Fort Worth Weekly // January 19-25, 2022

January 19-25, 2022 FREE fwweekly.com

Recent and not-so-recent shootings have most of East Berry Street on high alert — most.

S T O R Y A N D P H O T O S B Y J A S O N B R I M M E R

METROPOLIS Our spin on local news includes a salient message to our youth: If you can’t beat ’em, give up.

BY S TAT I C

EATS & DRINKS A little-known culinary program is helping the disadvantaged find work in kitchens across North Texas.

BY MEGAN ABLES

STUFF These blue and silver tears are real.

BY PAT R I C K H I G G I N S A N D BO JACKSBORO

MUSIC The pandemic allowed Grady Spencer to look inward and find goodness, enough for a new album.

BY STEVE STEWARD

JAN UA RY 7– F E B RUA RY 6

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STOCK SHOW & RODEO KICK OFF

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Featuring the grand opening of Paloma Suerte by Tim Love and Ariat!

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J an uar y 19- 25, 2022

INSIDE Shows of Note

Arenda Light, Fire Beats, and Guthrie Kennard lead this weekend’s hit parade.

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C o u r t e s y o f Fa c e b o o k

By Anthony Mariani

News Roundup

In which we put a spin on the local news of note.

By Static

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The Block Is Hot

6 10 11 17

Out on East Berry, random drive-bys are becoming a regular occurrence.

By Jason Brimmer

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Metro

Static . . . . . . . . . . 4

Feature Stuff Stuff Eats & Drinks

ADW . . . . . . . . .20

23 Music

The More that Things Don’t Change …

Hearsay . . . . . .25

26 Night & Day 27 Classifieds

… the more they will stay the same for your Dallas Cowboys.

By Patrick Higgins and Bo Jacksboro

Dinner with the Modern Lights

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Backpage . . . . .28

Cover image by Jason Brimmer

STAFF Anthony Mariani, Editor Lee Newquist, Publisher

Megan Ables, Christina Berger, E.R. Bills, Jason Brimmer, Sue Chefington, Buck D. Elliott, Juan R. Govea, Patrick Higgins, Bo Jacksboro, Laurie James, Kristian Lin, Vishal Malhotra, Cody Neathery, Wyatt Newquist, Linda Blackwell Simmons, Madison Simmons, Teri Webster, Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue, Cole Williams

Edward Brown, Staff Writer Emmy Smith, Proofreader Michael Newquist, Regional Sales Director Jennifer Bovee, Marketing Director Stacey Hammons, Senior Account Executive Julie Strehl, Account Executive Tony Diaz, Account Executive

EDITORIAL

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Anthony Mariani, Edward Brown,

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Fridays through February 4 from 5 to 8:30 pm Executive Chef Jett Mora welcomes you with warm hospitality, creative cuisine, and a seasonal menu rooted in Texas ingredients.

Create your own holiday memories on Friday nights at Café Modern.

Seating is available from 5 to 8:30 pm. For reservations, call 817.840.2157.

The Modern trees will be illuminated with an array of festive lights in celebration of the holiday season. The museum galleries are open for FREE until 8 pm on Fridays.

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth 3200 Darnell Street Fort Worth, Texas 76107 817.738.9215

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METRO News Roundup

FWISD’s big announcement, hidden TRWD finance reports, and more are happening now.

B Y

S T A T I C

FWISD Superintendent Caving to CRT Dipshits?

We can only imagine how many Tanglewood moms mainlined pinot grigio when they heard that FWISD’s superintendent since 2015 would be stepping down when his contract ends mid-2024.

Kent Scribner joins eight other North Texas superintendents who recently announced they will soon be leaving, resigning, or retiring. In public statements, the district leaders got all cozy about how they enjoyed their time serving students, but the real reasons these people are bailing are likely tied to culture wars over mask mandates and racial equity policies.

Numerous North Texas suburbs have fallen to right-wing asshats who peddle va-

Static On Veterans Day, it’s typical and appropriate to see countless homages, salutes, and earnest formal and informal appreciation ceremonies for military servicemen and servicewomen in every electronic and paper medium that we encounter. It’s part of who we are. It’s part of how we got where we are.

I get it. We all get it.

Sometimes, however, Veterans Day observances annoy me. And not because I’m unpatriotic. I simply feel conflicted.

I’ve been told — or, perhaps, better put, “corrected” — that America is not the land of the free, home of the brave, but, in fact, the land of the free because of the brave.

Is this really true?

I don’t think most folks would find my answer or my questions very patriotic.

Last Jan. 16 marked the 30th anniversary of the six-week Gulf War in Iraq. This past September marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11, which resulted in the invasion of Iraq (again, in 2003), which had nothing to do with the 9/11 attack, so let’s be honest. Back then, were the national pep rallies and resultant increased military enlistments to wage these wars a product of bravery or military-industrial complex knavery? Or simple dupery?

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Shoulders of Goliath

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pid conspiracy theories about Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a means of projecting their racist ideations on others.

Fort Worth school board meetings have increasingly become battlegrounds for culture wars over how our country’s sordid history of racism should be taught. Or whether that history should be taught at all.

Scribner probably saw the racist writing on the wall. A potent combination of Tanglewood elites who disdain commonsense masking efforts and a general onslaught from Dumpy Trumpies who have a perverse desire to defund public schools to harm minorities may not have been worth the fight. After all, in Tarrant County, questioning racist conspiracies can get you indicted on bogus criminal charges (“Conservative Cronyism,” Aug. 2021).

Like a lot of large urban school districts, FWISD has a long way to go when it comes to meeting academic benchmarks.

With a student population that is overwhelmingly Black and Latinx, reaching those goals will require confronting and combating the wealthy elites who continue to target public schools for nefarious and certainly bigoted reasons.

Or you could just quit.

that Democrats in Keller also pay taxes that support the city. What do laws matter to a governor who freely gerrymanders Texas’ growing ethnic minority population out of two new U.S. congressional seats? Or to a governor who seems to delight in depriving women of the right to choose whether they carry an unwanted fetus to term.

A Keller spokesperson declined to respond to the Star-Telegram when queried about the legality of the social media posts.

Maybe Texas’ election code is also up for revisions in 2023.

Right-Wing Carroll School Board Pushes Through Vote on New Legal Counsel

Not one to let neighboring Southlake have all the fun when it comes to right-wing shenanigans, city staffers in Keller recently promoted one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign events on the city’s Facebook page.

For a suburb that’s about 80% white, the post was a straight-up power move. Forget the fact that the Texas Election Code prohibits displays of brazen partisanship on the part of government officials or the fact

Carroll school district has garnered national attention for the behavior of wealthy white parents and conservative school leaders who cling to misrepresentations of Critical Race Theory as a means of pushing back on anti-racism policies.

Momentum has been on the side of right-wing parents who donate heavily to a PAC, Southlake Families, that has so far placed three trustees on the seven-member board that serves Southlake. Area parents have been on the hunt for books that describe the daily life of non-white and noncisgender youths. In October, school board member Hannah Smith pushed to reprimand a Carroll elementary school teacher who had a copy of This Book Is Anti-Racist, a New York Times bestseller, in his classroom.

An unnamed school employee filed a grievance in response. One confidential source who has intimate knowledge of school board dealings told us the employee who filed the grievance is the same teacher who was reprimanded. The grievance hearing is set for Monday, according to a recent

Former vice president — and Halliburton magnate — Dick Cheney is smiling.

Should I defend my country, right or wrong? Seems like that’s a painful mistake we’ve made in the past.

Should I simply love it or leave it?

Philosophically speaking, the infamous, pro-war “Love It or Leave” charge is a classic false dilemma. It reduces an issue to a puerile, simplistic either/or proposition. Americans really seem to love simplistic either/or propositions, but they’re hardly ever useful or productive — or correct.

World War II can be viewed as a legitimate, necessary either/or equation that we, in the end — or ’til the end — needed to answer and did answer. And arguably well. Except in the end. The use of nuclear weapons on unsuspecting civilian population centers was arguably the greatest single-instant terrorist act in human history.

The Korean War was hardly legitimate.

The Vietnam War was entirely illegitimate and could be argued to comprise a long-running war crime or a regimen of crimes against humanity. Reagan’s four-day invasion of Grenada (ridiculously code-named Operation Urgent Fury) in 1983 was little more than a pathetic press-op to cover for cutting and running in Lebanon after the American embassy in Beirut was bombed a few months earlier.

And the last two Gulf wars in the Middle East were simply errands for Big Oil (the second

offering a nice a little side-dash for the massive naturally occurring lithium deposit in Afghanistan).

I try not to have a problem with folks saying “Thank you for your service” to veterans in person, on TV, radio, podcast, campaign trail, whatever, but the phrasing sometimes bothers me. Take this past Veterans Day, for example.

On one mildly interesting Texana page on a popular social platform, I encountered an image of a soldier with a caption featuring the proud proclamation, “Truly we stand on the shoulders of giants. My father in Vietnam, 1967.”

