business usiness t today oday 08.pdfice crowd there,” chamber executive di-rector mike smith said....

Chamber hosting Alice Night at the Hooks

Summer is here and with it comes hot dogs and base-ball, Hooks baseball that is. The Alice Chamber of Com-merce is once again sponsoring Alice Night at the Hooks in Corpus Christi at Whataburger Field.

“We would love to see as many Alice residents show up for a great night of baseball,” Matt Rogers, Hooks Director of Communications said. “We all ready had other towns come out for their nights and have been quite successful. In fact, Rock-port had theirs and had more than 500 at-tend.” Reserve seats are available at the Alice Chamber of Commerce until Noon, Wednesday, June 4th at $7. “In years past, we have had a great Al-ice crowd there,” Chamber Executive Di-rector Mike Smith said. Tickets for Hooks vs. San Antonio Mis-sions are in sections 110, 111, 112 and 113. In 2003, Reid Ryan, CEO and President of the Round Rock Express and son of baseball legend Nolan Ryan, announced plans for bringing a Texas League, Hous-ton Astros Double-A franchise to Corpus Christi. An agreement by the Express to purchase the Edmonton Trappers of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and reloca-tion of that franchise to Round Rock in 2005, allowed for the relocation of Ryan’s Double-A franchise to Corpus Christi the same year.

Alice Police Patrolman Daniel X. Elizondo is named the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year during the 17th Annual Fish Fry.

JUNE 2008

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

Official Publication of the Alice Chamber of Commerce

Elizondo named Officer of the Yr

It’s all about everyday heroes that never go recognized – our local law en-forcement peace officers. A true hero was recognized for his val-iant deeds during the morning of April 10th. Alice Police Patrolman Daniel X. Elizondo put his life on the line, as did other officers, but it was Elizondo’s ac-tions that named him the 2008 Law En-forcement Officer of the Year. The 17th Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner organized by the Alice Chamber of Commerce, Coyote Cooks and the Law Enforcement Appre-

ciation Committee. Elizondo drew a standing ovation as he walked gingerly to receive his award. The humbled police officer stood there as words of admiration and praises were shared by Police Chief Danny Bueno. “We are sincerely grateful for the ac-tions he took. It’s because of his training that he is with us,” Bueno said. Elizondo has been with the Alice Po-lice Department for more than five years but has been in law enforcement for 10

See OFFICER, Page 3

C.C. Hooks vs.

S.A. Missions 6:05 p.m.

Sunday, June 8th

Reserve seats on sale at Alice Chamber

of Commerce

Our Mission

The mission of the Alice Chamber of Commerce is to promote

the economic and community development in Alice, Jim Wells

County and the surrounding trade area.

School is out and it’s SUMMER TIME. Kids are home and you’re looking for something to keep them busy. You know with the high cost of gasoline why not see what there is to do right here in South Texas. Come by the chamber and look at all the flyers we have on dis-play and discover what’s in your own neighborhood. Alice Night with the Corpus Christi Hooks is set for Sunday, June

8th at Whataburger Field, first pitch 6:05 p.m. The Hooks will host the San Antonio Missions. Buy you tickets at the Alice Chamber of Commerce 612 East Main or you can purchase online at www.cchooks.com/tickets/gsales/. Your user name is alice and you password is cchooks($1.00 service fee per ticket for all on line orders), or can pre-sent our flyer at the ticket office day of the game and receive special ticket offer. See at the game! With the rising cost of fuel your electric bill this summer will be higher, you save some your hard earned money if your business is a member of the Alice Chamber of Commerce and you take advantage of the chambers electric coalition. It’s quick, easy and safe! Call or come by the chamber office for more details. SHOP ALICE FIRST, IT’S JUST GOOD BUSINESS! Mike Smith, Executive Vice President

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

From the Chamber Congratulations to all our Alice and area high school and college graduates for a job well done. The world is now yours to challenge it for a better tomorrow. Now that school is out, it’s time to hire some summer help. Like I said last month, employers who need a little assistance this summer there are several high school students in need of a place to begin some form of experience. Give them a chance, you will be surprised of what these kids are capable of doing for your business. If you have not visited our Chamber webpage you might want to take a look at some of the changes happening. EDC has created a

new site for themselves leaving us room to expand for the CVB site. Juan is working on the new CVB pages and should be completed by July 1, 2008. As pages are done, he will load them up. We are adding pages on our local restaurants, hotels, churches, medical services, calendar of events and weather. We have room for more ideas. Visit the site at www.alicetx.org. Have an event coming up? We can added to the calendar so that we don’t have multi-ple fundraisers or events on one day. We can have your calendar item up to one year in advanced placed on the calendar. Contact Juan at the Chamber for more information. Have a great summer and stay cool.

