Relay For Life raises $121,000

One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime a statistic that is an eye-opener to so many in South Texas. When it comes to the word “Cancer” the first thought that comes to mind is “it can never happen to me” which can be quite shocking. The American Cancer Society has long been the advocate of helping those cope with cancer whether it’s monetarily, through support groups or research. How-ever, funding does not come easy. The Annual Relay For Life funds raised at Re-lays save lives by funding cutting-edge cancer research, early detection and pre-vention education, advocacy efforts, and life-affirming patient services. It is be-cause of your involvement that we are able to save lives, help those battling cancer, and empower all to fight back against the disease. In Alice, the Seventh Annual Relay For Life surpassed last year’s goals both in the number of participant and in funds raised. “We had an unbelievable $121,000 raised in Alice this year. Our goal was $94,000,” event chairperson Bertha Rodri-guez said. “We had a great turnout with great teams, sponsors and excellent com-mittee members. Everyone showed 100 percent effort and it shows in the money raised. The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminat-ing cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and di-

See RELAY, Page 8

Coastal Bend College Director of Nursing Education Betty Sims, RN, MSN, speaks to po-tential nursing students after the presentation.

MAY 2008

BB U S I N E S SU S I N E S S T T O DAYO DAY business tradition service community agriculture oil & gas growth

Official Publication of the Alice Chamber of Commerce

CBC to begin RN program

More than 100 potential student nurses filled a capacity room at Coastal Bend College Alice to hear the log-awaited announcement of a Registered Nursing (RN) program coming to Coastal Bend College Alice and Beeville cam-puses this fall. “As chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness in the U.S. House of Representatives, I applaud efforts to bring affordable and accessible higher education opportunities that effectively address the challenges rural communities experience in healthcare employment,”

Congressman Ruben Hinojosa said. Coastal Bend College Alice and Bee-ville campuses will begin its selection of 20 candidates in the program that begins with testing and a tough selection proc-ess. The idea began more three years ago with a commissioned feasibility study that began with the Tri-County Consor-tium To Advance Education (TCCAE) meeting with the Congressman. During that meeting, the Congressman empha-sized the need to diversify the local econ-

See RN PROGRAM, Page 3

Our Mission

The mission of the Alice Chamber of Commerce is to promote

the economic and community development in Alice, Jim Wells

County and the surrounding trade area.

School is just about over and with that many of our kids will be looking for summer jobs. Like to remind those businesses who need some summer help that there are some wonderful kids in our commu-nity who could use some extra cash before heading out to college. Give them a shot, you might be surprised and amazed at how this kids turn out for you.

Speaking of summer, the our electric coalition is looking for more members. Paul Hudson, a commissioner for the Texas Public Utility Commission said “prices are rising for everything needed to make electricity - fuel, steel, labor, copper, pipes - everything.” Worldwide demand for natural gas is at an all-time high. Our competitive bidding for contracts can minimize the impact of these changes and help you keep your electric bills as low as possible in this volatile market. As a Chamber member, the coalition affords you the best opportunity to take advantage of the competitive market. Just contact us here and see a difference in your bill this summer. Mike Smith, Executive Vice President

“Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce

From the Chamber On behalf of the Alice Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, we would like to congratulate all of the Alice and area high school seniors and college graduates on their accomplishments. As you set out into the college world, business community or where ever your sights take you, we hope you are successful in your endeavors. Looks like we went from Winter straight to Summer with this heat and with that the rising cost of electricity. The Chamber’s Electric Coalition is a great example of one of your Chamber benefits. We have some of the businesses paying anywhere from .09 to .11 per kilowatt hour which is a great bargain. We know some businesses

who are not taking advantage of this paying up to .16 per kilowatt hour. Just contact Mike or Juan to learn more about this. I would like to remind everyone of two set grand openings in May. On May 8th at 11 a.m. we have the Rainbow Room in the main conference room of the Child Protective Services located at 408 Flournoy Road. On May 9th, Eden’s Garden will hold their grand opening at 11 a.m. The new nursery is located on North Johnson Street across from Dairy Burger. A big congratulations to the American Cancer Society for a very successful Relay For Life. It was a very moving and emotion night. If you missed it, try to attend next year as this one event that captures your heart.

Yvette Johnson, Chamber Board President

2008 Chamber Leadership

Executive Committee

Yvette Johnson President

Gap Alaniz Treasurer/President Elect

Nena Pitts V.P. - Membership

Virginia Garcia V.P. AJWC-EDC

Velma Starr V.P. - Civic

Marisa Gallegos V.P. - CVB

Board of Directors

Mark Alaniz

Albert Gonzales

J.R. Gonzalez

Robert Molina

Mirka Pena

Rito Silva

Ex-Officio Albert Uresti

Staff Mike Smith Executive Vice President

Juan A. Navejar Jr. Marketing/Sales

Page 2

Mike’s memo

Your First Step to Success

Coastal Bend College Alice Center

704 Coyote Trail - Alice, Texas 78332 (361) 664-2981 - Toll Free 1-866-891-2981 - www.coastalbend.edu

Customized Training Available for the South Texas Workforce

RN PROGRAM, From Page 1

Byron W. Blair, P.C.