This is where I get into trouble.

I appreciate the platform administrator’s father’s service, but give me a break. If there were any giants in America’s war against Vietnam, they were all Goliath. And Vietnam’s David smote us in a poetic and Biblical sense.

In his farewell address 60 years ago, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against a new threat to American democracy: “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”

We didn’t heed Ike’s warning, and, for the last three decades, warmongers have called the shots.

Ask JFK.

Sounds About White

Carroll school board meeting that saw the hiring of Underwood Law for the purpose of providing legal representation to the school board and to presumably protect Smith from blowback from the reprimand.

During last week’s meeting, Underwood attorney and shareholder Alan Rhodes, at the request of Smith, described the services his firm provides to school boards. Rhodes heads a conservative PAC, Amarillo Matters, in his hometown of Amarillo.

“A school fight can be worse than a family fight or a church fight,” Rhodes told the board members. “You have, for a minute, been in a tough school fight. Thank you for serving the kids of Carroll ISD. Sometimes it is just tough.”

Carroll school district is under federal investigation for allegedly violating the civil rights of minority and LGBTQ+ youths (“Embattled Southlake Public Schools Under Federal Investigation,” Nov. 2021). We reached out to Rhodes for clarification on whether his comments were intended to condone the actions of parents and school board members on either side of the heated topic of racial equity policies being taught in Southlake’s public schools, and he said he was not.

“I was not condoning any position by any party,” he said in an email.

During the subsequent school board discussion, it was apparent that board members Todd Carlton and Michelle Moore were blindsided by the push to hire Underwood.

Carlton and Moore were indicted for allegedly violating the Texas Open Meetings Act in April. In mid-2020, the two board members texted each other about racial equity policies that were under consideration at the time. Those communications may have Ask MLK. Hell, ask Barack Obama, the former Droner-in-Chief. Do you think he would have survived a stand against American Empire?

Lucky for the military-industrial complex, Americans have short memories and weren’t real astute students of history to begin with, but our nation’s belligerent foreign diplomacy makes us look like giant, ignorant, insufferable assholes who stood on the shoulders of more giant, ignorant, insufferable assholes.

Not heroes.

And this is where I get into more trouble.

With all due respect, most of the time when we thank our veterans for their “service,” we’re not really thanking them for their dedication, commitment, or sacrifice to worthy or even just causes. We’re simply thanking them for putting their lives, limbs, and sanity on the line for our bullshit.

Shame on us. — E.R. Bills E.R. Bills is the author of Fear and Loathing in the Lone Star State (2021) and The 1910 Slocum Massacre: An Act of Genocide in East Texas (2014).

This column reflects the opinions of the author and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. Columns will be gently edited for factuality and clarity.

When current software for the Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) launched in late 2014, it was plagued with years of errors

by appraisal district leadership, Losada said, and that mentality allows certain employees like Meyers to exert undue influence over TAD dealings.

During last week’s board meeting, board member Joe Ralph Martinez asked a TAD employee if there had been any consideration of hiring a company that provides similar services to BIS Consultants.

The employee who headed the search replied that, while many other companies provide similar services, TAD only considered BIS, Meyers’ firm.

“I went with continuity of service,” the TAD employee said, referring to TAD’s need to maintain access to their “indispensable” former employee.

Pushing Back on TRWD Legal Briefs

Pretty much once a week, we learn we can’t get the information we need from government sources because of legal caveats in the Texas Public Information Act. Tarrant County, Fort Worth, and other public entities routinely seek to block our open records submissions by mailing requests to withhold information to the State Attorney General’s office. The state then has up to 90 days to reply.

Apparently, we’re not the only ones fed up with the briefs that too frequently work against government transparency and accountability. In December, Thomas Torlincasi, a member of the grassroots group the Water District Accountability Project, requested finance reports from the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD), the

government group tasked with managing flooding, providing drinking water, and overseeing the stalled $1.2 billion Panther Island development on the North Side.

Accusations and documented instances of insider dealings and wasteful spending have plagued TRWD for the better part of two decades. Water District Accountability Project volunteers believe that TRWD is hiding something that could explain the high water bills that Tarrant County residents are forced to cough up each month.

In response to Torlincasi’s open records request, TRWD legal staff filed a legal brief to the state AG that argues that reports prepared by a consultant, in this case Mark Mazzanti, are not subject to disclosure. Jackee Cox, a retired local attorney, recently filed a rebuttal legal brief on behalf of Torlincasi.

“I believe that the information must be disclosed,” Cox told us. Under the federal Public Information Act that Texas’ open records laws must conform to, “final reports may not be withheld from disclosure unless their release is barred by some statute other than the exceptions to the Public Information Act. I am aware that legal prose is deadly dull, but somehow we need to bring more focus to the fact that TRWD deep-sixes information that is, in fact, public information.”

This column reflects the opinions of the editorial board and not necessarily the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. Submissions will be edited for factuality and clarity. l

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TAD Chases “Indispensable” Former Employee

that deprived local schools, cities, and other property tax-funded groups of millions in needed revenue. Overbillings of residents led to a surge of taxpayer refunds soon after.

TAD staff and board members are keenly aware that their software engineers are the only buttress against another disaster like the one they dealt with the first few years after the botched software launch.

That history may explain why TAD’s fivemember board recently approved a $96,000 contract with BIS Consultants last week.

The agreement allows TAD to contract with former TAD employee and current BIS worker Kurt Meyers, who, according to TAD’s head of information systems, was the only employee who understood the advanced software — Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) — that TAD uses to track and calculate property values.

Meyers stands to make $100/hour of taxpayer money as an outside consultant for the appraisal district he worked for from 2015 to late 2021.

According to the agenda packet that was never made public but that we were able to see, the contract provides “quality assurance and assistance with” CAMA. TAD’s board and top leaders have known about Meyers’ departure since at least June, when he discussed his plans to leave during a TAD board meeting. During that meeting, board member Kathryn Wilemon described him as “indispensable,” which prompted former board member Gary Losada to shoot back. TAD staffers are frequently described as indispensable

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violated open meetings law, which requires discussions about public matters to occur only during public forums.

The law is frequently violated in Tarrant County, and the DA never seemed to care until now. Carlton and Moore had upset Republican political donors in Southlake who viewed maligning their school board as preferable to addressing lingering bigotry in the wealthy suburb.

The time-sensitive nature of the grievance necessitated the hiring of Underwood, Smith replied.

A Carroll ISD spokesperson told me in an email that there are no board policies in place that define how trustees seek legal counsel.

During the discussion, Moore said that a Request for Quote, or RFQ, may not have been used when hiring certain law firms in the past, but the school district’s need for improved transparency should make that step standard practice.

Half an hour into the discussion, Smith motioned to hire Underwood Law Firm, which, according to Rhodes’ board meeting comments, would not require an upfront retainer. The measure passed 4-2 with Carlton and Moore voting against and Cam Bryan, Lannen, Smith, and Andrew Yeager voting for it. Trustee Sheri Mills was not in attendance.

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Recent and not-sorecent shootings have most of East Berry Street on high alert — most.

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“Watch, watch, watch, it’s about to happen,” said one of the men clustered beside the counter of Mike Discount Food Store in the 5400 block of East Berry Street in Stop Six. The clerk had passed his cellphone to the men so they could watch the surveillance camera footage captured shortly after 4 p.m. last Saturday.

“Here it comes,” the man said as he pointed at the jittering low-res video.

“You are going to see it, that boom, boom, boom!”

Two cars were parked in front of the store. One was a red Chrysler, the other a silver four-door. A woman walked around the silver car as a man, older and in a wheelchair, rolled slowly across the lot.

In the upper corner of the screen, where the corner of Mike’s meets an empty

lot, a sudden movement blurred on the screen. Fire flashed. The woman dived to the ground beside the silver car. Showers of sparks erupted where bullets punched through and glanced over both cars. The man in the wheelchair threw himself to the ground and crawled on his elbows to get behind a dumpster as bullets struck the ground. Two men appeared in the empty lot. One seemed to be shooting, the other running. It is hard to tell — they are moving too fast for the low frame-rate security camera. The look of fear on the man huddled behind the dumpster, that was captured in perfect detail.

“Third time this week,” one of the men remarked as the clerk took his phone back. Luckily, the woman behind the silver car suffered only a grazing wound.

No one else was hurt.

I asked if anyone knew who did the shooting this time. I got a jumble of mumbled answers and a lot of shrugged shoulders. Some guy — maybe he had on a yellow coat, maybe a green jacket. Not from around here, one man offered. One of those youngsters. The picture they painted was as indistinct as the image of the shooters from the security camera.

In front of the store, yellow police tape blocked off most of the empty lot. Police

Fort Worth Police arrived on the scene shortly after another shooting on the 5400 block of East Berry Street in Stop Six in mid-December.

officers were at work, photographing the crime scene, escorting people in and out of the store to round up witnesses.

