WWWWF: A Look at Wichita Falls on the Web

Wichita Falls among the cheapest places for end-of-life care

The drama about Terry Schiavo has long since faded, but the importance of understanding end-of-life care shouldn't.

In Wichita Falls, the added bonus could be less cost.

The city offers some savings for those facing death, according to research conducted by The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. That shouldn't be too surprising, though.

Sandy Aguirre, the incoming director for Hospice of Wichita Falls, pointed out why.

"Our cost of living here is much lower than many other areas of the country especially Manhattan," she said. "It would be hard to compare these areas as there are so many variables."

Medicare can take care of a lot of things.

"Under Medicare when an individual elects the Hospice part of their Medicare benefit for their illness, their out of pocket expenses are greatly reduced," Aguirre said. "The hospice team (Nurses, Social Workers, Chaplains and Volunteers), all related medication, supplies and medical equipment are covered. As you can see this is a tremendous benefit to the patient as well as the families."

Still, that doesn't reduce the responsibility of folks to get involved.

"People need to be educated on their options for end-of-life care," Aguirre said. "If they choose the traditional curative medical care their out of pocket expenses most likely will be higher."

Posted by Michael Hines at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Severe weather brings tornado group to light

Came across this last week, and it brought to mind how often the 1979 tornado gets brought up around the country. The Tornado Project looks to chronicle whirlwind events and have been at it for a while. Check back later to see what they say about how things are going. In the meantime, check out the tornado footage:

Posted by Michael Hines at 08:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Circus trumpet player swings through the Falls for a little latte learning

I'm about the only person in the newsroom without a major jones for Starbucks, Jitters or just piping hot brew from the office pot.

Still, a trumpet-playing circus musician whose love of lattes has spurred an Internet extravaganza will get anyone interested in the bean scene.

Nathan Slabaugh, 26-year-old Williamsburg, VA,-resident, plays trumpet for a touring circus. He's started something of a weird trek for the best mocha latte on the globe, and he came through Wichita Falls not too long ago.

The idea came to him as the tour wound through its about 50-city circuit. A love of travel and new foods got him thinking seriously about one day opening his own coffee café.

"One of my favorite experiences in traveling through Europe was the coffee/café culture that is literally everywhere. Since I get to see so much of the country with my job, I decided to make the most of this opportunity to travel and taste the country and set out to visit as many coffee shops as possible," he wrote in an e-mail. "I mean, how many people opening a coffee shop or that really love coffee have the opportunity to visit hundreds of coffee shops, talk to the owners, and weigh the pros and cons of each shop? I would say most get to visit 20, maybe 30. As of today I’ve currently visited and documented 273 shops around the US and Canada."

Slabaugh knows Joe.

"I usually have anywhere between 1 to 4 double shots of espresso a day since I’m constantly working on my barista skills on my own espresso machine in my RV. But, if I get some new beans from a roaster that I’m excited about, I make up a French press pot for some friends or even the circus band," he wrote, explaining that his brew-ha-ha started in high school but took off when a college girlfriend gave him his first Mocha Latte. "Since that time, it has been my drink of choice. Coffee, chocolate, and milk….truly a little heaven on earth."

Last year he had about 220 mocha lattes, or about four a week. He hit his latte limit in Sarasota, Fl., downing six in one day.

"I didn’t drink all 16oz of each of course," he wrote, "that would just be gluttonous."

The effort can make someone a coffee bean-counter.

"I always drink a 16oz Mocha Latte at each coffee place, and they average around $3.65 (before tax). As of today I’ve documented 273 Mocha Lattes," Slabaugh wrote. "You can do the math."

His effort has taken him to many locations. He's been to about 43 of the lower 48 states as well as two territories in Canada as well as Puerto Rico. Typically, Slabaugh choses a site depending on the circus’ tour schedule and the coffee shops.

"I do a coffee and espresso search in Google Earth (unfortunately the data isn’t updated very often, so there are a lot of dead numbers and closed shops still listed)," he wrote. "Sometimes, if I have an extra day or two off I’ll hop on the motorcycle and take a trip to somewhere interesting. For example, when we played Kennewick, WA last year I took a couple days to ride up and visit Seattle, WA. Who wouldn’t pass up a chance to visit the birthplace of the American coffee revolution, right?"