Certified Public Accountant

1315 E. Main, Suite 101 P. O. Box 211

Alice, Texas 78332

Office 664-6541 Fax 664-6544

Residence 664-4685

“Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce Page 3

Wells Fargo is a proud Cornerstone Member of the

Alice Chamber of Commerce

Alice Main Alice Medical 601 E. Main Street 1910 E. Main Street 361-668-2400 361-668-1000 wellsfargo.com FDIC Member

WELLS FARGO

Cornerstone Member 2004

omy and pointed out that by implement-ing a nursing and allied health programs, the community would be meeting a dire healthcare shortage while diversifying the economy and creating many residual jobs. The group approached Coastal Bend College and then lobbied their legislators and the Texas Higher Education Coordi-nating Board. The group headed to Aus-tin in April to address the Texas Board of Nursing before receiving approval. “Our region has been greatly affected by the acute shortage of registered Nurses. At the same time, our students face formidable geographical challenges when trying to earn their RN degrees, often driving 100 miles daily to attend classes,” Hinojosa said. “Coastal Bend College has made a monumental step toward solving the allied healthcare shortage in the Coastal Bend while em-powering persons to expand their earning potential,” the Congressman said. “By instituting the RN program in Beeville and Alice, we are ensuring that Coastal Bend residents are educated and trained to work in some of the most technical jobs in the fastest growing industry in our region and the nation.”

Shocked by rising commercial electricity bills? We can help. Wish you could get better rates without having to spend a lot of time dealing with a bunch of salespeople and worrying about the contract terms? Take advantage of the

Chamber’s Electric Coalition. There is no fee to have a professional find out how much your business, church or organization can save. And you are not obligated to accept an offer if you don’t want to.

It’s exclusive to Chamber members, and it’s quick, easy and safe! Contact the Chamber at 361-664-3454.

Coastal Bend College Director of Nursing Education Betty Sims RN, MSN addressed the RN program hopefuls with criteria for the two programs – a two year RN program for those starting out from the basic and a LVN – RN Bridge

program for those who hold a current License Vocational Nurse certification. The two programs begin on Septem-ber 2, 2008 with the Bridge program graduating the first RN class in May 2009.

Members of the Tri-County Consortium To Advance Education (TCCAE) gathered for the announcement of the new nursing program at Coastal Bend College Alice campus.

Page 4 “Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce

Alice Ambassadors

Melva Alegria

Dee Dee Arismendez

Nettie Cornelius

Michael De Leon

Manuel Galindo (Life Member)

Albert Gonzales

Cynthia Hinojosa

Melissa Jaramillo

Bruce Menking

Tem Miller

Rachel Munoz

Dene Murphey

Delma Palacios

Nena Pitts (Life Member)

David Silva

Margaret Smith (Life Member)

Emeritus

Joe Ash

Ralph Gomez

Pedro Jasso

Johnny Rivera

ALICE AMBASSADORS

Did you know the Chamber/CVB has… Maps, brochures, phone books, info on attractions and other cities.

• P r o d u c t io n T e s t in g• O ffs h o r e S e r v ic e s• B r a id e d a n d S lic k l in e S e r v ic e s• F r a c F lo w b a c k s• H y d r a u l ic C h o k e M a n ifo ld s• F r a c V a lv e s• P ip e l in e “ P ig g in g ” S e p a r a to r s• C a p il la r y T u b in g S e r v ic e s• P -V -T L a b o r a to r y• P -V -T S im u la t io n s• H y d r o c a r b o n L a b o r a to r y• R e s e r v o ir F lu id S a m p lin g• P r e s s u r e T r a n s ie n t A n a ly s e s

C o rp o ra te H e a d q u a r te rs1 0 0 0 F E S C O A v e n u e

A lic e , T e x a s 7 8 3 3 23 6 1 -6 6 4 -3 4 7 9

w w w .fe s c o in c .c o m

HAPPY

From the ALICE AMBASSADORS

Members of the Alice Ambassadors participated in the annual Relay For Life.

Page 5 “Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce

Manufacturing Sales Engineering Service Technical Support Training Repacking Rental

www.endyn.com Cornerstone Member 2004

300 W. First Alice 361-668-8311

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently announced that it will fund Coastal Bend College’s 2008 High School Summer Bridge Program. The recently-approved grant for $86,500 will allow CBC to partner with school dis-tricts to provide a six-week, college readiness program for 110 area high school juniors and seniors. Beeville, Pleasanton, Kingsville and Alice Independent School District stu-dents will benefit from this program. Su-perintendents from each school district not only demonstrated support for the program, but contributed to the request packet that went to THECB earlier this year. Participants in the summer academic program will earn three hours of college credit while working on skills that will improve TAKS scores and prepare them for college, according to Velma Elizalde, director of student and project develop-ment. “Success will eliminate hours of college developmental classes saving both time and money. The benefits and opportunities for students and their par-ents are numerous,” she said. The sum-mer program is slated for June 2- July 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students must meet THECB require-ments. Participants must be bound for 11th or 12th grade next fall to qualify this summer. Students who have attained a score of at least 2000 in mathematics on the 10th or 11th grade Texas Assess-ment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), but whose college readiness scores are below the required standard of 2200, are eligible. An application will be available in counseling offices of the selected high schools. The primary goals of the program are to close the gaps in education and to pre-pare high school students to be academi-cally and financially ready for college. CBC’s program goals are:

• to train high school and college instructors to use new teaching techniques;

• to offer team taught program courses at CBC;

• to provide individualized math-intensive computerized courses that bolster TAKS skills;

• to provide students an opportu-

nity to take a tuition-free study skills college course;

• to provide students with individ-ual and group tutoring, and inter-active lectures;

• to provide professional develop-ment for ISD staff and faculty on learning styles and study skills;

• to provide parents with informa-tion on financial aid and college processes; and

• to provide follow-up services to assist in college enrollment.

