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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGrowing Pains- A Forum in Insite 1999 _'— , _ , 4 0 h it,. , ___: v --- \ 4 4000 ie . ...., a, : , 4 .--,.. , ''''' - - .1_ ' ' -.,„ , ,y ._,_ _ i t ,' ''' ''''''-- 4 , , ,.,„ t _, . . 4 4 * . '-, 0 . . 4' .\ ., .; '.: , 4 1 : ), — ,''''''' , , - ---- 11. 11..7 A i i lib. L_ It ' 1.74111 I 0.. Sm = A IA- 0 B ' ..*:"'! i ' 4 OP4 '&01 ' -- 0 - T _ ,, P _ . , . f„---„,,,,,,,,------y . _ _ , 0 .„ . , :.,,,„ :.,, .„, . . 44> . . , ..::. 4.'.„,,,,:".„:,__ __. -, 10 '- ' .----- , - p KoNo , , _..,; I L D , ! A 0 ', 40 6 : I 1 fit ,, - . • ''''''''' i -- 1 F . . .‘„ Ik , TliE ENA • 0 mE ) „:. :,:,,,, p vE/ L ic . , i: , ...,"i 4 %. Pt j ', ii , , sa iooLs . H , 1 0 !, ,,,„ A ,._ 2„, ! 7::,,, • .," ,o. , 4 ! ' 1 : 9 11(8.,,.\\,...\ 113(ASA8e).:-,'(i •e• .:e - ril * ' lir -''.-- , ,, — : i :: ,, , I.' 11111 1111114 " Yldr ir giik - '''''`- Take the public'', , M e 'a -„',„, ,,,,_ ,i, :\ I ' *1 1_,...14404 :: ik �a= ti r v 4 } *, i f ° vslyy ^ 2 H II i dl 0" a '� Iii' ) T f M e Daniel Celia Goode- Dave Taylor Pat Hiler Jeannie Heller Robert Worley Jan Lee Christian Turner Hernandez Haddock reporter for resident of director of president/CEO branch manager graduate student associate vice owner and KBTX -TV 3, Bryan; involved Project Unity in of the Economic of at Texas A &M; chancellor for president of CBS affiliate with historical Bryan Development Dealers Lighting president of community University Title preservation Corporation in Bryan Brazos Sierra development at Company; efforts in Club Texas A &M chairman of the Downtown University Chamber of Bryan t' Commerce .R.. '. r r /bp, ° y r/IIIQ .. ' t h.' e llili---7 711"1"l* IP' I ili S 4111111111r- —4 k. -- ,—.A lir Ai llillr Al I ) 44 "II • 1 .• ill _ V . • „,, r'y I ,7 0 '1 r ,.. „.,,,, 11:14:■1 \s ro,” i;ic: C*1-•rAd : :0. 1.13 : I i (..] k 1 : e. . t 1 N ;i Lel :Let, , a D'eL : Ili I -- 1I . W' ,u0 ,■/ ►C .. ail ilI, ,►Du, ,►•. ,► \I•►,I, $74 : F\1 ► ;el 1AAe,j :ii 1.11►.� Photos by Chan ler Arden /Specialtiess.Photography __.. n Thursday, November 9, 1998, b mg of the article. Aven i ns, env ..mental concerns INSITE gathered t,!ether 12 people 1 - om the community a t follow ' s an edited tra of-, mostly or w ;' : firms • . „rig to the area O from y to talk . their` a ith re pe x ten g th. E very e o, was made to and t ' e ' o 3 `_ hey these are concerns for the future. The discuss 'n wa , ynam- keep the s , . intended .ping intact when the s i s that wi . • pact on ic: emotional, humorous, and at times, ,, '; g on ' his or lr at were .. ited. 1 being heated. November 19 was also the nig of - ,• I ” wante. assemb a gro . .4 Garth Brooks' first concert at Reed Arena Kyle Littlefield: ry. Col -ge Station is key .. *pie in the community that had some people had to leave the forum early to see he growing, and as ' does - • • unity will unique insight (pardon the pun) into these show, and so their contributions are found at tq be afcted. -ther it' t :.- - Munson issues and talk about their hopes and con- 1 .., Not pictured above are: ; Todd McDaniel: senior economic development assistant, City of College Station • Joey Dunn: city planner, City of Bryan • j Cheryl Anz: co -owner of Cafe Eccell, advocate of College Station's Northgate district • Mary Jo Powell: associate director of University Relations at Texas A &M University • Angelique Gammon: publisher of INSITE Magazine • Kyle Littlefield: editor of INSITE Magazine 24 JNSITEIJANr ARY 1999 terns for Bryan/College Station. environment that allows young, foolish peo- The future we are talking about is not ple to come to town, stay and become rela- The Uncertain some science fiction concept. It isn't far away tively prosperous. — only 15 -25 years from now. In 2025, the What I like least about B /CS is that now Future population of Brazos County is estimated to that we are here and that we've grown up a be near 188,000 — more than 50,000 more little bit, it's looking very scary down the IT IS ESTIMATED in the year 2025, than our current population. That's almost road. I want it to be just big enough to have Bryan /College Station will be populat- like doubling the size of Bryan or College lots of opportunities but not so big that I ed by more than 300,000 people. That Station. feel like I've moved to a suburb of Austin, figure is also estimated at 188,000 Where are these people going to live, play Dallas or Houston. Because if I wanted to people. It just depends on who you and what roads are they going to drive — live in a suburb of Austin or Houston, I'd ask. because I want to know which ones to avoid. move there. That's my point of view. "Everybody's crystal ball is a little How will this growth affect the economy, Take it away, Jeannie Heller. bit different," says Michael Parks, race relations and the gap between the haves director of the Bryan /College Station Jeannie Heller: I'm Jeannie Heller. I moved and -the haves not. Metropolitan Planning Organization. to B /CS as Jeannie Goss in 1981 with my These are the type of issues that will affect husband and my 2 and -a -half- year -old son at Parks says the vast discreprancy of us on a day -to -day basis. And that's why the time. We moved here because my hus- the two figures is a result of using dif- we've invited you here to share your wisdom ferent methodologies to arrive at a band's family lived here. I worked inside the and experience gained from your careers in population estimate. home for 10 years and then went through a these discussions. divorce. And then at the age of 30, I had to His estimate of 188,000 people in Angelique Gammon: We want to start by find my career and who I was. B /CS gave me 2025 was extrapolated using informa- having everyone explain how they got to an opportunity with a social work degree to tion provided by the state data center B /CS, how long they've been here, and what pretty much carve out what I wanted to do at Texas A &M. Birth and death rates they think the best and worst things about with my life. and in and out migration rates the town are. As we talk about how we feel I remarried and have six kids now. (excluding college students) were used about the growth for the future, the answers I've had children in both Bryan and to extrapolate the population figure. to when we got here and what we like most College Station schools so I've really had to On the other hand, Robert Worley and least about the area will frame the per- try to work cooperatively across both Bryan of the Economic Development spective of our contributions to the discus- and College Station. Corporation is adamant that the MPO figure is too low. The EDC's estimate Sion. Since I'm asking it of you I will start. AG: And anything that concerns you about of more than 300,000 people in 2025 I got here in 1977 to go to Texas A&M the future of B /CS? is based on the current population University, I got confused and never left. growth rate of somewhere between 3 Started a business in 1984, and what I like JH: Well, I think that we are a very giving community At the same time, I feel that we and 5 perecent for B /CS, he says. most about B /CS is that it has the kind of q Parks says that using 40 to 50 years of data results in a more conservative estimate of the future population. 1998 POPULATION 3,000 Factoring in recessions, like the one AoDTL POPULATION 13,000 City of College Station ADDTL SF UNITS 4,000 UNITS ADOR MFUNITS l'A'iN; 7 2 . 4 GROWTH AREAS 2005 the United States experienced in the DOT AL COMM. ACRES ,� , Legend Land Uses I early '80s affect the estimating process, . , ° Low Density Residential , ' Med. to High Density Residential I he says. ■ Pudic Pads anyway "I'm not in an saying we're .�.__ Indastdal Y Y Y in g `A..Y,l y not going be in t 30 ," ,� 11 Parks says "These he are 00,00 just range the A 4 methodologi to we use." `� f ' i And he leaves this nugget about r ± " the delicate art of predicting the ' future: "There's only one thing that VP fig, '' �` ; ^ � 1‘00 ,�,�'`` � rings true when talking about estima- S j ' � ` �% / so tions of any kind. They're all wrong. �r '2" — Kyle Littlefield Z� a N - are blind -sided by our whole community, s` _ _ and we do not realize we are diverse. `` "�— ,, \` Sometimes we go off in our own little w worlds. I would like to see this community goiii - 41i" . become a whole, united community with all families, all people, all races acknowledged as very important and a part of the com- munity. INSITE /JANUniY 1999 25 r i "The Uncertain Future" on page 25 for an expla- opment. I've been doing this for 22 y.. AG: Thank you. Pat Hiler. nation of the discreprancy.) But it's way off. All and this is the only time I've only bee Pat Hiler: I'm Pat Hiler. I've been here of the prognosticators that we use, and the responsible for just one thing — bringing almost 33 years. We're from Ohio. I followed numbers we use now put that number at in new industries. This is a great place to do my husband here. We had several opportu 300,000. And that's a very conservative that. There's many people that want to come nities to leave and each time chose to stay growth rate, very conservative. It's only here. But I think the bigger challenge is because we fell in love with the people in about a 2.7 percent growth rate, and we are redevelopment, if we want to keep from the community. It's not that it's such a gor- currently exceeding that. being another metropolitan squalor There's genus place to live, but the people are real- With the kind of jobs that we see com- a couple other challenges I want to address, ly nice. ing in, and the kind of things that we see and then I will be quiet and sneak out at We've raised three children here, we have on the horizon, unless there's a large depres- the appropriate time, because I have Garth five grandchildren that have gone through sion or a very prolonged recession where the Brooks tickets. I the Bryan school system. We live in the world -wide economy goes downhill serious- B /CS is going to have to do something ? ly, then we could miss those growth projec- about this nonsense of fighting each other. I 1 3 Bryan east -side historic district. We live in tions. By the year 2025, at a 2.7 percent see it as much as anybody, and it is non- a culturally diverse neighborhood. We pur- growth rate, we will be at more than sense. If we're ever going to be all that we " posefully chose that because we wanted our 300,000 people. Right now we are bounc- can be, that has to stop. The other thing that children and grandchildren to have that rich ing somewhere between a 3 and 5 percent has to stop is the notion of two school dis - s experience. I'm involved in historic preser- growth rate, depending on what figures you tricts. The two school districts have to vation efforts in town. look at and what the estimations are. become one. That's if and only if, you want The best thing about this area is the wide The lived in Dallas, and I've lived in to be all that you can be. I can say that cultural gifts that we get through the uni- Austin and other big cities, and I don't like because it's really not my city here if I've versity and the community. The thing that big cities. Now we're not necessarily going only been here eight years. I am afraid of in our community is that we to get there. Here's what I think the big If you do continue this nonsense of hay- - not develop a preservation ethic. I'm con- challenge for B /CS is. We must deal with ing two of everything, the taxpayers are ; the growth in a way that none of the other going to take it in the ear. Our taxes are cerned about Downtown Bryan. I think it has great potential, and I see some real pos- big cities have. They've let it come on them. going to continue to go up, and the two itive things happening down there now. And They've let the crime come with it. They've cities are going to continue to fight over I'm also afraid of some feelings of competi- let poverty areas get worse. nonsense like where a particular industry tiveness between the two communities, The cities need to pay tremendous atten- belongs. Todd McDaniel and I see this on a because I think they should complement tion to redevelopment inside. My job is to daily basis. We work very closely on this ' each other, and I think the potential for that bring in new businesses, and that's what I stuff. is there also. It will take some maturing on get paid to do. But my passion is redevel- In my arena, the first of those that should 4 our part. AG: Thank you very much. Next we have . =� �--� IMO Robert Worley. THOROUGHFARE PLAN empONIM =MO = , , �� ......._ Robert Worley: My name is Robert Worley. c � 4 , ® " — ...