He came to Wichita Falls for four days, starting March 15.

"My first impression was the highway construction. Between that and the one way streets downtown, it left me very confused my entire visit," Slabaugh wrote. "The city itself has the “everything is bigger in Texas” appearance but seemed to have a pretty laid back pace with a rather empty downtown and an abundant supply of friendly and helpful people in any direction."

His coffee cup didn't runneth over, though.

"Well, there doesn’t seem to be much of a coffee scene in Wichita Falls unfortunately. Which, as I mentioned in my pod cast, would make Wichita Falls the perfect place to open a new independent coffee shop," he wrote. "With a city this size it seems a pretty wide open market with out much competition. All of the shops that were listed in the Google search were either closed or not coffee shops as such."

The project sounds like a grind at times.

"This is a one person operation. It has been hard finding time to do the research on the shops then visit them then post the reviews on my blog AND produce a weekly pod cast," he wrote. "Mix that with the other weekly requirements (playing the circus shows, maintaining the RV, laundry, food, etc.) and it becomes a balancing act of time and organization."

Still, it sounds like it's been worth it.

"I’ve been on the tour with the circus for 1 ½ years now and it has been an intense experience to say the least. I have many stories I could tell, but has it been what I’d hoped? Yes, perhaps even more than what I had hoped," Slabaugh wrote. "When I started the tour with the circus I had never imagined that I’d get to try so many coffee shops, meet so many great people, and start a pod cast."

Posted by Michael Hines at 08:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

More insight into an effort to preserve Hispanic history

A couple of days ago, I wrote about an effort to catalogue Hispanic oral histories (one of which including a man from Wichita Falls). I got a little time to talk to the man behind the project, Jose Angel Gutierrez.

The University of Texas-Arlington professor founded La Raza Unida political party and spearheaded the Tejano Voices project at the university.

More than anything, he wrote in an e-mail, a desire for greater insights into Hispanic leaders in Texas spurred the effort. There was a "lack of information on Mexican American public figures in Texas," he wrote.

The chief goal has been to develop a substantial body educational information for folks interested in these public figures.

Things don't seem to be going as quickly as he'd like with the project, though. He pointed out that only 77 of the 195 interviews have been digitized by the UTA library.

Still, that hasn't deterred his efforts. Already he's written a recent book, Chicanas in Charge: Texas Women in the Public Arena and several articles.

"(There's) more interest in (the) subject, new resource, worldwide publicity and inquiry, legislative interest in more funding for digitizing, compliments," he wrote.

Plus, other projects are in the works.

"I've started doing African Americans. (I) have 16 so far," he wrote.

Hope it works out.

Posted by Michael Hines at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yes, he apologized. No, it's not enough.

I was perfectly willing to let the Imus nonsense blow over without so much as a mention, but then I watched his "apology" on Al Sharpton's show and the subsequent analysis by pundits and that's when I got fed up. Nick Gholson's blog gave me enough of a Wichita Falls tie to put in my two cents.

Imus should be fired, not because he's a crude shock jock who made an inexcusably stupid joke. He should be fired to set a clear example that latent, passive racism will not be tolerated on shows that use the public airways. He has every right on the planet to say and think what he wants, but airways that belong partly to me, an African American, shouldn't be used to help him do it. As much as his attempted apology aimed at showing contrition and genuine regret, all it really did was help confirm a worry many African Americans have: that regardless of the civil, polite show being displayed in white America, the Good Ol' Boy, racist network remains and influences a person's ability to advance. That notion poisons every interaction between Americans and erodes any social progress. Stopping it starts with showing such clowns won't be taken lightly.

What worries me is that the real issue gets lost in the whirlwind tour of mea culpas and media backlash. The very fact that Imus treats this as such a minor deal is the very reason it is such a major problem.

