STD MAIL

US Postage PAID

Mineral Wells, TX

76067

Permit No. 72

Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce

& Convention and Visitors Bureau

P.O. Box 1408

Mineral Wells, TX 76068

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

The Chamber newsletter is supported by Weaver’s Print Shop.

Member of the month

First Financial Bank

contributes to our

community in many

ways including being

the title sponsor for the

annual Chamber

Banquet.

Congratulations to Palo Pinto

General Hospital on their new

Profession Health Center.

Their new building houses

doctor’s offices, the hospital

clinic and room for future

growth.

Allison Buchanan-Best Western Hotel

Bethany Tarpley-Palo Pinto General Hospital

Carey Carter- Mineral Wells ISD

Catrina Richards- First Financial Bank

Cayler Banks-Nix Rental Homes

Daven Robinson-Holiday Hills Country Club

Frances Wampler-CASA-Hope for Children

Frank Wolfe-Mineral Wells Chevy Buick GMC

Heath Farmer-PECOFacet

Hollye Foster-Titan Bank

Jeremy Hamscher-City of Mineral Wells

Juana Velazquez-Genesys AeroSystems

Karen Shadden-Make Green Go Green

Kay Bridges-Community National Bank

Kellci Baker-Communication Connection- Verizon

Lauren Wright-Clark Gardens

Mary Howell-Palo Pinto General Hospital

Murielle Gillet-First Financial Bank

Nicholas Wells-City of Mineral Wells

Nikki Bossaller-Mineral Wells Chamber

Sheila Charles-Texas Farm Bureau Insurance

L E A D E R S H I P

C L A S S

2 1

Thank you to these

newsletter sponsors!

Fourth Annual State of the Community: Laying a Foundation for Success

On Friday, February 20 at the First Baptist Church

in Mineral Wells, the Chamber of Commerce held

their fourth annual State of the Community

Luncheon. It is estimated that 230 individuals

attended the luncheon to learn about plans being

made for our water, our city, and the Baker Hotel.

Ken Choffel from HDR Engineering briefly

discussed the strategies for providing water from the

Brazos River using a reverse osmosis system. He also

highlighted the current status of the Turkey Peak

Reservoir, an expansion of Lake Palo Pinto. The

project is finally moving forward and TCEQ has

approved a temporary permit to conduct the public

hearing process. It is estimated that after the next

twelve to eighteen months, land will be purchased

and the contractor bid process can begin. While the

Turkey Peak Project doesn’t address our immediate

need for water, it is a viable long-term solution. In the

short term however, the Water District has an

agreement with TCEQ to meet our current needs for

water to supply the city and all of its customers.

City Manager Lance Howerton shared with the

attendees the timeline and process for the downtown

revitalization plan. A citizen’s steering committee was

appointed by the council to assist the Institute for

Urban Studies from UT Arlington in creating a plan

that addresses parking, traffic, pedestrian control as

well as landscape and architectural concepts. The

City Manager also briefly mentioned another steering

committee was created to select projects for

consideration in a future bond package.

Chad Patton and Laird Fairchild once again closed

out the luncheon and provided the audience an up-

date on the status of the Baker Hotel project. They

informed everyone of a brief roadblock this past

summer because of issues with their major financial

investor. This investment group pulled out due to

other investment projects and could not justify

supporting the Baker. Despite this setback, they

quickly found another investment group which has

been much more promising and are close to finalizing

the deal with this new group. Chad and Laird are

extremely confident that their diligence and

perseverance are about to pay off and all their

construction capital will be in place.

It is very evident that after today’s luncheon that “A Foundation for Success” is being laid. The City,

County, Chamber, Industrial Foundation, and the Area Growth Council are working hard to ensure that our community is moving forward and we are ready for when the first guest checks in to the Baker Hotel.