Yvette Johnson, Chamber Board President

2008 Chamber Leadership

Executive Committee

Yvette Johnson President

Gap Alaniz Treasurer/President Elect

Nena Pitts V.P. - Membership

Virginia Garcia V.P. AJWC-EDC

Velma Starr V.P. - Civic

Marisa Gallegos V.P. - CVB

Board of Directors

Mark Alaniz

Albert Gonzales

J.R. Gonzalez

Robert Molina

Mirka Pena

Rito Silva

Ex-Officio Albert Uresti

Staff Mike Smith Executive Vice President

Juan A. Navejar Jr. Marketing/Sales

Mike’s memo

Your First Step to Success

Coastal Bend College Alice Center

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

Customized Training Available for the South Texas Workforce

OFFICER, From Page 1

Byron W. Blair, P.C.

Certified Public Accountant

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

Alice, Texas 78332

Office 664-6541 Fax 664-6544

Residence 664-4685


Wells Fargo is a proud Cornerstone Member of the

Alice Chamber of Commerce

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

WELLS FARGO

Cornerstone Member 2004

years. He serves as the police depart-ment’s field training officer, firearms instructor, sniper and a member of the SWAT team. “We just want to say thank you to all of you who wear a badge and are here to serve and protect,” Southard said during the award ceremony. The annual event was held on Thurs-day, May 15th at the Jim Wells County Fairgrounds. More than 75 enforcement officers and family members from the Alice Police Department, Texas DPS, Jim Wells County Sheriff Department, Orange Grove Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Premont Police De-partment and San Diego Police Depart-ment. Aside honoring Elizondo, four high school seniors were awarded scholar-ships from the Law Enforcement Appre-ciation Committee. Claude Reynolds, Adam Palacios, Christina Barrera each received $750. Ashley Arrellano was presented a $1,000 scholarship.

The Rainbow Room held grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on Thursday, May 8th. The new facility is located at 408 Flournoy Road.

GRAND OPENING

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

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

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


Alice Ambassadors

Melva Alegria

Dee Dee Arismendez

Nettie Cornelius

Michael De Leon

Manuel Galindo (Life Member)

Albert Gonzales

Cynthia Hinojosa

Melissa Jaramillo

Bruce Menking

Tem Miller

Rachel Munoz

Dene Murphey

Delma Palacios

Nena Pitts (Life Member)

David Silva

Margaret Smith (Life Member)

Emeritus

Joe Ash

Ralph Gomez

Pedro Jasso

Johnny Rivera

ALICE AMBASSADORS

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

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

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

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

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

HAPPY Fathers Day From the

ALICE AMBASSADORS

Alice Ambassador Rachel Munoz (center) is congratulated by Ambassador secretary Delma Palacios (left) and boss Gay Lynn Storm from Border Title Group after completing her year in the Leadership Jim Wells County program.

See MARRIAGE, Page 12


Manufacturing Sales Engineering Service Technical Support Training Repacking Rental

www.endyn.com Cornerstone Member 2004

300 W. First Alice 361-668-8311

Protects consumers from rising gas prices for three years Local dealership offers three-year price protection from volatile gas prices Through “Let’s Refuel America” In response to direct consumer feed-back citing the prospect of rising gas prices as a top concern, Love Chrysler Dodge Jeep LLC announces its own eco-nomic stimulus package; an exclusive gas price protection policy that elimi-nates the risk of further spikes in fuel prices. With the U.S. purchase of eligible Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles, cus-tomers can enroll in the “Let’s Refuel America” program and receive a gas card that immediately lowers their gas price to $2.99 a gallon, and keeps it there for three years. The offer is available at 3,511 U.S. Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealerships, including Love Chrysler Dodge Jeep LLC, through June 2, 2008, and is available on vehicles ranging from popular new compacts, crossovers and

minivans to full-size diesel-powered pickup trucks. “We are proud to introduce an unprece-dented program to help put Alice-area cus-tomers’ minds at ease and do something to help working people who are worried about the volatility of fuel prices and vehi-cle cost of ownership,” Marian Luna Brem with Love Chrysler Dodge Jeep LLC said.

