Winters Park Nursing and Rehab gets new marketer

Posted January 21, 2012

TRISUN Healthcare is proud to announce that Holly Morrison has been promoted to marketer for the Winters Park Campus of Care in Garland, which includes Winters Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and Winters Park Assisted Living & Memory Care. Prior to this position, Morrison held the role of Winters Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center community liaison.

While serving as Winters Park Nursing and Rehab community liaison, Morrison’s main responsibilities included leading both physician and discharge planner relations at referring hospitals. Morrison also worked closely with Baylor Medical Center at Garland on the “Partnering with Winters Park Reducing Readmissions Project,” which recently received first place in the Baylor Health Care System 2011 Bill Aston Quality Improvement Summit Awards. The goal of this project was to reduce the number of readmissions to Baylor Garland after a patient had been discharged to Winters Park Nursing and Rehab, and it was an overwhelming success.

In her new role as marketer for the entire Winters Park campus, Morrison will develop marketing plans, serve as the liaison between the Winters Park campus and the community at large, and coordinate trade shows and health fairs. She will also provide resident education about the differences in assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing services, in addition to education about advanced directives, living wills and directives to physicians.  

Morrison has displayed a passion for working with the senior community throughout her career. She is married with three children.

Mexicali owners offer great food, local music venue

Kim Everett | December 22, 2011

Becky and Alex Townes bought Mexicali Café & Cantina with the intention of serving great Mexican food at affordable prices while offering a venue for live music in the Garland area.  The couple is well on its way to realizing that dream and is enjoying every minute of it.

The family-friendly restaurant offers a variety of music genres and hosts live music several nights each week.  From the sounds of western swing by the Top of the Hill band to classic rock, country, Latino, oldies, and rhythm and blues, there is music for all tastes.

It’s important to the restaurant owners that Mexicali be known as a family musical entertainment spot, and parents and kids are always welcome to enjoy the food and the music.  “It feels so much like family here that I sometimes wish we could just have one big table,” Becky said. 

Alex grew up in a musical family, and he enjoys sharing the joy that music brings.  His life changed after the devastating events of 9/11, which served as a catalyst for his decision to follow his passions, which were to play music and own his own business.

Becky, who has had many careers ranging from truck driver to body guard to cook, has always dreamed of owning her own restaurant.  As a published poet, she has chronicled the ups and downs of her life in verse with openness and honesty.  It’s only fitting that she and Alex now enjoy writing songs together.  Alex is active in the local music scene and has served three terms as president of the Dallas Songwriters’ Association.  His band, Southbound Texas 35, with lead singer Rob Heath, primarily plays country and classic rock, and they have recorded a CD. 

The Top of the Hill Western Swing band wows audiences at Mexicali every Tuesday night.  Several members of the band have been inducted into various Western Swing halls of fame and played with notables including Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.  Top of the Hill is an entertaining band, and fiddle player Billy McBay is extraordinarily talented.

On Thursdays, Latino artist Tony Sol entertains audiences; and on Fridays, Ronnie Ray, who played guitar for Charlie Pride for many years, serves as emcee and plays guitar for karaoke night at Mexicali.  Ray has played with other notable musicians including Neal McCoy, George Morgan, and Ferlin Husky.

On Saturday nights, popular Elvis impersonator Johnny Rockit entertains audiences at Mexicali at least once a month with a variety of Elvis Presley hits.  Saturday evenings also feature local artists such as Stephen Pride, Dion Pride, and local oldies singer Little Anthony. 

Becky and Alex are happy to host special events, meetings, and parties at Mexicali, and they also provide catering service.  They offer affordable lunch specials, and happy hour is 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.  The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. every day.  Visit www.mexicalicafeandcantina.com for additional information.

ABC Supply names new manager

Posted December 6, 2011

ABC Supply Co. Inc., the largest wholesale distributor of roofing in the United States and one of the nation’s largest distributors of siding, windows and other select exterior building products, has promoted Matt Moody to Garland branch manager.  The Garland branch is located at 2525 S. Shiloh Rd. Ste. 200.

Moody is a resident of Wylie, Tex.  He joined ABC Supply in 2008 as an inside sales representative in the company’s Ft. Worth branch.  Moody also has served as manager of the company’s Longview branch. He is a 2007 graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington and has a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Batteries Plus opens Garland location

Kim Everett | November 22, 2011

Jim Smith first became interested in being a Batteries Plus store owner when he saved more than $50 on a replacement battery for his home alarm system.  The alarm company representative offered to sell Smith the battery he needed for $85-$100, but he also told him that it was available at Batteries Plus for $30.

He bought his first franchise, located in McKinney, less than a year later and opened the Garland location last month.  Located at 4280 Lavon Drive in the Firewheel Town Center area, Smith’s newest location is filled with every type of battery that his customers could possibly need.  According to Smith, the average home has 21 different types of batteries, and Batteries Plus has them all. 

The store carries batteries for everything from computers, cameras, hearing aids, watches, and iPods to cars, trucks, golf carts, ATVs, and watercraft.  “There are some other battery stores, small groups that have done similar things,” Smith said.  “But Batteries Plus led the way.”  In addition to batteries, the store is also stocked with every imaginable type of light bulb.

The retailer, who sells more than 50 million batteries per year, is environmentally responsible and offers recycling services.  The home office is located in Heartland, Wisconsin and the company was designated as the nation’s fastest growing specialty retailer by Inc. Magazine.  There are 480 Batteries Plus locations in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Smith realized that retirement wasn’t for him after trying to retire twice and returning to work both times.  “I realized I didn’t want to die before I was dead,” he said.  Earlier in his career he owned a pharmaceutical sales company, which he sold in 2000.  He tried a couple of other businesses after that but didn’t find the right fit until purchasing the Batteries Plus franchise.

Smith and Nate Stinson, the store manager who opened the first store with him, travel between the two locations, and the Garland store has two additional employees.  The store is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.