�,. I moved here in 1990 to go to work for the ""�ftO`si . economic development corporation because ...%. = ` == •x_ � �� , - , \ they offered me enough money to live on -=:- _ ��p A� ; - provide for my family. and to _ ..r► �''. 4 \ i Y . A lot of the things I like about B /CS have ' cv'' - ti � ' " � / to do with Texas A&M and the quality of __ �'�, \�� i� �� life it provides this area I like going to bas- �` . , „Its.-.4 -''0 loyci.• , . ketball games, some football games — just ' =_= I �V;l : 11 : -, i _ = / 4. a11' ` ' 1 I some of the things that A&M has to offer. , I � ,. 1 ,_,.. The biggest thing I l ike about B /CS is that _ ' -k,. Y .� �, „'. it has a relatively small -town feel, but you i ' '' `N Ier i get all of the things that big towns offer. `' � � ” ti ' " I I hate to burst some of your bubbles, but — L� -. ?� _ that 2025 population figure you have on the ® " c� ° _ `� �` 1 , _` board the ... (Editor's note: A figure for the Pe i ' � . 1 O • estimated population of BICS in 2025 was dis- CITY OE COLLEGE STATION •` COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ; played in the room. That figure, acquired from '° IC 1 ��� MAIM Myra • ra•NNIAL MC the Metropolitan Planning Organization of O. ' •�° • ' % y� Bryan/College Station, was 188,000 people. See i 0 ~. 26 INSITE /JANUARY 1999 rr- happen is the two school districts should come together. When you have two school districts, from a fiscal economic stance, that 1. + i produces more problems than you can imag- ine in our arena. So that's my story and I'm , .., :„."!:.: °" t �wK sticking to it. Ink AG: That segues so nicely to Todd. I RW: Todd and I protect each other! (laughs) r i, j ■ Todd McDaniel: My name is Todd E McDaniel, and I work for the City of College t Station in economic development. My wife k . and I moved to this community in 1992. I • New & Used Office went to Baylor University. Furniture ` I I The thing that I like about this commu- • Registered Interior x pity, and I agree with Robert, it's got all the Designer = attributes of a Large city and a nice environ- • Space Planning - --` w - ment. ., Robert hit on the issue of the two school •Panel Systems • Free Local Delivery districts: that is something the leaders of this community are going to have to reconcile over time. You're dealing with tax rates with 114 ■ NI ® both school districts that are almost three - times that of the municipalities and county. There's a burden that has to be born by the Office Furniture taxpayers if you want high quality of life. The Area's Most Complete Dealer But at the same time, it's the responsibility of our leaders to try to do the best they can featuring Standard Hon Line with limited resources in order to try to con- tinue to see the private sector grow and Regent Collection thrive. I guess what I don't like about the com- Concensys Panel Systems munity is sometimes and I've only worked in one other municipality, and maybe ` / this is human nature — but I think we focus kON S OffrAoRkS on the negative instead of the positive. For 6- WI me, I'm an optimist, so maybe concentrat- ing on the positive is something the leaders d • of this community should look at. 0 ., 1 N Ew & U S EC� Q Ffl C E FURNITURE AG: Thank you. • 2501 Cavitt • Bryan, TX 77801 RW: Can I add one thing that I forgot to Fax (409) 775 -3104 • Phone (409) 775 -2113 say? Regarding population, there have been some studies done that measure what is � WWW.WIItOIIS.COIIl called the diminishing returns on quality of life related to size. The studies say some- where around a population of 300,000 to 350,000 you start losing quality of life by N• adding people. We're nowhere near that now, �OS but we could easily be there by 2025. But 'I again, I think even if we got there by not I \ INDUSTRIES ES INC. doing what those other communities did in ►/� the past 50 years, we could put that dimin- COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ;, G fishing returns point off with every action we \ ■ COMPLETE METAL FABRICATION CUSTOM SHEARING & BENDING do to delay it, by maybe 500,000 or 1 mil- I WELDING - ALUMINUM & STAINLESS STEEL lion people for B /CS. I don't think that any- �� REPAIRS MISC. STRUCTURAL STEEL thing that has been done in the past is set !, - 10 TON OVERHEAD CRANE CAPACITY ! 1"1 \ ..■ CERTIFIED & INSURED in stone. We can fix that. A TM: If you look at this community and learn / ••• 9 4 3 3 _ /v 1640 Shiloh (Off West Loop FM 2818), Bryan from the mistakes of other communities, I In Brazos County Industrial Park INSITE /JANUARY 1999 27 *.**2:, *.: think we're fortunate because of the age of our communities. College Station was incor- :; ;:� : rt ' porated in 1938 — Bryan is the elder sister ■. ' ~ \� and a little older — but nevertheless is still - .0. �► -` a relatively young city by U.S. standards. RAGE We're beginning to address things at an ear - ALL AMERICAN STO CENTERS lier stage that weren't addressed by much older communities. That's our good fortune as a community.... • Commercial & Residential • All Sizes Available As an aside, I asked one of our planners • Fenced w /Controlled Access • 5x5 to 10x30 who does our population estimates what the • Monthly Statements current population estimate was for October. • 24 Hour /7 Day Access y That figure is 63,751. I also brought a map • Security Lighting • Boat & RV Storage that identifies growth areas in and around College Station. You'll see the growth is mostly to the south and southwest. 6 9 0 , 3 3 2 1 AG: OK, Todd gets an A. The pressure is on this side of the table. (laughs) Longmire Center TM: The final document I brought is, as Graham Center g Kyle alluded to earlier. He'd like to know 625 S. Graham Rd • CS 3007 Longmire • CS how to get from Point A to Point B, I South College Center Baker Street Center brought our projected thoroughfare plan for 2306 S.College • Bryan 1218 Baker St. • Bryan the City of College Station. Hopefully ... ^•. AG: Quick! Where is Munson? (laughs) 1 i 1 i TM: Hopefully, through long -term planning r I think that some of the issues like Munson M FMBe - Avenue will be resolved because of planning Leasing office located at 625 S. Graham Rd., CS mechanisms that are in place today that weren't in place at the time when the City of College Station was developing in its C 0 PY infancy. And the Munson issue really is the result of significant growth. AG: Thank you very much. Cheryl Anz ... I I Cheryl Anz: My name is Cheryl Anz, and 1 I'm a local girl. I was born and raised in I Bryan. While attending A&M I met my i husband who was opening his first business in College Station. He was living on � Northgate in what is now Fitzwilly's. Technology We went on to open many other busi- S ery i ce No nesses. We lived at Northgate behind our F ull & Self Serve Copies record store. We were partners with Don O Color Laser Copies Ganter and one of our most successful busi- nesses was the Dixie Chicken, which is still � Blueprints there today. That was back in the early '70s. INC) Oversized Copies Then we had the Chicken Oil Co. and then for 10 years we had the Deluxe Burger Bar, C=0 II which is also still there. Then La Taqueria. Oversized Color Prints C=) Liking Northgate, we decided to be in the full- service restaurant business. We decided II Electronic File Transfers in '89 to open Cafe Eccell. So that's where en D esktop Publishing we are today. I'm also representing the C Northgate area, in that I am on the R esumes O Northgate Revitalization Board. I also serve on the sub - committee of design. I'm the ` � Complete Finishing Service chairman of the facade improvement pro- gram. I'm also on the task -force for the cre- 1404 Texas Avenue South • College Station Continued on p. 33 28 INSITE /JANUARY 1999 ative tourism strategies of the Brazos Valley. I Alta Vista Christian Academy AG: And do you have any concerns about College Station or the Northgate area? "where children can become what God CA: Well, my biggest concern is that we not envisions them to be. " develop and grow slowly enough in an envi- 1 ronmentally friendly way. And that curb -side recycling in College Station would be taken 1 away and that commercial recycling not be looked into We should also develop the greenways and biways for recreation. One of the best things I like about CS is the neigh- - borhood where I live. It's the Southside neighborhood. It's an area that has integrity and historical value. And I love that. AG: Thank you very much. Celia ... Celia Goode- Haddock: My name is Celia Goode - Haddock, and I was born in St. Joseph Hospital in 1950. And I've been here ever since. (laughs) My passion is the Chamber of Commerce. I have been chairman of the Chamber of Commerce since October 1. I've been going to a meeting or two or three a day meeting Continuously enrolling students people but that's what I enjoy the most ... just getting out and meeting new people. Kindergarten through 12th Grade One of the areas that we are working on in the Chamber, is that although I am from "Ho /ding a High View of Giftedness" CS, I truly think of it as B /CS — one town. I want it to be more unified. I want to see that within the government entities in that Alta Vista Christian Academy places a strong emphasis they don't compete so much. I don't want us on a more personalized approach to education to get off into little groups. I don't think this can be the community that's possible without us reaching out to everyone regard- For More Information less of cultural differences, age differences, economic differences, we have to be unified. Call 695 -1919 And the only way we can do that is to get to know each other and listen to each other, 3110 Gandy Rd. and find our commonalities as opposed to /'1 our differences. And I'm like Todd. I'm very /� ^ College Stat i o n optimistic. I'm always looking for the good I I things. AG: Thanks. Dave Taylor ... ` J Dave Taylor: I'm Dave Taylor, and I'm a - - reporter with KBTX -TV. I'm also going to have to step out a few minutes early. I was telling Kyle the other day how rude it was of him to plan this on the same night that Local Decisions. Personal Service. I had to cover Garth Brooks. And I can feel Since 1 en Convenient Locations. Sin the sympathy coming from everyone in the 907 • room. But that's one of the things that a few v years ago, you would never imagine seeing in B /CS — something of that magnitude B8MLANTERS & MERCHANTS STATE BANK going on right now. 122 W. Fourth St./Hearne /279 -3438 I am a native of Plano, just north of • 3710 E. 29th St. /Bryan /260 -3252 Dallas. I am a city boy ... • 2533 Texas Ave. /College Station /693 -1063 What I see as a problem or an issue that's MEMBER FDIC EQUAL HOUSING LENDER INSITE /JANUARY 1999 33 7 being wrestled with is probably what Todd's folks over there have been wrestling with for a long time. And that is how to separate CS Your hometown from its biggest asset while at the same time, promoting its biggest asset — Texas A&M. experts with a I've watched long -time residents struggle with that. I've sat through a relatively recent world of city council meeting where two long- time me residents, names that you would prob- ably recognize — one of them that when addressing an issue important to students, experience • the comment was along the lines of "well that's tough." I think that's very indicative of some of the challenges we are trying to S deal with at least in terms of keeping CS a : ,,, ., � viable, growing community outside of Texas t 44 A&M. The people who will be coming here in the future and staying here, are people, . who like me, are those who came here to go to school and stayed. In order for that kind of growth environment to be fostered, we need to be careful with the relationship between the cities, both Bryan and CS and .. 4 " the stude at A&M. olot // AG: Thank you Dave. And now from the university side with Mary Jo. Mary Jo Powell: I'm Mary Jo Powell. When I first arrived in B /CS, I had intended to stay for two years. I came to work at The Eagle. The Real Estate Leaders I was going to get two years of experience, and then I was going to go back to the city Sm that I thought I loved more than the world, which was Chicago. I had been a big city girl for most of my life. RE/MAX RE/MAX I stayed with part of that plan. I stayed at The Eagle for two years. It's now 22 years Bryan - College Station Texas Heritage later, and I'm still here. 404 Tarrow 4101 Texas Ave., Ste B I am now associate director of University College Station, TX 77840 Bryan, TX 77802 Relations at Texas A &M which as many of 409 -846 -6000 409- 846 -4500 you know, makes me the official university spokesperson that gets to stand up there and talk to folks like Dave and Kyle ... E , , v • My new plans, and I don't know whether LENDER I'll be any more successful with them than I have been with some of the other ones, is that I'm going to take early retirement effec- tive next month. But I'm going to stay right /J • FULL SERVICE CAR here ... 