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With owner Ricki Derek’s show almost sold out, Scat Jazz Lounge will have a great NYE. Other places? Booze sales indicate that it could go either way. Great live music helps. Read more in Eats & Drinks and Last Call.

METROPOLIS Arlington dropping LGBTQ+ protections from its antidiscrimination ordinance is to be expected.

LAST CALL The Boiled Owl, Ampersand, Club Ritzy, The Mont, and more local spots are ready to par-tay.

STUFF Winning out while Philthydelphia loses the rest effectively means the Cowboys’ season is done.

MUSIC Pavement, Love Cuts, AC/ DC, Joe Gorgeous, and Weird Al are among our critics’ favorite concerts of ’25.

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INSIDE N umber 34

D ecember 17-23, 2025

STAFF Editor: Anthony Mariani Publisher: Lee Newquist General Manager: Bob Niehoff Art Director: Ryan Burger Marketing Director: Jennifer Bovee Regional Director: Michael Newquist

Know the Drill

Sr. Account Executive: Stacey Hammons Account Manager: Julie Strehl

Cool shots of Fort Worth are about all to recommend Season 2 of the otherwise brilliant Landman.

Sarah Niehoff, Wyatt Newquist Proofreader: Emmy Smith Brand Ambassador: Clint “Ironman” Newquist CONTRIBUTORS Cour tesy Emerson Miller/Paramount+

Winter Dunderland By Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue

Blue Christmas

An interesting villain separates the new Avatar movie from its predecessors. By Kristian Lin

Life by the Drop

As alcohol sales dip, music venues need to get creative. By Kena Sosa

Cover image by Ryan Burger

Govea, Mark Henricks, Patrick Higgins, Kristian Lin, Cody Neatherly, Rush Olson, Emmy Smith, Steve Steward, Teri Webster, Ken WheatcroftPardue, Elaine Wilder, Cole Williams EDITORIAL

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13 Night & Day 15 Eats & Drinks

Last Call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

20 Music 22 Classifieds

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By defunding public education, Gov. Abbott declares war on Black and brown communities.

E.R. Bills, Jennifer Bovee, Jason Brimmer, Jess

DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

By Danny Gallagher

Account Executives: Tony Diaz, Wendy Maier,

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Vo lum e 21

METROPOLIS Another Bent Knee

To cash in on federal dollars, Arlington removes LGBTQ+ protections from its nondiscrimination ordinance.

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M A R I A N I

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A N T H O N Y

Of all the terrible things that can be said about the current White House, “bigoted bullies” — who also happen to be sexist, racist, and dumb — has to be among the most accurate. The queer media advocacy organization GLAAD reports that Donald Trump has attacked the LGBTQ+ community at least 426 times during his 45th and 47th presidencies. In one of his most recent purely performative offenses, Trump signed an executive order banning transgender U.S. women and girls from participating in the Olympics — out of nearly 100,000 athletes total qualifying for the games over the past 22 years, only one was a transgender woman. Arlington is just another formerly respectable entity bending the knee to the would-be tyrant. The city council recently voted 5-4 not to reinstate LGBTQ+ protections into its antidiscrimination ordinance, becoming the first major U.S. city to take such a drastic and unpopular stance. Supporters of the vote claim state and federal protections already do enough to ensure queer Arlingtonians can live safely. Detractors say local

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support is even more important. They also add that reinstating protections costs nothing for Arlington taxpayers. The vote was clearly made under duress. The White House intends to revoke federal monies from cities that “violate” federal antidiscrimination laws by offering “opportunities, benefits, or advantages” based on protected traits, including race, gender, and sexual orientation. Arlington stood to lose more than $60 million in federal funds. Colleges and universities, major media conglomerates, white-hat law firms — many otherwise unassailable institutions are bending the knee for federal dollars. Strongarming these power players is something a despot would do, not the “duly elected” leader of an erstwhile democratic country.

America is looking less like its former strong, antifascist self and more like some C-average backwater cult. And workaday Americans are noticing. An aggregate of current polls shows Trump’s net approval rating way underwater, with disapproval as high as 60% or more with approval in the 30% range. His current net approval is the second lowest for a president at this point in his second term since the 1940s. The only one lower is disgraced former president Richard Nixon in the heat of Watergate. Aside from inane culture-war nonsense, the chief criterion driving his abysmal numbers is the economy. At a pitifully attended speech in Pennsylvania the other day allegedly to assuage voter fears, Trump instead trotted out his greatest

hits of grievances, even saying that families with children do not need any more than two dolls at Christmas. What he hasn’t addressed is slowing GDP growth, rising long-term unemployment, high costs for essentials (housing, food), stagnant wages for non-college graduates, and increased household debt with a weakening labor market, stalled inflation reduction, and burgeoning public perception of economic hardship, especially among low-income groups. And Trump won’t concern himself with any of these problems anytime soon. He’s got a gaudy ballroom to build. Maybe he can add the total construction costs to the $2.3 trillion in national debt that has accumulated since he took office. You might not hear much of the country’s bad economic news because the White House will not release government inflation data or reports on unemployment and GDP. “We’re doing so great, you don’t need to see the evidence!” Inflation has been rising every month since Trump’s inauguration after reaching a three-year low in January thanks to former President Joe Biden. Why are gas prices falling? Because the economy is falling. Fast. And lower interest rates are partly due to rising unemployment. Arlington’s entire antidiscrimination ordinance will remain suspended until further notice, which also means no protection for other groups, including ones based on race and religion. A conservative advocacy organization that supports the council’s vote, Texas Values said in a statement, “Texas Values recommended that the Arlington City Council remove the terms ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ from the ordinance in order to comply with federal directives, as well as newly enacted state law such as the Texas Women’s Privacy Act (S.B. 8), which went into effect last week.” l This column reflects the opinions of the editorial board and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.

Defunding Public Ed

ID laws and gerrymandering, they don’t even bother to pretend anymore. In our new gilded age, Republicans are again on the side of the robbers and care not at all that the rest of us are getting mugged, but understand that we, the robbed, are exactly who government is for. The purpose of government is not, as our MAGA “brain trust” believes, to surrender our state to the highest bidders but to help average Texans. Abbott’s proposal will leave locals no way to stop the construction of AI data centers that

use too much energy, raising prices and making unbearable noise pollution. With Abbott’s terrible, very bad idea, no government entity will protect Texans from the broligarchs. Abbott wants to leave average Texans with public schools that are set up to fail and will only go downhill because of a lack of funding. Yet public schools are what made America. Investment in children now pays off multiple dividends in the future. A competent state government would insist on adequately funding public education for all as a primary responsibility of a free people, but since most Texas public school students (73%) are not white, who cares. Unfortunately, we cannot count on Abbott the Grinch to have a life-changing revelation that would suddenly grow his heart two sizes, though I truly wish we could. Let’s remember that people aren’t stupid. A cut in property taxes would be sweet. Everybody wants to pay less in taxes, but the costs of Abbott’s proposal are too high. It will endanger our public schools and local governments protecting their people. It should be totally rejected, as should a fourth term for our Grinchy governor. — Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue A fifth generation Texan and retired teacher, Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue still remembers the pure joy he felt on first reading Green Eggs and Ham. This column reflects the opinions and fact-gathering of the author(s) and only the author(s) and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.

