SUNDAY Business A7 · 5/7/2020 · books, t-shirts, journals, hats and mugs. “We have our coffee...
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By Jennifer Bussey jennifer,[email protected] All Things Coffee and Books has opened in the downtown Paris area. Co-owners Shauna Mercaldo and Denise Williams started the busi- ness to fund a non-profit organization while cel- ebrating all of their favor- ite things: coffee, t-shirts, books and ministry. “We both are in minis- try at Immanuel Baptist Church, and we formed a non-profit together about four years ago. We have been praying and dream- ing about having some sort of business that would help us fund our non-prof- it. Over time and prayer, we developed the idea of a bookstore/coffee shop/t- shirt store, a place that we can have all of our favorite things,” Mercaldo said. The best friend duo have been planning on opening the store for three months and finally fulfilled their dreams two weeks ago. All Things is 3,000 square feet filled with a coffee bar, lounge area, stage with a karaoke machine, children’s play- room, Christian-based books, t-shirts, journals, hats and mugs. “We have our coffee bar and a local baker that bakes all of our treats: we have savory and sweet. We have a host of products like espresso drinks, mac- chiatos and cold brews. We do hot, iced and frozen. We have various teas and flavored lemonade: iced and frozen. We do custom t-shirts, mugs and hats from all ages from birth to adults and in-between,” Mercaldo said. To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the pair have closed the play- room and maintain a clean work environment. The store is requiring all cus- tomers and employees to wear masks due to Gov. Abbott’s mandate issued on Thursday. “We understand that in the times we’re in, we have to be safe and clean and careful. Thankfully, we have a large enough space and a large enough capac- ity that even at the vari- ous percentages that have been recommended (by Gov. Abbott and the CDC) we can still keep our doors open and keep things clean and safe. We are very blessed and thankful,” Mercaldo said. Their main purpose for being in the downtown area is to bring a sense of community and peace to residents. “Mainly our reason for being here is to be a place that people can come and gather. We want to be a place of ministry. We want to be a place where people feel comfortable. We love families, and we just love people,” Mercaldo said. So far, the pair has seen success and acceptance from customers and com- munity members. “It’s been going great. We have met the greatest people. We love Paris. We love downtown. Everyone is super supportive of one another. We can’t imag- ine living anywhere else,” Mercaldo said. Both originally from the Houston area, Mercaldo and Williams moved to Paris to be closer to family. “We actually both have come here at different times: Denise has been here for about eight years, and I’ve been here about seven years. Denise moved here with her husband and kids for her husband’s job and I moved here with my children and to be close to my parents and grandpar- ents who live in Detroit,” Mercaldo said. The pair meet while vol- unteering at a children’s camp five or six years ago and have been best friends ever since. “It’s been great to work with your best friend every day. It’s not work. We look forward to coming in everyday. We’re back here laughing and joking around, and it doesn’t feel like work. We just get to hang out with our best friend everyday. It’s so fun,” Mercaldo said. All Things Coffee and Books is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesdays from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fridays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The store is closed on Mondays and Sundays. SUNDAY JULY 5, 2020 B USINESS A7 903-785-8744 [email protected] Robert M. Smith, CFP ® Senior Vice President -Investments [email protected] 1305 Lamar Avenue, Suite C Paris, TX 75460 P 903-783-1307 TF 844-234-1307 2017-2126 Exp. 12/31/2020 Member SIPC benjaminfedwards.com MAKING SENSE OF INVESTING Member SIPC Ryan C Lassiter, AAMS® Financial Advisor 3270 Lamar Avenue Paris, TX 75460 (903) 737-9816 [email protected] Special to The Paris News Peoples Bank is recog- nizing Brad Perry as he celebrates a 30-year mile- stone in his career. Starting in 1990, fol- lowing the formation of Peoples Bank, Perry began his career as a lender and vice president. As a member of the execu- tive management team of Peoples Bank, he has been instrumental in growing the bank and ensuring its success for many years. Throughout the years, Perry has been a guide and mentor for many, generously and patiently sharing the knowledge and skills he possesses. Currently holding the position of executive vice president and chief finan- cial officer, and as a mem- ber of the board of direc- tors, he is positioned to continue