TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM / 1

Operation Winter Wonderland Brings Joy to Military Families

Holidays can be espe-cially hard whendeployment preventsfamilies being togetherduring the Christmas

season. A new initiative of the Temple Chamber ofCommerce, Operation Winter Wonderland, wasdesigned to show that the Central Texas communitysupports and appreciates sacrifices made by the fami-ly members of deployed soldiers.With the help of Family Readiness Support Assistants

at the 13th ESC, First Med Brigade and the Texas ArmyNational Guard, the Temple Chamber of Commerceextended invitations to mom/kiddos or dad/kiddos.Chamber members quickly jumped at the opportunityto volunteer time and resources to make it a specialday.

Dozens of kiddos ranging from babies in strollers toyoung teenagers and their moms/dads came to theDec. 8 event at American Legion Post 133.

After the official lighting of the Christmas tree, theyoungsters rotated through five craft stations wherethey made a sock snowman, along with reindeer, stick

snowmen, “glitter” soldiers and angel ornaments.Markers, stickers and paper were available to makepersonalized Christmas cards.

Everyone enjoyed cookies and hot chocolate.Dressed as an elf, Chamber President Rod Henry read“Polar Express” and then the kids, parents, and volun-teers rang little jingle bells to welcome Santa. The pro-gram closed with Brigadier General Clark W.

LeMasters, Jr., CommandingGeneral of the 13thSustainment Command, theFort Hood partner unit tothe City of Temple, reading“’Twas the Night BeforeChristmas.” Each child leftwith a big smile, a bag filledwith their handmadecrafts, and a toy of theirchoice.

Special recognition goesto John Potts and American

Legion Post 133 for donating the use of their facility,financial support and helping hands and to Santa Clausfor making a special appearance.

The holiday event would not have been possiblewithout the generous contributions by Sam's Club, theHilton Garden Inn Hotel, Temple Independent SchoolDistrict, Family Readiness Support, Johnson BrothersFord Lincoln and The David Nix Agency-NationwideInsurance and all the volunteers who helped bringsmiles and joy to the kids and parents during the holi-day season.Operation Winter Wonderland is expected to expand

and become an annual event. For more information ordetails on how you can contribute to this initiative,contact Rod Henry, Temple Chamber of CommercePresident at (254) 773-2105.

FRIDAY, January 3, 2014

JAN•2014EVENTS CALENDAR

A cold winter day turned into a warm cheerfulkickoff of the holiday season for Operation WinterWonderland, a special event for military families.

By: Susan Howe, Friends of the Temple Public Library

THE UNDERGROUND NEWS This Just In! (flip to back page for exciting newevent)

2 / TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM FRIDAY, January 3, 2014

Members of the Temple Chamber of Commercehave the unique opportunity to find out detailsabout the Affordable Care Act during a luncheonscheduled at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, January 8 atthe Hilton Garden Inn.“Members are concerned how the Affordable Care

Act will impact their business” according to G.Roderick Henry, President, Temple Chamber. “Wehave invited two outstandingspeakers to provide our mem-bers with information on whatthe Act will mean for them.”

Lee Green, Vice President ofSales & Marketing, Scott & WhiteHealth Plan, will discuss theAffordable Care Act from hisstandpoint as a 30+ year veteranof the health care industry. “I willoutline how the Act is suppose towork, how it affects you, and thepotential impact upon small andlarge employers alike,” notedGreen.

Also on the panel will be a per-spective from John Mayo,CFO/COO of Omega Enterprises.He will share the impact a compa-ny like Omega would have from

the Affordable Care Act, offering attendees a real lifeexample from the perspective of a local business.

“I believe the Affordable Care Act presents itselfclearly as being the most significant and detrimentallegislation impacting small business during my 25year professional career. Its implementation, as itcurrently stands, will not only have significant andnegative cost implications for our business, but will

require Omega to re-evaluate its businessmodel and employeebenefit offerings as awhole,” explainedMayo.“Changes are occurringregularly to how the Act

is promoted, what it will cover, and what changesand requirements will be placed upon employers inorder to meet the mandates of the law” noted Henry.