Board of Directors

Brian Bennett-Chairman of the Board Bennett’s Office Supply & Equipment

Mitch Bradshaw-Chair-Elect Ace Hardware

Raymond Greenwood– Vice Chair Suddenlink

Dacey Malone-Finance Chair Titan Bank

Mary Braddock-Secretary Palo Pinto General Hospital

Pat Bazzell-Ex-Officio Texas Farm Bureau Insurance

Kelli Buschow Nix Rental Homes

Les Dorton First National Bank of Santo

Tina Kidwell Genesys Aerosystems

Casey Lister Baum-Carlock Bumgardner Funeral Home

John Ludlum Ram Country

Major Investors Chairman’s Council: Cedillo Roofing, City of Mineral Wells, First Financial Bank, Jerry Durant Auto Group, Mineral Wells Chevy Buick GMC, Mineral Wells Index, QXFM Radio, Ram Country Dodge, Community National Bank, Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Executive Members: Alpine Construc-tion, Baum-Carlock-Bumgardner Funeral Home, Oncor Electric Delivery, Texas Gas Service, First National Bank of Santo Staff Ryan Roach President

Marcelinda Williams Director of Member Services

Christian Garcia Tourism Director

Nikki Bossaller Office Manager

The Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau advances, supports and promotes the economic vitality of the Mineral Wells Area and Palo Pinto County.

Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce 511 E. Hubbard St. P.O. Box 1408 Mineral Wells, TX 76067 Phone: (940) 325-2557 Fax: (940) 328-0850 Web: www.mineralwellstx.com www.visitmineralwells.org Follow us on:

Identity Theft Challenges Identity theft presents a challenge to

businesses, organizations and governments, including the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS meets the challenge of tax-related identity theft and is making progress against it with an aggressive strategy of prevention, detection and victim assistance.

Tips to protect you from becoming a victim of identity theft:

Don’t carry your Social Security card or any documents that include your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

Don’t give a business your SSN or ITIN just because they ask. Give it only when required.

Protect your financial information.

Check your credit report every 12 months.

Review your Social Security Administration earnings statement annually.

Secure personal information in your home.

Protect your personal computers by using firewalls and anti-spam/virus software, updating security patches and changing passwords for Internet accounts.

Don’t give personal information over the phone, through the mail or on the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or you are sure you know who you are dealing with.

Be alert to possible tax-related identity theft if you receive a notice from the IRS or learn from your tax professional that:

More than one tax return was filed for you;

You owe additional tax, have a refund offset or have had collection actions taken against you for a year you did not file a tax return;

IRS records indicate you received more wages than you actually earned or

Your state or federal benefits were reduced or cancelled because the agency received information reporting an income change.

If your SSN has been compromised and you know or suspect you may be a victim of tax-related identity theft, take these additional steps:

Respond immediately to any IRS notice; call the number provided.

Complete IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit. Use a fillable form at IRS.gov, print, then mail or fax according to instructions.

Continue to pay your taxes and file your tax return, even if you must do so by paper.

If you previously contacted the IRS and did not have a resolution, contact the Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490. We have teams available to assist.

Remember the IRS doesn't initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or finan-cial information. This includes any type of elec-tronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Taxpayer-Guide-to-Identity-Theft

The Chamber of Commerce will be partnering with the Texas Workforce Solutions to host a Job Fair

open to any business in the community looking for employees. With the recent job layoffs from

businesses in the oil and gas industry, it is

important that we do our part to get these people

back to work.

The Job Fair will be on Thursday, March 19

from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We are looking for

businesses to sign up to host a booth and share the

opportunities within their company for immediate

employment. If you are an interested business,

please contact Ryan or Marcelinda at

(940) 325-2557.

Texas Workforce Solutions will be helping to

bring interested and qualified candidates to the Job Fair. We will also be providing a resume’ and

interview workshop prior to the event. The deadline for signing up will be March 11 at 5:00 pm. Please

don’t delay, sign up now!

Chamber announces Community Job Fair Are you looking for something fun to do for Spring Break with your family? Mineral Wells has

something fun for every age and these activities won’t break the bank. Our area is known for its

outdoor activities and March is the perfect time to spend outside.

Did you know we have the third most traveled Texas State Park right in our backyard? Hikers,

bikers and horseback riders can enjoy the 20 mile long trail way at Lake Mineral Wells State Park

that is a reclaimed railroad bed with flat grades and soft curves. The park also offers a variety of

Ranger Programs including a Cross Timers Bird Walk, Penitentiary Hollow Wild Walk and a Kid’s

Wilderness Survival program the weekend before and after Spring Break. Check the Park website

for more information on these activities and many more!

The Mineral Wells Fossil Park is one of the only fossil parks in the nation where you can take your

fossil finds home with you. This would be a great learning opportunity for kids to get a hands on experience with these Pennsylvanian Peri-

od fossils.

The Vietnam Era in America is often misunderstood and the mission of the National Vietnam

War Museum to help individuals understand the era. The museum holds a ½ scale replica of the

Vietnam Memorial Wall that is in Washington, D.C., a replica of the Camp Holloway wall that

was destroyed in Pleiku, South Vietnam and a Huey Helicopter which was flown in the Vietnam

War.

