News Posts

Welcoming NeonCRM Services to Linden Heritage Foundation

~ lindenheritage ~ 1 Comment

Members and donors are the foundation upon which a nonprofit organization is built.  Fostering a strong relationship with its constituents is essential for a 501(c)(3) public charity, such as the Linden Heritage Foundation, to be successful.  For this reason, constituent relationship management (CRM) software is used by the majority of nonprofits organizations to assist them with core online operations such as processing and acknowledging membership dues and donations.

NeonCRM_133x160The Linden Heritage Foundation is now utilizing the services of NeonCRM, a database built for nonprofits by a team with a background working for nonprofits. Their main goal is to provide nonprofit organizations like ours with new technologies to help us achieve our mission.   An industry-leading system and product of Z2 Systems, NeonCRM gives us the ability to manage constituent/member/donor data using cloud-based technology.

Z2SecureLogoNeonCRM is used by many leading nonprofit organizations such as Preservation Texas, Boys & Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity, and the Kidney Cancer Association.  When you see this logo on our membership and donation pages, you know that your transactions are secure.

 

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Linden Heritage Foundation holds 2016 Meeting of the Board of Directors

~ lindenheritage

linden text logo1The first meeting of the 2016 Board of Directors for the Linden Heritage Foundation was held January 23rd at the Linden Garden Club in Linden, Texas.  Directors present were: Sam Higdon, Joe B. Lovelace, Sue Lazara, Jana Bounds, John Knapp, Anna Barber, Gail Dorgan, and Kay Stephens.  Jim Jacob and Barbara Teachey participated via Skype.  Ron Calhoun, Kerry Wells, and Susan Whatley were absent.  Acting-President Sam Higdon called for nominations for the election of Officers.  Running unopposed and securing unanimous votes, the following individuals were elected:  President – Sam L. Higdon; Vice-President for Preservation & Education – Sue Morris Lazara; Vice-President for Marketing & Development – Joe B. Lovelace; Vice-President for Information Technologies – James S. (Jim) Jacob; Secretary – John Knapp; and Chief Financial Officer – Jana Bounds.

In accordance with the Bylaws of the Foundation, Directors drew lots to decide their length of term.  The outcome follows:

1-year term – Jana Bounds, Ron Calhoun, James S. Jacob, John Knapp, and Joe Lovelace

2-year term – Gail Dorgan, Sue Lazara, Barbara Teachey, and Susan Whatley

3-year term – Anna Barber, Sam Higdon, Kay Stephens, and Kerry Wells

Following the election of Officers, President Higdon appointed Kay Stephens as Parliamentarian.  Joe B. Lovelace presented a written Consent Amendment to change the wording “Active Membership” to “Individual Membership” in the Bylaws in order to reconcile them with other Foundation membership material.  The matter passed by unanimous consent, which negated the 30-day notice requirement for a change in the Bylaws under Roberts Rules of Order.

A reception for the Charter Members of the Foundation was set for Saturday, April 23, 2016 (Wildflower Trails Weekend) from 5:00 until 6:00 pm at the home of Charter Member Ruth Halleck.  A Hospitality Committee was appointed to assist Halleck.  The members are Anna Barber, Charlotte Bennett Wells, Mary Janet Wells, and Wanda Ayers Burns.  In the event that any of these members are unable to assist, President Higdon will appoint other members.  Higdon then appointed Joe Lovelace, John Knapp, and Sam Higdon to prepare a draft of a certificate to be presented to Foundation Charter Members at the reception.  By unanimous consent, $700 was allocated to cover the cost of printing, packaging, and mailing certificate to those not in attendance which also includes the cost of the reception.

Sue Lazara reported on the Texas Preservation Trust Fund Grant (TPTF Grant) due January 29, 2016.  The grant is available only to buildings which are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.  If the TPTF Grant application is successful, a more detailed Planning Grant outline, which must include input from a professional preservation architect, must be submitted in April.  Lazara shared that ARCHITEXAS, a Dallas architectural firm who specializes in the preservation work, has expressed an interest in the Firehouse project.  A preliminary bid of $29,500 has been received that covers preparation of full Plans and Specifications.  ARCHITEXAS is the firm who led preparation of the Plans and Specifications for the Cass Count Courthouse’s restoration.  If approved, the TPTF Grant would cover half of the Plans and Specifications fees ($14,750).  The Foundation would raise the remaining half of the money.  Lazara suggested allocating $5,000 towards the Match Fund for the TPTF Fund, with the Foundation raising $10,000 from the business community in the region, should the grant be awarded.  The motion was passed unanimously by the Board.

The subject of Skype and the problems encountered with audio during the January 23rd meeting were discussed.  By consensus of the Directors, it was agreed to conduct experimental meetings to try to solve some of the issues so that remote Directors could participate fully in all future meetings.

