Plaza Medical Center performs more hip and knee replacements and reconstructions than any other area hospital. The Joint Center at Plaza utilizes a dedicated orthopedic unit staffed by nurses and therapists specializing in joint replacement. Pre-op education classes are available for this Joint Commission certified program.
fwcontents
/ Departments & Columns / 94
8Publisher's Letter
10 Outside Voice
13Wired In Staying connected with the latest local happenings
21fwliving Your definitive guide to living well
22Getaways Whistler, British Columbia, is North America’s premier powder playground. Get ready for what promises to be a spectacular ski season. by Kyle Whitecotton
24Image Reward yourself with organic and all-natural products. by Megan Brown
26Culture Catch the latest reviews on recently released books and music
34Cooking Christmas is coming, and our food editor shares her favorite holiday standbys to satisfy your sweet tooth. by Judie Byrd
38Style Perfect Cocktail Attire by Megan Brown
85Goodwill Improving life for those in need by granting wishes for sick children and more.
88According to Heywood
Trying to find categories where Dallas has a chance when compared to Fort Worth
90PGSuggested
The nightmare around the Christmas tree
92For What It’s Worth Giving advice on everything and anything
94Anchor’s Outtakes A hard-news journalist finds another form of expression in the creative world of movies. by Jay Gormley, CBS 11/TXA 21 news reporter
97Snapshots Behind the ropes and on the red carpet, the photos of the personalities and parties that have everyone talking
167fwevents
From the must-see live concert to the highly esteemed art exhibit, a month of events worth checking out
175fwdish Culinary ventures in and around town
176Now Open Check out The Tavern, where packed houses hint of the decidedly inventive Southwestern flavors inside.
178Restaurant Review Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine turned 10 this year, and Chef Jon Bonnell's creative juices are just beginning to flow.
180 Dish Listings
The most sought-after restaurant guide to navigate the area’s diverse dining options
192 fwflashback The backstory behind the people and events that shaped our city
The specially prepared “Simmer, Sauté, Santé! The Flavors of France” menu is available until December 31, 2011. France native, executive Chef Sebastien Layen will tantalize your taste buds with his authentic technique and flair for a one of a kind dining experience.
publisher’sletter
We Didn’t Start It …
No one has ever accused Fort Worth, Texas magazine’s own hugh savage of being particularly politically correct. This is precisely why we selected him to write our tongue-in-cheek d ecember story covering 50 reasons why Fort Worth is better than dallas. don’t think Ted Koppel and Nightline instead think Will Ferrell doing a Weekend Update sketch on Saturday Night Live
now, we are not saying that dallas is the worst place to live in the world. a fter all, it does have the world champion d allas Mavericks and reunion Tower. We are just pointing out why Fort Worth is undeniably a better place to live. For those of you who like to pretend that the Metroplex is just one big happy family, this article is for you.
s ome outsiders consider Fort Worth and dallas twin cities because we are less than 30 miles apart and share an airport. By informal definition, twin cities grow into each other and lose their individual identities as they fuse into one new city.
no one who has actually spent any time in Fort Worth and dallas would ever suggest the two cities have fused into one. at the very best, dallas is our cousin. The kind of cousin who isn’t invited to any of the family reunions or weddings.
To be clear, we didn’t initiate this light-hearted press skirmish.
The rivalry between the two cities has been going on for well more than a century. dallas started this press fight in 1875 when the Dallas Daily Herald published the article Fort Worth in Cold Sweat , referring to our city as their “suburban village,” stating that it was such a drowsy place that the writer saw a panther asleep in the street by the courthouse.
If you’re over 40, or appreciate history, you are familiar with the disdain our city newspaper’s founding publisher a mon c arter had for d allas. It has been said that c arter would take a sack lunch whenever he traveled to d allas so he wouldn’t have to spend any money there.
I can assure you that neither Mayor Betsy Price, c hamber ceo Bill Thornton, nor cv B ceo david duBois have endorsed this article. For political reasons, they have to take the high or middle road. Personally, however, in the privacy of their offices, I believe they will all thoroughly enjoy the read.
In conclusion, if you are offended by this article, don’t get upset with us, we are just carrying on a publishing tradition.
Hal A. Brown owner/publisher
owner /publisher hal a. brown
associate publisher diane stow
editorial
executive editor paul k. harral
managing editor jennifer casseday-blair
senior art director craig sylva
art directors spray gleaves, ed woolf
food editor judie byrd
food critic courtney dabney
staff writer gail bennison
feature writers james r. peipert, jennifer retter, alison rich, wafeeq sabir, hugh savage
To subscribe to fort worth texas magazine, or to ask questions regarding your subscription, call 800.856.2032.
fort worth, texas: the city’s magazine is published monthly by Fort Worth, texas Magazine Venture, LP, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Suite 130, Fort Worth, Texas 76116.
Basic subscription price: $23.95 per year. Single copy price: $3.95. Application to mail at periodical postage rates is pending at Fort Worth, Texas.
PoSTmASTer: Send address changes to Fort Worth, texas, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Suite 130, Fort Worth, Texas 76116.
For questions or comments concerning editorial content, contact Paul K. Harral, executive editor, at 817.560.6140 or via e-mail at pharral@fwtexas.com.
AUDIT PENDING
outsidevoice
2011 DREAM HOME
Home for a Home
On behalf of everyone at the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth, I’d like to thank Fort Worth, Texas for the opportunity to partner in this year’s spectacular Dream Home, and for the wonderful article beginning on page 48 of the October issue.
Working with the magazine has been a wonderful experience for the Ronald McDonald House staff, board and volunteers. Builder Curtis & Powers, along with Bob Reardon
and all of the Dream Home partners, built a beautiful home in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Fort Worth. As a result of hundreds of people touring the house throughout the month of October, we were able to raise awareness about the Ronald McDonald House. It seems rather fitting that people were able to tour this lovely home, built with exquisite craftsmanship and filled with lovely furnishings, all to further benefit our House, filled with families who need our help while their children are being treated in nearby medical facilities. A Home for a Home. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Jennifer Johns, executive director, Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth Inc.
Wishes Come True
The November issue of Fort Worth, Texas magazine was
barely in distribution when we received a telephone call from a gentleman who had already read the article about A Wish with Wings. (See: Granted Wishes, page 91.)
After asking a few questions about wishes that we have received but have not yet granted, we told him that we had two upcoming Disney World Wishes to grant during November and December plus an Alaskan cruise next summer (among others). His reply: “Put me down for two Disney World Wishes!”
That’s all because of the amazing coverage you provided on Andrew’s Wild West Wish and A Wish with Wings’ mission to grant Magical Wishes to little Texans with life-threatening conditions.
Thank you.
Judy Youngs, executive director, A Wish With Wings
Talk to us: We welcome all suggestions, comments and questions about Fort Worth, Texas magazine and the articles we publish. Send comments by visiting fwtx.com. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
Key Players
Alison Rich, a frequent contributor, takes a look at building homes that are energy neutral. You’ll find that article on page 52.
Wafeeq Sabir, Ph.D., is a recognized scholar practitioner and a retired officer from the Fort Worth Police Department, where he served 25 years, many of those in the gang unit. We asked him to give us a look inside local gangs. That article begins on page 68.
Kyle Whitecotton celebrates the glories of powder skiing this month, taking you to Whistler, British Columbia, North America’s premier powder playground. Turn to page 22 to start dreaming.
Be sure to check out the December edition of FYI Fort Worth, the monthly TV show from Fort Worth, Texas magazine. Scott Murray and co-host Amanda Mazey take you behind the scenes of what’s happening in and around Fort Worth for the holidays.
This month, take a very cool tour of the ICE! attraction, carved from more than 2 million pounds of ice at the Gaylord Texan Resort. Also, check out the latest and greatest new bicycle from a company right here in Fort Worth, and meet a woman who’s making a difference in the lives of parents whose children are patients at Cook Children’s Medical Center. Then, Judie Byrd whips up one of her delectable holiday treats that you won’t be able to resist.
Catch all this, some surprises and holiday fun on Sunday, Dec. 4. The show airs at 10:30 a.m. the first Sunday of every month on TXA 21. If you miss it, visit the fwtx.com home page and select FYI Fort Worth TV.
On the Web:
Virtual Issues. If someone beat you to the last newsstand copy, don’t worry. The virtual edition of both current and previous editions is available on our Web site. Flip through pages to read more about the great city of Fort Worth by visiting fwtx.com.
Bon Appétit! The most sought-after restaurant guide to navigate Fort Worth’s growing dining scene is now available online. Choose from an extensive listing of restaurants ranging from American to Asian, barbecue to burgers, ethnic to Mediterranean. Just visit fwtx. com and click on the dining guide.
Let’s Be Friends. Become a fan of the magazine on facebook.com and chat with hundreds of local fans, view videos from our signature events, browse photos from some of our most talked-about stories and stay updated on our many upcoming events. Or you may prefer to Tweet: @FWTXmag.
Jennifer Retter has switched from intern to a freelance writer for us — a major change in status. See her work in our Culture section (pages 30 and 32).
James R. Peipert is a retired journalist, editor and foreign correspondent. At the Star-Telegram, he was national/foreign editor for 15 years and on the editorial board for seven. Peipert was a victim of identify theft, and we asked him to write about that. You can find his article on page 80.
Intern Megan Brown is a senior at TCU from Boston, majoring in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Sociology. Take a look at how Megan incorporates her Northern attitude and Southern mentality into the image and style articles of this issue found on page 24 and 38.
wiredin
Staying connected with the latest local happenings
A Recognized Master
Overcoming obstacles and enduring hardships have been pivotal parts of Jamie Cashion iii’s life. after being severely burned while fighting a grass fire and then undergoing many months of treatment by the age of 16, Cashion went on to make a name for himself through
his service to the community and his karate skills, where he earned the coveted designation of “master.” h is skills and dedication earned master Cashion, a sixth-degree black belt, induction into the m asters hall of Fame at its 12th annual awards Ceremony in
august at the anaheim hilton in California.
master Cashion developed his service to others attitude early and has involved himself in speedway Charities, Big Brothers Big sisters, the Fort worth stock show syndicate and the Boys and Girls Club.
Changing Attitude
There was a time when “there’s always next year” when speaking of the texas r angers was said with resignation. But after back-toback appearances in the world series, it’s now a positive statement.
t he 2011 s eries against the st. l ouis Cardinals was a heart-breaker, but it provided seven games of fun, tension, elation and, unfortunately, disappointment. it also included Game 6, destined to be one of the classic series games people will be talking about far, far into the future.
i f there was any question of class, the r angers organization answered it when the club elected not to hold a party at the Ballpark in a rlington at the conclusion of the series. a party after the first trip to the s eries was one thing, but the next party will be to celebrate winning the world championship. maybe that will be next year.
in the meantime, thanks to the r angers for an exciting regular season and an even more exciting October. by FWTX Staff
he received the Presidential sports award in Karate from President George h w Bush in 1991 and President Bill Clinton in 1999, and teaches karate at the Christian soldiers Karate program in azle, where he serves under master J. Pat Burleson. Christine Perrenot
Courtesy Texas Rangers
Courtesy Fort Worth Cats
Bottom of the Ninth?
The ForT WorTh CaTs — since the founding of the team in 1888 as part of the old Texas League — have seen some ups and downs, including a 36-year-absence prior to their return in 2002.
Now there is another challenge. In late october, the a merican a ssociation of Independent Professional Baseball revoked the Cats' membership for not filing a letter of credit, casting doubt on the 2012 season.
In a message posted on the team’s Web site, majority owner Carl Bell said the ballclub was in serious negotiations about “the transfer of ownership and the future of the baseball team.”
“We are also working, as we have been for the past four years, towards ensuring the long-term preservation of historic LaGrave
Field, where the Cats first played baseball in 1926,” he said.
Fort Worth was a founding member of the a merican a ssociation six years ago.
“We regret having to take this action,” said Miles Wolff, american association commissioner. “We hope to find ownership that meets our requirements and will enable Fort Worth to continue in the league for the 2012 season and beyond.”
Bell said the 2011 season concluded the second Cats three-year affiliation, but the team decided to hold off on another three-year agreement as it explored options for the future of both the Cats and LaGrave Field.
one move that has long been discussed is whether the Fort Worth sports authority Inc. should own LaGrave Field and lease it back under an arrangement similar to that with Texas Motor speedway.
Former Northside City Council member Jim Lane has long been a supporter of the Cats.
“The history, heritage and legacy of the Fort Worth Cats and LaGrave Field belongs to Jake Lane and all the kids who live in Fort Worth,” Lane said. “The obligation to preserve and protect that history, heritage and legacy rests with the political community and business leaders in Fort Worth.”
Magazine deadlines being what they are — far in advance — this may all be moot when you read it.
But one thing Bell said we wholeheartedly agree with:
“The Cats and LaGrave Field are part of the fiber of the City of Fort Worth. It would be a shame for these treasures to go away,” he said. “It should not happen.” Paul K. Harral
Comings and Goings
David Rotman just can’t stay out of the kitchen. The creator of the late lamented Café Aspen spent some time at Mira Vista Country Club after he sold the popular Camp Bowie café. Now he’s moved in a different direction as sales manager of Frank Kent Honda. But food is still a passion. He recently opened Twin Creeks Café inside the Frank Kent Honda building, 3400 W. Loop 820 S.
“The fond memories of Café Aspen have been reborn with a breakfast twist,” Rotman tells us. Back are old familiar Café Aspen favorites like the tortilla soup, chicken salad (including the sandwich), the Café Aspen Patio Burger and the Spinach salad. There’s also a full line of breakfast food. Having a side of new car will add to your cost.
Trinity Bicycles, a local bike rental, accessory and repair store, is moving to 343 Throckmorton St. in Sundance Square. The new downtown location will provide visitors and residents with the opportunity to explore the city by bicycle. Sameday repairs will be available for commuter bike riders. More information can be found at trinitybicycles.com.
A.C. “Ace” Cook developed a unique collection of early Texas art over the last 25 years. The Hockshop Collection, which has been displayed at Cook’s Bull Ring ice cream shop in the Fort Worth Stockyards, will be moved to Houston. The collection is estimated to be worth $6 million. Houston businessman John H. Nau bought the paintings from Cook before his death to add to Nau’s personal collection. Cook wanted the collection to remain together and be taken care of perfectly.
Urban Air Trampoline Park has opened at 325 Commerce St. in Southlake. The Metroplex now has access to 25,000 square feet of indoor activity space. The unique park features wall-towall trampolines and many areas for other kinds of exercise and fun. The park also hosts events for large groups. Urban Air Trampoline Park has fitness classes as well as a range of fun activities for participants.
Trader Joe’s is coming and Stacy Furniture & Design is moving. Trader Joe's is a lowpriced gourmet grocer based in California and is part of the German-owned ALDI discount grocery store group. Rumors had been swirling until the confirmation in early November that the chain would open next spring at 2701 S. Hulen St. That’s Stacy’s address, so watch for an announcement of a new location.
Casey Thompson, the Dallas chef known for her part on two seasons of Bravo’s Top Chef, is leaving the Brownstone restaurant she helped found in Fort Worth. She’s moving to a restaurant in Napa Valley. Brownstone, located off 7th Street, already has unveiled a new menu. Thompson is rumored to have more food-related projects and endeavors coming up in the near future.
Christine Perrenot
Give it a Rest
by Christine Perrenot
Truck drivers across the nation have a new system to help them to get a better quality of rest while on the road — and preserve precious natural resources. the newest and most economical change for the trucking industry, rig rest, was created by Paul Gelinas. the idea is to provide heat, air conditioning, power and internet connectivity to the interior of a truck when the driver has stopped to rest for the night. normally the driver would have to leave the vehicle running, which burns through money and fuel throughout the break. rig rest can be accessed by users with the simple swipe of a credit card and provides an economical and safe service to the truck driver that is in ePa compliance. With colder weather approaching, truck drivers will be hoping to find a spot to experience rig rest for themselves.
Willow Park is home to one of the first truck stops where the new machine can be found. More information about the service and locations can be found online at rigrest.com.
We visited with Gelinas about the concept.
When and where was the initial idea for the Rig Rest machine? that’s a long story!
Many years ago, President Bush wanted laws passed to eventually eliminate idling. Many states adopted those laws. idle air did this many years ago, and then my partner, Jeffrey desantis, invented and patented this machine. We have been putting out the machines for about three years. i decided to put machines out and share the revenue bases. Manufacturers are selling directly and are $15,000 each. We would go into a truck stop and con-
vince them of the concept, which was not hard due to idling laws. We said we’d install the machine and get payment of profits, and then we manage all of the machines at that truck stop.
How has the idea transformed over time to come to be as successful as it is now? it is still a little early. in May of 2013 it will be mandatory that all states convert to a non-idling policy. then it will be very successful, because now not every state is required to have it. our machines save the truckers money. the only way to keep the power on and stay warm at night has been to leave the truck idling, which costs about $7 an hour. With our machine, the driver can shut the truck off and hook up for $2.50 an hour and get heat, air conditioning and power. there are outlets on the machine for plug ins. our machines produce fresh air, not recycled, like some competitors. our units are individually self- contained, so ours are a little different than the first. internet access is available. on top of that, in certain states that enforce this, drivers will wake up with a $500 ticket on the windshield if they do not comply. that will become more prevalent. We are a little ahead of the curve. We have about three big competitors. People choose us because of equipment and our business model.
Where can Rig Rest stops be found now? right now they are found in texas at the national truck stop in Longview, the alvarado shell and signature travel Mart in Willow Park. there are many others all over the place. they will be in connecticut and Massachusetts over the next six months. the machines will be on i-95 in Milford, conn., by Jan.15.
Making Waves in Texas
The uss Fort Worth has coMPL eted its sea triaLs — Lake Michigan trials, actually — and the official commissioning of the ship is now planned sept. 22, 2012, in Galveston.
a determined effort by u s rep. kay Granger, r-Fort Worth, led to an outpouring of resident support and to the decision by then-secretary of the navy donald Winter to name the new combat ship after the city. Fort Worth has a rich military tradition and history, but this is the first warship to carry the city’s name. it was christened in december 2010.
sea trials are one of the major milestones in the construction of naval warships, conducted to prove the operation of the ship and its equipment. only the weapons systems were not tested in the recently concluded tests.
the ship is a littoral combat ship (Lcs), a new family of surface ships for the navy. the ships are designed to allow operations in coastal — littoral waters.
it will make a winding journey to Galveston after stopping at several locations on the east coast.
the ship will have san diego as its homeport, and two crews will rotate to keep it at sea. Christine Perrenot
Courtesy U.S. Navy
Let
us your dream.
For the perfect products for your kitchen or bath, stop by a Ferguson showroom. It’s where you’ll find the largest range of quality brands, a symphony of ideas, and trained consultants to help orchestrate your dream. With showrooms from coast to coast, come see why Ferguson is recommended by professional contractors and designers everywhere.
Sinking a Putt for Kids
by Paul K. Harral
Children can learn the lessons of life in a variety of settings, but probably the most significant instruction comes under the direction of a caring adult in a setting that is fun but that also involves teachable moments.
one place that can happen is on a golf course, a location that may be closed off to many of the children who could most ben-
efit because of their cultural background or economic circumstances. that is where t he first tee of fort Worth comes in.
t he f irst tee opened at fort Worth’s rockwood municipal golf course in 2008 and this dec. 10 plans to open the $2.3 million Ben hogan learning center at the course.
t he Ben hogan foundation contributed $500,000 toward the facility.
the very building itself, by stephen darrow of dMs a rchitects inc., is one of those teachable moments. it was designed to preserve a historic tree on the site.
“t his tree is a chisholm trail protected state-registered tree,” darrow said. “you can see that the building is laid out concentric around that tree. We wanted to be very respectful of the heritage that that tree represents.”
Kevin long, the first tee executive director, says the care taken with the tree is “a very good example of the right thing to do. in an understated way, it tells kids how important that is.”
the building will incorporate classrooms, a museum of fort Worth golf history and a room that is the brainchild of fort Worth golfer J.J. henry. his henry house foundation made
A Long-Awaited Opening
The nose Prints on the W indoW Before the oPening of oliver’s fine foods in sundance square W ere a good sign. they came from people pressed up against the glass out of curiosity as the deli/grocery neared completion.
oliver’s opened for business nov. 5, meeting a major goal of Johnny campbell, president and ceo of sundance square Management co.
“it’s the most requested merchandise category ever from the beginning in sundance, and i rarely go to a resident, or merchant meeting for that matter, that i don’t get quizzed about when the grocery’s coming,” campbell said.
now he can just give them an address — 415 throckmorton.
chef and owner todd Bush — his middle name is oliver — is equally excited. the sundance location is more than twice the size of his popular Mansfield location, but the deli menu is the same with just a few additions.
“We added about eight times for breakfast. We’ve got great omelets,” he said. “We use fresh eggs, all natural eggs. We make them to order. the fort Worth omelet is great with pepper jack and avocado in it.”
But it is also a grocery store with an extensive selection of meats and the
a substantial commitment to the project, and when henry looked at the plans, he wanted to assure that kids had a safe, comfortable and interesting place just to gather at the course.
“he said, ‘i think like a kid,’ ” long said. “that was the birth of the henry house hangout. he’s a great young man and really cares about the community. he gets it.”
one special feature of the building is a panel of stone carvings of hogan’s famous swing that are linked to the values the first tee seeks to teach – honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, confidence, respect, courtesy, responsibility, Perseverance and Judgment.
“We have nine core values of the first tee, and it just so happened that Mr. hogan’s swing sequence in the famous [a nthony] r avielli drawings broke down into nine sequences,” long said. “We had the idea of pairing those sequences up with the nine core values and then having [dallas sculptor] eliseo garcia to do the sculpting work.”
total cost of the facility is projected to be $2.3 million, including the building, practice facility and design, engineering and permitting fees.
“We have raised about $2.2 million, so we’re really very close,” long said. for more information: thefirstteeftworth. org.
other items you might find in a regular grocery. oliver’s also stocks almost 300 different varieties of wines in a range of prices.
he expects some changes in the next few months as he learns what sells and doesn’t sell in downtown.
about those nose prints on the glass because of the gawkers. that level of interest and curiosity is good and an indication of anticipation, campbell said.
“to be a downtown in today’s vernacular, you have to have those basic service components like a grocery that validates that this is a place where you can really live and not have to have your car,” he said. Paul
K. Harral
Rendering Courtesy DMS Architects Inc.
Discover endless family adventure destinations. Wherever you want to be, the Trinity Railway Express can get you there.
>>> Scan QR code for your FREE MONTHLY PASS Fort Worth – Dallas Free Wi-Fi Transport Yourself.
Podiatric Medical Partners of Texas
PHYSICIANS
William Arrington, D.P.M.
Matthew Babich, D.P.M.
Donald Blum, D.P.M.
Chris Bowers, D.P.M.
Catherine Casteel, D.P.M.
Matthew Cerniglia, D.P.M.
Stan Churchwell, D.P.M.
Jeffery Doyle, D.P.M.
Richard Galperin, D.P.M.
Paul Kinberg, D.P.M.
John Landry, D.P.M.
Ryan Lawrence, D.P.M.
Brandon Lewis, D.P.M.
Jay Lifshen, D.P.M.
Podiatric Medical Partners of Texas (PMPT) is a collaboration of 24 podiatrists in the DFW Metroplex and surrounding area. This group of doctors has joined together premier podiatric physicians and surgeons who are dedicated to providing compassionate and state of the art care. PMPT was formed by foot and ankle specialists who recognize the challenges in an ever-changing, dynamic healthcare environment. Our concept is to combine expertise and knowledge from outstanding practices in the Metroplex into one cohesive group. When consolidated together, this group practice can provide the region with unprecedented coverage and quality care.
PMPT is the largest group practice of podiatric physicians in the state of Texas. All PMPT physicians have been selected to be a part of the group, not only based on their individual skills as practitioners, but they have also demonstrated the ability to practice quality and ethical medicine. They are some of the best trained and accomplished podiatric physicians and surgeons in the region. From Plano to Arlington and from Fort Worth to Dallas, PMPT has practices available to meet every patient’s needs.
Joseph Morgan, D.P.M.
Samuel Nava, D.P.M.
Jacquelyn Perry, D.P.M.
Morris Prigoff, D.P.M.
Linnie Rabjohn, D.P.M.
Gene Reister, D.P.M.
Victor Schechter, D.P.M.
Joe Southerland, D.P.M.
David Warren, D.P.M.
Terry Wright, D.P.M.
“Tom Struhs is a conscientious builder with a gift for creativity which was demonstrated in the building of our home. Dreaming of an indoor basketball court, but not knowing how to fit it in, was a challenge he took on and made work. He was very accommodating. He even modified plans to design a better view than the original by trading locations of certain rooms and patios. His knowledge of architecture and building has made our home a showplace. We especially enjoyed a working friendship with him and his wife which we still enjoy today. We are sure his expertise will be evident in all projects he pursues.” Holly and Bill Tyson
Testaments of Strong Working Relationships to that of Enduring Friendships
“Our house was difficult to build on the side of a steep hill. Several builders turned down the job. Mr. Tom Struhs took the job with enthusiasm. After living in this house for 16 years, would I pick Mr. Struhs again? The answer is a resounding YES!” D r Wa r r e n W i l s o n
Your definitive guide to living well
fwliving
THERE ARE MANY PLACES IN NORTH AMERICA TO SKI, SOME OF THEM RELATIVELY CLOSE.
A number of resorts and areas offer what veteran skiers consider the ultimate experience — deep powder.
But if you want to brag to your friends that you have skied the premier territory, you have to head for Whistler, British Columbia, and the Canadian Rockies. Since you can’t ski 24/7 no matter how much of a fanatic you are, you’ll be pleased to know that Whistler offers many activities off the slopes as well. We present a look at Whistler and at some of the latest powder equipment. To learn more, turn the page.
Whistler Wonderland
The weather forecast looks like there will be plenty of powder this ski season, and there’s no better place to sample it than in British Columbia.
by Kyle Whitecotton
Meteorologists are predicting another l a nina winter for 2011-2012, which means colder than normal temperatures and heavy snowfall for the mountains. You have a couple of options: let this epic winter forecast pass you by unnoticed or head north to the canadian rockies and thank Mother nature personally while you hit the slopes in whistler, British columbia.
with 8,171 skiable acres, w histler Blackcomb is north a merica’s premier powder playground. to put its size in perspective, Breckenridge boasts only 2,043 acres for skiing, Mammoth has 3,500 acres, heavenly has 4,800
acres and Vail still falls short at a mere 5,289 skiable acres.
whistler Blackcomb consists of two mountains — w histler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain — connected by whistler Village.
But don’t think of them as separate resorts. Your lift ticket gives you access to both mountains and to the record-breaking peak 2 peak gondola that spans nearly two unsupported miles between the mountains. Your ticket also includes a complimentary mountain orientation tour that might just come in handy because this isn’t your grandmother’s ski hill.
w histler and Blackcomb Mountains each have more than 5,000 vertical feet and offer
more than 200 ski trails, three skiable glaciers and 16 alpine bowls, all accessed by 37 lifts. whistler Mountain includes two terrain parks while Blackcomb Mountain offers three parks, a half pipe and a snowcross track. w hether you are a two-planker (aka skier) or a knuckledragger (aka snowboarder), these two peaks are sure to put an icy smile on your soon-to-be sunburned face.
w histler Blackcomb has 17 mountain restaurants from which to choose. on whistler, try garibaldi lift co. at the base or steeps grille and wine Bar at the top. on Blackcomb, crystal hut is the place for all-day Belgian waffles served at this mountaintop log cabin. christine’s restaurant, also located at the top of Blackcomb Mountain, offers fine dining with panoramic views that are tough to beat anywhere.
w hen you have refueled and amply covered the topography of the two peaks, head off-piste with w histler heli-skiing. t hese guided trips access 432,000 acres of big mountain terrain with 173 glaciers and 475 runs on which to perfect your turns. But don’t hesitate just because you’re not a skilled professional; there are heli-skiing packages available for even intermediate skiers with only limited powder experience. a nother option for accessing the steep and deep of w histler’s backcountry is powder Mountain catskiing.
the adventure experience is not limited to just skiing and boarding; the w histler area is filled with different options for experiencing the canadian outdoors. for example, there are professionally guided and self-guided snowshoeing adventures around green lake, lost lake park or the callaghan Valley; zipline tours with Zipteck ecotours; and tubing at the coca-cola tube park at the base of Blackcomb Mountain help to round out an exciting winter vacation.
canadian snowmobile adventures, departing daily from whistler Village, offers a variety of tours designed for all ages and skill levels. for a more luxurious outing, set your snowmobile course for crystal hut fondue atop Blackcomb Mountain where you will enjoy spectacular views alongside a traditional fondue dinner, wine, desert and live music.
a nd what could be more adventurous or luxurious than basking in the comfort of a full spa while overlooking snow-covered mountains and valleys? scandinave spa whistler offers just that from the spruce and cedar forest that line
the edges of Lost Lake and Spruce Grove parks.
Or, perhaps, just wrap up in a warm blanket and experience the winter wilderness from the comfort of a Clydesdale-led sleigh ride with Blackcomb Sleighrides. And if Clydesdales are a little less adventurous than you were planning, consider a dog sled excursion with one of the local outfitters.
But don’t get carried away with Whistler’s snowier exploits. This Canadian paradise is more than just snow, slopes and lift lines.
At the heart of this world-class resort is Whistler Village. The stone-lined walkways of this pedestrian-only village are the hub of Whistler’s après ski scene. From the village, you can access gondolas to each mountain, a full selection of lodging options, lots of shopping and more restaurants and cafes to tempt your taste buds.
Whistler Village boasts more than 200 shops specializing in art, jewelry, high-end fashion and, of course, sports equipment and apparel for all seasons and adventures.
The village restaurant selection includes the contemporary regional cuisine of Araxi’s, the Pacific Northwest cuisine of Cinnamon Bear Bar & Grille, the European alpine style of Bavaria Restaurant and the traditional Irish pub menu of Dubh Linn Gate.
But this is just a small selection of the village’s wide-ranging food options, so it can be a
Rock On Ski Tech for 2012
fwliving/getaways
bit overwhelming around dinnertime. Relax; Whistler Tasting Tours introduces guests to four of the area’s best restaurants all in a single evening.
Whistler offers a unique, entertaining nightlife as adventurous as the slopes. Waste no time getting from your last run of the day to some of the mountains’ best base bars. Merlins Bar & Grille at the base of Blackcomb Mountain is the area’s most club-like venue and a great place to dance away any spare energy not spent on the slopes.
The Fairmont Chateau Whistler at the foot of Blackcomb Mountain is Whistler’s most luxurious ski-in, ski-out hotel. But you can’t go wrong at Nita Lake Lodge at the base of Whistler Mountain or Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre in the heart of the village. Blackcomb Lodge and Listel Hotel are both located at the center of Whistler Village without the huge price tag.
And if something a little more remote but still convenient is more your taste, try Edgewater Lodge and Restaurant. Perched at the end of a long peninsula extending out into beautiful Green Lake, Edgewater Lodge and the 42 acres of old growth forest in which it sits is only five minutes from Whistler Village.
As host to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games, Whistler gained the national spotlight that, though gone from the
Ski technology seems like a simple matter, right? Two long planks of wood strapped to the feet, just add snow and off you go. If only it were that easy. Flat wood is exactly how ski technology began way back in the late 19th century, but the snow riding equipment of today has progressed significantly.
Newer composite materials have made skis lighter, progressive side-cut shaping has made skis easier to turn and recent variations on the traditional camber shape have created skis that virtually float through powder snow.
The traditional camber shape — the shape of a ski when viewed from the side — has a slight upward arch between the tips of the skis. If you have ever laid a pair of skis out on a flat surface without applying downward pressure to the binding, you have probably noticed this arching effect in a traditional camber shape. The newer shape, however, simply turns that traditional camber shape upside-down.
television, remains strong around the village.
Whistler Olympic Park, just one of Whistler’s remaining Olympic venues, is home to miles of groomed cross-country ski trails as well as trails for snowshoeing, a biathlon range and stadium and a towering ski jumps.
So set out on a snowy journey this winter season to the Canadian Rockies of Whistler, British Columbia, where history, natural beauty and adventure mix to create a one-of-a-kind destination and an unforgettable experience for the whole family.
Country / Reach the slopes or the neighborhood grocery with equal ease in an M-class SUV. Mercedes Benz 2012 ML350 SUV / All-new 3.5L direct injection V-6 / five passenger / seven-speed automatic transmission / 302 hp at 6,500 rpm/ 0-60 acceleration, 7.3 seconds / city fuel economy, 17 mpg (estimated) / highway fuel economy, 22 mpg (estimated) / 4MATIC all-wheel drive / four-wheel Electronic Traction System / 255/50R19 all-season tires / Rain-sensing windshield wipers adjust frequency based on rainfall / MB-Tex upholstery/ dual-zone climate control with dust and charcoal filters.
The result is known as rocker or reverse-camber and it has a significant impact on performance.
The rocker shape helps the ski float through powder and crud much like a water ski’s rocker shape allows it to float across water. The rocker shape also makes your ride more nimble.
The 2012 Armada JJ is one rocker ski taking full advantage of the reverse camber. As one of the best all-mountain, powder skis available in terms of performance and versatility, the Armada JJ comes equipped with Armada’s patented EST Freeride Rocker technology, meaning rocker tips and tails and a positive camber under foot. The JJ also boasts a lightweight construction with a fat profile from tip-to-tip. The new Armada JJ virtually floats over any kind of mountain terrain you will face.
If you haven’t updated your ski equipment lately, chances are the technology is passby.
experience
Snow
At the Root
Are you being organically correct?
by Megan Brown
Better Your Life
Up to 60 percent of certain ingredients in body products, such as lotion, cream and bubble bath, will absorb through the skin and into the bloodstream. Make the decision to fill your body with clean and natural ingredients!
Organic items are also very gentle, making them ideal for those who have allergies or those who have very sensitive skin. Don’t be fooled. Most organic products compared to other beauty products cost generally the same.
Organic foods and products have higher levels of many disease-fighting antioxidants and essential vitamins, including Vitamin C.
Most beauty products consist of a wide variety of cheap chemicals that can be damaging to the skin and hair even though they may have short-term “benefits.”
Unlike their chemical counterparts, organic beauty products are made without using any genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and so they decompose easily, without polluting the environment.
Go Ahead, Give Your Body What it Deserves Reward yourself with a variety of these organic and all-natural products. All of which can be found at DFW area locations.
• Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin
thing from a synthetic-based shampoo with one plant derivative to a synthetic-free face powder formulated with only minerals. Before you check out, be sure to check the ingredients label!
What’s the Difference?
Organic: To use this seal, products must be 95 to 100 percent
organic (total organic content excluding water) as regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
For a product to be labeled as natural, it must contain at least 95 percent natural (not organic) ingredients.
Natural ingredients must be naturally derived or come from renewable resources such as plants. Products are not tested on animals and are packaged using recycled materials.