Program Description The Let’s Refuel America gas card pro-gram works when a customer purchases a new Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicle and selects the program in lieu of other avail-able incentives. The customer is provided with the registration process documenta-tion and registers providing their required personal information via the dedicated web site or toll-free 800 number. Once registered, the customer receives their gas card and separately, their Personal Identification Number (PIN) within 4 to 6 weeks of application. The customer then swipes their Let’s Refuel America Gas Card at an eligible gas station, selecting up to 87 octane regular, E85 fuel or diesel fuel, and enters their PIN

to begin the fueling process. After the fuel transaction occurs, the customer’s personal credit card (identified in the registration process) is charged $2.99 per gallon.

Fuel Economy Solutions Chrysler currently offers six models that get better than 28 miles-per-gallon on the highway: Chrysler Sebring, Chrysler Sebring Convertible , Dodge Avenger, Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot and Dodge Caliber. Through April, the six models combined have higher sales than in the first four months of 2007.

About Chrysler LLC Chrysler LLC, headquartered in Au-burn Hills, Mich., produces Chrysler, Jeep*, Dodge and Mopar* brand vehi-cles and products. Total sales worldwide in 2007 were 2.68 million vehicles. Sales outside of North America were the highest in a decade with an increase of 15 percent from 2006. The Company’s product lineup fea-tures some of the world’s most recogniz-able vehicles, including the Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Charger.

Love Chrysler Dodge Jeep LLC delivers economic stimulus;

The Texas Health and Human Ser-vices Commission had named the Nue-ces County Community Action Agency (NCCAA), one of twelve Regional Inter-mediaries for the “Twogether in Texas” Healthy Marriage initiative. As Regional Intermediary, NCCAA, will be responsible for ensuring healthy marriage services are available in its 19 county region extending from Nueces and Aransas Counties to McMullen, and from Webb to Cameron County. The healthy marriage initiative in Texas is intended to promote free, skills-based marriage education and provide couples with the tools they need to man-age the challenges inherent in relation-ships. Extensive research has shown, that couples who receive relationship educa-tion have more stable relationships, thereby increasing favorable outcomes not only for themselves, but for their children.

Classes will be taught in various venues around the region and include 8 hours of training focusing on communication skills, conflict resolution, and the elements of a

Statewide marriage initiative comes to the Nueces County Community Action

healthy marriage. Classes will benefit couples who are seriously dating, en-gaged to marry, and those married for

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


www.prosperitybanktx.com

1200 E. Main Alice 664-5446

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

R

R

GRAND OPENING

Eden’s Garden held a grand opening ceremony on Friday, May 9th. The nursery is lo-cated on North Johnson Street.

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

At 60 percent of top companies, rewards are tied to developing salespeople

Looking for rewards to replace those hit-or-miss trips and gifts? At high-performing companies, 60 percent reward their top employees with training and development opportunities, recent research says. Here’s how three of them are using those types of rewards to boost sales: 1. Shared profit gains - A six-store furniture chain in Denver doesn’t use cars or trips to inspire its sales force – it uses ideas. The company started a program where every department was asked to come up with ideas to boost sales. The winning team gets 90 days to exe-cute its idea. The reward? Higher prof-its feed the company’s profit. 2. Mixed learning and socializing - Another company links rewards to edu-cation and career development. Each year, if certain sales goals are met, the staff is eligible to attend a lead-ership conference held at a plush resort. The reward is tiered, so the top perform-ers get more days and better amenities. During the day, winners attend moti-

vational and developmental sessions; at night they have time for networking and social events. 3. Put ideas into action - One textile firm went way beyond the “suggestion box” concept when it asked for ideas to increase its sales or enhance productivity.

Employees were told within 72 hours whether their ideas would be used. In-stead of mugs or tchotchkes for their ideas, they got a big morale boost by get-ting a thumbs-up: Of all the ideas submitted in one year, about 90 percent were implemented.

Successful sales incentive programs that don’t have to break the bank


The right direct mailing list targets people who want your product or ser-vice. The direct mail mailing list is a key factor in a successful direct mail market-ing campaign and a major point to con-sider in small business marketing strate-gies where marketing ROI (Return On Investment) is a key concern. What really makes your direct mail marketing and advertising campaign suc-cessful? The biggest single factor in the success of your direct mail marketing strategy is who you send your mailings to. You need a list. This can be: 1. a list of existing customers or pros-

pects who have inquired as a result of any of your marketing efforts or

2. a list which you purchase or in some cases obtain for free.