The “Affordable Care Act-What it Means for You” isthe first of a series of legislative affairs luncheonsplanned in 2014. “Our mission is to communicateinformation and provide education on issues of con-cern to the business community to preserve, protectand promote a business friendly environment free ofobstacles to growth and development,” heexplained.Reservations are now being accepted at the Temple

Chamber of Commerce office. The cost is $30 forChamber members and $40 for non-members. Thedeadline for reservations is 12 noon, Tuesday,January 7.eáäíçå=d~êÇÉå=fåå

Supporters of the Temple Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Council

The 2014 Temple Chamber of Commerce Salute to Business is scheduled forFriday, January 24, 2014 at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center,located at 3303 N. 3rd St. in Temple.Salute to Business was formerly The Chamber’s annual awards banquet. “In lightof the positive developments that are taking place not only with the Chamberorganization, but within Temple, it was time to place a new emphasis on whatour annual event is all about,” explained Kenny McCarty, Chair of the Board.“This is an opportunity for the business community, for members of the TempleChamber to join together to celebrate our rich heritage, past accomplishments,present endeavors and exciting plans for growth and development,” he

explained. “This will also be a great opportunity for mem-bers who have not had the opportunity to meet the newChamber President & CEO, Rod Henry, to do so.”

A cash-bar socialwith hors d’oeu-vres will beginat 6:00 p.m. fol-lowed by dinnerat 7:00 p.m.

Individual tick-ets are $40 and

table sponsor-ships are also available. Both can be purchased by registering online atwww.templetx.org or at the Temple Chamber of Commerce. For more informa-tion please call the Chamber at (254) 773-2105.

Friday, January 24, 2014 - 6 pmFrank W. Mayborn Civic andConvention Center “In light of the positive developments that

are taking place not only with the Chamberorganization, but within Temple, it was time toplace a new emphasis on what our annualevent is all about”

-Kenny McCarty, Chair of the Board.

Mark JermstadV.P. SALES &MARKETING

V-Quest Office Machines& Supplies

Printer Toner & Ink Supplies

Office Supplies & Furniture

Printer & Fax Hardware

Printer Repair

(254) 983-2687 866-763-8801 (Office) 866-763-8803 (Fax)sales@v-questtx.com or www.v-questtx.com

Locally Owned & Operated Central TX Company Since 1996

RENTINGThe Smart way to get things done!

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2405 S. General Bruce Drive Temple, Texas 76504Lloyd Johle - Celebrating 43 years in business!

Johnnie’s Cleaners & Tailors

3 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU2703 S. 37th

Behind Mazzio’s254-770-0355

120 Royal St., SaladoSpringhouse254-947-0747

Thank You for a Successful 2013.

Wishing You A Bright 2014!KEEPING TEMPLE LOOKING THEIR BEST

All Types of Men’s and Ladies Alterationsand Dry Cleaning Executive Shirt Service

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FRIDAY, January 3, 2014 TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM / 3

All Around TownBy: Sonny Jaramillo, Scott & White Healthcare Foundation

Beat the Winter Blues Family Day at the MuseumJanuary 4 * 11am-1pmTemple Railroad & Heritage MuseumDo you have cabin fever after being cooped up with your family overthe holidays? Get out those flip-flops and beach blankets and join usat the Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum for some summer luaufun! Hawaiian shirts are welcomed, but not required. Come join themuseum on the first Saturday of each month for a fun-filled, free fam-ily event!For more information, call 254-298-5172.

Christmas Tree RecyclingJanuary 4 & 11 * 9am – NoonGober Party HouseAfter the holidays, go green and recycle your living Christmas treeand get free mulch to use around the house. The first 150 participantswill receive a free seedling tree! Can't make it on these dates? You canalso drop off your tree at two of our recycling centers (3015 BullseyeLane and 602 Jack Baskin Drive) beginning December 27th.*Remove all lights and decorations from tree prior to recycling.For more information, call 254-298-5690.