I point to latent racism because every excuse he's offered leads back to that conclusion. I want to go through the reasons and why they're lame just to illustrate what really got me upset:

- He didn't know the racial connontations of "nappy"
- He was just making a joke
- African American men routinely demean African American women in rap
- He is a good person and not a racist
- He has apologized so now it's time to let bygones be bygones

Reading the transcript of Imus' interview with Sharpton brings out why the first excuse is lame. He just didn't connect the dots between "nappy" and its connections to race? I'm not buying it. In what other context is nappy used, especially considering he knew enough to know it fit this situation?

Two, the intent of the joke was racist. The punchline isn't that the Rutgers players are ugly (his main point) but a very clear distinction between the folks who have tattoes and are hoes (first mentioned by his partner on air) and his ignorant addition of the race of the players with the use of the word nappy. He wasn't making a comment about race, which might have some satirical merit. He was merely asserting that one of the factors that made these women ugly was partially racially related. Just because you're joking doesn't mean you can't be racist.

The use of "ho" isn't the exclusive domain of African American rappers (otherwise someone didn't tell Eminem, Paul Wall or Bubba Sparks) nor is it the exclusive domain of African American men against African American women. As Imus so ably pointed out, the term comes out of a hip-hop entertainers, but it originates from the word whore. That term has been in use by men of all races since the first man got rejected (hell, it's in the Bible for pete's sake). So the insult is well used by lots of men. Characterizing the term as an African American phenomenon further points to an unspoken but fervently believed racist ideology.

The fact of his good personhood is exactly what's up for debate. While others have justly pointed out that good deeds don't allow punishment to be averted, the bigger issue comes to light: how much can those good deeds be accepted at face value? How much of it is simply for show, as a way to help deflect criticism when his jokes reveal a bit too much of whatever unspoken moronity he's harboring?

My misgiving was really fed by the last excuse made: He's apologized so all should be done. The problem is that the apology smacks of a defiant goof-off looking to keep his job and score points with his audience by showing how he won't back down. It's macaca and Strom Thurman b-day bashes all over again. There are buzzwords and codewords that help redeem people with their chosen group even while appearing to bow to pressure from The Others. That's exactly what happened with this "apology," particularly telling in an exchange between Imus, Sharpton and Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, a Michigan Democrat and chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Just reading it doesn't bring across how it played out as I watched clips replayed during Scarborough Country, The Glenn Beck Show and Countdown with Kieth Oberman (I only watch the last show regularly, the other two benefited from the Imus coverage). Imus seemed jovial and joking, doing the classic bait-and-switch quip of saying "You people" to get a rise out of someone and then explaining his "true meaning" was the two folks he was speaking to at that moment.

Seriously, the guy is hot water for racial insesitivity and figured saying "you people" was a good way to show his regret? Thought saying "jive" was just a hip way of talking even though it's a good three decades past its prime?

No.

He was trying to get a rise (which he got) so that he could then have a punchline (which he got). Simply put, during his "apology" he still refused to take the situation seriously.

Why should anyone take his career as such?

The apology

Posted by Michael Hines at 08:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Search for early voting info turns up interesting Hispanic effort

Early voting for municipal elections starts April 30-May 8, so I wanted to check out any online offerings. I'm coming up bumpkiss so far but did run across this neat project conducted by my alma mater, the University of Texas at Arlington. The move to preserve Hispanic histories is a cool idea, and I was equally intrigued by the Falls' entry. I'd love to talk to Aaron Alejandro, so if you know how to track him down, send me a note.

Posted by Michael Hines at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A statewide effort to remember synagogues provides insights into local history

I wanted to check out Easter-related sites with Wichita Falls ties but came across this Passover-related Website aimed at saving small-town synagogues.
The Texas Jewish Historical Society funded the project to in an effort to preserve at least something of these places. The site features more than 20 such virtual setups, and what they lack in snazzy graphics they make up for in honesty and insight. I don't know much about the Jewish community in Wichita Falls, but I know a lot more for having visited the site. I'm working on talking to someone about the site, so check back.

Posted by Michael Hines at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Local lather lets little learners washup up right

Add another notch to the board for another idea I should have had.

