development had the opportunity to give Jonathan Graham, Fernando Martinez, Ernesto Garnica, and Jonathan Yglecias their Drywall Helper Graduation certificate. Now that they’ve graduated as a Drywall Helper, they move on to the Mechanic Program, where they will continue to grow their proficiency and skills. Congratulations and well done to our graduates! SAN ANTONIO By: Gabriel Garcia, WFD Head Coach San Antonio Workforce Development is currently in its 2nd week of our Summer
Internship program that includes a twoweek Boot Camp where high school candidates learn tips and valuable tricks of the trade before hitting the job sites. This year six schools have participated that have allowed us to hire 12 students for the summer. Thank you to Southwest, Medina Valley, Stevens, Brandis, Harlan, and Warren High School for your willingness and participation in our program! We expect great things from the students and look forward to this partnership in the years to come.
DALLAS/FORT WORTH Nestor Hurtago started with MAREK in 2012 as an Estimator/Project Manager working in the specialties department handling window treatments. In 2016, Nestor converted over to Drywall & Acoustical and has grown in his abilities to estimate and manage projects of any size. Nestor is a hands-on Project Manager that has always shown a willingness to contribute to problemsolving and taking the necessary time to work with his foremen in whatever capacity is required to successfully complete his projects even if it means working longer hours or weekends making sure he meets his bid deadlines. Nestor leads, supports, and overcomes obstacles with little to no assistance and is extremely dependable. Nestor has Page 4
stepped up taking on two direct reports (Daniel Amado and Carson Pittman) both of which are Estimators/Project Managers focusing on interior tenant finish-out projects. This has allowed Nestor to grow in his leadership skills. MAREK is a much better company with Nestor on our team. - Glenn McBride, Division Manager ATLANTA Jonathan Futch has been instrumental in the success of the window shade dept. His commitment to quality and safety while keeping the Emory and CHOA projects on schedule are second to none. I applaud his efforts as they do not go unnoticed. Timothy “TJ” Meeks - Senior Project Manager SAN ANTONIO MAREK would like to recognize Employee Roberto Garza. Roberto started with MAREK in December of 2002. Recently, MAREK received a letter from General Contractor Gilbane recognizing Roberto for “being an exemplary day-today leader who tackled this challenging project and was a crucial part of the overall success of the job that lasted 2 1/2 years. Roberto made a positive impact at the Lanier High School renovation project,” shared Omar Garcia Sr. Project Manager with Gilbane Building Company. MAREK would like to thank Roberto for his hard work and dedication.
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PERSONNEL
CHANGES DALLAS/FORT WORTH We want to give a warm welcome to our new intern, Osiel Gutierrez. MAREK family roots run deep, as his dad, Foreman Eduardo Gutierrez has been with us for 19 years! Osiel is currently getting his degree at Hardin - Simmons in Abilene. We are happy to have you with us, Osiel!
possible! Ana looks forward to getting to know everyone and hopes to build a strong foundation with her coworkers. Chelsea Gonzales is a native Houstonian and looks forward to learning more about the company. She joins us as a Project Assistant assisting the project managers assigned to her throughout the life of a project. The new friendly face you’ll see when you visit us is Karen Carreto! Karen is a native Houstonian and has an extensive background in customer service, starting all the way back from when she was only 13! Karen is looking forward to growing her skills as an Administrative Professional and going back to school to complete her degree in Business Administration.
Congratulations to Martin Andrade, Jesus Escamilla, and Martin Hernandez for being promoted to Foremen. Job well done, gentlemen! HOUSTON Our Admin Team has some new friendly faces to welcome to the MAREK family!
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The Houston team would also like to introduce Lisa Liberato as the new Executive Assistant for Phil Nevlud. Lisa has been a vital part of the Project Assistant team for the last 10 years and there’s no doubt that she is a great asset to the company and the entire Houston branch!