If you love history the Old Jail Museum Complex in Palo Pinto is the place for you! The

complex holds the history of Palo Pinto County in the old jail and surrounding buildings. The

two story jail along with other structures house artifacts from the county and tell the story that is

Palo Pinto County.

Mineral Wells is known for its crazy heritage and our mineral water plays a huge part in that. The Famous Mineral Water Company is the

only place that still bottles the mineral water and now they offer mineral baths in the new Crazy Bath House. Sip and soak in the waters that

make our little town famous.

If you are looking for other things to see and do during spring break come by the Chamber and pick up a Visitor’s Guide and browse our

other brochures!

March Ribbon Cutting Photos

The Painted Post Chapter of Legacy Outfitters is a men’s

ministry that uses the outdoors as a way to encourage men to

be better husbands, fathers, and the spiritual leaders they are

called to be. They meet the first Monday of the month at

6:30pm in the Chamber Community Room.

Spend Spring Break As a Tourist in Your Own Town!

EXECUTIVE Texas Gas Services

PREMIUM PECOFacet

ENTREPRENEUR Brazos Animal Hospital

BASIC All Tex Insurance

Backforty Bunkhouse Productions

Brazos Mall Merchants Association

Brazos Pointe Church

Buckets and Boots Foundation

Cole's House of Flowers

Cowboy Church of Mineral Wells

Dr. Cary Labbe, O.D.

Kowpoke Architect LLC

Lofts & Hospitality LLC

Merle Norman - Merle Norman Cosmetics

Mineral Wells Heritage Association

Mineral Wells Little League, Inc

Newton Manufacturing

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Palo Pinto County Democratic Club

Pollard Hill Ranch LLC

State Farm Insurance-Phil Luker

VFW Post 2399

Wilson Enterprises

The Switch Café

112 S. FM 113

Cool, TX 76066

(940) 682-2024

New Member

Chamber

Members 431

Member Referrals 81

Relocation Packets 15

Tourism

Guests 50

Tourism Inquiries

(Mail) 129

Promotional Items 1080

R OI

Board of Directors

Brian Bennett-Chairman of the Board Bennett’s Office Supply & Equipment

Mitch Bradshaw-Chair-Elect Ace Hardware

Raymond Greenwood– Vice Chair Suddenlink

Dacey Malone-Finance Chair Titan Bank

Mary Braddock-Secretary Palo Pinto General Hospital

Pat Bazzell-Ex-Officio Texas Farm Bureau Insurance

Kelli Buschow Nix Rental Homes

Les Dorton First National Bank of Santo

Tina Kidwell Genesys Aerosystems

Casey Lister Baum-Carlock Bumgardner Funeral Home

John Ludlum Ram Country

Major Investors Chairman’s Council: Cedillo Roofing, City of Mineral Wells, First Financial Bank, Jerry Durant Auto Group, Mineral Wells Chevy Buick GMC, Mineral Wells Index, QXFM Radio, Ram Country Dodge, Community National Bank, Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Executive Members: Alpine Construc-tion, Baum-Carlock-Bumgardner Funeral Home, Oncor Electric Delivery, Texas Gas Service, First National Bank of Santo Staff Ryan Roach President

Marcelinda Williams Director of Member Services

Christian Garcia Tourism Director

Nikki Bossaller Office Manager

The Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau advances, supports and promotes the economic vitality of the Mineral Wells Area and Palo Pinto County.

Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce 511 E. Hubbard St. P.O. Box 1408 Mineral Wells, TX 76067 Phone: (940) 325-2557 Fax: (940) 328-0850 Web: www.mineralwellstx.com www.visitmineralwells.org Follow us on:

Identity Theft Challenges Identity theft presents a challenge to

businesses, organizations and governments, including the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS meets the challenge of tax-related identity theft and is making progress against it with an aggressive strategy of prevention, detection and victim assistance.

Tips to protect you from becoming a victim of identity theft:

Don’t carry your Social Security card or any documents that include your Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

Don’t give a business your SSN or ITIN just because they ask. Give it only when required.

Protect your financial information.

Check your credit report every 12 months.

Review your Social Security Administration earnings statement annually.

Secure personal information in your home.

Protect your personal computers by using firewalls and anti-spam/virus software, updating security patches and changing passwords for Internet accounts.

