Thanks to five new Fort Worth hotels and two longtime favorites in Arlington and Grapevine, and lots of things to do, “getting away” might figuratively be in your own backyard.
BY MARY MURPHY
60
Raising Hell
Cory Melton, once a former top bull rider, now raises the same sort of “sumbitches” that nearly killed him.
BY TYLER HICKS
66
The New Kids on the Bloc
The five new members of the Fort Worth City Council have become the exemplar of American politics, all of them having become good friends, no matter their differences.
BY JOHN HENRY
77
Private School Guide
A guide to the area’s private schools and the state’s colleges and universities.
the fort see
14 Buzz
March Madness, the PGA, horses, football … oh, my. As it concerns sporting events and their economic impact, Fort Worth will be winning in 2022, and that’s no bull.
20 Calendar
Giddyup, Cowboy. The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is back after a COVID timeout. And, at long last, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s critically acclaimed “Hamilton” makes its way to the stage at Bass Hall.
22 Fort Worthian
World traveler Jada Nicome has landed in Fort Worth as the general manager of Hotel Dryce, a definite hot spot in the Cultural District.
24 Good Reads
The mayor enjoys historical fiction, particularly tomes that celebrate the resilience of the human spirit. Mattie Parker gives us recommendations, including Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale.
26 People
It was fate, no doubt, that COVID drove “1883” actor Eric Nelsen to move to Funky Town. His commute to the office turned out to be quite short. We talk to him.
30 Health
Kick-start your New Year’s resolution with these five tips.
32 Travel
Mayakoba, Mexico: Replace the centuries-old stone buildings and cathedrals with lush forests overflowing with wildlife and the occasional waterfront hotel room, and you have a tropical Venice.
36 Dream Street
An update on Fort Worth Magazine’s flagship annual event.
40 Restaurant News
Worlds collide at the Near Southside’s Beast and Company, where culinary cultures from around the globe abound.
96 Snaps
The Colleyville Woman’s Club welcomes a guest from across the pond, and the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth marks a milestone birthday.
CLOSE
112 This once-in-a-bluemoon photo at DFW Airport requires the luck of perfect timing.
Above and Beyond
Sarah Hooton, local pastry chef and avid Chevy Tahoe fan, recently purchased her third Tahoe, a 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe, from Platinum Chevrolet Cadillac. “I’ve always loved the look of Tahoes,” she says. “They’ve been great vehicles.” Sarah says her 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe is well-equipped and about as versatile as large SUVs come with a hauling capacity of up to eight people, unmatched comfort and style, and a supple, quiet ride. “I love the way it drives,” says Sarah, co-owner of the Hot Box Biscuit Club, a hugely popular pop-up that turned into a permanent South Main brick-and-mortar space, serving casual, comforting Southern food.
A first-time Platinum Chevrolet Cadillac customer, Sarah says she “won’t ever go anywhere else.” When asked what sets the Gilchrist Automotive dealership apart, Sarah heartily cited the “above and beyond” customer service and overall, no-hassle experience. “Customer service is hard to find these days. It’s something I especially value being in the hospitality industry, and it’s very apparent they value this too,” she says. “Justin Rudd was so easy to work with — answered all of my questions immediately. No pressure. I’ve never trusted a car-buying process every step of the way as much as I did this one. Without a doubt, the best car-buying experience of my life.”
PICTURED: Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator; Justin Rudd, General Manager of Platinum Chevrolet Cadillac; Sarah Hooton, customer.
Changes
When I first arrived at Fort Worth Magazine, there were two other editors on staff. One was Scott Nishimura, a crotchety — in very humorous ways — old-school journalist who seemingly has every Fort Worthian saved as a contact in his iPhone and easily kept me mesmerized with war stories from his days as a Star-Telegram beat reporter. You might remember him as the writer of our May 2021 cover story, “A Shadow Over Sundance Square.” He left the magazine a couple of months ago and has since been replaced by John Henry, a less crotchety but still incredibly talented writer and editor who has a similar Star-Telegram pedigree.
The other editor was Samantha Calimbahin, a then-25-yearold who had been at the magazine for a couple of years. In many ways, she was a walking contradiction: young seeming but incredibly confident; toes the line but willing to take a risk; obsessed with all things Disney but regularly pitches me some of the edgiest content we’ve published. While I was technically her boss when I started, she was placed in the cumbersome position of having to show me the ropes. Over the next several months, she, in many ways, taught me how to put together the magazine. Her organization, attention to detail, and knowledge of the city were second to none. In hindsight, I struck pay dirt with her being her; I would have been lost without her.
Today, the day I wrote this letter, is Sam’s last day at the magazine. Like many young professionals, she’s moving on in the hopes of pursuing her passion: music. Obviously, Sam isn’t the first person to voluntarily leave the magazine since I’ve been here (not that we’re a revolving door), but she is the first person I’m writing about. And that’s because of the immense impact she has had on this publication. For the past five years, her fingerprints have been all over this magazine. While one could say I’ve been steering the ship, she’s been the one ensuring the ship doesn’t break apart as we go left full rudder. With Sam gone, things will undoubtedly change — but I promise the ship will remain intact.
But it’s not that this change is a bad thing. I’m excited to bring on board an editor with a fresh perspective and new ideas. Initially, yes, they’ll have big shoes to fill. But eventually, they’ll gain the confidence to get some kicks of their own — a pair that suits them a little better. Change is tough, and it can be sad. But it’s also inevitable and is brimming with possibility.
ON THE COVER: Tim Love’s new Hotel Otto provided the perfect backdrop for our January cover. We were fortunate the shoot landed on a picturesque October afternoon, when the weather was just warm enough for model Lacey James to dip her feet in the pool.
by Crystal Wise.
Corrections? Comments? Concerns? Send to executive editor Brian Kendall at bkendall@fwtexas. com.
NEXT MONTH
Love and Dating in Fort Worth
Donald Curry: From World Champ to Lost Golden Years
Fort Worth Gives: Special Charity Section
owner/publisher hal a. brown
president mike waldum
owner/publisher hal a. brown
president mike waldum
EDITORIAL
executive editor brian kendall
digital executive editor samantha calimbahin
contributing editor john henry
contributing writers tyler hicks, tina howard, malcolm mayhew, mary murphy, jillian verzwyvelt copy editor sharon casseday
ART
creative director craig sylva
senior art director spray gleaves
advertising art director ed woolf
contributing photographers olaf growald, crystal wise
ADVERTISING
advertising account supervisors gina burns-wigginton x150, marion c. knight x135 account executive tammy denapoli x141 territory manager, fort worth inc. rita hale x133
sales support coordinator josh anderson x140
MARKETING
digital marketing & development director robby kyser
marketing manager sarah benkendorfer
digital marketing specialist brenntyn rhea events and partnership manager melissa carr marketing intern lauren roberts
CORPORATE
chief financial officer charles newton founding publisher mark hulme
CONTACT US main line 817.560.6111 subscriptions 800.856.2032
Brian Kendall EXECUTIVE EDITOR
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YOUR LEGENDARY EXPERIENCE AWAITS
FORT WORTH’S NEWEST ENTERTAINMENT DESTINATION
Located in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards, Hotel Drover, an award-winning, 200-room Autograph Collection Hotel by Marriott, focuses on simple pleasures and genuine hospitality. Experience the true spirit of the West at the resort’s inspired boutiques, and it’s featured restaurant 97 West Kitchen & Bar. Looking for more adventure, walk on over to the award-winning Mule Alley for a curated collection of heritage brands, restaurants, and entertainment.
Area Solds
2600 PALADORA DRIVE | Walsh Ranch
7833 BELLA FLORA DRIVE | Bella Flora
HILLCREST STREET | Rivercrest
5208 EAST VERDE CIRCLE | La Cantera
4660 SAINT BENET COURT | Montserrat
2201 HIDDEN CREEK ROAD | Westover
Let’s Chat
A few words from our readers
Good job, Fort Worth! The Trinity has been needing a cleanup for a long time! — Lacy Bond
It’s very sad that the city had to invest $600K for each when people cleaning up after themselves is free.
— Danella Munson West
Make them cute, and let us name them!
@ZitsMcGee via Twitter
TRENDING ONLINE
Visit fwtx.com for the full story.
» Ballpark Coffee to Help Launch New Nonprofit
An unlikely pairing spurred by an even unlikelier partnership is all part of an initiative to stimulate the economy on the east side of 76104, using the power of caffeine.
Watched the show and saw them live a few times. Damn, could they play. Connect, inspire, make time stop, and take you to another place. They did it with their shoes, their hooks, and their melodies. I’d like them to buy the world a Coke one more time or maybe just smile.
Chris via fwtx.com
DIGITAL EDITION: The virtual editions of both current and previous issues are available on our website. Flip through the pages to read more about the great city of Fort Worth by visiting fwtx.com.
» Once Upon a Time, Sonny Dykes’ Father Flirted with TCU Spike Dykes once had a conversation about becoming the Frogs’ head coach.
» Funkytown: 2021 in Music
With a nickname like Funkytown, you can assume some of 2021’s best tunes were homegrown.
follow us for more @fwtxmag
Fast. Friendly. Fair.
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AUTO GROUP
Right Direction
Meet Eric Nelsen on page 26, a recently adopted Fort Worthian who gets to play cowboy with Tim McGraw and Sam Elliott.
Changing the Game
2022 looks to be a pivotal year for Fort Worth sports and its impact on the local economy.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
Fort Worth may not be welcoming the Super Bowl or building facilities to compete with Jerry World (yet, anyway), but the city is making strides when it comes to establishing its identity in the realm of sports.
2022 is shaping up to be one of the biggest sports years the city has ever seen. Between NCAA championships, March Madness, and annual rodeo competitions, Fort Worth is also welcoming the biggest event in professional bull riding, the PBR World Finals, set to take place May 13 – 22 at Dickies Arena. That’s on top of annual mainstays like the Charles Schwab Challenge and Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, plus the newly launched Panther City Lacrosse Club, the city’s first franchise in the National Lacrosse League.
Fans have the Fort Worth Sports Commission to thank for playing a large part in that growth. Though it’s been operating for roughly five years as an arm of Visit Fort Worth, the commission officially became a 501(c)(3) organization last spring, continuing its work to not only attract sports but also manage other event aspects related to marketing, operations, and the fan experience.
But beyond the fun and games, if you will, bigger sporting events also translate to a greater economic impact — a multimillion-dollar impact, in fact, as teams and fans alike flock to Fort Worth, stay at our hotels, eat at our restaurants, and take in everything else there is to see and do around town. In 2021, the Sports Commission counted more than 40 events responsible for an economic impact worth more than $100 million.
The commission hopes the city will bear similar fruit in 2022. Equestrian events alone at Will Rogers Memorial Center account for about $70 million. The PBR World Finals, at its previous home in Las Vegas, brought north of $20 million to the city, and Fort Worth anticipates its impact to fall within a similar range.
“We’re focused on leveraging the assets we have, the best way possible,” Sports Commission director Jason Sands says. “Dickies Arena has really opened up the door for us to host a lot of high-profile events. Our goal is to show these national governing bodies that when they come to Fort Worth, they’ve got a home here. Their business, their event, can thrive and grow year over year.”
Sands says the Sports Commission’s intent is threefold: There’s the economic growth, for one, but also promotion of the city’s image (through national broadcasts, for example) and impacting the local community through programs like Readers Become Leaders, a partnership with the NCAA that encourages Fort Worth Independent School District students to read books for prizes.
Next steps for the commission include putting together a board of directors and building resources for local student athletes, such as a new youth sports facility, Sands says.
“We’re making sure we’re putting Fort Worth on the map through the power of sports,” he says.
The PBR World Finals will move to Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena in May.
SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2022
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE – MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
March 7 – 10 (Women’s), March 10 –13 (Men’s), Dickies Arena
Estimated economic impact: $6 million (total for both events)
NCAA BASKETBALL 1ST AND 2ND ROUND
March 17 and 19, Dickies Arena
Estimated economic impact: $7.2 million
NCAA WOMEN’S COLLEGIATE GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
April 14 and 16, Dickies Arena
Estimated economic impact: $5.4 million
SPORTS ETA ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM (SPORTS TOURISM CONFERENCE)
May 2 – 5, Fort Worth Convention Center”
Estimated economic impact: $1.6 million
PBR WORLD FINALS
May 13 – 22 (Dickies Arena: May 13 – 15 and May 19 – 22)
Estimated economic impact: Over $20 million in Las Vegas, with similar impact anticipated for Fort Worth EQUESTRIAN EVENTS
Year-round, Will Rogers Memorial Center
Estimated economic impact: More than $70 million from 25 events held annually
Simone Biles at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships at Dickies Arena in 2021.
Best Burb in the US
This outlying residential district that sits just outside Fort Worth boasts a pretty decent high school football program, too.
BY JOHN HENRY
It might come as somewhat of a surprise to know that the best suburb for “city-like living” in the whole United States — at least according to one study — sits nestled in
between the two urbs (yes, that’s a word) that anchor North Texas.
And it has a pretty good football team.
Southlake, Texas, is that cozy hamlet deemed better than all the others from sea to shining sea.
“Out of the 1,030 suburbs we considered, Southlake emerges as the best suburb for amenityrich living, thanks to a combination of features such as good schools plus access to restaurants, stores, and health care facilities,” says StorageCafe.
Colleyville was rated No. 23. Dr. Hilburn (or was it, “Lilburn”?) Howard Colley, who settled in the area in the 1880s, probably never saw that coming. Flower Mound was ranked 74th.
StorageCafe researchers based their findings on the following criteria:
• Local median household income ($240,200 a year in Southlake)
• Housing affordability index, an indicator that shows the local housing cost — both rents and home values — related to income (Southlake, 228)
PHOTO BY CRYSTAL WISE
Southlake was recently named Best Suburb in the U.S. by StorageCafe researchers.
• Local employment opportunities (businesses of 1,000 people) and their corresponding average wage
• Population density measured as people per square mile
• The number of retail stores and restaurants per 1,000 of the local population (Southlake = lots)
• Park and recreation area square footage per capita
• Public schools ranking (And did we mention that football team that again went deep into the Class 6A playoffs?)
• Crime rate, defined as offenses known to law enforcement as a percentage of the population
• The availability of self-storage as it’s a service most likely associated with moving (StorageCafe is doing the work here, after all.)
The Chicagoland metropolitan area had the most suburbs in the top 100, including five in the top 10, followed by New York and Los Angeles.
The study’s authors were effusive about Southlake: “Living here means you get the best of both worlds: the space, safe streets, and good schools traditionally associated with suburban living, plus an excellent mix of lifestyle-oriented amenities. The community is rich in shopping and dining options that cater to all tastes and budgets. There are about 6.5 retail stores per 1,000 locals, twice as many as you’d find in the average suburb.” Make sure you come hungry.
“Southlake also fares well in terms of dining spots, with about 3.8 restaurants for every 1,000 residents. Besides these types of features, Southlake is also a great place for families with children. The public school system is one of the best rated in the nation, with two Southlake elementary schools making it into the list of best schools in Texas.”
Lots of green space, too, 577 square feet of park space per person and 20 miles of hiking trails.
10 Things to Know This Month
1
A historical marker now stands at the site where Fred Rouse, a Black man, was lynched by a mob of white men in 1921. The marker went up at 1000 NE 12th St. in December, followed by a groundbreaking ceremony for the future Mr. Fred Rouse Memorial to be built in his memory.
2
Texas Wesleyan University took another step closer to realizing its vision for a football stadium on campus with the school’s announcement of a $2.5 million gift from Moritz Dealerships. The school’s field house will be named in Moritz’s honor.
3
The historic Riverside Baptist Church has been transformed into a mixed-income housing community, Cielo Place. A project by Saigebrook Development and Accolade Property Management, Cielo Place will consist of 91 total units at 3111 Race St.
4
Downtown Arlington’s Urban Union district is embarking on perhaps its most ambitious expansion to date. Construction is underway on its next phase of development, spanning 50,000 square feet along Front Street and encompassing five new mixed-use buildings to house restaurants, retail shops, and apartments.
5
After two decades in San Diego, iconic boot brand Old Gringo Boots is moving its headquarters to 2322 N. Main St. in the Fort Worth Stockyards. The move also comes with the brand’s firstever retail store and restaurant.
6
The WARM Place, a Fort Worth-based nonprofit that provides year-round grief support services to children and their families, was awarded the 2021 PGA Tour Charity of the Year. The charity serves as the main beneficiary of the Charles Schwab Challenge.
7
The TCU football team has a new head coach taking the reins from longtime leader Gary Patterson. In December, the Horned Frogs announced Sonny Dykes as Patterson’s successor, coming to Fort Worth after serving as the head football coach at SMU.
8
One of downtown Fort Worth’s historic icons just crossed a century. The Hilton Fort Worth, also known as the Hotel Texas, celebrated its centennial in December. It’s perhaps best known for hosting President John F. Kennedy, who spent the night there before his assassination.
9
The Fort Worth Public Library is calling on local students to create poetry, spoken word, or visual art in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Students must submit their work in-person at the Reby Cary Youth Library by Jan. 8, with winners announced Jan. 12 and a reading of winning submissions taking place Jan. 15.