Beeville ISD Superintendent John Hard-wick will recruit 174 Beeville students for the program. In a letter to CBC President Dr. Thomas Baynum, Hardwick said, “This proposal is vital in providing instruc-tional and support services for our eligible students in need of academic assistance in preparation for college.” Beyond the scope of the grant, CBC will provide TAKS English Language Arts as-sistance during the six-week period. Eli-zalde believes that the intensive nature of the program coupled with the personal at-tention and structured activities will result in meeting or exceeding program goals and objectives. Her opinion is based on the success of last year’s pilot program in Bee-ville. Aware of the large number of students needing remediation and in particular math remediation, CBC sought opportunities to remediate students in a shorter timeframe. THECB’s grant was a perfect opportunity

for the college and the plan was simple, according to Elizalde. Students, who were not quite ready for college, were placed in a flexible-exit math course. An instructor and two peer tutors assisted students as they worked on computerized math modules. The modules addressed students’ needs based on the results of their placement exams. Instructors brought groups of students together for a lecture based on their individual needs. Students were required to take part in Supplemental Instruction, which was offered immediately after class. The course was originally designed for twelve-weeks but later reduced to six. “The outcome was very impressive,” Elizalde said. Of the 40 students who participated, 60 percent scored at least 20 percent or higher on the post-test and 88 percent advanced at least one level of remediation, reducing the amount of time they will spend in remediation in college. Thirty-eight percent of partici-pants completed remediation and ad-vanced two or more levels. For students in the majority of workforce programs this would satisfy their math course re-quirements. It is likely results would have been greater if the project had run as a twelve-week course as planned, according to Elizalde. One hundred percent of partici-pants rated the program as successful and worthwhile.

CBC summer math program returns with state grant funding

FIESTA BANDANA May 2 - 5, 2008

Veterans Plaza Park Cornerstone Member 2004

www.prosperitybanktx.com

1200 E. Main Alice 664-5446

361-661-1580 (24-Hour Fast Line Free, Secure Internet Banking

R

R

GRAND OPENING

The Happy Booker in Orange Grove held a grand opening ceremony on Tuesday, April 1st. The bookstore is located on Eugena Street.

Page 4 “Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce Page 6

The South Texas Riders will hold its Fourth Annual Motorcycle Rally to raise funds for the HALO –Flight Emergency Unit on Saturday, May 17th. The mission of HALO-Flight is to provide medical transport for critically ill or injured persons requiring medical or trauma facilities within our south Texas service area. Emergency helicopter assistance is provided to all persons regardless of their ability to pay. These persons in-clude critical patients of accidents, heart attacks, newborns and others who might not have a chance to survive other-wise. The service area covers 26 coun-ties, 28,000 square miles and a popula-tion of over one-million. Like most medical services, running this service requires funding. “Last year, this fun-filled event raised $10,000 for HALO-Flight,” Motorcycle Club President Aberlado Garza said. “We would like to thank the community for their contributions.” The rally will be held at the Jim Wells County Fairground with live music, bike contests, a bike parade, raffle drawings, vendors, food and plenty of fun for eve-ryone. HALO-Flight, Inc. is a non-profit Air

Ambulance Service. Founded in Falfur-rias, Texas, the organization began opera-tions in September, 1987. The base of op-erations was moved to Corpus Christi in 1989, providing a more central location and more stable financial base. Since its beginning HALO-Flight has transported over 7,500 critically ill and injured pa-tients.

The South Texas Riders are reaching out to the community for monetary do-nations to help benefit HALO-Flight. “With your help, HALO-Flight can continue its mission of providing emer-gency air ambulance service for the peo-ple of South Texas,” Garza said. “We greatly appreciate your donation towards this worthwhile cause.”

South Texas Riders holding bike rally to assist HALO-Flight

“Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce Page 7

Closing “Percentage” vs. Sales “Volume”

There’s a world of difference between the amount of sales you generate-volume-and the ratio of calls to closed deals-percentages. Generally speaking, the former (the amount of sales you gen-erate every week or month) should be increasing as you spend time in the job; the result of having gained product knowledge, honing your presentation skills and repeat customers. But contrary to what you’ve probably been taught, there comes a moment when your clos-ing percentage should not be climbing with it. The reason for this can be summed up in two words: “Jerry McGuire.” Remember the classic scene “Jerry McGuire” when Jerry (Tom Cruise) is on the phone in his office, try-ing to convince his one and only client , football player Rod Tidwell (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) to stay with him? And then Tod Ridwell asks Jerry to liter-ally scream a variety of random, ridicu-lous, humiliating things into the phone. But, at the end, there is just one phrase that Rod wants to hear: “Show me the money!” And therein lies the problem with closing percentages; they aren’t money, they’re statistics. And the final analysis-

when the month is complete-you don’t take your statistics to the bank! But there’s a bigger problem here: Not only do percentages lack value, other than for the purpose of analysis, but the analysis if flawed; they’re not only worthless, they’re destructive. Contrary to the reverence paid to sales representatives by well- meaning sales managers everywhere, not only are per-centages simply internal statistics that have no real value, these same managers always want the number to be increas-ing, or at least above a certain level. Rarely do they watch for closing rations that too high. But if you’re like Sheila (and many other seasoned sales profes-sionals with closure rates of 50% or more), the percentage of deals you’re closing should serve as an indicator that something is askew…that your success rate is simply too high and might need to be intentionally lowered.

School vs. Sales As kids in school, when we took a test, most of us expected to get most of the answers right, with scores of 80-90% being commonplace. A perfect score of 100% was a possibility for anyone who applied themselves. In fact, even when we flunked a test we usually got half of the answers right. And therein lay the difference between school and the real

world. In school, a 50% success rate is failing, but in the real world a 50% suc-cess rate is outstanding! Consider a baseball player who has hit .500 for an entire season- in other words, one hit for every two times at bat (50% success rate). Success of this na-ture is virtually unheard of; after all, no one has averaged over .400 in major league baseball season in almost 50 years. In fact, major league baseball, ca-reer .300 hitters usually go to the hall of fame. The same holds true in the world of selling. In virtually any industry, you can name a 30% closure rate makes you a superstar! For example, most insurance salespeople (including those earning in excess of $100,000 per year) often pro-duce only three sales for every ten calls they make.

