When it comes to your heart, it’s so important to have the right care. Heart and vascular specialists on the medical staff at Texas Health hospitals offer a broad range of advanced care tailored to each and every heart. From general heart health and wellness to advanced diagnostics, minimally invasive therapies and innovative procedures, we’re your dedicated partner in heart health. And, as always, we have protocols in place designed around your safety.
Texas Health is right there with you.
Find a heart and vascular specialist or take our heart health assessment at TexasHealth.org/Heart.
Not Just for Cowboys
YOUR LEGENDARY EXPERIENCE AWAITS
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. This fall, cozy up by the fire with a seasonal cocktail, enjoy spirited eats at 97 West Kitchen & Bar, performances by TCMA artists, and so much more. AS FEATURED IN
FOUR INDOOR-OUTDOOR BARS
LUCCHESE CUSTOM COLLECTION & WIDE BRIM BY FLEA STYLE
MULE ALLEY SHOPPING, DRINKS, & DINING
97 WEST KITCHEN & BAR
THE BACKYARD AT HOTEL DROVER: POOL, LIVE MUSIC, FIRE PITS, & LAWN GAMES
54
The Ultimate Fort Worthian’s Guide to Wine and Spirits A Cowtown guide to everything you need to know about these boozy besties.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
66 Soul Sisters Between Budapest and Bandung, Fort Worth’s nine Sister Cities are rife with culture, character, and connection with Cowtown.
BY SHILO URBAN
74
Moving the Needle
Nearly half of Fort Worth’s population remains unvaccinated against COVID-19. So, what’s keeping people from giving the shot, a shot?
BY BRIAN KENDALL AND SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
83 Medical Guide
A guide to area hospitals, diagnostics, cancer and rehabilitation centers.
The
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra launches initiatives to promote
Ten things to know this month.
Halloween happenings and more places to take your boo.
A local doctor and musician adds “TikTok star” among his titles.
Former city council member Ann Zadeh shares what she’s been reading lately.
Jonathan Morris and business partner Allen Menderos create a one-of-akind place to stay.
Our managing editor runs into a childhood hero who happens to be restarting his music career here in Fort Worth.
The heart behind Dream Street 2022.
A Fort Worth-based artist banks on digital currency and comes up big.
Summon the fall feelings with these season-appropriate recipes.
44 Restaurant News
From vegan pizza to the most authentic Mexican food — here are some highlights of what’s happening around the local food scene.
Objectivity
Confession: I have strong opinions and am far from bashful about sharing them. Those who catch my political soliloquies after a beer or two at any establishment in the Near Southside would likely attest that I am no John Quincy Adams, but my lack of eloquence doesn’t stop me from high-minded rambles.
However, at my job, this jabbering is largely muted. As a journalist, I pride myself on being fair and objective in my reporting while providing multiple perspectives. Everyone has a story to tell, and everyone has a right to their opinion — with the exception of the journalist, of course.
With the help of our managing editor, Samantha Calimbahin, I wrote a substantial chunk of our feature on Fort Worthians refusing to get vaccinated (page 74). Naturally, I have my own viewpoint, but if while reading the story, you’re able to catch on to what that viewpoint is, then I have failed at my job. The last thing I want is anyone throwing our magazine to the ground and exclaiming that we’re biased. Instead, I want you to read a story and proceed to think critically about what you just read. To me, that’s a job well done.
When I reached out to Republican congressional candidate Chris Putnam, who served as one of the sources for our piece on vaccines, he was rightfully hesitant to be interviewed and asked what the angle was and whether I had an agenda. “No agenda,” I responded. “We’re just looking for multiple perspectives.”
Granted, I proceeded to ask him some very difficult questions regarding his opinion — a common thread with every interview I conducted. But following the interview, he admitted he couldn’t tell which side of the argument I landed on. This was one of the greatest compliments an interviewee has ever given me.
Now, you might be wondering why an issue with such heavy, hot-button issues is titled “Wine & Spirits” and has an Old-Fashioned on the cover. Well, our thinking was, such content might lead to wanting a good strong drink.