that legacy. “I knew in 1990 when we were able to bring Brad Perry into our group he was an outstanding addi- tion to our bank. I just did not realize the impact he would bring,” President Terry L. Christian said. “Having inherited his father’s (Thomas Perry) skills with numbers, time management and person- ality, Peoples Bank hit a home run. He has been a major part of our man- agement team and suc- cess. The future of Peoples Bank rests in good hands.” Perry’s contribution to the bank has been immense and the fact that he has been here for 30 years says it all, officials said. His strategic vision for the bank has made Peoples Bank a great place to work, and his knowl- edge and leadership are invaluable. By Julia Furukawa [email protected] The Texas economy is more open than it has been in months, but busi- nesses still have a lot of catching up to do. Lamar County businesses, espe- cially those deemed “non- essential,” lost massive amounts of money during the height of closures relat- ed to coronavirus, and the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce has recognized that some still need help. That’s why it’s stepped in with its newest effort, the Covid-19 Support Program. The chamber is offering members assistance of up to $1,000 for utility bills and rent out of a $25,000 fund. President Paul Allen said all business owners need to do is fill out an online application detailing how Covid-19 has affected their business financially to be eligible for assistance. He said what’s most important to him and the chamber is being able to help busi- nesses in any way they can. “it’s a very user friendly application,” Allen said. “We made sure of that. And I don’t think it’ll be difficult for people to fill out… The purpose (of the program) is, we want to give our chamber mem- bers that struggled during Covid that small cushion that they so well deserve.” Allen said the cham- ber, led by chairman Greg Wilson, was inspired by a similar program in Texarkana. Staff stayed in contact with the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce and turned to them for advice before rolling out the pro- gram in Lamar County. “I got in touch with Texarkana and started talking to them about how they were doing their pro- gram, how it was going and what the pros and the cons were…” Allen said. The $25,000 fund the grants are coming from is made up of chamber dues, so Allen said the cham- ber sees it as a way to give back to the businesses that have given to them over the years — a literal repay- ment of sorts. “(The funds come) from the dues that have been col- lected over the years,” he said. “So this is just a way of giving back to them for what they’ve invested in. It’s all about them. We love our members.” As of Wednesday, five businesses have applied for assistance, and Allen said he encourages more to do so. He said all who were affected by the economic downturn from Covid-19 should apply, regardless of how big or small the busi- ness. The chamber wants to help as many people as they can. “We have 646 members. Some of those are indus- tries, some of those are very large businesses, some of them are one man, Mom and Pop shops. So they range in size…” Allen said. “But if they struggled at all during Covid, I want them to apply.” The application for the Covid-19 Support Program can be found on the cham- ber’s website, paristexas. com. Brad Perry celebrates 30 years at Peoples Bank NOW THEN CofC offering Covid-19 relief funds Local firms can apply for up to $1K in assistance T he coronavirus pan- demic has certainly caused havoc and concern for many people, particularly in regard to their health and their finances — and these two areas intersect in estate planning. So, if you haven’t drawn up your estate plans yet, or you think they may need to be revised, now may be a good time to act. This suggestion is not strictly based on issues of morbidity — after all, the vast majority of people who contract COVID-19 will survive. However, even if you never become ill or need to be hospital- ized, wouldn’t you be glad to know your affairs are in order? If you already have estate plans, you may need to revisit them if your family situation has changed because of marriage, divorce, remar- riage, new children, new financial goals, and so on. Of course, estate plan- ning can be complex, so there’s not a “one size fits all” approach. Nonetheless, here are some of the most com- monly used documents and arrange- ments: FINANCIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY — A financial power of attorney is a legal document that gives someone the authority to conduct your financial affairs — pay bills, write checks, make deposits, sell or purchase assets — if you were unable to do so yourself. You can establish the financial power of attorney without giving your representa- tive any ownership in your