0 (_'ZEE WASH Like many of the other people that I have CAR CARE CENTER • COMPLETE DETAIL heard here, I think the best thing about B /CS 300 Harvey Road SERVICE is we've grown and changed in a very posi- Rock Prairie Rd. & Texas Ave. tive way. College Station, Texas • Compounding & years. I've been a diabetic for almost 40 696 -7589 or 693 -3341 y /�� Hand Waxing It's given me some problems. I no longer O 0 M OW/ O O • Interior Shampooing have to go to Houston to get what I con - _ • Engine Cleaning sider top- flight, good quality medical care. • COMPLETE OIL & MB W I think the challenge we have is making ■ these communities work together for the LUBE SERVICE good. There are some people in the com- 34 INSITE /JnNUnxv 1999 munity that we are not seeing, and we need a great deal of rural charm. We have clean to open our hearts to those people too. air, clean water and we have rural lands. AG: Thank you very much. Jan ... On the negative side, sometimes we don't seem to recognize that. We talk good talk. a Career that Jan Lee: I'm Jan Lee, and I'm in business We have the Brazos 20/20 Vision plan. We O here with Dealers Electrical Supply. I moved have comprehensive plans in both cities that puts here in 1978 to marry a man who was born recognize these qualities and address the here. need to preserve them. But then somehow in Charge Alan and I have had a very happy life it doesn't gel together and we don't get here. It is was tough the first year. I cried things done. Maybe it's because we're facing every night because for someone coming some new problems in this growing com- training, marketing programs from the fast lane and being 25 years old, munity. Maybe it takes a little while, maybe there was nothing to do here. If you were it takes a little bit of talking before you can and management support. not interested in football there was less to actually get yourself on the road to doing do. I found it tough the first year, but I felt something. And I'm sorry that Mr. Worley Call for a confidential truly embraced by the people of the com- left already because I think there are some appointment... Mike Beal C R.B. munity I think that's probably our greatest good local examples, some of which the 764 -2100 asset. Sierra Club has been working on including Some of our bigger problems are devel- a development on one of our major local opment and affordable housing for North creeks. But there are other examples with the Bryan for starters. We have a lot of sub -stan- new businesses that are coming in. There Of dard housing in the community and people was a proposed textile mill, and now there's who are earning $20,000 and $25,000 a year Koch Industries that is going to be locating for a family of four. We see a lot of people a chemical plant here. Koch has a pretty ter- 1 in our business, not only the people you talk rible environmental record, including one of Beal Inc. about, Dave, who are Aggies that stay here, the biggest fines in EPA history for oil spills but we see Aggies coming back — people in wetlands and in coastal areas. They have that go away and have a career and choose a large fine for not notifying local emergency 404 University Dr. E. • College Station to retire in this community. So I also think management of an ammonia release in Serving the Brazos Valley since 1946 that dealing with the elderly and older peo- another community. There's a great deal ple in our community is going to be some- there that really hasn't been talked about in thing that we are going to have to pay atten- the community tion to, because as baby boomers we are get- Interested in ring there. AG: Thank you very much. Daniel ... AG: Thank you very much. Mr. Turner ... Daniel Hernandez: My name is Daniel a Career in Hernandez, I am a native of Bryan. My fam- Christian Turner: I'm Christian Turner. My ily has been here for about 60 years. Real Estate Or wife and I moved here in 1993 from South Sometimes I've felt like an outsider to this Carolina where we both grew up. We came community even though I shouldn't because Renewal Credit' here for graduate school at Texas A&M. Since we have a long history here. My dad was a that time ... I guess it was pretty tough to sharecropper from Wheelock, Texas, and he adjust to this community, but once we met basically had a spiritual awakening. He told some people it's been really rewarding. In the guy who owned the land he was leaving Core Courses the past couple of years we've gotten ... He was with his fourth wife which was Texas Real Estate involved in restarting the Brazos Valley my mom. My dad's life had been trans- Commission Accredited Sierra Club, a national environmental orga- formed, and he saw Bryan as a way to be nization dedicated to protecting America's away from the sharecropping business that All Classes Held Locally environment. The club's focus is on local never gets you anywhere because you end up issues in the Brazos Valley. giving away everything for which you work. Now offering I guess to be a little too cute, what I like ... What concerns me is this actual com- correspondence courses about College Station is that we are not position that we have here. This forum is Houston, and what I don't like about CS is not representative of B /CS. I dare say I do Early registration discount: that we're fast on the road to becoming not speak for Hispanics. As much as you 5145 full payment another Houston. To explain that a little bit don't speak for all whites. But unless you due 5 days prior to each course better, I think one of the greatest assets our have the voices ... you really don't have the Regular price 5175 community, in terms of satisfaction for cur- truth. Whether it's at TAMU, whether it's rent residents and attracting new businesses, For a Free Brochure call: g at the Chamber of Commerce, whether it's is that we do have these cultural amenities. the school board; whatever it is, we don't Gulf Coast We have a great university, a great econom- have those people represented. School of Real Estate is engine that works for us. But we also have Now we can say, "Well they just don't (409) 764 -0525 /NSITE /JANUARY 1999 35 r want to come." Except that sometimes his- A Powerful tory is the problem — and we do have a T_` - � / problem in this country as we do in this i 1 j"�� i T Capability community. Until we face up to that histo- ry, this country, and as a consequence, this For the Brazos Valle community's foundation will stand on e Valley community's kind of practices. Until we realize the consequence of that — can you imagine if my dad had not left Wheelock Texas? (My family) would have all been there. As bright as I think I am, I probably wouldn't have "`r ° been able to get an education. But as a result ■ - s ( . of it, my nephews have all gone to Texas A &M, my brother -in -law has gone to - ° TAMU — they're engineers, lawyers, CPAs •,, e - I, r ir in my family. Imagine all the many, many families and communities my sisters and cousins d brothers who have finished he have affecte But when I see a Hispanic ` community, or a poor person: black, white, ' `` whatever, who is marginalized, I think to A BRAZOS VALLEY FOCUS--J. Roger Ables (center) and his Bryan staff know myself, "Why is this ?" That family there is the Brazos Valley area. They are backed by the full resources of Southwest Guaranty Trust, which now has assets of more than $1.6 billion under manage - ago, with , with ntfrom dreams, h dreams, h mom and dad 60 years ment or administration. Shown here (left to right) are president Willard B. Wagner, hopes and aspirations. my president emeritus James R. Young, vice chairman G. Kyle Guinn and chairman/ All of er brothers left this community c.e.o. William E. Mercer. because there were no opportunities. I've often thought if there were six Hernandez Helping you make the most of Your Money...and Your Life!' boys in this community, we would be a tremendous group of force, but there were ur Bryan office combines the strength, stability and expertise no opportunities. No one would hire us here. O of one of the largest and fastest - growing independent trust I left to go to law school at Georgetown, companies in the Southwest...with personal, responsive attention and I came back. I was in private practice, to your financial needs. and I had an interest in the TAMU system. By trust professionals who know the Brazos Valley. My dad helped form the LULAC here in It's a combination that you and your investments, your IRA this community many years ago. I was the rollover or 401(k), or your living or testamentary trust will find most youngest city council member twenty years rewarding. Come check us out! ago. I was the first native born Hispanic lawyer from this community. My dad estab- lished a Hispanic Methodist church in this SOUTHWEST GUARANTY TRUST community. Some of the programs that we Independent • Professional • Responsive have at Texas A &M that were started 20 Houston Dallas Bryan /College Station Longview Odessa years ago, I was Metro Centre • 3833 S. Texas Ave., Suite 288 • Bryan 77802 of my background. I'm very proud of my (409) 846 -7313 • Fax (409) 846 -4825 • (800) 856 -3833 dad because of who he was and what he ' instilled in me and each one of us. However, they are not here in this community — and I don't want to have the burden of carrying raj O S the voice of all the people who have come C istia n } " from similar backgrounds as mine. I should - c n't have to carry that burden. Just like you, Pat, shouldn't have to carry the burden of SC h 0I. all the people who come from your back- ACTABS Accreditation, Certified ground. Or Jeannie or whatever. Until those Teachers, Phonics Reading Program,' people are here we really won't hear the voic- Spanish, French, Computers, Music, . Volleyball, Basketball, Football, = .. es. Cheerleading, After - School Care, Fall 1999 Registration Christian, you talk about the Sierra Club. Interdenominational. There is an endangered species in this com- Established 1981 begins in February munity, and that is the poor people. Go to "And all the children shall be taught of 3000 W. Villa Maria • Bryan, Texas 77807 Hamilton Unit. Go down to our school dis- the Lord, and great shall be the place of y thy children." Isaiah 54:13 409- 823 -1000 triers. We have the lowest unemployment 36 INSITE /JANUAR 1999 rate in the state, but we have a lot of work - in g poor people • who people. r eo le. We have a lot of are poor who work two or three jobs. One of p ercent our school districts has more than 50 of people in the poverty rate. Where does this Q ua l i register in the radar of who we are as a corn- munity? muni It's like me when I wanted my son to play —/—i ,,,,,J the piano. I invested in a piano, and I invest - ed in lessons because he told me he wanted to play the piano — just as many of us say p .< 7S ri r 1 7 , we want to have a community that's inclu- . . sive and so on.What I did not realize was that my son did not want to learn to play ♦♦♦ C „' r n (f , the piano. He just wanted to play it, but he 77 " " ' did not want to learn to play it. The ques- s :: fG . (' e 4 f , tion we have before us is do we want to learn a, f i the art of working together? • P I � . & , We have to develop a way of how we can ` include these communities, and not on the Denture w basis of tolerance. I hate the word "tolerance." I don't want Curtis L. Kaiser, DDS --" -` people to tolerate me; I don't want to toler- ate you. I want you to trust me. I want you New Patients Welcome `� to have a relationship with me, but what do Insurance & Major Credit Cards ' we teach our kids? Tolerance. "Put up with them. They're made that way, that's how 696-1121 they're wired." I don't think that's what we're Reata Office Park 2911 Texas Ave. S. #101 about. It's about building trust relationships. College Station (across from Wal-Mart) My job at the TAMU system is about build- ing relationships. We're building relation- ships with people who we traditionally have I \ not had relationships with. Like you have two \ ' , i t i i I people who you want to get to know, and ' they don't want to get to know each other, \' 1 \ ' ' 1 , r , , and you partner. You're the broker. That's I what I'v i e done. I 've brought to Hispanics and African Americans to communities, to this � /OP (01 university and other universities that make _ 4111,' ` / them feel uncomfortable. But after a while they begin to see that, "They're not as bad as I thought they were." The people who f t don't know our people begin to see that those Lamps A&M system people are not as bad as they - 1 7 thought they were. 47 ... How do we bring that together? I believe it's an art. It's not something that we _/ Repair's are born with. We have to want to be patient enough to learn the art of collaboration, rela- tionship building and getting to know peo- W d o w ple as people who are working together. 