Cheers,
Brian Kendall EXECUTIVE EDITOR
on location at Whiskey Ranch — the Firestone and Robertson distillery that produces TX Whiskey. The delicious cocktail includes an orange slice, roasted pecan, and smoke produced from applewood chips.
Corrections? Comments? Concerns? Send to executive editor Brian Kendall at bkendall@ fwtexas.com.
Fort Worth Magazine (ISSN 1536-8939) is published monthly by Panther City Media Group, LP, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd., Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76116. Periodicals Postage Paid at Fort Worth, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notices and undeliverable copies to Fort Worth Magazine, P.O. Box 433329, Palm Coast, FL 32143-3329. Volume 24, Number 10, October 2021. Basic Subscription price: $23.95 per year. Single copy price: $4.99
ON THE COVER: Crystal Wise photographed this drink
The City’s Music Scene
Holiday Gift Guide
Special HOME Issue
Perfect Package
For Benbrook resident Brett Kirkham, the 2020 Ford F-150 King Ranch® is the perfect package, blending style, comfort, utility, big space, and high tech. “We drive a lot to visit family in South Texas or attend Texas A&M games. I had over 160K miles on my last Ford F-150 truck, and even though it was extremely reliable, I was starting to get the itch for a new F-150 with the updated features,” says Kirkham, vice president at Texas Health Southwest and father of two girls, 3 and 7 months. “I love the interior dash of the F-150s, and as a South Texan, I can’t pass up the leather seats of the King Ranch package.”
The Kirkhams turned to SouthWest Ford in Weatherford to buy their 2020 Ford F-150 King Ranch®, an experience about which they still rave. “They were able to find a vehicle in a couple days that checked all the boxes and worked with us on a convenient time for my wife and me to come out for a test drive and purchase. The purchase experience was the most efficient either of us had been through,” Kirkham says. “Kevin Barbour was my sales consultant, and he was extremely personable and knowledgeable on the truck. Stephen and Chris made sure we were and continue to be taken care of at SouthWest Ford.”
PICTURED: Chris Bonnett, General Manager; Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator; and Brett Kirkham, customer
Let’s Chat
A few words from our readers
Blame the kids and their parents. Not the school district or the city or rest of the people who live there. Jennifer Shafer
I have my doubts, but I respect the “world-class city” approach … Color me conflicted. Jeriat Gillum
Chicago is considered a “world-class city”... no thanks. Rebecca Stewart
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.
I thought it would be easy being on TV shows and movies. It’s not; it’s long, dragged-out hours being in the heat wearing heavy clothes. I have been in some shows over the year. It’s also fun and making history. But to make a good show comes hard work with it. Main cast has to be tough in my book. Awesome, you had a good part in the show. Donna McCauley
TRENDING ONLINE
Visit fwtx.com for the full story.
» Revival Fitness Celebrates Opening of Flagship Location in Fort Worth A dark room, neon-colored lights, and upbeat music pumping from the speakers — it’s all part of the experience at this boutique fitness studio celebrating its opening this week.
» Health-Conscious Restaurant, Flower Child, to Move into Former McKinley’s Space The first Fort Worth location of a popular, health-conscious restaurant chain is sprouting in the former home of McKinley’s.
» ‘Flora’ and ‘Bust’ to Debut at Modern Art Museum
One side of the film is black and white, while the other is in color, depicting the life of a little-known artist who’s finally getting her due.
follow us for more @fwtxmag
A New Legacy is Rising
Fort Worth’s newest premier neighborhood, Montrachet
Lots are available to individuals and builders and are highlighted by groves of mature trees, fifty acres of parks and green-space, miles of hiking and biking trails, resort-style amenities, and 24-hour manned security. Bordered by Mary’s Creek to the north, Montserrat to the east, Team Ranch Road to the south, and FM 2871 to the west, Montrachet is ideally situated for convenience, security, and maintaining legacy property values for future generations.
Mask On, Mask Off
There’s no mask mandate at Fort Worth ISD, at least as of press time, but that hasn’t quelled passionate voices on both sides of the matter.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
By the time you read this, the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) likely won’t have a mask mandate. Or maybe it will.
