The Stuff Page
You know when you think that something is just not right and you want to say or do something?
Well that is what The Stuff Page is all about. These are things in our community that I believe are just not right. Sure some of it may step on some toes, but sometimes you have to step on toes to get people to get moving or to just get out of the way! I will do my best to keep this positive and to look at the good side of bad things. Be sure that you know About Us and that this site from time to time may reflect my opinions, others that I believe in, and even some that I don’t. If you don’t like these opinions don’t come to my site.
Need a ramp? Update/Part II
Well it looks like the State is about finished with the wheelchair ramps downtown. They are really nice as far as that goes but I just can't figure out some of them. The ones in front of the bank and highrise exit onto the highway. I guess that they are more for getting down from the elevated sidewalk and then crossing the street instead of for someone getting out of a car and going onto the sidewalk, although they would work for that. The ends of those particular rails look like they might be hard to navigate in a wheelchair because of the sharp 90 degree turn that would have to be made at the bottom of the ramps. Nevertheless, I am glad that we have them and hope that I never need them. I am sure they will be an asset to the downown area.
The one in front of the bank with cross walk marked for painting maybe..
This one in front of the High Rise..
This one on the side of the Coleman County Woodshop..
This one in front of Simmons Feed..
Need a ramp?
I remember very well when the Americans with Disablities Act was first enacted in 1992. For some very selfish reasons at the time, I thought it was one of the best things that had ever happened. I had just started working for Pepsi in Brownwood and the wheel chair ramps at all the places I delivered to sure made it a lot easier to get a dolly full of drinks up a curb. I even became a little more selective about where to park my truck so that it was not out of the way to use the ramps.. of course I never blocked the handicapped parking spots. I tell you those ramps very well may have kept me from being disabled!
I am not trying to make light of someone that actually needs these ramps. I remember, on more than one occasion, thinking how bad my feet would be hurting after working all day at the Shoppin' Baskit when about that time a customer would wheel in the door without any legs in his wheelchair and all of the sudden my feet didn't hurt so bad anymore.
How fortunate I am, and at least most of us are, to be able to not need a wheelchair or a wheelchair ramp.
All this brings about my thoughts on the work going on with the wheelchair ramps around Santa Anna and most of the other towns in our area. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining about the State of Texas spending any money in our town. I think that it is great! But... I just don't understand some of it and I have started to call the highway department a couple of times and I may still call them to get some more information. I guess some of the rules must have changed or something because it has not been all that long ago when the ones downtown were installed the first time. Some of those have been redone and some of them have been moved to a completly diferent location.
It has been a couple of months since I took these pictures and most of the downtown ramps are finished except for handrails. And it has been a year or two since the ones on First Street were installed. I am sure the State is just trying to meet some guidelines or whatever but common sense should be a factor in determining where to spend the money shouldn't it? It's like building a car without an engine.
This one was done when the traffic signal was installed a year or so ago, but I guess it wasn't up to specifications.
This one in front of the bank is a little different exiting onto the busy street.
This is one of the old ones from a few years ago on the side of Simmons Feed but is now being built in the front.
This one is being built in one of the places where there is no sidewalk anyhow.
And some are obstructed by "merchandise".
This one on First Street is another where there is not even a sidewalk.
Why not spend a little on the drainage across the street instead?
And one of the places it is needed most near these apartments on First is another where there is not even a sidewalk.
This one gets a lot of use!
The money spent on Bowie was money well spent for the most part as these ramps and sidewalks get a lot of use.
Welcome to Santa Anna!
What happened to the "Welcome To Santa Anna" sign?
You won't believe the answer.
First you should have a little background.