0 ve ri n s Angelique: Thank you. ✓ PH: You know I see historic preservation 0., � 0 really tying into Daniele's concerns. I think a lot of people think of preservation as a sort `t' of elitist group, who buy big old houses and fix them up. But that's a very narrow view I --""/ 2402 Broadmoor of historic preservation. And .1 think always ! ■00.'''' Copper Chase Office Park at the heart of historic preservation is the sav- f pp / Bryan • 776 -5267 INSITE /JANuARY 1999 37 ing, the interpreting and promoting of his- don't begin to speak for Hispanics or African toric landmarks. We go much farther now Americans or anything else ... '1 in what I like to call comprehensive p reser- DH: I don't either v - t vation. And that's the neighborhood and the a, O sense of community. It does very little to try MJP: But I came to this community as, j __ b p 7 to save an old building if you're not con - God- forbid, a Yankee. • A ro C cerned about what going to go in that PH: How about a democrat? (laughs) cn - building and how it's going to relate to the DH: Hey, it used to be OK to be a demo- = p area around it. That's been our big thrust crat. (laughs) with the Childrens Museum staying in Z Downtown Bryan to serve the children of ry MJP: Well, yeah. So whether outsiders are that neighborhood. And I think it's been now individuals with AIDS, Yankees or very successful in doing that. It's pulled peo- immigrants or the socio - economically * * * * * * * ple from Pebble Creek, which is a very deprived — it's that understanding that we homogeneous community. It's also pulled are all outsiders and that's something that y * * people from the Girls Club. I think it's serv- we share. * * ing a great purpose. U JD: I'm Joey Dunn. I'm the city planner for rp * Most children's museums are located in („,,0 * , * * * old buildings, in old neighborhoods. And the City of Bryan. I am late because I came ► �" that's one of the reasons why we are striving from a planning and zoning commission * G * to keep it down there. meeting where we approved something that 0 0= * (Todd McDaniel) and Mr. Worley were II cp * DH: Let me tell you one point that is impor- involved with, the Decision One property. It VJ * Ole' tant to keep in mind. When I went to Texas was a part of land development rezoning for * A&M in 1969, I had a real roblem. Five of I .� problem. that property as well as a bunch of others ✓ * * my brothers had already gone to A&M, so I along the north side of University Drive * knew A&M. It was where I u sed to ride m � * my East. l = * * bike and go visit my brothers. Yet, I felt I was born in Virginia, grew up in rural -3 4 * • uncomfortable at A&M because of the way Alabama. I went to undergraduate school in 4 other students made me feel who were from Tennessee and I came here for graduate CD X * other little towns and not accustomed to see- school. * o le like me o to school. Little did 4 07 0 * ,� g Pe p g People here in this community, because 1=10 (/� ji■mi * in they know, if anyone was an Aggie, I was an of various factors including diversity but also *4 • Aggie. because of the mobility, they embrace peo- i .4 l J • ' The administration did not understand ple from the outside a lot more readily. Qp l J 41 • that not all Aggies acted alike nor thought ... You all talk a little about competition O * • alike. And remember this was in the 1960s as an issue. I tend to believe there's a lot • • — there were a lot of different ideas being more cooperation. I haven't been here for too 14 • * thought about. At that time the adminis- long — I came in 1991. But in that short O • * tration didn't understand how to deal with time, I have seen a lot of cooperation hap - • that issue. So it's important to understand pening between cities. There's a lot to be • how people who are coming to our commu- done. But I've been able to see both sides, • * nity feel and how are they related. and that's been beneficial. In terms of con - GW 1* • r * I remember I came back from cerns, the City of Bryan is dealing with a N O • * Washington, D.C., and I went to stay at my number of issues: how to treat the old, how 00 z • � /* mother's house on Palasota Drive on the west to encourage new types of development. I 00 • * * * * * side of Bryan. We stayed there about six j came from the Decision One develop - months because we had a house that was ment, and all of that is currently vacant land. 4 being rented. And the welcome wagon And then our city council has to understand somehow learned about it, because I was a that here are limited resources, and we have z practicing attorney, and they came to see us. to spend monies toward extending x My wife told me two ladies came over, and Copperfield Drive out to University Drive. � o p they were surprised that we were living here But then we also have people who are liv- , on the west side of Bryan and with my mom. ing in houses where the roof won't keep rt -t t• a They were kind of shocked, she said. They water out. We have a number of those issues, �'' • C n did their duty, but you could tell they were and we have a representative government in = co m like, "What did we get ourselves into ?" that we have representative council members � • AG: Running for the city limits! (laughs) from each of those districts. They are very ro o much cooperative under our government's 1° MJP: But then again, there's the problem of policies. But pulling all of those issues being an outsider in lots of different way. I 38 INSITE /JnxuAPY 1999 together is a very complex task. That's one thing that is a concern, but it is something for that the City of Bryan is looking at. I do believe there's a strength or a synergy, a jux- taposition of all those things together. CT Can I comment on that Joey? The ear- lier discussion is i particularly germane to the We 7 ve been cool topic of growth in general. o . First of all, I think mentioning the way growth occurs in general would be illustrative here. Joey men- fO r over 100 y tioned that the Decision One property is going to be located on what is now vacant < 19 land. But that land is not vacant right now; it's agricultural land, it's a prairie, it has value. But this is the pattem of growth in the community. People go outside of the cur - .,. ' , r rent zone of urbanization in some old farmer's field. They buy it up with higher You can be cool prices than the person paid for it. We cut down all p 1 of the trees usually, prepare it for for life! development, pave it over and that's the wa rods to service those soon pmneed . The All Hunter fans now have a lifetime roads come in and the sewer shed extends motor warranty and they on sale! past those new roads, and pretty soon you have more farm field awaiting urbanization, Masrerccrd and the cycle goes on and on. But by way dealers lighting an employee owned company of referring to the earlier conversation, I Corner S. College & Koenig, Bryan • 775 - 1697 VISA think it's this land use pattern that separates our communities. It separates ethnic groups; _ it separates economic groups. Because what ' tends to happen in this community ... In Bryan we do have a heart of the city but a y. a p � i ; �_ lot of the development is not occurring there. Old Bryan In College Station we don't really even have $614* Marketplace that. The way land use happens around here .� r is that you go to a farmer's field and you ,1 .- � ;��< �� -,. -- ; build a subdivision. And that subdivision, all ' 1 .' the lots are same sze, the houses are pretty ti A Og much the same. All the same sort of folks Some Things Old... Some Things New move into that neighborhood. And so we 'I A Shopping Experience That have different neighborhoods for different ` Is A Trip To Bountiful... ethnic groups, and they never inter - mingle. �` / For almost any If we are to avoid that, we are going to have water problem, 779 - 3245 to look at the way we plan land use. We'd your Culligan Man Open 10 — 6 Monday — Saturday like to get more diverse neighborhoods. 4 i 4 can provide a • • • • Economically, I think it is very important so quick, easy, / you don't have all the same type of people ' e affordable living together. And really, it's tied in with solution. environmental issues. If you look at the poor C� �� �� race relations in Houston, it is a prime exam- 2 Ow/M0 cafe & bakery ple of a community that has continued ad infinitum, subdivision after subdivision, with Just C d I I nestled in the corner of old bryan marketplace no real planning. And you know where all Q ^ —0000 of the refineries down there go that are U `t ilk putting out air that is actually been deter- 4 779 -2558 mined to be unhealthy to breathe? Its actu- ally killing kids down there. Those refiner- College Station ies don't go next to rich communities, they The Water Experts 202 S. Bryan y ©1995 Culligan Inter The national Company go next to minority communities, they go Since Culligan Dealers are independently operated, offers and Historic Downtown Bryan g ty y g participation may vary / INSITE /JANUARY 1999 39 urt1onany naven c peen acre t0 speaK ug • • do something about it. ARRABBA It goes back to Koch Industries. Where is this chemical plant going to locate? I have a nagging suspicion that it's not going to be I n d u s t r i a l p a r k located next to Copperfield. I don't know where it is going to be located, but perhaps Copperfield is in the plans. I don't know. ' AG: We have two city planners here. Do we Offering Commercial & Retail Lease Park know where Koch is going to be? JD: Yes, It's going to be located in an area One to Five Acre Tracts that has just been annexed. It is along the south side of 2818, west of Texas Avenue. Warehouse Space AG: Tell us something that's out there that would be a landmark. Will Build to Suit Long & Short Term JD: It's adjacent to North Point Business Park in north Bryan. It is in an area where there are other large industrial uses. CONTACT: JH: I'm going to jump in here because I, MARK J CARRABBA OFFICE PHONE too, have Garth Brooks tickets. (409) 778 - 8850 " DON A. ANGONIA I continue to hear that we are going to become a Houston. We are going to become Over 100 Acres - Hwy 21 East & Hwy 6 East Bypass • P.O. Box 832.4101 Hwy 21 East • Bryan, TX 77806 an inner -city. I firmly believe that right now in 1998, we are losing the war on poverty in B /CS. Ilk I work daily in that war. And believe me it is a war. Thirty -seven percent of Brazos County households are below poverty. Brazos Yes, I want to subscribe! County ranks 13th among 254 counties in 1 Year 2 Years the state, in terms of the number of house- ( 12 issues for 512.95) (24 issues for 519.95) h olds in overt Ia P y We have to look at what ❑ Bill me E. Check enclosed all of this means. When you look through Dear friend, ❑ MasterCard - Visa the eyes of a child in B /CS who lives in ❑ American Express poverty and who deserves the opportunity. A subscription to INSITE Acct. # Whose parents love him or her so desper- Magazine will bring you the beat Expiration Date ately, yet they are making $9,000 a year. Name (please print) Meaning that with income tax that takes the Brazos Valley has to offer. $1,800 out. With rent of $300 a month, Signature that's another $3,600 out. Utilities are INSITE has great things planned for OR CALL TODAY another $125 a month, that takes another (409) 823 -5567 or 1- 800 - 364 -2665 you in 1999. Subscribe today! I n s i t e Publishing $1,500 out per year. Miscellaneous expens- P.O. Box 1387 • Bryan, TX 77806 es. Not to mention getting on a bus, trav- eling two hours, changing buses three times to get to their jobs. Selling We