The mailing list must contain the names of people who are likely to be interested in the benefits of your prod-ucts or services. Don’t try and sell beer to the Temperance Society or real estate to people who cannot afford it. You have to target your direct mailing mar-keting efforts. What kinds of lists are available. There are a few basic kinds of lists

that you can use: 1. Your own list of prospects and cus-

tomers. This is a list that you col-lected with your own personal mar-keting efforts. This is known as a house list. These people are most likely to respond to your offers, be-cause they have responded in the past.

2. A response list is a list of people that have actually done something. They have either purchased some-thing from the people who put to-gether the list or inquired in re-sponse to some offer or asked to be on the list. They have some level of interest in the topic or purpose of the list.

3. A compiled list of people who were selected to be on the list because they possess the characteristics that you asked the list broker to screen for. Examples of characteristics used to target correctly may include age, sex, geographic location, in-come level, etc. These are more fixed characteristics than response-list characteristics, which are behav-ioral characteristics.

4. An “opt-in” list is a list that people sign up to be on--they are asking to

be mailed and emailed to; these lists are pretty pricey but can have in-credible ROI. These can also be purchased from a list broker.

5. A highly exacting segmented list based on hi-tech systems analysis can give you the ability to micro-target you market for extreme re-sults. Using technology, you can access information about your client base that goes way beyond the stan-dard criteria of age, income, and gender used in list purchasing. You can learn the spending and saving habits of your customers, what they enjoy reading, and where they like to travel. After analyzing this infor-mation and the geo-demographics of your client base, you can find your exact market and promote only to them. It is rare service offered by a few direct mail houses where the price ranges from the very high to the more reasonable.

Mailing lists, correctly targeted, can make the difference in a mediocre pro-motional campaign to a wildly success-ful promotional campaign. It really just depends on what you are willing to have—success or mediocrity. So which is it?

Mailing lists: Keep it simple

ALICE NIGHT at the HOOKS

Sunday, June 8th 6 p.m.

Whataburger Field - Corpus Christi

Reserve Seat tickets on sale at the Alice Chamber of Commerce

Until Noon June 4th


LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION

Crystal Ramos is presented a $750 scholarship. Claude Reynolds is presented a $750 scholarship.

Christina Barrera is presented a $750 scholarship. Ashley Arrellano is presented a $1,000 scholarship.

Adam Palacios is presented a $750 scholarship. Deputy Audrey Harper won the raffled Glock handgun.

SEE BLOOD DRIVE, Page 10


Optimist Club honors law enforcement officers Since 1965, Optimist International Clubs have been recognizing law en-forcement officers for the contribu-tions in safekeeping towns and cities during the Respect For Law Program. It is no different in Alice as the Al-ice chapter of the Optimist Club rec-ognized three deserving law enforce-ment officers during the Law Enforce-ment Appreciation dinner sponsored by the Coyote Cooks, Alice Chamber of Commerce and Law Enforcement Appreciation committee. The Alice Police Department recog-nized officer Daniel Elizondo for his contributions to the force. Recognized by the Department of Public Safety was Andrew Priddy. Sheriff Oscar Lopez gave the final honors to Mark Regalado. Optimist’s Respect For Law began in July 1965, with a discussion be-tween Past Optimist International President Carl Bowen and former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover that resulted in the birth of the Respect for Law program. This is the fourth most popular pro-gram with more than 1,500 clubs par-ticipating last year.

Mark Regalado is presented a plaque by Sheriff Oscar Lopez and Rex Hammock.

Daniel X. Elizondo is introduced by Po-lice Chief Danny Bueno.

Optimist President Rex Hammock con-gratulates Trooper Andrew Priddy.

Every community has the power to save lives. The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (STBTC) works with many wonderful health care providers in communities across south Texas in order to carry out that very same mis-sion. CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital in Al-ice is one example of a partnership that has helped save the lives of thou-sands of patients in and around the Alice community. Approximately 70% of blood collected by STBTC is trans-fused to patients with ongoing treat-ments such as cancer and leukemia, while the remaining 30% is used for trauma patients and surgeries, includ-ing accident patients, burn victims and premature babies. The partnership between STBTC and CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital in Alice started in 2005. Since then, over 5,000 units of blood and blood compo-nents have been used to help save

lives in the Alice community. Of those, 257 were used to help pa-tients with cancer. In 2008, STBTC pro-jects that about 1,990 blood and blood components will be sent to CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital. One single donation can save up to three lives. STBTC and CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital in Alice encourage the Alice community to donate life. To schedule a blood drive please call Mi-chelle Ferguson at 361-576-3651 ext. 2913. This summer, donors can donate twice to receive a special gift. All those who donate twice between May 1st and Sep-tember 30th get a $20 HEB gift card! Be-fore donating, each donor receives a mini-physical consisting of a blood pres-sure, iron level check, temperature and pulse evaluation. Following the donation, STBTC will