I found Roni was standing in the cold, pulling her coat tight around her small frame, her back to the store and the yellow police tape. The red Chrysler, the first car to be hit, belonged to her.

“I had just pulled up,” she told me.

She had parked her car, got her children out of the backseat, and walked around the corner to her Granny’s house.

“As soon as I got to the apartment, I heard this boom, boom, boom. I said, ‘Damn, seem like the store getting shot up again.’ I came back, and I saw that my car had been all shot up. My back windows continued on page 7

was all shot out. I hadn’t been away from my car for not even two or three minutes.”

After the police photographed her car, Roni parked it in the apartment complex

directly behind Mike’s store. She didn’t know how many bullets had struck it. Six or seven, she thought, maybe more. Both back windows had been blown out. At least two rounds had impacted the back doors and punched straight through. Broken glass and bits of interior paneling had been

sprayed over a doll’s plastic car seat and a small rainbow-colored backpack.

“My kids was just in that backseat, right there,” Roni said — and it wasn’t the cold that made her voice shake. “Thank God I got them out of there, out of that backseat.”

In the true spirit of the holidays, United Way of Tarrant County is working to bring a bit of cheer and happiness to those in need.

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When I asked Roni if this is the first time she has been involved in a shooting at the 5400 block of East Berry, she shrugged as if the answer could not be more obvious.

“No,” she told me with a thin, tense laugh, “Last week, I was out here when continued on page 8

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Feature

Many of the business on the 5400 block have signs that offer a warning about the dangers of loitering.

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Roni had just parked her car in front of Mike Discount Food Store and taken her children around the corner to Granny’s house when she heard the gunfire. “Damn, seem like the store getting shot up again,” she said.

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To All Interested Persons And Parties: Osburn Contractors, LLC, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for an Air Quality Standard Permit, Registration No. 51742L048, which would authorize construction of a temporary concrete batch plant located at 9395 Silvercreek Road, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas 76108. This application is being processed in an expedited manner, as allowed by the commission’s rules in 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 101, Subchapter J. Additional information concerning this application is contained in the public notice section of this newspaper.

‘‘

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A pianist who commands a comprehensive technical arsenal that allows him to thunder without breaking a sweat.

– Chicago Tribune

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’’

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Asif, an employee of Mike Discount Food Store, spends his shifts with the reminder of a recent near miss hanging over his head. Two bullets fired outside the store punched through the glass and smashed into the cigarette bin inches away from him.

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they shot the place up. Just the first night, not all them other nights.”

Crime, especially gun crime, is a common occurrence on the 5400 block.

Virtually every storefront window has at least one bullet hole. The violence has driven some away. Others stay and endure

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An employee of Mike Discount Food Store points to the place where a bullet failed to penetrate a locker door. The lockers are less than an arm’s reach away from where the employees stand.

the stress of working in a place where gunfire is the status quo.

Asif, who works at Mike Discount Food Store, was not behind the counter on the night of the 11th, but when asked how often the store is shot at, he replied, “All the time. They are shooting all the time.”

Recently, two bullets had traveled through the front of the store and tore into the plastic cigarette bin that hangs above the cash register, inches above Asif ’s head.

Asif told me that he remembered hearing the shots and then feeling plaster, plastic, and bits of broken bullet rain down on his head.

“They come here — boom, boom, boom — they shoot, and then they leave,” Asif said. “Sometimes there are people out front who get shot at. Sometimes there are no people, just shooting. Another day, my friend was working, and a bullet come in and stop right here,” Asif pointed to a bulge in the front of a metal locker where a round had failed to penetrate. “Almost kill my friend. Another one come in here,” continued on page 9

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he was almost frantic, Latasha took a more measured, philosophical perspective.

“It’s like this everywhere,” Latasha said simply.

“Shootings happen everywhere, in any side of town. You can open up a business on the south side of town, it’s going to happen. No matter what side, it’s going to happen. Some of this is just that tit for tat. Somebody comes up from the Southside and shoots it up over here, and then somebody from here and goes to shoot up the Southside. It happens that way. It goes on forever.”

As Latasha prepared to close up her cafe, she talked about what makes the 5400 block special, even important.

“Everybody who is born and raised in Stop Six comes through this block,” she said with something like reverence in her voice. “All the big commodities, everybody that is somebody from Stop Six and Eastwood, at some time they touched these pavements here. I guess this younger generation is trying to live up to an image from the older stories and trying to make a name for themselves.”

Unlike many others, Latasha does not believe that the 5400 block needs be a target for gun crime forever. “Until we decide to come together and talk to this younger generation, get a hold on them, this will keep happening. Going forward in 2022, we are going to be holding conferences and all that type of stuff. If we as a community don’t reach back to the youth, try to save them, then we have nothing to look forward to. All that gangbanging, it’s only going to get you life in jail or put in a grave, so what is the purpose?” l

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“All that gangbanging, it’s only going to get you life in jail or put in a grave, so what is the purpose?” asked Latasha, a business owner on the 5400 block of East Berry.

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again Asif pointed at a locker, this one with a hole in it. The bullet had punched through the back and spilled Black N’Milds all over the floor.

As he rang up a customer, Asif glanced up at the two bullet holes in the cigarette bin hanging over his head and said, “I am scared. Every day I am scared, but I need the work.”

A frequent customer of the shops along the 5400 block, the man who goes only by the name NFL says he’s been present for at least two of the recent shootings. “This shit out here, this is madness, straight fucking madness.”

He hooked a thumb in the direction of where some of the bullets hit, blasting holes in a few bricks at head height. When I asked why the 5400 block is such a magnet for gun crime, he threw up his hands.

“They always shooting up the Barry Street Store, always have been, since always,” NFL said.

I asked him who it is that keeps pumping bullets into the buildings along East Berry. He simply replied, “These youngsters. I think they are looking for someone, hoping they can find him here.

Who knows?”

When asked if he feels safe, his answer was quick and emphatic. “Hell, no. I try not be here too often. I’m not trying to become no innocent bystander.”

Latasha, 41, whose small cafe a few doors down from Mike Discount Food Store has been on the 5400 block for a little over a year, says she has, rather miraculously, managed to avoid the shootings. Having grown up in Stop Six, she admitted to a certain familiarity with gun crime, saying that she wasn’t worried about moving into the 5400 block, though she says that she has altered her hours since the recent rash of shootings.

She dished up smoked meatloaf, mac ’n’ cheese, and greens into white Styrofoam to-go containers while I peppered her with questions. Unlike Roni, who met the realization that her children had missed their deaths by a handful of minutes with a thousand-yard-stare and a nervous laugh, or Asif, who seemed so afraid that

9

Dan Quinn

Everyone on the planet knew the Niners’ game plan: run, something involving Deebo Samuel, and run some more. Quinn still couldn’t figure out how to stop it.

Garbage Time

“America’s Team” just wasted another year of our lives.

B Y P A T R I C K H I G G I N S A N D B O J A C K S B O R O

There was something kind of poetic about watching it rain garbage in Jerry World as fans hurled everything within grabbing distance at the refs as they ran off the field as time expired. The trash storm was the perfect metaphor for the preceding three-plus hours of sloppy, uninspired play from the home team. You had to laugh as the Cowboys’ season ended with a comical sequence of blunders punctuated by a sprinting zebra colliding with QB Dak Prescott, who was frantically trying to snap the ball.

Head mouth-breather Mike McCarthy railed against the refs after his squad’s 2317 loss to the 49ers, deflecting blame for his team’s historically poor performance.

The Cowboys’ 14 penalties for 89 yards tied a franchise playoff record. If Mr. Mojo wants to find someone to blame for the loss, he should take a long, teary look into ye ol’ looking glass.

McCarthy, who won a Super Bowl as the head coach of the Packers 900 years ago in NFL time, was given the Dallas job based on his experience in this exact scenario. He failed. His team was unprepared, unfocused, and uninspired. In the final sequence of the game, which Prescott said the offense had repeatedly practiced, neither Dak nor center Tyler Biadasz appeared to know the rules: The referee has to touch the ball before it can be snapped.

There’s plenty of blame to go around after Sunday’s loss as a 12-5 divisionwinning team floundered and faltered in every phase. Below is the order in which I am focusing all of my hate this week.

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Plenty of Hate to Go Around

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McCarthy

He can’t manage the clock. His team led the league in penalties. He’s not involved in game-planning. What in Jerry’s dark cloud was that bizarre play after the team’s successful fake punt? Dumb. That’s what.

I hope this is the last we’ll see of him, but that would mean Jerry would have to all but admit that hiring McCarthy was a

Cour tesy Creative Commons

STUFF

Now the Dallas faithful have most of a year to ponder how to fix this aging roster, deal with the coming coaching changes, and convince ourselves that that next year will be different.

This had better be an offseason of sweeping change, or we’ll just end up here again. It’s time to take out the trash. — B.J.