assets. LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT — With a last will and testament, you can choose how you want your assets distributed, appoint an executor to oversee the distribution and name a guardian to take care of minor children. If you don’t have a will, a court might assume these func- tions, with results you might not have wanted. LIVING TRUST — A liv- ing trust allows you to leave assets to your heirs without going through the time-consuming, pub- lic and often expensive probate process. Also, a living trust gives you sig- nificant flexibility in dis- persing your estate. You can direct your trust to pass your assets to your beneficiaries immediately upon your death or to distribute the assets over time and in amounts you specify. HEALTH CARE SURROGATE — A health care surro- gate, sometimes known as a health care proxy or health care power of attorney, is a legal docu- ment that appoints a per- son to act for you if you become incapacitated. Your surrogate has the authority to talk to your doctors, manage your medical care, and make medical decisions for you if you cannot do so. LIVING WILL — A living will, also known as an advance health care directive, lets you specify what end-of-life treat- ment you do or don’t want to receive if you become terminally ill or perma- nently unconscious. All these estate plan- ning tools can be complex, so before taking action, you’ll need to consult with an attorney and pos- sibly your tax and finan- cial advisors, too. However, during a pan- demic, you may encoun- ter a special challenge: Documents such as wills and powers of attorney typically need to be nota- rized and witnessed – and that may be difficult dur- ing a time of social dis- tancing and self-imposed quarantines. But this problem may be solvable because many states have now enacted executive orders or passed laws that permit “virtual” notari- zation and witnessing of legal documents. In any case, if the coro- navirus pandemic has raised your concerns about the legacy you’d like to leave, take the time now to launch or update your estate plans — you’ll be glad you did. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by the local Edward Jones financial advisor. RYAN LASSITER Guest Columnist Step to estate planning during a pandemic JENNIFER BUSSEY/ The Paris News From left to right: co-owners Shauna Mercaldo and Denise Williams with employee/friend Shannon Stone pose behind the coffee bar at All Things Coffee and Books. All Things Coffee and Books opens downtown
Transcript of SUNDAY Business A7 · 5/7/2020 · books, t-shirts, journals, hats and mugs. “We have our coffee...
By Jennifer Busseyjennifer,[email protected]
All Things Coffee and Books has opened in the downtown Paris area. Co-owners Shauna Mercaldo and Denise Williams started the busi-ness to fund a non-profit organization while cel-ebrating all of their favor-ite things: coffee, t-shirts, books and ministry.
“We both are in minis-try at Immanuel Baptist Church, and we formed a non-profit together about four years ago. We have been praying and dream-ing about having some sort of business that would help us fund our non-prof-it. Over time and prayer, we developed the idea of a bookstore/coffee shop/t-shirt store, a place that we can have all of our favorite things,” Mercaldo said.
The best friend duo have been planning on opening the store for three months and finally fulfilled their dreams two weeks ago.
All Things is 3,000 square feet filled with a coffee bar, lounge area, stage with a karaoke machine, children’s play-room, Christian-based books, t-shirts, journals, hats and mugs.
“We have our coffee bar and a local baker that bakes all of our treats: we have savory and sweet. We have a host of products like espresso drinks, mac-chiatos and cold brews. We do hot, iced and frozen.
We have various teas and flavored lemonade: iced and frozen. We do custom t-shirts, mugs and hats from all ages from birth to adults and in-between,” Mercaldo said.
To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the pair have closed the play-room and maintain a clean work environment. The store is requiring all cus-tomers and employees to wear masks due to Gov. Abbott’s mandate issued on Thursday.
“We understand that in the times we’re in, we have to be safe and clean and careful. Thankfully, we have a large enough space and a large enough capac-ity that even at the vari-ous percentages that have
been recommended (by Gov. Abbott and the CDC) we can still keep our doors open and keep things clean and safe. We are very blessed and thankful,” Mercaldo said.
Their main purpose for being in the downtown area is to bring a sense of community and peace to residents.
“Mainly our reason for being here is to be a place that people can come and gather. We want to be a place of ministry. We want to be a place where people feel comfortable. We love families, and we just love people,” Mercaldo said.