This past year, United Way of Tarrant County supported more than 400,000 North Texas residents — and the need continues to grow. Families are counting on us, and we’re counting on you.

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You’re a mean one, Gov. Greg Abbott, having emerged from your Grinch-like Laboratory of Awful, No Good, Very Bad Ideas located in dark limestone caverns deep beneath the Governor’s Mansion with a poison pill confection topped with sweet frosting. Like all mad scientists in every horror classic, his eyes positively gleamed as he gazed at his monstrous invention, a proposal that will effectively defund public education (the poison) by ending property taxes on homesteads for education (the sweet frosting). But that’s not all. Our governor, in his eagerness to be ever more subservient to the oligarchs that bankroll him, has packed his proposal with even more “goodies” that will totally sabotage government at all levels by making it easier for citizens to defund their local governments. Abbott proposes to limit local governments’ spending increases to the rate of population growth plus inflation or 3.5%, whichever is less. If a city wants to spend above that set rate, at least two-thirds of its citizens will have to vote for a higher tax increase. That will effectively make it nearly impossible for any local government in

Texas to get anything done that its citizens need beyond the basics. So not content to ruin Texas during his corrupt reign of error, Abbott, with a heart two sizes too small, hopes to plant an IED that will continue to destroy us years after he’s left the scene. How brilliantly evil in a mad scientist sort of way. Our MAGA governor offered this nauseous proposal in his kickoff for his bid of an unprecedented fourth term as governor. First, he wants voters to have the chance to vote for a constitutional amendment that will abolish property taxes dedicated to public education. In his speech, Abbott contended that Texas would be able to afford to pay for education with its unusual surplus at the moment, acting as if the business cycle of periodic downturns will no longer be a thing. Republicans have said for years that government should be run like a business, but what business decreases its main income stream and expects not to go bankrupt? In 2023, school districts collected $17.5 billion from single-family homes. How can the state make up that loss of revenue? Risibly, Abbott insisted that his proposal would lead to no sales tax increases. That’s a lie. We live in Texas, where our Constitution forbids an income tax, and now Abbott wants to decrease government revenue from property taxes. No matter what he says, common sense dictates there will have to be an increase in sales taxes, which are regressive and hurt the poor and working classes most. Republicans used to at least appear to care about average people (remember “compassionate conservatism”?), but now after they’ve disenfranchised so many Texans with their voter

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Static

Fun While It Lasted Alas, Sunday’s loss to the Vikings was the last meaningful football the Cowboys will play this season.

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P A T R I C K

H I G G I N S

With all the terrible shit happening in the world — genocides playing out in plain sight, tech giants hoarding the spoils of the GDP, legendary film directors being brutally murdered in their home by their own offspring — the fate of a football team can seem like a silly thing to concern yourself with. Yet I would contend that in these dark times, anything that brings you joy is a worthwhile investment of your time and energy regardless of how shallow or trivial. Whether it’s grown men beating their brains out to move a balloon made of cowhide back and forth on a patch of grass or your fourth Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake of the day, I say, take your serotonin pumps wherever you can get them. I suppose my family might argue that the amount of occasional serotonin release the Dallas Cowboys offer me isn’t sufficient to overcome the rise in cortisol level they generally cause, but I’m not sure a box of Little Debbies is any healthier, and one way or another we’re pushing that precious neurotransmitter across the appropriate synapse and getting that drip. Sadly, with the inexplicable 34-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football, at least from football as a source, the serotonin well

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Cour tesy Dallas Cowboys/Instagram

STUFF

It’s all over before Christmas. This season’s Cowboys made it interesting in the middle, but the last month of the season will be meaningless.

has run dry. The loss puts Dallas’ record at 6-7-1 and the team in need of a Christmas miracle to make the playoffs. Earning a postseason game would require the ’Boys to run the table and their NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles to lose out. Though this year’s Philthy is definitely not the Super Bowl championship team from a year ago, while facing an extremely pedestrian Washington team with Marcus Mariota under center twice over the final three, there’s a better chance of the Mavericks winning the NBA draft lottery and selecting Duke phenom Cooper Flagg first overall. (In fact, the chance of that happening was nearly twice as likely at 1.8%.) But that happened, so I guess anything’s technically possible. The Iggles’ woefully dysfunctional offense makes the team look primed for a meltdown, but it would be so Cowboys if Philly left the door open for the NFC East title and Dallas lost to the Giants in Week 18. I’m still not sure if the Cowboys’ middling record is evidence of them under- or overperforming expectations. Two things are certain: The offense is elite, but despite the midseason trade deadline improvement, the defense is the inverse equivalent to it. As frustrating as Sunday’s game was, the previous month made for some really fun football. The back-to-back takedowns of the two teams in last year’s Super Bowl — first against the hated

Eagles, then a Thanksgiving Day comeback against the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs — was especially entertaining. Dallas just put themselves in too deep of a hole early in the year, leaving themselves no margin down the stretch. Two things are the most disappointing. The first is that the rest of the league looks as beatable as it’s ever been. The NFC especially. If ever the competition level has laid an easier path to a conference championship, I don’t know of one. The other is they’ve wasted the best football of Dak Prescott’s career. It doesn’t really matter how many QB metrics in which No. 4 ranks around the top of the league when a terrible secondary and an even worse linebacking core consistently allow mediocre QBs career days against them. The haters will somehow still try to blame Dak for it. A Russell Wilson who was benched the following week, a first-overall bust in Bryce Young dragging a career QBR of 42.4 in with him, a career backup in Jacoby Brissett, and essentially a rookie in J.J. McCarthy boasting the worst completion percentage in the league — each of these guys looked like vintage Peyton Manning against Matt Eberflus’ bewilderingly blitz-vacant and zone-heavy scheme. Is Dak supposed to line up at corner on top of having to score on every drive? So, that’s it. The 2025 season is donned with the proverbial bow. Now the questions are aimed

at what happens next year. Some of those should already have been answered. Despite an irritating tendency to settle for field goals, head coach and play caller Brain Schottenheimer has proven he’s as good or better than Mike McCarthy running the offense. George Pickens should be retained, whether by extension or the tag. Trevon Diggs should be wearing a different uniform next year. And Brandon Aubrey should become the highest paid kicker in the history of the league. Beyond that, the front office must use their high-value draft capital to address the defensive side of the ball and supplement those selections with some actual free agency acquisitions. As far as how I’m supposed to get my serotonin? Feelings are still raw from the Luka trade, and while the firing of the architect of that blunder, Nico Harrison, certainly helps and Cooper Flagg appears every bit as good as advertised, the Mavs are in a sort of limbo, a liminal space somewhere between borderline relevancy and a mandate to blow it all up and build an entirely new team around Flagg, so there’s little to glean there. The Stars are on a President’s Trophy-winning pace to begin the year, but I normally can’t switch my hockey brain fully on until at least after the Winter Classic. I am in a sort of liminal space, too. So, I suppose Little Debbies, here I come. l