Almost 99 Problems Head coach Mike McCarthy was the biggest reason the Cowboys’ season ended in a humiliating flop.

mistake. We’re probably going to have to endure at least another year of this bullsh.

Dak

The QB1 looked timid, indecisive, wildly inaccurate, and, at times, just not qualified to be a starter. As he always does, Prescott made the game interesting late before his mental error cost the team its season. You can’t clench your butt cheeks for three quarters and expect to win, especially in the playoffs.

As Pro Football Focus noted, “Prescott went only 3-of-10 for 82 yards on passes thrown 12-plus yards past the line of scrimmage.”

No. 4 has looked terrible since returning from a mid-season calf injury. I don’t know how much of his struggles were physical or between the ears, but the team won games in spite of him down the stretch.

The Team’s “Stars”

Randy Gregory, CeeDee Lamb, and Tyron Smith played abysmally on Sunday. Those three are supposed to be key cogs in a championship core. They weren’t alone in shitting the bed on national TV, but when your stars play like a goat’s ass tastes, the team is going to look bad.

Smith allowed seven pressures on 51 pass-blocking snaps after only allowing 11 pressures all season. Gregory was penalized three times, two of which were of the pre-snap variety. Lamb saw two passes slip though his hands, committed a costly penalty, and generally didn’t show up to the party.

The O-Line

I know I singled out Smith, but the rest of the dudes were generally cock-slapped for four quarters. At least we’ve probably seen the last of Conner Williams.

Kellen Moore

The league figured out the erstwhile wunderkind after about Week 8. He’s not going to be a head coach next season, so I hope he figures out that 28 wide-receiver screens per game does not an offense make.

Though we should be well-conditioned to it by now, it’s still jarring when nearly six months of buildup and anticipation evaporate into their component molecules of failure and resentment over the course of just a handful of hours. The singleelimination aspect to the NFL playoffs allows no adequate time for coming to peace with your favorite team’s inevitable demise.

If your squad is getting its brains beat in over the course of a seven-game series as it would in any other of the “major four,” the drawing out of the violence somehow allows for a gentler comedown. Not so in football.

The Band-Aid is ripped clean off with skin and all attached. At best, you get four rapidly disappearing quarters to come to terms with the sobering reality that this is the last of your team you will see until next year.

I certainly share in the frustrations all fans do in the way this year’s version of the perennial one-and-done Cowboys played out, yet, for me, the wounds are still too raw and the emotions too spent to muster much of a profanity-laden tirade about it. (I’ll leave that to Bo.) Besides, what would be the point? We all know that the spectacle we were forced to witness — eyes held open like some plenny moodge in A Clockwork Orange. This past Sunday was the perfect cap to what has truly been the most Cowboys-like season I can ever recall. From the unjustly inflated expectations to the lackadaisical paperingover of very obvious flaws, the bewildering in-game decisions, and the infuriating lack of accountability, all ultimately leading to horrible self-inflicted failure, the hits Jerry and Co. played this year were more predictable than your average Paul McCartney cash-grab tour. We also know that nothing is likely to change. It’ll just be rinse/repeat every year until Jurrah dies. Or I do, whichever comes first. Don’t think for a second that man does not have a stockpile of baboon hearts and illegally harvested kidneys procured from Eastern European black markets at the ready.

He’ll still be sipping Johnny Walker on Mars with Bezos and Musk while the rest of us fall victim to the consequences of climate change 50 years from now.

Compounding the depression creeping in from every corner of my blacked-out room are a few unsettling revelations laid bare by the back half of this season on top of the disappointing early exit.

1.) If I hear another national media personality describe the O-line as “great,” or “solid,” or even “competent” again, I will scream until my vocal cords rupture. This line is terrible in both pass protection and run blocking. Thank god Connor Williams holds. Otherwise, he would get blown up every play and likely get Dak put in traction.

2.) I love Zeke as a leader on the team, and his pass protection is maybe the best in the league, but whether because he’s played for weeks on a torn ligament or because age and overuse are catching up, he’s no longer the best back on the roster — not sure he would be even if Tony Pollard wasn’t on it — and McCarthy’s or Kellen Moore’s or Jerry’s refusal to recognize that cost this team dearly this year.

3.) Our receivers are overrated. Amari Cooper has earned a reputation as one of the league’s best route runners, but whether he struggles against zone coverages or Dak simply isn’t finding him, he disappears in too many games. CeeDee Lamb is electric with the ball in his hands, but he must get it in his hands first. Drops plagued him all year.

4.) There is something very wrong with Dak Prescott, maybe always has been. He is Patrick Mahomes if his line can block and the Cowboys can run, but when opposing pass rushers can routinely get home with four and the best your supposed RB1 can muster is dragging a pile for two yards after getting hit in the backfield, Dak reverts to a fairly spot-on Ben DiNucci impression.

His once stalwart pocket presence has been replaced with a scatterbrained happy foot who can’t roll through progressions fast enough and holds onto the ball way too long.

5.) All the above is here to stay. Six of the top seven highest-paid players on the team are on the offensive side of the ball.

Those six (La’el Collins, Cooper, Elliott, Zack Martin, Prescott, and Tyron Smith) will account for nearly $128M against the cap next year. That’s more than 55% of the entire $230M devoted to the whole damn team! Each of them simply costs too much to cut even if you wanted to.

The improved defense this year is encouraging, but we’re likely to lose Dan Quinn as a coordinator, and the cashchoked elephant in the room in the form of the stagnant, aging offense and the inevitable return of Moore and McCarthy is enough to squash any enthusiasm for the “we’ll get ’em next year” set. All we’ll get next year is another heartbreaking early-round exit. That’s if we make the playoffs at all. Recent history shows that we may have at least a season or two to go before the Cowboys will even have another opportunity to get prematurely bounced.

Nothing to do but lick our wounds down to the bone until then. — P.H. l

B O

J A C K S O B O R O

Am I the only one who wants to do a bunch of cocaine with Luka Dončić? I’m not really that into the yayo. I just have a feeling it would be awesome with him. I imagine sitting around a mostly empty discotheque with trashy Eastern Europeans and one of those tiny giraffes from the old Direct TV commercials. Luka is sitting in a corner booth like Tony Montana but wearing a velour tracksuit and drenched in way too much cologne.

Of course, I don’t want to take his focus away from hoops, especially since he’s finally been healthy for a decent stretch of games. I just figured that post-COVID Luka might need some “manufactured” energy. He looked a little off Monday night, despite recording a triple-double.

He made just four field goals in 17 attempts and finished 0 of 6 from three.

Speaking of health, Luka shared the floor with one-time unicorn Kristaps Porzingis for the first time in a week during Monday night’s narrow victory over the lowly OKC Thunder.

Each of the Mavs’ highest-paid players have been in and out of the lineup all season, as has a huge chunk of the roster.

Between the ravages of COVID and the everyday grind of an 82-game schedule, the front office was pulling guys off the lot at Lowe’s to fill the roster. Things have gone pretty well for the Mavs during the absence of their star players.

This plucky team of also-rans and nonames has become one of the best stories in the NBA. Since Christmas, the Mavs are 10-2, with the likes of 10-day-contractplayers Marquese Chriss, Theo Pinson, and Isaiah Thomas Jr. contributing valuable minutes — the former two have been signed to longer deals.

A few things have contributed to the Mavs’ bounce-back this season, and maybe the biggest factor was having to learn how to play without Luka and Kristaps for a stretch. The role players all stepped up, and the team’s focus shifted to the defensive end of the floor — as opposed to its original plan of giving Luka the ball and hoping he does something cool.

Fun fact via Sports Illustrated: “The Mavs have the fifth-best defensive rating

and eighth-best net rating in the league this season. Over the last 10 games specifically, Dallas owns the best defensive rating in the league by a large 6.2-point margin.”

The team had hovered around the mid-teens in defensive rating prior to that stretch.

The Mavs pass the eye test, too.

They’re bouncy on the defensive end, rotating and switching more decisively, and no longer giving up easy pick-and-roll switches.

Dallas hasn’t radically changed where opponents take shots. As The Athletic’s Tim Cato pointed out, “Since Dec. 12, when the team’s improved play really noticeably began, the Mavs are allowing the 20th-most shots at the rim, the 17thmost shots in the restricted area, the 13thmost midrange shots, and the fourth-most above-the-break 3s. Opposing teams’ shot quality has been firmly middle of the pack in that timeframe too.”

Dallas is forcing teams into contested jump shots. The boys in green and blue are also defending the three-point line incredibly, with opponents converting 30.3%, the second-lowest mark in the

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B Y

Luka Dončić is healthy and back on the court and therefore should not do any illegal drugs.

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Dallas has thrived without its star players, but is it sustainable?

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Blow to the Mavs

Photo ar t by Ryan Burger via Creative Commons

STUFF

league over this recent hot streak. In the season’s first 25 games, the Mavs gave up the second-highest percentage (44.4%).

Driving this sudden spurt of competence are the role players. The Mavs’ roster, thought by most observers to be top-heavy, looks *checks notes* deep.