10
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is bringing art to the people with the return of its Modern Billings series, a collection of works displayed on Clear Channel Outdoor billboards in underserved communities. The large-scale installations are viewable along Jacksboro Highway and the Lancaster corridor.
*Please visit each event’s website for information on COVID-19 protocols.
JAN. 8
Josh Abbott Band
Country music fans won’t want to miss the Texasbased Josh Abbott Band take to the stage at Billy Bob’s Texas for one night only.
Billy Bob’s Texas 2520 Rodeo Plaza billybobtexas.com
817.624.7117
JAN. 14 – 15
Robert Spano
Conducts ‘Scheherazade’
Conductor Robert Spano and violinist Randall Goosby come together to share George Walker’s “Lyric for Strings,” Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” as part of one sensational program. Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St. basshall.com 817.212.4280
JAN. 15
An Evening with Rich O’Toole at the Post
Enjoy an intimate acoustic performance by country singer-songwriter Rich O’Toole at one of Race Street’s more vibrant venues. Tables must be purchased in advance. The Post at River East 2925 Race St. thepostatrivereast.com
THROUGH JAN. 17
Panther Island Ice
Recruit family and friends to catch the final few days of Fort Worth’s annual outdoor ice-skating rink at Coyote Drive-In. Coyote Drive-In 223 NE Fourth St. pantherislandice.com
JAN. 21
Claes Oldenburg Slow Art Tour
Take a break from the fast-paced distractions of every day by embarking on one of The Modern’s monthly Slow Art Tours, focusing on Swedish-born American sculptor Claes Oldenburg.
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth 3200 Darnell St. themodern.org 817.738.9215
JAN. 22
Blizzard Blast 5K/10K & Fun Run
Lace up your sneakers and bundle up to be a part of one of the city’s coldest races of the year. All profits are put toward Cuidado Casero Foundation’s nursing scholarship fund. Cuidado Casero Foundation Trinity Park, Pavilion #1 2300 W. Seventh St. cuidadocaserofoundation.org 817.310.1100
JAN. 24 – 26
REVOLUTION: Music of the Beatles – A Symphonic Experience
Embark on a multimedia experience with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s symphonic tribute to the sensational English rock band The Beatles, featuring rare photos from the archives and more than 25 top hits. Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St. fwsymphony.org 817.665.6000
JAN. 26, 28, 30 ‘Zorro’
Experience the actionpacked operatic adaption of the popular American pulp fiction novel of Johnston McCulley as part of Fort Worth Opera’s fourth annual celebration of Spanish-language operas and Latino(a) culture, heritage, and artistry.
Fort Worth Opera Rose Marine Theater 505 Pecan St., Suite 100 817.731.0726
JAN. 27 – FEB. 20
Church & State
Making its regional premiere with Stage West, this fast-paced dramady explores the comedic side of modern politics and answers the age-old question — how do you reach the people while staying true to yourself? Stage West 821 W. Vickery Blvd. stagewest.org 817.784.9378
JAN. 29
Introverts and Extroverts
Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth offers a sensational selection of the highest quality chamber music as part of this program with the Busch Trio featuring works by Brahms, Mozart, and Ravel.
Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth 2501 Parkview Drive cmsfw.org 817.877.3003
JAN. 29
Fort Worth Sip & Shop Tour
Spend the afternoon exploring the area’s best shopping and dining destinations.
Ship & Shop Texas Various locations sipandshoptexas.com
THROUGH JAN. 29
Artspace111
Exhibition: Wish You Were Here
Dallas-based artist Carroll Swenson-Roberts shares stories of family, travel, motherhood, and more through color, pattern, space, and shape in her solo exhibition featured at Artspace111 for a limited time.
Artspace111 111 Hampton St. artspace111.com 817.692.3228
JAN. 18 – FEB. 6
‘Hamilton’
Originally slated for 2020, Performing Arts Fort Worth finally presents the award-winning Broadway musical about American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.
Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St. | basshall.com | 817.212.4280
FEB. 4 – 13
‘Matilda the Musical’
Hum along as your favorite storybook characters come to life in the musical adaption of one of Roald Dahl’s best-selling novels, Matilda.
Casa Mañana 3101 Lancaster Ave. casamanana.org 817.332.2272
FEB. 6
2022 Real Chic Women’s Fashion Show
For nearly 30 years, TCU’s Alpha Chi Omega (AXO) chapter has partnered with The Women’s Center of Tarrant County to host this annual fashion show that supports Domestic Violence Awareness. TCU Alpha Chi Omega TCU’s Brown-Lupton University Union 2901 Stadium Drive tcualphachiomega.com
Jada Nicome
General Manager, Entrepreneur, Traveler
BY JILLIAN VERZWYVELT
BY
PHOTO
OLAF GROWALD
1. Jada’s friends keep her plugged into the community, with one running the “Unofficial Fort Worth” Instagram page. 2. Hotel Dryce has become like a second home where she can come to relax with friends. 3. Placing the final few touches on the hotel sign which belonged to the original dry ice factory. 4. On top of music and photography, Jada has found an interest in fashion over the last few years. 5. Jada and her team testing out the amenities. “The team is really a community that builds each other up,” she says. 6. Jada’s dog, Bunny Rabbit, enjoying the sunshine. 7. One of Jada’s favorite places to take a break is on the balcony of Hotel Dryce overlooking the city’s skyline.
Jada Nicome may have only moved to Fort Worth last February, but she’s no stranger to the city.
Originally from Washington, D.C., Nicome spent most summers growing up visiting family and even recounts learning how to drive here. When the opportunity came, she uprooted her life in D.C. to return to the heightened sense of community she’s always adored.
“It’s been interesting rediscovering Fort Worth — the entrepreneurs, creatives, and how much the city has evolved,” she says.
Currently, Nicome serves as the general manager at Hotel Dryce. When pandemic shutdowns were picking up in D.C. early last year, she found herself starting to lose a sense of connection with people. As someone who seems up for almost anything, Nicome was eager for a change of pace and pursued an unfamiliar role with a burgeoning business where she was able to be intimately involved in the whole process.
TOP 3
with American Airlines, Nicome was able to stay in an array of hotels across the world. In almost a full circle fashion, boutique hotels were the earliest and only experience she had with the industry before starting her new role.
TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
When considering this question, Nicome says her favorite locations are places where it’s easy to get around and she doesn’t necessarily feel like a tourist.
“When traveling, my mom would specifically try to choose the boutique hotels because she believed they were a really cool way to be introduced to a new city,” Nicome says.
1 North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii – “Everyone is so happy and welcoming. The energy on that side of the island is just calming.”
2 Belgrade, Serbia – “It’s one of the most underrated places in the world.”
3 Trinidad and Tobago – “My dad’s part-time job with American Airlines gave him flight benefits that allowed him to fly back and forth from Trinidad, which is where he’s from.”
“There’s picking specific artwork for the hotel,” she says. “Picking every single detail for it with intention and integrity to make something that’s different.”
Alongside a heavy hospitality background, Nicome admits she also relies on her travels to help her manage the business. Because her dad worked
It seemed travel was not only a source of inspiration for her role with Hotel Dryce but the foundation for her retired freelance photography career. Throughout high school and college, Nicome dabbled in wedding, fashion, and travel photography under the brand, Jada Roams.
“I haven’t picked up my camera in a hot minute,” Nicome says.
“But I eventually realized it was mainly about making people happy.”
When “running a business that doesn’t sleep,” Nicome doesn’t find much free time.
But in those rare spare moments, she looks to friends, family, and music to keep her grounded.
“Music helps to remind me I’m a human being,” she says.
Nicome’s contagious curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit have helped her find a new home in Fort Worth. “It’s been 10 months but felt like 10 years … a good 10 years.”
January offers us a chance to take a deep breath after making it through the previous year and then turn a new page (pun intended). It’s the perfect time to set some new reading goals, like reading a book a month or reading more books than last year. Pick a goal that feels attainable for you and don’t worry about how that compares to someone else. Remember, small windows of reading time add up. When you’re in that parking lot again waiting for the kids to be finished with school or activities, when your friend is late to your coffee date, when you’re in the waiting room for an appointment … they all provide opportunities to make it through a few pages.
To kick off this new year, we asked Mayor Parker to share with us what she enjoys reading and five suggestions that have impacted her recently. Check out these recommendations or be inspired to start working through that pile on your own bedside table.
Reading List with Mattie Parker
The mayor gives us some solid book recommendations to kick off the new year.
BY TINA HOWARD
I’m an avid reader who always has a book on the bedside table, very often historical fiction. I find myself continually picking up stories about compelling people who lived through the incredible hardships of decades past, because the resilience of the human spirit is timeless.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is a story of the terrifying unknown obstacles that we face in life, set in 1930s France. It takes a unique perspective on WWII, telling the story of two women facing war and finding ways to be powerful and brave. This story is hard to put down and stays with you.
A Time for Mercy by John Grisham is a winding legal drama full of suspense, set in Mississippi in 1990. It’s the sequel to A Time to Kill and Sycamore Row where the Jake Brigance story continues, and it’s always easy to get sucked into the world of a Grisham novel. As an attorney, sometimes it’s just fun to step out of reality and into the dramatics of a fictional courtroom.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a story within a story told by an absolutely captivating character. The book is less about the seven husbands and more about forbidden love, loss, identity, and the stories we choose to tell and create for ourselves.
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett takes you on a perilous hero’s journey complete with a beautiful world to get lost in and deep ethical questions to ponder. Patchett is one of the most beautiful writers; her prose is enviable.
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson is a tense and enthralling retelling of the story of America’s first ambassador to Nazi Germany. It gives you a window into a dark time in our history told from an interesting point of view on how it unfolded in real-time, seeing how Hitler came to power and his atrocities built with the world watching.
Tina Howard, along with her husband, Todd, is the owner of Leaves Book and Tea Shop on St. Louis Avenue in the Near Southside.
PHOTO
Don’t Mess With the Duttons
Fort Worth actor Eric Nelsen landed a big role in “1883” and learned very quickly — there’s no escape from Tim McGraw.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
When you see a rugged, blonde cowboy getting close with Tim McGraw’s on-screen daughter in the new Paramount+ show, “1883” — that’s Fort Worth actor Eric Nelsen, who plays a big supporting role as Ennis in the prequel to hit Western drama, “Yellowstone.”
For Nelsen, joining the cast of “1883” was seemingly meant to be. Before even landing the role, Nelsen and his family made the decision to move from Los Angeles to Fort Worth to “get out of the hustle and bustle,” he says, not knowing that he’d find work just 10 minutes from home filming “1883” at the Stockyards.
Nelsen hopped on a Zoom call with Fort Worth Magazine to chat about the show, Taylor Sheridan’s gritty script, and being the brunt of McGraw’s onset pranks.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Check out the video on fwtx.com to watch more from our chat with Nelsen.
FWM: You have an interesting story on how you actually got to Fort Worth before the show even happened. EN: Yes, that’s correct. It’s just completely ironic that we were filming right where we happened to be living.
My wife [fellow actor Sainty Nelsen] is from Fort Worth. She’s born and raised, went to Arlington Heights, went to All Saints’ Episcopal, she’s a Fort Worth girl. We had our daughter in LA, then the pandemic hit, and we’re like, “Let’s get out of LA. Let’s go to Texas.” From the day I met her, she’s been taking me to Fort Worth, and I’ve been
Isabel May and Eric Nelsen
completely in love with it ever since the first time I was here.
I found out that I got the [“1883”] job because of Taylor Sheridan. He said, “Hey, I heard you moved to Texas recently.” I was like, “Yep, my wife and I moved down there to be by our family and just get out of the hustle and bustle.” He said, “Where in Texas?” And I was like, “Fort Worth.” He said, “What part of Fort Worth?” I was like, “Are you familiar?” He’s like, “I’m very familiar. Tell me where your house is.” So, I told him exactly where our house was, and he’s like, “Oh, yeah, you’re going to be 10 minutes from set. We’re going to be filming right down the street.”
So, for most of the film shoot, I was getting to sleep in my own bed in Fort Worth
and not have to travel that far. The rest of the cast was very jealous, to say the least.
FWM: How would you describe the filmmaking environment here versus in LA or anywhere else?
EN: In LA, you’re filming on the streets, people are annoyed with you, you’re in their way, they’re trying to do whatever they can to make it uncomfortable for you because they don’t want you there. But here, it’s like everyone’s arms are wide open … The town as a whole, it’s really not only welcomed us with open arms but encouraged the filming here and bent over backwards to make it work for us. Fort Worth was the perfect place to be for this show, and I hope to film many more projects here because I absolutely love the experience.
FWM: What can folks expect from “1883” and how it connects to “Yellowstone”?
EN: Well, I will say “1883” depicts a period of our history unlike any other show that’s out there. There are no rounded edges. Taylor is showing exactly what life was like back then. It’s going to be intense, raw, and gripping, but that’s Taylor’s way. He doesn’t like to “hollywoodize” anything; he wants to show you what it actually was like. It’s going to be hard to watch at times, but that’s the beauty of it as well … Every episode is going to have you crying, laughing, wanting more, covering your eyes, and just all the things. It’s going to be one very wild ride that I’m super excited for the fans to see.
FWM: Do you have any funny stories from set or memorable moments with the cast?
EN: Tim and I became super close buddies. He’s such a blast. He’s like a big kid, always making people laugh, singing constantly — it’s like private concerts by Tim all day long. Like, just pinch me every single time. [Tim would] play pranks on me all the time; every day it’d be something different. He’d loosen the leg on my chair so when I sat, I would fall over. Big brother things like that, that growing up your brother would’ve done to you, that’s what he did to me. Half the time I’m like, “Is he serious? Is he joking?” But by the end of it, he gave me the biggest hug, and we laughed about it, and he’s like, “Hey, man, you’re such a good sport, and I love you more than anything.”
FW: Bringing it all back home to Fort Worth, where can we find you hanging out? Where do you like to go around town?
EN: Joe T’s is my spot. Hotel Drover, if you haven’t been, is absolutely incredible … If you want cowboy and Western, that’s the spot. Anyone I have come visit me and they’re looking for a hotel or place to stay, that’s where I send them.
I’m all over the place, but you’ll see me out and about. I love all of Tim Love’s restaurants here in town; he absolutely kills it as a celebrity chef here … You’ll also see me at Casa Mañana a lot — [I’m a] big supporter of the theater and the arts — and Bass Hall as well. I enjoy going to all their productions. Love to support the theater community.
Nelsen in character as Ennis
On a horse in Montana
Nelsen with Tim McGraw
Nelsen with James Landry Hebert Nelsen with Sam Elliott
The 5 Biggest Health Trends of 2022
Cutting bad habits and getting into shape might look a little different come Jan. 1.
BY FWTX STAFF
Since we have yet to make the jump to postpandemic life, having an eye set on our health and wellness remains one of the new year’s biggest priorities. But a lot has changed in the past 365 days, enough so that, as we enter 2022, we have a new and improved understanding of what it means to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. And, just in the nick of time for some New Year’s resolution planning, here are the trends we think you should follow.
1. Virtual Health and Fitness Is Here to Stay: If there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, it’s the fact that more things — work, fitness, doctor visits, and even social outings — have conveniently gone virtual. While virtual everything was already trending upward pre-pandemic, stay-at-home mandates ensured they became part of our new normal. Personal trainers are now just a click away on our phones, tablets, and computers; virtual visits and health care apps have made our usual treks to the hospital obsolete. With more interconnectivity between fitness apps, meal plans, and doctor visits, the virtual world is becoming a key player in promoting healthy living. So, don’t be afraid to sign up for that virtual Pilates class
come the new year — you won’t be the only one.
2. A Focus on Balancing, Not Boosting, Our Immune System: So, all this work you’ve done to “boost” your immune system via expensive vitamins and herbs isn’t actually working. New research is showing that you can’t technically boost your immune system, but you can optimize it to work as effectively as possible — becoming a better guard against such undesirables as COVID-19. So, how do we balance our immune system? Unsurprisingly, it’s all about living a healthy, stress-free lifestyle. Modern medicine has shed a greater light on the link between stress and general health, so finding a way to alleviate pressure is a cornerstone for a healthy lifestyle and a better immune system.
3. Going Sober: Let’s face it, we’ve all been a little boozy since the pandemic struck. Increased stress coupled with increased alcohol availability has resulted in a rise in alcohol consumption. According to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 60% of people have reported increased drinking over the past two years. Going sober was once a trend on the precipice of blowing up until
Sober October and Dry January got sidetracked by COVID-19. But, healthconscious consumers are likely to steer the other direction come the new year. Nonalcoholic mocktails are becoming more popular, and zero proof versions of tequila, rum, gin, and vodka are now readily available and surprisingly tasty. You can go sober while not sacrificing the ritual of making a solid drink.