So, your kiddo isn't doing so great in the handwashing department (from what I've seen, the tyke's not alone. Heck, even my boss has admitted thinking suds are duds) and you're fretting about how to get the little dirt magnet to clean up properly or understand the harm that can come from poor handwashing.

Try ink.

These guys are freakin' geniuses because they've overcome the thing kids forget by letting them do what they love: washing up by getting dirty.

SquidSoap is the creation of Ron Mallonee, John Lynn and Greg Deisher.

"John had the original inspiration concerning hand washing. He was trekking in Nepal with his father. At base camp the Sherpa’s required everyone to immerse their hands in a liquid solution before going into the tent to eat. Now they did this out of necessity since it was very expensive to helicopter any one out who was sick plus they could get others sick," said Deisher, 43, in an e-mail. "John’s thought was if the Sherpa’s in Nepal could keep people from getting sick why couldn’t we do it better in America. In fact the original name of his company was hand police and he has several inventions that force you to wash your hands after opening a door or flushing the commode."

Former Texas Tech University roommates, Mallonee and Deisher both have Wichita Falls ties.

Deisher's father was offered the band director job at Ryder High School in 1979 but didn't take it. That same year, a tornado knocked over the house his mom had picked for the family had they stayed. Now Deiser, his wife and their four kids live in Austin, though a turbine company and SquidSoap bring him to Wichita Falls often.

Mallonee, 41-year-old father of two, was born and raised in Wichita Falls, a 1983 Old High graduate who now has a special place in my heart and blog.

"I actually live next door to Darrell Coleman" Times Record News publisher, he said in an e-mail.

The Squid has brought in a few clams.

"In December of 2005 we started from scratch a new company, developed its initial product and placed it successfully on the shelves of many retailers by Spring of 07," Deisher said. "We expect to grow sales to over 5 million in the next 12 months and have a goal of 45 million by 2012. I am hesitant to outline them at this stage due to the competitiveness of the industry but we do plan on being the #1 Personal Care Brand for 4 to 7 year olds."

Posted by Michael Hines at 09:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here's a rundown of the birds counted for the Great Backyard Bird Count (their number is in parenthesis)

1. American Coot (33)
2. Western Meadowlark (24)
3. Red-winged Blackbird (23)
4. Canada Goose (21)
5.Great-tailed Grackle (19)
6.Long-billed Dowitcher (17)
7. Gadwall (14)
8. White-crowned sparrow (13)
9. Double-crested Cormorant (11)
10. Savannah Sparrow (9)

Posted by Michael Hines at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The lone Wichitan to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count turns out to be from Fort Worth.

One person in Wichita Falls carried the load when it came to documenting the different birds flittering through the air.

Turns out, the one person had just been passing through.

One of the few birding events I know about is the Great Backyard Bird Count, and even then, I know very little. But while Web surfing, I came across the results. All the beaks fit to seek, so to speak, but then I noticed something about the 2007 results: all of the information came from one report.

Falls, meet Gail Morris.

The 49-year-old paralegal from Fort Worth had actually gone to Lake Kickapoo in search of another feathered fortune, the red-necked grebe (yeah, I struggled to come up with an appropriate rejoinder and came up empty)

"There was a bird that had been seen for the past month, and we had come down a couple of weeks earlier" looking for it, Morris said. "It's just an unusual bird for this area."

When she and a buddy finally spotted the li'l guy, well "If you’re going to report one bird, you might as well report on all the birds you saw in that day."

Morris was out in Canadian, Texas, when she talked to me on the phone Saturday. She and a friend were searching for lesser prairie chickens, an endangered species. She's been bird watching since 2003.

"I used to watch the birds in my backyard," she said. "Then I got addicted by seeing a snowy owl."

But Wichita Falls interest in the event seems to be on a downward glide.

According to the backyard organization, 2001 saw the most participants of the past decade, with as many as five reports being provided. One report has been used five of the 10 years; 1998 and 2002 had no participants fill out reports.

"I know a lot of people don’t do the Great Backyard Count," she said. "I think a lot of birders think it’s a little more amateur. I think it serves its purpose well."

Posted by Michael Hines at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)