Mascara, $9.95
• 100% Natural Origin Loose Powder, $13.99
• Jason Natural Deodorant, $6.99
• 100 Percent Pure Organic Vanilla Bean Buttercream Body Scrub, $25
Be Aware
The FDA, which regulates cosmetics, has never imposed standard definitions for marketing terms like natural and organic as they apply to grooming products. Therefore, manufacturers are free to use such terms on every-
Pamper Yourself
Visit these local spas that offer an array of organic treatments:
Beau Monde Spa at Beaumont Ranch
10736 County Road 102 Grandview, Texas 76050
817.866.4867
Beaumondespa.com
Body Retreat Day Spa
2905 Brown Trail, Ste. B Bedford, Texas 76021
817.656.4555
Bosyretratspa.com
Corinthian Wellness Spa
1251 East Southlake Blvd., Ste. 345 Southlake, Texas 76092
817.416.9366
Corinthianspa.com
Daired’s Salon and Spa Pangea and Med Spa and Café 2400 West I-20 (I20 at Bowen) Arlington, Texas 76017
817.465.9797
Daireds.com
Hollywood Nails and Spa
6248 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth, Texas 76116
817.735.8100
Hollywoodspatx.com
Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa (Spa Beaubelle)
1701 Commerce St. Fort Worth, Texas 76102
817.335.7000
spabeaubelle.com
fwliving/culture
Mary Cassatt (1844–1926)
Woman Standing, holding a Fan, 1878–79
Distemper with metallic paint on canvas
Acquisition in honor of Ruth Carter Stevenson and the 50th Anniversary of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art with funds provided by Anne T. and Robert M. Bass, The Walton Family Foundation, and the Council of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas 2011.20
A Gift for the Giver
RNow the museum is giving her something: A major painting for the collection in honor of her and of the museum’s 50th anniversary. The work, Woman Standing, Holding a Fan, created in 1878–79, is by American artist Mary Cassatt. Cassatt, who died in 1926, was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1904 by France in recognition of her contributions to the arts.
The work is one of only two known canvases painted by the artist almost entirely in the medium of distemper – a process in which pigments are mixed with water and glue.
The acquisition was made possible by Anne T. and Robert M. Bass, The Walton Family Foundation and the Council of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
“With her contemporaries John Singer Sargent and James McNeill Whistler, Cassatt was one of the most influential American artists living and working abroad in the 19th century,” Andrew Walker, director of the Amon Carter, said in an announcement. “We are thrilled to have one of her paintings in our collection. It is particularly rewarding that the work is unique in scale and breathtaking in its execution.”
Stevenson has been president of the board of trustees since the museum was established in 1961. She has personally helped in the formation of the museum’s collection with direct donations and energetic support of acquisitions through the Amon G. Carter Foundation. FWTX Staff
A Fairytale Retold
A holiday play for the whole family starts its first season in Fort Worth. by Jennifer Retter
FAIRy TAL e S By The BRo T he RS GRIMM conjure up images of pretty princesses with sparkling crowns, but Circle Theatre will show one of the lesser-known Grimm tales this holiday season featuring a little kid.
In the premiere season showing of Seven in One Blow, or The Brave Little Kid, Circle Theatre actors will tell the inspiring story of a
child who overcomes numerous obstacles to learn and teach lessons on strength, manners and love.
Seven in One Blow, or The Brave Little Kid comes from the old fairy tale The Valiant Little Tailor.
The play follows the adventures of a disheartened child from the city, The Kid, played by Mikaela Krantz. Worried about
her preoccupied parents’ lack of affection for her, The Kid succumbs to loneliness. One day, everything changes when The Kid wipes out seven flies in one blow and her confidence blossoms. Proud of her accomplishment, she fashions a belt that reads “Seven in One Blow” and sets out for an adventure. However, not everyone thinks the belt refers to just flies.
And the best part? The play targets everyone ages 6 to 100. Now in its 30th season, Circle Theatre breaks from its adult mode and offers the chance for children to enjoy theater performances too. The interactive play keeps children interested from start to finish. Children (and adults, too) participate throughout the play with songs and movements. Circle Theatre invites everyone, from singles to grandparents and grandchildren to parties, to join in on the fun.
Circle Theatre is the first theater in the southwest region to perform the play written by Randy Sharp, a New York City playwright. A seasoned theater group from New York City plans to come to Fort Worth to attend the play’s southern opening. Robin Armstrong, a Circle Theatre favorite, directs the play.
The holiday season play runs through Dec. 17. Show times include Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. with the exception of Thanksgiving and the immediately following Friday. The theater offers a 3 p.m. Saturday performance as well.
Contact the Circle Theatre ticket office at 817.877.3040 or visit circletheatre.com for more information. Large groups and parties should reserve tickets as soon as possible.
and special occasions, gift items for friends, relatives, customers or employees. Corporate gift orders are welcome.
Hope, Author
fwliving/culture
between the lines an overview of our favorite
best-sellers. by Jennifer Retter
That Used to Be Us
By Thomas L. Friedman
and Michael Mandelbaum
$28
Amidst a struggling economy and never-ending wars, today’s hopeless America overshadows yesterday’s healthy America.
A foreign correspondent and columnist at The New York Times partnered with a professor of American foreign policy at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and they came to that conclusion and decided to write a book about it.
The duo set out to examine the American condition today, touching on key topics like the economy and our nation’s political health. Thomas Friedman draws on his childhood experiences in a Minneapolis suburb, where he remembers politics as a force that worked to improve lives of those in his community. Michael Mandelbaum, on the other hand, grew up in Berkeley before radicalism became the norm at Cal.
The book begins with a comparison of China’s work ethic to America’s work ethic. Friedman notes that the Chinese built the breathtaking Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in eight months, while tiny step escalators near his home in Bethesda lacked repairs six months after breaking down. The authors make the often-heard argument that if Britain ruled the 19th century and America the 20th, China is likely to pick up the 21st.
For many citizens, American life simply seemed better 40 or 50 years ago. Friedman and Mandelbaum hope the next half-decade will fare better.
Sarah’s Key
By Tatiana de Rosnay $13.45
Take The Help as a sign that the movie helps sell the book.
Sarah’s Key already spent 117 weeks in the top 150 on USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list before the movie came out on July 28. In the week before the movie hit theaters, book sales doubled.
Sarah’s Key tells the fictional, yet tragic story of an American journalist researching the Vel d’Hiv Roundup, in which French police captured and sent Jews in Paris to Auschwitz. She digs into her French husband’s family’s secret past and begins uncovering the story of Sarah.
In July of 1942, the Germans controlled Paris. As the story commences, French police set out to capture Jewish families in the middle of the night. The police track down the Starzynski family, including little 10-year-old Sarah, and take them from their home. Frightened and hoping to protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a cupboard and promises to return. She hides the key as the police pull her away from her home, unaware that anyone else remains inside.
The heartbreaking novel follows Sarah throughout the rest of her life as she comes to terms with everything that happened to her since her childhood.
Tatiana de Rosnay originally wrote Elle S’appelait Sarah (Her Name Was Sarah) in French and then translated the novel to Sarah’s Key for an English audience in 2007. English audiences can also read her 2010 novel, A Secret Kept Currently, de Rosnay also works for French ELLE and the Journal du Dimanche (Sunday Journal) and lives in Paris.
Big Ranch, Big City
Recipes from Lambert’s Texas Kitchens
By
Lou Lambert with June Naylor $40
With great recipes come great stories. Lou Lambert’s first cookbook, Big Ranch, Big City, provides all the necessary steps to create more than 125 tasteful masterpieces and throws in a pinch of heartfelt background.
Flip through Big Ranch, Big City to read about the first soup Lambert learned to make at The Culinary Institute of America. Then, give it a shot yourself. Crystal-clear directions and more than 100 colored photographs help guide even the most inexperienced cook on the basic recipes. Hopefully, your creation will look just like the mouth-watering photo provided.
Lambert also includes more challenging recipes from his experience in the restaurant world for more seasoned chefs. For those willing to spend some extra time in the kitchen, try one of the more complex meat dishes.
Half of the recipes and accompanying photos come from ranchland in West Texas and half come from Lambert’s restaurants in Fort Worth and Austin. Fort Worth residents may be familiar with Lambert’s Steaks, Seafood, and Whiskey and Dutch’s Burgers and Beer.
Lambert’s taste may sound country cowboy, but Big Ranch, Big City offers recipes to please any craving. Contrary to his cowboy roots, Lambert also shares his recipes for seafood, salads and breads.
the writer's block
From Country to City
Lambert’s cooking inspiration
by Jennifer Retter
From a young age, Lou Lambert knew what he wanted to be when he grew up.
“What sparked my interest in food was memories of going out to our family ranch in the summers,” Lambert said. “My uncle would have a chuck wagon and cook for the cowboys out there.”
From his West Texas roots cooking on the ranch to his holiday visits filled with Cajun dishes made by loving grandparents, Lambert spent his childhood absorbing all he could about different foods.
After a brief stint at TCU, Lambert finished his degree at UNT and moved to Hyde Park, New York, to enroll in the Culinary Institute of America. Fast forward through years working in New York City and San Francisco and successful restaurants opening in Austin and Fort Worth, and today you have Lambert as an author.
“I’ve been in several other cookbooks, and I’ve had a lot of recipes published, but I’d never had a desire to put together my own cookbook,” Lambert said. “I’ve hit the point in my career that I thought I had something to say through a cookbook, more than just recipes, but something that would show who I am as a chef.”
As a chef, Lambert covers quite a few bases. Not many other chefs can say that they truly understand cowboy culture, Cajun heritage and big city appetites.
“The thing I love about the cookbook is that it really is both great recipes from my childhood on the ranch as well as dishes that we do in the restaurant,” Lambert said.
listen up what locals are listening to by Jennifer
The Whole Love
Wilco
$10.99/$14.99 (deluxe version)
Shelf lives for bands rarely last more than a decade, but indie rock band Wilco can still churn out inspiring new songs 17 years after the band’s conception. The Whole Love, Wilco’s eighth CD and first on the band’s dBpm label, features 10 songs and an additional seven on the deluxe version.
If you buy the album, be prepared for never-ending impressive guitar solos. The first track on the album, the more than seven-minute long Art of Almost, definitely displays the talent of lead guitarist Nels Cline but continues long enough to tire the listener.
However, The Whole Love includes a fair share of classic Wilco calming melodies and heart-wrenching lyrics. If you are looking for some of the more uplifting tunes, avoid anything with an astronomical title. The lullabysounding Sunloathe is all about the misery of lost love whereas the acoustic Black Moon sweetly and sadly details waiting forever.
One Wilco factor remains constant; the band always looks for new sounds in the music. Frontman and singer Jeff Tweedy told National Public Radio that Wilco grew tired of repeating the same material. “It’s a little like the GPS barking turn-by-turn directions for a route you know by heart,” Tweedy told reporter Tom Moon. Weary of playing the old songs, the band took some time off before releasing The Whole Love this September.
In addition to its music success, Wilco is a band with a heart. The band supports Oxfam America as it fights to end poverty and for justice worldwide. Wilco urges listeners to donate to Oxfam’s initiative to save lives in East Africa. Check out wilcoworld.net/causes to learn more about Wilco’s platforms.
fwliving/culture
Retter
Mylo Xyloto
Coldplay
$9.99
Keeping the same sound works for some bands and backfires for others. Coldplay has been following the same mantra for 15 years: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Moving lyrics and swelling melodies make each Coldplay song an emotional experience in itself. True to form, Coldplay’s first two hits off Mylo Xyloto boast Coldplay’s classic rock alternative sound.
Paradise flows with a typical moving sound that gets inside the listener’s heart. In the opening part of the song, Coldplay makes a refreshing move with a combination of electronica/pop keyboard before falling back into character with the usual components.
Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, the first single released from Mylo Xyloto, received mixed reviews from fans. The song is more upbeat and hopeful sounding than most of Coldplay’s hits, and some fans argued that the music video did not do the song justice.
Dedicated Coldplay fans should no doubt purchase Mylo Xyloto to complete their collections. The entire album sounds more like Coldplay’s first few albums as opposed to Viva la Vida, in which the band tried out slightly different styles with their music.
The band formed in September of 1996 and achieved national fame with the hit Yellow in 2000 on the debut album Parachutes The band now has five full studio albums and multiple single and live releases.
Coldplay performed at Austin City Limits in September. The band is currently on tour in Europe through December.
Echo Lab Revisited
The Vince Lujan Project $9.99
Christmas tunes remind us of the comfort of family members sharing memories over dinner near the fireplace, but the occasional downtrodden Christmas song strums our heartstrings.
“Ain’t nothing so sad in this world that I have found as a Christmas in Collegetown,” Vince Lujan sings in his smooth voice on Echo Lab Revisited’s first track, Christmas in Collegetown Lujan, who attended UNT, sympathizes with the occasional college student left out in the cold when the holiday season rolls around. The accompanying music video, which can be found on YouTube, features winter in Denton, complete with twinkling lights on trees with not a soul left in town to admire them.
Echo Lab Revisited features 15 tracks of the perfect mix of guitar, saxophone, drums and vocals. With members from a variety of music backgrounds, The Vince Lujan Project manages to fuse blends of acoustic, pop, funk, Latin and soul. Self-described as Dave Matthews meets Santana, the band appeals to fans of just about any genre.
Nearly every song has a different feel to it, but Lujan’s distinct voice ties the album together.
Saxophonist Vandell Andrew carries the sound in tracks like Cooler with impressive jazzy solos. Adding a saxophone onto a traditional rock band allows The Vince Lujan Project to add blues and soul to its resume.
Interested in seeing the band live? The Vince Lujan Project is scheduled to play at the House of Blues on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Visit thevincelujanproject.com for more details.
the groupie’s corner
Constructing the Project
With the unstoppable Vince Lujan
by Jennifer Retter
No one could accuse Vince Lujan of not giving his all. From playing for the homeless in Dallas to promoting The Vince Lujan Project in Times Square, the band’s front man truly loves what he does.
Lujan picked up the guitar in fourth grade and perfected his music throughout his college years at the University of North Texas in Denton.
“In college, I was playing with a guy I respected, and I enjoyed following his lead,” Lujan said. “I started to get more into it and decided to try my hand at it.”
The result: The Vince Lujan Project, which he describes as “Dave Matthews meets Santana.” Listeners will hear a hint of tribute to the band’s other inspirations, including John Mayer, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and Bill Withers.
Since the band’s conception in 2002, The Vince Lujan Project has played through the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and, perhaps most memorably, in New York City in 2010.
The Vince Lujan Project has a heart, too. The band played for The Bridge Homeless Shelter in Dallas, where band member Vandell Andrew works, in December 2009. Lujan said he hopes to collaborate with charities again in the future.
“It was just a really cool experience to be down there and see the common denominator between people,” Lujan said. “You play music, and people really can come together.”
As Lujan prepares for upcoming shows, he must work at his new job, too: father. Lujan welcomed a little daughter to the world in September.
Chico’s, Chili’s Bar & Grill, Coldwater Creek, Francesca’s Collection, Gap/Gap Kids,
Bank, Lemongrass/Aveda Salon, Lululemon, McKinley’s Café, Menchies Yogurt, Nine West, Pottery Barn, Ruby, Soma Intimates, Starbucks, Sun Glass Hut, Talbots, Victoria’s Secret, White House-Black Market, Williams Sonoma, Yves Delorme
fwliving/cooking
Christmas is Coming
It’s the season of celebration, the time we pull out all the stops to create our most festive foods – usually with an accent on decadent desserts.
by Judie Byrd
This hOliday seasOn, I share with you a couple of my favorite holiday standbys, all fabulously delicious and fun to create. They are sure to add beauty and joy to any table. Want to really dazzle your guests? Bring out a flaming cake! steamed Plum Pudding Cake with Brandied hard sauce is holiday extravagance, and with my simple directions, it’s really much easier than it looks or sounds. i’ve added the word “cake” to the title of this recipe so there is no question – this is a spice cake and not a soft pudding. For a new twist on Christmas cookies, create a whimsical cookie tree. sure, it’s meant for the kids, but it never fails to delight everyone. any cookie can be hung on this fun tree – just be sure to make a hole in the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. For my favorite sugar Cookies, go to fwtexas. com (look for Cooking with Judie Byrd). any of these creations are a tradition just waiting to take shape in your home. i hope they bring joy and celebration to you and yours.
Steamed
Plum
Pudding Cake with Brandied Hard Sauce
Yield: serves 8-10
“Oh, a wonderful pudding! Bob Cratchit said, and calmly too, that he regarded it as the greatest success achieved by Mrs. Cratchit since their marriage...”
• 3/4 cup brandy
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 large cooking apple, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup fine, dry bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dried ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
• 1/4-1/2 cup brandy for dousing and flaming
• Brandied Hard Sauce (recipe follows)
1. Combine brandy, raisins, cranberries, apple, currants and pecans in a bowl and let soak 30 minutes. In a mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until very creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in soaked fruit and nuts. In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients along with the candied ginger. Add to creamed ingredients and mix well.
2. Pour batter into greased, 6-cup steamedpudding mold. If your mold doesn’t come with a lid, cover the top with heavy foil and use a rubber band or kitchen string to secure the foil in place. Place a rack or canning jar rings in the bottom of a deep pot. Place filled mold on top and fill pot with hot water to 2/3 up the side of the mold. Cover pot and simmer gently three hours, replacing water as needed.
3. Remove pudding mold from water and let stand 15 minutes before removing the cake.* To serve, pour two tablespoons warm brandy over hot pudding. Heat another 1/4 cup brandy in a small saucepan and light with a match; pour over pudding. Serve with Brandied Hard Sauce.
Byrd)
fwliving/cooking
Brandied Hard Sauce:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons brandy Cream butter and sugar and enough brandy to make creamy consistency. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature.
*At this point, the cake can be wrapped and frozen. (It can also be refrigerated up to two weeks.) To serve, defrost, place back into the mold and re-steam two hours. The pudding needs to be hot when flamed and served.
Holiday Cookie Tree
Brighten your party table with this adorable, tasty decoration.
• 1, 18-inch Styrofoam cone
• 4-6 yards, 2 1/2-inch wide holiday ribbon
• Hot glue gun
• Florist wire
• 12 florist pins
• Toothpicks
• Decorated cookies*
Starting at the bottom, wrap cone with ribbon, using small spots of hot glue to secure in place. Using ribbon and wire, make 3-5 bows. Use florist pins to attach the bows to the cone at desired intervals. Use toothpicks to hang cookies.
*Make holes in the tops of the cookies so you can hang them from toothpicks. To do this, bake cookies and as soon as they are out of the oven (while still warm), use a skewer to form the holes. If you wait until the cookies cool, they will crack when you try to make the holes.
Gingerbread Cookies
Yield: about 24, 3-inch cookies
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon each, ground ginger and cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
1. With an electric mixer, beat together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in egg and molasses. On top of butter mixture in mixer bowl, add flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Lightly stir top of these dry ingredients to partially mix. Then turn on mixer and mix until well blended.
2. Divide dough in half; wrap each piece in plastic wrap, pressing dough into a flat disk. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough 1/8inch thick. If dough is too soft to cut out shapes, refrigerate again for five minutes. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes as desired. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, until crisp but not dark. Remove from cookie sheet.
4. If you want a hole in the cookie to use as a hanger, make the hole immediately as they come out of the oven. Cool cookies completely before decorating with Royal Icing.
Combine powdered sugar with egg whites and beat two to three minutes, until smooth and fluffy. If mixture is too stiff, add a drop or two of water. If too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar.
Judie Byrd is founder of The Culinary School of Fort Worth and host of Judie Byrd’s Kitchen, seen daily on Family Net Cable. For details, check out judiebyrd.com.
fwliving/style
Sparkles, Spice and Everything Nice
A fantastic holiday gala, an evening with friends or the after-work cocktail party you’ve been looking forward to, it doesn’t matter the event – you have no excuse not to look incredible this season.
By Megan Brown
Set aside last year’s musthaves and upgrade your closet with the greatest trends for all your holiday get-togethers. sparkle, sparkle and more sparkle. sparkles add the perfect touch to make a simple outfit spectacular. whether you’re covered head to toe in sparkles, similar to the to-die-for alice and olivia dress shown below or you’re rocking a great pair of sparkle sling backs, you’ll be making heads turn.
there is no denying that a little black dress is always in style. it is always a great go-to apparel piece and is something that every woman should have, maybe more than one if you’re lucky. try something new and add a statement jewelry piece or a faux fur cape to make your outfit stand out from the
crowd. if the lBd is not appropriate for the business party you’re attending alongside your boss, then shoot for something more conservative. however, don’t think that you can’t add personality with accessories. a gold sequin jacket or tank to accompany a nice silk blend pant is the perfect match this holiday season. let’s not forget about the most important accessory– shoes, of course. if you’re going to be making an appearance at a holiday banquet or attending an event with friends, go for the gold. don’t go for anything too high because no one wants to be at eye level with your choice of cocktail. a number of different designers have come out with great heels for cocktail-themed events this year, from booties to heeled sandals to your simple black pump.
Chanel Black Booties, $1,195, Neiman Marcus, neimanmarcus.com
50 Reasons Why Life’s Too Short to Live in Dallas
by Hugh Savage
Over the years, there have been numerous articles written as to why Fort Worth is a better place to live than Dallas. But it is not the purpose of this article to make disparaging remarks about the Far East. Our purpose is to be objective, and that’s why we are just providing the facts, as well as a fair and balanced comparison of both places. We will let our readers decide. That being said, we know that some of you will always prefer the city of Dallas. If so, at least consider this — an intervention.
Performance Halls
Some people love the opera, ballet and symphony. They swear they are better than Ambien. But for those intent on actually enjoying the performance, you can do no better than Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth or the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. Both are world renowned for their acoustics.
So which one is better? Well, most experts agree that there are four essentials to a great performance hall: good acoustics, satisfactory sight lines, comfortable seating and adequate circulation. Both places meet those criteria.
But we have different criteria. We judge a great performance hall by the number of giant, hand-carved trumpetplaying angels on the façade. Bass Hall has two. The Morton H. Meyerson? Sadly, none. Sorry, Dallas. Once again, a day late, and a couple of cherubs short.
Traffic
We already know how congested the roads are in Dallas. It’s not the city’s best feature. That’s why we’re baffled as to why Dallas honors prominent dignitaries by naming its highways
Who’s Your Daddy
she actually gave birth on LBJ. But that’s not the bad part. The baby was conceived just two exits earlier. Oh sure, we sometimes get stuck in traffic over here. But at least we ain’t paying a toll for the privilege.
shut The front Door
after them. I don’t think old Lyndon would have been too pleased to have his initials on one of the worst freeways in the world.
How bad does the traffic get?
Well, one woman was stuck so long,
We got one, you know. Gen. William J. Worth, commander of the U.S. Army in Texas and the Father of Fort Worth. But Dallas? We just don’t know. You see, we know that Dallas County was named for George Miffin Dallas, the vice president of the United States at the time of annexation. But the city of Dallas was named after someone else. It could have been Alexander Dallas, a brother of old George. It might have been Walter Dallas, who fought at San Jacinto or one of his brothers, James, a former Texas Ranger. Another possibility is Joseph Dallas, who wandered in from Arkansas. Nobody’s really sure. All we know is that the real father didn’t take any responsibility, and the poor city of Dallas was left with a single mom. Which is perfectly OK. Probably a nice enough lady. She just apparently liked fooling around with guys named Dallas.
Dallas is a very noisy city. Especially downtown. This is exacerbated due to its proximity to three major thoroughfares, as well as Love Field. The crowd noise alone during a Dallas Mavericks game at the American Airlines Center can reach 125 decibels. Permanent hearing damage can start at 115 decibels. Fort Worth is nowhere near that loud. In fact, the loudest noise ever measured downtown was 85 decibels. It occurred when Ed Bass opened his bedroom window and hollered at a band over at 8.0’s to keep it down.
commuting
Everyone can think of somebody who lives in Fort Worth and commutes to work in Dallas. Right? But does anybody live in Dallas and commute to Fort Worth? Who can say? Those people are kind of like graduates from the University of Houston. They’re bound to be out there, but you just can’t think of any you know.
Billionaires
Alice Walton of Fort Worth is worth at least $10 billion more than any of the 17 billionaires currently living in Dallas. But what’s really impressive is that she’s the only one of the bunch who can cash a check at Walmart.
crime
According to the 2010 Uniform Crime Report, 1 out of every 143 people in the city of Dallas was a victim of a violent crime. In addition, 1 out of every 67 was the victim of a burglary, 1 out of every 291 was the victim of a robbery and 1 out of every 1,830 was murdered.
According to the same report, 175 out of every 176 people in the city of Fort Worth were not the victims of a
PlasTIC surgery
To be honest, vanity is fairly prevalent in both Fort Worth and Dallas. Every night, when some people lean in to kiss the ones they love, they bump their heads on the mirror. Probably explains why cosmetic procedures have become so popular. However, we found that most folks in Fort Worth don’t overdo it. They generally stop the face-lifts when their ears start touching. But it’s a little different in Dallas. Especially Highland Park. There are not a lot of people living in “the bubble” that are still in their original container. Men included. Yearly cosmetic surgeries total well into the millions. That’s quite a bit of plastic. We guess it’s nice to marry rich, but seriously, would you really want to spend the rest of your life with someone who is dishwasher safe?
violent crime. In addition, 79 out of every 80 were not the victims of a burglary, 561 out of every 562 were not the victims of a robbery and 11,847 out of every 11,848 were not murdered.
And that’s the main difference between Fort Worth and Dallas. We always look at the bright side of statistics.
City Magazines
The name of our city magazine is Fort Worth, Texas. So what’s the deal, D ? Was it just too hard to print your entire city name? Maybe you originally had another city in mind. Like Decatur. Or Denton. Or maybe you were having problems with spellcheck. In which case, you should be called Dumas.
Comfort Zones
If you enjoy tossing back a long neck, tooling around in a pickup or show-
ing off your ostrich skin cowboy boots, welcome to Fort Worth. On the other hand, if you prefer sipping on a mojito, spinning around on roller blades or prominently displaying a cheetah-print fanny pack, you might feel more at home in Dallas. Seriously, we have no problem with a nice cheetah print. It goes with everything. Just not very well.
The Cities in Film
Fort Worth has movies like Strategic Air Command, filmed out at the then-Carswell Air Force SAC Base with James Stewart and June Allyson; or Fort Worth, starring Randolph Scott; or Dead Solid Perfect, starring Randy Quaid, written by our own Dan Jenkins and filmed at Glen Garden Country Club, where Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson got their start as caddies. Sadly, there were no sequels. Dallas also is
Bar Talk
Things overheard in a typical bar:
FOrT WOrTH: “My first husband was a real jerk.”
Dallas : “My fifth husband was a real jerk.”
FOrT WOrTH: “It’s not that easy working for Daddy.”
Dallas : “It wasn’t that easy working for my wife’s daddy.”
FOrT WOrTH: “We’ll have to be quiet. My roommate’s a light sleeper.”
Dallas : “We’ll have to be quiet. Mom’s a light sleeper.”
FOrT WOrTH: “Hell yes, they’re real.”
Dallas : “Hell yes, they’re real.”
Who wins??... you be the judge.
known for movies. Most notable? Debbie Does Dallas Sadly, there were sequels.
It Don’t Make Cents
In 2009, the estimated median household income in Fort Worth was $47,634. In Dallas, the estimated median household income for the same year was $39,829. However, the median price of a home in Dallas was $210,881, yet the median price of a home in Fort Worth was $145,593.
So let’s see, where would it be more economical to live? Well, we’ll just have to crunch those numbers and get back to you on that.
Dallas Cowboys
No they’re not, Dallas. Haven’t been in almost 40 years. Remember? They left you for Irving back in ’72. Then they finally realized that was a mistake and now make this side of 360 their home. Just like the Rangers. You best take care of what you got left, Big D. The Cotton Bowl has been batting eyes this way.
Battle Of The Honky Tonks
Everybody’s heard of Billy Bob’s. It’s been legendary since 1981. And Gilley’s gained notoriety because of the movie Urban Cowboy and that mechanical bull. But that was Gilley’s in Houston. You won’t find mechanical bulls at Billy Bob’s. It has the real thing. And John Travolta ain’t getting on no live bull.
Now don’t get us wrong. Gilley’s in Dallas is a nice little place. In fact, you can fit about two of ’em in Billy Bob’s, the world’s largest honky tonk.
Pedals and Paddles
There are more than 40 miles of trails along the Trinity River and its tributaries for walking, running and cycling, connecting 21 parks, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and Japanese Garden, Log Cabin Village, Fort Worth Zoo, the Historic Stockyards and downtown Fort Worth. If you want to concentrate on that upper body, you’ll be tickled to know that the state’s first official paddling trail opened in 2008 in East Fort Worth 11 miles — and more have been added since then. Maybe that’s why the obesity rate is lower here than in Dallas. True, they do buy a lot more treadmills in Dallas. And for good reason. Those handrails are great for drying some laundry.
Scenic Views
Best view of downtown Fort Worth: Facing west from the old Luminarias site on Ben Avenue at Tandy Hills Park. Best view of downtown Dallas: Heading west in your rear view mirror.
The Art Of Getting Art
Would you like to see Michelangelo’s first painting? It’s called The Torment of St. Anthony (Apparently, St. Anthony was stuck on LBJ.) Or maybe you’d like to see an extensive collection of art featuring the Italian artist, Caravaggio (1571-1610). Well, there’s a place you can see them both. The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. And by the way, that’s the only place you’ll ever be able to see the Michelangelo. St. Anthony ain’t ever going back to Dallas. It might be in part because of the woeful lack of restaurants in the arts district there, but we are happy to report some progress — there are food trucks.
The Fort Worth Way
Folk over here like to talk about “the Fort Worth Way.” That’s means we are a cooperative bunch. Not quite sure what “the Dallas Way” is, but whatever it is, we like ours better. With or without that shoulder bump part former Mayor Mike always threw in.
Opera vs. Opera
Sixty years after it began, the Fort
Worth Opera switched to a festival format with multiple operas presented over four weeks. You can overdose on opera in Fort Worth. Meanwhile, the Dallas Opera cancelled a scheduled performance of Katya Kabanová because of financial issues. Not good for advance ticket sales.
Uh-Oh
The State Bar of Texas has a searchable Web site that provides the area of practice for lawyers licensed in the state. Under the practice of Bankruptcy/Debt Law, the following number of lawyers was found:
Fort Worth: 274
Is the Price Right
Tickets for a Mavericks game: $55
Dinner for two at the Mansion: $250
What Dallas will be if John Wylie is indicted: Priceless.
In Fort Worth, there are some things that money can’t buy. That would include Mayor Betsy Price.
Yeah, we got the right Price.
Dallas: 1,474
That’s not very encouraging, Dallas. But try to look at the bright side. Foreclosure notices make delightful coasters.
Comfort Food For Thought
It’s always comforting to know that the kind of people who prefer Dallas to Fort Worth live there.
Hey Bartender. This Beer Tastes Like Water.
According to Texas Highways magazine, Rahr and Sons Brewing Co. in Fort Worth is one of the top five microbreweries in the state. It produces more than 5,000 barrels a year and has garnered 15 nationally recog-
nized awards. We’re kinda proud to have our own beverage. Dallas doesn’t have a microbrewery. It doesn’t have its own beer. But it does produce a nationally known beverage. Dasani Purified Water. In fact, one of the few sources for Dasani can only be found in Dallas County. The Grand Prairie municipal water supply.
Location, Location, Location
Elevation: Fort Worth is higher, 612 feet vs. 432 feet, and therefore closer to heaven.
Position: Fort Worth is farther west and therefore closer to Vegas.
Humidity: Fort Worth’s yearly humidity average is 6 percent less. Nobody has ever complained about a town because it didn’t have high enough humidity. Or lawyers. That number is also higher in Dallas.
More daylight: The sun sets in Fort Worth 54 seconds later.
A River Runs Through Them
Both cities are working to develop recreational areas along the Trinity River. Fort Worth has completed a complex series of hiking and biking trails that pass such venues as the Fort Worth Zoo and the Japanese Gardens. This includes the area that is home to the annual Mayfest event. And Dallas? Well, bless its heart, it seems to be trying. It has spent around $10 million, with particular
Not Our First Rodeo
If you’re looking for a rodeo in Dallas, your best bet is to mosey over to the east side of the county, and check out the Mesquite Championship Rodeo. It’s a good one, partner, and you’ll get no argument about that from anyone on this side of 360. The legendary cowboy, Neal Gay, founded it in 1958. But the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is the oldest continual running livestock show and rodeo. It’s been held annually in Fort Worth since way back in 1896.
In 1918, it became the world’s first indoor rodeo and eventually made its permanent home in the Will Rogers Memorial Center. Then it grew.
In fact, in 1958, 8 million viewers tuned in to watch Roy Rogers and the first live coverage of a complete rodeo. So which venue do you choose?
Well, consider this. Everybody loves a rodeo, but nobody wants to waste a bunch of time getting there. And let’s face it. No matter where you are, you’re 2 1/2 hours from Mesquite. Not even Trigger would put up with that.
focus on a 400-foot arch on the new Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. Looks to us like they may have constructed the world’s most expensive dream catcher.
Well, Excuse Me
If you do decide to live in an expensive neighborhood in Dallas, you best check out the rules of your homeowner’s association. Especially if you own a pickup. A little while back, a man was fined by his association for leaving his brand new F-150 in the
FORE
If you ever want to grab a beer and watch some great professional golf, have we got a spot for you: The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club. Hogan’s Alley. They’ve been teeing it up there since 1946.
Now, if you ever want to grab a beer and watch some great professional golf around Dallas, the Byron Nelson Championship has a spot for you, too. Quarantine. You’ll have to finish that brew in designated area ’fore they let you out. We know. Seems kinda silly to us, too.
driveway. True story. There was a subdivision rule prohibiting that type of bucolic behavior. This rule, of course, didn’t apply to other forms of trucks, like luxury SUVs. We will always welcome a pickup truck in Fort Worth. They’re very reliable, especially when you need to jump-start a Range Rover.
Nicknames
Fort Worth: Cowtown.
Dallas: Big D. (However, prior to implants, it was just “D.”)
Medal Of Honor Winners
Three Congressional Medal of Honor winners were born in Fort Worth — Horace Seaver Carswell Jr., George Herman O’Brien Jr., and Robert David Law. Two were born in Dallas — Samuel David Dealey and Turney White Leonard. We’re not boasting here. We just wanted to recognize five special guys who helped preserve our right to boast.
Making Autos
If Dallas can claim the Arlington Cowboys, then Fort Worth can claim the Arlington General Motors plant. Which, by the way, just broke ground for a $331 million expansion to make future Chevrolet Tahoes, Suburbans, GMC Yukons and Cadillac Escalades. You need to come see it sometime, Dallas. That is, if you can ever get your Porsche out the shop.
B.S.
You know what? Dallas has very little B.S. Sure, for the longest time, we always thought they were full of it. But the truth is, when it comes to B.S., Fort Worth just can’t be beat. In fact, once you get to know Fort Worth, the first thing you’ll probably say is, “Man, I have never been around so much B.S. in my life.” That’s right. Barnett Shale. Seventy trillion cubic feet of gas and counting.