4. Reducetarianism: Reducetarianism is, oddly, just like it sounds. The idea is to reduce the amount of meat that we consume to improve our own health as well as the health of the planet. This is a trend that’s rapidly increasing in popularity, as it’s an easy way to kill two birds with one stone. For those of you carnivores who refuse to believe a reduction in your meat consumption could result in a healthier lifestyle, the professionals disagree. According to the Mayo Clinic, those who eat no meat or less meat generally eat fewer calories and less fat, weigh less, and have a lower risk of heart disease. After all, it is common knowledge that people who eat red meat are at an increased risk of heart disease. You technically only need 50 grams of protein per day on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. Drinking milk and eating eggs, beans, nuts, and soy products, can easily get you to that mark.
5. Mental Health Care: According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness — this includes depression and anxiety. In recent years, medicine and society in general have gained a better understanding of mental health and its many effects, both negative and positive, on our lives. What was once considered a taboo subject is now a common talking point. Mental health care becoming an extension of overall health care has picked up steam, and fewer people equate mental health with severe mental illness; it’s losing its stigma. Mental health care is now less a response to problems and has become a way to improve life in general.
Soaking in Mayakoba
A diamond in the already gem-filled crown of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Mayakoba offers a south-of-the-border experience you won’t soon forget.
BY BRIAN KENDALL
Climate can be a funny thing when it comes to places we choose to travel. We’ll make the trek to parallels and altitudes with freezing temperatures to bask in the beauty of mountains and ski slopes. We’ll rough it through dry, hot rays of sun for a little beach time. And we’ll happily revel in mugginess and humidity to experience a taste of paradise. Andaz in Mayakoba, a master-planned resort community that rests between Playa del Carmen and Cancun in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, is undoubtedly
the latter. Jumping off my convenient, three-hour flight at Cancun International Airport, the wave of thick air hitting my already sweat-soaked face actually triggered an exhilarating emotion — I knew I was about to have a blast.
I once heard someone refer to Mayakoba as the Venice of the Yucatan — or perhaps I read this, I don’t remember. Despite an obvious absence of grand plazas and basilicas, Mayakoba is teeming with winding waterways and picturesque canals. Simply replace the centuries-old stone buildings and
cathedrals with lush forests overflowing with wildlife and the occasional waterfront hotel room and, yes, you have a tropical Venice. Within this confluence of waterways and estuaries lies four different resorts and a Greg Norman-designed championship golf course — yes, they even play a PGA Tour event on said course.
While each of the four resorts are distinct in their design, vibe, and price points, it’s obvious great pains were taken to ensure the hotels were seamlessly incorporated with the natural habitat. You won’t find any high-rise buildings, massive parking garages, or giant cement footprints that would have required a scorching of the earth. Instead, each resort contains multiple, smaller buildings perched along the canals that entrench its guests into Mayakoba’s natural surroundings. Stay for a weekend, and you’re likely to catch sight of tortoises, coati (an ant eater-like, hog-nosed mammal), exotic birds, and even crocodiles.
Andaz, Banyan Tree, Fairmount, and Rosewood make up the four resorts. While my experience was
PHOTO BY TADEU BRUNELLI
The three-bedroom Presidential Villa with private pool at Andaz Mayakoba.
limited to Andaz, I can tell you that each offers something a little different — their similarities end with water-front rooms, great restaurants, stellar service, and beach access. Andaz, which has a price point in the middle of the pack, has a laid-back, modern approach to vacationing in the Mexican paradise. While it’s safe to say that Andaz’s clientele leans slightly younger than the others, you’re unlikely to find rowdy all-nighters on any of the resorts in this community — you can make the trek to nearby Playa del Carmen for a night of safe debauchery. Most of those staying at Andaz are typically recent retirees, young families, and the occasional young couple. It’s a solid mix that makes for an attractive atmosphere.
Another one of Andaz’s differentiators is its lineup of restaurants. If you’re a foodie, like me, you’ll be smitten with the five distinct dining options on the resort property. The crown jewel of these restaurants is Casa Amate, which regularly makes appearances on nationwide lists of bests and tops, including the prestigious Top 120 Restaurants list by Guía México Gastronómico; it’s clearly a food writers’ favorite. And, for excellent reason. The resort’s executive chef, Miguel Gomez, constructs a menu — which includes wide variety of meats, poultry, and fish — that’s all at once diverse and distinctly Latin American. In lieu of breaking down the dishes, I will say that the food is eclectic, top-notch, and undeniably delicious. The restaurant is open exclusively for dinner and is constructed and designed to give patrons the feeling of being in the home of a local traveler. Traversing through the rooms, you’ll find a library, bar studio, and dining room.
Elsewhere on the Andaz campus, you’ll find a spot for vegan food and smoothies (VB), international cuisine (Tinta del Pulpo), Mediterranean (Sotavento), and market-to-table Mexican (Cocina Milagro), which offers a stellar brunch full of fresh fruits and a quesadilla station. The resort also pro-
vides full spa services via the Naum Wellness & Spa. Treatments include massages, facials, stone therapy, reflexology, and aromatherapy. Elsewhere, you can take an eco-cruise that launches daily from a dock on one of the waterways. The hour-long boat ride winds through the canals where you’ll get a front-row view of Mayakoba’s lush foliage and exotic wildlife. And, with a dive center, yacht for rent, coral activity — where you’ll learn about devastating coral destruction and what you can do to help — and, of course, golf, few things are likely to lure you away from Mayakoba proper.
With the hotel’s 214 rooms, five restaurants, gym, spa, pools, and beach sprawled throughout the maze of canals, navigating the resort is another adventure. While shuttles in the form of golf carts can expeditiously take you from point A to point B, a more fun — and more cardio-friendly — way to jaunt around is via the fixed-speed bicycles lying throughout the resort. It’s about a 10-minute ride from one side of the resort to the other. The experience will give hotel visitors a better appreciation for the breadth of the property while providing a more immersive experience.
If you’re itching to explore the other resorts, golf, or check out the El Pueblito town center — where you can shop and dine — an on-demand shuttle service runs consistently between the properties. Each resort
offers a different set of restaurants, bars, and general experience, so taking a stroll through each is time well spent. For those who like to hit the links, the El Cameleó Mayakoba offers a memorable experience. Warning: This is a championship golf course, so bring plenty of balls if, like me, your golf game lacks any sort of consistency. Despite the unforgiving conditions, the course is breathtaking, and the sweeping views are worth the green fees alone.
Finally, I’d be remiss not to address safety. I’m acutely aware that this is a major concern among many, but at Mayakoba, there’s little reason to worry. The community’s entrance is gated and guarded 24/7, and the beaches are far enough away from Playa del Carmen or Cancun to avoid any riffraff. Your biggest worries, in all honesty, are the intense sun rays and dodging any coati you might see along the bike paths. The community is safe, beautiful, and full of life — crocodiles and otherwise.
The eco-cruise is an hour-long boat ride through the lush waterways of Mayakoba.
Andaz offers five distinct restaurant options.
Ask The Expert
PROTON THERAPY EXPERT
By Andrew K.
MPH
WHAT IS PROTON THERAPY?
Proton therapy delivers targeted radiation to tumors, guided by the center’s advanced, accurate imaging equipment. Texas Center for Proton Therapy uses a 30-foot-tall, 110-ton machine that rotates 360 degrees to enable precise positioning of the proton beams on a patient’s tumor. Physicists and engineers have meticulously calibrated the proton beam equipment to extreme accuracy. A 220-ton cyclotron is the centerpiece of this proton beam equipment. This machine accelerates protons to two-thirds the speed of light extracted from hydrogen atoms. It then creates a proton beam line traveling nearly half the length of a football field with accuracy within 1 millimeter. The protons delivered to the tumor destroy cancerous cells, while minimizing damage to the surrounding healthy tissue.
WHERE IS PROTON THERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF CANCER OFFERED IN NORTH TEXAS?
For six years, North Texas has had an advantage in the fight against cancer by having Texas Center for Proton Therapy in its own backyard. It’s the first proton therapy center in Dallas-Fort Worth and the most technologically advanced in the state and region. The 63,000-square-foot facility, located in Irving/Las Colinas, is one of approximately 35 proton therapy treatment centers in operation in the United States and is the first stand-alone LEEDCertified proton therapy center in the country. We have accomplished one of our goals, which was to improve the overall level of cancer care for DallasFort Worth patients, and we have done this through
a combination of technological advances, hard work, and gaining expertise on how to better utilize the technology we have. For instance, the center is the only one in Texas with three pencil-beam scanning proton machines and the only center with the ability to do volumetric on-board cone-beam CT imaging when a patient is on the treatment table. We use an ultra-fine proton beam with pencil-point precision across each layer of the tumor. Essentially, we delicately paint the tumor with radiation. It’s the ideal technology for irregularly shaped tumors near sensitive areas. Additionally, pencil beams of protons can be combined to treat large tumors as well. There is a significant advantage of pencil beam proton therapy for larger tumors.
WHAT TYPES OF CANCER CAN BE TREATED WITH PROTON THERAPY?
As of September 2021, the center has treated more than 2,700 new patients, and about 17 percent of those have been pediatric patients. Any solid tumor that requires radiation as a treatment component could likely be treated with proton therapy—brain, head and neck, lung, prostate as well as other gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers. We also treat breast cancer, whether it’s part of breast conservation therapy or after a mastectomy and we need to irradiate the chest wall. Proton therapy is also a good option for patients in need of treatment for adjacent lymph nodes. Any patient who has been told that they need radiation therapy should look into proton therapy as an option for primary treatment or in combination with other therapies.
Andrew K. Lee, M.D., MPH, is the medical director for Texas Center for Proton Therapy.
Lee, M.D.,
Dream Street 2022:
The Home Stretch
Three luxury homes located in the new Montrachet development in West Fort Worth are slated to open their doors for touring in March.
BY FWTX STAFF
Fort Worth Magazine’s flagship event, Dream Street — a tour of three stunning, multimilliondollar homes built side by side — is set to launch in March 2022. With pools dug, cabinetry built, and interiors being designed, the three homes are officially in the home stretch of completion.
Dream Street is a spinoff of Fort
Worth Magazine’s wildly successful Dream Home project — an annual touring event that ran since the magazine’s inception in 1999. In 2020, the magazine tripled its output and partnered with three talented builders to erect three homes in Southlake’s prestigious Oxford Place development.
This year, the project moves back home to West Fort Worth at the new
Montrachet development — a sister development to Montserrat, where the magazine built its 2014 iteration of Dream Home.
The new development, a project led by brothers Colby and Donnie Siratt of Siratt Partners, is primed to become the city’s trendiest spot for new home builds. The brothers have expertly created a development that doesn’t lose its natural beauty despite the construction of homes.
“This development is unique for a bunch of different reasons,” Donnie says. “You have the Crown Orchard; you have the creek frontage that you can access; you have the hills and valleys … it lends itself to lots of outdoor hiking and biking space.”
This year’s trio of builders includes John Webb of Heritage Homes; Tim Windmiller of Windmiller Custom Homes; and Rick Wegman, John Giordano, Karl Hahnfeld, and Rob Cocanower of HGC Residential Development.
This marks Webb’s third straight year as a Dream Street builder; Webb built the 2019 Showcase Home and was one of the three builders for last
year’s inaugural Dream Street.
“It’s a huge amount of exposure, and I enjoy doing it,” Webb says of why he keeps coming back. “I’m able to show off what we can do and what we’re capable of doing as far as the creativity. It’s to show off what all the talented team members are able to accomplish.”
The three men who comprise HGC Residential Development are also members of the Dream Home alumni, having built the aforementioned Dream Home in Montserrat in 2014.
Tim Windmiller, meanwhile, represents the new builder on the block. But, make no mistake, Windmiller Custom Homes has been around since 2008, and Windmiller’s time as a builder goes back even further to his days at Clarity Homes.
Each home promises to offer a distinct and fascinating look at modern homebuilding.
Touring is set to begin in March, and all proceeds from the tour will benefit a Wish with Wings, a local charity that grants wishes to children with lifethreatening conditions. Visit dream. fwtx.com to stay up to speed on tour dates and times.
4616 ESPRIT
Builder: HGC Residential Development
Realtor: Christie’s International Real Estate | Ulterre
Interior Designer: Tori Rubinson Interiors
Appliances: Expressions Home Gallery
Cabinets Kitchen: The Kitchen Source
Doors Front: Durango Doors of DFW
Doors Exterior:
Omniview Window and Door
Electrician: Mackey Electric
Flooring (tile, wood and carpet labor, wood and carpet material): Vintage Floors
Flooring Tile (material all spaces): Interceramic USA
Gutters: Loveless Gutters
Home Plans: Karl Hahnfeld Design Group
Low Voltage/AV/Security:
H Customs Audio Visual
Mattresses: The Original Mattress Factory
Patio Screens (motorized): Blinds Brothers
Plumbing Fixtures:
Expressions Home Gallery
Pool: J Caldwell Custom Pools
Roofing/Flashing: WeatherShield Roofing Stone and Brick Supplies: Metro Brick and Stone
4624 ESPRIT
Builder: Heritage Homes
Realtor: Martha Williams, Williams Trew
Interior Designer:
Susan Semmelmann Interiors
Appliances: The Jarrell Company
Architect: Heritage Design Studio
Cabinets Kitchen: The Kitchen Source
Cabinets Master Closet and Other: Metroplex Cabinets
Countertop Fabrication: Absolute Stone
Countertop Materials: KLZ Stone
Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall
Electrician: Mackey Services
Fireplace Tile: Cosentino
Flooring (tile, wood and carpet labor): Galvan Floors
Family-Focused Care: How To Talk About Breast Cancer With Your Loved Ones
Jennifer Hecht, D.O., FACOS, is a breast surgical oncologist at Texas Breast Specialists–Southwest Fort Worth and Granbury.
A diagnosis, treatment plan, or return of breast cancer can impact all aspects of your life. As you adjust to the physical, emotional, and psychological changes that come with cancer, you also must decide when and how to tell your family, friends, and broader support system.
This is a deeply personal decision, and though you may not know what to say, communicating about your breast cancer can be beneficial for your health. Consider these suggestions to start and continue conversations about your breast cancer journey, and how you can ask for help when you need it.
How to Talk to Family
Will your family react with shock, disbelief, fear, or even anger? You may feel apprehensive, but it’s important to understand your family is reacting to the information about your health, not you. Here are tips to guide you through discussing breast cancer with your family:
Plan ahead. Prepare for tough conversations by having them in a place that’s comfortable for you, at a time when you’re not likely to be interrupted. Anticipate questions or reactions that might upset you and plan responses for them ahead of time.
Keep age in mind. Approach conversations with children differently than other family members, and base discussions on a child’s age or level of maturity. Be open and ensure children have enough time to ask questions and express their feelings.
Set boundaries. Be as open as you’d like when discussing your diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. If something makes you uncomfortable, such as questions about your mastectomy, respond with, “I’m not ready to talk about that right now.”
How to Ask for Help
Cancer can be physically exhausting and emotionally draining. You may find it difficult to keep pace with your daily, pre-cancer routine. So, how can you ask for help when your family’s “typical” roles and responsibilities change due to breast cancer?
Let them help you. It can be tough to realize and accept that you need help. But remember, asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Doing so tells others what you need to feel as strong and as comfortable as you can during your breast cancer journey.
Be specific. As you manage medication, surgery, stress, or side effects of breast cancer–like fatigue, nausea, or loss of appetite–ask if others can take care of specific tasks, like picking up your medication from the pharmacy or other simple errands.
Connect through communities. Keep family and others updated on your breast cancer experience and allow them to support you through resources like Careopolis – an online, mobile-friendly “caring community” where Texas Breast Specialists and Texas Oncology patients can easily connect with family and friends. For more information, visit TexasBreastSpecialists.com
HIGHER STANDARDS GREATER HOPE
For leading edge surgical approaches and high-quality care, visit Texas Breast Specialists, part of the Texas Oncology network. We offer comprehensive breast care, including diagnostics, surgical services, and medical and radiation oncology. With compassion and understanding, our physicians partner with you to help you understand your options and develop a personalized treatment plan. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit TexasBreastSpecialists.com.
MORE THAN 20 LOCATIONS IN THE DFW METROPLEX
Alison Unzeitig Barron, M.D., FACS Carrollton and Dallas, TX
Katrina E. Birdwell, M.D., FACS Dallas, Mansfield and Midlothian, TX
W. Lee Bourland Jr., M.D., FACS Dallas, TX
Mary B. Brian, M.D., FACS Bedford, TX
Lynn Canavan, M.D., FACS Denison, McKinney and Plano, TX
Tuoc N. Dao, M.D., FACS Dallas, TX
Allison A. DiPasquale, M.D. Dallas, TX
Amy Eastman, M.D., FACS Rockwall, TX
Archana Ganaraj, M.D. Dallas, TX
Meghan Hansen, M.D. Frisco and Plano, TX
Jennifer Hecht, D.O., FACOS Fort Worth and Granbury, TX
Melissa Kinney, M.D. Flower Mound and Lewisville, TX
Martin L. Koonsman, M.D., FACS, CPE Dallas, TX
Jeffrey P. Lamont, M.D., FACS Dallas, Paris and Plano, TX
Kerri L. Perry, M.D., FACS Denton, TX
Angela E. Seda, M.D. Arlington and Keller, TX
Carolyn L. Thomas, M.D., FACS Dallas and Plano, TX
Rachel Karen Warren, M.D. Dallas, TX
The Belly and the Beast
A new restaurant in the Near Southside, Beast and Company, promises an epic mashup of global cuisines.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
Dustin Lee had what many of us would call a “dream job.”