Jalen Brunson has sprouted into a legit third option. He’s always been a reliable, if limited, offensive player. This season, he’s been decent on the other side of the floor while taking more of a leadership role.

Josh Green, who was buried on Rick Carlisle’s bench, has turned into one of the squad’s best two-way players. He’s always been a freak athlete, and now his shots are starting to fall. In last week’s win against Chicago, he and Brunson both shot 8-for10 from the field.

Dorian Finney-Smth, Maxi Kleber, and newcomer Reggie Bullock have also stood out during this stretch. Even Dwight Powell has looked like a useful NBA player lately. Still, it’s likely Marquese Chriss’ story that will garner interest from the Hallmark Channel.

In his first 12 games, Chriss averaged 6.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, while showing off the exact kind of athleticism and nastiness this roster lacked before his arrival. The athletic-ifnot-polished 24-year-old forward/center has been traded and waived three times apiece.

You’ve got to hand it to head coach and noted wife-beater Jason Kidd. His scheme has made better use of his available talent, and the players seem to have bought in.

Now that Luka and KP are back on the court together, we’ll see whether or not this run is just a mirage or a new style of play. If the Mavs can maintain greatness without Luka shouldering the load, they may be able to take the next step toward contending for a championship.

The day Luka hoists that championship trophy, I’ll be there to help him celebrate — with a bail of blow in tow. l

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“A roaring, wondrous whirlpool of a show”

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– The Guardian

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FINAL WEEKS Through February 6, 2022 This exhibition is organized by Tate Britain in association with the Kimbell Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities and by the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District.

Promotional support provided by

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2022

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The last few months have been an uphill battle for Delta 8 THC (a legal form of THC) and the Texas-based companies who sell it. Earlier this year, the Texas Department of State Health Services filed a request to eliminate the sale of Delta 8 THC in the state of Texas, temporarily bringing small-business sales to a halt.

Delta 8 THC is derived from the hemp plant, making it Federally legal by way of the 2018 Farm Bill. Delta 8 THC is in fact psychoactive, and most consumers (aging from 21+) tend to prefer it over Delta 9 THC for both recreational and medicinal purposes. For more than two years, small Texas businesses and their customers have relied on the Farm Bill’s provisioning and its designation to the legality of Delta 8 THC. In late October, DSHS abruptly specified that Delta-8 is a Schedule I controlled substance, therefore illegal in Texas. The DSHS statement says, “Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 443 (HSC 443), stabled by House Bill 1325 (86th Legislature), allows Consumable Hemp Products in Texas that do not exceed 0.3% Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). All other forms of THC, including Delta-8 in any concentration and Delta-9 exceeding 0.3%, are considered Schedule I Controlled substances.”

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What does the future look this “overnight ruling” was like for Delta 8 THC? quickly scrutinized and deemed reckless by Texas-based hemp For now, DSHS is companies as they were left continuing its efforts in the scrambling, finding ways to keep pursuit against Delta 8 THC their doors open and employees and will once again plead its paid. With 100s if not 1000s case in January. Fortunately for of businesses being based Texas-based hemp providers, out of Texas, this seemingly Delta 8 THC is seemingly permanent ruling would resilient and has continued to completely cripple the Texas fight back and win. hemp industry and potentially Bret Worley is the President have a nationwide catastrophic of MC Nutraceuticals, a Texasripple effect. based wholesale provider In true Texas fashion, several to cannabinoid consumer Texas-based business owners brands. During an interview, banded together to fight the Texas-based hemp companies like Nature’s Mr. Worley stated “Given the Texas DSHS and their injunction Purpose CBD are fighting the DSHS. fact that we’re Texas-based to completely prohibit the sale and our core business is of Delta 8 THC. According to wholesale, we are extremely NBC DFW Channel 5. “A Texas district judge ruled concerned about this matter with DSHS for both ourselves on Monday in favor of removing Delta-8 THC from and our clients. At this point, we are quite confident that the state’s list of controlled substances until the court the fight will persist for the next six months without a final determines whether the state followed the law when it decision. I personally believe that given all the hard work ruled the hemp-derived products illegal.” the companies fighting the DSHS are putting in for this Considered to be a victory for Texas-owned hemp fight, we have a good chance. The most I can ask for the businesses, the overturning of this injunction is consumer is please support your Texas-based brands for temporary. – In-light of the court ruling, DSHS filed the Delta 8 THC and other hemp products.” a motion with the Texas Supreme court to reinstate If you’d like to support Texas-based hemp a ban against Delta 8 products. As such, Hometown companies, consider supporting those who are Hero then filed a lawsuit against DSHS stating the contributing resources to push back on DSHS including health agency did not adequately notify retailers of the CBD Farmhouse, Hometown Hero, Nature’s Purpose changes and was unjust.

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MOVE MORE

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You don’t have to run marathons or work out to move more. Add more natural movement to your day through simple things such as parking farther away, walking the dog, mowing the lawn, taking the stairs, and gardening.

Eating better isn’t about constantly dieting or eliminating some of your favorite foods forever. Add more fruits, vegetables and plant-based foods to your diet, cut back or cut out sugar and processed foods, and follow the 80% Rule of eating less.

Social connections are essential to health and well-being. Connect with others and cultivate a sense of belonging by sharing your time in intentional ways with family, friends, and the community. And take time to connect with yourself too.

Find resources and tips for adding a Plant Slant to your diet, adding more Natural Movement to your life, and Connecting with yourself and those around you at LiveLongFortWorth.com

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TAFB president and CEO. “That was one of the barriers to entry with the last program. You know, it’s an eight-hour-perday commitment, and if you’re not getting paid during those eight hours, you’re either depending on somebody else or you’re working the second or third shift in order to make ends meet.”

The TAFB asked Workforce Solutions to help support the program financially.

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FIRST BLUE ZONES

Program, the apprentices can develop the skills necessary for a culinary career.

TAFB’s previous foodservice training program was forced to close when the pandemic hit. Upon reopening in May 2021, they had the opportunity for a fresh approach.

“We wanted to find a way to pay the apprentices as they were going through the training program,” said Julie Butner,

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Three major Fort Worth institutions have banded together to help aspiring culinary artists enter the workforce. The Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB) has partnered with the Culinary School of Fort Worth and the Taste Project to create an accelerated apprenticeship program specifically designed for low-income adults. Through the Fort Worx Collaborative Learning

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Apprentices Dowan Mayfield and Stephen Gaban receive hands-on experience in the Fort Worx working kitchen.

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A huge culinary program opens doors for low-income adults.

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EATS & drinks

“We also wanted to have some meat behind it,” Butner said, “so we reached out to the Culinary School of Fort Worth.

Through [the school’s] relationship with the American Culinary Federation, we are able to accredit the program and also test the apprentices at the end of their training so that when they leave the program, they walk away with a certified cook certification, to be precise, through the American Culinary Federation, which of course is not only nationally recognized but also internationally recognized. And [apprentices] take that certificate and can carry it with them for the rest of their lives, and if they decide that they’re really interested in culinary arts, they can advance and become a certified sous chef, a certified executive chef, and just keep advancing in the food industry field.”

Through this accreditation, the apprentices have the opportunity to attend any culinary school in the United States that is accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF), which is the largest body of its kind in the nation.

The ultimate goal of the program is to identify individuals who have barriers keeping them from finding gainful employment. Through reskilling, the Fort Worx Program is, hopefully, the answer to the call in the community.

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Apprentice Saja Gooding prepares plates at the culminate dinner in November 2021.

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“The mission of the project is to target individuals … who, for whatever reason, haven’t found their way into college and haven’t found their way into the workplace,” said Jason Avelson, director of apprenticeship and high school partnerships at the Culinary School of Fort Worth. “It usually results from not having the financial support or even just logistical support to do so. And so they enter sort of this unavoidable lag phase, so the purpose of the program, initially, was just to provide them with the skill set that allows them to enter the workplace and begin earning a meaningful wage.”

Though the Culinary School of Fort Worth interviews prospective students, they do not decide who qualifies for the program.

Workforce Solutions is in charge of that.

“The candidates [Workforce Solutions] is sending to us have had barriers to employment,” Butner said, “and that’s who we’re trying to help. Those people who have barriers to employment are the same people who are standing in line to get food from the food bank, so this is an effort to not only feed people who are without means but to, you know, lift them up and get them out of their situations so that they can buy their own food and they don’t have to rely on the food banks for the free food. So that’s the drive for the food bank. We’re very happy to provide food into the community for people who are food insecure, but we also want to lift them out of that food insecurity so they can they have self-sufficiency.”

The program lasts a total of 16 weeks.

The first eight weeks consist of an educa-

tional portion in which apprentices spend the first half of their day in the classroom and the last half in a mission kitchen producing meals. After the initial eight weeks, the students must pass a written exam and a practical exam to become a certified fundamental cook. Upon passing, they will spend eight weeks working a traditional restaurant schedule at Taste Community Restaurant, where they will advance their skills and learn what it’s like to have a culinary job.