So far, the pair has seen success and acceptance from customers and com-munity members.
“It’s been going great. We have met the greatest people. We love Paris. We love downtown. Everyone is super supportive of one another. We can’t imag-ine living anywhere else,” Mercaldo said.
Both originally from the Houston area, Mercaldo and Williams moved to Paris to be closer to family.
“We actually both have come here at different times: Denise has been here for about eight years, and I’ve been here about seven years. Denise moved here with her husband and kids for her husband’s job and I moved here with my children and to be close to my parents and grandpar-ents who live in Detroit,” Mercaldo said.
The pair meet while vol-unteering at a children’s camp five or six years ago and have been best friends ever since.
“It’s been great to work with your best friend every day. It’s not work. We look forward to coming in everyday. We’re back here laughing and joking around, and it doesn’t feel like work. We just get to hang out with our best friend everyday. It’s so fun,” Mercaldo said.
All Things Coffee and Books is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesdays from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fridays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The store is closed on Mondays and Sundays.
SUNDAYJULY 5, 2020 Business A7
Robert M. Smith, CFP®
Senior Vice President-Investments
[email protected] Lamar Avenue, Suite CParis, TX 75460P 903-783-1307TF 844-234-1307
2017-2126 Exp. 12/31/2020 Member SIPCbenjaminfedwards.com
MAKING SENSE OF INVESTINGMember SIPC
Ryan C Lassiter, AAMS®Financial Advisor
3270 Lamar AvenueParis, TX 75460(903) [email protected]
Special to The Paris News
Peoples Bank is recog-nizing Brad Perry as he celebrates a 30-year mile-stone in his career.
Starting in 1990, fol-lowing the formation of Peoples Bank, Perry began his career as a lender and vice president. As a member of the execu-tive management team of Peoples Bank, he has been instrumental in growing the bank and ensuring its success for many years.
Throughout the years, Perry has been a guide and mentor for many, generously and patiently sharing the knowledge and skills he possesses. Currently holding the position of executive vice president and chief finan-cial officer, and as a mem-ber of the board of direc-tors, he is positioned to continue that legacy.
“I knew in 1990 when we were able to bring Brad Perry into our group he was an outstanding addi-tion to our bank. I just did
not realize the impact he would bring,” President Terry L. Christian said. “Having inherited his father’s (Thomas Perry) skills with numbers, time management and person-ality, Peoples Bank hit a home run. He has been a major part of our man-agement team and suc-cess. The future of Peoples Bank rests in good hands.”
Perry’s contribution to the bank has been immense and the fact that he has been here for 30 years says it all, officials said. His strategic vision for the bank has made Peoples Bank a great place to work, and his knowl-edge and leadership are invaluable.
By Julia [email protected]
The Texas economy is more open than it has been in months, but busi-nesses still have a lot of catching up to do. Lamar County businesses, espe-cially those deemed “non-essential,” lost massive amounts of money during the height of closures relat-ed to coronavirus, and the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce has recognized that some still need help. That’s why it’s stepped in with its newest effort, the Covid-19 Support Program.
The chamber is offering members assistance of up to $1,000 for utility bills and rent out of a $25,000 fund. President Paul Allen said all business owners need to do is fill out an online
application detailing how Covid-19 has affected their business financially to be eligible for assistance. He said what’s most important to him and the chamber is being able to help busi-nesses in any way they can.
“it’s a very user friendly application,” Allen said. “We made sure of that. And I don’t think it’ll be difficult for people to fill out… The purpose (of the program) is, we want to give our chamber mem-bers that struggled during Covid that small cushion that they so well deserve.”
Allen said the cham-ber, led by chairman Greg Wilson, was inspired by a similar program in Texarkana. Staff stayed in contact with the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce and turned to them for advice
before rolling out the pro-gram in Lamar County.
“I got in touch with Texarkana and started talking to them about how they were doing their pro-gram, how it was going and what the pros and the cons were…” Allen said.