For a Fortune 500 oil and gas company, he would travel across the country, across the world sometimes, wining and dining clients and potential clients. This would often
involve expensive dinners at notable restaurants.
A cushy gig, for sure. But the native of Midland, Texas, left it all behind to start his own restaurant in Fort Worth, Beast and Company, slated to open its doors sometime this winter in the Near Southside.
Lee’s globe-trotting excursions, he says, have greatly inspired Beast and Company’s wildly varied menu, which includes North African marinated olives, lobster bisque with a twinge of Thai flavors, whole fish served atop a banana leaf, and dumplings stuffed with charred eggplant.
“I took a lot of inspiration from restaurants like Giant in Chicago, Animal in Beverly Hills, Bernie G’s in Santa Monica,” he says. “I really admired how they, seemingly effortlessly, blended together food cultures from around the world with American food. That’s what we want to do here.”
The restaurant’s executive chef, Michael Arlt, brings a skill set and knowledge that perfectly coincides with Lee’s vision.
“When it comes to food, Dustin and I both have what you might call ‘wandering eye syndrome,’” he says. “We’re always looking for new ways of doing things, and that’s what we’re
Dustin Lee and Michael Arlt
hoping comes across here. The food is going to be deeply rooted in the South and Southeast, where we grew up, but it’ll also reflect areas of the world where we’ve visited and food that has made an impact on us.”
Born in New Jersey and raised in the Panhandle of Florida, between Panama City and Pensacola, Arlt fell in love with food at a young age as he helped his mother make Puerto Rican rice, beans, and pork and helped his grandmother make Southern staples, such as country ham and banana pudding.
After high school, Arlt moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, to attend culinary school at Johnson & Wales University. During his time at Johnson & Wales, he worked as a cook in Emeril
Lagasse’s restaurant — E2 Emeril’s Eatery. There, he learned the art of Creole cooking. He then spent the next several years bouncing from Florida to Portland, Maine, to Chicago, learning various styles of cooking.
“I think that’s one reason why Dustin and I see things the same way,” he says. “We’ve spent so much of our lives traveling and learning about and being around food and restaurants.”
The two worked together on Beast and Company’s promising and ambitious menu, which also includes deviled eggs dabbed with miso and roe; venison tartar; duck breast with radicchio hash; and a smoked fish board, served charcuterie-style.
The restaurant will open in the historic building, erected in 1940,
according to the Tarrant Appraisal District, where Mama Mia once resided. Longtime Fort Worthians will recall when the space was occupied by a celebrity-owned restaurant, Jerry Van Dyke’s Soda Shoppe & Guesthouse, which opened in 1998, before the area’s popularity began to skyrocket.
Like his brother, Dick Van Dyke, Jerry Van Dyke was also an actor and comedian. He is best remembered for his role as assistant coach Luther Van Dam on the ABC sitcom “Coach.” Lee says he found some old memorabilia from Van Dyke’s stashed away in the building and is planning on weaving it into Beast and Company’s décor.
“We’re trying as hard as we can to lovingly restore the building,” Lee says.
“It hasn’t been occupied for a while so when we took it over, it was in pretty rough shape. The plumbing, parts of the kitchen, the hardwood floors — everything had to be redone.”
Although the restaurant will be “fine dining,” it won’t have a fine-dining atmosphere, Lee says.
“That’s the main thing we want to convey: This isn’t your typical finedining restaurant,” he says. “In terms of service, food, and the quality of the ingredients we’re using, yes, it’s fine dining. But we have more of a rockand-roll attitude. We’re much more comfortable and relaxed. I don’t think Fort Worth has seen anything like this before.”
Beast and Company, 1010 West Magnolia Ave., facebook.com/BeastandCoFTW
Chicken Liver Pate with Housemade Chow Chow
Thai Lobster Bisque with a Lobster Dumpling
Elizabeth Mears
Au Naturel
A new wine shop in the South Main area introduces Fort Worth to a new — or old, depending on your perspective — kind of wine.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
As this very magazine pointed out in a recent takeout about the thriving wine and spirits scene in Fort Worth, our city is no teetotaler when it comes to its appreciation of wine. The city has a multitude of wine bars and wine shops, as well as restaurants with impressive wine lists.
But what the city’s wine scene has been lacking, up until now, is what Elizabeth Mears brings to the table: a natural wine store.
Opened in December, in a newly built building in the South Main area, Holly Natural Wine Bar + Shop specializes in wines made organically in small batches from winemakers around the globe, from Serbia to Spain. These unique wines are available by the glass, by flights, or by the bottle.
Like a farm-to-table restaurant that focuses on dishes made with
seasonal ingredients, the wine menu at Holly changes based on what Mears’ small circle of winemakers produce. Currently, Mears stocks about 20 wines in the store, though she can get her hands on about 50.
“So much of what a winemaker does depends on the season, what ingredients are available, the climate they’re in,” she says. “These people are making wine with their bare hands. That’s the type of winemaker I want to support.”
For those unfamiliar with the term “natural wine,” Mears says it refers to the way in which it is made. “Natural wines are made in accordance with sustainable, organic, and sometimes biodynamic practices,” she says. “The grapes are harvested by hand, and the wines themselves are nurtured using native yeasts, not lab-grown yeast, and no additives. Basically, they’re making wine like our ancestors made
it. It’s cleaner and healthier because it doesn’t have a bunch of junk in it.”
From a taste perspective, natural wine doesn’t translate to off-the-grid flavors. “All the usual types of wines can be made naturally: sparkling wines, red, and white,” Mears says. “Natural has more to do with the way a wine is made and less to do with the flavor. A natural wine doesn’t taste dramatically different than a regular wine.”
At the same time, some of the natural wines Mears carries are a little on the adventurous side, such as orange wines, pét-nats, and wines made with both red and white grapes.
“You do find more experimentation in natural wines,” she says. “People who specialize in natural wines are more prone to experiment because there are less expectations and less pressure to sell massive amounts. Most of the winemakers I work with are small, mom-and-pop makers. I like to think of them as renegades and rebels of the wine field.”
Mears says she developed her love and appreciation for natural wines while living in Australia, where natural wine is more prevalent. A former TV producer who worked on National Geographic and HGTV shows, the California native came to Texas for work, landing on the Near Southside.
Her passion for natural wine soon outweighed her career in television, leading her and her husband to build, from the ground up, the small, charming building where her shop resides.
“I fell down the natural wine rabbit hole long ago,” she says. “So, I knew there were natural wine bars in Houston and Austin, and I thought it was about time someone opened one here in Fort Worth. The time is right. More people seemed to be turning to mom-and-pop operations, and what makes natural wine so special, at least to me, is that it is handmade — every bottle tells the story of that winemaker.”
Holly Natural Wine Bar + Shop, 305 W. Daggett Ave., thehollyftw.com
Flying High Again
A popular Indian restaurant makes a comeback with a new name, Tikka Tikka, and new focus: chicken tikka masala
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
When the pandemic threatened to wipe out Tarlok Signh’s popular Indian restaurant, King’s Kitchen, Signh was forced to downsize. His staff, his menu, his hours of operation — all dramatically trimmed.
But the downsizing did have an upside: It led to the birth of a new concept.
Tikka Tikka is quite possibly the city’s first fast-casual Indian restaurant. It’s certainly the first Fort Worth restaurant whose menu focuses on chicken tikka masala, a popular Indian dish consisting of chunks of marinated chicken draped in a cape of rich, sweet and spicy curry.
Signh likes to call it fast food, but there’s no drive-thru, and the food is freshly made, automatically disqualifying it from joining the ranks of your typical fast-food restaurant.
Rather, ordering takes place at a counter, and the food delivered to your table. If one of the restaurant’s four tables isn’t available, you get it to-go. Whether you’re eating there or not, all the food is packaged in to-go containers.
Smartly, the menu revolves around chicken tikka masala. You can order it with rice, freshly made naan bread, or both.
“Chicken tikka masala was the signature dish at King’s Kitchen,” Signh says. “Everyone loved it, so it just made sense to build a new concept around it.” Signh and business partner Sam Green are hoping the concept leads to additional locations.
The curry sauce used on the chicken tikka masala turns up elsewhere on the menu, too. Most notably, it’s used as a topping on the tikka fries and a fried-chicken sandwich. Other menu items include veggie samosas and chicken biryani. Tikka Tikka, 5054 Trail Lake Drive, 817.934.5485
Bits and Bites
Just in time to break your no-more-drinking New Year’s resolution, the makers of TX Blended Whiskey have unveiled a trio of new canned drinks. There are TX Whiskey & Cola, TX Whiskey Ranch Water, and TX Whiskey & Sweet Tea. Pick ’em up at Central Market or wherever your fave TX Whiskey bevs are sold.
I’ve been a huge fan of Harvest Hall in Grapevine since it opened, and now I have even more reason to go: 15% off lunch from noon to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. All six of the food hall’s fantastic vendors are honoring the 15% off lunch deal.
Jordan Savell, the Fort Worth-based cheftestant who competed on the most recent season of “Hell’s Kitchen,” has moved to Phoenix, where she’s working in the high-end catering biz. Savell says she’s hoping to move to Vegas, down the road. Needing a change of pace, she says, Savell headed to Phoenix in November, leaving her chef de cuisine gig at newly refurbbed Roy Pope Grocery. Best of luck, Jordan!
So much stuff happening in Roanoke. Case in point: The city will soon be home to two more restaurants from acclaimed chef Sage Sakiri. First to open will be Maria del Mar, at 1106 U.S. 377 North, a Mexican restaurant with a focus on interior Mexican cuisine. It’ll be the brick-and-mortar version of chef Gilberto Salgado’s food and catering truck. Sakiri and Salgado have worked on projects large and small. Also on tap from Sakiri is Once Upon a Time, a fine-dining restaurant slated to open sometime in Roanoke in 2022. Sakiri has several restaurants in North Texas, including a handful in Roanoke, but most Fort Worthians know of him through his excellent east side spot, River Bend Café, where he serves top-notch comfort food in an unassuming, strip mall atmosphere.
From the haven’t-been-there-yet-but-I-hearit’s-good department: Jimboy’s Tacos, a cult-favorite taco chain from California, has opened its first location in Fort Worth at 9316 Clifford St. Its staple is the original ground beef taco, made with seasoned ground beef, American cheese and lettuce, enveloped in a crispy, grilled stone-ground corn shell, and dusted with Parmesan. They make their own taquitos, too, which you can order a la carte or in a burrito. Yes, taquitos inside burritos. Those crazy Californians. jimboystacos.com
Chicken Tikka Masala with Naan Bread
PHOTO BY CRYSTAL WISE
COWTOWN
home of Justin Boots since 1925
Understanding the value of heritage is a belief we don’t take lightly. Fort Worth is our home and has been since 1925. The memories we’ve made and the community we share is what we believe to be the driving force behind this great city we call home. For more than 90 years we have grown with you and will continue to for many years to come.
Thank you, Fort Worth.
Scan to watch our short film and learn more about what makes Justin the Standard of the West.
Close to Home
Seven staycation ideas for the new year
BY MARY MURPHY
BY CRYSTAL WISE
When “home” is the second-largest growing city in the U.S., with top-grade museums, an energetic downtown scene, and a developing historic district, sightseeing in your own backyard isn’t such a bad idea. Add in a few boutique hotels where you can unwind after a day of adventure, and you’ll have all the elements of a far-off vacation, without the extensive travel time. Thanks to five new and noteworthy Fort Worth hotels and two longtime favorites in neighboring cities, Arlington and Grapevine, there’s no need to search far and wide for a unique getaway this year. Look close to home, and you’ll start to see things from a new perspective.
PHOTOS
Hotel Otto
Last July, the neon pink “Gemelle” sign visible from White Settlement Road was joined by eight rectangular rooftop patios, which provided a little peek into Hotel Otto, Fort Worth’s first-ever micro resort. The new concept from Tim Love is nestled behind Gemelle, Love’s restaurant in the River District that’s known for its ambiance and mouthwatering Italian food.
Rooms: 8
Comprised of eight bungalows made from shipping containers, Hotel Otto (Italian for “eight”) is a mix of innovation and experience and serves as Fort Worth’s premier installment of the minimalist trend that’s sweeping the travel industry. The bungalows were designed by CargoHomes, a Waco-based company that specializes in transforming shipping containers into tiny homes that make unique, efficient living spaces.
bikes are available to rent for $20 per hour (which includes a Bluetooth headset), or you can take it a step further by exploring via kayak or horseback.
Area: River District
Amenities: Pool, upstairs balcony
Food and Drink: Gemelle’s (Italian)
Price: $$$$
Hotel Otto has partnered with local businesses, like Backwoods Outfitters and Stockyards Stables, to provide unique experiences for guests throughout the year. More seasonal experiences are in the works, but for now, there are options to see Fort Worth from a different perspective with kayak excursions and guided horseback rides. This year, there are also plans to add a shuttle that can take guests to popular Fort Worth destinations.
The bungalows are sleek, bright, and airy and furnished with a queen-sized bed, smart TV, mini bar with a mini fridge, and a walk-in shower with Hermès bath amenities. It’s a charming space that feels much larger than its 160-square-foot footprint.
The hotel is only open to guests 21 and up, which makes it a great spot for a romantic kid-free getaway, girls’ trip, or refreshing solo excursion. Rooms come with a complimentary setup for making an Aperol Spritz — a favorite cocktail in Italy and Gemelle’s signature drink.
Enjoy the cocktail inside or head up a private spiral staircase to your bungalow’s rooftop deck, complete with a fire pit, Yeti cooler (which can be filled with drink requests beforehand), and a comfortable seating area ideal for kicking back and watching the sunset. Bungalows sit somewhat close together, so if you’re sitting up top, be prepared to (at the very least) wave hello to neighboring guests.
Although the bungalows are relaxing, a stay here isn’t meant to be spent indoors. The hotel’s location, situated next to the Trinity River with easy access to the trails, lends itself to adventuring. Pedego electric
Anyone who goes exploring will want to be back by 5 p.m. when Hotel Otto guests are treated to “knocktails”: complimentary cocktails brought straight to their bungalow. As of now, cocktails rotate throughout the week, but there’s talk of developing a rolling bar cart so mixologists can whip up guests’ favorites on the spot.
A short jaunt down the gravel pathway, next to Gemelle’s patio, is a full-service plunge pool with cabanas and chase lounges. The pool (also built from a shipping container) overlooks the restaurant’s 10,000-square-foot vegetable garden and expansive bocce ball court.
4400 White Settlement Road hotelottoftw.com
Why Staycation?
It might feel tempting to hop on a plane to bask in a spot with palm trees or even a little bit of elevation gain, but retreats don’t have to cross state lines. Here’s why you should keep your vacation money close to home.
1. Health and safety: Local knowledge gives you an advantage when it comes to safety. In addition, you’re already acutely aware of local COVID-19 protocols, which have a tendency to change based on the city you’re in.
2. Eco-friendly: A flight- or long drive-free trip greatly reduces your carbon footprint. The most earth-friendly way to travel is to keep your distances short.
3. Support local: Hey, Fort Worth people, food,
things, and activities are all amazing. So, why not give a little boost to your own economy during your vacay?
4: Rediscovering your own city: While you might live in Fort Worth, we have a tendency to make the city as small as we want. And, sometimes, we make it damn near microscopic. There’s no better way to discover another side of town than doing a weekend stay.
The Kimpton Harper
Don’t be surprised when you don’t see anyone behind the first-floor desk at the newest hotel downtown. Yes, it may be across from the elevators, but it’s not where you check in to the Kimpton Harper that’s on the 24th floor.
When the elevator dings after a short, fast ride upward, you’ll understand why checkin is at the top of the building. The doors open to reveal a loft-style space beckoning everyone to come see a bird’s-eye view of Fort Worth. If you weren’t curious enough, a pair of binoculars sits by the window to the far left, providing a little nudge to see if you can spot the courthouse on Main Street.
Rooms: 226
Area: Downtown
Amenities: Gym
A majority of rooms — all of which are reminiscent of high-end downtown apartments — offer great views of downtown. Each room also comes equipped with a yoga mat in the closet, oh-so comfortable Frette luxury bedding, and full-size Atelier Bloem bath amenities.
Food and Drink: il Modo (Italian), Refinery 714 (bar) Price: $$$
After soaking in gorgeous downtown views from your on-loan studio apartment, head back upstairs, keeping an eye out for the brass flower details near the top of the elevator as you zip to the top of Fort Worth. These details are little nods to the history of the building — once the tallest west of the Mississippi — which was built in 1921. Guests can even admire views of Main Street while they work out in the fitness center, a whole floor dedicated to equipment like Peloton bikes, a row machine, and a stair stepper.