How ‘Bout A Little Excitement
Folks over in Dallas have always told us they were a much more exciting city than old Cowtown. Well, now we know why. According to the 13th annual Safest City and Metropolitan Area Awards, Dallas was ranked as the 6th most dangerous among cities of more than 500,000 population. Oh, by the way, Fort Worth was ranked
SuNDANcE
Sundance Square is the name of a 35-block area in downtown Fort Worth that is an extremely popular place for nightlife and entertainment in Fort Worth for both residents and tourists visiting the Metroplex. The area includes numerous hotels, restaurants, condos, lofts, shops, museums, bars, clubs, movie theatres, performing arts, concerts and festivals throughout the year. The area was named for the Sundance Kid, who was a frequent visitor to the area along with his buddy, Butch Cassidy.
On the other hand, downtown Dallas has the West End, named after a direction on the compass. Do you remember when the West End used to be the place THE place to go for entertainment?
We don’t either.
9th — in the Top 10 safest cities. We got beat out by cities like San Jose, Calif. Dallas got beat out by cities like Detroit.
Trim the Fat
When it comes to adult obesity rate, Dallas weighs in at a hefty 27.1 percent. Fort Worth does a little better at 26.1 percent, but hey, a win is a win.
Aw, don’t feel bad, Dallas. Here, have another Twinkie.
Size Matters
Big D is the ninth largest city in America and covers an area 343 square miles. Fort Worth is the 16th largest city but covers an area of 357.8 square miles. Plus, Fort Worth has
Some People of Note Born in Fort Worth
Piano Players
We got Van Cliburn. Game over.
The Honorable Jim Wright, The Honorable Kay Granger, Van Cliburn, Amon Carter, Sid Richardson and Alan Bean.
Some People of Note Born in Dallas Vanilla Ice.
ZooS
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums recognized both the Dallas and Fort Worth zoos as 2011 Honors and Awards winners, Sept. 16, at its annual conference in Atlanta. They were honored in the category Exhibit Award. And each opened significant exhibits recently — the Museum of Living Art (MOLA) in Fort Worth and Giants of the Savanna in Dallas.
But we’re proud to say that the Fort Worth Zoo won the 2011 Top Honors. The Dallas Zoo won the 2011 Significant Achievement award, which, we guess, is the beauty pageant equivalent of winning Miss Congeniality. Plus, the Zagat Survey U.S. Family Travel Guide says the Fort Worth Zoo is the No. 1 attraction in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. That’s probably because the facility houses nearly 7,000 native and exotic animals. And they all appear to be thriving, happy and well-adjusted. OK, maybe not all of them. Several species have made a couple of demands. Nothing major. Mainly, a little more input in the band selection for Zoo Ball.
potential jurisdiction over an additional 309.5 square miles, a landmass almost the size of the existing city of Dallas. But don’t feel bad, soon to be Little D. Just overcompensate when you’re smaller. Drive a bigger car.
Texas Motor Speedway
More than 200,000 people come to the Speedway each time there’s a chance to watch NASCAR Cup races on this high-speed racetrack. There is also Indy car races. Fans can see winners like Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards. Top speeds can exceed well over 200 miles an hour, while cars sometimes circle the track more than 300 times. There ain’t nothing like that in Dallas. The only thing over there that’s been circled that many times is Highland Park Village by people trying to find a parking spot.
Convenience
According to city-data.com, Tarrant County has 3.56 convenience stores per 10,000 population. Unfortunately, Dallas County has only 2.82 per 10,000 population. That is totally unacceptable. We’ll put up with some type of delays, but we will not tolerate waiting in line for a Big Gulp.
Water Quality
According to The Environmental Working Group, the water quality in Fort Worth is better than the water quality in Dallas. And if their city officials can’t figure out why, here’s a possible explanation. We’ve always known that Dallas is downstream from Fort Worth. It’s one of the main reasons we drink beer. Just a thought.
Art Festivals
Fort Worth’s Main Street Arts
Festival is the Southwest’s largest, four-day visual arts and entertainment festival. It’s rated as the No. 1 Arts Festival in Texas and is the third largest Arts Festival in the country. More than half a million people attend this event.
And Dallas? Well, they just haven’t gotten around to having one yet. Probably too busy trying to come up with another unique thing to chicken-fry for the next state fair. They claim a deep fryer makes everything better. Maybe they oughta chicken-fry DART.
Naming Rights
Bidders at an auction at Cowboys Stadium earlier this year bid on specialty license plates, including “FT WORTH” and “DALLAS” plates.
The high bid on the DALLAS plate: $1,500.
The high bid on the FT WORTH plate: $5,000 — more than three times as much.
This comes as no surprise to us. But former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill, who is currently serving an 18-year term for corruption, was a little disappointed. He claims that DALLAS license plate was some of his best work.
Safe Pizza
Mama’s Pizza has been serving Fort Worth since 1968. And although Campisi’s Egyptian Restaurant brought pizza to Dallas in 1946, we believe that Mama’s is the best.
Hey, excuse us for a second. We’ve gotta take this emergency phone call from our editor. “What? Campisi’s supposedly was a hangout for the mob?”
Uhhh, listen. There’s been a terrible mistake. We meant to say
TCU Football Vs. SMU Football
Okay, SMU finally got lucky, beating TCU this year to claim the Iron Skillet. But seriously, which would you rather have? A skillet or a rose? Now granted, both schools have excellent head coaches. But at least Coach Patterson doesn’t have the same first name as the mother on Leave It to Beaver. And here’s another thing you SMU football fans need to ponder. Your own school mascot, Peruna, does all his grazing on this side of Highway 360. Yep. That cute little black pony chooses to live in Aledo. True story.
Campisi’s is the clear winner. What were we thinking?
By the way, we loved The Godfather.
Best Barbecue
We’re going to direct all inquiries about this subject to Texas State Rep. Charlie Geren. We’ll pretty much go along with whatever he says. Let’s just say lots of folk will drive 30 miles to eat at his place and at Angelo’s. We can’t think of anyone who goes the other way.
If You Tear It Down, They Will Come
Fort Worth takes pride in its old things. We even build new buildings to look as if they have been around a hundred years. Dallas takes pride in the new. Old landmark buildings may not be around the next time you visit.
So why don’t we tear down or glitz up our landmarks? Same reason we don’t put Cheez Whiz on a communion wafer. There are some things that are always best left alone.
True Love
In 2010, The Daily Beast conducted a survey to determine the best place to find a mate in America's 104 largest cities. Fort Worth finished 33rd. And Dallas? Unfortunately, it came in 67th, behind Laredo and Lubbock.
That's understandable. Relationships over there just seem so onesided. In Dallas, the hard part about cuddling with the one you love is that iPhones don't cuddle back.
Flora the gift store at BRIT® has the perfect item for any occasion. Select from our beautiful and unique gifts that will be used and treasured throughout the years.
ExtrE m E GrEE n
by Alison Rich
Whether they’re totally off the grid — or jump on from time to time — zero-energy homes net some serious savings … of money and of resources. (But greener goods, we found, don’t always come in grid-free packages.).
Around these parts, he’s known as the Godfather of Green. And for good reason.
“Energy efficiency has been the focus of my business since I started in the 1980s,” says Don Ferrier, president of Ferrier Custom Homes. “I’m honored to build some of the most energy-efficient homes in the U.S. It’s not a sideline — it’s what we do.”
For the uninitiated, a net-zero-energy home is one that produces as much energy as it consumes, while a near-net-zeroenergy home is exactly what it says: Though it doesn’t produce all its power, it is very nearly in the ballpark.
Locally, there is a growing demand for the former and a “huge demand” for the latter, Ferrier says.
“We build a lot more near-zero-energy homes than net-zero. A near-zero reduces energy consumption dramatically, but you’re still producing,” he said. “Some months you’re paying for energy; other parts [of the year] you’re giving it back to the grid.”
Ferrier has built one net-zero-energy home in the area. Dubbed the Zero Energy Casita, the 1,015-square-foot Eagle Mountain Lake getaway is composed of reclaimed materials and a (ahem) full house of super-sustainable amenities. It even has its own Web site: zeroenergycasita.com.
Three Basic Principles
Although the idea of constructing an “extreme green” home or greening up an existing one might sound byzantine, it’s actually quite straightforward and rooted in a handful of fundamental design principles.
“We always start with the same basic foundation: We want to reduce the energy consumption of your home before we start producing energy,” Ferrier says, noting that he employs three standard tenets on all his new builds and redos.
And Ferrier’s main one, not ironically,
revolves around the sun.
“Our biggest enemy of energy efficiency here is the sun,” Ferrier says. “So my No. 1 rule is to control the sun — letting it in during cold months and keeping it out in the hot ones.”
In a net- or near-zero-energy abode, he does this through such techniques as passive solar orientation and small overhangs over windows and doors, locating the majority of glass on a southern wall, and strategically placing trees and shrubs for minimum heat gain in summer and maximum in winter.
His second rule involves making the home as airtight as possible.
“But people ask, ‘Isn’t that unhealthy?’” Ferrier says. And, yes, it can be if you load up the house with harmful chemicals like formaldehydes that outgas. The solution: bringing in double-filtered air and — poof problem solved, he says.
Ferrier’s third rule centers on superior insulation — namely on the roof.
“Studies show that insulation on the roof is four times more important than insulation in the walls. The sun is hitting the roof and baking it all day long,” he says.
Other considerations in a net- or nearzero home include the heating and cooling unit — the largest energy consumer in the house, Ferrier says — and the hot water heater. Ferrier opts for tankless, which are well-insulated and heat the H 2O only when needed. “Studies show tankless heaters cut the energy bill for heating hot water by 40 to 60 percent,” he says. Solar heaters, which Ferrier also uses, are another option.
Employing Building Science
Also a zero-energy aficionado is GreenCraft Builders principal Chris Miles, who constructs über-efficient homes using what he terms “building science.”
“In other words, you’re putting the house together like a system, where
Don Ferrier, president of Ferrier Custom Homes, pays a great deal of attention to construction of energy efficient roofs such as this one on the Zero Energy Casita he built at Eagle Mountain Lake.
Zeroing In on Energy Savings
Easy, right? The Environmental Protection Agency also offers these doable tips:
1. Change five lights. Replacing the conventional bulbs in your five most frequently used fixtures with Energy Star bulbs is both economical and ecological.
2. Buy Energy Star-qualified products. You’ll cut your utility costs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
3. Heat and cool wisely. Clean and change air filters regularly and have your heating and cooling equipment tuned yearly by a licensed contractor.
4. Seal and insulate your home. Just like our experts said, sealing drafty leaks and adding more insulation — the attic is the biggest offender in terms of leakiness — is a definite win-win.
5. Reduce, reuse and recycle. We’ve all heard this mantra, but it really does make a difference.
6. Be green in your grass. Consider using a push mower, which consumes no fossil fuels and emits no greenhouse gases. If power is more appealing, use a mulching mower to, shall we say, cut down on grass clippings.
7. Use water well. Irrigate your yard only when needed and do so during the coolest part of the day. Turn off the tap while shaving or brushing teeth. And fix leaks fast. A leaky commode, for instance, can waste 200 gallons of water per day. And that’s like flushing money right down the well, you know.
Source: epa.gov
everything works with everything else,” says Miles, who has been building extreme green homes for several years, including one in Colleyville, one in Grapevine and a net-zero domicile in Lewisville.
“When you’re building a house that’s this tight, this energy efficient, you have to watch the materials you’re putting in it. You can’t use formaldehydes, VOCs, sensitive chemicals … or the dominos start to fall. You’ve got to control the indoor air quality,” Miles said.
“In the summer, you’re cooling and controlling the humidity. We put dehumidifiers in all of our houses. It’s more comfortable and healthier. And because we’ve made it so tight, we have to bring in fresh air periodically,” said Miles. “That’s the healthy aspect. So you’re watching everything.”
The $64 Question
But let’s face it. For all of its eco-conscious considerations and feel-good formulas, what most folks truly want to know about zero-energy building is: What’s in it for me?
For starters, dramatically less sticker shock on the monthly utility bill.
“The typical energy bill is $600 per month,” Ferrier says. “Our homes typically
The Zero Energy Casita, a 1,015-square-foot Eagle Mountain Lake getaway, is a living demonstration of green building. It is built as much as possible with recycled materials. There’s extreme insulation every place possible — especially on the roof which Don Ferrier, president of Ferrier Custom Homes, says is four times more important than insulation in the walls because of exposure to the sun. But simple changes can make a big difference in energy use also. Trinity Habitat for Humanity reports cutting the electric bill in half on a recently rehabbed 70-year-old home in the Como neighborhood by doing exterior fixes only. (Below center.)
have [bills of] $70,” with some as high as $100 and as low as $40. Saving money is a huge incentive.”
As for the price per square foot of a Ferrier-built residence, a near-zero-energy model averages $150; net-zero-energy runs $175.
“It’s always more cost effective to make the home as energy efficient as possible than to put [electricity] generation on it,” Ferrier says. Installing photovoltaic panels, for example, can run upward of $70,000, and the upfront cost can outweigh the long-run benefit.
“Let’s spend $15,000 to make your energy bill a quarter of what it is. … You don’t have to have some sort of nanotechnology to get here,” he said.
Miles mirrors Ferrier’s sentiment.
“The thing you’re trying to do before you start adding renewables, whether it’s wind or solar anything, is to build the most energy-efficient house possible,” says Miles, who also co-hosts HouseTalk Today, a Saturday radio show on 660 AM. To measure precisely how well his houses perform, Miles monitors them via computer modeling.
“When we did the Lewisville house, we had monitored the Grapevine house. So we knew how much electricity [the owners] were using for lights, appliances and heating and cooling,” Miles says of the 2,538-foot residence, which cost $155 per square foot to build. “We went with a prototype A/C system with a variablespeed compressor that’s used more frequently in commercial [applications]. We’re always trying different things that are on the market.”
It’s Not Just Niche Builders
While builders like Ferrier and Miles are setting the bar for extreme green, many “traditional” firms are incorporating sustainable components into their projects. Take Village Homes, for
instance. After building the 2008 Fort Worth, Texas magazine Green Home, the company has continued to integrate ecological elements into its dwellings. Not necessarily of the zero-energy ilk, the components — tankless water heaters, radiant barriers, low-emissivity windows, foam insulation, water-conserving designs and such — are a nod to the growing demand for homes that aren’t energy hogs.
“While there might not be a bunch of net-zero projects locally, there are a lot of local builders using green products that will have a huge impact in terms of cost savings for the people living in them and a healthier environment for everyone,” said Michael Dike of Village Homes. “In the past 10 years, [green building] has changed exponentially for the better.”
But there’s still a long way to go.
“The economy is the challenge. Clients want to see a proven track record, and they also want a return on investment,” Dike says. “I think there’s a segment of the population out there that would be willing to pay more even though the economy is depressed. People recognize they can
save money by using some of these tools and green techniques. But it is tougher on the building side to take risks these days, and builders want to build things they are confident will sell.”
Another obstacle is appraisals.
“Every lender requires one when someone purchases,” Dike says. “And an appraiser doesn’t necessarily factor in utility savings. They’re just looking at comparables. So that penalizes green houses.”
Not Just the High-End Homes
Even Trinity Habitat for Humanity is going the green route for the low-income population it serves.
“We are Energy Star-rated on all our new construction,” says spokeswoman Lydia Traina. Last month, the organization rehabbed its inventory of pre-existing homes, swapping old ceiling fans for efficient ones, replacing regular bulbs with CFLs, installing solar window screens and adding attic insulation.
“We build simple homes, but they are quality homes, and we want to pass on the benefit to our homeowners,” she says, pointing to a 70-year-old home in the Como neighborhood of Fort Worth that Habitat recently rehabbed. After doing exterior fixes only, like adding new siding and a roof, the homeowner called a month later to report that her electric bill had been cut in half.
It’s that bottom-dollar savings that just might be the key to moving net- and near-zero-energy building to the mainstream.
“Most people have shopped for the largest house for the least amount of money. Orientation and energy hasn’t always been at the forefront of their minds,” Ferrier says. “As energy bills have gone up, it’s gotten people’s attention.
The good news is there’s a lot of movement in that direction. The sad news is it’s not moving fast enough.”
WATER LESS IN COOLER WEATHER
With cooler weather and shorter days on the way, your lawn only needs half the water it did in the summer. If you’re watering twice a week, cut it down to once. Your grass will be fine.
FROM
AUTO-PILOT TO MANUAL MODE
Most people water too much. Try switching your sprinkler system off this winter and run it manually. That way you can water when needed and even skip a week if we’ve had a good rain.
GET SENSORIZED
DON’T FORGET THE MULCH
Water Your Lawn Just Once a Week or Less.
it reduces the amount of water lost to evaporation on sunny or windy days.
You’d be surprised how many older irrigation systems don’t have rain/freeze sensors. These inexpensive items put your watering on hold when it’s raining or near freezing. Adding sensors to your system is a smart way to save water.
A nice two to three-inch layer of mulch around your trees and in plant beds helps retain moisture and acts like a blanket for the soil and roots when it gets chilly. Cozy plants are happy plants. Plus, mulched beds make any landscape look better – just ask the shrubs.
DON’T WATER BETWEEN 10AM AND 6PM
In most cities it’s against code to water between 10 and 6. This saves water because
Don’t be fooled… the rain is nice, but our lake levels are still down. Follow these tips – and we’ll get through this dry spell together.
Want to fine-tune your Lawn Whisperer talents? Visit our website to friend the Lawn Whisperer and learn how to have a great lawn and save water at the same time.
Thank You.
Thank You.
EXCLUSIVE KITCHEN
EXCLUSIVE KITCHEN
EXCLUSIVE KITCHEN
TOUR SPONSOR
TOUR SPONSOR
TOUR SPONSOR
HOUSE SPONSOR
HOUSE SPONSOR
HOUSE SPONSOR
Pier 1 Imports
Pier 1 Imports
Pier 1 Imports
CHEF SPONSORS
CHEF SPONSORS
CHEF SPONSORS
Jade & Jake Bailey
Jade & Jake Bailey
Jade & Jake Bailey
Una & Joe Bailey
Una & Joe Bailey
Una & Joe Bailey
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Mike & Karen Steele
Mike & Karen Steele
Mike & Karen Steele
The William and Marsha Rickett
The William and Marsha Rickett
The William and Marsha Rickett
Family Fund of the Dallas Foundation
Family Fund of the Dallas Foundation
Family Fund of the Dallas Foundation
GOURMET SPONSORS
GOURMET SPONSORS
GOURMET SPONSORS
Bette Mebane & Jim Atteberry
Bette Mebane & Jim Atteberry
Bette Mebane & Jim Atteberry
James & Mary Ann Harris
James & Mary Ann Harris
James & Mary Ann Harris
Stuart & Melissa Murff
Stuart & Melissa Murff
Stuart & Melissa Murff
Dan & Debbie Powell
Dan & Debbie Powell
Dan & Debbie Powell
Parkhills Jewelry & Gifts
Parkhills Jewelry & Gifts
Parkhills Jewelry & Gifts
Peter & Sara Sterling
Peter & Sara Sterling
Peter & Sara Sterling
Emma Walker, CPA
Emma Walker, CPA
Emma Walker, CPA
RESTAURANTS
RESTAURANTS
RESTAURANTS
Bistro Louise
Bistro Louise
Bistro Louise
Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine
Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine
Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine
Buttons
Buttons
Buttons
City Kitchen
City Kitchen
City Kitchen
Daddy Jack’s
Daddy Jack’s
Daddy Jack’s
Eddie V’s
Eddie V’s
Eddie V’s
Michael’s Restaurant & Ancho Chile Bar
Michael’s Restaurant & Ancho Chile Bar
Michael’s Restaurant & Ancho Chile Bar
McKinley’s Fine Bakery & Café
McKinley’s Fine Bakery & Café
McKinley’s Fine Bakery & Café
Nonna Tata
Nonna Tata
Nonna Tata
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Ray’s Prime Steak & Seafood
Ray’s Prime Steak & Seafood
Ray’s Prime Steak & Seafood
TCB Catering
TCB Catering
TCB Catering
Wild Mushroom
Wild Mushroom
Wild Mushroom
Winslow’s Wine Café
Winslow’s Wine Café
Winslow’s Wine Café
SPECIAL THANKS
SPECIAL THANKS
SPECIAL THANKS
Ace Mart
Ace Mart
Ace Mart
Ben E. Keith
Ben E. Keith
Ben E. Keith
Dishes from the Past
Dishes from the Past
Domain XCIV
Dishes from the Past Domain XCIV
Domain XCIV
Enchanted Florist
Enchanted Florist
Enchanted Florist
Glazer’s
Glazer’s
Glazer’s
Gordon Boswell Flowers
Gordon Boswell Flowers
Gordon Boswell Flowers
Silver West Limousines
Silver West Limousines
Silver West Limousines
Strategic Thinking
Strategic Thinking
Strategic Thinking
Joan Trew
Joan Trew
Joan Trew
Martha Williams
Martha Williams
Martha Williams
Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus
Ro McKee
Ro McKee
Ro McKee
Wright at Home
Wright at Home
Wright at Home
KITCHENS TOUR COMMITTEE
KITCHENS TOUR COMMITTEE
KITCHENS TOUR COMMITTEE
Thank you for your hard work and dedication.
Thank you for your hard work and dedication.
Thank you for your hard work and dedication.
Co-Chairs: Martha Williams & Joan Trew
Co-Chairs: Martha Williams & Joan Trew
Co-Chairs: Martha Williams & Joan Trew
Jade Bailey
Jade Bailey
Jade Bailey
Janet Bishop
Janet Bishop
Janet Bishop
Lynn Gafford
Lynn Gafford
Lynn Gafford
Meredyth Haller
Meredyth Haller
Meredyth Haller
Terri Hollander
Terri Hollander
Terri Hollander
Mandy Kizer
Mandy Kizer
Mandy Kizer
Traci Lee
Traci Lee
Traci Lee
Amber Paulik
Amber Paulik
Amber Paulik
Diane Stow
Diane Stow
Diane Stow
Carolyn Watson
Carolyn Watson
Carolyn Watson
MEDIA SPONSORS
MEDIA SPONSORS
MEDIA SPONSORS
Holiday Gift Guide 2011
I know they say, “It’s the thought that counts.” But truly, wouldn’t it be nice to give a gift that is exactly what the person you care about really wants? If you need help this holiday season with ideas for filling the space under the tree or are looking for creative ways to stuff the stockings, you have found the right place. We have thought about almost everyone on your list with gifts ranging in price from the affordable to the extravagant. Nearly everything is available online if you want to avoid holiday crowds, but most gifts can be purchased locally. Happy shopping!
by Jennifer Casseday-Blair
Styled by Craig Sylva and Jennifer Casseday-Blair/Photography contributions by Jason Kindig
Fort Worth, Texas: The City’s
CREED Fragrance
New to CREED’s Royal Exclusives collection of fine fragrances is White Flowers. The experience of the fragrance is described as “an afterlife paradise of flowers, fruit and spices and a vision of a world beyond our own.” I’ve never known a perfume to do that, however CREED was founded in 1760 and passed from father to son since then. It has served more than 10 royal houses and the discerning public for more than 250 years.
Neiman Marcus, Neimanmarcus.com, $575
Capri Blue Candle
Capri Blue candles have a 70-hour burn time and are made of a paraffin-soy wax blend. The mercury glass jar captures the flicker of the flame. It comes in the following scents to suit the mood of any home: tropical fruits, sugared oranges, lemon, lime and redolent with lightly exotic mountain greens. Anthropologie, Anthropologie.com, $28
Finn Rocker
The cushioned seat and tufted back of this midcentury modern-inspired rocker is upholstered in bright, oversized ikat motif. It’s the perfect addition to any living space meant for relaxing or rocking little ones. Anthropologie, Anthropologie.com, $1,698
DeLonghi Combination
Now you don’t have to decide which way to kick off your day, you can have it all. This three-in-one machine makes drip coffee, espresso, cappuccino and latte. All at a reasonable price.
Bed Bath & Beyond, Bedbathandbeyond.com, $149.99
Isabelle Grace Personalized Jewelry
Any woman would love these simple, elegant pieces inspired by the most important thing in life - family. Each piece of jewelry is made by hand using fine and sterling silver, 22kt and 14kt gold fill and semi-precious gemstones. Custom-made jewelry can be ordered to reflect family members’ names, initials, significant dates, zodiacs or birthstones. Many celebrities have been seen sporting Isabelle Grace jewelry.
Isabellegracejewelry.com, Zodiac Necklace, $145, Script Name Charm Necklace, $135, Green Onyx Drops, $95
Picnic Pack
For when the weather warms up in the spring, this fully equipped picnic backpack for four by Ascot is perfect for a family outing or a romantic afternoon. The backpack features classic accents and bright silver hardware as well as a detachable wine holder and thermal shield insulated cooler compartment. Sears, Sears.com, $103.06
Hardwood Serving Tray
If you are looking for an original gift for the hostess who needs to impress her guests, this tray with organic silver accents is worthy. It measures 16 X 12 and is perfect for setting out cheeses and appetizers before the meal is served.
Domain XCIV, Domainxciv.com, $500
Olympus SZ-30MR
It’s finally possible to capture still photos and HD Video in one compact camera. Amazing features include a 16MP CMOS sensor, 7fps high-speed continuous shooting and hand-held starlight mode for high performance low light. You can also capture stills and 1080p HD movies simultaneously. Arlington Camera, Arlingtoncamera.com, $399.95
Cabernet Spa Robe
Treat the amazing woman in your life to a spa experience at home. Nothing is cozier in the colder months than snuggling up in a classic terry robe. The Cabernet micro cotton terry knit robe adds a touch of luxury to every day.
Dillard’s, Dillards.com, $78
Nest Learning Thermostat
The designer of the iPod, Tony Fadell, has made a thermostat hip. All it takes is a week for the NestTM Learning ThermostatTM to program itself to keep you comfortable and save energy. It figures out your patterns, like when you go to bed, wake up and your work schedule, then it sets the temperature accordingly. You will start to see the difference on your energy bill.
Best Buy, Bestbuy.com, $249.99
Powerbag
If you ever find yourself needing to charge your iPhone but can’t find an outlet or not having enough juice to watch the movie you just downloaded to your tablet, the Powerbag is perfect for you. The Powerbag can charge digital gear including smartphones, tablets, iPods, eReaders and Bluetooth headsets. Best Buy, Bestbuy.com, $139.99
Bodhi Electric Sport Bike
The front suspension fork and ergonomic comfort grips and saddles ensure a smooth comfortable ride on Bodhi electric bikes. A 250-watt brushless front hub motor, dual power assist mode, 24-volt lithium ion battery, LED backlit digital console and NuVinci N360 CVP drivetrain also come standard with the Bodhi Sport Bike. You can control the power level and enjoy some get-up-and-go whether you are riding through Fort Worth city streets or along Trinity Trails. Bodhi promises an easy ride.
Bodhi Bikes, Bodhibikes.com, $2,500
Nau Down Sweater
If you are bundling up in bulky jackets and sweaters to keep warm, try a stylish twist to a winter staple. The Nau Down Sweater is actually a jacket that wears like a sweater with 850-fill down and durable water repellant finish. Its technology offers all the warmth and protection from the cold without the bulk. Backwoods, Backwoods.com, $235
Benromach Scotch Whisky
Based in the town of Forres in Moray, Benromach is one of the region’s smallest distillers. This single malt scotch whisky is aged for 10 years and made with the finest Scottish malted barley and the purest spring water from the nearby Romach Hills. It is then matured in hand-selected Sherry & Bourbon casks and next returned to sweet Oloroso sherry casks for the final period. TheWhiskyBarrel.com, $65
Timex
Ironman Global Trainer GPS
With the first GPS-enabled watch worthy of the Timex® Ironman® name, you can track pace, speed, distance, location and more. Also included are five customizable displays, a 20-workout memory and performance pacer. It’s perfect for multisport athletes that require a high-performance tool. Walmart, Walmart.com, $299.99
Christopher Walken A to Z
This is the complete guide to all things Walken. He is known as an award-winning actor and Hollywood legend, but in this comprehensive biographical book readers learn about his experience as a dancer, baker and lion tamer. Walken opens up about acting secrets, kitchen tips, music videos, his extraordinary hair, B movies and Saturday Night Live appearances. You’ll definitely be left wanting more cowbell. Barnes & Noble, Barnesandnoble.com, $16.95
Cobra Long Tom Driver
Measuring 4 feet in length, the face of each Long Tom driver is made from a new titanium alloy that is stronger than previous Cobra products. The face is thinner and creates 20 grams of discretionary weight that has been redistributed in the 460-cc head. The center of gravity is lowered and helps to create a higher launch and more distance. Cobra’s Long Tom Raw driver is unfinished with no paint. Golfsmith, Golfsmith.com, $499.99
Woogie 2
Just when you thought the Woogie couldn’t get any better, accessory maker Griffin released the Woogie 2 in time for this Christmas. With all of the interactive games available from the App Store, a parent’s iPhone or iPod is a magnet for small children. The Woogie 2 is the ideal solution with integrated pockets that shut securely, a touch-through screen protector and the ability to be propped up on its fuzzy legs.
Griffintechnology.com, $19.99
Anti-Gravity Boots
What kid wouldn’t want to defy gravity? Air Kicks Anti-Gravity Boots are heavy duty and use rubber T-Springs to transform downward energy into bouncing motions that are gentle on joints and bones. Kids can build coordination and strengthen leg muscles with the fun feeling of walking on the moon.
Sears, Sears.com, $97.21
Pac Man Game Table
The New 19-inch 30th Anniversary Edition of the classic 80’s video arcade cocktail style game table called “PacMan’s Arcade Party” is made by Namco. It plays identically as the original version but includes 12 different classic games as well. Video Games: Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, PacMania, Galaga, Galaga ‘88, Bosconian, Dig Dug, Dragon Spirit, Galaxian, Mappy, Rally X, Rolling Thunder and Xevious all in one cabinet! Brookstone, Brookstone.com, $3,000
Tsunami Street Glider
Each year they come out with something different for how kids can creatively get around. Bikes and scooters take a backseat to the Tsunami Street Glider this Christmas. You steer by leaning your body weight to the left or right, and the two front hand brakes allow you to control your speed. Helmet recommended. Miss Molly’s Toy & Candy Shop, 817.732.6711, $126.99
Create Your Own Dolly
With this fun toy, kids can release their creative flair by making their own designer doll. The kit contains: cotton dolly, embroidery thread, assorted fabrics, acrylic yarn, felt pieces and sewing needles. The result is not only an afternoon of fun but also a valuable keepsake.
Miss Molly’s Toy & Candy Shop, 817.732.6711, $41.99
Little Hero Capes
All children at some point believe they can be superheroes. Allison Faunce recognized that in her son and began making Little Hero Capes. By purchasing one of her capes or other Little Hero Gear (cuffs and masks), you are truly doing something heroic because 10 percent of each cape sold goes to Discovery Arts Program. This program brings fine arts to children with life threatening illnesses while they are in the hospital. Littleherocapes.com, $42
Rover Spy Tank
It’s possible to investigate the activities of friends, family or pets with this audio/visual-enabled and photo-taking Rover. The built-in microphone transmits sound back to the device in real time, and the manually adjustable camera streams live video and takes still pictures. You can even see items in the dark with the infrared night vision. Best of all, it’s app-controlled by your iPod, iPhone or iPad. Brookstone, Brookstone.com, $149.99
Footzyrolls
Don’t let the silly name fool you. These shoes have a serious solution for a lot of women. You’re aching feet can take a vacation from brutal heels at any point during the day with these compact, lightweight, foldable ballet flats that roll up and fit in the smallest of purses. They are available in many stylish and affordable options. Walmart, Walmart.com, $25
Sula Paint and Peel Polish
With Sula’s new line of innovative water-based paint and peel polish, you can toss out all of your old nail polish remover. The durable polish is long lasting, fast drying and has no odor. Plus, when you get sick of the color, you simply peel it off with no damage to the nail. Ulta, Ulta.com, $9
Bananagrams
In Bananagrams, players race against each other to build crossword grids and use all their letter tiles. It’s a little like Scrabble, but no turn-taking here. It all happens at once, and it’s a race to the finish. No matter how old you are, this is a take-anywhere game that is hard to quit playing. Target, Target.com, $15
Minimergency Kit for Him
This is a survival kit of sorts for men needing the personal care essentials. The size of a deck of cards, the aluminum tin contains: lip balm, dental floss, breath freshener, stain remover, mending kit, safety pin, extra buttons, shoe shine towelette, nail clipper, hand sanitizing towelette, deodorant towelette, adhesive bandage and pain reliever. There are also impressive kits for women and specialized kits for weddings and college kids. Good things do come in small packages. Store.msandmrs.com, $12
SLAP Watch
Leatherman Surge
As one of the largest multitools offered by Leatherman, the Surge includes pliers, multi-tool blades, large and small bit drivers, a screwdriver, ruler, bottle opener, can opener, electrical crimper, saw, scissors, wire cutters and a unique blade exchanger. Is there anything this thing can’t do?
Academy, Academy.com, $89.99
SLAP watches come in brightly colored silicone and with a removable face. You can order from 11 different face colors to create different combinations for a variety of looks. These are perfect for kids, men or women and are a fun way to keep up with the time. One size fits all.
Slapwatch.com, $19.95
Hi 5 Mittens
Kate Spade has made available a line of playful mittens. They are quirky and range from messages helping you hail a taxi and initiate a high-five to starting a snowball fight and not confusing your left and right hands. Besides the fun messages, these chic mittens will keep your hands toasty through the colder season. Neiman Marcus, Neimanmarcus.com, $65
M O R E T H A N A
T H A N G
The issues behind why young men and women choose to join a street gang are many and complex and so are the answers to the problem. But one thing is clear: Enforcement alone will not eliminate gangs.
by Wafeeq Sabir
Somewhere between Generation Y (1976-1992) and Generation Z (1992-present), society became familiar with and preoccupied by idioms such as thug life, hustler, gangsta and wangsta
Rap icon Tupac Shukar, aka 2Pac, lyrically spoke of living the life of a “G” or gangsta. In many of his songs, 2Pac rhetorically pondered on the final destination of the lifestyle of a gangsta and wondered whether heaven had a ghetto for a gangsta.
In 1993, celebrity rapper Snoop Dogg, a self-professed Long Beach Crip, reminded the gang world in the rap song, Nuthin But A “G” Thang, that life was fine through pimping, “clocking a grip” — making money — and rapping.
Much of the world was thoroughly entertained by West Coast rappers such as Easy E, Spice 1 and Ice Cube but dismayed by the mortal realities of being a “G.” Certainly, no one really wants to die or be shot, but the attraction to rapping about it gave it creditability among the youth.
During the early and mid-1990s, gangsta rap was making its way from the bedroom closet music studio to the trunks of hoopties — jalopies — and low riders, and finally to the airways of urban radio. Gangsta rap now has taken a commercial vibe and socially acceptable appearance, better known as hip-hop.
This article is not about gangsta rap, who killed Tupac and Biggie, or the glorification of the “G” life by the media. However, there is intrinsic value in understanding the parallel between society and the “G” life.
This article takes a snapshot of the subculture of gangs, a subculture that is much on the minds of law-enforcement officials, educators, parents and others.
The Start
In the spring of 1992, I was selected along with 20 other police officers to become members of the Specialized Operation Division-Gang Unit. We were housed at an old storefront off Bryant Irvin Road, on the perimeter of Como. The location was centrally located, and the rent was very affordable, $1 per year.