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SCREEN

G A L L A G H E R

Every show deserves some time to find itself and its audience. The first season of Paramount+’s Landman was a polished primetime drama that didn’t need that extra time. The latest from Texas TV maven Taylor Sheridan, who launched a mini-Hollywood in Fort Worth’s backyard with shows like Yellowstone, was gripping, real, and very entertaining as a gritty drama about the seedy world of corporate oil conglomerates and the questionable deals made to obtain land for drilling. Season 2 feels like I’m watching a completely different show. The stories may be connected, but almost nothing works, except a few standout storylines of some new characters. The other highpoints for locals include the sweeping shots of our majestic, natural landscape and the familiar sights of the landmarks in our little slice of Texas, including Dickies Arena, TCU, the Stockyards (complete with the cattle drive), and even a cameo for the Star-Telegram. The Weekly probably won’t get one after this recap. Landman stars Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, a gruff land acquisition agent for the fictitious M-Tex Oil. Tommy does the industry’s dirty work of navigating the backroads (sometimes literally) of obtaining oil-rich fields to expand his parent company’s corporate empire. This season, Tommy starts out as M-Tex’s president as stipulated in the will of the late CEO Monty Miller — played by the always dependable dramatic and comic actor Jon Hamm — who died in the ninth episode of the first season. The job title may be different, but Tommy still has to deal with the same crop of shady

Billy Bob Thornton returns as oil executive Tommy Norris for the second, not-so-thrilling season of Landman on Paramount+.

characters and crooks, except now they inhabit the highest echelons of the oil and gas industry. This exposition could have been the perfect setup to a new season of Tommy’s story about the price of success in a cutthroat industry that’s become the blood supply of America’s economy and the toll it takes on his family and sanity. This second season starts promising with storylines about Tommy’s son Cooper ( Jacob Lofland) trying to strike the kinds of deals that made his father an executive and the slow rekindling of Tommy’s romance with his ex-wife, Angela (Ali Larter). The former leads to an interesting reveal that ties back to the first season but ultimately feels unsatisfying so far as it gets bogged down in its own business. The latter creates tension using cartoonish means that are downright bewildering. Part of the charm of Tommy and Angela’s relationship is the sexual antagonism that oozes between them. (Try not to picture that metaphor for too long.) It’s almost an old vaudeville routine. Tommy is a gruff and stone-faced Texan confused at the world surrounding him outside of the oil fields, and Angela is a walking cartoon of energy and anger. Just as their daughter is headed off to

college at TCU, the family holds a dinner in the homestead where Tommy openly tests Angela’s will to act like a human being with graphic talk about her menstrual cycle. Some might describe it as a “crack,” but it goes on for an uncomfortable amount of time, leading to Angela’s inevitable plate-flinging meltdown. Angela can be over the top in just about every scene. It’s what makes her so compelling and even believable at times. No sane human being would consider this flirting. Some moments seem to be setups just to create conflict for the sake of creating conflict. Last season, Cooper and Ariana (Paulina Chávez) had the most promising relationship story when the two kindle their love under the most tragic of circumstances. Cooper comes into huge success that scares off Ariana because she sees the folly of money and power and how it destroys relationships and families. The two break up but waltz back into each other’s lives when Ariana tells Cooper that when she broke up with him, she was really saying that she expected him to come back and fight for their relationship. It’s a lame and lazy excuse to thrust the two back together. The castmembers do the best they can

with the material, but even extreme talents like Thornton can carry things only so far. The addition of Demi Moore as Monty’s tough, grieving widow Cami felt like a gift, but even that’s been squandered. She’s set up as a conniving, scheming heel, but it goes nowhere. It’s a disappointing use of a Best Actress Oscar winner. The only bright spot comes from Tommy’s estranged dad, T.L. (Sam Elliott, who delivers the kind of intensity and emotion that’s defined his career). He’s a perfect fit for a show like Landman, struggling with the loss of his wife that leads to a greater understanding of Tommy’s nature and attitude. Their tale feels real and genuine and fills in a lot of the emotional gaps of some of the show’s central characters. Elliott’s story and performance gave me a reason to look forward to the next episode. We’re only halfway through the season, so maybe there’s a chance things will turn around by the finale. Unfortunately, there’s more that needs cleaning up, and it’s in danger of spreading like some out-of-control oil fire. It’s gonna need more than a few hoses and some extinguishers to put out these flames before they engulf the whole structure. l

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Landman shows a vibrant and sprawling Texas — and that’s about it.

Cour tesy Emerson Miller/Paramount+

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SCREEN L I N

Avatar: Fire and Ash opens with a filmed statement by James Cameron and his actors warning against the dangers of artificial intelligence taking over the movies and proudly stating that no part of their film was generated with AI. Nothing that Cameron says about AI is wrong, but he’s a strange person to be delivering this particular message, given the total lack of interest in the complexities of the human psyche he has shown in his previous efforts. However, after giving the last two movies in this series a good kicking, I was surprised to find that I actually had something nice to say about this third installment. Stay tuned, loyal readers. This chapter picks up with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family reluctantly leaving the seaside Metkayina clan because the avatar version of the deceased Col. Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is bent on recapturing his human son Spider ( Jack Champion), who can’t survive on his own because he’s unable to breathe Pandora’s air. Jake’s teenage daughter Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) solves that problem, only to create some other ones by making Spider even more attractive to the humans as a test subject. Honestly, the best thing that the series could do is kill off both Jake and Quaritch. Worthington has always been a one-note actor, but I’m not sure

With Avatar: Fire and Ash, the series finally offers a villain worth rooting against.