Getting Into a Bigger Game So, what should you do if your suc-cess rate is too high, perhaps 50% or even better? Maybe it’s time to get in a bigger game. Maybe it’s time to call on bigger accounts. Maybe rather than tak-ing the quick, “yes”-while it may drive your closing percentage –will do very little to drive sales volume! Maybe you should focus on offering more elaborate packages with more value-added and deluxe options. Maybe it’s time to move from the minors to the majors.

Are you too successful?

ALICE NIGHT at the HOOKS

Sunday, June 8th 6 p.m.

Whataburger Field - Corpus Christi

Reserve Seat tickets on sale at the Alice Chamber of Commerce

May 19th - June 2nd

RELAY, From Page 1

Page 8 “Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce

minishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and ser-vice. Last year the Alice Relay for Life had 44 teams participating and this year sur-passed that to 50 teams. Relay for Life is an overnight team event to raise funds for cancer research. It is hours of fun, with the challenge of completing a relay style walk/run. This event is for people of all ages and levels of fitness. The event begins at dusk and ends and around sunrise the next day. The light and darkness of the day and night parallel the physical effects, emotions, and mental state of a cancer patient while undergoing treatment. The relay begins when the sun is set-ting which symbolizes the time that the person has been diagnosed as having can-cer. The day is getting darker and this represents the cancer patient’s state of mind as they feel that their life is coming to an end. The sun rising represents the end of treatment for the cancer patient. They see the light at the end of the tunnel and know that life will go on. “Some of us know cancer survivors and victims or have family members who have or are battling cancer, so this relay is something dear to our hearts. I lost my mom to cancer two years ago this summer and this event was dear to her,” Chamber Marketing Director Juan Navejar said. At the Relay, teams of 10 or more par-ticipants take turn to keep their baton moving overnight, while a festive atmos-phere is created with entertainment, camping out and spot prizes. Highlights include the Cancer Survivors’ Walk, tra-ditionally the first lap and the Candlelight Ceremony at dusk. One man. One track. One goal. In 1985, an American Cancer Society volun-teer, Dr. Gordy Klatt, put on his jogging gear and headed for the local oval after a good friend of his succumbed to cancer. Twenty-four hours and 81 miles later, Dr. Klatt had raised $27,000 in sponsored do-nations for the American Cancer Society. Since the Relay for Life has developed into the world’s largest fundraising event and from its humble beginnings is now held in more than 3,000 locations in the United States. From July 2000 to June 2001 alone, Relay for Life raised more than $212 mil-

lion for the American Cancer Society’s research and prevention programs. The Cancer Council Victoria intro-duced Relay for Life to Australia in 1999 in Melbourne, where 34 teams raised more than $75,000. Since then, Relay for

Life has grown dramatically. Relay for Life expanded across Australia in 2001 with 30 events raising $3 nationally for the Cancer Council Australia. In 2003, the United States raised more than $7 million.

Star Light Limo Service owner Mauricio Garza II gets a trim as he donated over a foot of hair to the Locks of Hair program that provides wigs for children with cancer. Garza had been growing his hair for more than a year.

Several hundreds of survivors participated in the Survivors walk as they kicked off the annual overnight event held at the football practice fields at Alice High School.

Page 11

For calendar items visit us at www.alicetx.org Page 9

“Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce

Staff members of the Alice Child Pro-tective Services Office are counting their blessings lately. Thanks to the team ef-forts of countless, concerned citizens, the Rainbow Room housed within the CPS office is, at long last, up and running. In celebration of this achievement, an open house reception and ribbon-cutting cere-mony will take place at 11a.m. on May 8th in the main conference room at the Child Protective Services Office located at 408 Flournoy, Alice, Texas. The pub-lic is welcome. The Rainbow Room is an on-site re-source center for CPS caseworkers to obtain emergency supplies for the chil-dren and the families they serve. De-signed in a store-like setting, the center is stocked with NEW donated items such as infant and children’s clothing, diapers, duffle bags, and hygiene sup-plies. Alice workers who are helping abused or neglected children are relieved to, finally, have a clean, stocked Rain-bow Room to help the over 150 children on their caseloads. Only a few months back, discarded old clothing, broken toys, unusable junk, and a few packs of diapers lay scattered throughout the Rainbow Room. In con-trast, thanks to the support and teamwork of community volunteers and CPS work-ers, the new and improved Rainbow Room is spacious, organized, and well-stocked. Help from the “Village” towards cre-ating this improved Rainbow Room be-gan with the Community Coalition of Children and Families. Headed by the president, Hector E. Gonzalez, this non-profit organization is made up of repre-sentatives from over 30 non-profit/profit/and private agencies, each in the busi-ness of helping improve the lives of chil-dren and families. Thus, in line of the Coalition’s mis-sion to offer social services, health, edu-cation to benefit children and families in a four-county area (including Jim Wells and Duval counties), the coalition in-vited several CPS supervisors to start attending the meetings and listened when they expressed their needs and concerns. In October 2007 the coalition mem-

bers unanimously voted to sponsor the Rainbow Room in an effort to help case-workers better attend to the needs of the abused or neglected children they serve. One member, Adela Trejo, a former CPS caseworker and now a therapist with Littlest Angel Therapy Center, volunteered to steer a Rainbow Room Committee, made up of several community volunteers and CPS staff members. This committee began meeting to strate-gize ways to get enough monetary and in-kind donations to stock the Room. Be-cause, Mr. Andres Elizondo III, adminis-trator & CEO of Littlest Angel Therapy, realized the importance of a Rainbow Room within CPS, he did not hesitate to offer a conference room for the commit-tee’s meeting location as well as to allow Adela the time to tend to her chair duties. In March 2008, Brittany Johnson, an Alice High School Senior and daughter of Yvette Johnson, Alice Chamber board president, presented a $650 starter-check and in-kind clothing items and diapers worth approximately $300, to the Coali-tion. Through her hard work and efforts, she