In one stroke, the Fort Worth Police Department Gang Unit became the largest gang unit in Texas and has held that position for nearly 20 years. With added personnel and resources, several gang enforcement initiatives were directed toward gang and drug activity within the Como community.
During the early and mid-1990s, racial tensions were extremely high between the residents of Como and the police department.
The animosity was not initially directed towards the FWPD Gang Unit, but it was emphasized each July 3 on the eve of Independence Day. For several years, specialized units such as the mounted patrol, SWAT and the gang unit were directed to prepare for potential rioting and civil unrest in Como.
Television news footage often showed police officers attacked by residents who were hurling bottles and rocks. Officers were required to use their shields and batons to ward off potential injuries. Many arrests were made each year, and Fort Worth police
paddy wagons hauled off those arrested. This annual occurrence brought to mind the images of clashes between the police and citizens during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.
I always found myself assigned to areas that required personnel support or backup but was never directly involved in any physical incidents. I was thankful that I never had to engage in those types of police-citizen encounters.
But after the unit had several direct enforcement encounters with gang members from Como, several members of our unit were targeted. According to many gang members interviewed, they did not consider it good business for them to actually shoot or kill a police officer. Instead, our personal and unmarked gang unit vehicles were burglarized or fire-bombed.
The targeting of gang unit vehicles angered many police administrators but motivated the gang unit to increase enforcement initiatives. It was highly important during this time period to make an immediate impact upon gang violence.
During the early morning hours on July 3, 1994, gang members drove up to a Como residence where known gang members were celebrating Independence Day. Suspects used a stolen car with dark tinted windows to conceal their identities as they shot at party members from inside the stolen vehicle. When the shooting was over, eight people lay wounded — and 5-year-old Jamie Fulton lay dead on her front porch.
Fort Worth was labeled as the drive-by capital of the United States. Retaliation shootings were as common as 100-degree summer days in Texas.
This senseless shooting and others within the Como and Stop Six communities drew national attention to the gang problem in Fort Worth. Fort Worth was labeled as the drive-by capital of the United States. Retaliation shootings were as common as 100-degree summer days in Texas.
As a now-retired law enforcement officer, where 19 years of my 25-year career were served working in one of the largest gang units in Texas, my experiences never brought me closer to an answer of the never-ending question: “Is the gang problem in Fort Worth better or worse?”
My former gang unit partner, Officer C.C. Meadows, once said that young black males, specifically rappers and drug dealers and persons trying to get out of the ’hood, are often caught between being gang members and trying to provide economically for their families. Since for some it is extremely challenging to combine the two without judicial consequences, many of these young men become “gangstapreneurs” — someone who lives the lifestyle of
a gangster as a business, primarily through illegal means.
This made perfect sense to me. The combination of both identities grants street creditability with the homeboys and homegirls but also sometimes gives a pass into mainstream society. Being a former gang member allows some — now celebrity rappers, entertainers or professional athletes — a form of societal acceptance.
Scope of the Problem
Since 1983, the Fort Worth Police Department Gang Unit has documented more than 400 gangs and 13,000 gang members.
The vast majority are individuals involved in an assortment of largely black and Hispanic criminal street gangs. The numbers reveal the prevalence of gangs and gang members in Fort Worth, but only reflect documented persons and gangs.
Because many gangs and their members are relatively inactive after years of constant arrest and incarceration, the actual numbers may not be completely known.
What is known is that there are an increasing number of people claiming gang membership, especially among our school-aged youth.
Fort Worth is not a social anomaly. It has a great local police department, a racially diverse city workforce and great parks and museums. But it also has the largest gang population in the DFW Metroplex.
The question of whether the gang problem is better or worse than in the past leads to another question: “Why do young people join gangs?” Researchers and criminologists list a number of theories regarding gang involvement and juvenile delinquency.
Criminologist Howard Becker’s labeling theory asserts that society places labels on those who are inherently different or perceived different. Researcher Albert K. Cohen’s theory of delinquent subcultures suggests that juvenile delinquent behaviors in young males are a result of their distressed economic conditions, and sociologists Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin’s differential opportunity theory also suggests that juvenile delinquent behavior is tied to economic means but is increasingly disparate because of class distinctions within our society.
Some research suggests all behavior is learned while other research suggests self-fulfilling prophecies are in place. These theories and many others have been portrayed through scripts in films such as the Blackboard Jungle (1955), Warriors (1979) and Colors (1998).
Hollywood has done an interesting job depicting young inner-city males and deviant criminal behavior, no doubt, but has provided no answer to the question of the
attraction to joining a gang.
The figures cited in this article do not reflect the hundreds or thousands of individuals who have not been identified by law enforcement or school officials among youth attending any of the more than 142 public schools in the Fort Worth Independent School District.
While there is gang activity and membership in each high school and virtually every middle school in the Fort Worth ISD, the greatest concentration is in the inner-city schools. (See: Schools and Known Gang Associations, page 73.)
Not all schools in each pyramid listed have members attending from all of the listed gangs. However, the presence of these gangs and others are very strong.
Public school officials throughout the state are often reluctant to admit that there is a gang presence in their schools or districts, and many school districts routinely send their gang-related students to alternative education schools that have little success at educating or reforming them.
Many of these students have come to the unfortunate conclusion that they will not succeed in school. A visit to a typical alternative education school will show 16-year-old 8th graders and 17-year-old 9th graders who are hard pressed for admittance even into a Fort Worth or Dallas Can Academy.
Their future is bleak because one traditional way out — military service — is increasingly closed off. The military branches are reluctant to accept young males who have a gang-related background or who sport gang-related tattoos.
In one of my blogs, drsabir.blogspot.com, I note that many public alternative schools operate under prison-like conditions.
Due to the deviant behaviors of many students, especially students with mental health issues such as conduct disorder or schizophrenia, alternative school administrators often say they feel as if they have no other choice than maintaining strict prison-like school settings.
I do not totally disagree with the discipline and structure needed in many of these alternative schools, but too many of today’s youth are already being left behind.
A Sense of Belonging
There is an attraction to the lifestyle that grants a social identity and sense of worthiness. In the gang, you are somebody and have a clear role to play. Many black and Hispanic street gangs in Fort Worth follow a hierarchy remarkably similar to the model followed by corporate America.
In both models, the ultimate goal of ambitious people is to reach the top spot. Among gangs, it is OG — an Original
Gangsta. In the corporate world, it is to be the executive director or chief operating officer. In a sense, both structures are legitimate hierarchies, although one has no social legitimacy in society.
The social identity attached to being a gang member is accompanied by characteristics such as hand signs, graffiti and tattoos. Gang hand signs are not universal but may mirror signs of other local or national gangs. And seemingly innocuous gestures can turn instantly deadly.
During a recent visit to Chicago, one of my colleagues believed it would be acceptable to display the common two finger “peace sign” to a young man at an intersection.
Seconds later, the young man brandished a 9mm handgun and pointed directly at my colleague. The supposedly innocent hand sign was the hand sign of a rival gang, one of the largest gangs in Chicago.
Gang members are often willing to kill someone over the display of a hand sign, even if the intent of the sign was non-threatening or peaceful.
Little Relationship to Prison Gangs
Throughout my travels as a national and international speaker on gangs and youth violence, comments by city officials, superintendents and politicians about criminal street gangs and youth violence often point toward a connection between local criminal street gangs and prison gangs. But local criminal street gangs have a diluted relationship with prison gangs.
Prison gangs operate separately of criminal street gangs and must follow strict rules and a rigid command structure. Criminal street gangs are loose knit and do not follow the orders of their leaders as closely as those in prison gangs. Prison gangs also have charters and written rules, while most street gangs have neither.
An individual member of a criminal street gang may be biologically related or indebted to someone incarcerated, who, in turn, becomes a member of a prison gang. In such cases, these relationships are low-profile and do not create any major influences upon the activities of local street gangs.
Police officials have suggested that once a gang member is released from prison, he returns to the streets as the new OG or becomes increasingly influential of the actions of the gang.
I have not found this to be universally accurate. As a matter of fact, the opposite is more exact.
Most gang members who serve a substantial amount of time in jail or prison
look to reform their past lifestyle. Many of them have close family members, spouses and children who will do whatever is possible to keep their loved ones from returning to prison.
Gang members who served years in prison realize the harsh realities of life behind bars and want to do better. The days of being shot-callers are long gone. Besides, who wants to take orders from someone who has been away from the streets and the hustle for an extended time?
“The streets don’t change, only the players do,” many OGs will say.
Rates Appear to be Decreasing
Many studies and surveys throughout the country suggest the gang problem has continued to level out in large urban cities as overall crime rates have decreased.
Each year, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) surveys nearly 3,500 law enforcement jurisdictions regarding youth gangs in their areas.
According to the 2009 OJJDP National Youth Gang Survey, there are more than 28,000 gangs and 781,000 gang members in the United States. The survey also reports a distinctive pattern and prevalence rate of gang activity in major cities with populations of more than 100,000. The 2009 National Youth Gang Survey also showed that more than 60 percent of documented gang members are more than 18 years old and roughly 90 percent are male.
Prior to my retirement from the Fort Worth Police Department, I had a conversation with a police official in search of an answer to why there had been a decrease in juvenile crime and gang violence during the past year.
As a researcher and law-enforcement practitioner, statistics can suggest many things either favorable or unfavorable. Whatever the cause, realistically, the gang problem in large major cities such as Fort Worth and Dallas will never succumb to the sole tactics of suppression or enforcement.
Police enforcement measures, however, must remain constant and aggressive, but it takes a variety of many initiatives, grants, agencies, personnel and commitments to alter the course of gang violence.
Juvenile and gang violence is rooted within a subculture that is as problematic as alcoholism, domestic violence and mental health. Police officials may be comfortable with reporting a decrease in juvenile gang crimes and gang violence — but the problem still exists.
Gang violence is centered in a society
Most gang members will tell you that their choices are limited — remain poor, afraid and preyed upon, or join a gang for status, acceptance and protection
and educational system seemingly unable to give young men and women in the city’s poorest neighborhoods a sense of selfworth and achievement.
Critics will argue that self-worth and achievement are traits that all may attain. However, most gang members will tell you that their choices are limited — remain poor, afraid and preyed upon, or join a gang for status, acceptance and protection.
At the end of the day, the decision to join a gang rarely amounts to anything other than a “187” tattoo or a permanent physical disability. I have never met a gang member who lived in a mansion with a manicured lawn and a butler, so the lifestyle is short-lived and without true meaning or purpose.
The “gang thang” in Fort Worth is down at least in the levels of violence from the bloody 1990s when gang violence set record levels in the city. But it is not gone. It is always there under the surface, hidden, and often forgotten but grossly visible to those who know where to look.
It occurs in a Fort Worth that many residents never see and cannot comprehend. Society’s tendency to refocus its attention and redirect resources once the flashpoints of a particular issue have receded will work to its detriment.
This is more than a police problem.
It is a problem for all of us.
And the solution is more than a police solution.
It is a solution that involves commitment from all residents.
Typical Gang Hierarchy:
OG – Original Gangsta
G – Gangsta
YG – Young Gangsta
BG – Baby Gangsta
Corporate Hierarchy:
CEO – Chief Operating
Officer
Division Managers
Middle Managers
Line Staff
Schools and Known Gang Associations
Poly Pyramid Schools:
Polytechnic High
William James Middle School
Morningside Middle School
T.A. Sims Elementary
S.S. Dillow Elementary
D. McRae Elementary
Morningside Elementary
Carroll Peak Elementary
Briscoe Elementary
Most Active Gangs in Poly Pyramid:
Fantasmas
Latin Kings
Polywood Crips
Satin Disciples
Five Deuce Hoova
Four Trey Crips
Southside Pyramid Schools:
Southwest High
Paschal High
Trimble Tech High
OD Wyatt High
South Hills High
North Crowley High
Baxter Jr. High
Rosemont Middle School
Wedgewood Middle School
Crowley Middle School
Most Active Gangs in Southside Pyramid:
Puro Lil Mafia
Down South Gangsters
Fort Worth Mobsters
Southern United Raza
Varrio 8
Northside Pyramid Schools:
Diamond Hill Jarvis High
Northside High
Boswell High
Carter-Riverside High
Fossil Ridge High
Timber Creek High
Central High
Trinity Springs Middle School
Hillwood Middle School
Prairie Vista Middle School
Fossil Hill Middle School
Riverside Middle School
Meacham Middle School
J.P. Elder Middle School
Lake Worth Middle School
Most Active Gangs in Northside Pyramid:
Varrio Diamond Hill
Northside Four Trey
Varrio Northside
Varrio 15th St.
True Bud Smokers
Number of Documented Gangs in Fort Worth:
Number of Documented Gang Members in Fort Worth:
Varrio
Centro
The spas and salons included in the 2011 Spa and Salon Guide are commercial establishments offering a variety of health and beauty treatments. The list includes day and medical spas, as well as spas that are an extension of a hair salon.
Accent On You Cosmetic Surgery Center and Medi Spa
3030 S. Cooper St. Arlington 76015 817.417.7200 accentonyou.com
Alliance Med Spa
2700 Western Center Blvd., Ste. 100 Fort Worth, Texas 76131 817.306.9494 alliancemedspas.com
At Peace Floatation Spa
1304 Glade Rd., Ste. 300 Colleyville 76034
817.485.3223 atpeacefloatationspa.com
Artisan MedSpa Fort Worth Laser and Yoga Studio
5500 Overton Ridge Blvd., Ste. 250 Fort Worth 76132
817.423.5400 artisanmedspafortworth.com
Beaumont Spa at Beaumont Ranch 10736 County Road 102 Grandview 76050 1.817.866.4867 beaumontspa.com
Bella Retreat Spa & Salon 5031 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth 76107
817.377.2457 bellaspaandsalon.com
Body Retreat Day Spa
2905 Brown Trail, Ste. B Bedford 76021
817.656.4555 bodyretreatspa.com
Clinical Skin Care Center
1705 W. Northwest Highway Grapevine 76051 817.329.5015 clinicalskincarecenter.com
Salon On the Park 2424 Forest Park Blvd. Fort Worth 76110 817.207.0860
Sanctuary Retreat Salon and Spa 3930 Glade Road, Ste. 124 Colleyville 76034 817.571.5800 sanctuaryretreat.net
The Sanford House Inn and Spa
506 N. Center St. Arlington 76011
817.277.0115 thesanfordhouse.com
Shelton’s Salon and Spa Multiple locations (Arlington, Euless, Fort Worth)
sheltonssalon.com
The Skin Clinic
400 W. 4th St., Ste. 404-B Fort Worth 76102 817.203.8313 theskinclinicinc.com
Sona MedSpa of Grapevine 1235 S. Main St., Ste. 150 Grapevine 76051 817.481.5111
sonamedspa.com/grapevine
The Spa at the Village 55 Main St., Ste. 150 Colleyville 76034
817.428.0045 spaatthevillage.net
Spa Beaubelle at the Sheraton Hotel and Spa 1701 Commerce St. Fort Worth 76102 817.806.3700 spabeaubelle.com
Studio 5220 5220 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth 76107 817.732.8332
Toni & Guy Multiple Tarrant Locations toniguy.com
Terrace Retreat Salon 5201 Colleyville Blvd. Colleyville 76034 817.788.0800 terraceretreat.com
Venus & Mars Salon 5106 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth 76107 817.737.3433 venusandmarssalon.com
Wellness Village 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. Fort Worth 76104 817.763.5550 mywellnessvillage.com
Zeeba Salon and Spa 501 Carroll St., Ste.638 Fort Worth 76107
817.870.9800
zeebasalonspa.com
STEALING YOUR R GOOD OD NAME NAM
In a digital world, personal information is becoming increasingly available and increasingly insecure, leading to a twentyfold increase in identity theft over the past decade.
by James R. Peipert
NEARLY EVERY OTHER DAY, I receive an e-mail informing me that I’ve won the lottery in Ireland, the United Kingdom or Australia. Or perhaps one from the daughter of a deposed despot who’s come into a pile of money. All I have to do to share in this largesse is to provide some basic personal information, like a bank account number.
These, of course, are obvious scams that few of us fall for. But not all identity theft is so transparent. Sometimes people are conned without ever finding out how the thieves got hold of their personal data. It happened to me.
The call came just as I was about to leave the house. It’s been a few years ago now, but I remember its contents vividly.
Someone using my name, my Social Security number and presumably my good credit rating had secured a $6,000 loan from MBNA, a credit card company based in Wilmington, Del., and then had requested transfer of the money to a bank in Summit, N.J. Transfer of the funds had already been initiated, but at some point along the line, the paperwork crossed the desk of a sharp-eyed fraud specialist at MBNA.
Something didn’t look right, she told me on the phone. So she ran a check of my credit records. She found that the name and Social Security number used by the bogus loan applicant were indeed mine, but the date of birth, home phone number and address didn’t quite match.
In the phony address, the ZIP code was correct, as was the numerical part of the address. But the street name was “Harris” instead of “Harrison,” and it was given as “Lane” instead of “Avenue.”
The fraud specialist said the phony loan application was correct enough to pass initial scrutiny, but sufficiently skewed so that any paperwork con-
nected with it might not reach my real address in time to raise an alarm. Cunning, these identity thieves!
All of my credit cards were in my wallet, so I haven’t a clue how my identity was stolen. An unscrupulous waiter purloining credit card info in a restaurant? Electronic eavesdropping at an insecure Wi-Fi zone at an airport? Theft of a document from the mailbox or trash bin? A discarded or donated computer with personal information still on the hard drive? Or, as is more common these days, the theft of huge amounts of confidential information from the data servers of companies and institutions?
The Identity Theft Resource Center, a San Diego-based nonprofit organization that does research on identity theft, says that attacks on big data centers now account for the largest number of breaches. Between Jan. 1 and April 5 this year, the latest period for which figures were available, targeted attacks on data centers accounted for almost 37 percent of all breaches. That was more than double the rate of incidents — 17.1 percent in 2010.
McAfee, a computer security company owned by Intel Corp., found in a survey released in March that another significant threat to the confidentiality of personal records is the accidental or intentional leaking of data by employees of businesses or institutions.
Perhaps the most egregious example in Texas this year involved the
office of Texas Comptroller Susan Combs.
Combs disclosed on April 11 that the personal information of 3.5 million people — including Social Security numbers and dates of birth — was inadvertently made available on a state computer server accessible to the public for a year or longer.
The information was from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, covering 1.2 million education employees and retirees, transferred to the comptroller’s office in January 2010; Texas Workforce Commission records on about 2 million people that were transferred in April 2010; and data from the Employees Retirement System of Texas covering 281,000 state employees and retirees, transferred in May 2010.
Texas’ identity theft law took effect Sept. 1, 1999. The law makes it a felony to fraudulently use another person’s “identifying information,” such as name, Social Security number, date of birth, or “unique biometric data,” including a person’s fingerprint, voice print and retina or iris image. The state’s Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act of 2005 gave more authority to the Office of the Attorney General to file suit against those who commit identity theft, including restitution to victims and fines up to $50,000 per violation.
The breach, discovered March 31, was believed to be the most extensive ever in Texas and one of the largest of its kind in the nation.
However their information is exposed, about 10 million Americans have their identities stolen every year, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which is charged by law to keep track of cases of identity theft and to educate the public on how to deal with it.
A hard figure on identity theft victims is difficult to pin down because of varying definitions of the crime and the differing methods by which government agencies, businesses and law enforcement record their cases.
But it’s probably fair to say that there has been a twentyfold increase in identity theft over the past decade. In 2000, when identity theft was just emerging as one of the next big things for Americans to worry about, the San Diego-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse estimated the number of victims at more than 500,000 annually.
In Texas, the Attorney General’s Office says that more than 25,000 Texans report every year to local law enforcement agencies that they’ve been victims of identity theft and thousands more are unaware that their personal information has been compromised.
“There has been an exponential growth in identity theft,” Karen Barney, program director for the Identity Theft Resource Center, said in a telephone interview. “It’s much more on the map now than it was in 2000.”
The emergence of identity theft in a time when Americans’ personal data proliferates in cyberspace prompted Congress in 1998 to create the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, making identity theft a federal crime with penalties up to 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The legislation enabled the Secret Service, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to combat identity theft and allowed for the victims to seek restitution in case of a conviction. It also made the Federal Trade Commission a clearinghouse for identity theft complaints.
Under the law, “means of identification” is described as a person’s name, Social Security number, date of birth, official government-issued driver’s license or identification number, alien registration number, passport number, or employer or taxpayer identification number.
“While some identity theft victims can resolve their problems quickly, others spend hundreds of dollars and many days repairing damage to their good name and credit record,” the FTC says on its Web site. “Some consumers victimized by identity theft may lose out on job opportunities, or be denied loans for education, housing or cars because of negative information on their credit reports. In rare cases, they may even be arrested for crimes they did not commit.”
With the Christmas season now upon us, identity thieves will almost certainly be more active than usual, as they trot out a variety of seasonal scams: offers of gift cards on social networking sites in exchange for personal data; a come-on for a “free” iPad that requires credit card information; holiday job offers that ask for a Social Security number; or genuine-looking e-mails from your bank that ask for personal data to fix a purported discrepancy in your account.
The burgeoning number of cases of identity theft is partly due to the Internet, which provides an abundance of electronic data available to anybody in the world with a computer and an online connection.
About 800 million people use Facebook, for example, and most of those users have posted personal information to varying degrees. Many people who want to buy and sell items now use such Internet sites as Craigslist and eBay instead of paying for a classified ad in a newspaper. All of these sites can be fertile ground for identity thieves.
In this time of high unemployment, for example, many of those out of work are prey for identity thieves using online help-wanted ads on such sites as Craigslist.
Some will simply ask for your Social Security number when you submit your resume, says the Identity Theft Resource Center on a Web page listing types of scams. Another scam will ask the applicant for a credit report before proceeding with the application process. But the “hiring company” will insist that the applicant use its credit-reporting agency. Once the personal information is provided, the applicant usually will not receive a credit report or hear from this company again.
But Barney, of the Identity Theft Resource Center, noted that a person’s online activity is not the biggest threat to having personal information stolen, and she stressed that avoidance of online activity does not make a person safe from ID theft.
“There are people out there who say that because I’m not on the Internet, I’m not likely to become a victim,” she said. “The fact of the matter is your information is out there on many of those other databases that are getting breached.”
So the biggest threat to personal data derives from a situation over which the average person has little or no control.
“Globalization and the commoditization of information technology have driven businesses to store increasing amounts of precious corporate data in the cloud,” said the March McAfee study. “As this shift has taken place, cybercriminals have discovered new ways to target this precious data, both from inside and outside the organization. The most significant threat reported by organizations when protecting their sensitive information was data leaked accidentally or intentionally by employees.”
Since that first call from the MBNA fraud specialist, I’ve become particularly attuned to electronic chicanery and the ease with which a dishonest person can assume another’s identity.
Go to your computer, type “identity theft” into a search engine, and you get some idea of how widespread this thievery has become. A whole raft of hits will appear on the screen, many of them Web pages on how to deal with identity theft.
Among the government agencies with Web pages on the problem are the U.S. Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, the Social Security Administration and the U.S. Postal Service. Other useful information is posted by such nonprofit organizations as the Identity Theft Resource Center and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
I was lucky in my brief brush with identity theft.
The fraud specialist at MBNA gave me the names and toll-free telephone numbers of America’s three main credit-reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Among them, these agencies possess credit information on just about anybody in the United States who has ever paid off a loan or used a credit card.
Call each of them, the fraud specialist said, and have them put a fraud alert on your credit history. I telephoned all of the credit bureaus and found that identity theft is apparently so common that all of them have automated telephone procedures for posting a fraud alert. All of the credit agencies promised that a credit report would be mailed to me within about a week so that I could check if anything was amiss.
I also was told to contact any major creditors — mortgage company, credit union, credit card companies — to alert them that I had been a victim of fraud and to put a watch on the various accounts for any suspicious activity.
The credit card company quashed the bogus transaction, the credit reporting agencies put fraud alerts on all my accounts, and I suffered no financial repercussions.
But I couldn’t help but feel violated.
The Justice Department has posted at the top of its Web page on identity theft this quote from Shakespeare’s Othello, Act III, Scene 3:
“But he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him and makes me very poor indeed.”
I’ll pick one nit with the bard and the Justice Department. That miscreant in New Jersey who filched from me my good name did, indeed, hope to enrich himself — to the tune of $6,000. He didn’t make me poor, but he sure as heck ticked me off.
Useful links and information: sefUse Usef
The Texas Attorney General’s Office has an online “Identity Theft Victim’s Kit” to help victims of identity theft: texasfightsidtheft.gov/pdfs/ IDTheft_kit.pdf
The three main credit-reporting agencies are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion: Equifax
P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
1.800.685.1111 equifax.com
Experian P.O. Box 2104 Allen, Texas 75013-0949
1.888.397.3742 experian.com
TransUnion
P.O. Box 1000 Chester, PA 19022
1.800.916.8800 transunion.com
Reporting identity theft
You can contact the Federal Trade Commission’s Dallas office to report identity theft in Texas. The Dallas office covers all of Texas.
Federal Trade Commission
100 N. Central Expressway, Ste. 500 Dallas, Texas 75201
You can also file a complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s Office. For a consumer complaint form, call the Consumer Protection Division at 1.800.621.0508 or file on line.
Useful links on identity theft: U.S. Justice Department justice.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html
Identity Theft Resource Center idtheftcenter.org
Federal Trade Commission ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/ idtheft/
U.S. Postal Service postalinspectors.uspis.gov/ investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/mailtheft/IdentityTheft. aspx
Social Security Administration ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/ detail/a_id/329/~/identity-theft,fraud-or-misuse-of-my-socialsecurity-number
If you fell for a scam, chances are it was because a skillful salesperson pushed all the right buttons. Here are five ways that smart sales people — and scam artists — can get you to part with your hard-earned money against your better judgment.
• They give you something for nothing
• He makes you like him
• They make you think it’s now or never
• He says he’s going to make you rich
• They make you believe it worked for other people
Texas Attorney General’s Office (full version at: oag.state.tx.us/consumer/ five_tricks.shtml)
improving life for those in need
Voice for the Voiceless
Ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference in the lives of neglected, abused or ignored children caught up in the court system through no fault of their own.
by Gail Bennison
FYI
CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates – provides volunteer advocates who stand up on behalf of abused and neglected children. 101 Summit Ave., Ste.505 Fort Worth, 76102 speakupforachild.org 817.877.5891
An estimated 1,500 children die every year from child abuse and neglect. two-yearold Jacob could have been one of them. he was removed from his home based on allegations of sexual abuse. he soon developed behavioral problems that forced his foster parents to separate him from his sisters. at age 5, he was sent to a residential treatment center and declared unadoptable.
fortunately for Jacob, he was assigned a volunteer advocate by casa of tarrant county. mary a nn was the one constant in Jacob’s life during 11 different foster homes and three hospital stays.
she worked tirelessly to get Jacob out of the residential treatment center. she personally selected a loving foster home for Jacob, and she was with him when he met his new foster parents. those foster parents eventually adopted Jacob, and mary a nn helped them contact his sisters’ adoptive parents to reconnect Jacob with his siblings.
Jacob, now 8, has a happy home and a bright future. he no longer needs a volunteer advocate, but he and mary ann remain good friends.
Jacob’s story is true, and there are hundreds of children like him.
for 28 years, casa of tarrant c ounty has served children like Jacob by giving them a future that is more hopeful and promising than their past. casa advocates speak up for abused and neglected children by training court-appointed volunteers to make recommendations for safe, permanent homes where these children can thrive.
volunteer advocates make incredible differences in the lives of children from helping siblings find permanent placement together, to finding a child a stable home with a relative, to uncovering positive information that helps a loving family reunite, to something as simple but yet important to that child as ensuring that his or her shoes are not too tight for his or her feet.
“it is extraordinary to have the opportunity to be able to make a positive contribution to a child’s life. my working career ended five years ago, but i believe my chosen life’s work has just begun,” said Janice gracyzk, the casa 2011 advocate of the year.
“in my experience, people rarely just volunteer for any recognition it might bring. for those of us who advocate for children who have been neglected or abused, recognition comes from seeing a child happy and safe. that is usually enough to keep us going until the next child,” gracyzk said.
in 2011, casa served more than 800 children. but there continues to be an overwhelming demand for advocates with more than 400 children waiting for the critical voice of a volunteer. hundreds of children across the community just like Jacob are stuck in a nightmare. visit speakupforachild.org, where you can read more stories of the difference a volunteer advocate has made in the life of a child and to learn what you can do to help.
A Jewel of an Event
For more than half a century, Fort Worth has come together to assure that all who need specialized children’s medical care will receive it.
by Gail Bennison
Prepare for a night of dazzle, sparkle and the beat of every era of music from the 50s to today at the 58th Jewel Charity Ball in January.
“We’re delighted that we are able to celebrate the Ball evening and thank all of our generous donors that make what we do possible,” said Jewel Charity president olivia Kearney. “a nd that is to give as much money as we can raise to give back to the children so that no child goes without treatment at Cook Children’s.”
t he event, labeled Kaleidoscope, will be
held at Will rogers on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012. a centerpiece of the evening is, of course, a dazzling display of jewelry. this year’s official jeweler is the house of graff. henri Barguirdjian, president/Ceo, and rozalyn Colombo, private sales director of graff, hosted a separate Jeweler party at the fort Worth Club in January.
Jewel Charity was founded in 1953 by nenetta Burton Carter and Bille Bransford Clark to raise funds for uncompensated health care for children at Cook Children’s Medical Center.
Jewel Charity’s 2010 donation to Cook Children’s Medical Center was more than $3 million. t he organization’s total donation since its inception is more than $52 million.
one of Jewel Charity’s signature projects this year is construction of the new henry house teen room at Cook Children’s, which is named in honor of progolfer J.J. henry. the teen room is being built as part of the Child life zone on the ground level of the north tower, a 4,000-square-foot treatmentfree, family-centered area that promotes healing by providing a place for patients and their families to play, learn and relax. it will serve a vital purpose for teens with chronic illnesses who have spent much of their growing-up years at Cook Children’s. the expanded space in the teen room also offers Wi-fi, interactive video games and a high-definition movie screen.
t he second signature project is the new Cancer Center that is being built on the top floor of the new north tower and will be aimed at treating hematology and oncology patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings. it will house a dedicated laboratory, a 37-bed inpatient unit that includes a nine-bed stem cell transplant unit and a chemotherapy pharmacy located adjacent to the new state-ofthe-art infusion center.
notably, the Cancer Center will be one of only six centers in the country to offer a highdose radiation treatment for neuroblastoma patients.
“from the bottom to the top, we are supportive of Cook Children’s and what they do,” Kearney said. “We are so grateful for a generous community that makes this possible.” for more information: jewelcharity.org
FYI
Jewel Charity raises money to support Cook Children’s Medical Center, ranked as one of the best children’s hospitals in the country. 5020 Collinwood, Ste. 400 Fort Worth, 76107 jewelcharity.org 817.732.9333
Honorary Police
by Christine Perrenot
JOE TURNER NOT ONLY SURVIVED CANCER, endured radiation, chemotherapy, surgery and numerous hospital visits by the age of 8, but he also was given the opportunity to live his dreams thanks to A Wish With Wings Inc.
A Wish with Wings is a local, non-profit organization that works with local hospitals and specialists to grant wishes to Texas children with life-threatening conditions. Since 1982, the generosity of people within the community has helped make incredible memories for sick children during a hard time in their lives.
While enduring the grueling medical procedures and hospital visits that came after finding a tumor in his kidney, Joe’s family contacted A Wish With Wings. The family explained Joe’s dream of flying over a volcano and swimming with dolphins in Hawaii. Thanks to the generosity of the organization, his wish was granted.
When the organization found out that Joe wants to be a police officer when he grows up, they organized the opportunity for him and his three brothers to be police officers for a
Concussion’s Impact
CONCUSSION IS NOT JUST A CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY. It is also using its creativity to give back to the Fort Worth community in gratitude for 10 years of successful business.
In the company’s 10 for 10 program, employees chose 10 local nonprofit organizations and/or charities and participated in 10 fundraising events.
In September, Concussion created four teams of 10 employees each to raise money and participate in the 2011 Tarrant County Heart Walk, which benefited the American Heart Association. The effort raised more than $10,000, and more
day. Joe was given the status of “Honorary Police Officer” and attended a one-day course at the police academy. The day quickly became unforgettable for the family and those involved.
“It was a really fun day, and we could not have asked for better support than we received from the Fort Worth Police Department. Every single person was engaged and involved with what they were doing with the kids,” said Judy Youngs, the executive director of A Wish With Wings.
For Youngs, the best part of watching Joe get his wish was seeing the interaction the four brothers had, not only with each other, but with all the police officers they worked with throughout the day.
The community can get involved and make a difference for local sick children by sponsoring a wish for a child, helping with fundraising or monetary donations.
Gift cards from places like Walmart, Target, Toys R Us and Best Buy are helpful. For more information, visit awishwithwings.org.
than 40 Concussion employees walked the 5K.
In May, Concussion staffers hosted a book drive at Daggett Elementary School. In early April, 30 employees participated in the “Beautify the Boulevard” pub crawl, which benefited the Camp Bowie District.
Also in April, the company sponsored the 12.48 Foundation’s annual golf tournament. The foundation is a local faithbased nonprofit dedicated to giving time, resources and experiences to the youth of Como Elementary School. Every dollar raised went toward sending 3rd, 4th and 5th grad-
ers to Camp Como.
“Those who know Concussion know we never approach anything in a normal way,” says company partner and CEO Allen Wallach. “After all, that’s why we’re named Concussion our approach has and always will be ‘A Blow to Conventional Thinking.’ So, rather than just celebrate our company’s 10th anniversary with a party, we felt it was crucial to give back to the community that has helped fuel our success.”
A side benefit, he said, was that the program has been a catalyst for compassion and camaraderie among the staff.
Gail Bennison
An unabashedly humorous look at life / by Heywood
Leveling the Field
In a postscript to this month’s cover story, let’s find comparisons that give Dallas a chance.
An YOnE WHO HAS LIVED In FORT WORTH for a good length of time has probably got an unfavorable opinion about some aspect of Dallas.
For instance, when I think about the wrong side of 360, traffic immediately comes to mind. I just wasn’t born with enough middle fingers to deal with that every day. And around here, that’s a fairly stereotypical view.
But maybe I’m not cutting Dallas enough slack.
I haven’t been over there in quite a while, and things may have gotten better.
You may be thinking that will never be possible, but consider this: Remember how hard it was to take your computer to the bathroom with you in the 90s? You never thought that would get better either.
So I’ve decided that if I’m going to make comparisons between the two cities, I ought to give Dallas a fighting chance.
I’m not going to compare apples to apples, because every one of our apples is better. Therefore, I’m putting some our apples up against whatever they got.
Here goes.
Javier’s Vs. TCU Football:
Javier’s is a famous Dallas Restaurant, and just like TCU football games, every year it gets harder to reserve a seat. Its specialty dish is Filete Cantinflas, occasionally served in a bed of rice with black beans.