The bar, Refinery 714, has a fabulous whiskey list and seasonal cocktails to choose from, along with beer and wine. The downstairs restaurant, il Modo, is sure to delight guests as well. The modern Italian fare features handmade pasta that’s prepared fresh daily on display in the glass-windowed pasta-making room. The restaurant also offers breakfast daily from 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., with complimentary coffee for hotel guests until 10 a.m. 714 Main St. theharperfortworth.com
Hotel Drover
Pulling up to Hotel Drover, you may not realize that you’re driving on historic bricks. The “crown jewel of Mule Alley” has taken extreme care to integrate old with new — beginning with the bricks outside the front door.
Hotel Drover opened last March as phase two of three in the Mule Alley development, intentionally combining high-class luxury with classic cowboy motifs.
The hotel’s name tips its hat to the cowboys who once traversed this area, specifically, the drovers who directed cattle, hogs, and sheep into the largest livestocktrading center in the Southwest. One of the first things guests see on entering the hotel: a life-size, mixed-metal statue of a drover welcoming them.
Rooms: 200
Over 10,000 hours were spent curating artwork for Hotel Drover — not by a designer but by hotel ownership themselves. The labor of love led to an eclectic “Western Luxe” atmosphere. Guests often bypass check-in desks to admire the lobby’s décor, featuring a large livingroom-style area with ample seating and a fireplace. Beyond glass-paned doors, next to shelves of cowboy hats, there’s a 500-year-old Belgian watering trough surrounded by comfortable seats outside.
Area: Stockyards
Amenities: Pool, trails, shops
Food and Drink: 97 West (Traditional), Veranda Bar
Price: $$$$
The hotel’s expansive Backyard is home to the Veranda Bar, a heated pool and hot tub, and a gravel pathway that winds through the well-landscaped area. Follow it to find patio chairs surrounding gas-line fire pits and a stage where you can experience “Backyard Unplugged” on weekends.
This area of the Stockyards is bustling with new businesses like Sidesaddle Saloon, Fleastyle, and Provender Hall, soon to be joined by Melt Ice Creams and two new restaurants from chef Tim Love. There’s a lot to explore and old-time favorite activities to enjoy. But, if you’re inclined to stay in, 97 West, a delicious restaurant that serves up adventurous takes on classic American dishes resides just west of the lobby.
200 Mule Alley hoteldrover.com
Hotel Dryce
One lobby bar, 21 down-to-earth rooms, and a whole lot of Fort Worth creativity. This is what’s in store at Hotel Dryce, a locally owned boutique hotel across from Dickies Arena in the Cultural District. The name comes from what was here before: a dry ice warehouse, waiting to be reimagined. The walls of the warehouse, kept intact, surround the hotel’s patio space.
The once-warehouse floor now boasts plants, rugs, and comfortable seating where friends can gather and enjoy a cocktail or two. There’s also a fire pit out front, which, depending on the weather, gives off heat from flames or eye-catching smoke from dry ice as an homage to the past.
Co-founders Allen Mederos and Jonathan Morris (the entrepreneur behind Fort Worth Barbershop and host of “Self-Employed” on the Magnolia Network) started off as neighbors, living a street over from one another in the Arlington Heights area, close to where their hotel now sits. In 2018, the two became business partners, playing off each other’s strengths and weaknesses to develop the boutique hotel that they believed Fort Worth needed.
Hotel Dryce opened in August last year. The atmosphere is artistic, laidback, friendly and fresh, much like the city it resides in. The three-story building speaks to authentic Fort Worth — it’s not a caricature of the city, “where the West begins,” but a snapshot of the creativity and community that’s at the heart of this place we call home.
Among the 21 rooms is a suite with a seating area (also featuring a bar and a vintage turntable), smaller-size “practical” rooms with a full-size bed and a foldout desk, king rooms with a comfortable king bed, king+ rooms featuring a pull-down sofa bed alongside the king bed, and king view rooms that offer views of the Cultural District and Dickies Arena. The patio courtyard, accessible from the second floor, also provides a great place to sit and enjoy views of the city.
The boutique hotel strives to be a place where locals can recognize their Fort Worth, and travelers can discover it. Just look to the photographs of locals throughout the city, featured in the lobby bar and hotel rooms.
In one print, two men pose in front of an industrial building on Fort Worth’s east side. One is on foot, the other sits on his horse with an AirPod in his ear — a modern-day cowboy in Cowtown.
Rooms: 21
Area: Cultural District
Food and Drink: Lobby bar
Price: $$
According to Morris, representations of cowboys of color aren’t frequently seen around town, despite the fact that they were a large part of the American West. Looking around the hotel rooms and lobby bar, it’s easy to tell that’s not the case here. Behind the front desk sits a visually stimulating textured fabric piece by Niki Dione, one of several BIPOC artists that received a grant from Art Tooth to create pieces specifically for Hotel Dryce.
Considering its location in the Cultural District, it makes sense that the hotel strives to reflect a full breadth of Fort Worth’s creativity and culture. Anyone curious about where to explore in the area can turn to the hotel’s “experience guides,” locals with tried-and-true suggestions on things to see and do.
3621 Byers Ave. hoteldryce.com
Don’t Sleep on These Tried-and-True Options
Omni Fort Worth
1300 Houston St.
What’s become a definitive piece of Fort Worth’s skyline is the city’s only hotel to make Yelp’s list of 100 best places to stay in Texas.
Hotel Revel 1165 8th Ave.
This sleek, modern lodge is just a stone’s throw away from all the happenings on Magnolia Avenue. The hotel is also unstaffed, making it a great spot if you’d rather avoid the check-in phase.
The Worthington Renaissance 200 Main St.
A mainstay of downtown, the Worthington Renaissance is credited with igniting Sundance Square. After a recent
$8 million renovation, the hotel remains a great choice for an intown reatreat.
Three Danes Inn 712 May St.
A cozy inn with five rooms that’s just a hop and a skip from all the happenings in the Near Southside. The Victorian-style yellow house doubles as a bakery where you can pick up some of the city’s best pastries.
Stockyards Hotel 109 East Exchange Ave.
A true Stockyards experience includes a night’s rest at the historic Stockyards Hotel, where you can sleep in the same room Bonnie and Clyde once famously occupied.
The Sinclair
Downtown is hardly absent of beautiful, historic buildings, but few are as glamorous — and as high-tech — as the Sinclair. Built in 1929, the building became home to Sinclair Oil Company in 1932. Nearly 100 years later, after a fouryear restoration, it opened in 2020 as Fort Worth’s first-ever smart hotel, combining the glamour of the past with innovation of the future.
The building is a historic Texas landmark (marked with a medal plaque outside the gold front doors), so certain elements from the ‘30s had to stay; the grand entrance hallway is frozen in time, featuring gold accents, green marble walls, and eye-catching elevator doors. Archaic mail chutes exist on each floor, and on some levels, you’ll see faux doors from old offices.
The art deco windows in the lobby and adjacent bar are also original, reminiscent of the geometric archway above the hotel’s entrance. The lobby, now furnished with comfortable couches and sleek desks, was once a barbershop and cigar shop. Decorations subtly showcase the building’s former life: green Sinclair Gasoline oil tins, hats, and cigar box lids.
runs on a lithium-ion battery pack that can support the hotel for several hours if an outage occurs.
The Sinclair boasts 164 rooms, but most wow-worthy is the Penthouse Suite. It spans the 15th and 16th floors, featuring 2,700 square feet of living space that includes a bedroom, bathroom, living room, kitchen, half-bath, and dining area. The staircase leading from the living room down to the bedroom is part of the original architecture, kept in place thanks to the building’s historic Texas landmark status.
Rooms: 164
Area: Downtown
Food and Drink: The Wicked Butcher (Steakhouse), rooftop bar Price: $$$
Above the Penthouse sits another wow-factor: a panoramic view of Fort Worth from the 17th floor rooftop terrace, complete with a rooftop bar and eyecatching mural from local artist, Katie Murray. When the bar is open (April through October, depending on Texas weather), anyone can join in small bites, cocktails, and desserts on Fridays and Saturdays. When it’s closed, hotel guests have exclusive access to the rooftop terrace and its expansive views of the city.
While the lobby shows its past, the Sinclair’s rooms peer into the future with high-tech features. Lights and blinds in each room are controlled by a touchpad, where you can tap options like “relax,” “g’morning,” or “romantic” to set the mood. Bathrooms boast color-changing lights and Savvy Electric Mirrors, featuring a touchscreen display you can use to browse the weather, Fort Worth activities, hotel amenities, and even play tunes from a pre-loaded music selection. It’s not just the rooms that are technologically savvy. This is the first hotel in the world to use Power over Ethernet (POE) — it’s essentially the world’s first battery-powered hotel — which reduces energy consumption by 30% to 40%. There aren’t any traditional diesel generators, and its backup system
The underground steakhouse, the Wicked Butcher, has transformed what was once an office basement into a fine dining restaurant that’s open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Throughout the week, guests can also indulge at Wicked Bar, a swanky space across from the lobby that offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and in-room dining.
As time goes on, the hotel will continue to integrate advancements in technology while preserving the building’s past. This year, the Sinclair plans to introduce another futuristic first in Fort Worth: robots that will roll down its historic hallways, carrying guests’ bags from valet to their rooms.
512 Main St. thesinclairhotel.com
The Gaylord Texan
Just northwest of Fort Worth on the edge of Lake Grapevine is the jaw-dropping Gaylord Texan Resort. When guests check in, they’re given room keys with a foldout map — a necessity given the resort’s immense size.
Lush greenery lines the Gaylord’s winding river and walkways that weave through three different atriums that pay homage to different parts of Texas. Many of the resort’s 1,814 rooms get a bird’s-eye view into these atriums, where guests can admire the extensive foliage and grand ambiance.
Rooms: 1,814
Area: Grapevine
The resort also includes four delicious restaurant options: Zeppole (ItalianAmerican cuisine in an elegant setting), the Riverwalk Cantina (TexMex fare alongside a river with playful koi fish), Texan Station (a sports bar with an arcade and 40plus TVs, including one of the five-largest big screens in Texas), and Old Hickory Steakhouse (a fine-dining experience with a bountiful wine selection).
Amenities: Pool, spa, gym, shops, waterpark
Food and Drink: Zeppole (ItalianAmerican), Riverwalk Cantina (TexMex), Old Hickory Steakhouse, Texan Station (sports bar), Glass Cactus Nightclub
Price: $$$$
Other amenities include two heated pools, a full workout center, an outdoor walking trail, a spa and salon for all your back massage needs, a little vineyard (the only vineyard in the world within a hotel), and a water park called Paradise Springs.
The kid-friendly waterpark includes a 6,000-square-foot lagoon, walk-in beach, toddler pool, and winding lazy river. Next door is the Glass Cactus Nightclub, which has live music on the weekends and a twostory deck overlooking Lake Grapevine.
If you want to hide away, everything you need is here. However, if you want to explore, Grapevine’s Main Street is a short drive away, offering wine tastings, shopping, and historic sites. In town, you’ll also find the Botanical Gardens at Heritage Park, Founders Plaza (where you can watch the planes take off from DFW airport), and trails along Lake Grapevine.
1501 Gaylord Trail Grapevine, TX
The Sanford House Inn & Spa
This hidden gem — a longstanding Arlington oasis full of elegance and charm — is tucked away on 2 acres of beautiful grounds in the heart of Arlington’s entertainment district.
The Sanford House is a short drive to AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field (on game days, a shuttle is provided for guests) and within walking distance of multiple attractions: the Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington Music Hall, and the burgeoning Urban Union District. Although it’s close to a lot of the action, the hustle and bustle fades away as soon as you walk into the main lobby in the Manor House, a traditional Southern-style home with a wraparound porch.
According to Valerie Landry, general manager of the Sanford House, her family built the Manor House intending to create a bed-and-breakfast. Her grandparents opened the doors to their “retirement project” in 1997, much to Arlington’s delight. Shortly after, the pair came out of retirement as the B&B became a favorite place to stay.
Now in its 25th year, the Sanford House continues to offer guests a luxurious getaway with 12 distinct rooms, fine dining at Restaurant 506, and a fullservice spa across the street from the main grounds.
Rooms: 12
Area: Arlington
Amenities: Spa
Food and Drink: Restaurant 506 (Contemporary)
Price: $$$
Rooms at the Sanford House are adorned with antiques that have been collected throughout the years. Some of the Victorian-style décor is recreated, but other pieces — like the bed in the Verona cottage — are real antiques. Rollaway beds and cribs are available on request, making an elegant stay easy for families in need of an escape.
If you’re in need of extra pampering, relax and unwind across the street at the Spa at Sanford House, a full-service, awardwinning spa and salon that’s sure to elevate a relaxing staycation with massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures.
506 North Center St. Arlington, TX thesanfordhouse.com
Fort Worth Inc. is once again presenting the Best Companies to Work For in Fort Worth awards. Our program uses a two-part assessment process taking into account the employer’s policies, practices, benefits and demographics, as well as the company’s employees and their engagement and satisfaction. After all, employees know best if their company is a great company to work for or not. The winning companies will be recognized in Fort Worth Inc. and honored at an awards event to be held in August.
Deadline is March 18, 2022
by
photography
Nancy Farrar
RAISING HELL
After riding bulls for over a decade, Cory Melton has carved out a career raising some of the wildest, untamable animals on the planet.
BY
TYLER HICKS PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLAF GROWALD
Cory Melton spends every day caring for the same kind of animals that broke his face. Those are his words: “Sumbitch hit me just right and broke my face.” The tall, muscular, 39-year-old Texan with a cinematic drawl was about a year into a burgeoning bull-riding career when, midbuck, a bullhorn hit his face just right.
“Usually, if a horn hits you, guys just get black eyes or a broken nose or lose a few teeth,” he says with way too much nonchalance. “But this one got me square. You couldn’t have hit me harder if you had a baseball bat.”
Melton, then 20, managed to pick himself up from the ground and stumble out of the arena, but judging by the sheer amount of blood caking his face, he could tell something was off. When his friend “turned white as a ghost” just from staring at Melton, the young rider knew this wasn’t your typical horn-to-the-head injury. Then they called a helicopter.
“When they bring in CareFlite to take your ass to the hospital, that’s when you know you done got hurt worse than usual.”
That may have been his lone trip in a helicopter (so far), but it certainly wasn’t the only time he got hurt. As a bull rider, he explains, you have to get used to a life of “constant” pain.
On another occasion, Melton woke up in the hospital with a collapsed lung and a chest full of broken ribs. Yet another time, a bull bucked him so hard he dislocated his shoulder. The tiny Texas town in which this particular injury occurred had a single small hospital, and at the time of the injury, it was closed. Thus, Melton had to drive to a neighboring town to get his shoulder inspected and popped back into place, ultimately spending six hours with his arm dangling by a thread.
“If you can imagine being tortured,” he says, “that’s pretty much what it felt like.”
At this point, you are probably wondering, why do it? Why put your mind, body, and spirit through all of the pain professional bull riding entails? Don’t worry; we’ll get to that. But what is just as interesting as Melton’s decade in bull riding is his current occupation: bull-raiser.
As the owner and operator of Melton Bull Co., this former top rider now raises the same sort of hellions that nearly killed him. Every morning, he wakes up to feed, nourish, and cultivate a stable of thousand-pound bucking bull babies, his eye always on the lookout for the next champion. In other words, his goal is to raise a bull who gets really, really good at throwing cowboys off its back.
A champion bull can net you millions bucking cowboys across the country, and thanks to the growing popularity of the rodeo industry, there are plenty of competition opportunities for Melton and his bulls. In fact, listening to Melton rattle off the acronyms for each event can be a little dizzying. There’s the ABBI (American Bucking Bull, Inc.), the classic PBR (Professional Bull Riders), and the PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association). Melton does them all, often hauling a dozen bulls across the country to buck the riders brave enough to get on the back of an animal that can crush your skull with a single kick.
“I used to joke that, since I started raising bulls, my days of going to the hospital are over,” Melton says. “Then that next week, they ran me over and broke my ribs.”
His life expectancy has certainly improved, but raising bulls is tough work. Early mornings, late nights, and months on the road are all part of the deal. Plus, to be truly successful, you have to combine a shrewd businessman’s eye for the deal with an in-depth understanding of bull genetics. A solid understanding of bull semen is also a plus. That’s how Melton has built a name for himself in the 10 years since he founded Melton Bull Co. Nowadays, people are just as likely to know Melton, the bull-raiser, as they are
Melton the rider.
“I’m kind of a broker or a consultant or whatever you wanna call me,” he says. “I’ll buy bulls; people will send me bulls; I’ll help people find the bulls they need. They’ll call me up asking, ‘Hey, do you know where I can buy this bull? Can you raise this bull?’ You have to be multifaceted in this business, and you have to put in the work, every single day. The day you stop trying to get better is the day you start to lose.”
That brings us back to the questions that philosophers and bull-fearing folk like me have been asking since the beginning of time: Why? What’s the point? There are probably easier ways to make money (I’m a journalist, so don’t ask me how), and there are plenty of jobs that don’t involve as much potential harm to your face, nose, ribs, and lungs. So, why raise bulls, let alone ride them?
It’s partly the money, of course. And Melton, the son of a rider, was also born into this world. It’s quite literally in his blood, and in many ways, it’s all he’s ever really known. But there’s another reason that novice fans (including me) may not expect: People like Melton really love animals.
