Clearwater Plumbers - September/October 2020

Clearwater Plumbers - September/October 2020

ClearWater Plumbers

September/October 2020

Downtown Mineral Wells

2015, 2020, and Beyond

These squatters were out of their minds ... literally. I referred to these people as “The Walking Dead,” like the zombies in the TV series. I’d engage with these folks mainly about trespassing in the yard, and they would look right through me. They would make gasping noises and work their jaws, showing off their missing teeth. I’d shoo them away like chasing off a stray dog you aren’t so sure about turning your back on ... You know, stand tall, clap loudly, and holler “Git” while pointing your finger in the direction they should take to “git” off the freaking property.

Why would I buy that 120-year-old carriage house?

I love the town of Mineral Wells and have been fascinated by it since I was a kid. To me it is fun, like being a character living in an episode of the “The Twilight Zone.” Let me guide you with my observations as “The Baron of Mineral Wells,” something my brother has been calling me for the last five years. Mineral Wells is rich with history and was in its prime over 100 years ago. It’s just one hour west of downtown Forth Worth. Mineral Wells is home to about 16,000 people, and it is where I acquired my prestigious “Baron” title by making five small real estate purchases in the downtown area. 2015 My first real estate purchase was as bad as you can imagine. There were hypodermic needles in the closets, adult magazines scattered on the floor, and piles of human feces next to broken down cardboard boxes that were used as mattresses the night before.

Well, obviously I am a glutton for punishment, and it is in the heart of downtown and steeped in the town’s history of drawing in tourists to bathe in the healing mineral water that gave the town its name. I wanted to be part of the town’s historic central business district. I quickly dumped the squatters’ belongings, bleached the entire place, and boarded up the garage with fresh plywood and shiny galvanized r-panel. Then, I fenced the property. Amy, my wife, got in on some of the biohazard remediation action as well. She abated her share of hypodermic needles and enough filth to last her at least a lifetime. We saved this historic property before it was too late. As I worked nights and weekends securing and restoring our first purchase to its current fresh and sanitary condition, I watched the goings- on next door. Gang members, vagrants, possums, and police would all go in and out the back door at odd hours of the day, each with a different agenda. The police were serious, strategic, and deliberate about their entry through the back door. I was determined to clean up the block, and I could not have a drug house as a neighbor. I did some detective work and found the owner of the abandoned house next door. It was even worse than the first one. Gang writing warned you to stay away, and there was no electricity. I

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Airbnb has become increasing popular, and it’s no surprise why. These rentals offer travelers affordable places to stay with a more unique feel and aesthetic than a commercial hotel. While all hotel rooms offer painfully similar setups, Airbnb rentals offer people a chance to stay in a mansion, cabin, or, as Jeff mentioned on the cover, a taste of history. While the pandemic has placed restrictions on travel for the time being, it won’t be this way forever. In fact, now might be the best time to get started on renovations, whether you’re a seasoned Airbnb renter or just getting started. If you’ve been thinking about renovating a property to use for rental space, here are a few things to keep in mind. New Floor, Please This doesn’t mean installing new carpet. Install a hardwood floor or consider a polished concrete floor for a unique look. While these installations require a little bit of elbow grease, they are some of the cheaper options to give your floors a stylish look. The More Storage the Better Storage is key. Think about the people who will be staying in your Airbnb — they’re going to want the space to store whatever it is they’re

Kingdom Lake, and the down-home good people, it will surely beat Fredericksburg as a destination town one day. There is money in Palo Pinto and in the surrounding counties. I feel like the dilapidated parts of the city of Mineral Wells will be rehabilitated, and the city will get new residents with a new sense of ownership. The price of real estate in Mineral Wells is really reasonable and a draw. Many first-time homeowners cannot afford to live in Weatherford or Fort Worth, but Mineral Wells gives them the option to get into a home at a reasonable price and still be within an hour of Fort Worth. Drugs This, in my mind, is Mineral Wells’ biggest problem in recent history. There will continue to be an influx of money to Mineral Wells, and the current investors will naturally want to protect their investment. This will help to focus attention on the “Walking Dead” drug culture. It is a slow process, but just like Sundance Square, the area will clean up, and the improvement will bellow out. It will raise the healthy livability of downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. It is an interesting and exciting time in the history of Mineral Wells. You should drop in and walk around. There has been a lot of behind-the-scenes work, and the stars are aligning. Slowly but surely, this little city is seeing the changes it has been needing for 50 years. There is a ton of opportunity for this little city an hour to the Wild West of Fort Worth. bringing. That being said, adding storage options could be as simple as adding a shoe rack by the door, hooks on the wall, or even a shelf inside a closet. Airbnb even recommends that hosts provide at least eight hangers in the closet for their guests. Kitchen Cabinet Time One of the best renovations is painting your kitchen cabinets. The kitchen is often the make or break factor when it comes to guests deciding on a place to stay. It’s one of the benefits of renting through Airbnb — hotel rooms don’t come with a kitchen. Giving your kitchen a fresh look with painted cabinets or even replacing a few cabinet doors with glass doors can give your kitchen the look your guests crave. These are just a few ways you can renovate your Airbnb rental, giving it the perfect look to attract guests. When you start planning your renovations, be sure to put in the time and research to make the space the best it can be.