like B /CS because we can go in and - out, and it takes us only 10 minutes to get places. Not so for our working poor who Your ® Vuslness have no transportation. If the bus breaks BUSINESS 1. s u x s E t down and they miss their route, they don't BROKERS get to work and they lose their jobs. And we start all over. But in the end taking out With a network of over 130 offices, Sunbelt Business Brokers has the another $100 per month for laundry, cloth- ing and haircare they have a negative $12 Expertise and ability to help sell your Business QUICKLY. per year left for food, for medical, for insur- ance, for childcare, for emergencies, never Call Jack Adams today for a no cost confidential interview mind home repairs or lost wages on sick (409) 693 -3232 days. 40 INSITE /JANUARY 1999 Not just a hundred people I know, but Finally, a hearing aid designed to keep thousands. We've got to open up in the iso- lated communities and say we are here as a loud sounds comfortable. Automatically. community to support each other. There's so much love and so much courage in these iso- Introducing Belton's Comfort Circuit. lated communities of poverty that we are so You want to hear better. But did you know that the type and level of help afraid of going into the neighborhood, because we are afraid well get shot — or I j v C`1 you need are unique to you? That's why Beltone created the Precision Digital j 1 jJ -, Matching System and the Digitally Programmable Comfort Circuit. We use computer afraid to leave our car there because some- As small around as technology to digitally program a hearing aid to address your specific hearing needs. one would come and steal it. Yet our com- a soft contact lens The result? Your Beltone Hearing aid munity's children are living there day in and helps your ears hear better. l day out with gangs, with crime, with every- Hearing Better = Hearing Comfortably I thing that low educational attainment will a ; bring. In Bryan's 1990 census, out of 55,000 What makes soft sounds soft and loud sounds loud? It's your Y l people, 10,000 did not have a high school eardrum and brain processing these two sound levels differently. The problem with many hearing aid circuits is that they treat all sounds the education; 4,000 had less than a ninth grade same. That means that softer sounds aren't amplified enough and ; education. That's the reality of our commu- worse yet, louder sounds receive too much amplification - causing you " ,. Image advanced computer technology hid- nity. When you have those kind of literacy discomfort. den inside a hearing aid so tiny that it sits levels, children's literacy levels are so strong- Fortunate) that's not the case with the Belton y g Y. Beltone Digitally inside our ear, making it virtually i Y Y 9 a y nvisible ly linked to their parents that they have a Programmable Comfort Circuit. Our advanced circuit treats loud and to others! It's not the future. It's Invisa! four -times greater chance of dropping out of soft sounds differently, giving soft sounds more amplification while helping keep loud sounds from being uncom- fortable. Now you see why hearing better really means hearing comfortably. And that "s what Beltone's Precision school. Digital Matching System and the Digitally Programmable Comfort Circuit are all about! CA: Jeannie, is anyone solving this in any r _ community, and if so, how do they do it? ff�p�I�'. /` 2305 Cavitt 1 FREE HEARING TESTS JH: There are some awesome programs in OVER 50 YEARS Bryan 1 Don't Struggle with a hearing loss any longer. B /CS. Project Unity is working to try to Better Hearing Through 779 -3070 1 Bring this valuable coupon to our office right away. Professional Care connect partners, but there's not enough Benefits of hearing aids vary by type and degree 1 Don't Wait. Call Beltone today. partners out there to connect. I'm running, of hearing loss,noise environment, accurace of 1 SEE IF INVISA WITH THE COMFORT CIRCUIT IS RIGHT FOR YOU. but yet I'm so far behind every day. At the hearing evaluation and proper fit. I Expires January 31, 1999 same time great things are happening: 100,000 pounds of food have gone out of e & Real Est our center because Brazos Food Bank will We O , S �� a` � G oo. probably raise more than 1 million pounds 4 of food. That means there are so many mal- Texa ► I R Inc. nourished children that I see going to school ' el every day. Youth programs, mentoring pro- your v f" Texas M I gage N grams, Aggie volunteers just tremendous programs. Yet we are losing. We've got to fti l l - service Specializing in look at the future population and look at our st PI public transportation system. It's got to be hard -to -do loans different. We have to have the public trans- printer Residential &Commercial portation running 24 hours a day so parents ('Turnkey: Finance & Build) can get to work at night. They can't even . get to interviews, because it stops running Res idential c q on the weekends. I think that would help a , Competitive with bank or better. fD Munson Avenue. If you look at public trans- b=A We finance, build and sell. i� portation in different communities, every- body hops on board or rides bicycles. We c Commerci need to look at different means of trans- Call for information, quotations One of the best in Nation. o portation, and not just for families that don't m We can provide Non - Recourse, el Crg have a car. We could also use better child o a free consultation! C onventional or SBA. c r9 care in this community. 823-5567 v We just had a town meeting at the 268-1008 m n Lincoln Center, and so I'm basically relaying y y g 800/364 -2665 cn 1 - 800 - 990 - 9252 what the community residents who are not © 209 - B University Dr . E. • here tonight, have said. These are not my tT C College Station,TX words; it's the things they've actually said od g v4 we need to get in order to-be more success- . ~ Financing in Texas & all other states. crg ful — to get higher paying jobs. THE INS : T E GROUP E Texas Mort . a . e INSITE /JaxuARY 1999 41 ■ Employment and winning the war on pover- ty are strong issues. If you ' re concerned about the lowest in the s ate, I ant t go out t and say, "Don't believe this. Because we're not • the market d irect i on surviving on families making $6 an hour." As a community we've got to realistically look at all of our families, the thousands who Learn proven professional tactics for balancing your are not making it, and somehow look at entrepreneurship and mentoring. We have portfolio whether the market goes up— or down. all the resources in hand. If we just pooled Professional investment analysts know that the single most effective them together, we could really make a dif strategy for investing in rising or falling markets is to diversify to achieve ference. But were just not on the same page. an appropriate asset allocation balance.' If you're like many investors, With the twin cities, I do see the com you may wish to devote some time to reviewing and reassessing your petition, and I see the cooperation. I guess it investments in the current climate. depends on what project it is. We've got to Your Merrill Lynch Financial Consultant can help you develop a put a lot of our pride aside and work really comprehensive financial plan that will take into consideration all your hard. I'm so fearful with the population financial goals. Your Merrill Lynch Financial Consultant can then help going this direction ... We've got to bring you chart a course through the changing tides of market ups and downs these isolated communities into the loop. by reviewing your investments based on current research and market If I had a public service announcement I trends. would ask that there be one person for every Call us today for financial guidance in keeping your investments on caring person in the community, to reach out the right track. and make sure that there is one adult, one caring elderly person, one caring mentor for The difference is Merrill Lynch. a child — just one. It's amazing what could happen. But we need tangibles: transporta- George Georgiades tion, child care and better paying jobs — we've got to have those things or we're going Vice President to be in big trouble. Senior Financial Consultant CT: Like you said, transportation is so crit- ical. Other areas where they have good pub- 409 -695-3005 lic transportation, everybody uses it. People like it. Even in Texas. In Dallas they have Merrill Lynch the Dart. Projected ridership was low, but 1509 Emerald Parkway, Suite 100 they put it in, and pretty soon it's operating College Station, TX 77845 above capacity. I think it could be success - ful here, too. We have the same sort of nay - saying going on. But it's because right now, r - I mean, how do you take the Brazos Transit tt Merrill Lynch System? There are no marked stops. My wife tried to take it one time because our car was A tradition of trust. in the shop and I bike to school every day. PO 1998 Me ai Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & sm �n Incorporated. Memo sirc. It was going to take her an hour and a half to get to school for what would take a 30- minute bike ride or a 15- minute drive. It's absurd. We need marked stops, and maybe we can coordinate with Texas A &M who already has a bus system, albeit an aging one in dire need of replacement. As I understand it, it is going to be replaced. So there could x ' ' 11 p G be some coordination here, some synergy and H oward Ch' DO .. DO r m� maybe get more bang for the buck. AG: Are either Bryan or College Station Writifif working on any kind of public transporta- tion system? JD: The Metropolitan Planning Organization is working this week actually News /Sports/Talk 1150 AM identifying and mapping welfare recipients, 42 INSITE /JANUARY 1999 where they live and where the jobs are. Now Maximum Flexibility that's kind of a scary thing, and most com- munities won't allow that to be identified, Maximum Savings but it helps in designing a transportation system that would get people to work. Maximum Quality DH: In Mexico, I was down there at a Catpillar plant, one of the most successful Your family is what is most important quality you, and plants in Mexico. They have 2,000 employ- �• to Y q Y health care is what ees. They pick up their employees. They pro- a is most important to Alliance Health vide them education. They provide them a Providers. Our rates are discounted, food subsidy and health subsidy. Those peo - .. but the quality of care is not.To promote $ the best in care, only the best physi- ple are making it. V <{ clans in the Brazos Valley are included I think to myself, "Why can't we create in our network. With the flexibility of that sort of an industry here ?" Transportation over 250 preferred providers to choose is a crucial problem, but it's not only trans- from, you can be assured that you and portation — it's the holistic approach to -' , your family will get first -rate health care i working with the communities. And that's at a savings. the problem ... Together, we can make sure that your AG: It's an employer's perspective as well, ( family receives the best health care at because those of us who employ people at the lowest cost possible. Call us today $6 an hour, and most of those are students. to find out how we can maximize your . ti _-_ ,, We employ them because they are available health care possibilities through flexibili- at a cheap and steady rate. To be a small business and to be a successful small busi- ty, savings and quality. ness you have to keep your costs low, and ,f ' Alliance that's one of the first places you look is at – 1. Health Providers of the Brazos Valley your labor overhead. And so as a business, s' e r frr. Fa «r what that tells me is that I should be seek- � I 409- 846-2489 ing out people I can train that will be with me for a longer period of time. My business is in Downtown Bryan, therefore I should be seeking people who live close and can get o 0 1 \ 'LINE board. I will also say that in my backsho p, I have all local employees that have been with me for four to five years, and a lot of DAYS 1 N N them do walk to work because they don't Real Estate Services, Inc. have transportation. But in my front office, The Best Value Under The Sun.?" it's a whole different story. DH: It's all an approach as to how do we s . " 'i' Real Estate Sales develop. And I think Jeannie's idea is excel- - lent. "Can we care for another person ?" If .. (409) 268-8620 just one person did that, it would be a 'i Property Management tremendous thing. =A (409) 268 -8620 .w JH: With everything we're doing, our fam- . "7„„ ilies that are successful are those that know .