Inaugural Arches Resolution RunJanuary 11 * 9amLions ParkResolve to begin 2014 in motion - run or walk this inaugural 5K tostart your new year off right and keep your resolution to be activeand get healthy. This 3.1 mile race will take place at Lions Park. Pre-registration is $20 and closes January 7, 2014; Race day registration is$25 per person. Dri-Fit shirts are only guaranteed if registered byDecember 21, 2013.www.racetemple.com

City

of

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Even

ts

While looking at the hotelconstruction site, I also noticedthat the old location of theWorkforce Development officeon S. 37th is currently beingremodeled. I found that theoffices are being remodeled inpreparation for MHMR, whohas recently purchased thebuilding.

Driving North on IH35, every-body can’t help but notice thatthe new Golden Corral is aboutto be completed and is adver-tising for employees. The newCinemark theater opened onDecember 20th and construc-tion is underway for the newLone Star Steakhouse. Wow,dinner and a movie…..anotheroption for all of us who enjoy agood steak and movie.

Talking about construction,have you seen the clearing ofthe land at the intersection ofCentral Ave. and S. 31st?Walgreens is preparing the lotto build another stores.

Those of you who run out ofroom to store your stuff, behappy. Another storage unit iscurrently being built on Hwy93 between Belton andTemple. I spoke with BruceWalker, owner of Lengefeld

Lumber at 8 N. 13th, whoadvised me that he has beenclearing a lot next to his build-ing to make room for addition-al storage space. He told methat he is working with theCity of Temple to make thegateway to downtown lookpleasant by looking at land-scaping that will make theentry to his location moreappealing.

Be aware that IH35 will beunder construction so be readyfor detours, delays and lanechanges. Slow down and beTexas friendly!

Till next time, I hope everyonehad a Merry Christmas and aProsperous New Year!

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4 / TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM FRIDAY, January 3, 2014

Ribbon Cutting Events

Gym X: Located at 2327 S. 57th St. in Temple, GymX is a clean,friendly, and affordable results-oriented fitness establishment for thewhole family. Open all day, every day! Their 20,000 square footfacility offers over 65 pieces of cardio equipment in two areas, acardio theater to watch movies while you work out, dim lit cardioroom with 65 inch TV’s, full body circuits, a functional core workoutarea, strength machines and free weights, VIP tanning rooms withtop-of-the-line HEX tanning bed, a fully staffed Kidzone, personaltraining, convenient parking and full restrooms with lockers andchanging areas. Memberships are available starting at $9.95 permonth. Corporate wellness programs also are available. For moreinformation, contact Brit tany Watkins at gymxspecials@gmail.com,call 254 899-8420 or visit them online atwww.gymx.com/join_temple.php

Cinemark Temple and XD Theatre: Located at 4501 S.General Bruce Dr. in Temple, Cinemark celebrated the grandopening of their movie theatre featuring 12 auditoriums withwall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling screens, stadium seating, digitalsound and projection and a Cinemark XD Large Format audito-rium. A state-of-the-art complex showing the biggest and best ofHollywood, Cinemark Temple and XD theatre is available forbirthday parties, group rentals, church rental and special events.Advance tickets, gift cards and showtimes are available atwww.Cinemark.com. For more information, contact MichaelWhitehead at 1075@cinemark.com or call 254-228-9961.

JOIN US IN CONGRATULATING THESE BUSINESSES!

Father Daughter DanceJanuary 31 & February 16-9pmFrank W. Mayborn Convention Center

Share an enchanted evening with your special young lady at the15th Annual Father Daughter Dance. Dance and carriage ridetickets are pre-sale only, no tickets will be available at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 254-298-5474.