The final item on the agenda was to set the next Board of Director’s Meeting for Sunday, March 6, at 7:30 pm CST.  The meeting will be conducted via Skype; and Lazara invited all local members of the Board to gather at her house in order to improve the quality of Skype video by reducing the number of participating links.  President Higdon adjourned the meeting at 4:46 pm.

The Foundation thanks Gail Dorgan for preparing this summary of the Board Meeting based on the recorded minutes.  Official minutes will be posted on our Documents Page after their approval.

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Linden Heritage Foundation Holds First Annual Meeting of the Membership

~ lindenheritage
Sam Higdon, Foundation President, welcome members to the first Annual Meeting of the Membership. Photo by Jo Anna Duncan.
Sam Higdon, Foundation President, welcomes members to the first Annual Meeting of the Membership. Photo by Jo Anna Duncan.

The Linden Heritage Foundation held its First Annual Meeting of the Membership on January 23, 2016, at 2:00 pm at the Linden Garden Club building in Linden, Texas.  Thirty-seven members were present, along with three members attending via Skype, for a total of 40 members in attendance as of the call to order by President Sam L. Higdon.  The first agenda item was the report of the Nominating Committee comprised of Jeanie Stevens, Wanda Burns, and Sandra Skoog.  Mrs. Skoog proposed the committee’s selections of 13 names as a slate of Directors.  President Higdon asked for additional nominations from the floor, and upon receiving none, the quorum present voted.  Unanimously elected to the Linden Heritage Foundation Board of Directors were: Anna Barber, Jana Clinkscales Bounds, Ron Calhoun, Gail Dorgan, Sam L. Higdon, James S. (Jim) Jacob, John Knapp, Sue Morris Lazara, Joe B. Lovelace, Kay Temple Stephens, Barbara Teachey, Kerry Wells, and Susan Brown Whatley.

Chief Financial Officer, Jana Bounds, review financial statement. Photo by Jo Anna Duncan.
Chief Financial Officer, Jana Bounds, present Foundation’s  financial statement. Photo by Jo Anna Duncan.

Following the nomination of the Board, Jana Bounds presented the financial report of the Foundation.  Total revenues since September 1, 2015, were $24,210.01 plus interest of $1.85.  Expenditures to date were $5,047.99, leaving a balance of $19,163.87 as of January 22, 2016.

 

Upon acceptance of the financial report, President Higdon called upon Sue Lazara to report on the progress of the Request for Proposals (RFP) on the Linden Water Tower and Firehouse and the finding of the Foundation’s Research Committee.  The RFP draft, the result a joint resolution seeking appropriate development and preservation projects around the Water Tower and Firehouse, was approved by the Linden City Council on January 11, 2016.  The Research Committee, chaired by Lazara and composed of Gail Dorgan, Catherine Knapp, and Kay Temple Stephens, transcribed city and county records, as well as historic press archives of the 1930s with emphasis on Public Works Administration improvements in downtown Linden.  The research documents historic and architectural credentials which were included in the January 4, 2016, request for Determination of Eligibility (DOE) for the 1934 Water Tower and the 1939 Firehouse to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sue Lazara addressed Preservation activities with John Knapp, new Foundation Secreatry seated next to her. Photo by Jo Anna Duncan.
Founding Director Sue Lazara addressed Preservation activities with John Knapp seated next to her. Photo by Jo Anna Duncan.

On January 8, 2016, Lazara received a reply from Gregory Smith, National Register Coordinator of the History Programs Division of the Texas Historical Commission, stating that both the Water Tower and the Firehouse were eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  Smith recommended that instead of listing the two properties individually, to consider a larger downtown historic district, centered on Linden’s Courthouse Square.  The favorable DOE ruling makes the properties eligible for major tax advantages.  Lazara reported that the Deed of Conveyance from the City of Linden to the Foundation has been executed and duly recorded; and that the Foundation had secured the window openings and exposed wood of the Firehouse to protect it from further deterioration.  The Firehouse was nominated by the Foundation to be placed on the 2016 Texas’ Most Endangered Places List.  An announcement on the ruling will be made on February 18, 2016 at the Preservation Texas Summit in Austin to which the Foundation has been invited to attend and network with other historic preservation professionals.  Lazara’s final report concerned the grant application to the Texas Preservation Trust Fund, which will submitted no later than January 29, 2016.  This proposal is a request for funding that carries a 1:1 match requirement if approved.

Joe B. Lovelace addressed development activities of the Foundation. Photo by Jo Anna Duncan.
Joe B. Lovelace addressed development activities of the Foundation. Photo by Jo Anna Duncan.

Founding Director Joe B. Lovelace then took the floor to discuss the purpose and timing of the RFP which is expected to be issued in the Spring of 2016.  He next introduced Bob Swisher, Linden City Administrator, who was invited to speak.  Mr. Swisher thanked the Foundation for its work and reported on the formation of the City of Linden’s 2025 Committee, which includes several Foundation members.  Lovelace next introduced Emily Henderson, Executive Director of Linden Economic Development Council, who made brief remarks in support of the efforts of the various groups to promote Linden.  Lovelace then introduced Mary Dowd who explained previous efforts of the City of Linden to be designated as a Texas Main Street City, for which Linden qualified, but lacked the budget of approximately $30,000 and the assignment of present city staff to serve as a Main Street Manager.  This issue will be revisited at a later date by the 2025 Committee.