TCU’s specialty dish is its 4-2-5 defense, occasionally served in a Rose Bowl with 120,000 fans. It’s close, but the nod goes to TCU. (It’s easier to find a parking spot.)
Advantage: Fort Worth
Heywood provides commentary on TXA 21 News: First In Prime between 7-9 p.m. on Thursdays. All complaints can be directed to Heywood1111@ gmail.com.
The Dallas City Council Vs. The Kimbell Art Museum: The Dallas City Council is sometimes like very expensive artwork. It hangs around in a big room all day and never really does anything. When a piece of art is no longer needed, the Kimbell takes it down and puts it away.
Actually, that’s very much like a former Dallas City Council member. In 2010, following his conviction for corruption, Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill was taken down and put away. For about 18 years.
Advantage: Fort Worth
Camp Bowie Boulevard Vs. The Dallas Cowboys: Driving on Camp Bowie is like a typical Dallas Cowboys’ football season.
It’s always bumpy, and occasionally there’s a blowout. And right when you think they both have everything in place, sure enough, something always pops up.
However, the winner is Camp Bowie.
Love it or hate it, it will always remain in Fort Worth. It would never re-locate to Irving or Arlington.
Advantage: Fort Worth
Joe T. Garcia’s Vs. Dallas Fair Park: Every year, thousands of people visit each of these places.
They come to Joe T.’s for parties, the Mexican food and especially, the margaritas. Visitors come to Fair Park for the state fair, the Texas-OU game and the chicken fried everything.
Truth is, both places offer a unique experience. But the tip of the hat goes to Joe T. Garcia’s. Why? Because when you finally leave, your car is generally where you left it.
Advantage: Fort Worth
The Cowtown Marathon Vs. The Dallas Mayoral Race: Both of these events take place on a regular schedule, and they have two things in common: Approximately the same number of people enter each contest; and A different person always wins. The big difference is that after the Dallas mayor’s race, everybody’s still in bad shape.
Advantage: Fort Worth
Sorry, Dallas. Doggone it, I tried.
illustration by Charles Marsh
A whimsical approach to motherhood / by Shauna Glenn
The Season of Giving
How to properly train your children: A Christmas Story.
MY k IDS SEEM NE r VOUS T h E LAST DAYS
BEFO r E Chr ISTMAS MO r NING . They pace in front of the tree. They pick up packages to check the name tags. They wince a wee tiny bit when they see me. And they probably should.
It has a lot to do with what happened five years ago.
But before I tell you exactly what went down, you need to know a few things about me.
Christmas – in my opinion – is the ultimate display of one’s love for another person. Me? Well, I listen to the people I’m closest to. If, say, my mom points out that she loves a particular author or artist, I try and find something special or unique or remotely involving said adored author/artist/clown/football player/superhero. Because:
A. I love making people happy. And,
B. Making people happy is a selfish act in which I am fulfilled with the notion that I am special and/or on the very pedestal I deserve.
Since I’ve been a mother, I’ve tried to teach the kids that when you care about someone, he (or she) should never be an after-thought. It’s never about how much the gift costs. I mean the gift could be homemade, even just a card. It’s about the thought. Truly.
When I shop for my kids and for my family and friends, I try to keep these things in mind. It’s the reason I’ve never given my grandmother something risqué.
So. Five years ago.
I was pregnant with my son, and my three girls were much younger – 11, 10 and 3.
They asked my mom to take them shopping for me. She picked them up and took them to the mall. Christmas shopping for Mommy? Complete.
Christmas morning, we sat around the tree, and the kids excitedly opened all their many gifts. After half an hour or so, my then 10-year-old said, “Mommy, why don’t you open your presents?”
I looked around and under the tree. There was nothing left to open. I said as much.
The girls looked at each other and then at me and then again at each other.
Shauna Glenn of Fort Worth, mother of four, can be contacted at shaunarglenn@gmail.
com. Her second novel, relative Insanity, is available in bookstores now.
by Jen
The 11-year-old pointed at the 10-yearold. “You got them out of Nana’s car, right?”
The 10-year-old was horrified. “No! I thought YOU did.”
Meanwhile, the 3-year-old sat in the
middle of a pile of torn and ripped wrapping paper, eating it.
The older girls continued to argue and scream at each other while I tried desperately not to burst into tears. I had no gifts. From anyone. Not a single card, or foul-smelling candle, or pair of granny panties – two sizes too big and severe in floral design.
I, in my mind, had been an after-thought. I went to a very dark place, very quickly.
I imagined this: They had an obligation. It was called Get Something For Mommy And Do It As Quickly As Possible Because Spongebob Is Coming On. They went to the mall, bought the first thing they found at the first store closest to the EXIT sign (so, knowing the mall as I do, it must have been either a Dallas Cowboys team poster or a pair of reading glasses from the optical store – neither of which I needed), paid for it, jumped back in the car and 4 1/2 minutes later were back home.
Obligation fulfilled, they jumped out of the car, having left my gift in the trunk or on the driveway or in the mall parking lot. In the house, they found the nearest TV and turned to Nickelodeon. Look! We’re just in time for Spongebob!
If I’m not dead-on, I’m close.
So.
While the children frantically searched for my “gift,” I grabbed my cell phone, hid in my closet and called my friend, Cathy. She agreed that my family was indeed a bunch of jerks and that I deserved much better. After 15 minutes or so, fully reassured that I was justified in my martyrdom, I rejoined my still panicking children in the living room.
Still, no gift for Mommy.
A quick phone call to my mom revealed that the shopping bags had somehow managed to find themselves buried under a set of jumper cables in her trunk. Mom offered numerous apologies, but it wasn’t her fault. It was no one’s fault.
I mean I’m sure if I’d forgotten to wrap my family’s gifts and put them under the Christmas tree, they would have been just as forgiving. But that’s never happened. Nor will it. And you can rest assured I’ll never let them forget about how it happened to ME, five years ago.
Dude. I’ve got these yahoos trained now.
And you know what else? My gifts get better every year. Suckers.
Photo
Meyer.
illustration by Charles Marsh
Straightforward advice on anything and everything / by Molly Forthright
Q:EvEry timE i go to CEntral markEt, i am appalled by the way all the moms sit around chatting or drinking wine while they let their children terrorize the playground, wildly hitting other children, screaming and sometimes wandering into the store or parking lot unchecked. What is the best way to approach them? my son wants to play too, and i don’t always want to be the impromptu nanny for all the kids. HElP! —Momrage
A:Sit outside at Central market on almost any nice evening, and you will discover the reason why the store had to post signs all over pillars that read, “Par EntS: it iS yoUr r ESPonSiBility to minD yoUr CHilDr En.” this sign is a bit like the tag on a hairdryer warning users not to operate it in the bathtub. it should be obvious, but there must have been an incident to warrant the warning. you don’t have to tolerate bad behavior from other people’s children. i consider it not only rude, but a blatant disregard for others in a public space meant not only for parents with hordes of children but also couples wanting to relax and enjoy the live music on occasion. my advice would be to ask the child who and where the mother is and then politely approach her and tell her your concerns. if no effort is made to stop the unruly behavior, you could relay your concern to a store manager in hopes that he or she will remedy the situation. you are a paying customer after all.
Q: is anyone else afraid of the new “pork choppers?” only in texas would it be considered sport to shoot feral hogs from helicopters. While i understand the need to control these menaces, how stupid (and dangerous) is it to allow hunters in helicopters to open fire on the hogs below? —Melanie Barnes
A: the real question is, “Does the end justify the means?” according to the texas agrilife Extension Service, the feral hog population in texas is currently around 2.5 million. these animals are invasive and their indiscriminate diets and rapid breeding capacity have made it almost impossible
to stop them from ravaging agricultural crops in texas. they are incredibly aggressive and pose a health threat to humans because of the 13 diseases they are known to carry.
While hunting from helicopters was previously outlawed, the “pork chopper” law makes it easier and more cost effective for landowners to fight texas’ wild hog over-population problem from the air. now if it makes you feel any better, it’s a prerequisite that hunters must take a brief safety course before flying below 50 feet at high speeds firing semi-automatic rifles from helicopters.
Hog helicopter hunting is problematic for a few reasons. For one thing, in my opinion, it’s cruel. these aren’t always clean kills because the hogs often end up being only wounded. a nother issue is that hunters are trapping and releasing these animals into new areas to create hunting grounds, thus dispersing populations to areas they might not have otherwise overtaken.
While it is illegal for hunters to shoot hogs within city limits, i am waiting for a news story about how an obese woman in a brown sweatshirt on some north texas ranch was mistaken for a hog from the air. in the meantime, i will avoid hog territory and keep my eyes to the sky.
illustration by Charles Marsh
Thank you to our Sponsors! KLN Foundation, Moritz Dealerships, Frost, Bates Container Macy’s, Mercedes Benz, Texas Health Resources, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Verizon, Pier 1 Imports, TXU, Diamonds and Designs, Murray Media, Hutson Creative, Fort Worth, Texas Magazine, The Fort Worth Business Press
2011 Legacy of Women Awards Honorees
Arlington: Shirley Orr
Fort Worth: Deborah Ferguson
Northeast Tarrant County: Cheri Irwin
Business
Arlington: Connie Gauntt
Fort Worth: Patricia Cole
Northeast Tarrant County: Roxann Taylor
Education
Arlington: Judy Leflore
Fort Worth: Triesha Light
Northeast Tarrant County: Shea Stanfield-McGarrah
Health & Human Services
Arlington: Jackie Finch
Fort Worth: Dr. Karen Albritton
Northeast Tarrant County: Jenny Ellis
Volunteerism
Arlington: Laura DiStefano
Fort Worth: Martine Ginsburg & Ginny Richards
Northeast Tarrant County: Karen Parsinen
Chair: Diane Stow, Fort Worth, Texas Magazine
Anna Saunders, Vicky Schoch, Lacy Sperry, Barbara Thompson, Ginny Tigue, Carolyn Watson, Winnie Wayne. Brook Whitworth. Renova Williams Arts
Keynote: Tanya Brown, youngest sister of the late Nicole Brown Simpson
Committee: Doreen Bruner, Katie Carruth, Diana Cobb, Traci Cook-Lee, Nancy Eubank, Elizabeth Falconer, Harriet Harral, Debbie Hyde, Marion Knight
Sydney Leonard, Stephanie Levine, Irma McAfee
Ashley Mooring, Karen Parsinen, Paige Pate
Mary Phillips, Elizabeth Ray, Mikell Rowley
For information about SafeHaven, domestic violence or what you can do to help, visit www.safehaventc.org or call 1-877-701-SAFE (7233). Thanks also to:
anchorsouttakes
behind the scenes at cbs11 and txa21
Jay Gormley
CBS 11/TXA 21 news
reporter
Telling stories. As A t V journA list for CBs 11, th At’s BAsiCA lly wh At i do. i tell stories. if the story is not compelling or lacks passion, then i have not done my job correctly. if i can draw you in as a viewer, or better yet, if i can inspire you to get involved, then there is no greater satisfaction.
i love my job, but it has certain boundaries – important, necessary boundaries to be sure, but nevertheless, they impose some creative limitations. As journalists, we are obligated to uphold the truth. it’s our basic responsibility to report the facts, get both sides of the issue and then let the viewers come to their own conclusions.
But what if i had no limitations? w hat if i could create stories in my own mind with twists and turns that take the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster? i am fortunate enough to have that opportunity in my labor of love: filmmaking. in filmmaking, all bets are off. i can create tales from my own imagination with no boundaries and no limitations. in 2001, i began writing screenplays. i truly don’t know why. i wasn’t sure exactly what i would do with the scripts, nor did i have any idea how to sell or turn a screenplay into a movie. i simply wrote them because i enjoy telling stories.
A year later, i realized i had to do more than just write. After all, i’m a t V journalist, and seeing words turn into pictures is the natural progression of my industry.
truth be told, my first short film was simply awful. i mean it was terrible. i would use a more colorful word, but let’s keep this article “rated g.” in my defense, i didn’t go to film school, nor did i read any books on how to make a film. i’m the kind of person who doesn’t read the instructions. i just empty the box and start putting parts together. if i get it wrong, i take it apart and do it again and again… and again. yeah, i know. not very bright, jay. w hat can i say?
i assumed that since i create news stories nearly every night, making movies would essentially involve the same mechanics. long story short, i was wrong.
My second short film was average at best. it was basically a glorified music video. i think i did it to wash the bad taste from my mouth left from my first film.
they say the third time is a charm, and for me, it was, sort of. it didn’t stink, and that was a major step in the right direction. since then, i’ve co-written and directed three more short films and served as an assistant director on a feature film.
My latest project to be released in early 2012 is called Odds or Evens, about a star athlete down on his luck until a bizarre accident offers him a second chance. in his search for redemption, he makes one discovery too many. this film was a new and exciting venture because for the first time, i collaborated with a real studio (ludus studios here in north texas), and i got to work with some very talented actors with impressive resumes. the film stars fort worth’s Charles Baker. fans of the t V show Breaking Bad will recognize Charles as “skinny Pete,” who has become a regular on the AMC emmy-Award winning show. Charles also had a key role in hBo’s Temple Grandin and is co-starring in acclaimed director terrence Malick’s new film to be released in 2012.
lydia Mackay is the lead female actor in Odds or Evens Anyone who frequents the theater in north texas has likely seen lydia’s great talent. she was named the Dallas Observer’s best local actress in 2008 and has a significant role in the upcoming feature film The Playroom. working with these talented artists has truly been a thrill, and the project exceeded my wildest expectations. i guess i just had to keep taking the parts out of the box and reassembling them until i got it right. telling stories is a privilege. for 22 years, i’ve had that privilege as a t V reporter. i’ve loved every minute of it. As a filmmaker, i get to expand on that. w hat else can a storyteller ask for?
Michael & Shea McGarrah at the annual Legacy of Women luncheon To see more turn to page 102.
snapshots
behind the velvet ropes of our social scene
Steeplechase Ball
Anne Harper, Margaret Harper, Catherine Jennings, Ruth
and Darragh Stripling were the five Steeplechase Debutantes presented to society at the 95th Annual Ball on Oct. 29. Guests enjoyed great music and food late into the evening.
Knouse
photography by Sandy Tomlinson
Cowtown Christmas
Christmas in Cowtown Preview cocktail party was held at Will Rogers. Guest enjoyed heavy hors d’oeuvres from some of the area’s best restaurants while enjoying cocktails. Proceeds from the event benefit the charities of the Junior League of Fort Worth.
Frog Fun
Leap Frog for KinderFrogs was held at the beautiful home of Dan Lowrance. Guests enjoyed cocktails, a gourmet dinner on the terrace and a live auction.
Break on Through
Breakthrough to the Glory Days benefiting the Panther Club in support of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth was held on the patio of Joe T. Garcia’s. It was a night of dinner and dancing reminiscent of the glory days of high school. Guests enjoyed music provided by Josh Weathers and The True Endeavors while bidding on auction items and enjoying an open beer bar.
(1) Hillary & Brent Shellhorse (2) Kalee Lancarte, Julia Hanners, Jordan Burton
(1) Scott & Debbie Horton (2) Don Wheeler, Marilyn Tolbert, Dennis Alexander (3) Michelle Hancock, Dan Lawrance (4) Victor & Megan Boschini
Wined and Dined
a festive evening featuring fine wines,
cuisine and an expansive silent auction.
Universal Health Resources presented the Butterfly Banquet and Silent Auction at Colonial Country Club. Suzie Humphries was the featured speaker for the evening. Proceeds help enhance the lives of hospice and home care patients and their families.
Joyful Evening
Cancer Care Services celebrated Joy of Life with fine food, wine, music and friends at Ridglea Country Club. There were live and silent auctions, along with entertainment by Ricki Derek and the Vegas Six. Hal Brown was the event chair and Diane Stow was the “Face of Joy.”
(1) Lei & Frank Testa (2) Diane Stow, Joan Ford, Carolyn Watson (3) Eric & Michele Hahnfeld, Matt Blevins (4) Bill & Janeen Lamkin
(1) Peggy & Ray Clark (2) Jon Glover, Suzie Humphries
Fetê du Vin 2011 wine dinner and auction was held at the Fort Worth Club. Guest enjoyed
haute
(1) Regan Haggerty, Corrie Donovan
(2) Sara & Sy Sohmer (3) Scottie & Harry Bartel, Linda Watts
Leaving a Legacy
The annual Legacy of Women luncheon honored women from Fort Worth, Arlington and Northeast Tarrant County in the field of art, business, education, health and human services and volunteerism. Tanya Brown, youngest sister of the late Nicole Brown Simpson, was the keynote speaker. Guests enjoyed an expansive silent auction and gourmet luncheon.
Debutantes’ Debut
The Steeplechase Club of Fort Worth presented the 95th Annual Ball at Ridglea Country Club on Oct. 29. Five debutants were presented to society. The Red Young Orchestra featuring Johnny Reno and Haute Chili provided entertainment. A breakfast buffet was served later in the evening.
In the Bag
The Joan Katz Breast Center event, Beyond the Bag, benefiting women with breast and gynecologic cancer took place at Chesapeake Plaza. Rosie and Mike Moncrief were the honorary chairs.
(1) Joan & Howard Katz (2) Teresa & Steve Newton (3) Barbara & Mike McMahon
(1) Deborah Ferguson, Ramona Logan (2) Mary Kathryn Anderson, Susan Medina (3) Barbara Thompson, Brenda Dietrick
Texas’ largest group of estate planning attorneys offering intelligent solutions to save taxes and protect assets. Ten board-certified attorneys and seven attorney/CPAs exclusively devoted to estate planning, tax, probate, tax controversy, asset protection, closely-held business planning and tax-exempt organizations.
Standing left to right: Laurel Stephenson John Hunter Rachel Saltsman Laura Bower-Haley Gary Post Len Woodard Amy Ott Steve Novak Catherine Moon Daniel McCarthy Seated left to right: Amanda Holliday Kent McMahan Kerri Griffin Christine Wakeman Marvin Blum Kandice Killion
The Standard of Excellence
The attorneys of Kelly Hart & Hallman seek the same standard of excellence achieved by Bass Performance Hall. We proudly salute the Kelly Hart attorneys recognized in Fort Worth, Texas magazine’s Top Attorneys.
Top
Attorneys 2011
The number of attorneys is almost as vast as their areas of concentration. To help you learn more about the legal arena and its players, we asked area attorneys to name the best lawyers in selected fields. In their collective opinion, these are Tarrant County’s Top Attorneys.
Solon • In Corneola
Top Attorneys 2011
administrative Issues regarding the body of rules, regulations, orders and decisions created by administrative agencies of government.
Ann Diamond
Warren H. Gould
Sadie Harrison-Fincher
alternative dispute resolution
Practice of resolving legal disputes through mediation, collaborative law, arbitration or other nonlitigation methods.
Edwin Bell
John Allen Chalk
Kight Higgins
John Hughes
Roland Johnson
Beth Krugler
Alan Maples
Wade McMullen
David Seidler
Len Wade
appellate
Issues regarding appeals of a lower court’s ruling.
Marianne Auld
Russell Barton
Dabney Bassel
David F. Farris
Donald Ferrill
Chad Fillmore
Randy Hall
Steve Hayes
David F. Johnson
David Keltner
Jeff Kobs
Thomas Michel
Chris Nickelson
David Pratt
Karen Precella
Brittani Rollen
Brent Shellhorse
Andrew Sims
Joe Spence
Matt Stayton
Steve Tatum
banking Issues regarding state and federal statutes on bank regulations.
Reed Artim
Bill Brackett
Charles Curry
Jay Garrett
Veronica Law
Bruce McGee
Nicholas Pappas
Sierra Quinonez
Dennis Swift
Dan Sykes
Wally Tate
James Webb
bankruptcy Issues regarding the rights and responsibilities of debtors and creditors in bankruptcy proceedings.
Alice Bower
Ethan Cartwright
Carey Ebert
Robert Forshey
Jim Ince
Ted Machi
Michael McBride
Michael McConnell
St. Clair Newbern III
Ian Peck
John Penn
Steve Pezanosky
Jeff P. Prostok
John Saitis
Robert Simon
Patrick D. West
business/commercial
litigation
Issues regarding the formation and financing of business or commercial enterprises.
Robyn Accipiter
Amber Altemose
Greg Barberee
John Broude
John Allen Chalk
Craig Crockett
Russell Devenport
Mark Dugan
Carter Ferguson
Michael Forman
Zach Garsek
Earl Harcrow
Albon Head
Brandon Hill
Justin Hoover
Leslie Hunt
Dee Kelly
Jeff Kinsel
Patricia LaRue
Stephen Litke
John Lively
Michael Newman
H. Allen Pennington
Ryan Scharar
Rick Sorenson
Paul Vitanza
William Warren
John R. Wolffarth
G. Leonard Woodard
civil litigation
Disputes that do not fall under more specific categories.
Brooke Allen
Geff Anderson
Michael Anderson
Seth Anderson
Theresa Berend
Grant Blaies
Greg Blaies
Bill Bogle
Rickey Brantley
Bryan Bruner
Jamie Bryan
Kirk Bryant
Zach Burt
Michael Carnahan
John Allen Chalk
Dave Childress
Vincent Circelli
Denise Collins
Hugh Connor
Wesley Cooper
Craig Crockett
Kelly Curnutt
Kelly Decker
Clint Dennis
David Drez
Ralph Duggins
Rebecca Eaton
Walter Fortney
While those noted were picked by their peers, they are not necessarily the top-rated in their field. Many highly regarded professionals do not appear on this list, which could have occurred for many reasons: youthfulness/newness to the area; voting for oneself, partners or colleagues; or a sub-specialty so narrow as to preclude mention. As there are many fields of practice, our survey could not include them all.
By including an attorney in the list, Fort Worth, Texas magazine in no way recommends or endorses his/her service. We desire to provide useful information to supplement what you learn from other sources. If you have a good relationship with an attorney, do not let this cause an unnecessary change. Simply use these results as one part of your search when you find yourself in need of new counsel.
BOLD indicates 10 or more votes. BOLD names are listed in descending order according to number of votes.
David
Founded by Judge Jesse Brown, this premiere civil litigation firm specializes in solving its clients’ problems in aviation, business, commercial, condemnation, construction, railroad and insurance defense/subrogation cases. During its 89 years of legal practice in downtown Fort Worth, the firm has been rated “AV”, the highest rating possible by the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, and its offices have been located on the second floor of the historic Fort Worth Club Building since 1959. Attorneys from the firm have been represented in the Fort Worth, Texas “Top Attorneys” issues from 2002 to the present, and have been voted by their peers for other national, state and local awards, including the American College of Trial Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, Texas SuperLawyers and Rising Stars, Attorneys of Excellence, and the Blackstone Award from the Tarrant County Bar
Association.
Front row left to right: John W. Proctor, Beale Dean, James T. Blanton, Richard W. Wiseman
Back row left to right: Adam L. Plumbley, Sterling J. Elza, Lynn M. Alexander, Robert K. Piwetz, Vince Cruz, Jr., Michael L. Peck, John W. Proctor, Jr., John C. Hart, Larry W. Wilshire, Jennifer L. Willingham, and Jason C. Moon.
Not pictured: Stephen C. Howell, Bruce H. Rogers, David W. Chant, Brooke Ulrickson Allen, and Sheryl S. Norman
Top Attorneys 2011
Walker Friedman
Terry Gardner
David Garza
Paul Goetz
Kristin Good
Pete Greenhaw
Chris Greer
Doug Hafer
Alyson Halpern
Trey Harlin
Alex Harrell
Albon Head
Wes Hightower
Ed Huddleston
Leslie Hunt
Brandon Hurley
Bruce James
William Jenkins
Roland Johnson
Jeffrey Kaitcer
Lynn Kelly
Dee Kelly
James Key
Koy Killen
Jared King
Jeff King
Bill Kirkman
Kern Lewis
John Lively
Matthew Lopez
Cade Lovelace
Jennifer Lovelace
Brant Martin
Steve Maxwell
Hunter McLean
Brett F. Miller
Derek Montgomery
Aaron Moses
Preston Mundt
Marcus Mungioli
Rob Myers
Dan O‘Brien
John C. Piland
John Polzer
Joe Regan
Jerrod Rinehart
Brittani Rollen
Bronwyn Scharar
Michael Schneiderman
Marshall Searcy
Chip Searcy
Logan Simmons
Andrew Sims
Chris Stoy
Mack Ed Swindle
Philip Vickers
Paul J. Vitanza
Tennessee Walker
Bill Warren
Thomas J. Williams
Jennifer Willingham
George Parker Young
construction
Issues regarding matters with contractors, surety, landowners and government agencies dealing with construction disputes or litigation.
Robyn Accipiter
Dale Butler
Ed Cox
Randal Dean
Richard DeBerry
Christian Ellis
Marc Epstein
Stephen Harrison
Mark D. Hatten
Wes Maness
Hunter McLean
Michael MacQuaid
Frank Newman
Stephen Polozola
Don Pratt
Brad Rice
Henry Steck
Joe Tolbert
Ross Vitek
Richard Wiseman
Steve Yungblut
consumer
Issues regarding regulations within the consumer marketplace, including (but not limited to) warranties, credit cards and e-commerce.
Charles Hamm
Barry Hasten
Jerry Jarzombek
Michael Johnson
John Wolffarth
corporate finance/ mergers & acquisitions
Issues regarding transactional law dealing with agreements between two companies that are adjusting their differences by mutual consent.
Reed Artim
Amanda Baker
Brian Barnard
Hurshell Brown
Benton Cantey
David Cook
Sharon Cooper
Charles Florsheim
Bill Greenhill
Sadie Harrison-Fincher
Justin Hoover
Cal Jackson
Kris Landrith
Charles Milliken
Patrick Reardon
Vernon Rew
Andrew Wambsganss
Len Woodard
criminal Issues regarding crimes and their prosecution.
Richard Alpert
James Baker
John Brender
Scott Brown
Charles Burgess
Mimi Coffey
Mark Daniel
Tim Evans
Lance Evans
Curtis Fortinberry
Don Gandy
Steve Gordon
William Harris
Richard Henderson
Bryan Hoeller
Ashley Johnson
Jeff Kearney
Tracie Kenan
Ben Leonard
John Linebarger
Trent Loftin
Gary Medlin
Leon Reed
Jonathan Simpson
Justin Sparks
Jeff Stewart
George Trimber
Benson Varghese
Greg Westfall
Jerry Wood
Reagan Wynn
family law
Issues regarding marriage, divorce, spousal support, adoption or child custody.
Kaye Lynne Boll
Jennifer Caldwell
Mark Childress
Adrienne Clements
David L. Cook
Anita Cutrer
Rachel Dalton
Lori DeAngelis
Kelly Decker
Lauren Duffer
Brenda Ferguson
Stephanie Foster
Nancy Gordon
Vicki Hafer
Tom Hill
Tom D. Hill
Debbie Hinds
Mary Holland
Robert Hoover
Lisa Hoppes
Stephanie Johnson
Tracey Justice
Jeffrey Kaitcer
David E. Kelley
Debbie Kimbriel
Heather King
Steve King
David Kulesz
Stephen Lawrence
Jerry Loftin
Jim Loveless
Karin Mayer
Rachel Moore
Cassie Mullen
Stephen J. Naylor
Gary Nickelson
Barbara Nunneley
mswindle @whitakerchalk.com
ccowley @whitakerchalk.com
cgunter @whitakerchalk.com
rschwartz @whitakerchalk.com
smosher @whitakerchalk.com
Seated left to right: Mack Ed Swindle, Richard “Rocky” L. Schwartz Standing left to right: Clark R. Cowley, Charles G. Gunter, Stephen Mosher
Two members of the Firm have received the Blackstone Award; five have served as president of the Tarrant County Bar Association; several have been selected as “Attorneys of Excellence” by the Fort Worth Business Press ; five have been selected as “Texas Super Lawyers” by Texas Monthly magazine; and one has been elected to Best Lawyers in America. Attorneys pictured: (seated, left to right) William F. McCann*, Jay S. Garrett*, Ed Huddleston*, Robert F. Watson*, Walter S. Fortney*, B. Blake Cox*. (standing, left to right) Dennis R. Swift*, David Littman, A. Burch Waldron III*, James H. Cheatham IV, C. Edward Fowler, Jennifer Covington, Larry Bracken, Greg R. Monroe*, Bethany Huddleston, William H. Blair, Andrew Howell, C. Davis Chapman, Lynn Marie Johnson.
*Named as a Top Attorney by Fort Worth, Texas Magazine for 2011.
Top Attorneys 2011
Richard C. "Dick" Price
Shannon Pritchard
Matt Reik
Laurie Robinson
Mark J. Rosenfield
Andee Russell
Elaine Ryan
Shannon Sears
Jill Setzer
Marilyn Shell
Justin Sisemore
Donna Smiedt
Kate Smith
Lori A. Spearman
Patricia Stanley
Jamie Taylor
Don Teller
Anna K. Teller
Michael Tresidder
Diane Wagner
Sommer Walker
Dana White
Mike Windsor
Stephanie Woodard
intellectual property
Issues regarding securing an idea, patent or trademark of an invention.
Matt Anderson
Brent Bumgardner
Joe Cleveland
Heath Coffman
Clark Cowley
Leslie Darby
David Drez
Charles Gunter
Cheryl Leb
Geoff Mantooth
Stephen Mosher
Hank Reynolds
Richard "Rocky" Schwartz
Jon Suder
Mack Ed Swindle
Brian Yost
labor and employment - employee
Issues regarding workers, their skills and their value within a business.
Richard Griffin
James Griffis
Susan Hutchison
Cynthia Maragoudakis
Becky Mata
Jason Smith
Rod Tanner
labor and employment - employer
Issues concerning the treatment of employees and applicants for employment by employers.
Jennifer Bley
Thomas Brandon
Russell Cawyer
Karen Denney
Rory Divin
Brad Dowell
Janet Hahn
Caroline Harrison
Leslie Hunt
Michael Hutchens
Carolyn Barton Hyman
Gary Ingram
Claudine Jackson
Liane Janovsky
Patrick Maher
Danielle Needham
Lu Pham
Krista Potter
Henry Robinson
Jay Rutherford
Nathan Schattman
Kent Smith
medical malpracticedefense
Issues regarding defending a physician when a patient claims their doctor has not lived up to claims of experience, and injury or loss occurs.
Greg Blaies
Brad Dowell
Henri Dussault
Randy Hall
Emily Hollenbeck
Wes Myers
Jordan Parker
Carol Traylor
Michael Wallach
medical malpracticeplaintiff
Issues regarding helping a client when a physician fails to live up to his/her claims of experience and injury or loss occurs.
Anna Alvarado
Geno Borchardt
Art Brender
Brice Cottongame
Susan Heygood
Darrell Keith
Steven Laird
Randall Moore
moving violations
Issues regarding moving vehicles.
James Lollar
James Mallory
oil & gas
Issues regarding disputes between landowners and energy companies.
Ronnie Blackwell
William G. “Bill” Bredthauer
Brian Bruner
Jamie Bryan
Eric C. Camp
Michael Dawson
Scott Gladden
Bob Grable
Charles Harris
Nathan Hatton
Kyle Hogan
Raymond Kelly
Koy Killen
Jeff King
Tim Malone
Daniel Mathis
Richard McMillan
Aaron Moses
Shayne Moses
Mitch Murphy
Pat Murphy
Elizabeth Murphy
Roger Neely
R. Mark Oliver
Chad Parsons
Taylor Pope
Patrick Reardon
Clark Rucker
Bart Rue
Todd Spake
Quentin Spitzer
Katey Stimek
Bob West
Wilson Woods
Rafael Ylanan
personal injurydefense
Issues regarding defending a client from liability.
Dan Bates
Melinda Burke
Vince Cruz
Laura Docker
Neely Fortinberry
Randy Hall
Greg Hargrove
Trey Harlin
Grant Liser
David Luningham
Stephen Madsen
John Malanga
Matthew McDonald
Bruce Moon
John Proctor
Christopher Pruitt
Bronwyn Scharar
Jennifer Willingham
personal injuryplaintiff
Issues pertaining to proving a defendant is liable for the plaintiff’s injuries and responsible for monetary damages.
Seth Anderson
Lou Barkholtz
George Boll
Geno Borchardt
Wade Borrow
Rickey Brantley
Kevin Byrne
John Cummings
Gil Daley
Dwain Dent
Cary Dorman
Preston Dugas
Greg Fitzgerald
Mark Haney
COME OUT AT NIGHT
OF TEXAS DEEP IN THE HEART AND JOIN THE FIGHT
the American Heart Association presents
MEDIA
PARTNERS
Fort Worth Texas Magazine, Concussion, KLUV, KJKK, KVIL
FEATURING CHAIRS
Paige & Neil Randel
Proud to call Fort Worth, Texas home.
Left to Right Sitting: Eric C. Freeby, James E. Griffis, William B. Peterson, Susan I. Paquet, C. Harold Brown, Shannon E. Boyd, Cory A. Boggess and R. Mark Oliver
Left to Right Standing: Randal L. Dean, Andrew L. Wambsganss, Misty M. Pratt, Michael J. Moore, Sarah G. Powers, Christopher J. Pruitt, Michael L. Forman, Michael S. Maxvill, Adrienne M. Makens, Vanessa M. Kelley and Donald A. Ferrill
Top Attorneys 2011
Robert Haslam
Andrew Hawkins
Michael Henry
Susan Heygood
Greg Jackson
John Jose
Steven Laird
J. Kent McAfee
Mike McGartland
Alfred Pandolfi
Brad Parker
Scott Richard
Fred Streck
Jason Stephens
Rocky Walton
Richard Ward
Patrick Woodson
probate, estates, trusts
Issues regarding distribution or management of an estate while the client is alive or after his/ her death and determining the authenticity of a last will and testament.
Dave Bakutis
Marvin Blum
G. Thomas Boswell
Michael Bourland
Patricia Cole
Kelly DeBerry
Catherine Goodman
Karen Gordon
Ross Griffith
Chandler Grisham
Kelcie Hibbs
Amanda Holliday
Allan Howeth
John Hunter
Noel Ice
Lisa Jamieson
Roger Jones
Steve Katten
Kevin Kuenzli
Blair Norman
Amy Ott
Henry Paup
Gary Post
Matt Ribitzki
Rachel Saltsman
Joel Sawyer
Marilyn Shell
Melinda Watts Smith
Dee Steer
Aimee Stone
Rice Tilley Jr.
Rick Weaver
product liability
Issues regarding actions against a manufacturer that sells a defective product, which results in injury to the buyer or user.
Preston Dugas
J. Patrick Gallagher
John Jose
Michael McGartland
Brad Parker
professional malpractice (nonmedical) - defense
Issues regarding defending a professional when an individual claims the professional has not properly performed the duties of the profession.
Denise Collins
Monika Cooper
Blake Cox
Kleber Miller
Marshall Searcy
professional malpractice (nonmedical) - plaintiff
Issues regarding helping a client when a professional fails to properly perform the duties of the profession and injury or loss occurs.
Geno Borchardt
Darrell Keith
Randall Moore
real estate
Issues regarding topics concerning the purchase and sale of land, including contracts, deeds, title of insurance and other property rights.