raised the monetary and in-kind dona-tions for the Rainbow Room in conjunc-tion with her high school senior project, “Fundraiser Family Fun Day.” The Coalition plans to recognize her efforts at the rainbow Room Open House May 8th. The next “Village” participant that helped make the Rainbow Room a work-ing reality is County Judge Arnold Saenz who was pleased to turn over some sur-plus funds in the Jim Wells County Child Welfare Board bank account. He said he was glad that the money would help needy children in Jim Wells and Duval Counties. It is the hope of the members of the Community Coalition for Children and Families and the workers at the Child Protective Services who serve families in crises in Jim Wells and Duval counties, that others from the community will be-come involved by volunteering or donat-ing their dollars/in-kind NEW items to the Rainbow Room. For further information, contact Adela Trejo (361) 664-6085.

CPS Rainbow Room to hold grand opening

The Rainbow Room will hold its grand opening and open house on Thursday, May 9th at 11 a.m. They are located at 408 Flournoy Road.

Cornerstone Member 2004

Auto Home Business Life Health

1810 E. Main Alice 361-664-4348

1-888-664-4349

www.carlisleins.com

Page 10 “Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce

SEE SSA, Page 12

2701 E. Main (361) 668-0441

The Social Security Administration is urging customers to use their on-line webpage for faster services. Social Security is committed to giving the American public choices for con-ducting business with the agency. The Internet continues to be an in-creasingly popular option for many Americans. More than 234 million peo-

ple in North America have Internet ac-cess, and older adults are among the fast-est-growing segments of the Internet market. Providing self-help Internet applica-tions for the public and for Social Secu-rity’s business partners are ways of re-sponding to public preferences for online services, managing growing workloads

and maintaining Social Security’s high standard of service delivery. As retiring baby boomers chose high-tech information and service options, So-cial Security expects further growth in the number of people who will take advantage of its Internet services in the future. The Social Security website, www.

Social Security Administration urges online services

Some Alice Chamber of Commerce members are saving more than $187,000 on their electric bills this year as part of the Alice Electric coalition. Twenty Chamber members are combin-ing for $187,122 as their estimated sav-ings over the lives of their contracts ac-cording to Fox, Smolen and Associates August report. The Alice Chamber teamed up with Fox, Smolen & Associates to help the businesses in this area take advantage of the restructured electric industry by forming a local “aggregation group”. By bringing together a large group of diverse businesses, we are able to shop the competitive market and find a Retail Electric Provider that will offer the best pricing and the best contract terms for this “coalition”. “How much can I expect to save?”

It depends on a number of factors (prevailing natural gas prices, total aver-age power consumption of the group, load profiles, etc.) at the time we go out for pricing quotes. Most recently our aggregation clients have been saving anywhere from an esti-mated 5 percent to as much as an esti-mated 25 percent on their various elec-tricity accounts, with the average esti-mated savings being about 15 – 25 per-cent. As Alice Area Electr ic Coal i t ion grows, members will realize additional savings with each contract renewal. “Why did the Chamber select Fox,

Smolen as the Aggregator?” FSA is a respected Austin firm specializing in energy and telecommunication solutions for businesses and public entities in Texas. In addition to having more than 30 years of experience in energy and regulatory mat-ters, FSA continuously monitors the Texas energy industry, the Public Utility Com-mission, energy legislation and the Texas REP pool. We are up to date on market conditions, comparable contracts and terms, and new offerings. We will manage all the details and review all the documents, monitor the switching process and sample the initial billing for accuracy. If you wish, you can contract with FSA to provide full ongoing bill monitoring services, or to explore load management and other conservation meas-ures. Contact the Alice Chamber of Commerce for more information at 361-664-3454.

Chamber members saving more than $187K in electricity For more information on how to save this summer,

contact the Chamber at 361-664-3454

Border Title Group “Excellence in Title Insurance”

1708 E. Main Street Alice, Texas 78332

Phone: (361) 668-6024 Fax: (361) 668-0086

www.bordertitle.com

In order to accommodate entrepreneurs busy schedules the Del Mar College SBDC operates a satellite office at Coastal Bend College - Alice. The Alice office services Jim Wells, Duval, Brooks, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullen and Kenedy counties. This office run by senior coun-selor Larry Ellis offers business counseling, training and procurement technical assistance to the residents and businesses of South Texas. For more information on the Small Business De-velopment Centers and Procurement Assistance, contact Larry Ellis at 661-1119 or check out our website http://www.delmar.edu/sbdc

“Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce Page 11

801 N. Texas Blvd. Alice, Texas

Cornerstone Member

Member FDIC

“Your Only Locally Owned & Operated Bank In Alice, Texas” Commercial Auto/Boat Checking Consumer CDs Safe Deposit Boxes IRAs Mortgages

24-Hour Banking 664-8789 - 668-8831(24-Hour Customer)

Low or no cost ways to keep good workers

How can you help make your work-place fun and productive for your em-ployees and yourself? Treating your em-ployees to special perks will help them feel glad they work for you and can im-prove retention as well. Here’s how to perk up your workplace with no- or low-cost benefits. (And we don’t mean just donuts.) Perks Do Count! Even if you have a limited benefits budget, you can add lots of perks that will help your employees feel satisfied and recognized. Perk up your workplace with these no- or low-cost benefits. Compressed workweek. Allow em-ployees to work longer days and let them take half-days or full days off. One-third of small businesses (defined as compa-nies with less than 100 employees) and

over half of firms in the financial industry implement this perk. Social activities. Go beyond the tradi-tional holiday party and company picnic. For the cost of a DVD and popcorn, Sue Murray, President of EduCorp Training and Consulting, Inc. of Irving, Texas, holds movie night for her employees. The employees select the DVD, get comfort-able in one of the firm’s newly decorated training rooms, and enjoy their peanuts, popcorn, and a little camaraderie while watching the big screen. Bring child to work in case of emer-gency. An employee whose child care just evaporated will appreciate this benefit; 43 percent of small firms allow this perk. Some firms provide childcare referral ser-vices and eldercare referral services. Classes. In addition to on-the-job cross-training and professional development through continuing education and confer-ence, topics cover self-defense training