FRIDAY, January 3, 2014 TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM / 5

båÉêÖó=pçäìíáçåë=çÑ=qÉñ~ëSonja Fitzke6600 N. State Hwy 6Woodway, TX 76712(877) 434 4363www.esotx.comEnergy Services

dçäÇÉå=`çêê~äTony Esparza5101 S. General Bruce Dr.Temple, TX 76502(919) 881 4568www.goldencorral.comRestaurants

eÉ~äáåÖ=m~íÜï~óëTyffany Howard902B S. 31st StTemple, TX 76504(254) 563 8416www.healingpathways.usHealth & Wellness

o^jp=jÉÅÜ~åáÅ~ä=pÉêîáÅÉëMargaret Stecher1717 W. Avenue CTemple, TX 76504(254) 773 9300www.ramsmech.comPlumbing Contractors

All County Surveying, Inc.American PrintingAmos Electric Supply, Inc.Armstrong Chiropractic CenterASCOAutomatic Chef CanteenJohn Bailey FinancialBaylor Scott & White HealthBell County Beer Dist. Assn.Brick City Martial ArtsBuryE.R. Carpenter L.P.Carus Dental Temple/BeltonCentral Co. Ctr for MHMRCentral National BankCentral Realty PartnersCentral Texas Housing ConsortiumCentraLand Title CompanyChick fil ACitizens For Progress, Inc.Cloud Construction Co., Inc.CRW Construction Co. Inc.Culligan Water Specialists, Inc.Datalogic

Davis Beevers Commercial RealEstate/Greg DavisDiscount Floors SuperstoreDon Ringler Chevrolet Toyota ScionGene Doss ConstructionDynaClean Professional ServicesEngbrock Partners Ltd.Extraco BanksExtreme CleanFarm Bureau Insurance/Davis FordFirst Community Title CompanyFolkerson Communications, Ltd.Gifts & GoodiesGulf Coast Paper CompanyH & L Pest ControlH E B Food Store #182In the Mood BallroomInvisions Day SpaiZone ImagingJohnson Brothers Ford LincolnJohnson Roofing, Inc.Kasberg, Patrick & Associates, LPKimmy Jackson & Associates, LLCEd Laughlin/Attorney at Law

Legal ShieldLengefeld Lumber CompanyLink Staffing ServicesLochridge Priest, Inc.Lott, Vernon & Company, P.C.Lubes Plus/AmsoilMary Kay CosmeticsMaterials Transportation Co.Matthews, Ludwick, Templin &Montgomery, P.C.McLane Company, Inc.Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp.Monteith Abstract & Title CompanyMW BuildersNaman, Howell, Smith & Lee, PLLCNewcomers Club, Inc.The David Nix AgencyPerformance Foodservice ROMAPowerhouse All Star Cheer & FitnessW.A. "Buck" Prewitt IIIRatliff Ready Mix ConcreteRodney Dunn Co., Inc./Danny DunnRodney Dunn Co., Inc./Grady TyrochSam's Club Members Only

Schlotzsky'sSodalis Elder LivingSpradley Property ManagementStandards Home Health & HospiceState Farm Insurance/Larry WilkersonSummers Mill Retreat & ConferenceCenterSun Country BicyclesSunbelt Transformer, Ltd.Surplus WarehouseTeddy Bear BakeryTemple Brethren ChurchTemple Daily TelegramTemple Iron & MetalTemple Machine ShopTemple Meridian RetirementCommunityTemple Parks FoundationTex Blast Sandblasting Co.Titan Total TrainingValet CleanersLaura White INTERIOR DESIGNWildflower House Assisted Living

December New Members

December Renewing Members

Temple Parks and Leisure Services wants to help the community get fit andhealthy in 2014 by offering a variety of low cost or free activities and facilitiesfor area residents to utilize.Temple Parks and Leisure Services offers numerous classes, activities, andevents for all ages that focus on getting healthy and active. “We know ourdiverse populationhas different inter-ests, so we offer awide variety and arealways open to newclass suggestions. Some upcoming activities include: Tae Kwon Do, Tiny TutusDance, youth and adult sports leagues, health and wellness seminars, and muchmore,” said Recreation Superintendent, Chuck Ramm.Parks and trails are found throughout Temple each with unique features andamenities that provide opportunities to exercise while enjoying the outdoors.Summit Fitness Center offers more the just a typical gym membership. The

Summit has tenniscourts, racquetballcourts, a rock climbingroom, a seasonal swimming pool, group fitness classes, a cardio room, a weightroom, a kids fitness area, and much more.