In any case, it’s a situation that came down to the wire the week Fort Worth Magazine went to press with its October issue — perhaps best illustrated by the events that transpired on Sept. 13, when FWISD’s mask mandate came and went within, literally, a matter of hours.
After weeks of back-and-forth exchanges among anti-mask parents, pro-mask parents, and the pro-mask ISD over whether the district can enforce face coverings — despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order not to — FWISD had planned to go back to school that Monday with a mandate in place as it awaited a decision from the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth.
That same day, the appellate court granted a temporary injunction preventing the mandate, at least until the case goes to trial on Jan. 17, 2022.
So, as of press time, the scales of justice appear to be tipping in favor of parents against masks, with the ISD issuing the following statement: “The District and the Board stand firm in strongly encouraging all students and employees to wear a mask while inside any Fort Worth ISD school or facility.” No representatives from FWISD could be reached for further comment.
Still, the court’s decision hasn’t stopped passionate parents from voicing their stance on the matter.
The parent more or less leading the lawsuit against the district is Jennifer Treger, who has three children at FWISD. Her fight actually dates back to January, when she attempted to file for a religious exemption so her kids didn’t have to wear masks at school. “Our strongly held belief is that God gave us immune systems and our bodies can fight [diseases] and requiring masks is a form of tyranny,” she says.
Her request was denied, so she filed for a medical exemption, saying one of her children has had a history of respi-
Attorney Warren Norred (back, left) with FWISD parents (left to right) Hollie L. Plemens, Kerri Rehmeyer, and Todd Daniel
JULY 29: Gov. Greg Abbott issues executive order that masks cannot be mandated at government entities.
AUG. 10: Fort Worth ISD sends an email to parents stating that masks will be required for students and staff who enter FWISD facilities.
AUG. 12: Jennifer Treger and three other parents file a lawsuit against FWISD.
AUG. 13: 141st district court judge John P. Chupp issues a restraining order, blocking the mask mandate.
SEPT. 3: Court proceedings resume for the case. Judge Chupp again grants a temporary injunction blocking FWISD’s mask mandate. FWISD opts to appeal.
SEPT. 9: FWISD files appeal with the Second Court of Appeals, pausing the temporary injunction and allowing the mask mandate to be enforceable again. The mandate was expected to begin Sept. 13.
SEPT. 13: Second Court of Appeals reinstates a temporary injunction, and the mask mandate is once again unenforceable.
JAN. 17, 2022: When the case is expected to go to trial.
ratory issues. She got denied again.
“That’s when I looked at my husband and said, ‘When do parents get to have control back over their children and prevent them from becoming government property?’” Treger says.
On Aug. 10, less than a week before the first day of school, Treger received an email from the district stating that all students and staff will be required to wear masks inside FWISD facilities. So Treger called Arlington-based attorney Warren Norred and — together with fellow parents Todd Daniel, Kerri Rehmeyer, and Hollie L. Plemens, listed as Jane Doe in the original petition — filed a lawsuit against the district and superintendent Kent Scribner asserting that the defendants acted out of line by enforcing a mask mandate despite the governor’s explicit order.
On Aug. 13, 141st district court judge John P. Chupp ruled in the parents’ favor, blocking the mandate. At first, it appeared that Treger and her team had won. But when court proceedings on the case resumed Sept. 3 — and Chupp again granted a temporary injunction against FWISD’s mask mandate — the district opted to appeal.
FWISD filed its appeal with the Second Court of Appeals on Sept. 9, essentially pausing the temporary injunction and making the mask mandate enforceable again. The ISD sent word to parents that a mask mandate will be back in place starting Sept. 13. But, just hours after the mandate took effect that Monday morning, the Second Court of Appeals knocked it down, making mask-wearing once again unenforceable by the district.
If you’re confused, well, so are kids and parents at FWISD.