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Ana Barron joins our team as a new Project Assistant where she will work closely with the project managers assigned to her. Ana wasn’t born in Texas, but she got here as fast as
ATLANTA Congratulations to William Perry, who has been promoted to Drywall Foreman. Marshall Echevarria has completed his Summer internship with MAREK. We hope that he learned a lot and wish him well in his construction career. 2 of our long-term superintendents, Bill Pallino and Kyle McGrady, have retired. Below is a statement from our Page 5
Division President, Mike Feather: “Bill Pallino and Kyle McGrady are two of the most respected supervisors, mentors and leaders in Atlanta and the Southeast. Their careers at MAREK combined for 67 years. It is with mixed emotions that we announce that they are both retiring this year. Their impact on the Atlanta branch of MAREK is immeasurable. Bill Pallino started with MAREK in 1987 as a foreman and ceiling mechanic. He quickly rose to supervisor level. Some of Bill’s landmark projects include Alston and Bird Law Firm, Project One-South Tower (SC), Progress Energy (FL), Blue Cross Blue Shield (TN), Baxter Pharmaceutical, Hartsfield-Jackson/ Delta AMOD, The Nathan Deal Judicial Center, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlantic Yards and, most recently, the Microsoft offices at Atlantic Station. Part of Bill’s legacy will continue at MAREK as his brother, Nick, and daughter, Mindy, are integral parts of the MAREK team. Kyle McGrady began his career at MAREK in 1990. His strong leadership and skillful craftsmanship helped elevate him quickly to supervisor. In addition to hundreds of tenant build-out projects, Kyle also supervised MAREK crews at Piedmont Mountainside, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Emory’s Goizueta Business School, Support Buildings 1 & 2 at the new
CHOA campus, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Both Bill and Kyle’s talent and leadership will be impossible to replace. The impact they have had on hundreds of men and women in the industry will continue. We wish them both nothing but the best in their retirement.”
three day span. They had a great time fishing with friends and sharing some pretty good fish tales! HOUSTON On June 13th, students participated in the Construction Science Texas Abroad program with Texas A&M University. This program allows young men and women to visit different contractors throughout Texas, showing them what a construction industry career could look like. Our office team explained what they did and their role in ensuring a quality bid leads to a
AUSTIN We welcome Austin Nadeau, a graduate of Virginia Tech and served in the United States Marine Corps, to our Estimating-Project Management staff. quality project, after which the students A great addition to the team as Austin visited the BSLMC project to see the brings along with him valuable experience quality project our on-site teams build. in the construction industry. Welcome to the MAREK family! At the end of the visit, one student stated, “I am definitely going to seek MAREK out at the next career fair.” Thanks to everyone that was a part of the event. Planning and orchestrating this SAN ANTONIO event took a village, and we would call On Saturday, June 11th, the San Antonio this event a success! Branch hosted an Employee Appreciation Event for Employees and their Family.
COMPANY HAPPENINGS
& EVENTS
MAREK planned a fun-filled day with different entertainment for all to enjoy. Live Band, Inflatables, Mechanical Bull and Kona Ice to beat the Summer heat! MAREK would like to thank all our team members for making this a great place to work!
DALLAS/FORT WORTH Our DFW branch had a REEL good time at MAREK’s annual Bay Flats fishing trip in Seadrift, Texas. They, along with their guests, Steve Hatcher from Vaughn and Leon Davis from Rogers-O’Brien, caught a combined effort of over 65 fish in the Page 6
MESSAGE FROM
STAN
A belated Happy 4th of July to each of you! As like so many of you, I joined millions of Americans celebrating our nation’s birthday. In doing so, I recalled the many sacrifices that our forefathers must have made in the building of this great country. Stories upon stories that stir the imagination and are testaments to incredible lives. As someone once told me, “We all have stories.” I also took the occasion to re-read our own history. That being the book that was written in 1987 about the Marek/Peters family entitled An Immigrant Family’s History of Survival. The book chronicles their plight from Czechoslovakia to the United States and early years in Yoakum. As I get older, I seem to appreciate their sacrifices more and more. If any of you would like a copy, please e-mail me or stop by my office. The story of the Marek and Peters family is typical of so many of the families that make up our company. Our early employees were off the farm, many firstgeneration Americans with parents from Poland, Germany, Italy, France, and the list goes on. Today, our employees are more diverse and international than ever. It is that diversity that makes us stronger.
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As I finished the book, I felt the final paragraph said so much, and I quote: “in retrospect, it is clear that the three brothers had inherited the same spirit of determination that motivated their grandparents to first come to the United States. Their ancestors came to Texas looking for a better life and were prepared to work for it. The three brothers continued this tradition. The hard years growing up on a farm in Yoakum and weathering the worst depression this country has ever known instilled in them the same burning desire to improve their lives and provide for the future of their families. Their struggles to succeed, commitment and drive did not end when they left the farm. They brought it with them to the growing city of Houston.” No doubt, many of you have stories of struggle and sacrifice—if not in your own life, perhaps in the lives of your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. No matter, it should be a source of pride for you. To endure hardship is to create opportunity and value and, like our nation’s founders, it offers an opportunity to honor and celebrate, even if it’s on a small scale.
dream. I know my great-grandparents would be proud of the fruits of their sacrifices… well beyond their wildest imagination and lasting for generations. In addition to your own story, you are part of this story as well. In the dedication of our families’ history, I was honored to offer my thoughts: “We hope this book reminds all of us of the sacrifices that were made by several generations to improve the quality of life for those who followed. Our families were typical of many of those who emigrated from Europe to find a better life. The hard work and rigors of rural life forged strong, ethical beliefs, religious convictions, and a commitment to family values. It is imperative that we pass on these wonderful traits to our children and succeeding generations. Let us not lose our heritage.”