Don’t give personal information over the phone, through the mail or on the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or you are sure you know who you are dealing with.

Be alert to possible tax-related identity theft if you receive a notice from the IRS or learn from your tax professional that:

More than one tax return was filed for you;

You owe additional tax, have a refund offset or have had collection actions taken against you for a year you did not file a tax return;

IRS records indicate you received more wages than you actually earned or

Your state or federal benefits were reduced or cancelled because the agency received information reporting an income change.

If your SSN has been compromised and you know or suspect you may be a victim of tax-related identity theft, take these additional steps:

Respond immediately to any IRS notice; call the number provided.

Complete IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit. Use a fillable form at IRS.gov, print, then mail or fax according to instructions.

Continue to pay your taxes and file your tax return, even if you must do so by paper.

If you previously contacted the IRS and did not have a resolution, contact the Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490. We have teams available to assist.

Remember the IRS doesn't initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or finan-cial information. This includes any type of elec-tronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Taxpayer-Guide-to-Identity-Theft

The Chamber of Commerce will be partnering with the Texas Workforce Solutions to host a Job Fair

open to any business in the community looking for employees. With the recent job layoffs from

businesses in the oil and gas industry, it is

important that we do our part to get these people

back to work.

The Job Fair will be on Thursday, March 19

from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We are looking for

businesses to sign up to host a booth and share the

opportunities within their company for immediate

employment. If you are an interested business,

please contact Ryan or Marcelinda at

(940) 325-2557.

Texas Workforce Solutions will be helping to

bring interested and qualified candidates to the Job Fair. We will also be providing a resume’ and

interview workshop prior to the event. The deadline for signing up will be March 11 at 5:00 pm. Please

don’t delay, sign up now!

Chamber announces Community Job Fair Are you looking for something fun to do for Spring Break with your family? Mineral Wells has

something fun for every age and these activities won’t break the bank. Our area is known for its

outdoor activities and March is the perfect time to spend outside.

Did you know we have the third most traveled Texas State Park right in our backyard? Hikers,

bikers and horseback riders can enjoy the 20 mile long trail way at Lake Mineral Wells State Park

that is a reclaimed railroad bed with flat grades and soft curves. The park also offers a variety of

Ranger Programs including a Cross Timers Bird Walk, Penitentiary Hollow Wild Walk and a Kid’s

Wilderness Survival program the weekend before and after Spring Break. Check the Park website

for more information on these activities and many more!

The Mineral Wells Fossil Park is one of the only fossil parks in the nation where you can take your

fossil finds home with you. This would be a great learning opportunity for kids to get a hands on experience with these Pennsylvanian Peri-

od fossils.

The Vietnam Era in America is often misunderstood and the mission of the National Vietnam

War Museum to help individuals understand the era. The museum holds a ½ scale replica of the

Vietnam Memorial Wall that is in Washington, D.C., a replica of the Camp Holloway wall that

was destroyed in Pleiku, South Vietnam and a Huey Helicopter which was flown in the Vietnam

War.

If you love history the Old Jail Museum Complex in Palo Pinto is the place for you! The

complex holds the history of Palo Pinto County in the old jail and surrounding buildings. The

two story jail along with other structures house artifacts from the county and tell the story that is

Palo Pinto County.

Mineral Wells is known for its crazy heritage and our mineral water plays a huge part in that. The Famous Mineral Water Company is the

only place that still bottles the mineral water and now they offer mineral baths in the new Crazy Bath House. Sip and soak in the waters that

make our little town famous.

If you are looking for other things to see and do during spring break come by the Chamber and pick up a Visitor’s Guide and browse our

other brochures!

March Ribbon Cutting Photos

The Painted Post Chapter of Legacy Outfitters is a men’s

ministry that uses the outdoors as a way to encourage men to

be better husbands, fathers, and the spiritual leaders they are

called to be. They meet the first Monday of the month at

6:30pm in the Chamber Community Room.

Spend Spring Break As a Tourist in Your Own Town!

EXECUTIVE Texas Gas Services

PREMIUM PECOFacet

ENTREPRENEUR Brazos Animal Hospital

BASIC All Tex Insurance

Backforty Bunkhouse Productions

Brazos Mall Merchants Association

Brazos Pointe Church

Buckets and Boots Foundation

Cole's House of Flowers

Cowboy Church of Mineral Wells

Dr. Cary Labbe, O.D.