+ ,'_+ •. Leasing/Locator Service someone believes they can do it. And they'll _ (409) 268 -6459 get on that bus for three hours, if they We're Waiting To believe that someone is behind them saying /+ + or call our toll free number you can do it. Greet You! 1- 800 - 827 -7776 CT What I hear you saying with this break- • Continental Breakfast down is that $6 an hour is not a humane Non -Smoking Rooms • wage. Playground /Pool /Hot Tub We can find your JH: There's no way. home today! CT: A lot of communities are facing these 2514 Texas Avenue South problems. A lot of them try to institute part- College Station, Texas 77840 nerships, and they are usually successful to For Reservation, Call (409) 696 -6988 3706 East 29th one degree or another, but ultimately $6 is Fax (409) 693 1 174 Bryan, TX 77802 Toll Free 1- 800 - DAYS -INN JNSITE /JANUARY 1999 43 not a humane wage. I just heard on the news what happened to my dad. I didn't say that be that building block and to start that part - that San Jose passed the highest minimum lightly. I said it because, like any of us who nership that we need for any kind of growth, wage in the country — I think it's around go through difficult times — the circum- economic, community, minimum wage, $9 or $10 but it's in the valley where the stances do not change; we change. We still however you want to say that. cost of living is much higher. But here you have the same debt, we still have the same had a group of decision makers who said, boss, the same old car, whatever it is it does PH: How do you give them that passion is You know families can't make it on what n't change. But what changes? It is our atti- the question. they are making now, and it's simply not tude. And it is that with which we need to PH: .Many of the people with the resources right for an employer to pay an employee work with the children and parents so that to help lead a very superficial life. They may less than they need in order to support their they can begin to see themselves in a differ- live — and I don't want to down Pebble family." And I have to be somewhat of a ent light. And they can begin to be trans- Creek — but they live out there, they go to pragmatist here: how are we going to ulti- formed. the country club, they play bridge. But they mately solve the problem? On $6 an hour, don't ever come to Downtown Bryan. They if 1/AlDiI kill I \[el ii X4 %�;to] \I1ily /4DI ill I \I •i�[el►lii no matter how many neighbors come out don't ever visit those neighborhoods and see AG: It also starts with the educational sys- and support you, you're not going to make what the needs are. They are really separate tem. it in a humane way. on that sort of thing. These people have the MJP: Any kind of growth is about partner- resources, but they're not getting involved. DH: It's too complicated, because some folks ship where we reach out to fill needs. Last would have determined my family as being Texas A&M went into a partnership AG: They really do live in another world. Ma, poor, but we never thought of ourselves as with Neal Elementary School in Bryan to JH: I lived in another world for 10 years. I being poor. My dad and mom instilled in us start encouraging some of these at -risk kids. lived with a lawyer and did the Junior that we had a lot of talent based on what We are starting another similar program next League volunteer work InI 10 years I never God had given us. You're not going to Monday at Southwood Valley in CS. Those saw a mentally ill person. I didn't know they change people's status overnight. There s no are small things, but it's the small things existed. I truly had blocked them out of my way we're going to feed enough people, that start those building blocks. It's how we range of understanding. And the first job I clothe all the people. I think we ought to make people realize that wherever they are got was in a MHMR case managin m en - try. But what we can do is create transfor- coming from that they have the potential to tally ill people. Then all I saw were men - mational experiences for the children. That's i ' A 4.,....% . 0 It hurts ere. Being active has many benefits. It builds endurance and 411I it physical conditioning — and it's a great source of stress relief. But sometimes there's a price to pay - the knee, the elbow, 'dr ix ,. the back. At St. Joseph Sports Medicine Services we're here to get you back on track. We offer exper physical therapists, athletic trainers and the latest equipment in sports medicine — all at a convenient location. For information about ° itl / \ ' our free athletic injury evaluation clinic, call 695 -2250. T St. Joseph i f Regional Rehabilitation Center suun eSt Francis visit our web site at www.st - joseph.org 44 INSITE /JANuAiw 1999 tally ill people. I saw them walking the and tell them you are not just working here �� k streets everywhere in B /CS. They've always for $5 an hour. You and I are friends — SPOC1a1 e' been there, but all of the sudden they were I'm looking out for you. From now on until folks I was trying to find housing for and the end of my life, you and I are going to MIN = jobs for, and I was managing their money. connect. I stay with them, look out for them. My whole world opened up; I didn't know I'm a mentor. But we don't want to do those VACAT 1 0%S I was in the same community. I truly saw a things anymore. f t totally different world that was co- existing on Galveston Island at PH: But the fact that the with the one I was living in. So I have to they are already at the g The Victorian Condo -Hotel think that in my heart, because my heart, University puts them in a different catego- r' 1 the second I saw all of this, changed. There n'. 3 Weekend Celebration of are a lot of folks in Pebble Creek whose DH: But my point is how is it that we look hearts would change if they saw it. at the people we work with, whether it's Martin Luther King Da minimum wage workers or students? My Weekend of January 15th - 18t ; CA: Jeannie, do you think education is the oint is that's an attitude we should have I key? Because I am one of those people who p Deluxe Suite for Tree Nights provides jobs for minimum wage. If they are toward those folks. We have people that Breakfast Eacb i going to get a better wage, they are just clean our offices at Texas A&M, and some of Late Chec our people at the campus don't understand $ per person going to have to be more educated. why many of us are concerned with those JH: Absolutely. people. We are concerned because they are DH: But how is it that we transfer and con - people no matter what they might be doing. Funnvi Bones Ala Carte nett them to that. I have student workers CA: A lot of employers do care about those Weekend of januarYJ Oth Dinner Theatre Meat with Wine . 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AII ® �/�. � ■ Your Choice f... �, •N ��y% January 3ot�j's I� Th e C om p leat Works of i~ Wlmn Skhspe (a ridged) -- $ A I j or Marc 6t�s \ i Always... Patsy Cline ,, 194 w $3q -.95 per person o THE o • CONDO-HOTEL • & CONFERENCE CENTER l ikrivirl 6300 Seawall • Galveston island, TX 800 231 - 6363 • 281 In April 1995, the B /CS Metropolitan Planning Organization surveyed the daily average number of cars that traveled our cities' streets. INSITE /JANUARY 1999 45 people. I real - The Brazos Valley ly think they Rehabilitation Center are concerned. But I think that nothing ' can get them out of that trap except 9 m for education. DH: I agree. PH: When - _. �� � 1,0 ° ( k g 4 they are , . , M im poverished 1 . i it's hard to get them to $ '- 1 i ' 7 J ge that point. If they are :_� Our Team of Professionals i nvolved in has helped Brazos Valley residents the culture of poverty, "Back In The Saddle" there's no for over 40 years. hope. You have to give them pride, By Providing: because pride Cheryl Anz (left) contemplates as Todd McDaniel talks about his view of eco- Y g : nomic development. develops hope. I think • Physical Therapy • Speech Therapy pride in your own culture is very important. looking at not just the number of raw jobs • Occupational Therapy • Audiology I was really sad that Festifall left Downtown that they are providing and the tax base they Bryan. I thought that was a gathering of dif- will increase, but are we looking at them as ferent groups, and that's one of the reasons employers? Do they do things for their By Treating: we like Bryan — because of the diversity employees like provide them health insur- y g that's there. ante, provide job training? And do they seek DH: Angelique, this is not city planning to hire within the community as opposed to • Strokes • Work Injuries workers from the outside? Do they have a stuff — this is not necessarily Chamber of • Arthritis • Back Injuries Commerce stuff, but I think it should be green conscience, or do we just evaluate said. Until we as a community rebuild our- them based on what they will do to accom- • Hand Injuries • Am selves spiritually —and I'm not talking modate the needs of the 300,000 people that about going to church every day, although will be here in 2025, so that they can have • Hearing Loss • Birth Defects g g y those houses in Pebble Creek? Do you look I think going to church is important • Speech Difficultires we're going to find a void. Playing bridge at the whole ethical composition of a busi- or playing golf and having all of those com- ness that is coming in, or do you just see foes is not going to do it for you. Until we raw dollars and jobs so our unemployment By Accepting: connect those people — and it's as much for rate stays the lowest in the state? And my their benefit wherever they may be in any next question is, "OK, I'm a business per - community to work with the less fortunate son, and I make decisions that affect lives, • Most major medical insurance but how practical is that? Would it be pos- ' ... it is as much for their benefit as it is for • Medicare the people they are helping. Bible to bring that decision making into the We talk about success, but that's the city realm, and say, `I'm sorry city planners, • Medicaid problem. Even though we have success, we but you have to look at the ethical consid- don't have significance. People are lacking erations as well as the economic considera- that significance in their lives. tions. "' OK, city boys. (laughs) The Brazos Valley Rehabilitation And now we're very sad that Robert left AG: Daniel, I think that you saying it's a early. Center spiritual issue is the same as Cheryl, Jan and 1318 Memorial Drive I would relate to being business people with TM: I can't speak for Robert because he car - Bryan, TX 77802 a conscience. I think it's the same thing ries a different position as he works for a pri- . Christian was touching on. When we go out vase economic development corporation. But and look for corporations to bring in, are we I'm in public service, and I'm committed to � 4�9� 776-2872 it. I didn't go into the profession with the 46 INSITE /JnNunar 1999 acknowledgement that I would make a mil- tJnversi lion dol lars and live out in Pebble Creek. Hills CT: Pebble Creek is taking a beating (laughs) AG: Does anyone here live in Pebble Creek? NCenter J ,l MJP: Yes! Yes! Yes! (laughs) with over 2 ears AG: Stone her! (laughs) of service and dedication in the Brazos Valley TM: Although the business center is out in Pebble Creek, and I am an avid golfer ... Having choices for healthcare providers is a desirable and positive I'll say two things: Number one, at least as how it relates to my relationship with situation. It makes everyone work harder to be the best and offer the utmost Joey, the two cities are unified. I trust Joey. in patient care and service. We at University Hills Nursing Center would like I believe that Joey's heart and his beliefs are to be the choice for long term care in Brazos County in the place that mine are, and that is try- ing to make this community be the most Services Available successful community it can be. I agree with Physical therapy • Occupational therapy Daniel that poverty is critical. You know, I • saw tonight on the news before coming to Speech therapy Respiratory therapy this forum that the unemployment rate in • Wound care • Infusion management iN Consider us! B /CS is 1.7 percent. But the fact of the mat- • Short term rehab • Respite care ter is, that it's not an issue of unemployment, `\ R UNIVERSITY HILLS it's an issue of underemployment. And I Methods of Payment - .