También tuve la ocasión de volver a leer nuestra propia historia. Ese es el libro que fue escrito en 1987 sobre la familia Marek/Peters titulado Historia de la Supervivencia de una Familia Inmigrante. El libro narra su difícil situación desde Checoslovaquia hasta los Estados Unidos y los primeros años en Yoakum. A medida que envejezco, parece que aprecio sus sacrificios más y más. Si alguno de ustedes desea una copia, por favor envíeme un correo electrónico o pase por mi oficina. La historia de la familia Marek y Peters es típica de muchas de las familias que componen nuestra empresa. Nuestros primeros empleados salieron de las granjas, muchos estadounidenses de primera generación con padres de Polonia, Alemania, Italia, Francia, y la lista continúa. Hoy en día, nuestros empleados son más diversos e internacionales que nunca. Es esa diversidad la que nos hace más fuertes.
-Stan
MENSAJE DE
STAN
We all learn from history. And we learn from our “own stories,” many
¡Un tardío feliz 4th de julio a cada uno
passed down orally from generation to
de ustedes! Como tantos de ustedes,
generation. We should all be proud of
me uní a millones de estadounidenses
that. And we should be proud of what
celebrando el cumpleaños de nuestra
is happening now. That we are making our own story today at MAREK by building some of the most outstanding structures of our generation—enduring landmarks that are testimony to the men and women who make up our company. While doing so, we also build people, providing opportunities for families to grow and prosper in the American
nación. Al hacerlo, recordé los muchos sacrificios que nuestros antepasados debían haber hecho en la construcción de este gran país. Historias sobre historias que agitan la imaginación y son testamentos de increíbles vidas. Como alguien me dijo una vez: “Todos tenemos historias”. Page 7
Al terminar el libro, sentí que el párrafo final decía tanto, y cito: “en retrospectiva, está claro que los tres hermanos habían heredado el mismo espíritu de determinación que motivó a sus abuelos a venir por primera vez a los Estados Unidos. Sus antepasados llegaron a Texas en busca de una vida mejor y estaban preparados para trabajar por ella. Los tres hermanos continuaron esta tradición. Los duros años de crecer en una granja en Yoakum y sobre llevar la peor depresión que este país haya conocido les inculcaron el mismo deseo ardiente de mejorar sus vidas y proveer para el futuro de sus familias. Sus luchas por tener éxito, compromiso e impulso no terminaron cuando abandonaron la granja. Lo trajeron con ellos a la creciente ciudad de Houston”.
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ti. Soportar las dificultades es crear oportunidades y valor y, al igual que los fundadores de nuestra nación, ofrece una oportunidad para honrar y celebrar, incluso si es a pequeña escala. Todos aprendemos de la historia. Y aprendemos de nuestras “propias historias”, muchas transmitidas oralmente de generación en generación. Todos deberíamos estar orgullosos de ello. Y debemos estar orgullosos de lo que está sucediendo ahora. Que estamos haciendo nuestra propia historia hoy en MAREK al construir algunas de las estructuras más sobresalientes de nuestra generación, hitos duraderos que son testimonio de los hombres y mujeres que conforman nuestra empresa. Al hacerlo, también construimos personas, brindando oportunidades para que las familias crezcan y prosperen en el sueño americano.
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Sé que mis bisabuelos estarían orgullosos de los frutos de sus sacrificios... mucho más allá de su imaginación o que durara por tantas generaciones. Además de tu propia historia, tú también eres parte de esta historia. En la dedicatoria de la historia de nuestras familias, tuve el honor de ofrecer mis pensamientos: “Esperamos que este libro nos recuerde a todos los sacrificios que hicieron varias generaciones para mejorar la calidad de vida de los que siguieron. Nuestras familias eran típicas de muchos de los que emigraron de Europa para encontrar una vida mejor. El arduo trabajo y los rigores de la vida rural forjaron fuertes creencias éticas, convicciones religiosas y un compromiso con los valores familiares. Es imperativo que transmitamos estos maravillosos rasgos a nuestros hijos
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y a las generaciones venideras. No perdamos nuestro patrimonio”. -Stan