For parents like Treger, the stance against mask-wearing hinges on three main arguments: that children shouldn’t be forced to wear masks because they don’t get affected by COVID-19 as severely as older individuals, that masks are not as effective as some claim, and that mask-wearing can actually be harmful, leading to
increased inhalation of carbon dioxide and psychological effects that can impede learning.
For the first claim, parents suing the ISD cite the source that’s harped on mask-wearing from the get-go — a July 2021 article by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stating that “children are less likely to develop severe illness or die from COVID19.” According to the CDC, younger individuals tend to experience milder symptoms or be asymptomatic, hence making them also prone to spreading COVID-19 without knowing it.
Doctors and other officials at Cook Children’s Health Care System, however, continue to stress that children are not entirely exempt from serious symptoms. In a State of the System news conference held Sept. 1, the hospital disclosed that it had seen 1,129 children with COVID-19, 241 of which were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Seven died, including a 4-yearold and 15-year-old the week the news conference took place.
“Adults have borne the significant brunt of the burden, but that doesn’t mean kids haven’t been affected, including both having the disease themselves plus having destruction in their families due to family members being affected by COVID-19,” Dr. Justin Smith, a pediatrician at Cook Children’s, told Fort Worth Magazine in an interview. “It’s not necessarily fair to say that kids haven’t been affected.”
The second claim — that masks are not as effective as many believe — pulls from a May 2021 article published by the American Institute of Physics, which states that “standard surgical and three-ply cloth masks, which see current widespread use, filter at apparent efficiencies of only 12.4% and 9.8%, respectively. Apparent efficiencies of 46.3% and 60.2% are found for KN95 and R95 masks, respectively, which are still notably lower than the verified 95% rated ideal efficiencies.”
That contrasts with recommendations published by the CDC, Mayo Clinic, and other sources advocating
masks to protect from COVID-19. A January 2021 article published by the National Academy of Sciences, for example, notes multiple studies on mask usage, one of which took place in Beijing, where “face masks were 79% effective in preventing transmission if they were used by all household members prior to symptoms occurring”; granted, “none of the studies looked at the relative risks of different types of mask.”
The article concluded “in favor of widespread mask use as source control to reduce community transmission.”
The third claim argues that masks do more harm than good. A June 2021 article, published by JAMA Pediatrics, initially claimed that masks increase carbon dioxide intake but was later retracted in July. Parents also express concern over the effects maskwearing may have on mental health a concern backed by University of Southern California public policy professor Neeraj Sood, PhD, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD. Their July 2021 article, “Mandatory Masking of School Children Is a Bad Idea,” contended that mask-wearing impedes communication and makes positive emotions less recognizable.
Dr. Smith at Cook Children’s says he agrees — and disagrees: “For me, that’s the saddest part about masks But for now, the benefits of masks outweigh the downside when it comes to mental health because it helps us to keep schools open and keep kids in school.”
Todd Daniel, one of the parents involved in the lawsuit against the ISD, says he recognizes conflicting opinions over mask-wearing. At the end of the day, he says, the issue is about who truly has the authority — the governor or the district — and whether health becomes the responsibility of the individual as opposed to a governing body.
“I’m not trying to force anyone else in my belief system,” Daniel says. “But a mask mandate is — it is trying to force everyone into a belief system. That’s what the divide is.”
Helping North Texans Age With Dignity Since 1934
VNA Hospice Care
• Focus is on quality of life and comfort
• Symptom management experts
• Patient and family-centered care approach
• A comprehensive clinical team dedicated to meeting the goals of the patient and family
VNA Care Choices
• Comprehensive palliative care program dedicated to patient-centered goals
• Symptom management expertise with compassionate in-home nursing visits
• Patients can continue to consult with physicians and seek treatment
• Assistance navigating the medical system
10 Things to Know This Month
1
Travel + Leisure in September released its reader-voted World’s Best Awards, and among the Top 15 Cities in the U.S., Fort Worth landed at No. 12 with a score of 82.25.
2
Fort Worth has roped in the biggest event in professional rodeo — the PBR World Finals, moving to Fort Worth after almost 30 years in Las Vegas. The event is scheduled to take place at Dickies Arena on May 13 – 22, 2022.