“I don’t know anyone who is good at this that doesn’t have a love for the bulls,” he says. “They’ll hurt you, they’ll humble you, they’ll break your heart. But you gotta love ‘em.”
As for riding?
“Nothing compares to that thrill you get when you’re riding,” he says, his cameraready stoicism briefly giving way to a hint of a smile. “Nothing can beat that.”
Born to Buck According to Jay Daugherty, a rodeo veteran and the president of the ABBI, there are a few misconceptions about bucking bulls and those who raise them. The first and most glaring is that people like Melton mistreat their stock.
“You can find plenty of pictures where bulls have their balls clamped,” Daugherty tells me over the phone from Colorado. “But the people who know what they’re doing would never do that. You wouldn’t move if someone did that to you, so why would anyone do that to a bull?”
It’s a good point, and one that Melton echoes. Guys who raise bulls treat their
animals like royalty, he says. And if they’re hurt from, say, a testicle clamp, they’re not going to go to work. They’re certainly not going to net you glory or cash.
According to Daugherty and Melton, a bucking bull’s prime years are ages 1 through 4. That’s when they have the most potential, and guys like Melton spend much of their time making sure they eat well, stay healthy, stay warm or cool (depending on the season), and learn how to buck the hell out of a cowboy. They’re trained, but they’re also pampered. The training part is where the “dummies” come into play.
Before a bull is ever ridden by a human, guys like Melton attach small metal boxes to their bulls’ backs. By throwing off the box, bulls learn what it’s like to catapult a cowboy through the air. Likewise, bull-raisers like Melton get to learn how high the bull kicks and how much it twists. The box doesn’t hurt them, he adds; they’re just bred to buck whatever happens to be on their back.
The breeding side of the business is where things get even more interesting. As the prez of the ABBI, Daugherty oversees a registry of more than 300,000 bulls. He and his team can trace a bull’s lineage back five generations, and in doing so, they help bull-raisers breed the most successful bulls possible.
“Our goal is to provide enough opportunities for bulls to make money,” Daugherty says. Still, a championship lineage alone isn’t enough to guarantee a premier bucking bull. The training and treatment provided by pros like Melton can make a big difference, hence all the pampering.
“Some of these guys treat their bulls better than they treat themselves,” Daugherty adds. And, as mentioned above, the real pros have read up on genetics.
“You have to study the genetics and look at the percentages of how many of a bull’s offspring became a bucking bull and how many times a cow produced a bucking bull,” Kaycee Simpson, the former executive of the ABBI, told American Cattleman magazine. “Realistically, stock contractors need to be in this for the long haul. It takes time and years of education to breed their lines and develop their programs. And even if they don’t get the
next Bodacious or Bushwacker, they still have the opportunity to earn $2,500 on a heifer that someone else can use in their breeding program, which is way more than the $500 to $700 they’d get for a Black Angus heifer used for commercial meat products.”
Bodacious and Bushwacker are both legendary bucking bulls. Think Leo Messi or Michael Jordan; that’s how famous they are in certain circles. Daugherty told me he once heard a story about Bushwacker’s owner turning down $1 million for the bull. He just couldn’t part with it.
“Do you think it’s true?” I asked.
“Probably,” Daugherty replied. As it turns out, stories like that are pretty common. Bulls become de facto members of the family, and long after their bucking days
are done, they’re still living a life of luxury on some remote ranch in Texas or Nevada. Sometimes bulls are buried on that ranch, right next to grandpa or grandma.
“I’ve had a few that I couldn’t bear to part with,” Melton tells me. “When you love something for years and years, you just can’t send it to the slaughterhouse. So, I keep ‘em at the house, and if I need to, I’ll put ‘em down myself when it’s time.”
All that training, care, and genetic acumen have created an interesting problem for the rodeo business: The bulls are getting better than the humans.
Over the last 10 years, the audience for bull riding has continued to grow — as has the prize money for both bulls and riders. There’s a rodeo in Fort Worth every weekend, but there’s also a full
Cory Melton
list of events happening throughout the year. The PBR circuit usually kicks off at Madison Square Garden, and when he was interviewed for this story, Daugherty had just awarded $4 million in prize money at a competition in Duncan, Oklahoma. There’s practically no off-season, but there is a dearth of riders.
Twenty years ago, Daugherty says, there were roughly 1,000 riders registered with the PBR alone. In recent years, that number has slipped to about 400. It’s a steady 400, Daugherty clarifies, but it’s still proof of a diminished interest in the life of a rider.
“In my opinion, American kids are just a little softer than they used to be,” Daugherty says. Meanwhile, he notes, Brazil continues to produce excellent riders. There are still plenty of American superstars, of course, including the famous J.B. Mauney. In 2019, Mauney, now 34, famously broke Bushwacker’s streak of 40 tossed riders in a row. But even he admits the bullraising industry is quickly outpacing that of the riders.
“If they keep breeding better bulls,” he told The New York Times, “they’re going to have to start breeding better bull riders.”
Daugherty may be right about kids getting softer, but it’s easy to see why young’uns are shying away from this deadly sport. Melton tells me that around 10 or 12 riders die from injuries each year, including at least one “highprofile” guy. One time, at a rodeo competition, Melton saw a cowboy fall under a bucking bull.
talented, fearsome bulls he calls his own, Melton was born into this.
“You Gonna Ride One Tonight?” I first met Melton on a cold November day at the Fort Worth Stockyards. The famed Cowtown Coliseum held its first rodeo in 1918, and in the century since, it’s become a must-see destination for millions of fans and curious tourists who make the trip to North Texas each year. On this particular day, I meet a pair of French tourists who wonder why I’m wearing
sideways glances from seasoned rodeo fans who are snaking their way behind buildings en route to the cattle call. Then: He arrives.
Riding in a big truck emblazoned with his company’s logo, Melton backs into the tight Billy Bob’s alley with 10 bulls in tow. One of them is Astro, a descendant of a famous bucking bull named Asteroid.
“Only the special ones get names,” Melton says.
He got here a little early to talk to me, so after he unloads his bulls into the holding pen for the night’s rodeo, he and I stand around chatting in the crisp, late fall air. He just came from Sulphur Springs, he says, where he caught the Rodeo Hall of Fame induction of one of his friends. Shortly after this, he’ll have to head to Vegas for about a month. But tonight, he’ll enjoy the weekly event hosted by Stockyards Pro Rodeo and his good friend CK Reid, who runs the show at the Stockyards.
“I turned my head away just in time,” he says. “And I heard the crowd go silent, like someone just died.”
As it turns out, no one did — at least that day. But the bull did remove the cowboy’s jaw just by stepping on him, and according to Melton, the man never rode again.
That’s the kind of power Melton deals with every day. And just like some of the
basketball shorts and a Mumford & Sons T-shirt, which, despite a lifetime in Texas, is the most “country” thing I can find in my closet. Next to Melton, who sports a wide-brimmed hat, some dusty boots, and a buckle as big as my fist, I’m the epitome of dumb Yankee.
Luckily, he’s too kind to say anything. After arriving at the Stockyards, I wait to meet the veteran cowboy in the area right behind Billy Bob’s. The air is redolent with the smell of manure, and I get a few
“You pretty much get to know everybody in this business,” Melton says. “It’s kinda like a family.”
Melton’s biological family is full of rodeo folk. His grandfather owned land and plenty of animals, and his dad was a rider. For that reason, he never wanted his son on top of a bull. He didn’t stop the teenage Melton from dreaming of life as a cowboy, but he tried discouraging the life whenever he could. After a while, he gave up.
“When it’s all you dream about as a kid coming up into a teenager, it sorta becomes unstoppable,” Melton says. “It’s hard to explain, but I knew I was gonna ride.”
Melton’s career officially began when he was 19. He had some early success, but the face-breaking accident happened just as he was climbing the national rankings.
After his ride in the helicopter, Melton took eight weeks to recover. He ultimately missed the National Finals Rodeo, which is essentially the Super Bowl. (Only this time,
the cowboys actually make it.) It was a major setback, to be sure, but it was also a key motivator for the young Melton.
“When I came back, in 2003, I was pretty pissed off,” he recalls. “I was ready to kick everybody’s ass. [Injuries] motivate you when you’re young; when you’re older, it does just the opposite.”
Melton stayed in the game for nine more years, winning lots of money and plenty of fame. If you search “Cory Melton Bull Rider” on YouTube, you can find plenty of videos of him staying on a bull’s back for an impossibly long eight seconds. That’s the goal, at least, and if you can make it eight seconds, you’re golden. (Not many people can make it to eight seconds.)
In one video from 2003 (the year Melton admits he was really “pissed off”) you can watch as the inarguably handsome young rider mounts a bull aptly named “Wild Side.”
“This bull, he’s a handful,” says the TV commentator as Melton takes his final, pre-ride breaths. “Real fast, has a lot of action, might do anything and everything.”
What happens next is violently beautiful: The cowboys open the chute and Wild Side shoots out, twisting and turning at literal breakneck speed. Melton, one hand on a flank strap and the other in the air, stays upright for what must have felt like an hour. At exactly eight seconds, he lets go of the strap and flies into the air, landing softly on the sand below. Here’s the coolest, most John Wayne-esque part: His cowboy hat stays on the whole time. It’s only when he knows he’s bested Wild Side that Melton launches his hat into the crowd and raises his arms in the air.
have to push down those feelings. So, when I quit riding bulls, it wasn’t planned. I knew it wasn’t gonna work that way. I woke up one day and said, ‘I’m done.’ That’s the only way you can do it.”
Yet he had no intention of leaving the bull business. By that point, he had already realized you could make a career raising the very bulls he used to buck. The only thing left was to figure out how to do it.
“I didn’t know if it was gonna work, but that’s what I was gonna do,” he says. “Over time, there have been opportunities, and I’ve figured it out. It’s not easy, but if you’re willing to get out and work, you can make some money.”
Founded in 2012, Melton Bull Co. has always specialized in competition bulls, and it’s helped that the competition industry seems to have gained in
some of his veteran bulls alongside some up-and-comers.
He started working with CK Reid and Stockyards Pro Rodeo in 2019, and since then, each event has become a regular hangout for him and his friends in the bull biz. When Reid arrives, Melton, ever the gentleman, takes a moment to introduce me before he and his pal talk shop.
“You gonna ride one tonight?” Reid asks me.
Yes, I technically have that option. You see, one thing you might now know about the rodeo is that anyone can walk up to the Stockyards and ride a bull. The French tourists could do it. I could do it. A-ny-one can do it. And sometimes, they do.
Melton has plenty of stories about guys who get one or two beers in them and start thinking they can ride a bull. Oftentimes, their friends make it worse by encouraging them. Melton may try to talk them down, but according to him, it’s against the rules to actually prohibit anyone from riding. Thus far, he’s never seen any amateur get hurt riding a bull on a lark. Or, as he puts it, “The dumbasses are always OK.”
But it couldn’t last. Nothing beautiful does.
By the time you turn 25 or 26 and the injuries and surgeries start piling up, you start to think about the “r” word: retirement. And that can be lethal.
“Bull riding is too dangerous a sport to know you’re gonna quit,” Melton says. “That’s the worst distraction there is. You
popularity each year Melton has been in business. Events are now broadcast on The Cowboy Channel, and true to form, Melton has handled whatever the bull business has thrown his way.
“In the rodeo business, there’s a lot of side deals, a lot of ways to make money,” he says. For instance, people always seem to be in the market for cows, and the semen game is lucrative if you have a couple stud bulls on your hands.
On this particular night, the one in which I’m embarrassingly underdressed at the Stockyards, Melton is taking the opportunity to do the same thing he does in California, Vegas, and Wyoming: Show off his stock. There are buyers and brokers in the crowd, and Melton brought
So, yes, I could technically ride one tonight. But I politely decline.
“Maybe next time,” I tell Reid, faking a smile. “Hell no,” I say in my head.
After some chit chat with Reid and Reid’s 80-year-old bull-raising father Claude, it’s time for the show to start. Melton shows me around the arena, then says goodbye for the night. As is their ritual, he and Reid are going to grab a couple of beers before the rodeo. We talk about meeting up later at his big house in Tolar, but he’s so busy that we’re not sure when we’ll meet again. Thus, the last time I see the former rider, he’s shaking my hand in front of Cowtown Coliseum and looking around at the typical hustle, bustle, and musical activity that precedes the rodeo.
“There are worse places to be on a Saturday night,” he says. And with that, the cowboy smiles.
He mentioned earlier that he had lost some teeth after breaking his face, but from where I stood, you’d never know.
The New Kids on the Bloc
Before the five new Fort Worth City Council members got to tackling the biggest issues of the day, they found they had something in common: They all liked each other.
BY JOHN HENRY / PHOTOS BY CRYSTAL WISE
WWhen all the dirt and grime had cleared, the hyperbole had been turned down to low on volume on their Sony, Bose, or Beats Pill, and the ballots dumped in a recycling bin — or wherever they go — Fort Worth’s municipal elections had turned the City Council of a city on the rise upside down.
Gone were six incumbents, including Mayor Betsy Price, who declined to run a sixth time, and Jungus Jordan, sent to the sideline after 16 years on council, a runoff loser to a young, political neophyte from southwest Fort Worth.
At 37, Mattie Parker became the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city. Following her up the steps of the soon-to-be-discarded City Council chambers — in the very near future, City Hall is moving into Marvin Girourd’s beautiful pride and joy, a highrise just west of downtown, the one-time nerve center of Pier One — were five new members to the city’s governing board.
This office in City Hall is entrusted to nonpartisans. No one runs with any label, none being needed — keep the lights on, the water running, and developers honest following codes.
That’s all academic theory, of course. For those bothering to put aside their gaming or other pastime for a few minutes to pay attention to their city government, they know the lay of the land and where our citizen politicians and policymakers stand as partisans.
And it was clear that Fort Worth’s council had turned a Democrat hue of blue, by a 5-4 margin, and we’d all be governed by rookies who were nothing alike, their backgrounds each as different as Ted Lasso and Bill Belichick.
And of the newbies, three indeed tote around the label of “Democrat,” and two “Republican.”
In District 3 Michael Crain arrived, succeeding Brian Byrd, the good doctor who wanted to be mayor but fell short in 2021. Jared Williams had defeated Jordan in District 6. Leonard Firestone had succeeded Dennis Shingleton, who decided he didn’t want to run again in District 7. In District 8, Chris Nettles defeated incumbent Kelly Allen Gray, and in District 9 Elizabeth Beck, a one-time Texas House of Representatives candidate, won a seat on council, replacing Ann Zadeh, who stepped aside for her own run at the city’s top political office.
Among the things Jefferson wrote from his writing desk at Monticello all those years ago while sipping on his Bordeaux was that, that first office of government served is a splendid misery, and as politics go these days, these five were indeed expected to get along like cats and dogs, Paul and Yoko, the Kardashians, and the civilized world.
But rather than a splendid misery and fighting over territorial or political causes, these five, through the first several months of their tenures, are the exemplars of how politics can be
everywhere and in every city.
To be sure, they’ve already had their disagreements — the cruising ordinance and redistricting, to name two — but they not only get along, they also like each other. No, they love each other. It’s amazing what happens when you sit down and get to know one another. Maybe share a scrumptious TX Whiskey from Firestone’s old distillery (he and his partner have sold) in District 8 at the former Glen Garden, which, as a golf course in the nostalgic past, was home to Hogan and Nelson.
We actually recently did just that, sat down with the New 5 one evening at Bonnell’s, the fine dining establishment of Jon Bonnell, a very good sir, if there ever was one. It was a Fort Worth kind of evening: Sitting around the bar, there was horseplay, greatnatured teasing, a little cussin’, and stories shared about their visions and priorities.
Oh, and Mariah Carey’s royalties at Christmastime.
“I’ve learned that she makes $600,000 from November around Thanksgiving to Christmas,” Crain says incredulously about the earworm that beats many to the brink of tearing out their car radios. “Just that one song.”
“That’s only one of the greatest Christmas songs ever,” Beck rebuts.
While they have and will at times certainly disagree, ahem, like this, they have in common a deep love of the city and the neighborhoods they serve.
In Fort Worth, that’s a bond as thick as the blood of brothers and sisters with a shared family tree and all its glory, shortcomings, and failures.
Like any other family, and that’s what this crew has become: family.
“I would say we’re all relatively fresh from the campaign,” says Firestone. “And I think we found, probably, I won’t speak for everyone, but a lot of commonality among the neighborhoods. And we all represent neighborhoods, and we all probably have very similar conversations with people in those neighborhoods about what they care about. And that’s probably across the city. It is remarkably similar if not identical.”
Adds Crain: “I think when talking and even knocking on doors, talking to people and talking to constituents, we have far more in common than we do differences across the city. And we all, even my constituents that may not have ever traveled to another part of the city, still want the best for the city overall and want
the best for the people in that part of the city. Even though our constituents might come from different backgrounds or do different jobs or do different things, in the end, they want what’s best for Fort Worth. And they understand that in essence, rising tides raise all.”