Community matters at South Texas Blood & Tissue Center STBTC in Alice in July:

Tue. July 15: Grey Wolf Drilling Company 1907 E. Maine, in the front parking lot 2:00pm – 5:00pm Wed. , July 16: Francis Drilling Fluids 208 W. Main, in the parking lot 9:00am – 12:00pm Tue. July 29: Dixie Iron Works 70 Kentucky Street, in the parking lot 8:00am – 11:00am Tue. July 29 Covance Research County Road 217, in the parking lot 1:00pm – 4:00pm Wed., July 30: First Presbyterian Church 77 N Adam, in the parking lot 5:00pm – 8:00pm Wed. July 30: Halliburton Energy Services

850 Commerce Road, in the parking lot 8:00am – 11:00am Wed. July 30: Retama Manor Nursing Home 606 Coyote Trail, in the parking lot 1:00pm – 3:00pm Thurs. July 31: H.E.B. Alice 1115 E. Main Street, parking lot 12:00pm – 3:00pm Thurs. July 31: Tetra Technologies Services 1430 CR 344, in the parking lot 8:00am – 10:00am

BLOOD DRIVE, From Page 9

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be available for startup or existing small businesses in Alice, Texas on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 to explain SBA’s loan eligibility, popu-lar business loans, and free business counseling from SCORE & SBDC. Individual appointments will be seen from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 pm at the Alice Chamber of Commerce, 612 East Main Street, 78333. Please call Debbie Fernandez at 361-879-0017, Ext. 16 for an ap-pointment.


Auto Home Business Life Health

1810 E. Main Alice 361-664-4348

1-888-664-4349

www.carlisleins.com


2701 E. Main (361) 668-0441

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

mail them information regarding their blood type and overall cholesterol level. Donors must present identification. Anyone 17 years of age weighing at least 110 pounds and in good general health may donate blood. Donors should eat before and after their donation and drink plenty of fluids. Fasting is not recom-mended.

GRAND OPENING

In 1991, Albert Muniz and his wife opened their first Kaboom! Deli restaurant in Alice. The inspiration behind the new business originated from Albert’s goal to produce the best tasting hot subs in town. Starting out in a 400 square foot restaurant, to a 3,000 square location on 701 N. Texas Blvd. Kaboom! Is now serving customers in the Corpus Christi area as well, becoming well known for its unique tasting hot subs and salads. Kaboom! Offers a wide variety of subs to choose from. Because of you, the customer, Kaboom! Continues to expand into the future.

Border Title Group “Excellence in Title Insurance”

1708 E. Main Street Alice, Texas 78332

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

www.bordertitle.com

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


See ELLIS, Page 12

801 N. Texas Blvd. Alice, Texas

Cornerstone Member

Member FDIC

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

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

How to create an employee handbook

An employee handbook (or em-ployee manual) details guidelines, ex-pectations and procedures of a business or company to its employees. Employee handbooks are given to em-ployees on one of the first days of his/her job, in order to acquaint them with their new company and its policies. Content While it often varies from business to business, specific areas that an employee handbook may address include: A welcome statement, which may also briefly describe the company’s his-tory, reasons for its success and how the employee can contribute to future suc-cesses. It may also include a mission statement, or a statement about a busi-ness’ goals and objectives. Orientation procedures. This usually involves providing a human resources manager or other designated employee to assist in completing income tax with-holding forms, providing proof of iden-tity and eligibility for employment (in accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986), proof of a

completed drug test (by a designated medi-cal center) and other required forms. Definitions of full- and part-time employ-ment, and benefits each classification re-ceives. In addition, this area also describes timekeeping procedures (such as defining a “work week”). This area may also include information about daily breaks (for lunch and rest). Information about employee pay and benefits (such as vacation and insurance). Usually, new employees are awarded some benefits, plus additional rewards (such as enrollment in a 401K retirement account program, additional vacation and pay raises) after having worked for a company for a certain period of time. These are spe l l ed ou t i n th i s s ec t ion . Expectations about conduct and discipline policies. These sections include conduct policies for such areas as sexual harass-ment, alcohol and drug use, and atten-dance; plus, grounds for dismissal (i.e., getting fired) and due process. This area may also include information about filing grievances with supervisors and/or co-workers, and communicating work-related issues with supervisors and/or company managers. Guidelines for employee performance