A reception was held for all members in attendance at the close of the Annual Membership Meeting, followed by short business meeting for the new Board of Directors.

The Foundation thanks Gail Dorgan for preparing this summary of the meeting based on the recorded minutes.  Official minutes will be posted on our Documents Page after their approval.

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Linden City Council Approves Water Tower and Firehouse Activities

~ Joe Lovelace

At its meeting on 11 January 2016, the Linden City Council received a report from the Linden Heritage Foundation.

Two prior resolutions were reviewed briefly so that updates could be given on their fulfilment:

  1. 13th day of October, 2015 – Resolution by Linden City Council to encourage the Foundation, by December 31, 2015, to submit a plan to materially stimulate future private development of the Water Tower and Firehouse and also to submit a plan to determine the eligibility of both sites to be registered historic landmarks;
  2. 9th day of November, 2015 – Resolution to convey the Firehouse to the Linden Heritage Foundation, subject to the terms and conditions in the resolution.

In response to these Resolutions, the Foundation respectfully reported the following actions:

On 14 November, 2015, Sue Lazara, member of Preservation Texas, nominated the 1939 Old Linden Firehouse to PreservationTexas.org to be placed on the 2016 Most Endangered Places List.

On 31 December, 2015, the Foundation submitted to the City Council a Draft Request for Proposal intended to solicit commercial development of the two properties with specific investment incentives and requirements explained therein.

On 4 January, 2016, the Linden Heritage Foundation submitted to the Texas Historical Commission a request for Determination of Eligibility to the National Register. This request covered historical and architectural details on the Firehouse and Water Tower plus generalized information on eighteen (18) other Linden properties that might constitute and support a potential downtown Linden Historic District.

On 8 January, 2016, the City of Linden conveyed to the Linden Heritage Foundation the West 26’ of Lot 5, Block 2, Linden Old Townsite, being the same land described in Warranty Deed 2016000127, recorded in the Deed Records of Cass County, Texas.  This being the Firehouse lot.

On 11 January, 2016, the City Council unanimously approved the Draft Request for Proposal subject to the attachment of the Warranty Deed from the City of Linden to the Linden Heritage Foundation and a current description and accurate plat of the City’s remaining interest in Lot 5, Block 2, of the Linden Old Townsite.

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200th Charter Member is Linden Native Kerry Wells

~ Joe Lovelace ~ 3 Comments
Family photo courtesy of Kerry and Erin Wells
Family photo courtesy of Kerry and Erin Wells

Cass County roots run deep. For Kerry Wells, the 200th Charter Member of the Linden Heritage Foundation, his local origin dates back to the 1800s when his great-great grandfather made the trek to the area and settled in on a place he deemed the Ray Mountain in the Concord Community.  He instituted a saw mill which aided in the family’s survival on through the Great Depression.  Having weathered the storms of the era, Kerry’s great uncle Louie Ray later acquired the Foster Skating Rink which served up happier times for area occupants.  Those firmly grounded beginnings produced an impeccable setting for Kerry to flourish:

“Growing up nestled in the Piney Woods was a privilege.  I spent most of my time working in or exploring the unique aspects of our area.  When I wasn’t in the woods I could be found playing baseball until dark at Crow Heath Park. There were gatherings at the Pickle Shed and you could always find out what was going on after a drive by The Country Store.  My mother would regularly send my brother and me up to Allen Brothers to be outfitted head to toe.  I would receive two minute alterations with biggest pair of scissors I’d ever seen.  Downtown was bustling.  Every building had one of the best mom and pop spots anywhere around.  We looked forward to the Wildflower Trails where I was determined to champion the Treasure Hunt each year.  While this never happened I was the proud winner of the Piggly Wiggly “Let’s Go to the Races” scratch off which made up for it.  There were always fascinating stories swirling around town like the time a deer ran through the streets and jumped through several store front windows, “last seen headed North.”  I had so many great times growing up in Linden but mostly I remember a community involved together for the greater good.“

Kerry is a proud graduate of Linden Kildare High School and went on to obtain a degree at Texas A&M University.  The bit of magic in the soil here brought him back to his roots and today he puts his lifelong experiences to use by enhancing and promoting the local landscape as a real estate professional with Century 21 Platinum Partners.  He resides with his wife Erin, also a Charter Member who foster an eagerness for serving the people of Cass County, and their three children; Asher Stone, Alayna Linae, and Breckin Sloan who attend Linden Kildare Elementary and are making their parents proud as next generation Linden Tigers.

Both Kerry and Erin encourage you to join in the noble work being done by the Linden Heritage Foundation to preserve local legacies while creating a thriving home town atmosphere for present and future generations.

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