Ken Adair
Amanda Baker
Carol Bracken
Brett Evans
Noelle Garsek
Robert Ginsburg
Susan Halsey
Blake Hedgecock
Alan Hegi
Joel Heydenburk
Brandon Hill
Justin Huston
Chad Key
Jared King
Andrew Lombardi
Roland Love
Bill McCann
Travis McNellie
Charles Miller
William Miller
Sharon Millians
Greg Monroe
Russell Norment
Heather Raiden
Jeff Rattikin
Scott Settle
Rick G. Sorenson
Kenneth Stogdill
Dan Sykes
A. Burch Waldron
William M Warren
Robert G. West
Dan White
tax
Issues regarding assisting clients through the regulations that authorize the collection of income, gift, estate, inheritance and business taxes.
Gordon Appleman
Marvin Blum
James Creel
Chester Grudzinski
Thomas Hegi
John Hunter
Brandon Jones
Kevin D. Kuenzli
Dan McCarthy
Phillip McCrury
Dan Penner
Gerald Perry
William Peterson
Bill Ratliff
James Stripling
David Tracy
G. Leonard Woodard
OTHER PRACTICES
communications
Judd Pritchard
corporate counsel
Steve Cone
Andrea Cottrell
Elizabeth Murphy
Hugh Simpson
Craig Woodcock
education/school law
Ben Barlow
Jodi Bender
Janet Bubert
elder law
Monica Benson
Charles Kennedy
entertainment law
Chip Searcy
hospital law
Bret Tate
municipal law
Jenny Gravley
Fritz Quast
non-profit organizations
Dana Stayton
public interest
John Shaw
securities
Bob Watson
John Fahy
Patrick Reardon
Wayne Whitaker
Justin J. Sisemore and Mark Childress have been recognized by their peers as 2011 “Top Young Lawyers in Texas” and “Top Attorneys” in Family Law in Texas Monthly Magazine and Fort Worth, Texas Magazine. Justin J. Sisemore was also selected by honorable Judge William Harris to sit on the Advisory Committee for the 233rd Judicial District Court. Our law firm has assisted various business and commercial litigation law firms in the DFW area with their client’s family law needs. We truly appreciate your business and promise to act aggressively to assist every client in making the difficult decisions in complex property division and child custody disputes.
TRADITION
A Century-old Legacy of Service to Clients and Community. Decker Jones. Consistently ranked among Tarrant County’s Best. Fort Worth, Texas magazine’s annual Top Attorney issue
Presbyterian NightShelter wishes to thank the following individuals and corporations for making the 2011 Christmas Gala a success.
Edie Boswell
Megan Buster
Elizabeth Carlock
Blair Chappell
Kim Chaumont
Alexandra Cummins
Elizabeth Deegan
Vicki Devine
Stacy DeWitt
Michele Hahnfeld
Meredyth Haller
Sarah Hargrove
Caroline Harper
Janie Harper
Yvonne Harrison
Gretchen Hiley
Priscilla Hiley
Katy Hobbs
Sandy Hollander
Emily Jones
B.J. Lacasse
Laura Ladner
Janeen Lamkin
Susan Leach
Michelle Lunday
Sarah Meek
Mary Beth Millett
TABLE SPONSORS
Platinum
Kathy Parr
Caren Parten
Roby Penn
Pam Pigman
Lacye Ratliff
Jere Robertson
Amy Ryan
Sumer Searcy
Denise Simpson
Helen Irwin Littauer Educational Trust – Bank of America, Trustee
Gold
Fort Worth, Texas – The City’s Magazine
Anne & John Marion
Laura & Dale Ladner / Janeen & Bill Lamkin
Dan Lowrance
Community Trust Bank
Debbie & Albon Head
Katy & Sam Hobbs
Ross Longeway
Mary Catherine & Chad Parsons
Titanium
Jere Robertson
Linda & Clark Smith
Bronze
Kathy & John Murphey
Shelby Schafer
Copper
Nancy Ramsay
Suzy & Ray Rhodes
Roz Rosenthal
Cathy & Jim H. Smith
St. Stephen Presbyterian Church
Silver
Mary & Dick Lowe
Patsy & Bill Zimmerman
Virginia Smith
Kate Taylor
Leigh Taylor
Laurie Turner
Lisa Waldron
Rachel Werner
Eloise Williams
Aubra Wilson
Teresa Yeargins
Kathryn Schutts
Cantey Hanger LLP
Virginia Smith
Jane & Dan Sykes
University Baptist Church
Lisa & Burch Waldron
Aubra & Stephen Wilson/Sumer & J Searcy
Wortham Insurance & Risk Management
Event Chairs
Suzy Thompson Rhodes
Heidi Schutts
LAWYERS WORTH KNOWING
They stand by us through some of life’s more memorable moments. They guide us through everything from an adoption to starting a company. They are some of Greater Fort Worth’s brightest, most-sought-after professionals, and they want to tell you how hiring them will benefit you.
The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth, Texas magazine.
port folio
portfolio Lawyers Worth Knowing
Law Office of Gary L. Nickelson
Gary L. Nickelson
Chris Nickelson
Norma A. Bazán
INNOVATIONS: The firm is uniquely qualified to handle the most complicated matrimonial cases in the trial or appellate courts throughout Texas. Chris is board certified in Civil Appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. This adds a fresh perspective in resolving complicated litigation. Norma is an associate attorney who is also fluent in Spanish with an extensive background in family law. CERTIFICATION: Gary is board certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Chris is board certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Specialization.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: Gary has been the chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, president of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; both the Texas Chapter and national organization. He is also a diplomate in The American College of Family Trial Lawyers. This membership is by invitation only and limited to 100 attorneys nationwide. Chris is past president of the Tarrant County Bar Association, Appellate Section and currently on the Family Law Council of the State Bar of Texas’ Family Law Section. Both are frequently authors and lecturers for the State Bar of Texas and other organizations. Norma is a member of the local and state Family Law Sections and a
board member of the Tarrant County Family Bar Association, as well as a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas and a co-author on articles for family law seminars. HONORS: Gary holds many prestigious awards and has been named a “Texas Super Lawyer,” a Thomson Reuters business, as published in Texas Monthly magazine since the program began in 2003. Chris has been designated as a “Rising Star,” a Thomson Reuters business, in their Super Lawyer issue as published in Texas Monthly since 2004. EXPERIENCE: Gary has handled family law cases exclusively for 30 years. He is dedicated and has the experience to handle any and all family law cases throughout Texas. Chris, a 12-year attorney, clerked in El Paso Court of Appeals, appeared as an attorney in many of the appellate courts in Texas and is an accomplished family law attorney. Norma has experience in family law as a legal assistant, court coordinator in Tarrant County and now as a family law attorney.
portfolio Lawyers Worth Knowing
Litigation Attorneys From Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz, PLLC
“Top Attorneys 2011” as selected by their peers
LITIGATION PRACTICE AREAS: Whitaker Chalk’s litigation attorneys litigate and arbitrate in the fields of intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair competition and restrictive covenants), commercial transactions and disputes, banking, real estate, personal injury, corporate law (public and private companies), employment, insurance, health care, securities, oil and gas, energy and many other specific disciplines set out on the Web site located at whitakerchalk.com/index.html. APPROACH TO LAW: Whitaker Chalk’s litigation attorneys are experienced, knowledgeable, aggressive and creative in handling disputes in the courthouse and in advising clients in alternative, proactive ways to resolve or avoid disputes so they can focus on the real business of business. HONORS: Whitaker Chalk is peer rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell (it’s the highest rating for professional excellence), and its attorneys individually are highly rated, several rated AV: Preeminent™.Whitaker Chalk attorneys have
also been honored by receiving the designations, “Texas Super Lawyer,” “Top Attorney,” “Power Lawyer” and “Attorney of Excellence.” PICTURED: (standing, left to right) Dave Childress, Hunter McClean, Kirk Bryant, Mack Ed Swindle, Sadie Harrison-Fincher, Michael Hutchens. (seated, left to right)Rebecca Eaton, Bruce James, Amber Altemose, Tom Brandon. (not pictured) John Allen Chalk, Sr.
portfolio Lawyers Worth Knowing
Winstead PC
SPECIALTY: Corporate and Securities, Financial Services, Energy, Real Estate, Commercial Litigation, Appellate, Taxation, Closely Held Entities, and Estate Planning and Probate. AWARDS/ HONORS: Ranked in Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers, Texas Rising Stars, Fort Worth Business Press ( FWBP ) Tarrant County Attorneys of Excellence, FWBP 40 Under 40, FWBP Power Attorneys, Texas Land Title Association Professional Excellence Award, Texas Land Title President’s Award, Texas Bar Foundation Outstanding Law Review Article Award, Dallas InterVolunteer of the Year. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: American Bar Association; State Bar of Texas; Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Court; Tarrant County Bar Association; Denton County
Bar Association; College of the State Bar of Texas; Counsel of Appellate Lawyers; Texas Bar Foundation; Eldon B. Mahon Chapter of the American Inns of Court; Texas Land Title Association; Texas Land Title Institute; Texas Real Estate Commission; The 500, Inc.; Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council; Fort Worth CREW; The Real Estate Council; Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association; Vision Fort Worth, Modern – Contemporaries; Oil and Gas Section, Professional Development Institute, University of North Texas; Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Winstead made the decision to open an office in Fort Worth in 2000 to serve existing Fort Worth clients and expand in the market. Since opening, Winstead’s Fort Worth office has maintained a consistent number of attorneys.
In 2011, Winstead more than doubled the size of the Fort Worth office from six attorneys to 15. This growth was the result of a targeted strategy to hire attorneys with experience in several key areas that are both strengths of Winstead and the Fort Worth business community: financial services, real estate and energy. Winstead’s Fort Worth office has grown from a combination of lateral hiring and repositioning current attorneys with strong connections to the city. PROFESSIONAL APPROACH: We are more than just your attorneys. Our knowledge of your business and industry makes us an extension of your core business team. We are practical, roll-up-our-sleeves lawyers committed to using our broad legal experience to relentlessly pursue innovative solutions on your terms. FREE ADVICE: Investing in
Reed Artim, Koy Killen, Sierra
to
sound legal advice at the beginning of a project goes a long way in reducing risk and ensuring success. PICTURED: (back row, left to right) Mitchell Murphy, Joe Regan, Dale Butler, Jennifer
Justin
CONTACT INFORMATION: 1100 Carter Burgess Plaza
winstead.com
Lovelace,
Quinonez, Scott Gladden. (front row, left
right)
Hoover, Noelle Garsek, Tommy Boswell, Jeff King, Jamie Bryan, David Johnson, (not pictured) Roland Love.
Fort Worth, Texas: The City’s
Bakutis, McCully & Sawyer, P.C.
CONCENTRATION: Estate Planning, probate litigation, estate administration and guardianships. SPECIALTIES: Bakutis - Probate litigation. McCully - Probate, Guardianship, Estate Planning. Sawyer – Estate Planning, Probate, Taxes. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 30 years. EDUCATION: Bakutis - J.D., Texas Tech. McCully - J.D., SMU. Sawyer - J.D., Baylor; LL.M. (Taxation), NYU. Wiist - J.D., Baylor. Ravsten - J.D., St. Mary’s, LL.M. (Taxation) SMU. Hampton – J.D., Baylor. ACTIVITIES: Bakutis - Tarrant County Probate Bar (past president), frequent legal speaker/author. McCully - Tarrant County Probate Bar (past president), frequent legal speaker/author, Livingstone University Partners, Board Member. Sawyer - Chair, Jewel Charity Ball Men’s Committee, Community Foundation of North Texas Professional Advisor of the Year 2010. PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: American College of
Trust and Estate Counsel, American Bar Association, The College of the State Bar of Texas, Tarrant County Probate Bar Association, Fort Worth Business and Estate Council, National College of Probate Judges. GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Client satisfaction and loyalty. WHAT SETS THEM APART: “We are a small boutique law firm specializing in estate planning and probate litigation.” PICTURED: (standing left to right) David C. Bakutis, W. Michael Wiist, Joel T. Sawyer and James Ravsten. (seated left to right) Beth Hampton, R. Dyann McCully.
CONTACT INFORMATION: lawbms.com
Lawyers Worth Knowing portfolio
Kaye Lynne Boll
Law Office of Kaye Lynne Boll & Associates
PRACTICE AREA: Boll has chosen to limit her practice exclusively to family law matters including divorce, custody, property division, child support, visitation and adoption. She offers her clients a full spectrum of legal services to meet their specific family law needs, which may involve litigation, mediation, arbitration or collaborative law. WHAT SETS HER APART: Boll is a litigator and mediator who has practiced family law exclusively more than 19 years in Tarrant County. Boll has served as president, officer and director of the Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association. She has significant experience in family law and knowledge of the courts, judges and their policies. Her firm treats each client with respect and in a holistic manner to effectively meet that client’s individual needs and prepare them for the future. MEDIATION SERVICES: Recognizing the tough economic times, Boll has extended her mediation services to
unrepresented individuals seeking to save attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation. FREE ADVICE: If you have to litigate, experience matters. You should always hire a family law attorney that specifically practices before the courts and judges in the county in which your case will be filed. Family law is complex. To protect your children, your property and yourself, it is not enough to simply go online and access child support calculators and legal forms. An experienced family law attorney is crucial.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
8613 Mid-Cities Blvd., Ste. 300 North Richland Hills, Texas 76182
817.354.5454
bollfamilylaw.com
portfolio Lawyers Worth Knowing
Catherine Borum
SPECIALTY: Family Law and Civil Litigation. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin; J.D. from Texas Wesleyan University. AWARDS/HONORS: Received the Texas Wesleyan Award for Academic Excellence; Member of legal honors fraternity; Member of Mahon Inn of Court. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Appointed to the State Bar of Texas Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect; appointed Chair of State Bar Awareness sub-committee; board member for the Women Attorney’s Section of the Tarrant County Bar Association; member of the Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association, Family Law and Litigation Sections of the American Bar Association and Family Law and Litigation Sections of the Texas State Bar. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: The mission of Borum Law Firm is to provide unparalleled legal services with integrity, efficiency and the highest level of
confidentiality to our clients. COMMITMENT: Borum Law Firm is committed to finding legal resolution in the most challenging cases when stakes are high and outcomes are critical. With your valued input, the firm will work amicably to resolve issues or will fight aggressively when needed to protect your rights in the courtroom. Borum Law Firm will lead you through the legal system fully informed and protect you every step of the way.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Borum Law Firm, P.L.L.C.
cborum@BorumLawFirm.com BorumLawFirm.com
Lawyers Worth Knowing portfolio
Rickey Brantley
SPECIALTY/EXPERIENCE: Rickey Brantley has been successful in helping individuals and businesses obtain justice for more than 25 years. He understands when someone hires a lawyer, they are looking for an advocate that can be trusted to solve a serious problem.A veteran of more than 100 trials and many significant jury verdicts and settlements, Brantley has helped his clients resolve both serious injury and complex business disputes. HONORS: Brantley’s successful record is evident both in the compensation awarded to his clients and the recognition the legal community has given his efforts, bestowing on him their top honors, including the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Best Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers and Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Brantley serves on the Board of the Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County, which has been serving the homeless in Fort Worth and Tarrant County for more than 120 years. He has served asa Board member of the Methodist Justice Ministry.For the past three years, he has mentored at East Handley Elementary School in Fort Worth and is a supporter of the Paschal High School Booster Club.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
rickeybrantley.com
rickey@rickeybrantley.com
portfolio Lawyers Worth Knowing
Art Brender
Law Offices of Art Brender
AREAS OF PRACTICE: Personal injury, product liability, employment discrimination and class actions. SPECIALIZATION/ EDUCATION: Art Brender - B.A. and J.D., University of Texas; Board Certified, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Personal Injury Trial Law and Criminal Law; National Board of Trial Advocates. Jason C.N. Smith - B.A., St. Mary’s; J.D., Texas Tech University; Board Certified, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Appellate Law. Zoe Courtney - B.A., Randolph-Macon Woman’s College; J.D., St. Mary’s. GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Winning two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, a landmark civil rights decision, Watson v. Fort Worth Bank & Trust and Trevino v. Texas (equal protection) and obtaining a nationwide class action settlement involving E-Ferol, a drug administered to premature infants without testing or FDA approval, resulting in more than 42 deaths. DISTINCTIONS: Brender - Lt. (jg), U.S. Navy; Eldon Mahon Inn of Court; American Board of Trial Advocates; NAACP
“Outstanding Service Award;” Texas Monthly – Super Lawyer; TCTLA H.G. Wells Award (2010); Fort Worth Business Press – Power Attorney (2010); Public Justice - Trial Lawyer of the Year finalist (2011). Smith - American Board of Trial Advocates; Eldon Mahon Inn of Court; Pres.Elect, TCTLA; Pres., Labor & Employment Section, TCBA (2004); Texas Monthly – Super Lawyer; Briefing Attorney, Texas Supreme Court. Courtney - Chair, Labor & Employment Section, TCBA; Assistant Texas Attorney General; Mediator. PICTURED: (left to right) Megan GoorPeters, Art Brender, Jason C.N. Smith, Zoe Courtney.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
brenderlawfirm@artbrender.com artbrender.com
Lawyers Worth Knowing portfolio
John Allen Chalk Sr. Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC
FOCUS: The resolution of business disputes through litigation, arbitration and mediation; negotiation and documentation of commercial agreements of all types (domestic and international); and State and Federal regulatory compliance, including State and Federal administrative law hearings and appeals. EDUCATION: Freed-Hardeman College; Tennessee Tech University; University of Texas School of Law. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 38. PROFESSIONAL
MEMBERSHIPS: Tarrant County Bar Association; Texas Bar Association; American Bar Association; District of Columbia Bar Association; American Health Lawyers Association (Member, ADR Task Force); Federal Bar Association; London Court of International Arbitration; Institute of Chartered Arbitrators; among many others. HONORS: Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, London (Fellow and Chartered Arbitrator); Fellow, College of Commercial Arbitrators; Dispute Resolution Services of Tarrant County (Master Mediator); Tarrant County
Bar Foundation (Charter Fellow); Texas Bar Foundation (Sustaining Life Fellow); American Bar Foundation (Sustaining Life Fellow); College of State Bar (Maintaining Member); Credentialed-Advanced by Texas Mediator Credentialing Association; Certified Mediator, International Mediation Institute, the Hague, Netherlands. WHAT SETS HIM
APART: “My clients receive candid evaluations of the issues they bring to me. I put myself in my clients’ situations and give them the responses that I would want from my lawyer.” FREE ADVICE: “Preventing a dispute is less expensive than resolving a dispute.”
CONTACT INFORMATION:
jchalk@whitakerchalk.com
*Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
portfolio Lawyers Worth Knowing
Coen Law Firm, P.C. Stephen C. Coen
CONCENTRATION: Tax representation. Assist clients with IRS and state tax audits, criminal tax investigations and collection workouts. EDUCATION: B.A., University of Texas at Arlington; J.D., Texas Tech School of Law. HONORS: Associate Editor of Texas Tech Law Review; Outstanding Third Year Student Award at Texas Tech Law School; Corpus Juris Secundum Award; Outstanding Achievement Award, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: State Bar of Texas; Tarrant County and Dallas County Bar Associations; Texas Land Title Association. GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Helping clients through difficult tax problems. WHAT SETS THEM
APART: “In addition to providing capable, insightful and determined representation, our clients are treated in a manner that respects them and gets the results they are seeking.”
APPROACH TO LAW: “We hold the law in high regard and find within the law unique solutions and remedies for our clients.”
PHILOSOPHY: Be honest, work hard and treat others with respect. FREE ADVICE: “Be proactive— tax problems don’t solve themselves and usually get worse with time.”
PICTURED: (standing, left to right) Adam Coen, Paralegal; Chris Coen, B.A. Paralegal; and Lottie Coen, Texas Insurance Adjuster (All-Lines) License, Office Manager. (seated) Steve Coen.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Lawyers Worth Knowing portfolio
Mimi Coffey
CONCENTRATION: DWI. EDUCATION/CERTIFICA-
TIONS: Baylor University; Texas Tech School of Law; Board Certified in DWI; Recognized by the NCDD; Received the following training: SFST practitioner, instructor, Intoxilyzer 5000 operator, Borkenstein Technical Supervisor, training in alcohol and drugs (two separate courses), gas chromatography: Axion Analytical Labs (blood testing), DRE classification course. AWARDS/HONORS: Texas Delegate to the NCDD; published three national articles in The Champion, four statewide articles in The Voice and author of Texas DWI Defense PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: NCDD, TCDLA, TCCDLA, DCDA, frequent national and state speaker on DWI. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: All of my Not Guilty ver-
dicts. APPROACH TO LAW: They are not my “clients” but people I care very much about. Never assume, always ask why. I police the police. I exist to protect and enforce every American citizen’s rights as the Founding Fathers envisioned. Without brave defense lawyers, there would be government and police tyranny. Too many of our rights have already been taken away. FREE ADVICE: Just say “no” to everything when being investigated for a DWI.
CONTACT INFORMATION: mimicoffey.com
Rachel Eckroth Dalton
Cassie R. Mullen
The Law Office of Rachel E. Dalton, PC
SPECIALTY: Family law. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS:
Dalton - B.A., University of Oklahoma; J.D., Texas Wesleyan University, School of Law; certified to practice in the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas and before the United States Supreme Court. Mullen - B.A., Texas Tech University, Magna Cum Laude; J.D., Baylor Law School; certified to practice in the Northern District of Texas.
HISTORY: “With more than 26 years of combined experience, we started practicing together in 2006 and formed The Law Office of Rachel E. Dalton, A Professional Corporation in 2008.” WHAT SETS THEM APART: “We work cases in tandem, playing to each of our strengths. When you hire us, you get a comprehensive team.”
INTERESTS/CHARITIES: Ballet Guild of Fort Worth, HALO Society, ZTA Alumnae. MEMBERSHIPS: State Bar of Texas, Tarrant County Bar Association, Tarrant County Family Law Bar
Association, Fort Worth-Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association.
APPROACH: “Preparation is key to meeting our clients’ goals, whether the case involves settlement or protracted litigation. Each case is different, so we avoid a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.”
ADVICE: “Be honest and up front with your lawyer so that they (and you) don’t get surprised in court. Having advance notice of the good, bad and ugly aspects of your case will provide the opportunity to diffuse any potential hazards.”
CONCENTRATION: Wrongful death, pharmaceutical, insurance and injury. EDUCATION: Dent and Streck—St. Mary’s School of Law.
REASON FOR BEING LAWYERS: Both attorneys share a passion for fighting the giants, i.e. David vs. Goliath. The law gives them an opportunity to help others. HISTORY: The Dent Law Firm was founded in 1990 and has successfully represented thousands of clients in serious injury and death claims, claims against insurance companies, car wrecks, social security, aviation and other personal injury cases.
HONORS: Recognized Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Foundation, Washington D.C., 2011; Pre-eminent Lawyers in America; Who’s Who in American Law; Million-Dollar Advocate Forum Member; Voted “Top Attorney” in Fort Worth, Texas magazine, 2003 - present; Voted “Texas Super Lawyers” by Texas Monthly
magazine every year since 2003. MOTTOS: Represent clients with commitment, integrity and professionalism. FREE ADVICE: “Never assume an insurance company will do the right thing.” SERVICE: The Dent Law Firm is, above all else, dedicated to service. The Dent Law Firm is committed to supporting the Texas community, both professionally and personally. Dent and Streck are involved in numerous community affairs and actively participate in their children’s extracurricular events. Dent is also a legal analyst for Fox 4 News.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
portfolio Lawyers Worth Knowing
Gardner Aldrich, LLP
Terry Gardner
Robert E. Aldrich, Jr.
MEMBERS OF THE FIRM: Terry Gardner and Robert E. Aldrich, Jr. are partners, and Brett Miller and Dwayne Smith are associate attorneys. SPECIALTY: General civil trial practice, including business and commercial litigation, divorces involving substantial assets, fiduciary, probate, personal injury, real estate, employment and oil and gas litigation. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Gardner – B.A. and L.L.B., University of Texas at Austin. Aldrich – B.A., Texas Christian University; J.D., St. Mary’s School of Law. Both are board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in civil trial law and personal injury law. HISTORY: Gardner and Aldrich formed their partnership in January 1995. Gardner received his license in 1966, and Aldrich received his license in 1978. AWARDS/HONORS: Both Gardner and Aldrich are included in “Best Lawyers,” “Super Lawyers,” “Distinguished Lawyers” and “Pre-Eminent Lawyers” in
CONTACT INFORMATION: 1130 Fort Worth Club Tower gardneraldrich.com
national, state and local publications. Gardner was awarded “The Blackstone Award” by the Tarrant County Bar Association for the year 2007 for exemplifying the highest attributes of the legal profession. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Being recognized by our peers for the highest quality of legal services and integrity. APPROACH TO LAW: Total commitment to our clients and always being accessible to them. FREE ADVICE: Divorce in not the end of the world. It can and should be a new beginning.
Lawyers Worth Knowing portfolio
Haslam & Gallagher, LLP
Robert Haslam
J. Patrick Gallagher
SPECIALTY: Haslam – Truck and automobile wrecks, product liability, electrocution, premises injuries, wrongful death, professional malpractice, insurance disputes, oil and gas litigation, and local counsel for out-of-state attorneys. Gallagher – Dangerous products, dangerous premises, dangerous drivers. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: Haslam – Board Certified, Personal Injury; University of Tulsa Law School, J.D., 1986; SMU, B.A., 1983; A.V. Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Gallagher – Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law, 1989 – present; A.B., 1980, J.D., 1984, Indiana University; A.V. Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. WHY YOU CHOSE THE LEGAL FIELD: Haslam – Desire to make a difference in people’s lives. Gallagher – To be able to fight for justice on behalf of injured people who do not have advertising, corporate spin doctors and legal departments to fight for them. APPROACH TO LAW: Haslam -
When a person seeks my help, I will work hard for a positive outcome to the situation. At the age of 13, I met the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, Craig Morton. He told me to always give 110 percent at whatever I did. This is good advice. When a person seeks my help, I give my full attention to generating a positive outcome – to make that person whole again. Gallagher – We hold careless individuals and shoddy companies accountable for the harm they cause and the families they shatter. We strive for just and fair compensation, no more, and certainly no less.
CONTACT INFORMATION: haslamgallagher.com
Michael J. Henry, Attorney at Law, P.C.
NEW FIRM: After successfully representing clients in Civil Litigation for more than 30 years, Michael J. Henry is eager to continue serving the Community of Greater Tarrant County and all of North Texas. Board Certified for more than 20 years in Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law, he is able to offer high-quality representation in all areas of Civil Litigation. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: North Texas State, B.A. with Honors, 1977; Texas Tech School of Law, 1981; Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, 1990, and Personal Injury Trial Law, 1988, by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. AWARDS/HONORS: Past president of the American Board of Trial Advocates (Tarrant County Chapter); Former director of Texas Young Lawyers, Tarrant County Young Lawyers, Tarrant County Bar Association; presently serving as secretary treasurer of the Tarrant County Bar Association.
CONTACT INFORMATION: henrytexlaw.com
GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Offering quality legal representation to clients and friends in the North Texas area for the last 30 years. APPROACH TO LAW: Each case is important. Each client is important. It is absolutely critical to make yourself available to each client to discuss and explain the case and its status. Remember that you represent people, not a file. FREE ADVICE: Before you hire a lawyer, sit down and visit with them. Quiz them about their training, accomplishments, etc.
Lawyers Worth Knowing portfolio
Harold V. Johnson Law Offices of Harold V. Johnson, PC
EXPERTISE: More than 15 years experience in criminal defense. AWARDS/HONORS: Fellow of the College of the State Bar of Texas; former director of Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association; associate of Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court; adjunct professor of Advanced Trial Advocacy at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. Johnson has provided legal analysis for local television news broadcasts and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Dallas Morning News He has earned the prestigious Martindale-Hubble “AV” peer review rating. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: Admitted before U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas; National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association; Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association; Tarrant County Bar Association; American Bar Association. PROFESSIONAL GOALS: “I achieve my professional goals when I observe my clients’ satisfaction and appreciation after
I exceed their expectation.” APPROACH TO LAW: “I understand how a criminal arrest can produce feelings of fear, despair, anger and frustration. My approach places my clients’ goals as my first priority. I will defend your constitutional rights and personal freedoms to your satisfaction.” FREE ADVICE: “Hire an attorney who communicates well with you and makes you feel comfortable. A good trial attorney will likely communicate just as effectively for you in the courtroom.” PICTURED: Harold V. Johnson, Michelle M. Counts.
CONTACT INFORMATION: HVJohnsonlaw.com
portfolio Lawyers Worth Knowing
Justice & White, PLLC
Tracey Justice, Dana White, Lindsay Gilland
CONCENTRATION: Tracey Justice and Dana White provide quality, client-based services in all areas of family law, including divorce, child custody, adoption, marital property agreements, modifications of prior orders, enforcement actions, and Collaborative Law. Attorney Lindsay Gilland is new to the firm and provides concentration in criminal defense. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: JusticeB.A., psychology from Baylor University and J.D. from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law; certified mediator; specially trained in collaborative practice. Dana White – B.A., Political Science from UTA, and J.D. from Seattle University; specially trained in collaborative practice.
FIRM HISTORY: Established in 2004; they have about 30 years of combined legal experience. WHAT SETS THEM APART: The attorneys work together as a comprehensive team, utilizing the combined strengths and experience of each member of the firm to achieve the best possible results. MISSION: To be honest, reputable, and well respected by our clients and peers. FREE ADVICE: Don’t make important decisions in your life that may have irreparable legal consequences without at least consulting an attorney. It is definitely worth paying a few hundred dollars now in order to prevent problems that could cost thousands of dollars in the future.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Darrell Keith Keith Law Firm, P.C.
FOCUS AREAS: The Keith Law Firm, P.C. is a leading plaintiffs law firm in the areas of medical, legal, and professional malpractice, and personal injury litigation. MISSION: To seek and obtain just redress for plaintiffs and corrective justice for society. HONORS/RECOGNI-
TION: The firm’s founder, Darrell Keith, is among the foremost plaintiffs malpractice and personal injury trial lawyers in Texas and nationally. For 20 years, he has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America Keith was named “Dallas Area Best Lawyers Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year” for 2011 and “Dallas Area Best Lawyers Professional Malpractice Lawyer of the Year” for 2012. The Dallas Bar Association selected him as among several “Texas Trial Legends” in 2010. Texas Lawyer named him “Best Plaintiffs Lawyer in Fort Worth” in 1997. Keith has been recognized in Texas Super Lawyers since 2003, among the top 100 Texas Super
Lawyers in 2003, 2005 and 2007, and Fort Worth, Texas magazine Top Attorneys since 2003. He was a panelist for the Texas Lawyer’s Legal Malpractice Roundtable in 2008 and 2010. He is past president of the Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association. ACHIEVEMENTS: For more than 40 years, Keith has achieved trailblazing and significant multimillion dollar trial and settlement recoveries for innocent people harmed by physicians, health care providers, drug/medical device makers, attorneys, accountants, stockbrokers and other parties.
CONTACT INFORMATION: keithlaw.com
KoonsFuller
SPECIALTY: KoonsFuller practices only family law, including complex divorce litigation; property settlements; marital agreements; asset tracing, valuation and division; child custody, visitation, support and paternity; appeals; mediation and collaborative law.
MISSION: Provide the best family law services and superior results to clients who want only quality family law representation.
AWARDS/HONORS: Rated Tops in Texas among family law firms ( US News and World Report, 2011) with 27 attorneys in four North Texas locations. PICTURED: (front row, left to right) Southlake managing partner Heather King and associates Rachel Moore and Michael Tresidder are among Tarrant County’s Top Attorneys. (back row, left to right) Ike Vanden Eykel is hailed as one
of the best divorce lawyers for the rich and famous ( Town & Country, 2011). Kevin Fuller is Family Lawyer and Collaborative Lawyer of the Year ( Best Lawyers, 2011-12). Charla Bradshaw is among the area’s Best Women Lawyers ( D Magazine, 2010). BEST ADVICE: If you can’t reconcile, retain a family lawyer with an outstanding reputation, use of resources and results.
SPECIALTY: Serious personal injury and wrongful death cases, including 30 years of significant experience in handling trucking collisions, explosions of all types (including oil and gas fields), serious car wrecks, burns, paralysis, permanent impairment, as well as significant business disputes in which a contingency fee is needed.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
texlawyers.com
AWARDS/HONORS: Laird has been named as one of the Top 100 Super Lawyers for the entire state of Texas by Thomson Reuters Legal, as published in Texas Monthly for the last seven years (20052011); Named an Attorney of Influence and a Power Attorney by the Fort Worth Business Press ; Voted as a Top Personal Injury Attorney since 2004 by Fort Worth, Texas magazine; Recipient of the Annual Professionalism Award from both Tarrant County Bar Association and the College of the State Bar of Texas; Named in Best Lawyers in America for 2012. BOARD CERTIFICATIONS: Among less than 1 percent of lawyers who are triple board certified; Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law, as well as Board Certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. FREE ADVICE: Ask about real trial experience and whether the lawyer you’re speaking with will actually handle and try the case. At the very least, the lawyer should be board certified. Always shy away from soliciting lawyers.
Mark C. Lane
Mark Lane Law Offices
SPECIALTY: My firm practices family law, including complex divorce and custody litigation, property settlements, custody modification and family law trial cases and family law trial cases through an aggressive maverick style of lawyering. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS:
B.S. in psychology, Lamar University; J.D., Texas Wesleyan University; Judge of Roanoke for the last nine years. AWARDS/HONORS: Past board member of Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS:
Texas Family Law Bar Section, Tarrant County Family Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, North District, U.S. District Court. GREATEST
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Winning custody and property division cases that help that person continue in life with a fresh
CONTACT INFORMATION:
start. WHY YOU CHOSE LAW: To provide excellent personal service to help solve problems for clients. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Establishing an effective game plan to help my clients by using wisdom, experience and litigation by providing a personal and direct contact through very difficult events. FREE ADVICE: “Hire me before your spouse does!”
marklanelaw.com marklane@me.com
LAW
OFFICE OF
BEN LEONARD, PLLC
Ben Leonard, Attorney at Law
PRACTICE: I concentrate my practice in criminal law. EDUCATION: UTA, B.A., History/Political Science 1991; Baylor School of Law, J.D, 1994. HONORS: AV® Preeminent Attorney Martindale-Hubbell ® Peer Review Rating. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: The State Bar of Texas, Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Before practicing criminal defense, I worked for 13 years as a prosecutor in Tarrant County, including three years as a chief felony prosecutor. Since leaving the district attorney’s office, I have successfully defended clients charged with every crime from DWI to Capital Murder, but my greatest professional achievement has been to do so while earning the respect of my colleagues and adversaries and delivering the high-
est quality representation to my clients. WHY I CHOSE LAW: I never wanted to do anything but follow in the footsteps of my father, Fort Worth Attorney Bill Leonard. MY PROMISE: To do my very best work for each client, to provide clients with the information they need to make wise decisions and above all, always to tell clients the truth. FREE ADVICE: Being accused of a crime is as serious as it gets. Contact a lawyer immediately if you learn the police suspect you or a loved one of any crime.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
benleonardlaw.com
benleonardlaw@gmail.com
portfolio Lawyers Worth Knowing
Jerry J. Loftin and Associates
M. Trent Loftin, (Chester) Jerry J. Loftin
SPECIALTY: Criminal, juvenile, family, divorce, modifications, child support issues, conservatorship issues, as well as complicated property divisions. Jerry has extensive trial experience in both federal and state courts for cases involving the sale and possession of drugs, as well as experience in DWI defense, all criminal matters including Federal and major personal injury cases. Jerry has four children – all attorneys. Son Trent practices with him. Trent has extensive experience in juvenile matters, including trial experience and arrangements for all criminal bonds. EDUCATION: Jerry – B.B.A., TCU; J.D., U.T. Trent –Undergraduate, TCU and U.T.; J.D., St. Mary’s University. AWARDS/ HONORS: Attorneys of Excellence, Elite 100 – Fort Worth Business Press, 2004; Top Attorneys, Fort Worth, Texas magazine (Trent and Jerry), 2003. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Jerry – U.S. Supreme Court; Court of Appeals – Fifth Circuit; U.S. District Court,
Northern District of Texas; Texas District Court; American Bar Association; Tarrant County Bar Association; Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association; Tarrant County Criminal Defense Bar Association; Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association; Jerry has a TV appearance as Loftin’s Law on CBS TV. WHY CHOOSE US: To win. PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Winning and fulfilling our clients’ desires and dreams. WHY YOU CHOSE LAW: To have a rewarding opportunity to do great things. MISSION: A balance between challenge and luck. The harder we work, the luckier we are.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
jerryloftin.com
Lawyers
Jim Loveless
Kimberly Naylor
Loveless & Naylor
FOCUS: High profile and complex matrimonial law cases.