“If it wasn’t for the Fort Worx program, I’d probably be working a crappy job, living paycheck to paycheck, just being miserable,” said Dom Dixon, former apprentice and graduate of the fourth class of the Fort Worx Collaborative Learning Program.

Dixon is now firmly rooted as a saute cook at Fixture on Magnolia and works part-time at Taste Community Restaurant in South Main Village.

Dixon encourages anyone with a desire for cooking to go through the program.

“Whatever you don’t know, [the instructors] can help you learn, and whatever you do know, they can help you sharpen and hone.”

The program’s intention is to help build careers.

“The Fort Worx program is very good at foundation building,” Dixon said.

“Once you leave the program, that’s where the building blocks come in, and all you can do is go up from there.”

By offering tuition-free, paid work experiences, the program is creating new opportunities for culinary dreamers. continued on page 19

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Apprentice Isaac Galvan (R) serves guests with Jason Avelson at the culminate dinner in July 2021.

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“For a lot of the people who come through this program, this is really the first job that they’ve had,” said Jeff Williams, executive director and founder of the Taste Project.

The students finish their 16 weeks of training with a culminate dinner, where each apprentice is responsible for one aspect of the meal. Potential employers are invited to the dinner to meet prospective employees.

“Pretty much we’ve had every apprentice who finished the program leave the dinner with at least one offer for employment,” Williams said, “sometimes even more than one offer. … That’s just the success of the program.”

The Culinary School of Fort Worth reached out to employer partners and posited a hypothetical: What, if anything, would you offer an individual who underwent eight weeks of culinary training at TAFB that culminated in an ACF certification and then did an externship at a popular, busy local restaurant?

“The response was incredible,” Avelson said.

Fort Worth employers said they would offer that person $14 to $16 an hour upon hiring.

When asked if he felt like the students enrolled in this project received the same training as a regular enrolled culinary student would, Avelson said they “get a little bit better training. And that seems strange to say … but when we get into a group of five to 10 individuals … there’s just a greater opportunity for individual instruction and at-

tention at each portion of the program.”

The Fort Worx program just started its fifth class, or “cohort,” having achieved its goal in each previous group of apprentices.

“I think it’s been really, really, really successful,” Taste’s Williams said. “We love working with the apprentices. It hits our mission. We’re able to provide them with skills to get employment so that they don’t have the need for the services of the vendor or ourselves anymore … You see their life change. In a short period of time, they’re able to make a big change in their life, and that’s pretty amazing to see.”

The program’s creators want to see growth. Avelson encourages everyone who thinks they might do well in this program to apply. No experience is required, only a passion for food and service.

“I think what we’re learning is, while the focus of the program was initially 18to 24-year-olds,” Avelson said, “we’ve certainly had clients who were not in that bracket. We’ve had clients from all ages and walks of life. And I think what we want people to know most is that if you think this program will benefit you, if you can see yourself in food service and it’s something that you want to do, or if you say to yourself that this is your way to create a lifestyle in a meaningful way, we want you to apply.”

The Taste Project (1200 S. Main St., 682-233-1255) is hosting an informational session about the Fort Worx Collaborative Learning Program from 6:30 to 7:30pm on Wed., Jan. 19. The program is designed for those who are unemployed, looking for a new skill, or face a barrier to employment. l

GIOVANNI’S I TA L I A N K I T C H E N

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Eats & Drinks

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K I C K I N G

Eating Fit in the Fort

1.) Byblos Mediterranean Lebanese Restaurant (1406 N Main St, 817-6259667) won our Critic’s Choice for Best Vegetarian Selection in Best Of 2020.

Mediterranean food leans heavily on plantbased cuisine, with a little dairy thrown in for interest. Eight of the 10 appetizers on Byblos’ menu are vegan or vegetarian, with cheeses made from yogurt, sheep’s milk, or cow’s milk, so you could create an essentially vegetarian mezze splurge for starters. All four soups and salads are vegetarian, and Byblos offers three vegetarian entrees. In addition to a moussaka with baked, not fried, eggplant and slightly nutty whole chickpeas, the

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A L I V E

&

According to the Gallup-Sharecare WellBeing Index study, Fort Worth has become one of the 58 healthiest cities in the nation, while the United States, for the most part, is on the decline. What makes us so special? The answer, in part, is that after a rocky start six years ago, we’ve finally embraced the efforts of the Blue Zones Project, which is an organization that works with the community to improve the well-being of its citizens, including their home, work, and social lives.

Along with testimonials from local people on how they’ve personally changed their routine and entered into a state of wellness, BlueZonesProject.com has lists of grocery stores, caterers, and restaurants that are approved by the program. As this week is our official Alive & Kicking healthy-living issue, below are eight Blue Zones restaurants with Blue Zones menu items and what our food critics think of them.

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2.) Cafe Modern (3200 Darnell St, 817738-9215) launched a new menu under Wolfgang Puck Catering and Executive Chef Jett Mora’s new management team this past summer. The Weekly’s Kristian Lin said, “Maybe you figure that an art museum should be serving molecular gastronomy-inspired fare, dishes that are pieces of art in their own right. Such a thing would be really cool, but there’s some merit to the idea of going in the other direction, giving the customers a break from heavy contemplation with comforting flavors and textures and letting them save their deep thoughts for the art on the walls. That’s where Cafe Modern is, and they do it well.”

3.) Fixture Kitchen and Social Lounge (401 W Magnolia Av, 817-708-2663) was recently visited by our own Edward Brown as part of his Hittin’ the Fort video series with Weekly video guy Wyatt Newquist.

“We’ve heard a lot of buzz about the brunches, late-night cocktails, and duck wings at Fixture Kitchen and Social Lounge, so we stopped by to chat up the Near Southside restaurant’s owner and executive chef, Ben Merritt. The popular restaurateur told us about his culinary journey that started in Grapevine. He also recommended popular brunch items that have made Fixture a destination for locals.” You can watch our past episodes on IGTV @FortWorthWeekly.

4.) Grand Cru Wine Bar (1257 W Magnolia Av, 817-923-1717) made quite a snack impression on our Last Call columnist a few years back. “About halfway through my extreme black beer, I figured since I was at a place dedicated to sophisticated palates, I might as well go whole hog. Or half-cheese anyway. Grand Cru offers an appetizing selection of snacks ranging from cheese trays to Mediterranean fare. I went with a serving of Spanish Manchego and English coast cheddar. After I finished my beer, I asked the bartender to pick a glass

there. It also has a nice vintage feel, with autographed pictures of bygone celebrities adorning the wall and an old gas station sign out in the parking lot.” As for the red salsa, it’s a must-try, “It’s a little on the chunky side, with just enough heat to make you reach for your water but not enough to cause you to tear up.”

Cour tesy Blue Zones Project

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fatt-ii bil-laban and moojjadra will keep vegetarians happy even as the carnivores enjoy their gyros and shish tawook.

Learn to #LiveLongerBetter with help from the Blue Zones Project.

of wine within the parameters of dry and spicy, and she came back with a Portuguese red that seemed to give the cheddar a bold chocolate note. … I ate more cheddar, my brain wondering if each successive bite was more chocolaty than the last.”

5.) Local Foods Kitchen (4548 Hardwood Dr, 817-238-3464) won Critic’s Choice for Best Breakfast in Best Of 2018. Here are the three words you need to know about Local Foods Kitchen: smoked brisket hash. That dish is seriously incredible, though the rest of the breakfast menu makes the first meal of the day one to remember. Locally sourced ingredients transform ol’ standbys like omelets and blueberry pancakes into gems, but there are also breakfast burritos, street tacos (the eggs queso fresco tacos are cheesy, creamy heaven), and a tomatoavocado-bacon-lettuce-egg sandwich on toasted sourdough with mayo and Sriracha to wow your palate.

6.) Los Vaqueros (2629 N Main St, 817624-151) was visited by our Chow, Baby columnist who had mixed feelings but found comfort in the decor and a love for its red salsa. “I was immediately struck by the size of the place. Most Northside eateries are a little on the cramped side, but you can really stretch out your legs

7.) Spiral Diner & Bakery (1314 W Magnolia Av, 817-332-8834) — which is turning 20 this year — won Critic’s Choice for Best Vegan Dish in Best Of 2021 for its Texas Hot Chik’n Sandwich. “Not only is it the best vegan dish out there, but it’s maybe the best sandwich we’ve had in a long time. Don’t know about the calorie or fat content and, frankly, don’t care. Tossed in a blend of subtle barbecue and Buffalo sauces and served on a buttered sesameseed bun with lettuce (some), pickles, and mayonnaise, the crispily breaded Chik’n strips simply melt in your mouth while stuffing it aggressively with savoriness.