reviews (such as how and when they are conducted). Policies for promotion or demotion to a certain position. Rules concerning mail; use of the tele-phone, company equipment, Internet and e-mail; and employee use of motor vehi-c l e s f o r j o b a s s i g n m e n t s . Procedures on handling on-the-job acci-dents, such as those that result in injury. How an employee may voluntarily ter-minate his job (through retirement or res-ignation), and exit interviews. A requirement that employees keep cer-tain business information confidential. This area usually includes information about releasing employee records and information, as well as who may retrieve and inspect the information. If the employer is covered by FMLA - generally 50 or more employees - a hand-book must have information about FMLA. “I agree” form New employees are usually required to sign a form stating they have read and understand the information, and accept the terms of the employee handbook.

MARRIAGE, From Page 9


ELLIS, From Page 11

CONVENTION AND VISITORS

BUREAU Summer is here and it’s time to beat the heat in some form or fashion. The CVB, how-ever, is all ready getting prepared for the Fall Fes-tivals in Alice and our area. Checkout our new webpage

that is in the works and will have several

Convention & Visitors Bureau

1-877-992-5423

any length of time. Beginning September 1, engaged cou-ples completing the class will have the added benefit of have the $60 of their marriage license fee waived and they will not have to wait 72-hours to get married. Texas has allotted $950,00 to each of the 12 Regional Intermediaries to build capacity to provide healthy marriage ser-vices. Healthy Marriage classes will be offered free beginning September 1, 2008. For more information call Alma Barrera or Sandi Barnett at Nueces County Community Action Agency, 361-883-7201, or go to www.ncaatx.org.

Failure to do so within a timely manner may result in termination. Revisions to an employee handbook vary from company to company. At many larger companies, a revised handbook comes out annually. Why are written policies important? Sound employment policies provide the framework within which an organization governs its employee relations. A policies and procedures manual guides both man-agers and employees as to what is ex-pected and can prevent misunderstandings

new things from hotels, restaurant and church listings as well as schedules of Bingos in town, RV Parks and a Calendar of events. The completed webpage should be up and running by July 1st. As pages are completed they will be added and put into service. You can find the webpage at www.alicetx.org. As far as the festivals are concerned, Fiesta Bandana kicked off in May and had a good turnout during its four-day festi-val. The fall festivals will kick off with the area’s Pan De Campo in San Diego followed by Fiesta Amistad in Ben Bolt then the Alice festivals in September, Oc-tober and November. Each month we tabulate the number of sessions received on the pages and you would be amazed as how many and where the hits are coming from. We have change Internet Service Provides who tabulates the number of hits, formerly sessions, on

our web page www.alicetx.org. In April the number of hits to our web-page climbed to 13,410 sessions to the site. Among the targeted webpages was general information about Alice, accom-modations and sites. People walking through our doors are asking for information on Alice, the area or asked for phone books and maps of Alice and Texas. Relocation packets were numerous with 23 being sent out in May. Applications for 2008 project funding are available at the Chamber of Com-merce and are due 60 days prior to event in order to receive board approval for events to be held in Alice. All requests must be presented to the Chamber board for approval before grant-ing assistance from the CVB. The promo-tion of Alice through the CVB is adminis-tered by the Alice Chamber of Com-merce.

about employer policy. In addition, su-pervisors and managers are more likely to consistently apply policies if they are clearly communicated in writing and may be your first line of establishing an affirmative defense strategy. It is true that written policies, like any record, can be used against an organiza-tion in a lawsuit. Poorly drafted policies often become the main evidence pre-sented when employees allege that the policies were in fact a contract that the employer violated. However, policies that are carefully written so as not to be contracts actually should protect against

these claims and not be a problem. In addition, carefully written policies can be used to illustrate your commitment to a positive work environment and to non-discriminatory employment practices. Need for Employee Handbook Federal and state laws and the grow-ing number of cases of employee related litigation against management strongly suggests that a written statement of com-pany policy is a business necessity for firms of any size. Interested in putting together an employee handbook at no charge? Please give Lisa Farr a call at 698-1021

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

Contact the Chamber for a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Have you given much thought to how your business would operate if you decide to move on, either to other ventures or into retirement? Do you have a strategy in place so your business can continue uninter-

rupted in the event of your unexpected death? What happens if you lose a key employee in your organization? These questions highlight the need for a quali-fied successor, whether it is a family member or company employee. Like most people, at the time you started your business, there was probably little thought of how your company would operate after you leave. After all, your main concern during startup is gen-erally survival, not succession. But if your business is well established with prospects for a bright future, now may be the time to take a more serious look at keeping your business in line even if you (or other key contributors) are no longer part of the organization.