*:\ * „. -1 4 .4 \ pt NURSING CENTER know that is said time and time again. But Medicare • Medicaid • I'm not sure the majority of the business ‘ ` 2001 East 29th Street community recognizes that. • Private Pay • Private insurance Bryan, Texas 77802 You can take people that have masters and • VA contracts doctorates that have been in this communi- Phone: 409 ty for 15 years and they are doing something Fax: 409 - 822 - 3623 totally outside of their area of technical expertise. At the same time you have folks that given an opportunity, I think could be successful. So subconsciously, to answer your Need to E X PA N D `, r --._, question, every human being has their own Your Company's set of values — and I can't speak for other Core Workforce? 7K' L IC' S staff members of the City of College Station — but my perspective of economic develop- ment, is really more "community develop- Turn to Express Personnel Services. Our ment." Direct Hire program allows you access to Yes, more of what economic development qualified applicants in a variety of is about is bringing in jobs and capital specialized fields. Dry Cleaning investment. There's no question about that. Benefits of using Direct Hire: If you look at the guidelines the cities of Draperies • Alterations Bryan and CS and Brazos County have estab- • Time Saving Laundered Shirts & Jeans lished to provide incentives, they are based • Cost Savings on number of jobs and capital investment. • Quality Assurance Leather Apparel • Shoe Repair But at the end of the day you have to ask Through effective recruiting and a thorough Mon. -Fri. 7 AM-6:30 PM • Sat. 8 AM -Noon yourself, "Is this the type of business we want screening process, Express has the NO EXTRA CHARGE FOR SAME -DAY SERVICE to have in our community?" If you look at resources and capabilities to locate the the businesses that we've tried to help in right person for your business needs and Ask about our T Th jean special and College Station and Bryan as well, they are objectives. the types of businesses that do care about Wed. dress & suit special their employees ... ElaRRESS part equation S. 3030 E 29th St., Ste 119 l. AG: It's art of the e uation in other words? PERSONNEL SERVICES TM: It is part of the equation. You can get For more information, call: 1 774 -0503 into the issue of separation of church and state and all the other things that go along 776 31 11 S. College 2205 a Stat with being in a sectarian environment. But College Station College Station again, I think subconsciously you're always 1863 Briarcrest • Bryan, TX 77802 1 846 -2155 1 1 694 -2249 1 bryan_tx@expresspersonnel.com ,I E INSITE /JANUARY 1999 47 , , . g A thinking "Is this really the type of business injuries that have occurred there. Sanderson future of the B /CS economy. Ultimately it's we want in our community ?" Farms is a bad example for certain segments our decision as to what this community of the community, because the safety record looks like. CA: You state that you are devoted to the success of the community. A lot of citizens as well as the type of stuff that goes on there Y CGH: But don't you think it is our duty as is outrageous might wonder what that success is in your — at least if you believe the g Y a community to employ people who are une- es, and at what cost to us? Success is a people who work in supervisory positions eyes, ducated, who will never be educated no mat - broad term. Success could be money there. I think we've got to find out what we Y ter what we do. Those who will never have are we doing and how we are bringing in a college degree all the way up to those who AG: What is success in short order? these kinds of companies. Of course, I never graduate from Texas A&M with graduate - TM: I don't consider success to be money. tell people this area attracted Sanderson level degrees that want to stay in the com - Farms, because to say that the best Texas muni It's our res nsibilit to em all CA: But you said to bring in dollars and A&M University could do is bring a chick- ty. Y to - Y jobs was success. of these people. en farm ... Well, I just don't say it. TM: Well, I was talking about what the AG: This is an excellent point. When the JD: That's what they say about the textile cities automated the arba e trucks, it elim- goals are for economic development are as mill, people think it has a heavy smoke stack g g defined by our policies. I don't set the poli- inated — and I believe the accurate figure ties. but it's not like that. is close to 350 — jobs for people who oth- CT But it's a dirty industry as well. erwise didn't have a lot of education. It was JL: I wonder what those people that make a good employer base because the city pro - $6 an hour feel when they read that all of DH: But based on who we are, as a top uni vided a lot of benefits and packages. When these concessions have been made — and versity — education does make the differ- ence. Just look to Austin. they made the decision to go automated, we I'll pick on Decision One — in order to J wiped out an entire tier of jobs for people bring all of these jobs in. But then you hear AG: And its phenomenal population growth who were never going to graduate from that these are going to be high - paying jobs ••• Texas A &M. Those are the kinds of decisions for professional people. as cities we are talking about. DH: Yes. San Antonio could never compete g CT First of all, the average person does not against Austin in some of the hi -tech com- DH: There's where the planning comes in. have time. They don't have time to read panies they are trying to obtain. UT is a How is it that we adjust for those folks about it. And if they do, they don't have tremendous resource. A &M has not taken for those environments? I could tell you time to participate in it. The people who advantage of the resource it provides. We some very scary, awful stories about how are most adversely affected by our decision have not yet made the deal — we can't make our great university has dealt with lower to unequally distribute resources don't have the sale. Somehow we just haven't done it. income employees in the past. Fortunately, the time to go to planning and zoning much of that has already been addressed commission meetings. They work eight CT It's not to hard to take very basic steps Y to try to inculcate some ethics in the com- there. It's a mindset about how we treat hours a day, they are tired. A lot of them eo le who hi Th uestion is energy play don't even have the ener to la with panies we try to bring in to the area — the p l) 9 ones we actually seek out. You can create how dow we pa ave an no for vogrowthce. e . We know their kids when they get home. 're going to lose X number of people some standards for that: One is that we we g g P eo P JD: Well, we've talked about that the para- shouldn't be giving incentives out to dirty because of automation. But how do we meters for certain types of uses and employ- industries. There are plenty of industries and plan for growth? How do we go about ment generators that we want to attract. good jobs that could come into this com- retraining those people? We don't think We want to have a diverse mix of all that. munity, and they are compatible with the about it most of the time because it's not At least that's the academic approach to it. people's vision of the future for their com- our problem. Obviously, Bryan has Sanderson Farms, and munity. Sanderson Farms, not only do they AG: We have some people that think as I understand it, it pays $9 an hour. have problems with their workers — that's about it — the job training program that AG: But it is attracting most of its employ- from what I hear. But what I know is that we had, the job alliance program that we ment from regional areas around us as there are many angry residents from all of had. opposed to B /CS. the chicken farms around there to supply the processing plant. It's a smelly mess. People TM: There are all sorts of opportunities JD: That's correct. hate it. I don't think the average person of out there for businesses to tap into or our the community likes the ides of their tax local council governments. CGH: But that's because the citizens don't Y go apply for those jobs. dollars, and you can argue whether tax dol- I tend to agree with the consensus: lars go to support these things or not, but incentives in economic development are JD: And too, B /CS does serve a g reat the upshot is that they don't have to pay as going to continue to be a huge issue in regional area. much in taxes because we granted that to local government. I think you can see it DH: But Sanderson Farms has some seri- them. For most people, that's not the kind nationally. I've read in the Wall Street ous problems. I know people who have of future they see for B /CS. They don't see Journal about how to get the best incen- worked there and talk about all sorts of chicken processing plants as making the rive package. I've seen stories on 20/20 and CNN, so that's going to be an issue fac- 48 INSITE /JANUARY 1999 ing cities. It is this corporate subsidizing type of an issue. I think that is something, WORKERS from a policy standpoint direction, that is ty wide. You MEDICAL going to be an issue communi can look at Decision One and what's going into that deal. Or look at some of the eco- W. Paul Roquet, M.D., A,B,F,P, B.T. Gray, P.A. -C nomic development projects happening in College Station and the types of incentive Medical Director Clinic Director packages that have gone along there. In the future in order for community develop- rr ment to occur, some of the incentives that Medical Services For Employers And Their Employees" have been used in the past will become •Comprehensive Physical Exams •Lab And X -Ray obsolete. New incentives will replace those • Dru Screening • — incentives that are more about long- g g Breath Alcohol Testing range planning, things dealing with infra- •Workplace (On -site) Testing •Vision and Hearing Testing structure. Educational programs to say, "Look we're not going to gi you •Treatment for work related injuries *Immunizations $300,000 cash, but we'll give you and illnes • FAA Medical Exams ` • $300,000 if you'll use it solely for educa- O 0 O tional opportunities for your employees." A „ Most Insurance Accepted There's all sorts of opportunities to be cre- ative and think outside the box. But too o L0 Appointments & Walk -Ins li a l' often we get caught up in the scenario, Corporate Accounts Welcome O V "Well, Abilene is doing it, so we should do it too." 2501 Texas Ave. • Suite C -107 • College Station AG: But they're going to get them before we do. (Next to Lacks in Park Place Plaza) TM: Right. 764 -6680 CT: A race to the bomb. (laughs) TM: Some of that is very true — look at r ,a S v. Bell Helicopter. It's a classic example. It wanted $43 million in cash. OK? This Senior L ' . happens. And B /CS can't compete with that. with beauty & grace DH: We need to create a critical mass of • A tree -lined pond on thinking as to how we want to work 25 acres of land together. In other words, if one of us here • Mile -long nature/walking trail was acting out of line and say, beating up • All -faith chapel Celia. We'd say, "How are we going to take • Social & gardening clubs care of this problem ?" I tell you how we'd • Beauty salon take care of the problem, we'd say it's not • On -site pets going to happen anymore — and it won't happen anymore. Our community has to be the same way. This is what we are going to accept as a • Independent Living Apts. standard. • Assisted Living Referring to providing health standards • 24 -hour Nursing Care and providing for poor people as ethical questions — you've raised the bar as far as a lot of people are concerned. Many people a . - -- — will say, "Don't call it unethical if you don't provide it — that's not fair." 1 You use the word "ethical;" I use the v I V V word spiritual." I was probably trying to R E T I R E M E N T C O M M U N I T Y be a little more diplomatic. But that's OK. in All services provided for one monthly fee — no hidden costs. You can call it whatever you want. Tomorrow morning there's going to be Residents of all religious denominations welcomed. License No. 000970 a meeting at A &M where we are going to 2505 E. Villa Maria Rd., Bryan (409) 776 -4778 INSITE /JANUARY 1999 49 You are already sold on the area... try to start providing regional leadership development training across the state of Texas. In the past, we've tried to do it \ow consider Bryan's newest subdivision -- statewide. You know how you have those statewide leadership conferences, and then Briarcrest Northwest, Phase One everybody goes back their homes and nothing happens ... Fo Active Seniors* MJP: because there was only one person at the conference! (laughs) am , d DH: Yes! But it dawned on me when I w „ Garden Homes read an article that said Texas has the third Highly Deed Restricted ...,.. Rd largest regional area in the nation ... Blinn College Q? Northwes S4.e Homeowner's Association AG: Eighty percent of the population of S` F 9 „ f Texas lives within 100 miles of B /CS. Joseph i s Oaks m Convenient to 8 B a re DH: Exactly. So the question is, are we F Country Club planning at a re ional level? 