THE STATUS QUO, NO MO’
The closeness of the group reminds the writer of another time on the council, more than 30 years ago when first-timers David Chappell, Kay Granger, and Eugene McCray joined in 1989.
Chappell, who passed away late last year, said that trio’s relationship grew out of feelings of insecurity about how things work at City Council.
Firestone says that same factor is in play today as the five learn the ins and outs of city government. Firestone and the others are all quick to thank council member incumbents Carlos Flores, Cary Moon, and Gyna Bivens, as well as Parker, the former chief of staff to Price and the council, for assisting them in learning the ropes.
Those three of yesteryear, on the other hand, formed a formidable rookie coalition on council. However, that’s not particularly the case with these five, they all say.
“I would say that looking at the way on our council looks, the diversity that’s on our council is reflective of a bar that you’ll see anywhere in the city of Fort Worth,” says Williams. “And the conversations that we’re able to have as a team are reflective of the city of Fort Worth, the conversations that are happening in the city. But I think that’s powerful for where we’re trying to grow this thing collectively. And I would say the coalition is all of us, right? The coalition of Fort Worth residents wanting a world-class city. And I mean, you see that with the world-class council that’s willing to roll up our sleeves and work together.”
If there is a coalition that exists, it’s less in counting votes and more in a commitment to asking questions and challenging city staff and methods. “Because we’ve always done it this way” is not necessarily good public policy, they say. One good example, Williams says, was the discovery of kids having to pay membership fees to attend safe spaces, like community centers.
Starting in January, those fees will go away. There was some resistance from staff on the proposal because the city had to find a way to pay for it, $100,000 in total, the five say.
Williams, 32, has perhaps the most difficult job of the new guys replacing Jordan, who with 16 years on the council had the most institutional knowledge and policy know-how than anyone on the council.
Williams grew up in District 6, a graduate of North Crowley High School, raised by educator parents. Williams followed their path, eventually earning a doctorate in environmental science and science education from North Texas. He works today with Leadership ISD, which works to promote racial equity in public education.
With Nettles also on the council, it is certainly the first time in the city’s history that two North Crowley graduates sit on the dais.
His vision for District 6 is “dead set on creating safe and strong neighborhoods, the basic unit of a prosperous city.”
“For too long, we’ve left neighborhoods behind. Chris just talked about that. For us, we’ve been working on doing that three ways. Economic development, growing businesses and jobs, small businesses in particular. Ensuring our neighbors are safe through things like crosswalks, school zones, infrastructure like stop signs, streetlights in a growing district. Things like making sure that we have our next generation of homegrown heroes, the public servants, police, fire, EMT, and emergency communications. And then also ensuring that we have a government that’s responsive to the needs of our community.”
Williams is a sweetheart of man who says his motivation is service to others through acts of love.
His preference is a hug, not a handshake.
“The stories about us working well together don’t get told as well as ...
“The negative pieces,” Crain jumps in.
“Especially, the political climate that we see all across country, the things that get the ratings and readings are when we’re at odds,” Williams continues. “And, so people expect that for Fort Worth council as well. And I think, from redistricting to seeing us
CHRIS NETTLES
make historic investments during the budget cycle, nine of us all agreed on an affordable housing project. Those are just stories that really build faith and trust in government but that don’t always get told to the same magnitude or reshared to the same magnitude.
“There’s probably way more times where we worked flawlessly together and went home, didn’t care if we got praised or not, but we did it because of the reason why we’re all here.”
That gets a “hear, hear” out of Beck.
Williams has been identified by the others as the “baby brother” of the group.
Crain is the therapist; Nettles, “the preacher” because he is one having studied Christian ministries at Dallas Baptist University; and Beck, the “cruise director” — Julie from “The Love Boat,” she says — and “the lawyer.”
“I’m a lawyer, too,” Crain interjects. And Firestone?
“I bring the whiskey,” he notes and notes quite accurately. Firestone’s claim to fame — well, to journalists in these parts anyway — is the spiritual gift of TX Whiskey, brought to market by Firestone and partner Troy Robertson in 2012. The company relocated to the historic Glen Garden Country Club where they built their distillery and event venue on the storied 112 acres.
The partners sold Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. to Parisbased Pernod Ricard in 2019.
The redevelopment of Glen Garden is the kind of advancement Firestone wants to bring to other parts of the city.
He is, and justifiably so, quite proud of what emerged from the soil of the former country club and golf course.
“It was very controversial because it was a big change,” Firestone remembers of the debate about the sale and redevelopment of Glen Garden in 2015. “And there was a lot of fear about what to do. But when we brought that deal to the city, effectively, we didn’t get a tax break. We didn’t get any abatements. We didn’t get any sort of those subsidies that come from the community. But what we talked about was the promise of business. What we thought we could build, if allowed to do it, and what it would ultimately mean to that community and city, as ambitious as we were. So that was 70 jobs that we were talking
about, which we produced, and we built, I think. And I think, just the last thing I want to point out, is that next year after we built that, the ZIP code, I believe the district made the ZIP code with the greatest property value increases, came from that.”
A zoning case in Nettles’ district came to the floor recently, Firestone mentions.
“It got approved. It’s going to be a beautiful property that everyone’s going to be proud of. And, so I turned to Chris, and I said, ‘It’s exactly what we were talking about in 2015, the impact that this kind investment could have in the community where it’s creating jobs and opportunities.”
Says Nettles: “It’s right there on Berry, and the project I’m doing on Evans and Rosedale, same thing. You’re going to have units, five stories, and on the bottom, it’s going to have an opportunity for entrepreneurs or an opportunity for a grocery store or a restaurant.”
And the rent for living there will be made affordable through workforce housing, he says.
Nettles resists any suggestion that this development is gentrification. They aren’t tearing down and putting up $300,000 houses.
“That’s not what’s happening,” he says.
ACTIVIST TO GAG ORDER
Nettles points out at least twice that he is 1 for 3 in city politics after finally unseating Gray after two unsuccessful attempts.
It is subsequently noted that 1 for 3 is Baseball Hall of Fame worthy.
He ran each time on a platform of police accountability and a police oversight board. His activism to that end gained a greater foothold with the tragedy of Atatiana Jefferson, shot dead by Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean in 2019.
“No, no, stop right there,” Nettles says holding up his hands as if he were directing traffic. “I can’t talk about that,” he adds, faithful to a gag order he is under from District Court Judge David Hagerman. Defense attorneys for former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean have issued subpoenas to Nettles and Mayor Mattie Parker, a move legal analysts say is designed more
LEONARD FIRESTONE
to keep them from talking about the case publicly.
Before receiving the subpoena, the mayor released a statement urging the court to expedite scheduling of the trial, “a growing concern,” Parker said. Nettles, too, has been public in his frustration over the delays, penning a letter to Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson and Hagerman.
The trial has been delayed again, until May.
In October, the council voted to rename a main thoroughfare in east Fort Worth the Atatiana Jefferson Memorial Parkway.
“Yeah,” the rest say like a choir in perfect sync, “he can’t talk about that.”
Our memories adequately refreshed, that topic immediately came off the agenda for our meeting.
Nettles owns a child-care center in Fort Worth, Haven of Purpose Child Care Center, which provides care, education, nutritious meals, mentorship to children.
A police oversight board, another political hot potato coated in Carolina Reapers, remains a work in progress. One sticking point is whether the board would have the authority to investigate complaints against officers.
Kim Neal, the city’s police monitor who has been on the job since March 2020, has said the proposed board would be responsible for reviewing the police department’s policies and procedures and making recommendations on policy.
The board, like any other, would not have the authority to make policy. Only the council can do that.
“What I don’t want to get into for our city, as we talk about the adversarial relationship between [council, police, and city manager] and not getting information and not getting things done that we want to do,” Crain says.
“I think Michael might be jumping on that,” Beck says. “We need to hold people accountable.”
Says Nettles, a citizens review board proponent: “I think hiring Kim Neal was a step forward, and I will not deny that. But just like us, we are city council people. We were elected by the people. And we all come with different values, and we listen to our constituents. I think that the Citizens Oversight Review Board, whatever you want to call it, is going to give a different
level of transparency.”
Nettles, by the way, despite what has become conventional wisdom, insists that he is not antipolice, and, in fact, is pro-police. His community can’t live without law enforcement.
Accountability measures are in every profession, Williams says, whether that be an attorney, teacher, or reporter.
Williams, however, stresses in the conversation that the job of police officer is a difficult one, often seeing and dealing with humanity at its worst with long hours and difficult schedules.
“And when we’re not giving you the mental health support that you need, you are going to make bad decisions,” Williams says. “You’re going to be tired. You are going to be stressed. You are going to be angry. And that is the compassion … look, I’m the first person to say, ‘Hold them accountable. Be better police.’ But you also have to provide the support and to provide that alleviation of that stress. It’s easy when you’re on the campaign to say, ‘We need police reform; I don’t like the way you behave every day. I think you could be better. I think we need to talk about your implicit bias.’ But also, ‘Hey, your job is hard. It’s hard. You see people at their worst, and you see death. You show up to a call and run toward the fire.’
Crain says: “I think that we all appreciate that and understand that with our police, our fire, our first responders of saying, ‘We understand you have a hard job. We also understand that people look at safety and security in their neighborhoods differently, and that we all want to be better.’ We all want that, whether it’s talking about implicit biases or it’s talking about training and education, that piece, that we all understand there’s all that piece you have to go through to make everybody feel safer in their own neighborhoods.
“Because again, I don’t think there’s anybody in this city that dials 911 that doesn’t want someone up to help them. But they also understand that I don’t look like someone else on the other side of the city.”
THE LEVITY MASTER
It’s easy to see that the therapist, err, Michael Crain, has been a leader in making the glue that has brought this rookie City
ELIZABETH BECK
Council class together.
At 49, he has led an existence of varied tasks. His LinkedIn page is full.
Texas A&M undergrad, Rutgers for graduate school for an MBA, and Texas Wesleyan for law.
JARED WILLIAMS
He worked in the George W. Bush administration, eventually going to Beijing where he was chief of staff of the U.S. embassy. At one point, for a brief moment in time, he did public policy advising for Uber before going to real estate. Currently, he is a partner in the commercial real estate firm Northern Crain.
His mastery, however, is frivolity. His soul is ruled by levity. He was the kid who got the teacher’s stink eye for talking in class or pulling a prank.
“I think he brings levity in a way that we need when we’re having these real heavy conversations,” Beck says. “And Michael can say things in a way that makes everybody laugh and not in a silly way, but like in a ‘this is hard, and the tension is building,’ and Michael has a way to just decompress it, right, make everybody laugh.”
The District 3 councilmember says he has gained a perspective over his years of experiences, a realization that wherever and whatever moment you’re in, it will not last forever.
“So, we’re in this, we all got elected at the same time, at a great time for Fort Worth, but it won’t be here forever,” he says. “And if you get in your head about, ‘Oh, my God, am I doing all this right?’ and it’s so stressful, etc., that you can’t understand all the other pieces of the good things that we can do and realize I’m not sitting in this position forever. I might run again; I don’t know. I may get elected again; I don’t know.
“I think that we have to step back sometimes and remember the humanity piece. And so, if I’m doing nothing more than being self-deprecating about myself, or making fun of her [Beck], or whatever, that particular place we’re in. This is what I’ll say, we’re here for a period of time, right? That we, I think, have ended up in this part of time, in a very beautiful time for us, that I’ve lived long enough and lived different lives to realize it ends, right?”
He calls some of the issues the council encounters “mindnumbing” as if talking about third period accounting in high school.
Someone at the bar asks the group about all this talk of Fort Worth becoming a “world-class city.” We’re the 12th largest in the country, but it doesn’t feel like it sometimes, except for some of the political strife of police and a racial divide, which has poked its nose in the issue of redistricting, a touchy topic for some, essentially on racial grounds. Minority groups want better representation at City Hall.
“We are finding our legs as a big-kid city, right?” Becks says. “We’re no longer just little ol’ Fort Worth or Dallas-Fort Worth. No, we’re Fort Worth. We’re the 12th-largest city, and let me show you who we are. And we are world class, but we can be world class that doesn’t look like Dallas or doesn’t look like Houston or Austin. It looks like Fort Worth. And I think we get there by solid economic development, compassionate care as a city.”
There is some belief among some observers that the leadership change of the last municipal elections might be a key component of Fort Worth advancing its big-city credentials and culture.
A VERY PERSONAL ISSUE
Asked if this affinity and affection for one another was love at first sight, Beck says no.
Beck: “No, it wasn’t actually. That’s what’s so funny, is that …
Nettles: “Almost, really.”
Beck: “... It’s like, that’s what’s so funny is that everyone thought, so going into it, everyone kind of has their …
Crain: “Preconceived notions.”
Beck: Yeah. And, so everyone thought ...
Nettles: “I was the radical person, coming in.”
Beck: “That’s right.”
Nettles, to Beck: “You were radical.”
Beck: “And everyone thought Michael and I wouldn’t get along, and people really wanted me and Mattie to fight. I think we’re about the same age, as two women and people really wanted. Yeah. And, so it’s funny, I was on the phone with her the other day, and we were working through something, and she said, ‘I really appreciate you.’ And I said that’s a very kind thing for her say, and I said, ‘You need to call everybody that told you that I wasn’t going to be easy to work with and tell them they’re wrong.
“She goes, ‘Elizabeth, the list is too long.’ And I said, ‘I know. Everyone wanted us to, they wanted that fight.’ And I mean, Michael, a friend of mine, a mutual friend said, ‘You all are going to be more like Will and Grace than anything else. You’re going to love each other but bicker back and forth. And, we do!”
Of a vote they disagreed about, Crain said he had keyed her car later.
For all the literalists out there, it was merely a Crain joke. No one had vandalized the hybrid the other four make fun of her for driving.
“Leave my hybrid alone!” she orders to the gentlemen. They tease also about her capacity to take over a conversation. That’s the stereotype of lawyers, after all. It seems clear that this might be what a closed session looks like. Nettles and Williams gather closer, rather than actually whispering, trying to get her attention as she went on about a topic.
Nettles jabbed: “Before we got here, Michael said you were going to do most of the talking.”
Beck: “You know what, Michael ...
Crain: “Let’s count the minutes later. Y’all count the minutes.”
Williams: “I’d love to see statistical breakdown.”
Crain: “Let Leonard have the floor now. Go ahead, Leonard.”
Rest assured, no statistical breakdown has been done on the 2 1/2-hour meeting.
Beck’s District 9 is one of the most diverse, if not most diverse, in the city, extending north of Loop 820, through the central city, south to the other side of Loop 820.
“District 9 is really unique,” she says. “I often say that when you represent District 9, you represent the loudest voices in the room and the softest voices in the room. And there’s a lot of tug and push and pull to represent Downtown versus Worth Heights. They’re very different. Very different set of needs, set of issues. How you go about communicating with people is different. It’s a challenge.”
Homelessness is a challenge in District 9, from the homeless to their impact on neighborhoods.
It was an issue that received a lot of time over the course of our meeting, and it sits very close to the heart of Beck. She says
Her name is Linda.
it is among her top priorities, specifically the city’s role in affordable housing. The mayor, too, has pushed the issue to the tops of agendas.
Nettles and Crain make note of a homeless woman subsisting between their districts.
“She can’t get a house that she can afford, basically,” Nettles says. “Those are the kind of stories that are happening all across Fort Worth, and it’s not just folks who haven’t sacrificed or worked and served our city, our state, our country. These are everyday folks just like us who just can’t find a place to meet their [needs with] the money that they’re making.”
The issues of homelessness are complicated and intertwined with mental health and addiction, they all agree.
“I grew up with two parents that were drug addicts, and my dad was homeless for most of my life,” Beck says. “So, I speak from personal experience on this. It’s mental health, and it’s not having those services that people need to prevent them to seek the treatment that they need to keep them from falling into a depression that causes them not to be able to go to work, that causes them to lose their job, that causes them to not be able to pay rent, that causes them to end up at a shelter on Lancaster … if they’re lucky. It’s mental health services. It’s about compassion.”
And good paying jobs and economic development, Nettles says.
“And I think, for me, it’s a moral issue,” Williams says. “Giving somebody water and giving them a clean restroom is more, for me, taking care of those who have been down their luck.”
Simply one of the many matters that are part of a city council’s obligation to her city and constituents. Answers to these pressing questions, if they come at all, are only done with a council committed to working together to find solutions.
If the rookies are any indication, Fort Worth’s chief governing body has been put in capable hands.
“I love what I’m doing,” Nettles says. “This council has been great so far. I look forward to what is to come.”