that a more accomplished star could do much a great deal of red into the color palette to offset with this droning character. He’s been reduced to the blues from the previous two installments, a dad who keeps telling his kids not to do stuff, which is a relief to the eyes if nothing else. Still, and his previous experience as a human being the 197-minute running time (which includes never comes into play as someone who’s fighting Cameron’s anti-AI statement) washes over you against the humans. Opposite the Australian star, without providing anything resembling a story Lang may be a rangier actor, but Quaritch is an beat or rising and falling action. There’s just even shallower character, whose belief in duty action and less action. Hang on, though, because here comes the and military conquest hasn’t been changed one nice stuff I’m going to say. Quaritch makes an bit by fatherhood or anything else in the epic. alliance of convenience with a Many of the same issues Na’vi tribe called the Mangkwan from the previous Avatar films clan, a.k.a. the Ash People, and have followed the series here. Avatar: Fire and Ash they make better villains than The action sequences have the Starring Sam Worthington anybody else so far in this series. inhuman smoothness of Peter and Stephen Lang. Directed Coveting the humans’ automatic Jackson’s Hobbit movies, and by James Cameron. Written firearms, the Ash People are like Cameron loses track of his charby James Cameron, Rick those native tribes who figured acters for ages before he picks Jaffa, and Amanda Silver. Rated PG-13. that they could beat their white up their thread again. This third conquerors if only they could get chapter does at least introduce

hold of their weapons. Under the leadership of a bloodthirsty new chief (Oona Chaplin), they’ve turned away from Pandora’s gods because those deities failed to protect them. Much like some of those aforementioned native tribes, they turn into worse versions of the imperialists. This is not only interesting in itself. It also portrays the Na’vi as something other than innocent victims of the human invasion. If the Ash people aren’t enough to make Avatar: Fire and Ash worth recommending, they do at least offer a safety valve from the didacticism and sanctimony that infested Cameron’s previous entries in the saga. When you see as many movies as I do in a given year, you learn to appreciate small victories. Maybe when Cameron finally gives up being in charge of this series, another filmmaker who’s better at writing can take control and make it into something thoughtful as well as visceral. That would be good. l

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The Na’vi find some enemies from within in James Cameron’s epic.

Cour tesy 20th Centur y Studios

Flame War

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NIGHT & DAY

evening is a special pay-what-you-choose date, so you may want to go tonight.

This year’s annual A Jazzy Christmas at Arts 5th Avenue (1628 5th Av, Fort Worth, 817Saturday 923-9500) is at 7pm, featuring the music of the 3 Kings — Fort Worth cats Eddie Dunlap (drums), Joe Rogers (piano), and Chris White (bass) — with vocals by Lois Leftwich and Robert Rouse, tap dance performances by Sugar Plums & The Jingle Elves, and a special performance by the Christmas Sisters. Tickets are $20 at TicketstotheCity.com.

Not So Silent Nights

With holiday music at Scat Jazz Lounge and Arts 5th Avenue, and a special production at Stage West, Christmastime is indeed here.

Sunday

Chicken N Pickle in Grand Prairie (2965 S Hwy 161, 469-943-1410) and Grapevine (4600 Merlot Av, 817-766-6260)

has a busy winter planned. A buffet-style Sunday Brunch with Santa is 10am-2pm. It’s $20.99 per person ($9.99 for kids 12 and under), and photo ops with Santa are free. There are also decorated outdoor igloos you can reserve, each accommodating up to eight people. More about that at ChickenNPickle.com/winter-experiences. And every Wednesday thru Feb 25, when you buy a pot pie, Chicken N Pickle donates one to a local organization.

We wish you (and our printer) a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! If you have cause to Sunday book advertising space or need to tell us about a significant event happening in the next two weeks, make a note to yourself that the Weekly has a Monday deadline for the issues

of Wed, Dec 24, and Wed, Dec 31. Speak now (or type, as it were) by emailing Marketing@ fwweekly.com. P.S. Happy Hanukkah and best wishes for a great Kwanzaa, too.

This season marks the 50th year Daily that the Arlington neighborthru

Thu, Dec. 25 hood of Interlochen Estates (LakeInterlochenT X .com/ Map) will draw thousands of visitors to see its Christmas-lights route. In addition to cruising the streets in cars, visitors are welcome to walk the neighborhood on foot. The two-mile route of holiday-themed yard décor and lights, installed by 200 or so homeowners, is now open to the public. Your presence is welcome thru Christmas Day.

By Jennifer Bovee

Derek, currently featured 18-20 Ricki on our cover, performing at Scat

Jazz Lounge (111 W 4th St, Fort Worth, 817-870-9100) is nothing new, being the owner and all, but our city’s resident swing-music maestro will be running his 17th annual A Merry Little Christmas Show at the downtown venue this season, performing jazzed-up versions of your favorite holiday songs. While many of the performances are already sold out, a few tickets are still available for the Fort Worth show today at 9:30pm and Sat, Dec 20, at 10pm at ScatJazzLounge.com. Tickets are $38.93 at Prekindle.com. Thu - Sat

Cour tesy Ar ts 5th Avenue

This year’s annual A Jazzy Christmas at Arts 5th Avenue on Saturday features the music of the 3 Kings.

MO DERN ART M USEU M O F FO RT WO RTH

3200 Darnell Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76107 • 817.738.9215

Jenny Saville, Oracle, 2019–23. Acrylic, oil, and pastel on canvas. 86 5/8 × 63 inches. © Jenny Saville. Private Collection Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting is organized by the National Portrait Gallery, London, and presented by the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. This exhibition is made possible by generous support provided by Gagosian, as well as the Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District.

themodern.org

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

Jenny Saville The Anatomy of Painting October 12, 2025–January 18, 2026

DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

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On Christmas Eve 1914 in the cold trenches of World War I, something miraculous hapFriday pened. A lone soldier stepped into no man’s land, lifted his voice in song, and troops from both sides laid down their weapons for an extraordinary holiday celebration of music, feasting, and camaraderie. All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 uses a 12-man a cappella chorus that weaves together soldiers’ letters, period songs ranging from trench tunes to holiday carols, and poetry into a musical recounting of the true story this month at Stage West (821 W Vickery Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-784-9378). Performances are at 7:30pm Wed-Sat with matinee shows at 2pm Sat-Sun now thru Sun, Dec 21, and tickets are $48.50 at StageWest.org/all-is-calm. However, this

Whether your holiday plans are here in Fort Worth or somewhere farther away, Trinity Metro TEXRail has you covered! Ride to Grapevine, the Christmas Capital of Texas, for a festive day out, or get to DFW Airport without the stress of traffic. All for $2 per ride! RIDETRINITYMETRO.org/TEXRAIL

holiday wishlist

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

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K E N A

S O S A

Are more people really saying boo to booze? Last year, a Gallup poll revealed that only 58% of Americans said they drink alcohol, when that number was 62% in 2023. Music venues, bars, and restaurants, which had already been struggling since the pandemic, are really struggling with this new reality.

continued on page 17

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B Y

DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

As less alcohol is sold, local music venues learn to adapt.