(offered by three percent of small firms), on-site fitness yoga (five percent), Eng-lish as a second language, a foreign lan-guage, and CPR first aid training. Casual dress one day per week. Sixty-seven percent of small firms offer this relaxing benefit, while 44 percent of small firms allow casual dress every day. Transportation subsidies. Some companies offer a carpooling subsidy, a parking subsidy, or a transit subsidy. One large bank offers a reimbursement for purchasing a hybrid car, according to a careerbuilder.com article. (Some of these ideas come from CareerBuilder.com’s advice for employers) Time off. Besides the traditional time off for holidays, vacation, and sick leave, five percent of small companies give em-ployees a paid day off on their birthdays. Nine percent of small firms allow em-ployees to volunteer during paid work hours.

For a color version of this newsletter visit us at www.alicetx.org

Page 12 “Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce

SSA, From Page 10

CONVENTION AND VISITORS

BUREAU Summer is right around the corner and the CVB is getting prepared for the Fall Festivals in Alice and our area. The Road Kill Cook-off was a huge suc-cess with many

out of town visitors. Fiesta Bandana kicks off on Friday at the Veteran’s Plaza Park and ends on Monday, May 5th with the Cinco de Mayo Celebration. The fall festivals will kick off with the area’s Pan De Campo in San Diego followed by Fiesta Amis-tad in Ben Bolt then the Alice festivals in September, October and November. Each month we tabulate the number of sessions received on the pages and you would be amazed as how many and where the hits are coming from. We have change Internet Service Provides who tabulates the number of hits, for-merly sessions, on our web page www.alicetx.org. In April the number of hits to our webpage climbed to 13,410 sessions to the site. Among the targeted webpages was general information about Alice,

Convention & Visitors Bureau

1-877-992-5423

socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices, offers online services for people applying for benefits, employers and those who are just seeking information about programs the agency administers. The website is among the most visited federal website and had over 54 million visits in 2007. The usefulness of the website is en-hanced because much of the online in-formation is available in Spanish as well as 14 other languages. May documents are also accessible to people who use screen readers, screen magnifiers and voice recognition software.

Vence Lonestar Motors held a grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on Thursday, April 3rd. The new auto dealership is owned by Vanessa Vence and is located at 2250 E. Main Street.

GRAND OPENING

accommodations and sites. People walking through our doors are asking for information on Alice, the area or asked for phone books and maps of Alice and Texas. Relocation packets were numerous with 18 being sent out in March. Applications for 2008 project funding are available at the Chamber of Com-

merce and are due 60 days prior to event in order to receive board approval for events to be held in Alice. All requests must be presented to the Chamber board for approval before grant-ing assistance from the CVB. The promo-tion of Alice through the CVB is adminis-tered by the Alice Chamber of Com-merce.

Your company celebrating an anniversary, change of ownership or Relocation?

Contact the Chamber for a ribbon cutting ceremony.

If you are a small-business owner, you have probably poured much of your life into building a successful enterprise. You may be reaching a point where you have thought about retir-ing. Like most busi-ness owners, you are

probably counting on your company to be a significant resource that helps to fund your retirement. Business owners face unique chal-lenges that complicate retirement. While employees in a company can simply leave and take their workplace retirement savings plan with them, the situation is far different for a business owner. In ef-fect, your retirement may very well be tied up in the day-to-day functions of the company. A small business needs a suc-cession plan in place so that owners can get the true value out of the business when the time comes. Creating a succession plan for a busi-ness can vary, depending on the company makeup. If you are a sole business owner, the issues you face will differ somewhat from a business where multi-ple owners are involved. If you’re in-volved in a family business, there are separate considerations that are unique to the business process. Good planning is needed One point is paramount when it comes to business succession – planning ahead is necessary. Owners need to carefully think through not only how they would like to pass on their business some day, but any number of contingencies that might come into play. While there is no requirement that a business survive the participation of the owner, it is a much

PAUL RYCROFT on Finance

Page 13 “Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce

Business Series: Part 1 Succession planning for your business more valuable asset in terms of funding retirement if the business continues. Begin by considering who will take charge of the business. You have any number of options to consider: ♦ Selling your business to another firm,

perhaps a competitor ♦ Liquidating your interests by having

another business partner buy you out ♦ Having a family member (i.e., son or

daughter) take over the business ♦ Turning the business over to other

company employees In each of these scenarios, the big ques-tion is “how will I get my money out of the company?” The time, energy and resources you invested in building the firm should pay you back when you retire. But this can only happen if you plan accordingly. Too many times, business owners approach re-tirement with no succession strategy in place. Then they find it difficult to obtain the type of payoff deserved from years of hard work building the business. While the idea of selling off a company to another firm sounds like the easiest way to “cash out,” it is not a realistic option for most businesses. Those types of transitions rarely occur, and it is not something you can plan on. A more likely option is to de-termine how others who succeed you in running the business, whether family mem-bers or other employees, could buy out your interest in the firm. You need to con-sider drawing up an agreement between yourself and other business partners or possible successors. Open and honest dis-cussions between involved parties are im-portant, and the help of a qualified legal professional will be required to draw up necessary paperwork. Preparing for the unexpected Another business succession strategy that should be developed is a method of business continuation in the event an