“The Summit is a great option for fitness activities because youcan easily change up your routine and have fun all at one place.You can play tennis one day, rock climbing the next, and alsoutilize free weights, weight machines, and a variety of cardiomachines and equipment,” said Josh Loftin, Recreation

Specialist.“We do our best to offer low cost and free activities for all ages. We just wantto help our community remain active, healthy, and happy,” said Ramm.

For more information about programs and activities offered by Temple Parksand Leisure Services, please visit www.templeparks.com or call 254-298-5690.

By: Kristi Sykora, Temple Parks & Leisure Services

Temple Parks and Leisure Aims to Help Residents GetActive and Healthy in 2014

“We do our best to offer low cost and free activities for all ages. Wejust want to help our community remain active, healthy, and happy,”

-Chuck Ramm, City of Temple Recreation Superintendent

6 / TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM FRIDAY, January 3, 2014

The holidays are over and you are now beaming in the glow of your newcomputer screen or tablet. Your old laptop is a friend of the past, replacedby a cellphone that jumps through hoops. So what can be done with theseused electronics that are collecting dust in a spare room? Temple Collegewould like you to donate them to its “Loaner-Donor Computer Program.”

This program has a dual purpose: to provide students with a personal computerto use while they are in school, and to give TC computer repair classes real-lifeequipment on which to test their skills. All types of computer equipment are accepted, including desktop and laptop sys-tems, printers, and monitors -- anything computer-related. Systems too old to berefurbished are stripped of useful parts for reutilization and the rest are sent to anauthorized recycler for proper disposal. Many businesses have provided systemsto the program over the years including Scott & White, Bits, Bytes & Bugs inBelton, Gold Key Technologies of Temple and L3 Communications in Waco. Since the program was launched in 2004, more than 1600 computers have been

repaired and repurposed as loaners at Temple College. Donors do not have toworry about identity or information theft, because all hard drives are wiped offusing powerful software that permanently removes all the data on the drive. Theyare then loaded with Microsoft Windows operating system, Open Office suite, andan anti-virus program. Students may request a computer on loan at no cost and return it or renew the

loan each semester untilthey withdraw or finish theircollege career. If there areadditional computers, theyare given to non-profitorganizations through theDonor part of the program.Since May 2013, more than85 computer systems havebeen donated to non-profit agencies in the region through the MicrosoftRegistered Refurbisher Program.

Computer Repair classes dismantle donated computers as part of the learningprocess. In 2011, they repaired 139 computers; in 2012, they refurbished 114units and they are on track to repair more than 200 this year. “The repair work thatour students do is strictly to help them get hands-on experience,” saysLoaner/Donor Computer Program Coordinator Cathy Coe-Clune. “We do notintend for them to take away repair business from local companies. However, weare hopeful that their skills will enable them to find employment in the commu-nity once they complete their coursework.”

To donate, contact Cathy Coe-Clune with the Loaner/Donor Computer Programat 254-298-8467in the Watson Technical Center on the main campus, room 549 or email her atloaner.computers@templejc.edu.

By: Ashley Marshall & Ronny Marriott, Leadership Temple

Medical Day with Leadership Temple

In 1897, Arthur C. Scott, MD, and Raleigh R. White Jr., MD, started practicingmedicine in Temple, Texas. A conviction that medicine must serve the peopledrew them together and thus started the legacy of Scott & White Hospital. Thisconviction is what has led to the overwhelming success of Scott & White forwell over 100 years. The recent merger with Baylor Health Systems created thenew Baylor Scott & White Health, which is now the largest not-for-profit hospi-tal in the state and ranks in the top level of hospitals in the country. RecentlyLeadership Temple toured the Baylor Scott & White Health facility, as well asMcLane Children’s Hospital Scott & White and Seaton Medical Center in HarkerHeights. As a not-for profit-hospital with a commitment to keep serving people as themain priority, Baylor Scott & White Health has learned the importance of work-ing with the community. The hospital wants to be a part of the community, andin addition to being the largest employer in Temple, they work with and