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

Downward Booze Sales a Killer?

iStock.com

EATS & drinks

Bouncing between inflation and tariff woes for months, consumer costs have been rising on pretty much everything. The first to be sacrificed are often wants rather than needs, and alcohol is definitely a want. The Texas Restaurant Association says that up to 40% of survey respondents mentioned a dip in booze sales from the previous year. There was a time when many calmed their stress with a drink, but trends are changing. Younger generations are creating opportunities to socialize and have fun without alcohol. Some are doing it to save money and others for their health. In their quarterly survey, the Texas Restaurant Association has confirmed this downward drop in drinking is vastly among younger people, especially Gen Z and millennials. Brooks Kendall, co-operator of The Post and president of Afallon Productions who books and produces live music all across Fort Worth, said that almost all the revenue at The Post and other music venues comes from alcohol sales. Ticket sales and nonalcoholic drinks contribute, but the downward trend has been problematic. This doesn’t just hurt venues. It also hurts live music and musicians. “Live local music in small independent venues has historically been funded by alcohol sales,” he said. “Until a new revenue model becomes equally effective, yes, a decline in alcohol sales directly hurts the local music scene.” To address the deficit, many affected businesses are experimenting with mocktail menus, to offer the same creative taste but without the hangover. Mocktails are not necessarily

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

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Eats & Drinks continued from page 15

Alcohol-free events are also becoming more popular.

fwweekly.com DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

venue. There is a two-item minimum purchase requirement from the menu for every attendee, but they can be for food or nonalcoholic drinks, including Oak Cliff Beverage’s pure cane sugar sodas, hot tea, and Topo Chico. Having celebrated 18 years in business on December 6, Scat Jazz appears to be flowing as strong as ever in spite of, or possibly because of, some recent changes to the operating model. They removed standing room tickets and kept group sales to a max of six per person, kept seating between 100 to 120 people per show, and are bringing a more exclusive appeal to live jazz. Co-operator of The Post, Kendall agrees that offering a more diverse variety of nonalcoholic drinks can stave off some losses, but those numbers do not close the gap entirely. To stay afloat and continue to support music and the local music community, “in the context of a live music venue, what you will ultimately see is both drink prices and ticket prices continuing to increase to offset the reduction in volume.” l

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

booze sales, Discount Liquor has made their products easier to buy by opening up to Uber Eats and DoorDash. Convenience may be the key to staying out of the red. Alcohol-free events are also becoming more popular. They are plentiful on invitation platforms throughout the country, a few even in Fort Worth, where there are coffee and cacao get-togethers and all-ages sober-minded celebrations. Despite the downward trend of alcohol sales, one local venue is doing fine. Cary Ray, managing partner of Scat Jazz Lounge downtown, has not seen much change in revenue following the decline in overall alcohol sales. His niche business model insulates the Scat from reliance on primarily alcohol sales. About 60% of the lounge’s revenue comes from admission, about 32% percent from nonalcoholic menu items, and only about 8% from alcohol overall. The Scat is more of a showroom, or after-dinner club, than a bar or standard music

iStock.com

healthier. Many essentially contain from 10 to 30 grams of sugar per drink, which adds up fast and can lead to other health issues. Another factor that may be at play is the huge upswing in people using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for weight loss. GLP-1 drugs regulate insulin and change how alcohol may affect the drinker. The laws regarding THC are a bit blurry, but quite a few local establishments sell THC beverages. Martin House has taken things a step further. The brewery has crafted its own hemp-derived Delta-9 THC seltzer. Power House is alcohol-free and has been a big hit since its release a year ago, selling well and amplifying Martin House’s consumer base to drinkers and nondrinkers alike. It seems that alcohol-infused businesses are experiencing a maelstrom of challenges all at once, from the fallout of the pandemic to GLP-1s, THC drinks, and high inventory. High prices alone are enough to keep people home more often. And the trend is not just affecting alcohol sales at restaurants but also at liquor stores. Fort Worth Discount Liquor Manager Ashok Shrestha reported a 15% to 20% drop in sales since last year. Shrestha believes it has a lot to do with younger drinkers opting for seltzers and newer fusion products. To combat this drop in

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

fwweekly.com

LAST CALL

Take the whole family to Epic Waters for NYE or wait for the #AdultSwim on Fri, Jan 2. Adult beverages are available either way.

C o u r t e s y Tu r t o n W i n e s

The Owl gets us. In a partnership with Blackland Distillery, the Boiled Owl Tavern (909 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 817-920-9616) is hosting a free 21+ party. Heaven Is a Dive Bar includes specialty cocktails, a photo-op wall, and a costume contest. To dress on theme, come as an angel or devil, all black, all red, all white, or a combination thereof (casual to full costume, your call). Doors open at 8pm, and the live music starts at 9:30pm with Mean Motor Scooter, Heavy Petal, and DJ Shower, with a complimentary Champagne toast at midnight. At Hoot’s Hall (5220 FM1187, Burleson, 817563-5583), legendary country duo the Bellamy Brothers will perform with up-and-comer

Hayden Haddock. Tickets are $50 on Prekindle. com and include a complimentary Champagne toast and a prize-filled balloon drop at midnight. In case you get hungry, a food truck is on-site until closing. Doors open at 7pm. Must be 21+. With NYE being such a hot topic, we already covered a few things in our recent Holidays issue. As of this week’s press time, you can still also see Parker McCollum with Jarrod Morris and Jake Worthingson at Dickies Arena or Dylan Gossett with Pawn Shop Pearls at Billy Bob’s Texas (and The Toadies the night before). For a boozy good time, you can also still get reservations at Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar, the Petroleum Club, Refinery 714, or The Voldstead. And while the Ricki Derek show at Scat Jazz Lounge isn’t technically sold out, the two remaining tables will be gone before you can say, “Happy New Year!” You’re welcome. l

By Elaine Wilder

fwweekly.com DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

Toasts & Tunes

Heaven Is a Dive Bar with with Blackland Distillery at the Boiled Owl Tavern on NYE.

I-2O & MIKUS RD • THEDISTRICTATWILLOWPARK.COM

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

Speaking of childhood, party promoters Call Me, Beep Me are taking over Ampersand (3009 Bledsoe St, Fort Worth, 682-707-9626) with A Late 2000s New Year’s Eve Party. From 9pm to 2am, your childhood soundtrack enters its club era with a night of music from your favorite Disney Channel and Nickelodeon artists, house remixes, and more. Table packages start at $400. The Pop It Like It’s Hot table package at the $400 starting point includes one bottle of your choice of tequila or vodka, one bottle of Wycliff Brut, and six cans of Red Bull. For details and booking information, see posts on Facebook.com/CallMeBeepMeParty. Club Ritzy 1201 (1201 Oakland Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-888-3360) will have a buffet, party favors, and a midnight Champagne toast at its Biggest New Year’s Eve Party in the Savannah Lounge. Doors open at 8pm, with live R&B music by D.O.B. (Definition of a Band) and Throwdown Sam. The Mont (4729 Saint Amand Cir, Fort Worth, 817-502-3400), the subject of last week’s Eats & Drinks story, is presenting a seven-course tasting menu, complete with a Telmon Brut Reserve Champagne welcome toast, from 5pm to 9pm. The cost is $125 per person, with wine-pairing options available for $75. (Our food critic found this new fine-dining establishment near Benbrook to be “destination-worthy.” Read more at FWWeekly.com in “Mont-ster Flavor.”)

Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark (2970 Epic Pl, Grand Prairie, 972-337-3131) is hosting Epic Family New Year, a huge all-ages 12-hour event (1pm to 1am), where you and the kids can slide into the New Year with a splash and make new childhood memories. There will be live circus acts, a DJ spinning dance music, and family activities, including arcade games, arts and crafts, hula-hoop contests, Singo, and two countdowns with rubber duckie drops, plus contests with $10K in prizes. Tickets start at $59 per person at EpicWatersGP. com, and you can also upgrade to a private cabana with a home base and premium seating for up to eight people. VIP options also include a buffet dinner. If you’re looking to leave the kids at home, Epic does 21+ adults-only nights on the first Friday of every month. The next one is Fri, Jan 2, from 9:30pm to midnight, and admission is only $15 per person.

For New Year’s Eve, The Mont is presenting a seven-course tasting menu, complete with a Telmon Brut Reserve Champagne welcome toast.

Discover the Sounds, Styles & Flavors of Willow Park.

Tie One On

Family Time

Cour tesy Blackland Distiller y

Not sure where to go for New Year’s Eve? Worried your boyfriend will try to propose to you in front of God and everyone? You’ve got #ChampagneProblems, my friend. Since I’m hitting the Toadies show on New Year’s Eve Eve at Billy Bob’s, I may just stay home on the big night (Wed, Dec 31) and stream the new TS docuseries End of an Era. Then again, I could go to the movie theater for the end of another era: the theatrical release of the very final episode of Stranger Things. Or I could partake in any one of the solid options below.

Cour tesy Epic Waters

Champagne Problems

MUSIC

TO BE ANNOUNCED Best Shows RIDGLEA ROOM

of ’25

FOUR DAY Our writers look back W E E K E N D on the live music that helped get them through SAT 1/17 RÖSEDALE W/ LOST IN THE WASH this crappy year. RIDGLEA LOUNGE

FRI 12/19 THE CANDLE COMPANY

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

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HONEYMOON DOLPHIN, SKYDRUM AND MORE! FRI 1/9 FOUNDED, T.A.C. SECRET TUNNELS & MORE

B Y P A T R I C K H I G G I N S , K E N A S O S A , S T E V E S T E W A R D , A N D J U A N R . G O V E A

One day, assuming we still reside on a habitable planet, when AI versions of Paul F. Thompkins and Michael Ian Black tackle the Big Beautiful Year of 2025 in one of VH1’s campy Best Week Ever-style retrospectives, we’ll be relentlessly quipped into reliving the collective trauma of this foul year. The Luka trade, Chili’s 86-ing the skillet queso, the confounding ubiquity of “6-7,” Tarifflation squeezing every red cent out of our stagnant wages, the inexplicable continuing music careers of Benson Boone and Morgan Wallen, the long-awaited final season of a once-favorite sci-fi show being ruined by increasingly confusing lore and clunky dialogue delivered by supposed high shoolers played by damn near 30-year-olds, the return of Chili’s skillet queso — oh, and the sudden unexpected drop of pics of Noam Chomsky just chilling with Steve Bannon on Epstein Island. It would be nice if 2025 could have made like Gen Alpha’s chances of ever owning a home and simply not exist. Yet exist it did, and as live music is our lifeblood, we intrepid music journos needed plenty of phat beats, heavy riffs, and sad boi (or girl, or neither) lyrics to get us through the grind. Here are just a handful of our favorite live musical experiences that helped us endure the last 12 months.

Patrick’s Bests

As it has since I was old enough to drive, live music continues to take priority over every spare dollar I can squirrel away. I managed to scrimp and save

Patrick Higgins

SAT 12/20

American Football at Granada Theater

Patrick Higgins

RIDGLEA THEATER

AC/DC at AT&T Stadium

my way into some pretty awesome shows in 2025. As much as possible, I tried to prioritize seeing an artist for the first time. While ’90s alt-rock icons Pavement do not necessarily fit that narrative, their late September show at the Longhorn Ballroom (my first time there) was the first time I’d seen them since 1999, which basically counts. For all the time between, throughout the killer set that ran the gamut of their entire career, they were in every bit the fighting shape they were a quarter century ago. I also managed to check off a couple of bucket list acts that were worth my lifelong wait, first with Urbana, Illinois’ legendary American Football when they performed their genre-defining Midwest-emo self-titled debut in full at the Granada Theater in May. Then with former Talking Heads’ singing head David Byrne with his wildly fun and artistic performance last month at the Texas Theater, which is perhaps my favorite venue in all of DFW now that the Ridglea Theater no longer does national, touring, big-room shows. I caught Irish post-punks Fontaines D.C. in the spring as well. This quintet of twentysomethings’ infectious blend of psyche, dreampop, and hardcore help prove that the next generation can still make great rock music. They’re easily my favorite new(ish) band going. Speaking of psych-punk vibes, catching locals Love Cuts’ first-ever show along with the first (proper) set by mathy wall-of-sound purveyors Horsepowers topped my homegrown live music experiences. However, the highlight of my musical year, perhaps ironically, was AC/DC at AT&T Stadium in April. Catching the Aussie rockers in their 70s in the famously anti-audiophile confines of that oversized football stadium wasn’t necessarily on my personal list of must-sees, but it was on my 12-year-old son’s. He’s been a big fan since he was introduced to the band by Jack Black in School of Rock. I personally may not have High Voltage or Back in Black in my record collection, but a steady diet of classic rock radio as a kid and a decade spent working in a Guitar Center exposed me to enough of Angus and Co.’s catalog that only one song in their thunderous two-hour set was foreign to me. They still rock, no septuagenarian qualifier needed, and sharing the experience with my tweenager and seeing the live music bug take root in his heart made me enthusiastically stand with 80,000 others in salute to those about to rock.

Steve’s List

I think the most fun I’ve had at a show all year was on December 6, when my girlfriend got us tickets to see the Marked Men and Labels at Rubber Gloves. I hadn’t been to this Denton institution continued on page 21

Kena Sosa Juan R. Govea

Voodoo Glow Skulls at Granada Theater

Music

left after their set, and for once, that drive back to Fort Worth didn’t seem as interminable as it does normally.

continued from page 20

Juan R. Govea

Weird Al Yankovic at Dickies Arena

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Tulips FTW

Kena’s Highlights

Al showed interviews and clips from his career, creating a seamlessly entertaining circus of a show.