Investing in your people A big part of the succession process is putting resources to work toward the de-velopment of individuals you have iden-tified as key players in any succession strategy. These people may already be part of your organization. Your assess-ment of top staff (based on your own thoughts and the input of others) has a lot to do with determining which individuals are strong candidates for leadership de-velopment. The assessment process is crucial, as you will want to invest time and resources into the development proc-ess. If you find the candidate is not meet-ing expectations, it could prove to be

PAUL RYCROFT on Finance


Business Series: Part 1 Succession planning for your business costly both in time lost and in the financial investment made. You might determine that the “perfect” candidates for your business succession strategy are outside your organization. You may be required to recruit top talent to fill roles that will be critical to your succession plan. This can be an expensive process, and may require the help of a professional search firm.

Making it worth their while One of the most important aspects of the process is ensuring that you can attract and retain top talent for your organization. This, too, requires an investment on your part. If clear successors are identified, it is crucial to take steps to assure that these people remain on the team. Attracting and retaining talent may require compensation plans that provide incentives for key indi-viduals to commit to the organization for the long term. Communication is a key part of the process. Keep these individuals involved in the operation of the company. Speak to them regularly to obtain their input to help solidify their commitment to the organiza-tion. A good succession plan involves not just replacing the business owner, but other key individuals as well. Your goal is to have a suitable “replacement” ready to go in the event that a key executive or contributor departs the company. Not doing so can put the competitiveness of your firm in jeop-ardy, even if the gap created only exists for a short period of time. Protecting your business is another reason why your firm needs to be serious about succession plan-ning.

“Key person” protection While you most likely have insurance to protect your firm against property loss, it is helpful to protect against the loss of a key individual. This could include anybody

from a top executive to an employee with specialized knowledge to a successful salesperson. The loss of such individuals, due to untimely death or disability, for example, could have a serious impact on your business. Therefore, you may want to consider a “key person” insurance policy on the most valuable people in your organiza-tion. While no insurance can effectively replace the loss of an individual, the pro-ceeds of the policy can help provide a financial cushion while you work to fill the gap created by the loss of an impor-tant member of your team. In this case, the company both owns such a policy and is the beneficiary. To determine the value of such a policy, you need to consider factors such as the cost of replacing the employee and the impact to the company’s bottom line as a result of the individual’s absence.

Succession plans are dynamic It is important to recognize that any succession strategies you devise will need to be updated regularly. As your business and the market change and as key personnel come and go you will need to re-assess your plans from time-to-time. This is also the case with key per-son insurance, where the individual is protected and the values of those policies may require occasional reconsideration. Like other aspects of your business, it is important to stay on top of your com-pany’s succession plan. A financial advisor may help you de-velop a plan for your business, including a succession plan. Editor’s Note: Paul Rycroft, CPA is a financial advisor with Ameriprise Finan-cial Services in Alice, 604 E. Second St.668-1212 or email at [email protected]

LEADERSHIP JIM WELLS COUNTY


Cornerstone Member

1600 E. Main Alice

The Leadership Jim Wells County Class of 2008 wrapped up the year with a memo-rable session of the Judicial System and eye-opening experience at one of Texas’ well-known prison. Going behind the bars of the Jim Wells County jail and touring the John Connally Unit in Kenedy, the class spent the entire day getting a behind the scene look at how tax dollars are spent in hopes of rehabilitat-ing convicted offenders. The day began with a visit at the Alice Police Department where they shared a one-on-one session with Police Chief Danny Bueno. The class asked several questions from city ordinances to juvenile crimes before getting a tour of the police department. A tour of the Jim Wells County jail fol-lowed. While touring the facility both the old and new jail, the class was able to ask questions about the judicial system and the operations of the jail before meeting with JWC Sheriff Oscar Lopez. The class saw the inner operations of the control room as well as the detoxification cells. After visiting the county jail it was off to Kenedy to the Connally Unit. The class was met by several assistant wardens be-fore going on a tour of the highly ac-claimed Texas prison. The class met with Warden Castro who informed the class about the inner work-ings of the prison as well as a safety brief-ing while walking through the levels of prison. The guided tour led the class through the prison showing where the famous Connally Seven escaped in 2001 while taking over the motor pool to the outside tower en route on their escape plan. The tour took the class behind yellow lines through the commissary to the craft shops from the lowest level, G-1, prisoners to the highest level, G-5, inmates, which