3
Trinity Metro has rolled out a redesigned system that adds frequency, extended hours, better connections to TEXRail stations, and more direct routes that don’t run through downtown’s Fort Worth Central Station hub. The redesign, called A Better Connection, followed a planning process in which Trinity Metro invited the public to provide feedback.
4
Construction is underway for Cowan Place, the first of a six-phase housing development initiative for Fort Worth’s Stop Six neighborhood. The mixed-income, 174-unit senior living community is expected to open in 2023.
5
Plans are in motion for a major renovation and expansion of JPS Health Network, part of the $800 million Bond Construction Program that Tarrant County voters approved in 2018. Bigpicture plans include building new patient towers, an ambulatory surgery center, and a psychiatric hospital. But, before that can start, JPS is currently seeking requests for proposals on about a dozen initial projects, which include additional parking lots.
6
Southern Land Co. announced it’s begun infrastructure work for its planned 27-story luxury high-rise apartment tower at 969 Commerce St. in downtown Fort Worth, the city’s first downtown high-rise of rental units. The project is expected to break ground this fall.
7
Near Southside arts festival ArtsGoggle has been postponed from October to April 23, 2022. In an email announcement, Near Southside, Inc., wrote that the decision was made “in response to public health concerns and guided by our district’s health professionals.”
8
The GM Financial Parade of Lights will be taking place in-person once again this year, hitting the streets of downtown Fort Worth on Nov. 21. The 2021 parade will also be broadcast on TXA-21.
9
Fort Worth may soon be getting its own Fashion Week thanks to local tailor Phillip Maximilian. While the dates for the actual event have not yet been announced, a launch party is set to take place Oct. 2 at Seven Lounge on West Seventh Street. The public is invited to attend and “dress to impress.”
10
The Fort Worth Zoo’s Texas horned lizard conservation initiative hit a milestone in September when it released its 1,000th lizard into the wild, with the help of Texas Parks and Wildlife, TCU, and other partners. The zoo has been breeding the threatened species since 2001.
The Fort Worth Zoo has been breeding Texas horned lizards since 2001.
Fast. Friendly. Fair.
Here's the deal.
AUTO GROUP
*Please visit each event’s website for information on COVID-19 protocols.
Alliance Air Show
OCT. 1 – 2
Texas Pinners Conference
Made for Pinterest addicts and DIY enthusiasts, this expo will feature classes and demonstrations on all things creative, from sewing and scrapbooking to photography and food art.
Will Rogers Memorial Center
3401 W. Lancaster Ave., 801.822.1333 tx.pinnersconference.com
OCT. 2
Hops and Props
The Fort Worth Aviation Museum offers another type of flight at this festival celebrating warbirds and beer.
Fort Worth Aviation Museum
3300 Ross Ave., 855.733.8627 fortworthaviationmuseum. com
OCT. 8 – 9
Stadiumlinks
Think Topgolf — but at a baseball stadium. Globe Life Field transforms into a nine-hole golf course where players can practice their swing from various levels of the venue.
Globe Life Field 734 Stadium Drive, Arlington stadiumlinks.com
OCT. 8 – 10
Vaquero Gathering
The Stockyards pays homage to its vaquero heritage with horsemanship clinics, live performances, and a Mexican food truck competition.
Fort Worth Stockyards 121 E. Exchange Ave. vaquerogathering.com
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth 3200 Darnell St., 817.738.9215,
Watch the U.S. Navy Blue Angels soar over Alliance Airport and stroll the festival grounds for interactive, aviation-themed activities.
Fort Worth Alliance Airport 2221 Alliance Blvd., Ste. 100 allianceairshow.com
OCT. 16
OCT. 14 – 17
Christmas in Cowtown Holiday Gift Market
Get holiday shopping done early at Junior League of Fort Worth’s annual Christmas market, which also benefits various local charities.
Will Rogers Memorial Center 3401 W. Lancaster Ave., 817.332.7500 juniorleaguefw.org
Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk
Paying homage to Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter who died on 9/11, this run/walk event will raise funds for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation that supports families of veterans and first responders.