owner dies. Just as an unexpected death can catch a family off guard, the same is true with a company. Life insurance can be a vital component in helping to keep a business on track if a sudden death of an owner occurs. One of the trickiest situations can in-volve the death of a business owner that leaves other business partners behind. Have steps been taken in your firm re-garding the ownership position when one owner dies? In this situation, you should explore the benefits of having life insur-ance policies purchased on each of the owner’s lives. The proceeds of such a policy will provide surviving business owners the cash needed to “buy out” the deceased owner’s share of the company. One benefit is that surviving partners will not suddenly have a “new” partner, an heir to the deceased business owner. That can create an awkward situation for the business. A life insurance solution may also be needed to protect a business owner’s family if no other partners are involved in running the business. Any business succession plan involves one vital piece of information – the cur-rent valuation of the company. It is im-portant to have a proper valuation placed on the firm before structuring any sort of business succession agreements or pur-chasing life insurance policies. This is a process that requires straightforward ac-counting to determine the real worth of the business. A financial advisor may help you de-velop a plan for your business, including a succession plan.

Editor’s Note: Paul Rycroft, CPA is a financial advisor with Ameriprise Fi-

nancial Services in Alice, 604 E. Second St.668-1212 or email at paul.f.

rycroft@ampf.com

LEADERSHIP JIM WELLS COUNTY

Page 14 “Alice Business Today” published by the Alice Chamber of Commerce

Cornerstone Member

1600 E. Main Alice

Concerns about how young Alice Inde-pendent School District students are deal-ing with these days had the Jim Wells

County Leadership Class asking some tough questions of AISD administrators during their recent study of education. What may have seemed as a tough question got some realistic responses from Jerry Cavazos, Executive Director of Personnel and

Mary Jenkins, Director of Curriculum. Be-fore opening up for questions, Jenkins and Cavazos gave them an overview of AISD and what the district had to offer. Ques-tions of how discipline is administered in the district to personnel hiring including substitute teaching to Senior Projects, the class had some interesting topics to ask about. The session was very positive and upbeat. After the questions it was time to tour the new administration building that left the class very impressed. The next stop found the class at Alice High School, where some of the class members, had not stepped inside since their high school graduation. Vice Princi-pal R. Gonzalez led the class on a tour of the newly added gymnasium, cafeteria, music department and auditorium. The tour was cut short however after a lockdown of the school due to an incident in the city was announced. Lunch followed at Wells Fargo Bank, where the Alice Chamber of Commerce, Man Power and WorkSource sponsored a luncheon with new chamber member Man Power provided a briefing of their busi-ness. Following lunch, the class headed to learn about higher education at Coastal

Class visit with local business leaders

LJWC Graduation 6 p.m.

Monday, May 12th Fairway Grill Alice

Municipal Golf Course

All alumni Invited RSVP Chamber

361-664-3454

AHS principal Rolando Gonzalez gives a tour of the high school gym during the class’ education session.

Bend College where they were met by Director and LJWC Alum Rito Silva. The class received information on every-thing needed to prepare college at CBC. Silva then gave a guided tour of the col-lege. The class will reconvene for the final

lesson of the year on May 6th when they study the Criminal Justice system. Class graduation is set for Monday, May 12th at the Fairway Grill at the Al-ice Municipal Golf Course where alumni are invited to attend the cere-mony.

Applications for LJWC Class of 2009

will be online at www.alicetx.org June 1, 2008

A Rainbow Beginning A&B Hearing & Audiology Center AT&T A&W Investments Sunset Terrace A-1 Quality Fence Acetylene Oxygen Company Adcock Pipe & Supply AEP Texas Alamo Lumber Company Alice Autoplex, Inc. Alice Board of Realtors Alice Body & Paint Alicecalendar.com Alice Cash & Carry Alice Counseling Center Alice Country Club Alice Echo-News Journal Alice Family Eye Center Alice Fire Fighters Asso. Alice Feeder Supply, Inc. Alice Heart Center Alice High School Alice Housing Authority Alice Hub City Lions Club Alice Mini Storage Alice Motor Inn Alice Optimist Club Alice Paint & Decorating Alice Pest Control, Inc. Alice Police Officers Asso. Alice Radiator & Muffler Shop Alice Shoe Shop Alice Truck Parts *AMBIT Energy American Cancer Society *Amerigroup Community Care Ameriprise Financial *Amy & Me Andrews Distributors Astromatic Car/Truck Wash Atkinson - Wonders B&J Air & Pump Baker Auto Sales Ball-Montez Electric Company Barker, Paulette Bedgood, R.E. & Sons Best Western Executive Inn Betty Allison Realtors. Inc. Bob Hays Western Store Bordeaux Apartments Border Title Group Bowden Ford Bradfords Motor Cars BriteStar Bruce Seidel, CPA Brush Country Bank Brush Country Claims Buckhorn Mini Storage Business Network Int’l South TX Byron W. Blair, P.C. C.A. Jackson, Inc. C.A.W. Company Inc. Cameron Village Apts. Carlisle Insurance Agency Casa De Kleberg