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Are there still places you should not go? YES , and if you go exploring, you will figure out where to stop on your own. Downtown Mineral Wells currently reminds me of Fort Worth when the Bass Brothers were instrumental in fixing up Sundance Square around the early 1980s. When I go, I like to work. I also like to ride my bike around, hopeful to see my local friends both young and old. There really are some great salt of the earth people there. I feel like my personality fits with the local laid-back style. They have a different outlook on life that we can all learn from, and they can do things with less. They are survivors, smart and tough, and they come from families of hard-working pioneers who helped found Palo Pinto county. The local government has become more sophisticated. I see the law enforcement steadily working to enforce the right stuff. The town saying is “Keep Mineral Wells Crazy.” I personally like the word “crazy.” To me, it is kind of refreshing and outside of the box. Crazy is good. What I like to remind folks of in Mineral Wells is, “Let’s keep Mineral Wells crazy … but not scary.” The law enforcement work is making a huge impact on the curb appeal of the city and county. We back the blue. The Future Downtown Mineral Wells draws people in fromWeatherford, Fort Worth, and Dallas, as well as daytrippers from all around to visit. With all the history of North Texas hill country, the geography, Possum

Keep up the good work, Mineral Wells!

–Jeff

Your ole Buddy :),

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Blast From the Past/Before and After

When my brother and I lived up there at the shop, we climbed the power transmission towers until all our hair stood up ... Dumb. But we got good and cheap aerial photos!

This is a picture (below) of the original shop with the water treatment plant in the background.

Inspired by Candiquik.com

INGREDIENTS •

Below is a picture of the current shop. We have grown as a company and as humans. I no longer climb power transmission towers. (This was 1997-ish.)

16 oz white chocolate, chopped

• •

24 strawberries

1 package mini dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS 1. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the white chocolate at 50% power for 30 seconds. Remove it and stir, then repeat the process until melted.

2. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper.

3. One by one, dip the strawberries into the melted white chocolate and set themon the parchment. Allow the extra chocolate to pool to form a “tail” effect. 4. Before the chocolate coating fully cools, add three mini chocolate chips to each berry to form two eyes and a mouth.

Our quarterly raffle winner, Lana! Lana got $500 for referring!

5. Let chocolate set, then serve your spooky snacks!

Quarterly Raffle

Remember ... every quarter, we draw a name for a $500 cash prize! Every time you refer ClearWater, your name goes in the pot. Keep on referring! May the odds be in your favor.

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6954 Boat Club Rd. Fort Worth, TX 76179 817-296-0670

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

ClearWater Plumbers

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Downtown Mineral Wells

Renovating for Your Next Airbnb

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Blast From the Past!

Spooky Strawberry Ghosts Recipe

... Continued From Cover

Downtown Mineral Wells

pushing baby strollers … with babies in the strollers, mind you. In the past, if you saw a baby stroller, the odds were better that it was packed with belongings in black trash bags. That has always bothered me. I’m okay with people pushing stuff around in stolen shopping carts more so than I am in a baby carriage. Additionally, The Baker Hotel renovation is underway. Much admiration to Mr. Laird and the team of investors. (TheBakerHotelAndSpa.com) The Crazy Water Hotel is underway, as well. Mr. Nix is a local capitalist remodeling that project, and he has never-ending energy for sure. Now that the central business district is getting revitalized, you see cars like Tesla, Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus, whereas before, there were subcompacts with lawnmowers hanging out of the hatchbacks.

would go in wearing a headlamp and holding a framing hammer as a weapon — the fur on my neck stood up until I knew I was the only human in the house. Sometimes I’d call home with my phone in my pocket and on speaker so Amy could listen while I went in to make sure there was not an emergency situation waiting for me so she could hang up and call for police backup. If you don’t count all the sweat equity and risk, you could say I got some really good deals on run-down historic property. 2020 Fast forward five years: As of this writing, it has been a year since I have seen a stray hypodermic needle and a year since I called the police on a rabid-looking, 50-year-old meth-head woman who looked to be a leathery 80-year-old. She said she would kill me because I would not help her out of the drainage canal. Don’t worry, she got out on her own unscathed, but it was not pretty. Those purchases are now fresh, clean, well-lit, and furnished Airbnb long-term rentals. They are right off the bike trail and in the best walking spot in the city. There’s a lot happening on that block. I am incredibly proud of our two properties. I like to be part of the greater good.

The city is getting better at an amazing pace — a pace it has not seen in 100 years. People are walking, riding bikes, and

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