MICHAEL CRAIN
Now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year
SCHOOL LOCATIONS
FORT WORTH
All Saints Catholic School www.ascsfw.org
Holy Family Catholic School www.hfcsfw.org
Saint Andrew Catholic School www.standrewsch.org
St. George Catholic School stgeorgecatholicschool.org
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic School www.spsfw.org
St. Rita Catholic School www.saintritaschool.net
Cassata Catholic High School www.cassatahs.org
GRAPEVINE
Holy Trinity Catholic School www.holytcs.org
KELLER
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School www.seascs.net
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS
St. John the Apostle Catholic School www.stjs.org
ARLINGTON
St. Joseph Catholic School www.stjosephtx.org
St. Maria Goretti Catholic School www.smgschool.org
DIOCESE OF FORT WORTH
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Catholic school educators in the Diocese of Fort Worth empower students and their families by proclaiming the faith, celebrating values and ministering to the spiritual, academic, social, cultural and physical needs of diverse communities.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL GRADUATES ARE:
PEOPLE OF FAITH
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS
MORAL DECISION MAKERS CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVERS GRATEFUL PEOPLE STRONG LEADERS
CULTURALLY EVOLVED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY LIFE-LONG LEARNERS
ACADEMICALLY PROFICIENT
TUITION ASSISTANCE
The Tuition Assistance Fund was established in 2006 to increase available financial aid for families who demonstrate financial need. The goal is to offer affordable Catholic school education to as many families that wish to send their children to a Catholic school.
WE NEED YOU!
Support the Tuition Assistance Fund and you can help young people succeed. advancementfoundation.org
Learn more about the Diocese of Fort Worth Catholic Schools: catholicschoolsfwdioc.org
Nolan Catholic High School
EDUCATION IN FAITH, FORMATION IN HOPE, AND PERSEVERANCE IN CHARITY
Nolan Catholic High School continues a tradition that began more than half a century ago: a ministry of the Diocese of Fort Worth providing a college preparatory education and evangelizing students to be tomorrow’s servant leaders through education based in faith, formation based in hope, and perseverance in charity. Founded in 1961, Nolan Catholic’s storied history continues to evolve, grow, and move in exciting new directions. The school recently completed a $32 million enhancement, including updates to the existing main building, new classroom furniture, additional outdoor classrooms, a stateof-the-art natatorium, and an Integrated Design of Engineering and Arts (IDEA) building.
A Nolan Catholic education engages students with a diverse, rigorous curriculum that spans across academic disciplines with—a classical approach with a focus on grammar, logic, and rhetoric. A curriculum embedded into traditional studies allows for collaborative investigations needed for higher education experiences. Even more importantly, the Nolan Catholic experience helps students discover, nurture, and develop their unique, God-given talents. Students learn to succeed with grace, fail with dignity, and approach all challenges with humility. Nolan Catholic High School students are immediately recognizable as Christians through their acts of faith.
The Nolan Catholic experience addresses the whole person with college preparatory academics, an award-winning fine arts program, outdoor classrooms, championshiplevel athletics, innovative ecology, and engineering programs, and more – all built on a foundation rooted in the Catholic faith. At Nolan Catholic, students are formed in the Gospel virtues of faith, hope, and charity to become lifelong learners in knowing, loving, and serving God.
Nolan Catholic High School is accredited by the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department (TCCB ED), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and AdvancED.
Quick Look
ADMISSION
admissions@nchstx.org
817.457.2920
Success Starts at Hill School
You want your child to succeed, and we’re here to help. At Hill School, we foster a learning environment that helps every student grow socially, emotionally and physically so they have the skills to reach their full potential.
What makes us different? Athletics opportunities, including basketball, volleyball, golf, and cheerleading
2022 School Guide
» Each year, thousands of parents and students begin their hunt for the perfect school. Filling out application after application, setting up interviews, and making multiple visits to schools can be a daunting task. Where will my child excel academically, grow personally, and truly enjoy learning?
Whether you’re seeking a school for a specific teaching methodology or prefer that your child learn in a religious environment at a school that shares your family’s vision, the search can seem overwhelming. Things can get especially tricky if you are enrolling more than one child into private school or college — one size doesn’t fit all, and it’s difficult to find just the right match. Extensive research is often required, and critical questions will arise regarding tuition costs, test assessments, personal interviews, and the application process, among others. When it comes down to it, choosing a school for your child is no easy task, to say the least.
On the following pages, you will find a comprehensive list of private schools, colleges, and graduate programs in the area. From fine arts academies and faithbased schools to Montessori academies and schools focused on accelerated learning for the gifted and talented, the 2022 School Guide gives parents a glimpse at each school, including student-to-teacher ratio, cost of tuition, and enrollment.
We hope you will find this quick reference to the area’s schools and colleges helpful as you explore the possibilities of your child’s education.
2022 School Guide | private
Saints Catholic Schools, Fort Worth, 817.624.2670, ascsfw.org
All Saints Episcopal School, Fort Worth, 817.560.5700, aseschool.org
Anderson Private School for the Gifted, Talented and Creative, Fort Worth, 817.448.8484, andersonschool.net
Jane Justin School, Fort Worth, 817.390.2831, cscfw.org
Joshua Christian Academy, Joshua, 817.295.7377, joshuachristianacademy.org
Key School, Fort Worth, 817.446.3738, kcld.org
Lake Country Christian School, Fort Worth, 817.236.8703, lccs.org
Liberty Christian School, Argyle, 940.294.2000, libertychristian.com
Lighthouse Christian Academy, Fort Worth, 817.237.7641, lcafw.org
Lil Goldman Early Learning Center, Fort Worth, 817.737.9898, lilgoldmanschool.org
mlcatexas.org
Mosaic Academy, Fort Worth, 817.204.0300, mosaicacademy.org
Christian Academy, Crowley, 817.297.7003, fwf.org
-
FORT WORTH COLLEGE PREP
2022 School Guide | private
Nolan Catholic High School, Fort Worth, 817.457.2920, nolancatholichs.org
North Central Texas Academy, Granbury, 254.897.4822, northcentraltexasacademy.org
North Park Christian Academy, North Richland Hills, 817.498.8456, northparknow.com
Pantego Christian Academy, Arlington | Mansfield, 817.460.3315, pantego.com
Park Row Christian Academy, Arlington, 817.277.1021, parkrowchristian.net
Primrose School of Bedford, Bedford, 817.545.5485, primrosebedford.com
Primrose School of Columbus Trail, Fort Worth, 817.423.4000, primrosecolumbustrail.com
Primrose School at Eagle Ranch, Fort Worth, 817.236.6760, primroseeagleranch.com
Primrose School of Grand Peninsula, Grand Prairie, 817.477.0077, primrosegrandpeninsula.com
Primrose School of Hall Johnson, Grapevine, 817.416.0404, primrosehalljohnson.com
Primrose School at Heritage, Keller, 817.741.5044, primroseheritage.com
Primrose School at Hidden Lakes, Southlake, 817.337.4666, primrosehiddenlakes.com
Primrose School of Keller, Keller, 817.337.0717, primrosekeller.com
Primrose School of Mid-Cities, Hurst, 817.485.8993, primrosemidcities.com
Primrose School of NE Green Oaks, Arlington, 817.543.2626, primrosenegreenoaks.com
Primrose School of Parkwood Hill, Fort Worth, 817.281.5322, primroseparkwoodhill.com
Primrose School of Southlake, Southlake, 817.421.8087, primrosesouthlake.com
Primrose School of Walnut Creek, Mansfield, 817.477.0880, primrosewalnutcreek.com
Rivertree Academy, Fort Worth, 817.420.9310, rivertreeacademy.org
St. Andrew Catholic School, Fort Worth, 817.924.8917, standrewsch.org
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School, Keller, 817.431.4845, seascs.net
St. George Catholic School, Fort Worth, 817.222.1221, stgeorgecatholicschool.org
PRINT IS MEMORABLE.
Print creates an emotional connection. Print builds relationships.
Physical material is more “real” to the brain, involves more emotional processing, is better connected to memory, with greater internalization of ads — all important for brand associations.
(FORBES)
2022 School Guide | private
St. John the Apostle Catholic School, North Richland Hills, 817.284.2228, stjs.org
St. Joseph Catholic School, Arlington, 817.419.6800, stjosephtx.org
St. Maria Goretti Catholic School, Arlington, 817.275.5081, smgschool.org
St. Paul Lutheran School, Fort Worth, 817.353.2929, stpauleagles.org
St. Paul's Preparatory Academy, Arlington, 817.561.3500, stpaulsprep.com
St. Peter's Classical School, Fort Worth, 817.229.4675, stpetersclassical.org
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic School, Fort Worth, 817.246.2032, spsfw.org
St. Rita Catholic School, Fort Worth, 817.451.9383, saintritaschool.net
Southwest Christian School, Fort Worth, Elementary: 817.294.0350; Preparatory: 817.294.9596, southwestchristian.org
Temple Christian School, Fort Worth, 817.457.0770, tcseagles.org
The Clariden School, Southlake, 682.237.0400, claridenschool.org
The Montessori Academy of Arlington, Arlington, 817.274.1548, tmaonline.org
The Oakridge School, Arlington, 817.451.4994, theoakridgeschool.org
Trinity Baptist Temple Academy, Fort Worth, 817.237.4255, tbta.tbtchurch.org
Trinity Christian Academy, Willow Park, 817.441.5897, tcaeagles.org
Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, 817.321.0100, trinityvalleyschool.org
• A comprehensive clinical team dedicated to meeting the goals of the patient and family
• In-home visits at a time that is convenient for you
• Coordination with your primary care physician
To schedule your free in-home informational visit, please call Sarah (214) 535-2615, or email gethelp@vnatexas.org
For the first time ever, Fort Worth Magazine’s 2022 School Guide will be on our website fwtx.com. You will find a comprehensive list of private schools, colleges, and graduate programs in the area. From fine arts academies and faith-based schools to Montessori academies and schools focused on accelerated learning for the gifted and talented, the 2022 School Guide gives parents a glimpse at each school, including student-to-teacher ratio, cost of tuition, and enrollment.
We hope you will find this quick reference to the area’s schools and colleges helpful as you explore the possibilities of your child’s education.
Fort Worth Magazine’s 2022 Dream Street will arrive this coming March — join us on the journey to its completion on our Dream Street website, dream.fwtx.com. There, you’ll find exclusive, projectspecific content posted throughout the year, including progress updates, interviews with our partners, photos, and videos. We don’t have very long until we can step through the doors of each beautiful home.
2022 School Guide | college & university
Abilene Christian University, Abilene, 800.460.6228, acu.edu
Angelo State University, San Angelo, 800.946.8627, angelo.edu
Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, The Woodlands, La Feria, 210.434.6711,
Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Dallas, 214.768.2550, smu.edu/law
2022 School Guide | graduate program
High Tea
Colleyville Woman’s Club
The Colleyville Woman’s Club’s High Tea & Royal Conversation featured special guest Patrick Jephson, Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order and Private Secretary to Princess Diana. Patrick captivated the guests at this sold-out event with intriguing stories about the late Princess Diana and her devoted staff that supported her in her work on behalf of the British people. The event proceeds support local charitable organizations making an impact in the local northeast Tarrant County community along with providing student scholarships and grants to deserving high school graduates.
Patrick Jephson
Kristi Lavender, Ellen Stotmeister, Erin Buck, Azilee Stephenson
Mary Jo Williams, Tammy Nakamura, Sheila Kudray, Juli Gerrard
Lorie Hougland, Ann Klinger, Lucy Washburne
Zoe Kirby, Patrick Jephson, Karen Deakin
Anniversary Celebration
Ronald McDonald House
On Oct. 30, the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth celebrated a milestone birthday by hosting a 40th Anniversary Celebration at Lucky Spurr Ranch Retreat in Justin. This was the first event for RMHFW since the COVID-19 pandemic. Altogether, the event netted $387,000 for the families of sick and injured children RMHFW serves.
Scott & Susan Salka
Loretta & Don Marable
Mindy Lefevre, Josh Weathers, Jerry Lefevre
Dan & Gaylan Hendricks, Jennifer Johns, Karen & Larry Anfin
Rob San Miguel, Stephanie Silva, Sheila & Jay Patel
Give Back
There’s nothing more rewarding than giving back and making a difference in the lives of people in this great community. As the city’s magazine — which has the eyes and ears of some of Fort Worth’s most affluent and philanthropic citizens — we feel a responsibility to give back to the people of the city that is our namesake, which is why Philanthropy is one of our core values.
Every year, Fort Worth Magazine sponsors more than 100 charity events, which range from luncheons to black-tie galas. The following promotional section is devoted to these charities and their fundraisers. We invite you to consciously peruse and consider lending a helping hand by either making a donation or attending these events.
Jan. 8
Grand Entry Gala 2022
Junior League of Fort Worth
Jan. 22
Beyond the Bag 2022
All Saints Health Foundation
Baylor All Saints
Why Planned Giving?
Create lasting and meaningful impact. Join our Planned Giving Program, the 1910 Society.
• By joining the 1910 Society, you help ensure our life-changing work continues well into the future.
• It’s an opportunity to leverage your personal assets for the long-term betterment of our community.
• You could potentially receive specific legal/tax benefits!
• There are multiple ways to contribute – bequests, stock, charitable trusts, and more.
Why Catholic Charities Fort Worth?
Imagine a community where every person has the opportunity to fully contribute their God-given gifts and live their best life free from poverty. Founded in 1910, we work every day to make this vision a reality, serving tens of thousands of people each year. Our services are client-centered and we are dedicated to ensuring our practices meaningfully impact the lives of those we serve.
Join us. Together, we overcome poverty.
or
Sponsors
Presenting Bell
Poinsettia
Jere C. Robertson
Virginia Street Smith
Texas Capital Bank
Holly
Carol Sweeney
Terri Anderson and Paul Dorman, Harriette and Arnie Gachman, Dan and Michelle Lowrance
Mistletoe
Frost
Rev. Dr. Kevin and Dr. Robin Henson
Cathy and Jim Kerrigan
Luther King Capital Management
Michele and Fred Reynolds
The Rios Group
St. Stephen Presbyterian Church
Ivy
Carol Adcock
The Baird Ryan-Jones Group
Balcom Agency
Bennet Partners
Mike and Susi Bickley
Dr. Jason Biggers and Kaci Roan
Biltmore Homes
BNSF Railway Co.
Bourland, Wall & Wenzel P.C.
Amy and Jason Brown
Kim Carter
Deborah Connor
First Presbyterian Church
J.P. Morgan Private Bank
JPS Health Network
Jim Lacamp
Michelle and James Lunday
Marsh Wortham Insurance
Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation
Herd and Claire Midkiff
Muckleroy & Falls
Frank and Jane Neal
Philip and Alicia Newburn
Lisa and Gary Nussbaum –
Molly and Mitch Snyder
Pearl Snap Kolaches
QuikTrip
Sara and Matt Robison
Satori Capital
The Scotland Reunion Table FPC
Zoe and Sam Sexhus
Jodi and Todd Spake
Courtney and Brian Tulbert
Burch and Lisa Waldron
Media SponsorS
PRESENTED B Y
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN HELPING US PAVE THE ROAD HOME TO NEW BEGINNINGS.
Break out your boots for the Alzheimer’s Association’s one-of-a-kind gala event in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards. Guests will enjoy an evening of food and cocktails, a live auction and entertainment.
For sponsorship and table reservations, contact Jennifer Reinhardt at jareinhardt@alz.org or scan the code to donate or learn more.
Over 1,800 aircraft fly into Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport every day, but capturing a photo like this remains elusive. Photographer Jimmy Q. Nguyen, who’s been doing aviation photography for the past 12 years, says snapping such a pic takes a lot of practice. “The hard part of this photo is the setting,” Nguyen says. “If you want to see the aircraft, the moon will overexpose. Or the moon will be perfect but the aircraft too dark.” Nguyen captured this image with a Canon 1D4 from the Founders’ Plaza, an observation area that resides next to airport. “It was dark out there, so I had to shoot with a slower shutter speed, which takes a lot of practice to ensure you don’t get any blur.” You can purchase Nguyen’s photography at redubble.com/people/yar6rider/shop.
So you’ve snapped a cool pic of the city. We want to see it. Tag your photos on Instagram with #fwtxmag. The winning image will get published on this page — so hit us with your best shot. main line 817.560.6111 | subscriptions 800.856.2032 | website fwtx.com
@jimmyqphotography
PHOTO BY JIMMY Q. NGUYEN
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WINNING Team
Trophy Club resident Randi Chapman knows the value of client service. A former NCAA Track & Field All-American at UGA, Chapman worked at an NFL sports agency, where she handled marketing and endorsement deals for NFL players and one client in particular, former Cowboys Legend and Super Bowl Champion, DeMarcus Ware. Together with Ware and his wife, Angela, Chapman recently opened 3Volt Fitness Studio, offering specialized, trainerstyle fitness services. When it came time for Chapman to score a new vehicle, she looked to the award-winning client-service team at Park Place Jaguar Land Rover DFW.
Chapman cites a whole host of reasons she loves her 2021 Range Rover HSE. “The ability
to have the latest technological features was important because I’m always working, and to have seamless business dealings from the car is invaluable,” the MBA graduate says. “I need something big enough to haul equipment in when needed, yet nice enough to roll into a valet drive for a fancy dinner and feel as elegant and stylish as I want.” And though Chapman relishes the luxuries of her Range Rover, it was the dealership’s unparalleled service that exceeded her expectations. “Between Damian Perez, my sales manager, to the general manager, Gary Venner, I knew this would be a seamless process,” she says. “Park Place is My Place because they treat you as if you were their sister, brother, daughter, son … with protection and care.”