Joe Gorgeous at Aura Coffee

Patrick Higgins

Juan R. Govea

Pavement at Longhorn Ballroom

Fontaines D.C. at The Bomb Factory

DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

The best show I took in this year was Voodoo Glow Skulls headlining the Granada Theater in Dallas this summer. The show opened with San Antonio’s Pinata Protest with Mesa, Arizona’s Authority Zero in between. It was a heavy, rocking punk show and made me feel like I was a teenager again. Seeing Glow Skulls for the first time checked off an entry that’s been sitting on my bucket list since first listening to them in the early 1990s. Joe Gorgeous at Denton’s Aura Coffee last month was also killer. I’ve been a fan of the Fort Worth band for several years, and when they asked me to photograph this show, I was super-excited to capture their infectious punk energy with my camera. The show was in support of their new album, Life in the Faust Lane, a serious banger. Early aughts indie-rockers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah also top my list. They were on a national tour for the 20-year anniversary of their self-titled debut and made a stop at Tulips FTW in the spring. Frontman Alec Ounsworth has a perfect way of balancing the band’s soft, intimate moments with leading the crowd during more energetic songs. Opening that show was New York’s Babehoven. It was my first time hearing and seeing the group, and since then they’ve been steady on my playlist rotation. l

fwweekly.com

Johnny’s Favorite Shows

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

An excess of Fort Worth artists filled the annual Amplify 817 Showcase: 88 Killa, Grady Spencer & The Work, Kendi Jean, Tipps and Obermiller, Asa Ace, and Cherry Mantis. Rotating between the two stages at Birdie’s Social Club and The Post, the artists carried the tunes and the vibes that resonated throughout the event. Since February 2020, Fort Worth Public Library has been innovating ways to support local music, but this annual showcase gives the artists the chance to show what they can do live. And live music makes the beat for the heart of a city. Thank you, Amplify 817. Weird Al Yankovic’s Bigger and Weirder 67-city (don’t say it) tour included a stop at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie on August 2. With an off-the-wall opening from Puddles the Clown, Weird Al made sure that his 40-plus-year streak of unpredictability continued as he emerged from a side door into the crowd to kick the show off strong. Bringing back the early hits that shot him to fame like “My Bologna” before moving through time with “Amish Paradise” and “White and Nerdy,” he made sure to showcase “Polkamania,” a new smashup influenced by the likes of pop icons Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, and Taylor Swift. Between bangers and costume changes, Weird

Patrick Higgins

since, like, 2009, and as I second-guessed my own memories about what was different, we wandered into the smaller room. We were practically hypnotized by Thinky Flesh, a punk septet that seemed to use harmonic theory and guitar solos as vectors for withering sarcasm, warping nearby brains with disturbing intervals and the incendiary performance of their singer. Clad in a skirt and shiny, silver gift bow in lieu of a top, she contorted onstage, invaded the audience, then, at the end, sang a pretty badass song about hotdogs. Thinky Flesh were totally captivating, sonically unsettling, and about as Denton-y as you could imagine — brainy, noisy, and as locked-in as Pinhead’s puzzle box. Their show was fantastic, and I hope someone books them in Fort Worth and gets a good crowd in front of them so they can weird the pants off people. We watched their whole set, missing all but three songs from Labels, who were playing to a full house in the big room. In the aftermath of Labels’ set, the room was practically crackling with “holy shit!” energy. Labels has played Denton other times, but it seemed like there were a lot in the crowd who had never seen them before. The band’s proggy, psychedelic hardcore was supercharged by the packed-in crowd. Then the Marked Men came on and ripped across a set that included something between 20 and 100 high-velocity punk songs, all of which blew my hair back like stray bullets (if stray bullets were made of anthemic, singalong hooks). We

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notices / products & services

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF APPLICATION AND INTENT TO OBTAIN AIR PERMIT (NORI) RENEWAL PERMIT NUMBER 56809 APPLICATION. US Department of the Navy, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for renewal of Air Quality Permit Number 56809, which would authorize continued operation of Surface Coating Facilities located at 1215 Depot Avenue, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas 76127. AVISO DE IDIOMA ALTERNATIVO. El aviso de idioma alternativo en espanol está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/air/newsourcereview/airpermits-pendingpermit-apps. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and not part of the application or notice. For exact location, refer to application. https://gisweb.tceq.texas.gov/LocationMapper/?marker=-97.428333,32.772777&level=13. The existing facility is authorized to emit the following air contaminants: exempt solvents, hazardous air pollutants, organic compounds and particulate matter including particulate matter with diameters of 10 microns or less and 2.5 microns or less. This application was submitted to the TCEQ on September 17, 2025. The application will be available for viewing and copying at the TCEQ central office, TCEQ Dallas/Fort Worth regional office, and the White Settlement Public Library, 8215 White Settlement Road, White Settlement, Tarrant County, Texas beginning the first day of publication of this notice. The facility’s compliance file, if any exists, is available for public review in the Dallas/Fort Worth regional office of the TCEQ. The application, including any updates, is available electronically at the following webpage: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/air/airpermit-applications-notices The executive director has determined the application is administratively complete and will conduct a technical review of the application. An amendment application that is not subject to public notice or an opportunity for a contested case hearing is also being reviewed. The information in the application indicates that this permit renewal would not result in an increase in allowable emissions and would not result in the emission of an air contaminant not previously emitted. The TCEQ may act on this application without seeking further public comment or providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met.

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

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PUBLIC COMMENT. You may submit public comments to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. The TCEQ will consider all public comments in developing a final decision on the application and the executive director will prepare a response to those comments. Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the TCEQ’s jurisdiction to address in the permit process.

OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. You may request a contested case hearing if you are a person who may be affected by emissions of air contaminants from the facility. If requesting a contested case hearing, you must submit the following: (1) your name (or for a group or association, an official representative), mailing address, daytime phone number; (2) applicant’s name and permit number; (3) the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing;” (4) a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the application and air emissions from the facility in a way not common to the general public; (5) the location and distance of your property relative to the facility; (6) a description of how you use the property which may be impacted by the facility; and (7) a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period. If the request is made by a group or association, one or more members who have standing to request a hearing must be identified by name and physical address. The interests the group or association seeks to protect must also be identified. You may also submit your proposed adjustments to the application/permit which would satisfy your concerns. The deadline to submit a request for a contested case hearing is 15 days after newspaper notice is published. If a request is timely filed, the deadline for requesting a contested case hearing will be extended to 30 days after mailing of the response to comments. If any requests for a contested case hearing are timely filed, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for a contested case hearing to the Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. Unless the application is directly referred to a contested case hearing, the executive director will mail the response to comments along with notification of Commission meeting to everyone who submitted comments or is on the mailing list for this application. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material air quality concerns submitted during the comment period. Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the Commission’s jurisdiction to address in this proceeding. MAILING LIST. In addition to submitting public comments, you may ask to be placed on a mailing list for this application by sending a request to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. Those on the mailing list will receive copies of future public notices (if any) mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk for this application. AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. All public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www14. tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Please be aware that any contact information you provide, including your name, phone number, email address and physical address will become part of the agency’s public record. For more information about the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www. tceq.texas.gov/goto/pep. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040. You can also view our website for public participation opportunities at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/participation. Further information may also be obtained from US Department of the Navy, 1215 Depot Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76127-1054 or by calling Mr. Michael Cook, Environmental Engineer at (817) 782-6480. Notice Issuance Date: September 24, 2025

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INVENTORY INCLUDES: dozers, dump trucks, tractors, excavators, articulated haul trucks, motor graders, crane trucks, skid steers, semi trucks, truck cab and chassis, directional boring units, bucket trucks, equipment trailers, mini excavators, container trailers, backhoes, and more. All items sell where they sit. 10% buyers premium applies. Aaron McKee TX License #16401. 866.608.9283

ED5062 ‘17 Bomag RS446D soil stabilizer / reclaimer

ED5045 ‘16 CAT 349F L excavator

EE5017 ‘23 CAT 140 motor grader

EE5014 ‘19 CAT 12M3 motor grader

ET7347 ‘14 Tigercat M726E mulcher

EP2686 ‘13 Peterbilt 365 crane truck

BID NOW! purplewave.com

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

800+ ITEMS SELL NO RESERVE!

DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

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CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AUCTION

BULLETIN BOARD

Are You Road-Trip Ready? CALL COWTOWN ROVER!

HISTORIC RIDGLEA THEATER

CELEBRATION

Located at 908 Pennsylvania Av (817-335-3222), Celebration Community Church has services on Sundays at 10am. Want to check out a nonjudgmental, inclusive church at home before attending in person? All services can also be viewed on YouTube! (@ CelebrationCommunityChurch130)

CHRISTMAS CAPITAL OF TX? CHECK!

Trinity Metro TEXRail is the perfect way to enjoy the holiday activities on your wishlist without the stress of driving. Just take a $4 roundtrip ride to Grapevine for ice skating, shopping, and more! Check off your Trinity Metro holiday wishlist here:

RideTrinityMetro.org/CCOT EMPLOYMENT

Information Security Analyst needed for eTak Worldwide Corp., a company providing customized electronic recycling services and IT solutions, in Grand Prairie, Texas. Related degree and experience required. Email resume to hr@etakworldwide.com.

EMPLOYMENT

Ingram Micro Inc. seeks Exec. Directors, Global Supply Chain Solutions in Fort Worth, TX. Develop & execute a global supply chain solutions & engg roadmap aligned w/ the company’s overall bus. objectives. Conduct competitive analysis to stay ahead of industry trends & proactively identify opportunities to leverage tech & engg to drive competitive advantage. BS in Engg &Tech Mgmnt, Supply Chain Mgmnt, Electronics Engg, IS or related field & 15 yrs exp in the job offered or in a Supply Chain Manager-related occupation. Telecommuting / working from home may be permissible pursuant to company policy. $182,600/yr.-$328,700/yr. CONTACT: Search by title and apply online at https://www. ingrammicro.com/ en-us/careers/work-for-us.

EMPLOYMENT

Internal Auditor sought by Lhoist North America, Inc. in Fort Worth, TX to organize and execute internal audits. Participate in enforcing the Group’s internal control framework. Support internal customers by identifying opportunities for improvement and by defining relevant remediations. Provide a clear view of risk analysis of the process and perimeter under review and provide a summary of the findings to the General auditor and company leadership. Establish effective collaboration with the other internal risk management and compliance bodies. Domestic travel up to 25% to visit Lhoist manufacturing sites within North America and international travel up to 4% to visit company HQ in Belgium. Interested candidates should submit resumes to Emily Kelley, 5600 Clearfork Main Street, Suite 300, Fort Worth, TX 76109. Reference code IA59 in response.

DECEMBER 17-23, 2025

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HALE GROVES GIFT BOXES

ADVERTISE HERE! Email Stacey@fwweekly.com today.

www.CowtownRover.com 3958 Vickery | 817.731.3223

FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY

Stockyards Rodeo Rink is open daily thru January 4th! For details, visit FortWorthStockyards.com.

Perfect for sharing or gifting, these are the ideal gift for fruit and snack lovers. Regularly $49.99, grab one now for $34.99 (37% off!). Mention Code H6YG89 for your savings on Items #483X or #485X. For gauranteed Christmas delivery, order by December 19:

With our handy pick-up and drop-off services, having your car checked out could not be easier.

GIDDY UP & GLIDE!

877-491-6979 / HaleGroves.com/H6YG89 THE RIDGLEA is three great venues within one historic Fort Worth landmark. RIDGLEA THEATER has been restored to its authentic allure, recovering unique Spanish-Mediterranean elements. It is ideal for large audiences and special events. RIDGLEA ROOM and RIDGLEA LOUNGE have been making some of their own history, as connected adjuncts to RIDGLEA THEATER, or hosting their own smaller shows and gatherings. More at theRidglea.com

JUST ONE BITE & YOU’LL KNOW!

Send 100% guaranteed, delivered-to-the-door Omaha Steaks! This package comes with 8 FREE Burgers! Call or visit online and mention code 76946ATS. Order The Classic Cookout Collection! ONLY $129.99. (MB)

OmahaSteaks.com/OneBite2728 1-855-404-9674 LUNCH WITH SANTA!

See the big guy every Saturday from 10am to 2pm thru December 20th at Heim Barbecue on the River (5333 White Settlement Road). More info at Facebook.com/ HeimBBQRiver/events.

MAKE A REAL IMPACT NEXT TAX SEASON Volunteer with the United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program just five hours a week and help bring vital resources back into our community. No math skills required. Join a team of dedicated volunteers in roles that include greeting clients, providing translation services, or completing tax returns. Training is provided, and we’ll match you with a rold that fits your schedule. Learn more and sign up at:

UnitedWayTarrant.org/VITA-Volunteer MYTH & MARBLE

See ancient Roman sculpture from the Torlonia Collection thru January 25th at the Kimbell Art Museum.

KimbellArt.org/Myth-and-Marble

NEED A FRIEND? Ronnie D. Long Bail Bonds

Immediate Jail Release 24 Hour Service. City, County, State and Federal Bonds. Located Minutes from Courts. 6004 Airport Freeway.

817-834-9894

RonnieDLongBailBonds.com OWN A SERVICE COMPANY?

Cleaning Services, Handymen, Haulers, Landscapers, Painters, and other service companies, how are you reaching new customer? I’d love to feature you here! Contact me for some affordable options.

stacey@fwweekly.com // 817-987-7689

POTTER’S HOUSE

Join the Potter’s House of Fort Worth (1270 Woodhaven Blvd, 817-446-1999) for Sunday Service at 8am and Wednesday Bible Study at 7pm. For more info, visit us online at www.TPHFW.org.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Any Texans who may be concerned that an unlicensed massage business may be in operation near them, or believe nail salon employees may be human trafficking victims, may now report those concerns directly to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) by emailing ReportHT@TDLR.Texas.gov.

STRUGGLING?

The holiday season can intensify feelings of pressure— especially for those navigating substance use challenges. These feelings are more common than many realize. Visit samhsa.gov/find-help to learn how to support yourself or a loved one who may be struggling. To reach the 988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline, dial 988 or go to 988Lifeline.org.

WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

We work with guest contributors to publish SEO articles and press releases. For more info, email Marketing@ fwweekly.com.

WINE by OMAHA STEAKS!

Receive 12 world class wines (and bonus gifts) for ONLY $79.99 (plus s/h) and save $160! That’s 12 new wine selections plus a FREE $25 Omaha Steaks E-reward card every three months. Cancel anytime. 100% guarantee! Call 1-855-275-7565 and mention code AGJF002 or visit GetOSWine.com/sip275. (MB)