Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 45

Austin American-Statesman Metro State Saturday, May 27, 2000 B7 Seton Topfer Community Health Center FCC still to decide market for Central Texas channel Health center created to serve the uninsured 34 Lanier -jV. High 7 1V School jseton Topfer Community Lw3. v. statewide format" Not surprisingly, Belo doesn't see it that way. "I've seen a little of News 8, and it's a good idea," TXCN General Manager Jamie Aitken said.

"But the nice thing about Belo is we have so much experience and so many stations that are so good at news gathering. I think people will see a difference in quality." Regardless of market designation and must-carry rules, Central Texans might not have the choice of watching TXCN. "My sense is this will all be resolved in the next week or so," said Dennis Williamson, senior vice president of Belo's television division. "Right now, this is a work in progress, and there are different programming options depending on the market the station is assigned. TXCN is one option, but there are other (programming) options available to us to build a robust schedule." You may contact Diane Holloway at dholiowaystatesman.com or as a persistent reminder.

"Seton Topfer Community Health Center," it says, "was built in memory of Joe Degollado. For Joe and ail the Joes." Somehow, Almaguer said, she felt certain her brother would be very happy with this tribute to his memory. Degollado was a bachelor who loved children and was always smiling, Almaguer said. Even when he wasn't feeling well, he took the hour-and-a-half bus trip from Montopolis to the Topfers' historic home, called The Castle, in West Austin. Angela Topfer said he worked alongside her, gladly doing any chore.

"We did everything together," she said. "We weeded; we mowed; we cut trees; we cleaned, painted, you name it. Joe even helped me put up the Christmas tree. It really didn't matter what we needed to do, he was right there." She worked with him to improve his reading. He started teaching her Spanish.

"He was a very vital part and an important part of my life," she said. Degollado's legacy, thanks to the Topfers, is this gray and blue building, which cost $1.6 million and is expected to serve 3,000 in its first year. The Continued from Bl uninsured in North Austin. "This is for Joe and all the Joes," Angela Topfer said, standing in the packed lobby of the clinic during Friday's dedication. She stole the line, she said, from a thank you note written to her by Joe's brother, Trini.

He was among more than 20 family members who attended the dedication at 8913 Collihfield Drive, across from Lanier High School. Topfer said she and her husband, an adviser to computer magnate Michael Dell, didn't know until after Degollado died that the Seton Healthcare Network operates two similar clinics in South Austin and East Austin. One of them might have helped their beloved handyman. "Shame on me," she said. After they learned of the clinics, they decided to make their gift.

The clinic, which has one physician, Eduardo Sanchez, formerly of the local health department, provides primary, nonemergency care. Uninsured people who meet certain income guidelines pay on a sliding scale based on what they can afford. "This means a lot to us," said Almaguer, one of Degollado's seven siblings. "Even though he's gone, I know that he's still here." A small plaque in the lobby acts Paint rags By Jason Spencer American-Statesman Staff A Fire that destroyed St. Theresa's Catholic Church on Tuesday started when a cardboard box stuffed with painting rags spontaneously ignited, authorities said Friday.

Arson investigators from the ignited church fire, officials say Austin Fire Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms ruled the three-alarm fire an accident. Workers had used an oil-based stain on the church's wood ceiling and stored their used rags in a box the day before the fire, said Battalion Chief Ted Munson of the Austin Fire Department. What: Provides primary, nonemergency care to the uninsured. Where: 8913 Coliinfield Drive at Payton Gin Road, across from Lanier High School in North Austin.

Staff: One physician, six other staff members. Patients: 3,000 first year, eventually building to 10,000 a year. Patients must meet eligibility requirements and pay on a sliding scale based on their income. Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, Phone: 324-6850 i- -S3? A tr' if building also houses Life Works, a social service organization that provides counseling and other services, mainly to youths, including homeless and pregnant teens.

"This is a dream come true," said Bill McLellan, executive director of LifeWorks. "Here, we bind the wounds and heal the broken-hearted." The clinic is open weekdays, but Overnight, the organic oils used in the stain began to decompose, creating heat that built up inside the box, eventually igniting the flammable rags. The fire quickly spread up a wall, then between the ceiling and the roof, he said. Firefighters arrived about 3 a.m. Tuesday to find the new church engulfed in flames, tltratm mi 9 SELECT COMFORT Continued from Bl KHOU in Houston, KENS in San Antonio and KVUE in Austin.

The channel also uses the resources of the Belo-owned Dallas Morning News, the. Bryan-College Station Eagle and Belo's Washington, D.C., bureau. If the FCC decides KBEJ is a must-carry station for Austin, Time-Warner will comply and carry it for two years. But the Austin cable company is not interested in carrying TXCN, if that's the programming chosen, unless it must. That's because TXCN would compete with Time-Warner's News 8 Austin, a 24-hour local news cable channel, and the company's research indicates Central Texans aren't interested in 24-hour statewide news.

"All our surveys have shown that in the area of news, our customers don't need more news now that they have News 8 Austin," said Bill Carey, president of Time-Warner Cable in Austin. "Things could change, but right now we don't see an interest in the HELP OVER I Model MAV5000MAV600B mwmm-. Vy pji MEMORIAL WEEKEND CELEBRATION! 12 mile Robert CalzadaAA-S a.m. to 4:30 p.m. the building is available to the community in the evenings.

Kathie Holliman, president of the North Austin Civic Association, said her neighborhood group has met there several times since the clinic opened March 1. "It's an incredible addition to the neighborhood," she said. You may contact Mary Ann Roser at maroserstatesman.com or 445-3619. destroying the sanctuary weeks before it was to open. The $2 million church, at 4300 Small Drive in Northwest Austin, was insured and can be rebuilt in about eight months, according to the construction company.

You may contact Jason Spencer at jspencerstatesman.com or 445-3605. turn mH SKM CMrtvt itra mm ft latt Uyi 445 1731 to order. 02 mm I ljipsgi kw SSss Contumar Migailna Model MDB9100 II' fa 3 Uiru iuliy WITM UY BED SET PURCHASE SELECT COMFORT Visit a store near you Mall Highland Mall Austin 512453-3787 Lakeline Mall Cedaf Park Barton Creek Austin 512-327-8589 Opt MMMnal Oay Durht RicJr Hid Hmt 5 620 MALL! 4 1 ANDERSON MILL For reprints of Austin American-Statesman articles, call.