MEMBERSHIPS/HONORS: Loveless was named one of the Top 100 Super Lawyers in Texas by Texas Monthly He has been listed in all editions of the Best Lawyers in America, Texas Monthly Super Lawyers and Fort Worth, Texas magazine Top Attorneys. Loveless was one of the first lawyers in Tarrant County to be board certified in Family Law. He is a recipient of the Judge Eva Barnes Award for Excellence in Family Law, the Dan R. Price Award for outstanding contributions to the practice of Family Law and the 2011 Judge Sam Emison Award for integrity and professionalism. He has served as president of the Texas Academy of Family Lawyers, Texas Chapter on the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and chair of the State Bar of Texas, Family Law Section. He is a Fellow of the
International Lawyers and a Diplomat of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers. In addition to litigating family law cases, Naylor is also a family law mediator and a collaborative lawyer. She has been named a Texas Rising Star by Texas Monthly for 2004-2009. She was the past chair for Lawyers Against Domestic Violence and the Tarrant County Fee Arbitration Committee. Both Loveless and Naylor are AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. MOTTO: We are the rational answer to an emotional decision.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
loveless-law.com
portfolio Lawyers Worth Knowing
J. Kent McAfee Attorney at Law
McAfee is licensed by the Texas Supreme Court and is a member of the State Bar of Texas. CONCENTRATION: Personal injury (plaintiff), civil litigation. EDUCATION: B.S., University of Tennessee; Graduate Studies (M.P.A.), Memphis State University; J.D., Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. EXPERIENCE: McAfee began practicing law in 1984. His decision to pursue the legal field was prompted by a desire to serve the public and a chance to make a difference. “Focusing on personal injury allows me the opportunity to give a voice to individuals and to ‘level the playing field’ against powerful corporations and insurance companies.”
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: McAfee is licensed by the Texas Supreme Court and is a member of the State Bar of Texas, American Bar Association, Christian Trial Lawyers Association, Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. WHAT SETS HIM APART: “Communication is paramount the client must
understand what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and participate in that process.” MOTTO: “Never accept ‘no’ for an answer.” SPECIAL INTERESTS: Southwest Christian School, The WARM Place, Ronald McDonald House, Speedway Children’s Charities, Neighborhood Needs, American Cancer Society, Race for the Cure, Rebels for Christ, a Christian student group at Ole Miss. ADVICE: “Do not hire an attorney who won’t or can’t speak with you in the initial meeting. It won’t improve later.”
CONTACT INFORMATION: One Legal Place
onelegalplace.com Kent@onelegalplace.com
Lawyers
McGartland & Borchardt, LLP
Michael McGartland
Geno Borchardt
SPECIALTY: Plaintiff personal injury and litigation including: pharmaceutical and device, nursing home, truck collision, oil field and environmental. EDUCATION: McGartland – Loyola University, 1980; Texas Christian University, 1982; South Texas College of Law, 1986. Borchardt – Texas Wesleyan, B.S., 1986, Summa Cum Laude; Baylor, J.D., 1989, Cum Laude. AWARDS/HONORS: A.V. rated; Named Super Lawyers, Texas Monthly magazine, 2003 – present. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: American Association of Justice, Texas Trial Lawyers Association. FIRM’S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: McGartland has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients in pharmaceutical, medical device and environmental litigation. Borchardt has one of the largest
verdicts in nursing home litigation since the enactment of tort reform in 2003. FIRM’S PROFESSIONAL MISSION: McGartland & Borchardt, LLP proudly and vigorously represents victims of serious wrongdoing, hoping to improve their lives and achieve justice. In prosecuting these cases, we also hope to affect change that will benefit future generations of Texans.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
texas-lawyers.org firm@attorneysmb.com
Robert
J.
Myers & Associates
Wesley J. Cooper, Robert J. Myers, Mark C. Hill
EXPERTISE: Civil trial and appellate practice with a concentration in commercial litigation, legal malpractice, property taxation, and oil and gas. EDUCATION: Myers - B.A., Texas Tech University, 1980; J.D., Saint Mary’s University, 1983. Cooper - B.S., Texas A&M University, 2003; J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 2007. Hill – B.B.A., Texas Christian University, 1973; J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 1976; HONORS/AWARDS: “A-V” Peer Review rated by Martindale-Hubbell for 18 years; The Order of Barristers; Phi Delta Phi; Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Award for Professionalism and Ethics; Bar Register of Preeminent
Lawyers; Fort Worth, Texas magazine Top Attorneys 2009, 2010 and 2011. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Treating others with respect and consideration and leaving no stone unturned when representing our clients. MISSION: Help clients whom others have told cannot be helped. WHAT SETS US APART: Small firm. Big results.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Lawyers
Nunneley/Family Law Center
Barbara Nunneley
SPECIALTY: Board-certified in family law, Nunneley limits her practice to divorce, property division and custody disputes.
EDUCATION: B.A., Texas Woman’s University; M.A., Southern Methodist University; J.D., Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
HONORS: Texas Woman’s University Distinguished Alumna; Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association (past president) and recipient of the prestigious Eva Barnes Award. PROFESSIONAL
MEMBERSHIPS: Texas Chapter, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (past president); Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists (past president). WHAT SETS HER APART: Barbara and her senior associates specialize in complex property division and
child custody. Her firm is distinguished from others in its methodology of preparation because it prepares clients for every step of the process.
REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS: C-Level executives, spouses, dedicated parents and grandparents. PICTURED: (left to right) Jane Mapes, Barbara Nunneley, Stephen Farrar.
EXPERTISE: Catastrophic personal injury, high-stakes business and commercial cases, condemnation and ad valorem property tax litigation. EXPERIENCE: Brad Parker and Dan McDonald have a combined 55 years of trial experience conducted all over the state of Texas. Together, they have tried more than 150 cases to jury verdict. HONORS/ AWARDS: Martindale-Hubbell recognizes Parker and McDonald as AV® rated attorneys, the highest rating available to any individual lawyer. Parker has also been recognized as one of Texas Monthly magazine’s “Texas Super Lawyers.” McDonald has served as Plaintiff’s Steering Counsel chair in mass tort litigation involving breast implants and the diet drug combination fen-phen and Baycol. FIRM’S MISSION: “We engage in a comprehensive litigation and trial practice on behalf of
clients whose personal, business or property rights have been adversely affected.” FIRM’S MOTTO: Incomparable results. Incomparable record. WHAT SETS US APART: “We measure success where it matters most for our clients: in the courtroom. We are always ready to go to trial with fully prepared cases.” FREE ADVICE: Seek legal advice early. PICTURED: Brad Parker and Dan McDonald.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Parker McDonald, P.C.
parkermcdonaldlaw.com
Lawyers Worth Knowing portfolio
Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC
Wayne M. Whitaker, John R. Fahy, Vernon E. Rew, Jr.
SPECIALTY: Public and Private Company Securities Law Compliance, SEC Reporting, Mergers and Acquisitions, Broker Dealer and Investment Adviser Regulation, Corporate Law. EDUCATION: Whitaker - Undergraduate and Law degrees, Baylor; Masters of Law, SMU. Fahy - Undergraduate degree, Yale; Law and Master’s degrees, U.T. Austin. Rew - Undergraduate and Law degrees, U.T. Austin. EXPERIENCE: Whitaker - 40 years. Fahy - 21 years. Rew - 32 years. HONORS: Fort Worth, Texas magazine Top Attorneys awards. BACKGROUND: Whitaker - SEC for six years; private practice, 33 years representing public and private clients with securities and corporate issues, with particular expertise in healthcare-industry. Fahy - Represents private and public securities issuers, broker dealers and investment advisers; Formerly General Counsel for two broker-dealers, Enforcement Attorney at SEC and Managing
Securities and Mergers & Acquisitions Law Group
Attorney for the Texas State Securities Board’s Houston Office; Current vice-chair, Securities Law Committee, State Bar Business Law Section. Rew - Particular expertise in mergers and acquisitions for more than 30 years; Member, ABA Mergers & Acquisitions Committee; Securities law experience includes SEC filings, tender offers and going private transactions. PICTURED: (left to right) Wayne M. Whitaker, John R. Fahy and Vernon E. Rew, Jr.
CONTACT INFORMATION: whitakerchalk.com
portfolio Lawyers Worth Knowing
Stephens, Anderson & Cummings, L.L.P.
SPECIALTY: Plaintiffs’ personal injury, product liability, wrongful death, motor vehicle and commercial truck wrecks, oil/gas accidents, bad faith insurance, business litigation. WHAT SETS
US APART: We don’t care how big, powerful or rich the other side is, we’ll stand toe to toe with anyone on behalf of our clients. We have the resources to fight to the finish and a track record of success. We’ve obtained some of the largest settlements and verdicts in Texas and U.S. since 2004. Recently settled another landmark clergy abuse case for confidential amount, forced the denomination to alter policies to protect children within its churches throughout North America, and provide college scholarships for victims of abuse.
HONORS/AWARDS: Members of American Board of Trial Advocates; Texas Super Lawyers, Texas Monthly ; Top Attorneys, Fort Worth, Texas magazine; “AV” rated (highest rating)
by Martindale-Hubbell. EDUCATION: Jason Stephens - B.B.A., TCU; M.B.A., J.D., Baylor. Seth Anderson - B.B.A., U.T.; J.D., Baylor; Board-Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law. John Cummings - B.A., U.T.; J.D., South Texas; Board-Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Advocacy. TEXAS AND BEYOND: The Firm is currently handling cases in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Ohio, New Mexico and will work with lawyers and clients across the U.S. RESPECTED: We believe it says a lot that most our cases come from referring or joint venture relationships with other lawyers.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
StephensAnderson.com
Tanner and Associates, P.C.
Rod Tanner
Jennifer L. Di Fonso
EXPERTISE: The firm has a national practice focused on labor and employment law, civil trials and appeals in federal and state courts, administrative proceedings and arbitration. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: Tanner - B.A., English Literature with Honors, University of Texas at Austin, 1973; J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 1976; Board Certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1990. Di Fonso – B.B.A., Baylor University, 2000; J.D., Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, 2003. EXPERIENCE: Tanner is the founding shareholder of Tanner and Associates, P.C. Tanner has 35 years of legal experience. WHAT SETS THEM APART: The unique practice niche. The firm has a national union-side labor law practice and a statewide employment
law practice. Tanner is a Fellow in the prestigious College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. MISSION: The firm’s mission is to provide diverse legal services in the field of labor and employment law of the highest quality. MOTTO: Exhibit grace under pressure. FREE ADVICE: “Be proactive in seeking counsel before you are overtaken by the events and magnitude of a difficult legal matter.”
CONTACT INFORMATION:
rodtannerlaw.com rtanner@rodtannerlaw.com
Transaction Attorneys at Whitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC Bruce James, Bob West, Melinda Watts Smith, Bruce McGee
CONCENTRATION: Negotiation of transactions and preparation of contracts and closing documents in practice areas including real estate; oil and gas; banking; estate planning, probate and trusts; business organizations; municipal law and special districts; aviation; and employment law. These four attorneys represent numerous businesses, partnerships, banks and trust departments, property owners and families.
EDUCATION: James and West – University of Texas School of Law. Smith – Texas Tech University School of Law. McGee – Baylor School of Law. EXPERIENCE: James – 40 years. West – 39 years. Smith – 27 years. McGee – 38 years. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: All four are licensed to practice law in Texas and are members of the State Bar of Texas and Tarrant County Bar Association. WHAT SETS US APART: “We
each have years of experience in our practice areas, representing a variety of clients, and we each have been named a Top Attorney in Tarrant County for multiple years, but we still welcome new clients!”
PICTURED: (left to right) Bruce James, Bob West, Melinda Watts Smith, Bruce McGee.
CONTACT INFORMATION: WhitakerChalk.com
Lawyers Worth Knowing portfolio
Dick
Turner
Tyler Monahan Keeton Monahan
SPECIALTY: In the Fort Worth office, we specialize in Criminal and Family Law, Wills and Probate, and in the Cleburne office, we specialize in Personal Injury, Criminal Law and Family Law, as well as Wills and Probate.
EDUCATION: Dick Turner – TCU, 1970; Law degree from Houston Bates College of Law, 1973. Tyler Monahan – TCU School of Business, Business Degree, 2001; Law Degree from Texas Wesleyan School of Law, 2008. Keeton Monahan – TCU, B.S., Radio/TV/Film; Texas Wesleyan School of Law, completing my J.D. and Estate Planning Certificate (graduating in May 2012). WHY I CHOSE THE
LEGAL FIELD: Dick Turner – My father, Gean B. Turner, was an attorney in Cleburne, and at a very young age I worked with him in his law office. I was always interested in the practice of law and knew that this was the profession I would choose. In fact, several members
CONTACT INFORMATION: Tumolaw.com
of my family are attorneys. Tyler Monahan – I have always been interested in law and its principles. Keeton Monahan – I have always strived for a career that allowed me to spend my days helping people solve problems. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Dick Turner – Be prepared, be on time and be aggressive. Tyler Monahan – Be diligent, be persistent and be thorough. Keeton Manahan – I fight vigorously for my clients while providing dependable and honest service.
Wallach & Andrews, PC
CONCENTRATION: Civil practice and litigation with concentrations in medical and health care liability defense, products liability, personal injury, general litigation, medical/nursing boards and employment law. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Wallach
– Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization; Board Certified, Civil Trial Advocate, National Board of Trial Advocacy. Andrews – Attorney and Registered Nurse. AWARDS/ HONORS: Wallach – Texas Association of Defense Counsel, past president; Fort Worth, Texas magazine Top Attorney, 2003 – 2011; Texas Monthly magazine Texas Super Lawyer, 2003 – 2011. Andrews – Fort Worth, Texas magazine Top Attorney, 2009. Maragoudakis –Fort Worth, Texas magazine Top Attorney, 2011. WHAT SETS US APART: We create and maintain a team approach to handling
cases, attempting to provide the most efficient and effective representation for our clients’ needs. We have always practiced on the creative, cutting edge of the law, whether it be in the courts, in the application of new rules of procedure or substantive law, or in the legislative arena in the passage of new law. ADVICE: There is no substitute for the seasoned trial attorney. Experience in the courtroom counts. PICTURED: (left to right) Cynthia K. Maragoudakis, Jennifer M. Andrews, D. Michael Wallach.
Lawyers Worth Knowing portfolio
Jerry L. Wood
CONTACT INFORMATION:
jerrylwood@att.net
CONCENTRATION: My practice is limited exclusively to criminal defense with an emphasis on DWI and other intoxication issues. EDUCATION: B.A., Howard Payne University, 1978; J.D., Texas Tech School of Law, 1981. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer Association; Tarrant County Bar Association; Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (past president 1997). WHY HE CHOSE THE LEGAL FIELD: To help unjustly and wrongfully accused citizens get through difficult situations. PROFESSIONAL MISSION: Good people sometimes make mistakes in judgment. It’s my mission to help them through those times. FREE ADVICE: Make good choices, but when you don’t, hire a good lawyer.
March of Dimes would like to express a “Texas-size” thank you to our chefs,
Auction. Your support is truly revered and allows March of Dimes to continue its mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.
TWILIGHT IN TEXAS
Chef Asdren Azemi
Chef Jon Bonnell
Charissa Christopher
Chef Keith Hicks
2011 Participating Chefs Sponsors
Waco Bend Ranch
Elvision
Chef Molly McCook
Chef Ken Patrick
Chef Kenzo Tran
Chef Chanelle Watson
XTO Energy
Fort Worth, Texas Magazine
things to do in december
fwevents
TRADITIONS ARE IMPORTANT THIS TIME OF YEAR, and one of Fort Worth’s favorites is the annual gathering of fans for singer and cowboy poet Michael Martin Murphey's Cowboy Christmas Triple M’s yearly campfire-style gathering is suitable for the entire family. Murphey, who has six Gold Records among his more than 35 albums, traces his family history in Texas to 1858. You’ll hear many of Murphey’s hit songs, such as Carolina in the Pines, along with cowboy poetry and tales of Christmas. For more information, see page 170.
Courtesy: Performing Arts Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas: The City’s Magazine
fwevents
to list an event
Send calendar information to Fort Worth, Texas : The City’s Magazine, c/o Paul K. Harral, executive editor, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 130, Fort Worth, Texas 76116, or e-mail ideas to pharral@fwtexas.com. Special consideration will be given to submissions that include photographs. To meet publishing deadlines, information must be received two months prior to monthly magazine issue.
museums
OMNI THEATER AND NOBLE PLANETARIUM / Check museum Web site for times and dates. Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. fwmuseum. org/calendar. 817.255.9300.
9/11 TRIBUTE, ONGOING / The largest artifact in Texas from the World Trade Center is on display in the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History while a permanent outdoor display platform is being constructed. The 6,500-pound beam is from floors 101-103 in the North Tower, two stories above the point of impact. The museum held a public tribute Sept. 11 on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. fwmuseum. org. 817.255.9300.
THE FIRST 50 YEARS, THROUGH DEC. 11 / A five-decade portrait of the Amon Carter Museum of American, including vintage images of architect Philip Johnson’s building, public programs over the decades, landmark exhibitions, visiting luminaries of American art and other seminal moments in the museum’s history. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. cartermuseum.org. 817.738.1933.
TRINITY PERSPECTIVES II, THROUGH DEC. 16 / Tracing the evolution of a once forgotten river as it emerged to become one of Fort Worth’s most treasured assets. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. Free. Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1700 University Drive. brit.org. 817.332.4441.
APPLEWHITE-CLARK, THROUGH DEC. 31 / Four well-known, influential Texas icons whose involvement in the Republic of Texas was instrumental in Texas gaining its independence from Mexico. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Thur.; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Tickets: $3-$5. Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, 128 E. Exchange Ave. texascowboyhalloffame.org. 817.626.7131.
FOCUS: KAWS, DEC. 11-FEB 19 / Brooklyn-based artist Brian Donnelly makes his art under the moniker, KAWS. His vast body of work includes graffiti, sketches, drawings, murals, paintings and sculpture, as well as product design such as limited edition toys and high-end street-wear. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. themodern.org. 817.738.9215.
music
COWBOY MUSIC AND FAMILY FUN, EVERY SUNDAY / Cowboy ballads, yodeling and western swing. Cowtown Opry mentors adults and youth to become performers and historians of Texas heritage music deriving from the cattle ranching culture. 2 p.m. Free. Historic Livestock Exchange building, 131 E. Exchange Ave. cowtownopry.org. 817.521.4969.
TOM RUSSELL, DEC. 1 / Tom Russell, a former cab
DISCOVER THE REAL GEORGE WASHINGTON: NEW VIEWS FROM MOUNT VERNON, THROUGH JAN. 22 / About 100 original objects associated with George Washington – including the only surviving complete set of his famous dentures – will be on display. Tickets: $14/adult, $10/children and seniors. Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. fwmuseum.org. 817.255.9300.
THE COWGIRL WHO BECAME A JUSTICE: SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR, THROUGH MARCH 25 / Family photos, public life photos and ranch artifacts on loan from the Day family. The exhibit illustrates the intersection of the ranch upbringing with her life on the bench. National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. cowgirl.net. 817.336.4475.
FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION: WORK, THROUGH FEB. 19 / Work has been a key subject for photographers from the medium’s earliest days. This modest survey exhibition is drawn from the museum’s extensive permanent collection. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. cartermuseum.org. 817.738.1933.
WILL BARNET: RELATIONSHIPS, INTIMATE AND ABSTRACT, 1935–1965, THROUGH DEC. 31 / This exhibit of nearly 50 works marks the 100th birthday of pioneering printmaker, painter and educator Will Barnet. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. cartermuseum.org. 817.738.1933.
CARAVAGGIO AND HIS FOLLOWERS IN ROME, THROUGH JAN. 8 / Caravaggio (1571–1610) had profound impact on the wide range of painters of Italian, French, Dutch, Flemish and Spanish origin who resided in Rome. Kimbell Art Museum. kimbellart.org. 817.332.8451.
RICHARD DIEBENKORN: THE OCEAN PARK SERIES, THROUGH JAN. 15 / Co-organized by Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach, Calif., and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. More than 75 paintings, prints and drawings spanning two decades are the largest selection ever on view together. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. themodern.org. 817.738.9215.
CRAFTING FROM THE COLLECTION, DEC. 1 / Get crafty during an inspirational program for crafters of all media. Record your own crafting inspirations
driver in Queens, N.Y., has amassed an impressive body of work, not to mention an endless stream of kudos. 8 p.m. Tickets: $27.50. Performing Arts Fort Worth. McDavid Studio, 301 E. 5th St. basshall.com. 817.212.4280.
THE KING OF INSTRUMENTS: AN ORGAN CONCERT FOR CHILDREN, DEC. 3 / The Concerts at Arborlawn present Jerry Westenkuehler in performance. 10 a.m. Arborlawn United Methodist Church, 5001 Briarhaven Road. arborlawnumc.org.
from the featured artworks using provided sketching paper and pencils. 6 p.m. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. cartermuseum.org. 817.738.1933.
FIRST FRIDAY AT THE MODERN, DEC. 2 / Enjoy live music and cocktails the first Friday of each month. 5 P.M. Special cocktail: Mistletoe Magic. Performing: Nick Kithas and Friends. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. themodern.org. 817.738.9215.
DRAWING FROM THE COLLECTION, DEC. 4 / Develop drawing skills by looking and learning with local artists in informal, basic drawing classes. Open to adults at all skill levels. This date: Brian Fridge. Children’s program, ages 5 and 12 (under 6 must be accompanied by an adult). 2-3:30 p.m. Tickets: $10/general admission, $4/students and seniors. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. themodern.org. 817.738.9215.
SUNDAYS WITH THE MODERN, DEC. 4 / Artists, art historians, critics, writers and architects talk and lead gallery tours. This date: Peter Doroshenko, executive director, Dallas Contemporary. 1 p.m. Free with the price of admission. Tickets: $10/general admission, $4/students and seniors. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. themodern.org. 817.738.9215.
SHARING THE PAST THROUGH ART, DEC. 8 / Designed for adults with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. Participants discuss artists, themes and exhibitions and use artworks to connect to past experiences. Free. 10:30-11:45 a.m. Amon Carter Museum of American Art. cartermuseum.org. 817.738.1933.
SID RICHARDSON MUSEUM, DEC. 10 / 1 p.m. guided tour on artists who shaped public perception of the American West. 2 p.m. Live Performance by Roberta Atkins highlights the career of cowboy artist, Charles Russell, told from the perspective of his wife, Nancy Cooper Russell. Sid Richardson Museum. sidrichardsonmuseum.org. 817.332.6554.
WONDERFUL WEDNESDAYS, DEC. 14 / A program for families with young children, led by a docent and including a gallery project from the education department. This date: The work of Joseph Havel. 4-4:45 p.m. Tickets: $10/general admission, $4/students and seniors. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. themodern.org. 817.738.9215.
817.731.0701.
THE KELLY WILLIS AND BRUCE ROBISON HOLIDAY SHOW, DEC. 4 / Married singers Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison present their Holiday Show. 7 p.m. Tickets: $35. Performing Arts Fort Worth. McDavid Studio, 301 E. 5th St. basshall.com. 817.212.4280.
SING-A-LONG MESSIAH, DEC. 4 / Join the Orchestra at Broadway and sing the choral parts of the Messiah. 7 p.m. Free. Broadway Baptist Church, 305
Protect the Blind Side: Tackle Homelessness with
speaker
Leigh Anne Tuohy
Mother from the movie “The Blind Side” who turned around and changed a life forever.
February 16, 2012
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Fort Worth Convention Center Ballroom
Benefitting the women and children of the Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County.
For additional information please contact Alyson Pollak at event@ugm-tc.org or 817-338-8406.
W. Broadway. broadwaybc.org. 817.336.5761.
HANDEL’S MESSIAH, DEC. 5 / This annual presentation has become a sacred Fort Worth holiday offering and is regarded as one of the finest performances in the region. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Varies by section. Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. fwsymphony.org. 817.665.6000. Bass Performance Hall. basshall.com. 817.212.4280.
BUGS HENDERSON, DEC. 9 / Dallas blues legend Bugs Henderson returns for another evening of fiery and ferocious guitar playing. 8 p.m. Tickets: TBA. Performing Arts Fort Worth. McDavid Studio, 301 E. 5th St. basshall.com. 817.212.4280.
SOUNDS OF THE SEASON, DEC. 8-9 / Arlington Master Chorale and The Festival Brass present sounds and musical favorites of the Christmas season. With the Arlington Boys and Girls Choir. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $15/Adults, $10/Seniors, $5/Students. Arlington Master Chorale. First Baptist Church of Arlington, 301 S. Center St., Arlington. arlingtonmasterchorale.org. 817.460.7464.
THE TOM REYNOLDS TRIO, DEC. 10 / Great jazz and a scrumptious cocktail (cash bar). A casual event with the area’s coolest jazz aficionados. 5:30 p.m.7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20. Kimbell Art Museum. kimbellart.org. 817.332.8451.
YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF GREATER FORT WORTH HOLIDAY CONCERT, DEC. 11 / All ensembles in the Youth Orchestra perform in this Holiday Concert. Free. Time: TBA. Ed Landreth Auditorium, 2800 S. University Drive. yofw.org. 817.923.3121.
MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY’S COWBOY
CHRISTMAS, DEC. 12 / Gather ’round the campfire for cowboy poet Michael Martin Murphey’s annual Christmas program. 7 p.m. Tickets: 7 p.m. Performing Arts Fort Worth. Bass Performance Hall, 4th and Calhoun streets. basshall.com. 817.212.4280.
STRIKE THE HARP AND JOIN THE CHORUS, DEC. 11-13 / Tarrant County’s premier concert choir presents a concert of traditional seasonal favorites. Tickets: $10. Dec. 11: 7 p.m. Arborlawn United Methodist Church, 5001 Briarhaven Road. Dec. 12: 7:30 p.m. Trinity United Methodist Church, 3321 W. Park Row Drive, Arlington. Dec. 13: 7:30 p.m. White’s Chapel United Methodist Church, 185 S. White’s Chapel Blvd., Southlake. Schola Cantorum. scholatexas.com. 817.485.2500.
JIM BRICKMAN’S A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION, DEC. 19 / Two-time Grammy-nominated, platinumselling artist Jim Brickman creates musical escape from the hectic demands of the holiday season. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Varies by section. Performing Arts Fort Worth. Bass Performance Hall, 4th and Calhoun streets. basshall.com. 817.212.4280.
CHRISTMAS WITH THE VON TRAPP FAMILY SINGERS, DEC. 21 / The Von Trapp Family Singers, the actual great grandchildren of Maria and Captain von Trapp, continue the legacy in this one night only Christmas concert. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Varies by section. Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. fwsymphony. org. 817.665.6000. Bass Performance Hall. basshall. com. 817.212.4280.
makes his way back to Bass Performance Hall for this special, one-night-only concert. 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $44.Bass Performance Hall. basshall.com. 817.212.4280.
ROBERT EARL KEEN, DEC. 30 / It just wouldn’t be the eve of New Year’s Eve if Robert Earl Keen wasn’t here to celebrate it with you. 8 p.m. Tickets: Varies by section. Performing Arts Fort Worth. Bass Performance Hall, 4th and Calhoun streets. basshall.com. 817.212.4280.
SWINGIN’ IN THE NEW YEAR, DEC 31 / Welcome 2012 with swing sounds from Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and others. 8 p.m. Tickets: Varies by section. Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. fwsymphony.org. 817.665.6000. Bass Performance Hall. basshall.com. 817.212.4280.
VERIZON THEATRE / Verizon Theatre, Grand Prairie. verizontheatre.com. 972.854.5111.
DEC. 1 / Hillsong Live, 8 p.m. $20-$40
DEC. 2 / How the Edge Stole Christmas. Rise Against and others, 4:30 p.m. $37.50-$47.50
DEC. 3 / Yo Gabba Gabba! It’s Time To Dance!, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. $25-$45
DEC. 7 / My Morning Jacket with Delta Spirit, 7 p.m. $39.50
BIlly BOB’s TExAs / Fort Worth Stockyards. billybobstexas.com. 817.624.7117. (Ticket prices reserved/general admission. Friday and Saturday concerts 10:30 p.m. unless noted.)
DEC. 1 / Eleven Hundred Springs, $10
DEC. 2 / Clay Walker, $35/$15
DEC. 3 / Wade Bowen, $16/$12
DEC. 8 / Rich O’Toole, $10
DEC. 9 / Reckless Kelly, $18/$15
DEC. 10 / Tracy Lawrence, $25/$15
DEC. 11 / Wolf’s 12 Man Jam, Free w/Wolf Ticket Advance, $20 at door/charity
DEC. 15 / Kyle Park, $10
DEC. 16 / Jack Ingram, $ 20/$15
DEC. 17 / Pat Green, $25/$20/$15
DEC. 22 / Hudson Moore, $10
DEC. 23 / Stoney Larue, $20/$15
DEC. 24 / Merry Christmas
DEC. 29 / Hayes Carll, $10
DEC. 30 / Eli Young Band, $30/$18
DEC. 31 / New Years Eve: Chris Young, $35/$ 20 (includes champagne and party favors)
GRAPEVINE OPRy / gvopry.com. 817.481.8733. All December tickets: $25
DEC. 3 / Fabulous Fifties Christmas – A Rockin’
Retro Holiday
DEC. 10 / Country Christmas Opry-style
DEC. 17 / Christmas Wonderland
DEC. 31 / New Year’s Country Eve
MAsTERwORks CONCERT sERIEs / Northeast Tarrant County. artscouncilnortheast.org. 817.283.3406.
DEC. 3 / Holiday Hams, Holiday Music Concert, 7 p.m. Free. Roanoke Recreation Center. DEC. 8 / The Nutcracker, North Central Ballet, 6:30 p.m. Free. Watauga Public Library. DEC. 22 / Concert Bells of Fort Worth, 8 p.m. Free. Hurst Public Library.
stage and theater
SANTA CLAUS THE MUSICAL, NOV. 26-DEC. 23 / An enchanting story that explains everything that is ever known about jolly old Saint Nick. Fri.-Sat., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Tickets: $20-$25. Casa Mañana, 3101 W. Lancaster Ave. casamanana.org. 817.332.2272.
IRVING BERLIN’S WHITE CHRISTMAS, NOV. 29-DEC. 4 / The classic holiday tradition White Christmas in a brand new Irving Berlin musical direct from Broadway. Times: Check Web site. Tickets: TBA. Performing Arts Fort Worth. Bass Performance Hall, 4th and Calhoun streets. basshall. com. 817.212.4280.
FOURTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL STORY TELLING FESTIVAL, DEC. 2-3 / Come and enjoy the story telling festival hosted by De Cee Cornish. 8 p.m. Tickets: $10. Pantagleize Theatre, 1400 Henderson St., Building 3. pantatheater.org. 817.472.0032.
TREATS, DEC. 5 / A reading of a witty comedy about the choices we make when we’re in love. 7 p.m. Tickets: $15/adults, $10/seniors, $5/students. Amphibian Stage Productions. Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. amphibianproductions.org. 817.923.3012. themodern.org. 817.738.9215.
A CHRISTMAS STORY, DEC. 2-18 / Philip Grecian’s stage adaptation of the 1983 American Christmas comedy film based on Jean Shepherd’s short stories and semi-fictional anecdotes. 7:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat.; 2:30 p.m. Sun. Tickets: $12/seniors, students and children $8. Greater Cleburne Carnegie Players. Cleburne Conference Center, 1501 W. Henderson St., Cleburne. carnegieplayers.org. 817.645.9255.
FOREVER PLAID, DEC. 8-18 / One of the most popular and successful musicals in recent memory, this deliciously goofy revue centers on four young, eager men singing in the closest of harmony. Check Web site for times and tickets. Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre, 830 Parker Square, Flower Mound. fmpat.org. 972.724.2147.
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, DEC. 1-18 / All your favorite characters: George and Mary, Clarence,
Benefiting Care ity ® Foundation and NCHA Charities
Friday•December 2, 2011• 7:00 pm
Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum • Fort Worth, Texas
George and Amy Mercer
Presenting Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40
Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine
Fort Worth Home and Garden Show
National Cutting Horse Association
Grants
Dr. and Mrs. William Bonnell
Amon G. Carter Foundation
Parker County Health Foundation
The Inge Foundation
The Ryan Foundation
W. B. & Ellen Gordon Stuart Trust*/
JPMorgan, Trustee
Walmart / Sam’s Club
Lloyd Walsh
Walton Family Foundation
Presley Tucker
Radney Foster
LoCash Cowboys
Sunny Sweeney
Bob Kingsley
Shae Fisher
Jay Novacek
JW Hart
Ross Coleman
Cord McCoy
Sunny Burgess and more…
George and Amy Mercer
Honorary Chairs
Gold Sponsors
Cook Children’s
First National Bank of Weatherford
Leonard Golf Links
Morrison Supply
Silver Sponsors
4k Ranch and Farm Operations
Bob Leonard Law Group
Coors Distributing Company of Fort Worth
Keith and Missy Hutton
Jerry’s Auto Group
KickThePain.com
Mary Mike Mckenzie M-Pak, Inc.
Pence & Panache
Renaissance Worthington Hotel
Scarmardo and Trotter
Providing Services for Cancer Patients
Solis Women’s Health
Strategic Wealth Management, LLC Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital
The Milton Financial Group
Weatherford Regional Hospital
Media Sponsors
95.9 The Ranch/92.1 KTFW
Cowboys & Indians Magazine
Fort Worth Business Press
Fort Worth, Texas magazine
Megan Parks Photography NCHARadio.com
Parker County Today Magazine
The Community News
360 West
Weekend Cutter
Produced by
Lyn Walsh and Beverly Branch
Uncle Billy and, of course, the Scrooge-like villain, Mr. Potter, bring this classic holiday story to life. 7:30 p.m. Thur.; 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 2 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; 5:30 p.m. Sun. Tickets: $10-$22. Theatre Arlington, 316 W. Main St., Arlington. theatrearlington.org. 817.275.7661.