The original location of the "Welcome to Santa Anna" sign was on the motel property that used to be a Texas Ranger station in early Texas Frontier days. I often wondered why the City sold the old Texas Ranger station and even how the City got the property in the first place. The City at one time, I believe, also owned the property where the old nursing home and hospital are. I know that it had become somewhat neglected over the years but was last probably used as a meeting place for Boy Scouts in the late 60's and early 70's. The last time I remember going there for a Scouting function in the late 70's it is was a pretty big mess with broken beer bottles and such all over. I suppose the City probably needed the money to pay for a new waterline, street repair, equipment, or just to get by. But I think it would have been of more value restored as a historical attraction or museum for our area and it's early frontier life.
The City put the Ranger station up for bids in June of 1976. The bids were made and the high bidder was a Mr. Loyd King in the amount of $7825.50. Other bidders included Dr. Fil Cabansag, F.H. Moody, Dr Virgil Kelley, and Susie Riley. Apparently there was an encroachment issue over the shared entrance to the station with the nursing home that was owned by Dr, Cabansag and the transaction never was completed with Mr King.
In February of 1977, the City put the Ranger station back up for bids and in April of 1977 it was sold to the high bidder, then Sheriff H.F. Fenton, for $8,100.13. The only other bidder was Mr. King for $7070.70.
The Ranger station was renovated into a motel office and a second story living quarters was built along with a multi-unit motel built on the back of the property.
I believe the addition of the second story living quarters has damaged the historical value of the building, but the last time I was there, one time when my dad was visiting, they had some Texas Ranger photos and memorabilia which helped it retain at least some historical value.
I remember reading a Texas Monthly article in the Early 80's about Sheriffs in Texas that mentioned Sheriff Fenton. I found the Texas Monthly November 1984 article online by searching for Fenton on the Texas Monthly website, but you must register or be a subcribe to view it. The original article included a pictorial that had a photo of Sherrif Fenton and then Brewster County Sheriff Jack McDaniel who my dad was working for at the time on his quarter horse ranch near "Hell's Half Acre" south of Marathon and later near Alpine. In the article Sheriff Fenton was quoted saying, "I always felt that if you help a kid, then you've done a lot more than if you help an old thing fifty or sixty years old". Knowing his son Shawn, I believe that this was so. During the last few years the motel was run by Shawn and Lisa Fenton, Sheriff Fenton's son and daughter-in-law, and their two sons. I never really knew Sheriff Fenton, who is considered to be one of the last "old-time" sheriffs and a legend, but I came to know his son Shawn as a Coleman police officer when he worked a shoplifting case at the grocery store that I worked part time at as a night manager in Coleman. We had to go to court together and the teenage shoplifter pled guilty but I came to know Shawn as an extremely likable and polite man. I later got to know Lisa when she worked as checker at the same grocery store and she was always a hard worker. I knew his sons to be equally well mannered and polite and just like their mom they were always hard workers helping around the motel and such. Shawn later became a police officer here in Santa Anna at about the same time they ran the motel.
It was during this time that the Santa Anna Chamber of Commerce decided we should have some sort of welcome sign for our town. An agreement was made between the Fenton's and the Chamber to locate the sign on the motel property. A native rock base was built for the sign to match the entrance and construction of the old Ranger station. The sign was put up and later a reflective plywood backboard added for visibility. The cost of the sign, base, and backboard was around $1500 taken from Chamber funds, Economic Development funds, and private donation.
The Chamber for years has featured the motel, including photographs, in their brochures for Santa Anna and even their website under lodging.
The current motel management recently requested compensation or rent for the sign being on the motel property.
With the limited funds of our Chamber it was decided to relocate the sign. Most of these funds are raised voluntarily by the hard work of a handful of loyal members.
In answer to the question..."What happened to the "Welcome To Santa Anna" sign?" the sign has found a new home at one of the town's newest business's: Cen-Tex Land Co. and once again everyone can be, "Welcome to Santa Anna"!,
If you are looking for a place to stay and want to feel welcome bring your RV and stay at the Civic Center(Armory) where the Chamber has installed some nice hookups and shade trees for overnighter's.
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Better yet stay a little longer... I am sure the folks at Cen-Tex Land Co. can find you a place to call home!