Little tip: Tell Spiral to hold the obligatory side of chips and instead order (and pay extra for) a cup of the scrumptious pasta salad. A bite of that and a bite of the Texas Hot at the same time? *chef ’s kiss*” 8.) Thai Select (4630 SW Loop 820, 817731-0455) won Critic’s Choice for Best Thai in Best Of 2019. “An unassuming restaurant in a strip shopping center just south of the Hulen Mall craziness, Thai Select is the slightly plainer older sister of West Magnolia Avenue’s Spice and a couple of other Thai restaurants all owned by the same family. The casual atmosphere belies the competence of the kitchen staff, who continuously execute classic renditions of Thai favorites. Well-priced lunch specials will keep you on time and on track during the day, and the generously portioned dinner menu provides the perfect latenight snack.”

For info on other great Blue Zonesapproved dining options, go to Info.

B l u e Z o n e s P r o j e c t . c o m / Fo r Wo r t h _ Approved.

By Jennifer Bovee

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- Fort Worth Weekly Best Of 2021

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MUSIC Hurry Up and Wait

On his new album, Grady Spencer deals with the 2020 he had planned through the lens of the year that actually happened.

B Y

S T E V E

S T E W A R D

For working musicians, a canceled gig is rarely a good thing, and Grady Spencer’s view on them is no exception. When I sat down with him at a local coffeeshop last week to talk about Wait, his new album that drops on Jan. 28, he was waiting to

ROADHOUSE LIVE MUSIC LINEUP

hear the on/off status of shows he had booked for the coming weekend.

“I just found out an hour ago that I’m probably gonna have to cancel,” he said.

“I think at this point, everyone’s like, ‘It’s part of it.’ ” As it happened, Spencer posted to his Instagram the very next day that the shows at Arcadia Live in Kerrville and in Angleton at the Dirty South were canceled.

While a pair of Fort Worth shows at The Post on Feb. 12 are still on, along with his band’s tour through Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee, Spencer has accepted that COVID still keeps bookings up in the air, so to speak. The pandemic still sucks, in other words, and it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Yet Spencer is also well aware that his new album would not exist as it is if not for the pandemic’s Great Pause. Waiting for the world to reset, to reopen, wasn’t entirely bad, it turns out.

That’s an easy thing to say in January of 2022, of course. Last January, Spencer was begrudgingly teaching himself to livestream, but the January before that, he

jan 19 Jan 20 jan 21 jan 22 jan 25 jan 26

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sons of bocephus Dustin massey dylan wheeler blue water highway mason lively straight tequila night

1/27 CHAD COOKE

2/1 BRENDEN KYLE 2/2 CARTER FAITH 2/3 JAKE

Maddie Daggett

WORTHINGTON 2/4 POO LIVE CREW 2/5 DAVID NAIL

Spencer: “Whether you’re lifting two-by-fours or amplifiers, it’s still rough on your back. But I want to lift amps.”

Jan. 17 - Feb. 9

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1/29 KIN FAUX

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Music

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was in the midst of something far more exciting.

“January 3rd, 2020, was my last day of working construction, when I decided to do music full-time,” he said, “and I had two months of being like, ‘This is what I should’ve been doing for years.’ And then March hit.

And it was just like, ‘You’re done.’ ” Spencer, like all of us, had a lot of time on his hands, which allowed him to reflect on his life in a way he might not have while crammed in a van between Denver and Chicago. His focus changed, and so did his direction for his follow-up to 2019’s Celebrate.

“I think production-wise, we did exactly what I wanted to do, which was work with a good friend of mine, Rhys

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Murphy,” Spencer said. “But lyrically … this album turned out to be way more introspective than what I was willing or hoping for.”

In effect, the pandemic made him present to what was all around him, from life’s mundane inevitabilities to the serious tensions roiling to the surface of American society.

“Getting old, being in your mid30s, and viewing the world — I’m not a huge politics guy, but I obviously see the madness in everything around us. … I want to have empathy and love the world better. Step back. Create space. And I think the album is me taking in the craziness of this world.”

Creating space is something of a motif in Wait, certainly so in its first single, a song about going to therapy appropriately called “Therapy’s Good.”

“The thing that I’m really pumped about,” Spencer said, “is that I keep getting messages from people that are saying, ‘Thank you for writing this.’ I think growing up in the construction world and now this country music world, you see hyper-machoism and nobody wants to talk about feelings, and I get it.

I grew up in West Texas, and we don’t talk about that stuff. But then, you know, when I decided to quit construction, it was solely off my wife telling me, ‘You need to talk to somebody. You’re spreading yourself too thin.’ ” Prior to quitting construction, Spencer was doing 40- to 50-hour weeks on the job site and then two or three shows every weekend. “So, there was no time for anything else. I was getting ready to lose it, and I went to therapy, and this guy helped me sort it out. … For me, therapy was a

big deal in my life. … It impacted my life for the better. I guess I want to tell people about it.”

Time and our society’s routine for dealing with COVID will tell who gets to hear the song played live, but Spencer is hopeful and excited, despite a career trajectory that was suddenly crimped into a different vector by the pandemic.

“People ask musicians what will it look like for you to make it?” he said.

“And I know this much. I don’t wear a hard hat every day anymore. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve already done it. And I’m going to continue on, providing for my family, doing creative stuff. And the thing of it is, I do like doing construction, and if I have to go back to it, I’ll go back to it. But whether you’re lifting two-by-fours or amplifiers, it’s still rough on your back.

But I want to lift amps.” l

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Noteworthy

“It’s gonna be a good time,” Luther said. “There’s no reason for this show release-wise. It’s just a show. Good time, fun time. Like it used to be.”

Speaking of fun times, before you go here or anywhere this weekend and beyond, please do us all a favor and get vaccinated if you haven’t already, and, if you are vaxxed but not boosted, go fix that shit. You can basically walk inside any pharmacy, ask for a booster, and a tech will poke you with the good stuff in no time. Omicron is highly contagious, though your chances of catching it and being floored by it or worse go down by a lot if you’re boosted. The more we do to protect the people around us by getting vaxxed and wearing masks now, the better off we’ll all be moving forward. #themoreyouknow *shooting star* Doors are at 7. Cover is $10. — Anthony Mariani

Here’s What You’re Doing Sunday

I hate to sound so bossy, but I’ve got to live vicariously through you, or my head and heart will explode. From 6pm to 8pm Sun at The Post at River East (2925 Race St, 817-945-8890), veteran Fort Worth bluesman Guthrie Kennard will perform. All ages welcome. Seating is first come, first served. Cover is 10 dolla. — A.M. Contact HearSay at Anthony@FWWeekly.com.

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I’ve got Saturday night all mapped out for you, too. Fort Worth Fire Beats starts at 7pm with some yoga flow, live painting artists, and artisan vendors. A thunderous drum circle follows, willing you to get moving, and it’s punctuated by fire-prop manipulators with LED devices instead of real fire for this indoor event. There’ll then be a stage show featuring “movement arts of all styles/genres,” Fire Beats says, before psychedelic bass and world music by Scott and guest DJ Dar. A “sensual, sultrypositive show featuring sexy acts too hot for the family-friendly show,” including pole performers, burlesque artists, and more, will put a bow atop the evening at midnight. Tickets for this extravaganza at Tulips FTW (112 St. Louis Av, 817-3679798) are at Prekindle. — A.M.

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Your Saturday Plans

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Here’s what you’re doing Friday, assuming you’re free — are you free? To rock? As you should be? As the whole world should be?

Or do you have to sit it out like a big baby?

Waaah, I gotta open tomorrow morning.

Waaah, I gotta pay my phone. Waaah, there’s a new Criminal Minds. Waaah, waaah, waaaaah. Shut it. You’re going to this rock show, you’re gonna have fun, and then you’re gonna wake up Saturday morning, put on your business sweatpants, slam a couple of those blue Powerades that might as well be liquid cocaine, and motor through because that’s what young people and the young at heart should be doing with their miserable lives at this, the beginning of the end of the world.

I haven’t been to a big rock show in a while, even before the pandemic (lazy, broke), but I’m happy to say I got my Flickerstick tix. So. I’ll be rocking then! “I like the girls! Who like the pills! The ones that cure! The ones that kill!” Yeeeaaaah, I’ll be rocking for sure.

If I’m not dead. Of old age. Or boredom.

However, if I were young and/or young at heart, I wouldn’t be doing something stupid Friday, like watching hockey or DoorDashing Freebirds at home again (half my kingdom for a Penguins win and a Monster chicken with barbecue sauce). I’d be offering my ears to Fort Worth rockers Arenda Light, Austin’s Dead Heirs, and rootsy Fort Worth singer-songwriter and all-around nice guy Levi Ray with his full band, the Heartworn, at Lola’s Saloon (2736 W 6th St, 817-759-9100) at 8pm Fri. Hard-rocking headliners Arenda Light have been busy, releasing three singles with videos over the past six months and working on a fourth that’s due soon. Unlike its predecessors, which were recorded at AudioStyles outside of Austin with Taylor Tatsch (Maren Morris, DJ Shadow, Luke Wade), the new track was laid down at frontman Nick Tittle’s home studio with Mark Randall, a MASS soundguy, manning the boards and running the session. For Arenda Light, releasing new tracks regularly has been working just fine. No need to mess with it now.