through many local organizations to provideawareness and care to the public. The hospitaldevotes millions of dollars to Charity Care througheducation, research, and Indigent Health Care.Leadership Temple had the chance to experiencesome of the training that takes place in theSimulation Center which utilizes mannequins fortraining. In this center, the trainers can set up anyscenario they desire through computer technolo-gy. The hospital relies on the donations of gratefulpatients as well as fund raising through variousprojects, to be able to maintain a high level ofexcellence in education, research and health care.Temple Leadership Team also had the privilege totour McLane Children’s Hospital Scott & White. This

hospital is state of the art and is able to care for almost any issue regarding chil-dren from pre-birth to 18 years of age. It is one of the only free standing chil-dren’s hospitals where 100% of the patients are children. The only issues thehospital is not equipped to fully address surround severe burns to a child. This

hospital also relies on philanthropy fortheir existence. The Children’s hospitalhas its own fully equipped ambulanceand helicopter. The ambulance wasmade possible by donations fromWalmart and Sam’s Club who led afund raising campaign in the commu-nity. The ambulance cost $283,000 andwas fully funded by the campaign. The last stop on the Medical Tour wasSeaton Medical Center in Harker Heights. This is a fairly new facility that offersthe community a choice in health care. This facility is a 192,000 square-foot 83bed hospital that opened in June 2012. This is a for-profit hospital that offersservices from Cardiology to Plastic surgery. This hospital focuses on providingcare for the poor and vulnerable. Like Baylor Scott & White Health, Seaton hasa commitment to put the patient first. Matt Maxfield, CEO of Seaton, stated that“the hospital is committed to creating a great place to work, a great place topractice medicine, service with excellence, and a great place where a personcan find high quality patient centered care.” They are known as a general com-munity hospital. One of the ways Seaton is making an effort to be a part of thecommunity is to partner with the Armed Forces YMCA to provide water thera-py and other services. The surrounding communities expressed their desire toparticipate in a partnership with the hospital by donating stones engraved witheach city’s name to the hospital. These stones are displayed under glass in thefloor of the main lobby. Although Temple is considered a mid-sized city, it has an impressive amount ofmedical facilities with a high rate of care and patient satisfaction. The medicalfield continues to be a major draw to this area, not just from Texas, but from theentire country. The commitment to patients and the community has made eachhospital successful, and in turn has been a major economic growth vehicle inBell County.

By: Carol Mouche, Chisholm Trail Chorus, Sweet Adelines International

Out With the Old, In with the New with the ComputerLoaner Doner Program

FRIDAY, January 3, 2014 TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM / 7

Mark Vitner is a man-aging director and sen-ior economist at WellsFargo, responsible fortracking U.S. andregional economictrends. Based in Charlotte, he also writes for the company’s MonthlyEconomic Outlook report, the Weekly Economic & Financial Commentary,and provides regular updates on the housing markets, commercial real estate,regional economies, and inflation. Mark joined Wachovia (then First Union)in 1993. Before that, he spent nine years as an economist for Barnett Banksin Jacksonville, Fla. Mark’s commentary has been featured in the New YorkTimes, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and many other publications.

Originally from Atlanta, Mark earned his B.B.A. in economics from theUniversity of Georgia, an M.B.A. from the University of North Florida, andhas completed further graduate work in economics at the University ofFlorida. He also completed the National Association of Business Economics(NABE) Advanced Training in Economics program at Carnegie MellonUniversity. Mark is a member of the National Association of BusinessEconomists and co-founded its Charlotte chapter, The Charlotte Economics

Club. He serves as a dis-tinguished lecturer andpractitioner at theUniversity of Georgia.He is also a member ofthe American EconomicAssociation, theAmerican Real Estateand Urban EconomicsAssociation, and theCharlotte Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. Mark currentlychairs the Economic Advisory Council for the California Chamber ofCommerce and serves as the chief economist for the North Carolina CCIM(Certified Commercial Investment Member). He is a member of the BlueChip Economic forecasting panel and the Western Blue Chip forecast panel.Mark currentlyserveson the JointAdvisory Board ofEconomists for theCommonwealth ofVirginia.