Kowpoke Architect LLC

Lofts & Hospitality LLC

Merle Norman - Merle Norman Cosmetics

Mineral Wells Heritage Association

Mineral Wells Little League, Inc

Newton Manufacturing

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Palo Pinto County Democratic Club

Pollard Hill Ranch LLC

State Farm Insurance-Phil Luker

VFW Post 2399

Wilson Enterprises

The Switch Café

112 S. FM 113

Cool, TX 76066

(940) 682-2024

New Member

Chamber

Members 431

Member Referrals 81

Relocation Packets 15

Tourism

Guests 50

Tourism Inquiries

(Mail) 129

Promotional Items 1080

R OI

STD MAIL

US Postage PAID

Mineral Wells, TX

76067

Permit No. 72

Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce

& Convention and Visitors Bureau

P.O. Box 1408

Mineral Wells, TX 76068

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

The Chamber newsletter is supported by Weaver’s Print Shop.

Member of the month

First Financial Bank

contributes to our

community in many

ways including being

the title sponsor for the

annual Chamber

Banquet.

Congratulations to Palo Pinto

General Hospital on their new

Profession Health Center.

Their new building houses

doctor’s offices, the hospital

clinic and room for future

growth.

Allison Buchanan-Best Western Hotel

Bethany Tarpley-Palo Pinto General Hospital

Carey Carter- Mineral Wells ISD

Catrina Richards- First Financial Bank

Cayler Banks-Nix Rental Homes

Daven Robinson-Holiday Hills Country Club

Frances Wampler-CASA-Hope for Children

Frank Wolfe-Mineral Wells Chevy Buick GMC

Heath Farmer-PECOFacet

Hollye Foster-Titan Bank

Jeremy Hamscher-City of Mineral Wells

Juana Velazquez-Genesys AeroSystems

Karen Shadden-Make Green Go Green

Kay Bridges-Community National Bank

Kellci Baker-Communication Connection- Verizon

Lauren Wright-Clark Gardens

Mary Howell-Palo Pinto General Hospital

Murielle Gillet-First Financial Bank

Nicholas Wells-City of Mineral Wells

Nikki Bossaller-Mineral Wells Chamber

Sheila Charles-Texas Farm Bureau Insurance

L E A D E R S H I P

C L A S S

2 1

Thank you to these

newsletter sponsors!

Fourth Annual State of the Community: Laying a Foundation for Success

On Friday, February 20 at the First Baptist Church

in Mineral Wells, the Chamber of Commerce held

their fourth annual State of the Community

Luncheon. It is estimated that 230 individuals

attended the luncheon to learn about plans being

made for our water, our city, and the Baker Hotel.

Ken Choffel from HDR Engineering briefly

discussed the strategies for providing water from the

Brazos River using a reverse osmosis system. He also

highlighted the current status of the Turkey Peak

Reservoir, an expansion of Lake Palo Pinto. The

project is finally moving forward and TCEQ has

approved a temporary permit to conduct the public

hearing process. It is estimated that after the next

twelve to eighteen months, land will be purchased

and the contractor bid process can begin. While the

Turkey Peak Project doesn’t address our immediate

need for water, it is a viable long-term solution. In the

short term however, the Water District has an

agreement with TCEQ to meet our current needs for

water to supply the city and all of its customers.

City Manager Lance Howerton shared with the

attendees the timeline and process for the downtown

revitalization plan. A citizen’s steering committee was

appointed by the council to assist the Institute for

Urban Studies from UT Arlington in creating a plan

that addresses parking, traffic, pedestrian control as

well as landscape and architectural concepts. The

City Manager also briefly mentioned another steering

committee was created to select projects for

consideration in a future bond package.

Chad Patton and Laird Fairchild once again closed

out the luncheon and provided the audience an up-

date on the status of the Baker Hotel project. They

informed everyone of a brief roadblock this past

summer because of issues with their major financial

investor. This investment group pulled out due to

other investment projects and could not justify

supporting the Baker. Despite this setback, they

quickly found another investment group which has

been much more promising and are close to finalizing

the deal with this new group. Chad and Laird are

extremely confident that their diligence and

perseverance are about to pay off and all their

construction capital will be in place.

It is very evident that after today’s luncheon that “A Foundation for Success” is being laid. The City,

County, Chamber, Industrial Foundation, and the Area Growth Council are working hard to ensure that our community is moving forward and we are ready for when the first guest checks in to the Baker Hotel.