The $25,000 fund the grants are coming from is made up of chamber dues, so Allen said the cham-ber sees it as a way to give back to the businesses that have given to them over the years — a literal repay-ment of sorts.
“(The funds come) from the dues that have been col-lected over the years,” he said. “So this is just a way of giving back to them for what they’ve invested in. It’s all about them. We love our members.”
As of Wednesday, five
businesses have applied for assistance, and Allen said he encourages more to do so. He said all who were affected by the economic downturn from Covid-19 should apply, regardless of how big or small the busi-ness. The chamber wants to help as many people as they can.
“We have 646 members. Some of those are indus-tries, some of those are very large businesses, some of them are one man, Mom and Pop shops. So they range in size…” Allen said. “But if they struggled at all during Covid, I want them to apply.”
The application for the Covid-19 Support Program can be found on the cham-ber’s website, paristexas.com.
Brad Perry celebrates 30 years at
Peoples Bank
NOWTHEN
CofC offering Covid-19 relief fundsLocal firms can apply for up to $1K in assistance
The coronavirus pan-demic has certainly caused havoc and
concern for many people, particularly in regard to their health and their finances — and these two areas intersect in estate planning. So, if you haven’t drawn up your estate plans yet, or you think they may need to be revised, now may be a good time to act.
This suggestion is not strictly based on issues of morbidity — after all, the vast majority of people who contract COVID-19 will survive. However, even if you never become ill or need to be hospital-ized, wouldn’t you be glad to know your affairs are in order? If you already have estate plans, you may need to revisit them if your family situation has changed because of marriage, divorce, remar-riage, new children, new financial goals, and so on.
Of course, estate plan-ning can be complex, so there’s not a “one size fits all” approach. Nonetheless, here are some of the most com-monly used documents
and arrange-ments:
FINANCIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY — A financial power of attorney is a legal document that gives someone the authority to conduct your financial affairs — pay bills, write checks, make deposits, sell or purchase assets — if you were unable to do so yourself. You can establish the financial power of attorney without giving your representa-tive any ownership in your assets.
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT — With a last will and testament, you can choose how you want your assets distributed, appoint an executor to oversee the distribution and name a guardian to take care of minor children. If you don’t have a will, a court might assume these func-tions, with results you might not have wanted.
LIVING TRUST — A liv-
ing trust allows you to leave assets to your heirs without going through the time-consuming, pub-lic and often expensive probate process. Also, a living trust gives you sig-nificant flexibility in dis-persing your estate. You can direct your trust to pass your assets to your beneficiaries immediately upon your death or to distribute the assets over time and in amounts you specify.
HEALTH CARE SURROGATE — A health care surro-gate, sometimes known as a health care proxy or health care power of attorney, is a legal docu-ment that appoints a per-son to act for you if you become incapacitated. Your surrogate has the authority to talk to your doctors, manage your medical care, and make medical decisions for you if you cannot do so.
LIVING WILL — A living will, also known as an advance health care directive, lets you specify what end-of-life treat-ment you do or don’t want to receive if you become terminally ill or perma-
nently unconscious.All these estate plan-
ning tools can be complex, so before taking action, you’ll need to consult with an attorney and pos-sibly your tax and finan-cial advisors, too.
However, during a pan-demic, you may encoun-ter a special challenge: Documents such as wills and powers of attorney typically need to be nota-rized and witnessed – and that may be difficult dur-ing a time of social dis-tancing and self-imposed quarantines. But this problem may be solvable because many states have now enacted executive orders or passed laws that permit “virtual” notari-zation and witnessing of legal documents.
In any case, if the coro-navirus pandemic has raised your concerns about the legacy you’d like to leave, take the time now to launch or update your estate plans — you’ll be glad you did.
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by the local Edward Jones financial advisor.
RYAN LASSITER
GuestColumnist
Step to estate planning during a pandemic
JENNIFER BUSSEY/The Paris News
From left to right: co-owners Shauna Mercaldo and Denise Williams with employee/friend Shannon Stone pose behind the coffee bar at All Things Coffee and Books.
All Things Coffee and Books opens downtown