2013:Top Ten Tax Tips For Business

1. Documentation, Documentation,Documentation - Not having properdocumentation is one of the majorcauses of problems with IRS! Thisincludes logs of mileage and meals &entertainment, proper loan docu-ments, corporate minutes, 1099 report-ing. new employee packets and manyother things.

2. Health Insurance-The Good, Bad &Ugly - Credit available for smallemployers in 2013 but not manyemployers will qualify. Employerswith more than 50 employees willhave to insure employees in 2015 orpay penalties.

3. Depreciation Rules & Changes -Section 179 expensing for up to$500,000; 2013 is last year for bonusdepreciation; De minimis safe harborrules of Supplies & Materials andRepairs vs Improvements, and may beable to expense up to $10,000 forbuilding improvements.

4. Cafeteria Plans - MedicalReimbursement and Dependent CarePlans save taxes for both employer andemployees and the plans do not costmuch to set up and administer.

5. Self-employed Health InsuranceDeduction - Self-employed owners,

partners and S Corporation own-ers can deduct health insurancepremiums including long-termcare premiums even withoutitemizing.

6. New Safe Harbor Home OfficeDeduction - Simplified calcula-tion of $5.00 a square foot for

home office expense makes this easierto calculate and avoids depre-ciation issue when home issold.

7. Put Your Children toWork! - Employing your childcan give you a tax deduction that paysfor their education and personalexpenses. Warning - the children do

need to actually work!

8. Business is Business, Personal isPersonal - Need to keep personal trans-actions separate from business transac-tions.

9. Timing is Everything - Minimizetaxes by accelerating expenses at year-end and deferring income till 2014.

10. Year-end Clean-Up - Donate orscrap obsolete or unused inventory orfixed assets to take write-off and saveon personal property taxes.

During a recent Business Networking Breakfast, members of the Temple Chamber ofCommerce were able to hear an informative presentation from the monthly sponsor,Pattillo, Brown & Hill, L.L.P. (PB&H). As certified public accountants and business con-sultants, PB&H provided valuable information to help businesses prepare yearly taxesand were also able to promote their services while enjoying a complimentary breakfast.

Along with the condensed presentation below, the Temple Chamber of Commercehopes you take advantage of the networking opportunities available to Chamber mem-bers or even consider hosting one yourself!

THE UNDERGROUND NEWS This Just In!Groundhog Day Economic ForecastLuncheonFebruary 4, 2014 * NoonWildflower Country Club

Tickets: $30 (Temple Chamber Member)$40 (Non-Chamber Member)For more information and to RSVP, call the Chamber officeat (254) 773-2105

8 / TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM FRIDAY, January 3, 2014

While those make thought provokingreading, they don’t indicate howmany of the traits you have to have tobe successful, surely not all 101 orwhatever number is in the title.When I was in the corporate world, I

found the same types of articles onhow to be successful in that setting.Again, interesting, but not always ableto be applied. Then, in 1996, I wasexposed to some training that pre-sented “corporate derailers.” This train-ing looked at corporate managers andleaders from the other side. It basical-ly presented what not to do to keepfrom being thrown from the train. Ithought, “this stuff is good to know.” Iused it to stay on the train for a prettygood ride.

So, there turns out to be some simi-lar derailers for entrepreneurs.Though not likely a complete list, hereare three to avoid!