THE KING STAG, DEC. 8-18 / An uproarious classic from Italy’s Commedia Dell Arte by Carlo Gozzi. 8 p.m. Thur.-Sat.; 3 p.m. Sun. Tickets: $16. Pantagleize Theatre, 1400 Henderson St., Building 3. pantatheater.org. 817.472.0032.
THE TWELVE DAZE OF CHRISTMAS, DEC. 2-18 / It’s Christmas-time and as Alice wants sings The
dance
FRIDAY NIGHT BREAKAWAY, ONGOING / Second and fourth Fridays. Lessons start at 8 p.m. Open dancing, 9 p.m.-midnight. Tickets: $6/general admission, $4/members, students, affiliates. Check Web site for changes and other events. Fort Worth Swing Dance Syndicate. First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church, 1959 Sandy Lane. fwsds.org. 817.451.1505.
SWINGING AT THE SOUTHSIDE, TUESDAYS / Enjoy swing dancing at the historic Southside Preservation hall every Tuesday with the Fort Worth Swing Dance Yahoo Group. 8-11:30 p.m. Tickets: $5. Fort Worth Swing Dance Syndicate. Southside Preservation Hall, 1519 Lipscomb St. fwsds.org. 817.926.2800.
A HOLIDAY SPECIAL, DEC. 8-9 / Three ballets: The Christmas Grump, Swingin’ Into the Holidays and O Holy Night. 10 a.m. Tickets: $5. Ballet Concerto. Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 W. Lancaster Ave. balletconcerto.com. 817.738.7915.
BEN STEVENSON’S THE NUTCRACKER, DEC. 9-24 / The one place in Fort Worth where you can be assured of snowfall during December is this holiday classic. Times vary. Tickets: $19-$99. Texas Ballet Theater. Bass Performance Hall, 4th and Calhoun streets. texasballettheater.org. 817-763-0207.
THE NUTTY NUTCRACKER, DEC. 23 / Tired of Sugar Plums and everything nice? Don’t miss the 3rd Annual The Nutty Nutcracker, a slightly naughty spoof using current events and pop culture icons in an adult take on this holiday classic. 7 p.m. Tickets: $19-$99. Texas Ballet Theater. Bass Performance Hall, 4th and Calhoun streets. texasballettheater.org. 817763-0207.
sports
TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY / Gofrogs.com. 817.257.FROG.
FOOTBAll
DEC. 3 / UNLV TV, 1:30 p.m.
MEN’S BASKETBAll
DEC. 6 / Texas Tech, 6 p.m.
DEC. 10 / Nebraska, 7 p.m.
DEC. 22 / Grambling State, 7 p.m.
DEC. 31 / Tulsa, 6 p.m.
WOMEN’S BASKETBAll
Twelve Days of Christmas, the characters in the popular holiday tune begin to come to life. 9:30 a.m. and noon, Thur.; 7:30 p.m. Fri.; 2:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Tickets: $8-$10. Creative Arts Theatre & School, 1100 W. Randol Mill Road, Arlington. creativearts.org. 817.861.2287.
26 MILES, DEC. 2-18 / A tender family comedy about an American teenager and her estranged Cuban mother who drive cross-country in an ‘83 Buick Regal exploring the relationships they have with their parents. 2:30 p.m. Sun.; 7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Tickets; $10-$25. Artes de la Rosa. Rose Marine Theater, 1440 N. Main St. rosemarinetheater.com. 817.624.8333.
DEC. 4 / Lamar, 1 p.m.
DEC. 11 / Texas A&M, 2 p.m.
DEC. 18 / Sam Houston State, 5 p.m.
DEC. 20 / Tulsa, 6:30 p.m.
DEC. 31 / Texas Southern, 2 p.m.
comedy
FOUR DAY WEEKEND, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, ONGOING / This popular improvisational comedy troupe performs skits and songs based on audience suggestions. Four Day Weekend Theater. fourdayweekend.com. 817.226.4329.
HYENA’S COMEDY NIGHT ClUB, ONGOING / Various performances each week ranging from local to national stars. Hyena’s Comedy Night Club. hyenascomedynightclub.com. 817.877.5233.
ARlINGTON IMPROV AND RESTAURANT, ONGOING / Different performers weekly. 309 Curtis Mathes Way, Ste. 147, Arlington. 817.635.5555. www. improv.com.
films
FIlMS AT THE MODERN / The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth offers a variety of events and programs on films. Check the Web site for details on titles, times, tickets and descriptions. themodern. org/films.html.
FIRST THURSDAY FIlM SERIES: WAITING FOR SUPERMAN, DEC. 1 / A groundbreaking feature film provides an engaging and inspiring look at public education in the United States. 7 p.m. Free. Fort Worth Urban Living. Fig Leaf Cleaning Co., 1913 Windsor Place. 817.832-1173.
galleries
OPEN STUDIO NIGHT, DEC. 9 / Artists demonstrate various forms of glass art. Free. 6-9 p.m. SiNaCa Studios School of Glass, 1013 W. Magnolia Ave. sinacastudios.org. 817.899.0024.
FOCUS GAllERY ONE, THROUGH DEC. 30 / Featuring the work of Stephanie Clark. Mon.-Fri. 9
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, THROUGH DEC. 23 / When a blizzard threatens to stop Santa from delivering Christmas toys, Rudolph learns that differences can be blessings. 10 a.m. Tue. and Sat. Tickets: $7-$16. Artisan Center Theater. 418 E. Pipeline Road, Hurst. artisanct.com. 817.284.1200.
AUNTEE EXPLAINS X-MAS, NOV. 26-DEC. 30 /
Full of music and laughter, Auntee narrates a classic Christmas story or two through her own loopy, tell-it-like-it-is, perspective. 8 p.m. Thur.-Sat.; 3 p.m. Sat.-Sun. Tickets: $10. Jubilee Theatre, 506 Main St. jubileetheatre.org. 817.338.4411.
a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Fort Worth Community Arts Center, 1300 Gendy St. fwcac.com. 817.738.1938.
FOCUS GAllERY TWO, THROUGH DEC. 30 / Featuring the work of Elaine Pawtowicz. Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Fort Worth Community Arts Center, 1300 Gendy St. fwcac.com. 817.738.1938.
other attractions and events
REMEMBER BETHLEHEM, DEC. 2-4 / Display of hundreds of nativity sets from around the world. Free. Dec. 2 and 3, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Dec. 4, 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Arlington Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, 3809 Curt Drive, Arlington. 817.457.8925. arlingtonnativity.org.
MRS BAIRD’S VISITS WITH SANTA, DEC. 9-11, DEC. 16-18 / Since 1939, Santa has been meeting with children at the Mrs Baird’s Bakery in Fort Worth. Fridays, 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Noon to 4:30 p.m. Guests are invited, but not required, to bring a new toy to donate to benefit Toys for Tots. 7301 S. Freeway. mrsbairds.com.
CHRISTMAS IN THE STOCKYARDS, DEC. 3 / Complete with wagon rides, caroling and a tree lighting. Free. 2 p.m-6 p.m. Fort Worth Historic Stockyards, 817.625.9715. fortworthstockyards.org.
CHRISTMAS TYME IN ALEDO AND ALEDO ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR, DEC. 3 / Lighting ceremony, Santa, music and other events, 5 p.m.-9 p.m. downtown Arts & Crafts fair beginning at 10 a.m. at the Aledo Community center, 104 Robinson Court, Aledo. 817.444.7016.
SANTA’S BACK IN TOWN!, THROUGH DEC. 21 / Visit Santa Claus by the Sundance Square Tree on Main Street between Third and Fourth streets. Tug on his beard and tell him your holiday wishes. 817.255.5700.
NORTH POlE EXPRESS, DEC. 2-4, 9-11, 16-21 / Ride the Grapevine Vintage Railroad aboard the North Pole Express while you enjoy carols, stories and an encounter with Santa Claus himself. $18. 2:30 p.m.; 3:30 p.m.; 4:30 p.m. Check Web site for specific times. Grapevine. 817.410.3385. tinyurl.com/np-express.
Every year, many top-quality cancer research projects are put on hold for lack of funding. The American Cancer Society is thankful to the leadership of the North Texas Research Advisory Council members listed below who have helped move forward nine of these promising research projects over the past six years. They are helping us move closer to a world with less cancer and more birthdays.
Gail Bohdan and Richard N. Rudnicki, D.O.
William and Sharon Bowie
Debbie and Steve Bryant*
Brenda and Glen Whitley*
Joe and Jessie Crump Medical Research Fund
Janeen and Bill Lamkin*
Dr. John A. Malonis and Jamie Malonis
Jareen E. Schmidt/J.E.S. Edwards Foundation
Diane Stow, Fort Worth, Texas magazine
Mark Skinner and Valerie Holloway Skinner/ The Graham and Carolyn Holloway Family Foundation*
Mark and Jennifer Strand, U.S. Trust Bank of America Private Wealth Management*
Dr. Adelaide Griffin and Brooks Griffin/Virginia and Robert Hobbs Charitable Trust, Wells Fargo, Trustee *Former Initiative Chairs
Valerie & Mark Skinner 2011 North Texas Research Initiative Chairs
To learn how you can be part of this exceptional American Cancer Society initiative, visit hpStrategicGiving.org or call 682-465-6153
fwdish
THE BAJA FISH TACOS AT THE TAVERN ARE ROLL-YOUR-OWN. The dish arrives at the table with a healthy slab of blackened Mahi accompanied by chipotle sauce, fresh guacamole, cilantro, diced tomato and pickled red onions. The fish fillet comes whole with five small corn tortillas so you can make exactly the taco you wish to eat. It is a unique combination of both colors and flavors and in keeping with the Southwestern flavor of the restaurant. The sides are rice and beans. To learn more, turn the page.
176 now open: The Tavern / 178 review: Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine/ 180 listings
Culinary ventures in and around town
Fort Worth, Texas: The City’s Magazine
Casual Charm
At first glance, it may not seem like much has changed at the former home of Snookie’s on Hulen. The interior may look somewhat familiar, but the menu is something else entirely.
by Courtney Dabney
While the warm colors of wine and terra cotta framing the expansive bar remain, and you can still find a couple of burgers on the menu, chef felipe armenta Jr. has created the tavern with a decidedly inventive southwestern flavor. his focus on fresh ingredients and penchant for putting his own twist on classics have the place packed most nights.
we tried one of the house specialties for an appetizer, the fire roasted a rtichokes ($9). these are steamed until tender and then sliced
in half to remove the fuzzy choke. they are roasted and presented with apparent grill marks and a crusty char along with grilled lemon and a chipotle dipping sauce. it is a simple and welcome update on a favorite vegetable. we loved their velvety texture and raced one another to the fork-tender heart. but, like other charred goodies you eat with your hands, they left their mark. one remedy would be to serve them with wet-naps.
would like to mention that it was a runner-up in last month’s 25 top dishes feature. the crab cake is just straight-up lump crabmeat, and it’s awesome, resting in a bed of dijon mustard sauce with its side of salad tossed in a bacon vinaigrette. i would highly recommend it. it was only edged out by the campfire roasted salmon, which is listed as an appetizer, but it makes a nice lunch portion as well.
i went for something i don’t review often, the niman ranch pork chop ($18). this massive double-cut pork chop is house cured and wood grilled. it has the consistency of a steak. the swine that live on niman ranch must have it pretty good, up until they wind up on my dinner plate. the ranch certainly produces some very pampered and tasty critters. i liked the pork chop but thought it could use a sauce of some kind to up the moisture content of the dish, since this thick cut of pork is naturally a little dry. it was paired with a spinach sauté with grilled onion, crunchy cabbage and grated parmesan cheese.
we have tried some of the other soft taco options in the past, as well as the popular mexico city enchiladas and were very pleased. on this night, it was the baja fish tacos ($15) that caught our eye. the blackened mahi was served as a whole fillet atop five small corn tortillas for you to assemble your own tacos to taste. it was complemented by chipotle sauce, fresh guacamole, cilantro, diced tomato and pickled red onions – which were a unique addition that really worked. it was both colorful and
flavorful, with rice and beans on the side.
The Tavern has a consistently casual and lively crowd. “I was eating here before I was working here,” said our waiter, Tripp. He knew what to suggest and exactly how it was prepared. There are multiple flat screens throughout, and the bar is arched, spanning almost the full length of the restaurant, with an open kitchen in view just beyond. You will find an interesting cookbook collection scattered throughout, along with Aloe Vera plants and bold artwork.
For dessert, I ordered the Key Lime Pie ($6), which was highly recommended. It was killer! One of the most original takes on Key Lime I’ve seen in years. The graham cracker crust was roughly crumbled, not ground finely and pressed as in typical preparations. This gave it a unique nutty consistency, which was sprinkled over the top for garnish. You could see the flecks of fresh lime zest blended into the filling with its almost Crème Brule texture. All this was topped with a huge dollop of unsweetened whipped cream – very European! I can’t wait to try the other dessert offerings.
Since losing long-time neighborhood favorites like Snookie’s, The Covey and Bistro Louise in the last year, this area needed a new anchor, and The Tavern is taking the lead.
A lot of your friends and neighbors have already found The Tavern, and some have begun claiming their favorite tables and bar stools too, so don’t delay. I have actually never been in that I haven’t seen someone I knew. I am a big fan and hope Chef Armenta has a few tricks left up his sleeve to make it a long run.
Housed in the Frank Kent Honda Building,
We are so glad to have you back!
Call of the Wild
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, and Chef Jon Bonnell’s creative juices are just beginning to flow.
by Courtney Dabney
Ihave to admit that i have known Jon Bonnell and his family most of my life. they are not only unusually talented as a whole, but also tirelessly generous people who lend their time and gifts to many worthy causes. and, Jon is no exception. he is not your typical hot-headed celebrity chef, nor the prancing prima donna you might expect to find. simply put, he is one of the foremost authorities on the preparation of wild game anywhere, but also a hometown boy whose passion for his family and his city shine through in everything he touches.
if you are not a fan of wild game, that’s probably because you’ve never had it cooked well. i
know Uncle Bubba’s venison sausage may have turned you off for life, but if you are brave and willing to give it one more try, Bonnell’s will open your mind as well as your palate. Believe me, there is a world out there beyond beef, chicken or pork, and it doesn’t have to taste gamey.
ly like olives and exploded in your mouth with crunchy, peppery smaller berries, akin to a fig. a fresh arugula salad was dressed in a creamy lemon peppercorn dressing, and crispy fried capers were sprinkled over the plate.
we went in many different directions for our main course. with options ranging from quail, buffalo, elk or pheasant, i chose the ostrich special ($39), which is actually red meat quite like lean steak. i ordered mine prepared medium rare, the same as i would order my beef. it was braised and sliced like typical tenderloin with a rich fig reduction sauce. tender baby zucchinis were cut lengthwise and served along with a man-sized portion of chipotle-spiced mashed potatoes. i had never had ostrich before and have to tell you that it tasted only slightly different than beef, and if i had not known it was ostrich, i wouldn’t have known to ask.
one of my friends went with another of the specials, the Rabbit ($32). it was also formed into a loin, stuffed with red bell pepper and Boursin cheese and then wrapped in bacon for added flavor. it was light and white much like chicken. his wife played it safe with the Chicken and wild mushroom Pasta ($22), which was chock-full of bold and meaty mushrooms in a cream sauce flavored with black and white truffles.
for dessert, we split a sampler plate, which Bonnell’s also offers for appetizers and entrees for those who just can’t decide. the crowd favorite was the tres leches Creme Brulee ($7), which was decadent with its almost caramellike texture.
for instance, we had the venison Carpaccio ($10) for an appetizer. the crimson red meat was shaved so thinly that it was almost translucent, and the flavor was very mild. all that stood out was its buttery texture. it was offered with whole briny caper berries that looked deceptive-
the understated decor is elegant and rustic at the same time. it includes a separate bar area where you can relax with a cocktail or explore the vast, award-winning wine list that includes pricey rarities alongside many more accessible vintages. Bonnell’s well-trained staff can help you make the perfect selection to complement your meal.
t he large dining room is comfortably partitioned into four smaller spaces with the use of warm wood dividers. w hite tablecloths sparkle with candles and wine glasses, while hand-tooled leather chargers set a slightly rugged tone.
don’t reserve a trip to Bonnell’s only for special occasions. it is a great escape from the ordinary in all seasons.
restaurant guide
The Listings section is a readers service compiled by the Fort Worth, Texas magazine editorial staff. The magazine does not accept advertising or other compensation in exchange for the listings. Listings are updated regularly. To correct a listing or request a restaurant be considered for the list, contact Paul K. Harral at pharral@fwtexas.com.
pricing: $ Entrees up to $10, $$ Entrees $10-$20, $$$ Entrees $20-$25, $$$$ Entrees $25 and over
american
Arlington/Mid-Cities
BABE’S CHICKEN DINNER HOUSE / 230 N. Center St., 817.801.0300. Lunch Hours 11am-2pm Mon.-Fri.; Dinner Hours 5pm-9pm Mon.-Fri; All Day 11am-9pm Sat. and Sun. $
tHE zODIAC ROOm At NEImAN mARCUS / 2100 Green Oaks Blvd., 817.989.4650. 11am-3pm Mon.-Sat $$
Grapevine wINEwOOD GRIll / 1265 S. Main St., Grapevine, 76051 817.421.0200. 11am-10pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat. $$-$$$
Keller/Lake Country
CIty HAll REStAURANt At ARtHOUSE / 201 Town Center, 817.741.2433. 11am-9pm, Mon.-Tues.; 11 am10pm, Wed.-Thurs.; 11am-11 pm, Fri.-Sat; 10am-3pm, Sun. $-$$ HARBOR ONE / 9315 Boat Club Rd., 817.236.8150. 10am-6pm Wed.-Sun. $
ANGELO’S / 2533 White Settlement Rd., 817.332.0357. 11am-10pm Mon.-Sat. $ COOPER'S OLD TImE PIT BAR- B - QUE / 301 Stockyards Blvd., 817.626.6464. 11am-8:30pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-9:30pm Fri. and Sat. $
CHAPPS / 2045 N. Hwy. 360, 817.649.3000. Other locations: 153 Southwest Plaza (1-20 & Little Road), 817.483.8008. 2596 E. Arkansas, 817.460.2097. 11am9pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-9pm Fri.-Sat. $ OLD TOWN HAmBURGERS / 2406 W. Park Row Dr., 817.276.9191. 11am-9pm Daily. $
Fort Worth
DUTCH’S / 3009 S. University Dr., 817.927.5522. Chef Grady Spears is at it again with his newly opened burger joint. Laid-back atmosphere with good-tasting burgers and fries. 11am-9pm Mon.-Thu.; 11am-10pm Fri.-Sat.; 11am-9pm Sun. $ THE GREAT OUTDOORS / 3204 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.877.4400. 9am-9pm Mon.-Sat.; 10am-8pm Sun. $ KINCAID’S / 4901 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.732.2881. Other location: 4825 Overton Ridge Blvd., 817.370.6400 11am-8pm Mon.-Sat. $
THE LOvE SHACK / 110 E. Exchange Ave., 817.740.8812.; 817 Matisse, Ste. 445, 817.348.9655. 11am-9pm Sun.-Tue.; 11am-10pm Wed. & Thu.; 11am1am Fri. & Sat. $ m & O STATION GRILL / 200 Carroll St., 817.882.8020. 11am-3pm Mon.; 11am-8:30pm Tue.Sat.. $ PAPPA’S BURGERS / 2700 W. Freeway, 817.870.9736. 11am-9pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri. & Sat. $-$$ THE POUR HOUSE SPORTS GRILL / 2725 W. 7th St., 817.335.2575. 11am-2am Mon.-Sat.; 11am-midnight Sun. $ TOmm Y’S HAmBURGERS / 2701 Green Oaks Rd., 817.735.9651. Other locations: 5228 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.569.1111. 3431 W. 7th St., 817.885.7500. 11am-9pm Mon.-Thu.; 11am-10pm Fri.-Sat.; 11am-6pm Sun. $ Z’S CAFÉ / 1300 Gendy St. 817.989.2233. 10am-2pm Mon.-Sat. $
Southlake
JOHNNY B’S BURGERS & SHAKES / 2704 E. Southlake Blvd., 817.749.0000. 10:30am-8:30pm Mon.-Thu.; 10:30am-9pm Fri.-Sat.; 10:30am-3pm Sun. $
continental
Arlington
CAFÉ AT DAIREDS / 2400 W. I-20 (Temporarily Closed for Remodeling), 817.465.9797. Other
Fort Worth 610 GRILLE / 610 Main St., 817.332.0100. 6:30am9pm Sun.-Thu.; 6:30am-10pm Fri.-Sat. $-$$$
delis & bakeries
Arlington IRIS BAGEL AND COFFEE HOUSE / 5801 W. Interstate 20, 817.561.9989. 5:30am-2pm Mon.-Sat.; 7am-2pm Sun. $
Fort Worth
ARTISAN BAKING COmPANY / 4900 White Settlement Rd., 817.821.3124. 9am-5pm Tue.-Fri., 8am-noon Wed. & Sat. at the Farmer’s Market. $ BAKER BROS. AmERICAN DELI / 6333 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 244, 817.989.1400. Other Location: 501 Carroll St., Ste. 658., 817.332.0500. 11am-9pm daily. $ BLACK ROOSTER BAKERY / 2430 Forest Park Blvd., 817.924.1600. 7am-4pm Tue.-Fri., 8am-2pm Sat. $ BLUEBONNET BAKERY / 3905 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.731.4233. 7am-6pm Mon.-Fri.; 7am-4pm Sat. $ BOOPA’S BAGEL DELI / 6513 N. Beach St., 817.232.4771. 5:30am-2pm Mon.-Fri.; 6:30am-2pm Sat.; 6:30am-1pm Sun. $
[ORDINARY WOMEN DOING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS]
We have our Art of Giving Award finalists! Now you, our readers, will have the opportunity to vote for the recipient of the Art of Giving Award from each region.
Please go to fwtx.com before Jan. 15 to vote for the candidate of your choice. Here are the finalists:
Fort Worth (includes Parker and Johnson counties)
Michelle Hancock
Joan Katz
Olivia Kearney
Janeen Lamkin
Paige Pate
Arlington/ Mansfield
Doreen Bruner
Linda Dipert
Laura Di Stefano
Northeast Tarrant County
Elsie Gunter
Fonda Martin
Cecelia Monacelli
Jackie Finch
Leslie Johnston
Ret Stansberger
Renova Williams
We look forward to honoring these selfless givers who, by example, have encouraged others to support local organizations and causes..
In a culture where fish is most often breaded and deep fried, it is always a treat to find something different. Chef Dominick Simonetti provides that in Sundance Square.
Daddy Jack’s has been around a decade now, and its fans are legion and loyal. But a problem some face is that once they try a dish, they may keep ordering it over and over and never experience the wide range available on the menu.
Mainstay entrées include Pecan Breaded Rainbow Trout with a side of Artichoke Remoulade (pan-fried, not deep fried, by the way); Shrimp Scampi with Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Garlic Butter Sauce (don’t tell your cardiologist); and Eggplant Parmesan with mozzarella, marinara and pasta. It’s Texas, so there’s steak on the menu for the non-fishy people.
Drop in if only to see the giant mural of a bronco-busting cowboy riding an unruly lobster. You may bump into Simonetti himself. In the dining room. Not on the lobster.
tHe CupCAke COttAge / 5015 El Campo Ave., 817.732.5670. 10am- when the last cupcake is sold. Tue.-Sat. $
eSpeRANZA’S MeXiCAN CAFÉ & BAkeRY / 2122 N. Main St., 817.626.5770. Other location: 1109 Hemphill St., 817.332.3848. 6:30am-7pm daily. $ j. RAe'S / 935 Foch St., 817.332.0090. 9 am-6pm Mon.-Fri.; 10am-4pm Sat. $
jASON'S deli / jasonsdeli.com. Hours vary. $-$$ kOl ACHe SHOppe / 6724 Brentwood Stair Rd., 817.457.0071. 6am-noon Tue.-Sat.; 7am-noon Sun. $ MCkiNle Y’S FiNe BAkeRY & CAFe / 1616 S. University Dr., 817.332.3242. 8am-6:30pm Mon.-Sat.; 11am-5pm Sun. $ pANeRA BRe Ad / 1700 S. University Dr., 817.870.1959. Other location: 1804 Precinct Line Rd., 817.605.0766; 1409 N. Collins, Arlington, 817.548.8726; 2140 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. S. 817.416.5566 6:30am-9pm Mon.-Sat.; 7am-8pm Sun. $ tHe SNOOt Y pig / 2401 Westport Pkwy., Ste. 120, 817.837.1077. Other locations: 1540 Keller Pkwy, Ste. 107, Keller, 817.431.0064. 6:30am-2pm Mon.-Fri., 7am2pm Sat. & Sun. $ Sweet SAMMieS / 825 Currie St., 817.332.0022. 10am-9pm Sun.-Wed.; 10am-10pm Thu.-Sat. $ SwiSS pAStRY SHOp / 3936 W. Vickery, 817.732.5661. 10am-5:30pm Tue.-Fri.; 10am-4pm Sat. $ YOFe CAFe / 817 Currie St., 817.966.2065. 6 am-8pm Mon.-Fri.; 6am-10pm Sat.-Sun. $ YOgi’S BAgel CAFe / 2710 S. Hulen St., 817.921.4500. 6:30am-9pm Mon.-Fri.; 7am-9pm Sat.; 7:30am-3pm Sun. $
Grapevine
MAiN StReet BRe Ad BAkiNg COMpANY / 316 Main St., 817.424.4333. 6:30am-6:30pm daily. $ tHe SNOOt Y pig / 4010 William D. Tate, 817.283.3800. 6:30am-2pm Mon.-Fri.; 7am-2pm Sat.Sun. $
elegANt C AkeRY / 2707 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 140, 817.488.7580. 9am-6pm Tue.-Sat. $-$$
weiNBuRgeR’S deli / 3 Village Circle, Westlake, 817.491.9119. Other location: 611 Main St., Grapevine, 817.416.5574. 8:30am-7pm Mon.-Sat.; 11am-3pm Sun. $
eclectic
Arlington
BOudRe AuX C A juN k itCHeN/ 4000 Bagpiper Way, 817.557.3700. 11am-10pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat. $$
tHe MeltiNg pOt / 4000 Five Points Road, Ste. 119, 817.469.1444. 5pm-10pm Mon.-Thu.; 5pm-11pm Fri.; 3:30pm-11pm Sat.; 3pm-9pm Sun. $$-$$$ Burleson
wiNe dOwN / 124 S. Scott Street. 817.447.9122. 11am-9pm Wed-Sat. $$ Fort Worth
8.0 ReStAuRANt & BAR / 111 E. Third St., 817.336.0880. 11am-10pm Mon.-Tue.; 11am-1am Wed.; 11am-2am Thu.-Fri.; noon-2am Sat.; 10am-2am Sun. $$
CAFÉ MOdeRN / 3200 Darnell, 817.840.2157. Lunch: 11am-2:30pm Tue.-Fri.; 11am-3pm Sat & Sun. $$ kiMBell AR t MuSeuM / 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.332.8451, ext. 251. For reservations call 817.332.8541 ext. 277. Lunch 11:30am-2pm Tue.-Thu. & Sat.; noon-2pm Fri. & Sun.; Dinner 5:30pm-7:30pm Fri. $$ lili’S B iStRO / 1310 W. Magnolia Ave., 817.877.0700.
CHIMY’S CERvECERIA / 1053 Foch St., 817.348.8888. 11am-midnight Mon.-Sat. $ CHIPOTLE / 3050 S. Hulen St., 817.735.8355. Other locations: 3000 W. 7th St., 817.348.8530. 4484 Bryant Irvin Rd., 817.735.4506. 1312 W. Pipeline Rd., 817.595.3875. 3010 E. Southlake Blvd., 817.748.4745. 11am-10pm daily. $ DOS GRINGOS / 1015 S. University Dr., 817.338.9393.
11am-9pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat. $ EL ASADERO / 1535 N. Main St., 817.626.3399. 11am10pm Sun.-Thu.; 11am-midnight Fri.-Sat. $-$$ EL FENIX / 6391 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817.732.5584. 11am-10pm daily. $ EL R ANCHO GRANDE / 1400 N. Main St., 817.624.9206. 11am-9pm Mon.-Thu.; 11am-10pm Fri.Sat. $-$$
ESPERANZA’S MEXICAN BAKERY & CAFE / 2122 N. Main St., 817.626.5770. Bakery and Cafe: 6 am-7pm daily. Other location: 1601 Park Place Ave., 817.923.1992. 6:30am-9pm Mon.-Thurs.; 6:30am-10pm Fri.-Sat.; 6:30am-5pm Sun. $
FISH CITY GRILL / 2750 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 130, 817.748.0456. 11am-10pm Mon.-Thu.; 11pm-11pm Fri. & Sat.; 11am-9pm Sun. $-$$
TRULUCK’S SEAFOOD, STEAK & CRAB HOUSE / 1420 Plaza Pl., 817.912.0500. 5pm-10pm daily. $$$ Willow Park FISH CREEK / 4899 E. I-20., 817.441.1746. 4pm-9pm Mon.-Thu.; 4pm-10pm Fri.; 4pm-9pm Sat.; 11am-9pm Sun. $$
southwest
Fort Worth
BLUE MESA BAR & GRILL / 1600 S. University Dr., 817.332.6372. Other Location: 1586 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake, 817.416.0055. Fort Worth: 11am-10pm Mon.-Thu.; 11am-11pm Fri.-Sat.; 9am-10pm Sun.; Southlake: 11am-10:30pm Fri. & Sat.; 9am-9:30pm Sun. $$
THE WILD MUSHROOM STEAK HOUSE AND LOUNGE / 1917 Martin Drive, 817.599.4935. 5pm-9pm Mon. - Fri.; 5pm-10pm Sat. $$-$$$$
FEELING LUCKY?
JEWEL CHARITY INVITES YOU TO PURCHASE CHANCE TICKETS TO BE ENTERED TO WIN ONE OF THESE AMAZING PRIZES!
1 2 3 4 6 5 7 8 9 11 12 10
Mercedes Benz 2012 SLK or 2012 ML
Donated by: Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth
Yellow and White Diamond Butterfly Pendant Necklace
Donated by: Graff
2012 Dodge Challenger
Donated by: Roger Williams Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Seven Day Silversea Cruise & Hotels
Donated by: Sanders Travel Centre, Silversea Cruises and Virtuoso
$15,000 Prepaid Gift Card
Donated by: Frost Bank
Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Weekend
Donated by: Anonymous and The St. Regis Aspen Resort
Villa Estrella Costa Rica Getaway
Donated by: Villa Estrella - Costa Rica
Two $5,000 Prepaid Gift Cards
Donated by: Bank of Texas
Dinner for Twelve at Del Frisco’s
Donated by: Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House
$5,000 Haltom’s Gift Card
Donated by:Haltom’s Jewelers
$3,000 Central Market Gift Card
Donated by: Central Market
$3,000 P.S. The Letter Gift Card
Donated by: P.S. The Letter 9 1
3 5 8 10 12 7 11 4 CHANCE TICKETS TO BE DRAWN AT THE JEWEL CHARITY BALL “KALEIDOSCOPE” SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2012 Need not be present to win.
AUCTION SNEAK PEEK!
Donated by: Craft International 1 2 3 4 6 5
Private dinner party for up to 24 guests at La Paloma, featuring famous local chef Jon Bonnell, and flowers from The Enchanted Florist. Acoustic entertainment provided by Pat Green
Donated by:
Pat Green, Marcee & Grant James, Bonnell’s and The Enchanted Florist
Two tickets to the Naeem Khan Fashion Show in NYC, during Fashion Week, September 2012, $3,000 Naeem Khan Gift Certificate, and two nights stay at the St. Regis - Fifth Avenue
Donated by: Stanley Korshak/Naeem Khan and Debbie & Don Reynolds
Enjoy six days/five nights at the St. Regis Deer Valley in Park City, Utah during Spring Break Week, March 10-15, 2012
Donated by: Noel & David Nolet
Watch the Frogs in style as they tackle the Big 12 with this VIP Package that includes participating in the Ceremonial Coin Toss, Eight Club Seats and Two Premium Parking Passes
Donated by:
Marcee & Grant James, Olivia & Jeff Kearney and Rudy Klancnik TCU Sports
Enjoy six days/five nights in a three bedroom condo at the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club in Aspen, Colorado. June 23-27, 2012, or September 29-October 3, 2012
Donated by: Meg & John Rubin
Donated by: Autobahn Porsche 2 3 4 6 5 1
Once in a lifetime opportunity to spend the day shooting some of the most exotic weapons in the world with the #1 Sniper in US military history, former Navy SEAL, Chief Chris Kyle
Purple Ostrich “Gloria” Tote from the Lisa Barfield Collection
Donated by: Lisa Barfield, Barfield Collection
His and Hers custom M. L. Leddy’s handmade quilled ostrich boots, matching belts and sterling silver buckle sets by Clint Orms
Donated by: M.L. Leddy’s
One pair of stunning 18 karat gold, black and white diamond cufflinks from Michael Kanners
Donated by: Michael Kanners
2012 Porsche RS Carbon Fiber Bicycle
CALLING
People and events that shaped our city
fwflashback
MEMBERS OF WHAT WOULD BECOME THE FORT WORTH CLUB pose with a guest during the winter of 1896. The club’s history reports that the organization was chartered on June 10, 1885, as the Commercial Club and became the Fort Worth Club in 1906. There is no mention of an unusually severe December in 1896, but the National Weather Service does report a series of severe winters in the late 1800s, including one of the five coldest Februarys on record in 1895 and widespread snow in Tarrant County in December of 1898.
Courtesy, Jack White Photograph Collection, Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library, Arlington, Texas.
Fort Worth Club Snowman
Committed to exCellenCe
As owners of The Schwab Agency, Colleyville residents Sam and Leslie Schwab have spent their post-military career providing personal and business insurance for an array of committed clients. Their 19-year-old, independent agency is truly a family affair. Their daughter, Katie, and two sons, John and Tim, are also employed as agents. The family prides itself on providing exceptional service from America’s leading insurers, resulting in long-term relationships. It’s no surprise they expect the same from their automobiles. Sam and Leslie are committed Mercedes-Benz owners, returning to the luxury manufacturer time and again for their “high technology, solid construction and safety features—in a word—value.”
The Schwabs currently own a 2012 ML350, a 2012 C250 Coupe, a 2011 E350, and a 2011 C300. The couple purchased all four vehicles from Park Place Motorcars Grapevine. They appreciate the dealership for an array of reasons, including product knowledge, an impressive inventory, convenient location, quality facility and superior after-sale service. “Sales consultant Tony Bedford is an outstanding professional backed by an exceptional service and management staff,” Leslie said. It’s for these reasons, and more, the Schwabs consider themselves committed Park Place customers.