“As of now,” said bassist Kris Luther, “there’s no gameplan for a release of consolidated work, just because of the way things have been. I dunno. We’re just trying to have a steady flow of releasing content.”

Will concertgoers hear a Stella Rose song? I ask only because the guy behind Dead Heirs, Stephen Beatty, and Arenda Light drummer Matt Mabe once played together in that superpopular hard-rock Fort Worth outfit and will be sharing the stage Friday.

I’m requesting “Christmas Tree” or that “I’m a Ghoooost” song. Someone Facetime it for me. Thanks.

Cour tesy Facebook

Your Friday Plans

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NIGHT&DAY 23

Cour tesy Instagram

At 7pm, local promoter Tops Off Variety Show brings a little circus Sunday sideshow action to the Haltom Theater (5601 E Belknap St, Haltom City, 682-250-5678) when Short E. Dangerously, the performer with no legs, hits the stage. If his name or image seems familiar, you may have seen him on a second-season episode of AMC’s hit Freakshow or read about him in National Geographic or Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Plus, he’s been killing it on the sideshow circuit for the past 20 years. Tickets to Viva la Vaudville are $25 per person on EventBrite.com.

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Short E. Dangerously, the sideshow performer without legs, takes over the Haltom Sunday.

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From 5pm to 7pm, Artspace 111 (111 Hampton St, 817-692Thursday 3228) presents Artist Talk with Carroll Swensen-Roberts about her current exhibit With You Were Here that runs at the gallery thru Sat, Jan 29.

There is a social hour at 5pm, then the talk discussing the themes of her narrative mixed-media drawings and other works on paper and panels starts at 6pm. There is no cost to attend.

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The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (3200 Darnell St, 817-738Friday 9215) knows the aim of the “slow art” movement is to break with the often-frenetic pace of modern life to enjoy works of art in a deliberate and unhurried fashion. Slow Art at the Modern invests in this pause with a 30-minute spotlight tour focusing on one work of art. Led by a Modern docent, the January tour at 5:30pm will focus on a piece by Swedish-American sculptor Claes Oldenburg. There is no cost to attend.

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From 10:30am to noon, Creative Collections (2907 Race St, @ Saturday CreativeCollections2907) hosts Bubbles and Bobbles Group Class where instructor Andrea, owner of The Whole Orrdeal (3659 Hunters Glen Cir, @TheWholeOrrdeal), will show you how to make bath bombs painted in three different styles. The $20 per person in advance cost at TheWholeOrrdeal.com (or $25 at the door) includes all the supplies you’ll need.

Today thru Wed, Mar 30, The Gallery at UTA (502 S Cooper St, Fine Arts Monday Bldg, Rm 169, Arlington, 817-272-3110) offers Inescapable Histories: Mel Chin. The artist’s work on Hebron marble and olive wood on plaster and drywall explores the relationship between Israel and Palestine. There will also be an artist talk/reception on Fri, Jan 28, at 5:30pm. The gallery is open 10am5pm Mon-Fri and 12pm-5pm Sat. Free parking is available by reservation. Call for details. While this event has been on the books for several months, this feels timelier than ever in light of the tragedy at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville this past weekend.

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At 6pm, Mount Stylight Classes (@KenzyeStudio, 817-932-0802) is hosting Tuesday another acrylic-pour art class. This time, the location is Martin House Brewery (220 S Sylvania Av, 817-222-0177), where the beer lives. All skill levels are welcome. Tickets are $23 on EventBrite.com and include all the supplies needed to make tiles. Or as we like to call them at the Weekly, coasters!

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For lots of ways to refresh your life in 2022, check Wednesday out our Alive & Kicking and Eats & Drinks sections this week. Along with not being a doormat, making a new one is a simple idea to update your home for the new year.

From 6:30pm to 9:30pm, head to Board and Brush (4620 Bryant Irvin Rd, Ste 524, 817-953-0933) for the Porch Refresh Class. The cost for the workshop is $40 per person and includes all the needed supplies and design ideas to create your very own DIY doormat. Preregistration is required at BoardandBrush.com/FortWorth.

By Jennifer Bovee

Ol’ South Pancake House New Year, New Career!

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MIND / BODY / SPIRIT Gateway Church Church time is the BEST time! Join us for online church each weekend. Online services start at 4 pm on Saturdays and are available to watch any time after at https:// gway.ch/GatewayPeople.

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PUBLIC NOTICES TDLR Complaints 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.

RENTALS / REAL ESTATE Cyndy Reep, Realtor Berkshire Hathaway HA Alexander Chandler Realty 2900 S Hulen, FWTX 817-806-4100 Critic’s Choice for Best Realtor in Best Of 2021: “Here in North Texas, ladies — and gentleman, for that matter — tend to do what they want. Realtor Cyndi Reep is no exception. While she does have listings and can certainly help you sell your property, her true love is being a buyer’s agent. Whether it’s buying or leasing a commercial or residential space, she has a flair for helping clients find exactly what they want and need... (Read more at FWWeekly.com.)

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SUBMISSIONS We’d Like To Hear From You! Do you have thoughts and feelings, or questions, comments or concerns about something you read in the Weekly? Please email Question@fwweekly.com. Do you have an upcoming event? For potential coverage in Night & Day, Big Ticket, Ate Day8 A Week, or CrosstownSounds, email the details to Jennifer@fwweekly.com.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Consolidated Notice of Receipt of Application and Intent to Obtain Permit and Notice of Application and Preliminary Decision Air Quality Standard Permit for Concrete Batch Plants Proposed Registration No. 51742L048 Application. Osburn Contractors, LLC, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for an Air Quality Standard Permit, Registration No. 51742L048, which would authorize construction of a temporary concrete batch plant located at 9395 Silvercreek Road, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas 76108. This application is being processed in an expedited manner, as allowed by the commission’s rules in 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 101, Subchapter J. 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. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/hb610/index.html?lat=32.773611&lng=97.479166&zoom=13&type=r. The proposed facility will emit the following air contaminants: particulate matter including (but not limited to) aggregate, cement, road dust, and particulate matter with diameters of 10 microns or less and 2.5 microns or less.

This application was submitted to the TCEQ on January 4, 2022. The executive director has completed the administrative and technical reviews of the application and determined that the application meets all of the requirements of a standard permit authorized by 30 TAC § 116.611, which would establish the conditions under which the plant must operate. The executive director has made a preliminary decision to issue the registration because it meets all applicable rules. The application, executive director’s preliminary decision, and standard permit will be available for viewing and copying at the TCEQ central office, the TCEQ Dallas/Fort Worth regional office, and the White Settlement Library, 8215 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, 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 at the TCEQ Dallas/ Fort Worth Regional Office, 2309 Gravel Drive, Fort Worth, Texas. Visit www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/cbp to review the standard permit.

Public Comment/Public Meeting. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting. See Contacts section.

The TCEQ will consider all public comments in developing a final decision on the application. The deadline to submit public comments or meeting requests is 30 days after newspaper notice is published. Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the TCEQ’s jurisdiction to consider in the permit process.

The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comments or ask questions about the application. A public meeting about the application will be held if the executive director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing. If a public meeting is held, the deadline to submit public comments is extended to the end of the public meeting.

Contested Case Hearing. You may request a contested case hearing. A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in state district court. Unless a written request for a contested case hearing is filed within 30 days from this notice, the executive director may approve the application.

A person who may be affected by emissions of air contaminants from the facility is entitled to request a hearing. To request a hearing, a person must actually reside in a permanent residence within 440 yards of the proposed plant. 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 registration 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 which the group or association seeks to protect must be identified. You may submit your proposed adjustments to the application which would satisfy your concerns. See Contacts section.

TCEQ Action. After the deadline for public comments, the executive director will consider the comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material, or significant public comments. The executive director’s decision on the application, and any response to comments, will be mailed to all persons on the mailing list. If no timely contested case hearing requests are received, or if all hearing requests are withdrawn, the executive director may issue final approval of the application. If all timely hearing requests are not withdrawn, the executive director will not issue final approval of the permit and will forward the application and requests to the Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled commission meeting. 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. You may ask to be placed on a mailing list to receive additional information on this specific application. See Contacts section.

Information Available Online. For details about the status of the application, visit the Commissioners’ Integrated Database (CID) at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/cid. Once you have access to the CID using the link, enter the registration number at the top of this notice.

Contacts. 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, MC-105, 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 this application or 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.

Further information may also be obtained from Osburn Contractors, LLC, 5800 Democracy Drive, Plano, Texas 75024-4919 or by calling Ms. Ida Rodriquez, Permit Consultant at (972) 670-2841.

Notice Issuance Date: January 14, 2022

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