Class ends with tour of jail & prison

The LJWC Class of 2008 wrapped up the year with an end of year ceremony at the Fair-way Grill at the Alice Municipal Golf Course.

was on lock-down due to an incident in-volving gang members earlier in the week. While at the highest-level chamber, the class was again warned to stay close to-gether. It was a quick visit in and out of the cell area but the message was there –

these men were in there for a reason. The class did get to go into a cell with trustees to see the inside of the non-air condition settings. The class wrapped up the year with their class graduation on Monday, May 12th.

Applications for LJWC Class of 2009

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

A Rainbow Beginning A&B Hearing & Audiology AT&T A&W Investments Sunset Terrace A-1 Quality Fence Acetylene Oxygen Company Adcock Pipe & Supply AEP Texas Alamo Lumber Company Alamosa Animal Hospital Alice Autoplex, Inc. Alice Board of Realtors Alice Body & Paint Alicecalendar.com Alice Cash & Carry Alice Counseling Center Alice Country Club Alice Echo-News Journal Alice Family Eye Center Alice Fire Fighters Asso. Alice Feeder Supply, Inc. Alice Heart Center Alice High School Alice Housing Authority Alice Mini Storage Alice Motor Inn Alice Optimist Club Alice Paint & Decorating Alice Pest Control, Inc. Alice Police Officers Asso. Alice Radiator & Muffler Shop Alice Shoe Shop *AMBIT Energy American Cancer Society *Amerigroup Community Care Ameriprise Financial *Amy & Me Andrews Distributors Astromatic Car/Truck Wash Atkinson - Wonders B&J Air & Pump Baker Auto Sales Ball-Montez Electric Company Barker, Paulette Bedgood, R.E. & Sons Best Western Executive Inn Betty Allison Realtors. Inc. Bob Hays Western Store Bordeaux Apartments Border Title Group Bowden Ford BriteStar Bruce Seidel, CPA Brush Country Bank Brush Country Casa Brush Country Claims Buckhorn Mini Storage Business Network Int’l South TX Byron W. Blair, P.C. C.A. Jackson, Inc. C.A.W. Company Inc. Cameron Village Apts. Carlisle Insurance Agency Century 21 Hallmark Chiles Sales & Service *Chili’s Grill & Bar

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

*H.O. Machine & Welding Holiday Inn Express Holmgreen Mortuary *Homecare Dimensions Hospitality House Humpal Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Hunter Petroleum Hunter-Ash Oil Co. Immanuel Lutheran Church International Bank of Commerce Island Glow Jasso Insurance Jigger JWC Fair Association Joe’s Plumbing Johnny’s Blooming Shop Johnson, Yvette Joleen’s Merle Norman Cosmetics K.C. Hall K&S Thread Services Keetch & Associates Kennemer Ranches & Real Estate Kleberg First National Bank KOPY 92.1 FM *LHR Services & Equipment L&F Distributors L&L Janitorial Services La Copita Ranch La Hacienda Pharmacy La Paloma Nursing Center - Sava Senior Care Lack’s Furniture Store Larry Clack’s Furniture Law Office of Valentin Colmenero Lawrence B. Cornelius & Co. Lemon & Gonzalez-Lemon Loomis International Lopez Finance Love Chrysler Dodge Jeep Madiley’s Monogramming *Maurices *Manpower McCoys McDonalds McNinch, Leon CPA Model Key Shop Munoz, Rachel Murdoch Welding *NSCL N&S Air Conditioning Neff’s Plumbing Service *Nevill Business Machines Inc *New York Life Insurance New Sound Hearing Aid Nortex Bakery & Fast Foods North Point Computers Page Water Well Drilling Paladium Bowl Panda Chinese Restaurant *Perez, Marisela *Phoinix Global LLC Picture Perfect Sanitizing

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

Thank You 2008 Alice Chamber of Commerce Members

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

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

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

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

ing all members, including a classified directory for member businesses

•Advertising opportunities in Chamber publications to promote your business

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

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

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

•Access to economic and statistical information through the Chamber office

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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business usiness t today oday 08.pdfice crowd there,” chamber executive di-rector mike smith said....

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