Century 21 Hallmark Chiles Sales & Service *Chili’s Grill & Bar CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Alice Church’s Fried Chicken City Plumbing & Heating Coastal Bend Aviators Coastal Bend Blood Center Coastal Bend College Coastal Community & Teachers CPL Retail Energy Coastal Community & Teachers Credit Union Coastal Plains MHMR Center Community Action Corporation Constellation New Energy Copy Center Cornelius, Nettie Covance Research Products Cowley Supply Company Coym, Rehmet & Gutierrez Engs. Curves CVS Dairy Burger Dan’s Processing Center, Inc. Day, Michael & Melanea Days Inn Dean, Homer Dee Dee C. Arismendez, Independ-ent Contractor Home Interiors DeLaune Drilling Service *Devon Energy Dixie Iron Works MSI, Ltd. Direct Energy Dominguez, Becky Dr. Alejandro Lopez Dr. Bandeira Teixeira Dr. Gary T. Cloud, O.D. Dr. Roel Garza & Assoc. Family Dentistry Dr. William Nisimblat, M.D. Edward Jones Investments Edwards Furniture EnDyn OMS, Inc. Eye Care Optical FESCO, Inc. FireHouse Gym First Community Bank First State Bank of San Diego *First United Methodist Church Fleet Pride S.W. Region Flournoy Production Company Flowers Machine & Welding Co. Fox, Smolen & Associates Frank’s Services & Equipment Garza, Daniel Garza, Joe Frank Richard J. Garza, P.C. Gilbert’s Fine Jewelry *Goodwill of South Texas Guaranty Title & Abstract Gulf Coast Federal Credit Union H&S Constructors, Inc. *Hacienda Restaurant Half Hour Photo - Jackson Enterprises Halliburton Services

Heart of America Shows *Heart to Heart Homecare Hispanic Heritage Committee Holiday Inn Express Holmgreen Mortuary *Homecare Dimensions Hospitality House Hub City Glass Humpal Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Hunter Petroleum Hunter-Ash Oil Co. Immanuel Lutheran Church International Bank of Commerce Jasso Insurance Jigger JWC Fair Association Joe’s Plumbing Johnny’s Blooming Shop Johnson, Yvette Joleen’s Merle Norman Cosmetics Kansas City Southern K.C. Hall Keetch & Associates Kennemer Ranches & Real Estate Kleberg First National Bank KOPY 92.1 FM L&F Distributors L&L Janitorial Services La Copita Ranch La Paloma Nursing Center - Sava Senior Care Lack’s Furniture Store Larry Clack’s Furniture Law Office of Valentin Colmenero Lawrence B. Cornelius & Co. Lemon & Gonzalez-Lemon LLP Loomis International Lopez Finance Love Chrysler Dodge Jeep Madiley’s Monogramming *Maurices McCoys McDonalds McGill Ranch, Ltd. McNinch, Leon CPA Miller, HL Model Key Shop Mullen, Bob Munoz, Rachel Murdoch Welding *NSCL N&S Air Conditioning Neff’s Plumbing Service *Nevill Business Machines Inc *New York Life Insurance New Sound Hearing Aid Nortex Bakery & Fast Foods North Point Computers Page Water Well Drilling Paladium Bowl *Perez, Marisela

*Phoinix Global LLC Picture Perfect Sanitizing Platinum Slickline Service Inc. Plaza Four Popeye’s Port of Corpus Christi *PrimeAmerica Financial Services Prosperity Bank Raul Ramirez - State Farm Insurance Ray Vess Jewelers Richardson’s Water Well Drilling Right of Way Service Inc. Rios, Margot Robert Molina - State Farm Insurance Robstown Meat Market & Catering Rush Truck Center, Alice Rushing & Gonzalez Saldivar Coastal Services, Inc. Sandoval, Ruben Scott Bearing Company Scottish Inn *Schlumberger Sears Authorized Dealer Store SERCO of Texas, Inc. Sherwin-Williams Silva, David Sluggers Sports Bar Small Business Development Center SNBL USA, Ltd. South Texas Defensive Driving South Texas Museum South Texas Screening - Driving School South Texas Traveler St. Elizabeth Catholic School St. Joseph Catholic School *Star Light Limo Service State Rep Yvonne Gonzalez-Toureilles Steamatic of Alice Steve Costley Advertising Tasco Tool Service, Inc. Tem Miller Golf Shop Texas Champion Bank Texas Star *The Happy Booker *The Tint Shop Third Coast Squadron Tractor Supply Company Tri-Point Energy Services, Inc. Truckers Equipment Tutti Frutti Delight Tyrone City Barber Shop Unique Transformation *United Medical Services *Vence Lonestar Motors V.F.W. Post 8621 Walker, Jack Wal-Mart, Inc. Wells Fargo Bank WorkSorce Network Inc. Write Shop *Indicates new 2008 new member

Thank You 2008 Alice Chamber of Commerce Members

Alice Chamber of Commerce 612 East Main P.O. Box 1609 Alice, Texas 78332

Membership Benefits •Two FREE classified listings in the Chamber web-

site: www.alicetx.org •FREE Subscription to Alice Business Today, the of-

ficial Chamber monthly newsletter •Annual Membership Directory/Buyer’s Guide list-

ing all members, including a classified directory for member businesses

•Advertising opportunities in Chamber publications to promote your business

•Membership Services which include FREE Busi-ness Announcement/Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies, Conference Room Rentals and Mailing Lists

•Networking Opportunities through Chamber activi-ties to make valuable contacts and promote your business

•Opportunities to get involved in the Chamber’s vol-unteer working committees to help build a stronger economy and bright future for our community

•Access to economic and statistical information through the Chamber office

•Support of a professional staff that works fulltime for you and your fellow members

Objectives The following objectives have been established by the Alice Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors:

•To encourage and advance the growth of existing industries and businesses.

•To provide all proper assistance to any new firms, professional or individuals seeking to locate in the Alice area.

•To serve as liaison with all government, civic and educational entities, and law enforcement agencies in Alice and Jim Wells County.

•To increase our membership and provide quality service for our members.

•To identify and assist in obtaining funding to accomplish the ob-jectives of the Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on how to get involved and benefit as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, call (361) 664-3454, or stop by the of-fice located at 612 E. Main, Alice, Texas.

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Alice, Texas Permit No. 41