Luke’s Locker – The Shops at Clearfork 5255 Monahans Ave., 718.987.1931
t2t.org
OCT. 16
Sing, My Child
The Fort Worth Chorale makes a comeback, kicking off a new season with the music of Sarah Quartel and more.
First United Methodist Church
800 W. Fifth St., 817.485.4800 fortworthchorale.org
OCT. 19 – 24
Come From Away
Broadway’s back at Bass Hall, kicking off the longawaited season with the Tony-nominated musical, “Come From Away.”
Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St., 817.665.6000 basshall.com
OCT. 29 – 31
Boo at the Zoo
Don your costume and head to the Fort Worth Zoo for the return of its signature Halloween event, featuring treat stations, animal shows, and more.
Fort Worth Zoo 1989 Colonial Parkway, 817.759.7555 fortworthzoo.org
OCT. 29 – 31
Big #KindnessDuck Party
Bumped from July to October, the festival featuring charity booths, vendors, and photo-ops with the World’s Largest Rubber Duck is finally taking place at Trinity Park.
Trinity Park 2401 University Drive kindnessduck.com
OCT. 31 Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath
Latin-funk band Brownout takes on its Black Sabbath-inspired alter ego for Tulips’ Halloween show.
Tulips
112 St. Louis Ave., 817.367.9798 tulipsftw.com
THROUGH OCT. 31
Goblins & Giggles
Bring your little monsters to the Gaylord Texan for scavenger hunts, trick or treating, and more kid-friendly Halloween activities.
With kid-friendly festivities by day and edgier thrills by night, Six Flags Over Texas brings back Fright Fest on select dates through Halloween.
Six Flags Over Texas. 2201 E. Road to Six Flags St., Arlington, 817.640.8900, sixflags.com/overtexas
J Mack Slaughter
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
BY
Doctor, musician, TikTok star
PHOTO
OLAF GROWALD
If you’re among J Mack Slaughter’s more than 240,000 followers on TikTok, you’re likely familiar with his energetic delivery of medical advice, sprinkled with spunky humor and, occasionally, a peek at his musical talents.
Meet him in person, and he’s not much different in real life.
Naturally showy and charismatic, Slaughter draws from his past life growing up as a performer. As early as age 3, Slaughter found himself thrown into the entertainment business, thanks to his family, a traveling troupe of musicians who played events around and outside Fort Worth. As a teenager, Slaughter took to L.A. to pursue an acting career, landing big-time projects like “Fat Albert.” (Yes, he was that spiky-haired White kid.)
But after a few years in the industry, Slaughter began to think twice about his career path. His sister, a nurse, inspired him to pursue medicine; so, in a move he likened to “getting out of a relationship,” he dropped music and acting to become an emergency medicine physician.
“I’m just a highenergy person. I need that stimulation, and the ER gives it to me — everything on,” he says. “I just turned my
back completely on music, performing, acting, and all that stuff.”
TIPS FOR BETTER TIKTOKS
1
It’s all about the hook. You need something that will grab the viewers’ attention in the first 2 – 3 seconds, or they will scroll right past your message, no matter how important it is.
2
Value. Make sure each and every post provides value to the viewer, whether it’s entertainment, education, emotion, or engagement.
3
Fast-forward a few years later when Slaughter’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. As she was going through chemotherapy, the family band got back together — for the first time in what felt like a lifetime ago — to play for her while she was undergoing chemotherapy. Playing for his mother had a way of reigniting Slaughter’s passion for music and eventually inspired the launch of his Music Meets Medicine nonprofit, which supports music therapy at children’s hospitals.
Trim the fat. TikTok is like the Twitter of video platforms. The more you focus on delivering value in a clear and concise manner, the better your videos will do.
4
Quality. Upgrade the look and sound of your videos without breaking the bank by ordering an affordable ring light and mic on Amazon. Most ring lights come with a phone mount, which will get rid of any distracting shakiness of recording by hand.
5 Consistency. In the beginning, post every day, multiple times a day if possible, until you figure out what works for you. Trust me, you will know when it works. Your video count will suddenly have 100 – 1,000 times your normal views. Figure out what you did right in those viral videos and do your best to make more like it.