The first one is losing the passion orcommitment to the vision/mission ofyour company. This often happens atthe point where you start to becomemoderately successful. You are mak-

ing payroll without sweating, you aretaking home enough to keep you in acomfortable home, well fed and enter-tained. You suffer from “sufficiency,”causing the drive to keep growingyour company to wane. You just don’twant it enough! You no longer livethe “belief” of building a great compa-ny. Then the minor sins of lazinessand excuses creep into your exis-tence. You find creative ways to wasteyour time. You spend your time social-ly or on social media. Your handicapbecomes more important than yourcash flow. Good things stop happen-ing and the slide downhill begins.The second derailer is forgetting that

the successful business end gamerequires that you solve real issues foryour customers, in a cost effectiveway. If you lose the customer focusand become self-centered and devel-op the entitlement mentality, “I’veworked hard for this and I deserve it!”you won’t focus on the right things.Your ego kicks in and you start tobecome overbearing to the peopleyou depend on to keep your company

growing. Negativity and assigningblame become more prevalent thanpraise and celebration of accomplish-ments. Your company culture is head-ed for the basement. Company willfollow.

The third one is losing your certain-ty. You become fearful and questionyour objectives. You start over-analyz-ing, reaching “analysis paralysis.” Youstop thinking big and think safe (andsmall). You don’t look far enoughahead, focusing on the short term.When you focus on next week, yourcompany goals are no longer beingpursued, you are “playing it by ear,”waiting to “see” before you focus your-self on the longer term objectives.The indisputable truth is you can’tkeep things the same. Your companyis either growing or dissolving. Strongpursuit of well thought out objectiveskeeps it growing. When you stop, thewheel reverses and your companyslows, stops and then backs up. Likethe airplane with the engine out, thepull of gravity will eventually bring itdown.

Fortunately, once aware of thesederailers, you can look for early signsof their presence. If you are spendingmore time in non-business pursuits,

feeling you are smarter than your cus-tomers and employees, or spending alot of time in “what if” discussions, payattention and get yourself refocused.In this New Year, focus on: long termobjectives, customer needs, and build-ing a strong culture among youremployees. When you consciouslylook for derailers, you can maintainyour drive and passion, your care foryour customers and workers, and pur-sue the objectives to make the com-pany a success. You just have to lookfor those pesky derailers.

Best wishes for a prosperous newyear!

How to Stay on TrackBy: Vane Hugo, The Entrepreneur Center of Central Texas

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“In charity thereis no excess”...

Sir Francis Bacon. A nonprofit organization, bydefinition, takes any money received or earnedand puts it back into the organization to driveits mission and promote its activities or servic-es. It is considered as a silent provider, with theinterest of the public and private wellbeing atheart. Keep Temple Beautiful (KTB) is such anorganization. Just like other nonprofits, KTB'sunique challenges include finding creative waysto generate operating finances, attractingdonors and volunteers, maintaining goodwill,and using meaningful evaluation tools withwhich to measure success and decipher areasfor improvement. There are no profit-sharing checks or payouts

to investors, shareholders or Board of Directors.There is no million dollar salary for theExecutive Director. "Doing well" means that ourcause has been furthered. Measuring successisn't always straightforward; we have to look at

how many people werereached, helped, motivat-ed, or educated throughour efforts.

Because nonprofits arejust that--they don't bringin profit--getting funding from a variety of publicand private sources is a constant process. AtKTB, we face various problems and issues on aday to day as well as long term basis. Making surethe organization has enough money to achieveits mission, a mission that helps the community,along with operating costs is always an issue. While the celebrations may be over, that doesn't

mean there still isn't time to make a new set ofresolutions. So, in addition to eating less andworking out more (we all know how long thoselast) why not give to a non-profit in your com-munity? A new year provides an opportunity foryou to make a difference, in essence, a clean slateto make things a little better. Why not do so byhelping out a non-profit like Keep TempleBeautiful?

There are many ways YOU canhelp us financially with your sup-port:Become a regular contributingmember of KTB in several ways:

• Family Membership – $85/year• Individual Membership – $65/year• Student - $15/yearBusiness memberships are also available!

You can join KTB by contacting us, donatingthrough your City of Temple "water bill" orsponsoring one of our numerous projects for2014!!!

For more information, contact KeepTemple Beautiful at (254) 493-4000. Be sureto check out our website at www.keeptem-plebeautiful.org or Facebook pagewww.facebook.com/keeptemplebeautiful.

New Year's Resolution:Help A Non-ProfitBy: Tanya Gray, Keep Temple Beautiful

2014

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