2 9h 0 BGolf Cura i' g g medical facilities � O Seph s So what we're doing is trying to devel- op a regional leadership program that is of and shopping "eflh °e n' °' <�s "`e �G spiritual nature but also very infrastruc- tural in nature and very practical. But how do we begin to look at ourselves regional - For more information, call Joe Courtney Homes, Inc. ly? Creating a transformational perspec- Office 409 774 -8955 Home 409 779 -9105 tive. Let's not be leaders in transit, let's be transformational leaders. In other words, Or stop by 2700 A Wildflower, Bryan those who think they are transformational leaders are really leaders in transit, they go *One member of family must be at least fifty -five (55) years from one little new idea to the other. of age or older; no person under the age of nineteen (19). There's no question that we have good will. And we have folks that want to do the right thing. But there's no critical mass. There's nobody saying, "Joey and Todd, you two guys are going to work out a, s _._ . Bryan and CS's problems. We know you guys can." Why? Because you trust each other, you know each other. And if we left ' it up to you guys —I'm serious, I'm not just blowing hot steam because you are I 1 here — you guys could work it out. AG: But you have to infect two people at p . 1 =' your office, and you have to go back and Allill infect two people at your office ... ' DH: Exactly! CT: There's a lack of accountability. T �( * r DH: But that's how you create this criti- VIJ 1\da j. 1 9 hilt . r (lip ! Noon • 3pm cal mass. Celia, Royce Hickman and I set up a meeting with about 15 community folks g who happened to be Hispanic. Most had � 4 never had contact with the Chamber. The • session was super. People started talking, great communication. There were a few that had some reservations, but they got over it because there was goodwill on the ` part of Celia and Royce. I only served as a .iii - � ,„ broker — just bringing the folks togeth N - ,ate I 50 AM er. 50 INSITEIJANuARY 1999 t CA: Many people don't have a voice; peo- know most workers in Japan have six weeks AG: The question is how do you instill ' ple don't vote. The people that need to off. Mandatory vacations. I see lives that that concept at a broad mass level? As an speak out do not speak out. And so we are so packed with so many things that interesting point, we did a story in INSITE have a few people dictating what should leaves so much time for nothing else. I've years ago about race relations. happen. been speaking for Texas A &M for 20 years CGH: We had a loud minority at the now. Angelique, you were on The Battalion DH: I remember. College Station city council meeting when I was there. AG: And as a result of that we were asked screaming and hollering and people sitting AG: It will occur to them at one point in to participate at an event sponsored by on their living room sofas watching the their lives that they're on this treadmill. KHRN and KBMA radio stations. A lot news saying, "Oh, gosh that's awful! Why But it isn't occurring fast enough. of interesting perspectives were shared, diverse people came together and I left the are they doing that! They should stop that!" But they're not doing anything about MJP. The most positive spin I can put on meeting ... and it was the closing comment 1 it. That's democracy in action. this enforced medical retirement I'm about when I stood up and said, "Somebody tell 1 MJP: I'd like to say something before we to take, is that it will give some time to me something concrete to do." And the one go. Somebody said something about the do other things that I've never had time to thing that came up was attending church 4 issue of time. When I moved from South do because of that self - imposed treadmill. with people who had a different ethnic Knoll ... we thought about leaving B /CS, you do. AG: Sure, and it is self - background k bac roun or composition than but we decided to stay because we like the imposed, and we g P y community. But what I see in Pebble all fall prey to it. Two people had to invite me because I Creek and similar neighborhoods is so MJP: I think lots of people in the baby- stood up and said you are going to have to Y call me up because I am not walking into many people that are so busy with so boomer generation, in the middle class and a church where I have never been before in much, the kids, the soccer games and the upper middle class — above this poverty a different culture and say, "Hi, I'm here school and so on ... level that we've been talking about — are to experience multicultural diversity. AG: Victims of our own expectations. so into that self - imposed thing. The blind- Welcome me in." Someone is going to have ers are on, because once you take the blind- to reach out invite me in. I'll return the MJP: Yes, victims of our expectations. You ers off, you are asleep. invite. But I think it is interesting that's !' IN THE YEAR 2000 WE'LL STILL BE T 1 HE OLDEST BANK IN TEXAS. WE GOT AN EARLY START I . "• A { • Locally Owned Community Ban y ty k ' • Free Checking and Other Checking n 1 Pro ;f" • Consumer, Commercial & Professi f . l' , ,1 - -.- * .,,;.' • Four Conven Locat • Trust Services •Investment Options NATI` ST B • t ; ' -,--, /1 0 Y . LT/UK rU K AK 1� The Oldest Bank i ct us at (409) 779-1 ' 1Io S ERVING �. Contact 1 www.fnb-bcs.com , k" 2807 TEXAS AVE • 1862 Ro ■ : VEY ROAD • POST OAK MAL INSITE/JAxuARY 1999 51 where it started. That was the first con- My action will be to create a future Celia Goode Haddock: crete action that people came up with. story in INSITE that allows the mostly Wish / I wish Bryan /College Station's "Let's meet each other there." Because it's mainstream middle -class readership of different races and cultures would get a safe place and a common ground, regard- INSITE to experience the very different together and exchange ideas for what can less of what denomination or the compo- realities faced by the large numbers of make this area the best it can be. sition of the congregation. It's ironic, working poor families in our area. By Action / One group at a time, Royce interesting and somehow appropriate that focusing on this "second" community, Hickman (executive director B /CS it's a church. at my hope is that individuals, not com- Chamber of Commerce) and I are meet - mittees, may recognize ways to make a ing with individuals of different races real difference in everyone's future. and ethnicity. 1 wish 1 may ... 1 will 1 can ... Mary Jo Powell: Christian Turner: Wish / That there was a better way Wish / For our community to create AT THE END OF INSITE's forum on to reach out to a variety of "outsiders." a plan that details what our community Action / To establish a one -on -one will look like in the year 2100. Actions economic development, each participant relationship with someone very different need to be taken now to put us on the was asked to write one wish for our com- from myself, which I hope to have time right path. munity and one action they could per- to do once I'm retired. Action / Implement ordinances that sonally take to improve some area of our create environmental and safety stan- community's growth and future. As an Pat Hiler dards for businesses eligible for econom- example, I told the group my wish was Wish / That Downtown Bryan would is incentives; create definite boundaries that the frankness and clarity of purpose receive the support of the community — for urban growth (which will require that many around the forum table shop there because there are good retail state action); create natural open space showed in evaluating and planning for opportunities and because of a sense of zoning classifications which shall be our future could somehow be preserved community and pride of place. applied to all flood plain properties; and and implemented all the way up to the Action / Advocate for saving old to restrict sizes of parking lots to a cer- top levels of our local political and city neighborhoods and new uses of old tain percentage of the size of the build - bureaucracies instead of becoming buildings. ing it serves. stymied and less potent as so often seems to happen. lig • . MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF BRAZOS VALLEY Our commitment to excellence continues to assure that MHMR provides the necessary community services for quality individualized programs for For a Healthy, Happy Tomorrow persons with mental retardation, mental illness, and developmental delays. DIRECTORY OF SERVICES * EMERGENCY SERVICES * COUNSELING SERVICES * CRISIS RECOVERY PROGRAM * CHILD & ADOLESCENT SERVICES * MEDICATION CLINIC * FAMILY EDUCATION & SUPPORT * IN -HOME & FAMILY SUPPORT * HOME & COMMUNITY SERVICES (HCS) * VOCATIONAL SERVICES * COMMUNITY LIVING SKILLS TRAINING * RESIDENTIAL SERVICES * EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION PROGRAM * CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES * CENTER -BASED DAY PROGRAM SERVICES * RESPITE CARE * "THE CHOICE" SUPPORTED HOUSING PROGRAM * CONTINUITY OF CARE 25 niversary Celebration March 25 1999 • College Station Hilton SERVING THE BRAZOS 1504 TEXAS AVE. *BRYAN, TEXAS * 409 - 822 -6467 AGENCY OF VALLEY SINCE 1974 1- 800 - 282 -6467 THE UNITED WAY 52 INSITEIJANuARY 1999 fill Cheryl Anz Wish / That all citizens would be con- 4 11 H A P M A cerned and voice their opinions, or N ' S maybe just vote. Paint and Wallpaper Action / Each person here can make 1 9 /. 6 contact with individuals they cross paths ClnC e 1 �Y with in th daily lives and question 1 e J their concerns for B /CS and encourage Qra Z�s�c. MOOCC© them to get involved because involved e " citizens lead to a better community. Ser vin t� g PAINTS Todd McDaniel Wish / For greater citizen participa- We have a Complete Line of tion and involvement. Benjamin Moore Paint and Sundries Action / Create a task force to estab- lish a Brazos County Public Transit Chapman's is proud to have served the Brazos Valley for Authority. over half a century, serving the customers with the best of paint: Joey Dunn Benjamin Moore Paints. Wish / As discussed tonight, there are 4 very few interactions between people of different race and ethnic backgrounds — � - I! 1 I wish is could be different. , � - ' 776 S 191 , Action / Use community and urban no n n design to force interaction. For example, `1) 1 ' r_Garo' 1700 villa Maria 0�1'Gdrd promote mix of housing types and " '''"'"Latex, Fax 77 LateX, t income levels. o se pall , ouse Fault g enJamin Moore& °, ■ C ^^, la MooreB ° d Daniel Hernandez _ VISA Mo �-d DISC — �.- RESS - _ -..■ Wish / That persons in our commu- nity could have a transformational expe- rience that provides them a sense of won- . t , " derment about issues in society so they can find creative strategies to address the 1 J / / r'' / , same. .,/ �./ , -/ ./ -# T f Action / Develop a transformational e - leadership experience so the participants FOR can create sustainable, integrated and Busines `' `n'" s c rn u n Cation s viable communities in the region. Jan Lee IN TH E g razos Vaile Wish / My wish for this community is a unity of spirit and purpose and the ability to rise above "mine" and embrace!■ P agers "ours," no matter our station is life. Action / Continue to speak out on ■ 2-�/a Radios issues I believe in and to promote lead - ership in others. j — Angelique Gammon : ., J J I J.J i i - i. .)1 -_.:J INSITE would like to thank the participants of the forum for taking part in this experimental event. Also, thanks to Michael Parks of the BICS Metropolitan Planning Organization; Wenonah's Pantry; and Hammond - Oliver High School for Human Sciences for a place to meet. If you would like to comment on the forum, send your comments to INSITE Magazine, P.O. Box 1387, Bryan, TX 77806. Or email: insite@bihs.net or fax: (409) 823 -3894. 2� 1 . INSITE/JANunxr 1999 53