Perhaps the sum of his life experiences, however, didn’t entirely come full circle until this year when a friend encouraged Slaughter — currently an independent contractor who works mostly within the Texas Health care system — to start a TikTok. A video about the COVID-19 vaccine seemingly took off by accident; and today, the Fort Worth doctor can rightfully call himself TikTok famous.
“I feel one, complete, whole — it’s the best,” Slaughter says. “To be able to bring all of these things that I’ve been passionate about at different times of my life, all together at the same time — honestly, it’s a dream come true.”
TOP 5
1. The family band. J Mack started performing as early as age 3. 2. Playing instruments with his wife and children. “My concepts of love, music, and family are all inextricably tied together to form one beautifully overwhelming emotion,” J Mack says. 3. Shaving his mother’s head prior to chemo was “one of the most surprisingly beautiful days in my life,” J Mack says. She’s currently in remission. 4. Treating his parents to a trip in Thailand. 5. J Mack has known his wife, Rebecca, since elementary school. 6. J Mack credits his sister, a nurse at Texas Health Southwest, for inspiring him to pursue medicine.
In Tune
New initiatives seek to promote diversity within the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
BY FWTX STAFF / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DARAH HUBBARD
Historically, American orchestras have been willfully homogenous — with mostly white, male musicians playing works by mostly white, male composers. According to data from the League of American Orchestras, the national average for Black orchestral musicians is a meager 1.8%. Latino musicians are only slightly more represented at 2.5%.
But change is on the horizon for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (FWSO) as president and CEO Dr. Keith Cerny and music director designate Robert Spano collaborate on new diversity initiatives.
Cerny says their artistic vision for the orchestra centers around “finding extraordinary talent from all backgrounds” by focusing on new ways to support artists of color, especially Black and Latino Americans.
Here’s a look into their three main initiatives.
Partnering with the Sphinx Organization and the National Alliance for Audition Support The Sphinx Organization, a Detroit-based nonprofit, has spent the last 25 years dedicated to bringing diversity and inclusion to every level of classical music. In 2020, the FWSO started partnering with Sphinx in its mission.
“We’re really just trying to tear down all the barriers that are limiting musicians of color from getting to a place of being able to excel and be part of orchestra,” Sphinx’s manager of ensemble advancement and artist engagement William Neri says.
Neri, a Cuban-American violist, understands first-hand the impact of Sphinx’s work. As a teenager, he attended the Sphinx Performance Academy (SPA), where he first saw a stage full of diverse musicians.
“When I was at SPA, I saw Melissa White and Juan Miguel Hernandez playing in quartets together, and I was like, ‘Damn, I can do this,’” he says. “I didn’t see it as a racial identity thing at the time, but it stuck with me as I got older. It was the only time where I saw that specificity in the representation on stage.”
His position with Sphinx involves managing the National Alliance for Audition Support, which offers mentoring, audition preparation, financial support, and audition preview showcases for Black and Latino musicians.
During spring 2021 auditions, Sphinx candidate Joshua Elmore beat over 100 applicants and was appointed a tenure-track role as principal bassoonist at the FWSO.
“We really look intensively, particularly for younger artists that we might have missed going back to our principal pursuit,” Cerny says. “I don’t know, without Sphinx, whether Joshua would have put his hat in the ring. He might have won without the support, but there’s no doubt that having that relationship really helped.”
Eleven FWSO principals also participated in remote auditions to select Sphinx candidates as substitutes,
from which 17 were selected. Many of these substitutes will perform in the upcoming season.
Programming works by composers of color Sphinx president Afa Dworkin says less than 1% of repertoire performed by orchestras is by composers of color but suggests that number be closer to 15%. The FWSO was already ahead of the curve promoting Latino composers, thanks to Peruvian-born, outgoing music director Miguel HarthBedoya, but closer attention to Black composers was due.
“One of the things I did last year, which I really enjoyed, was just listen to a lot of works by African-American composers and started to see how we can incorporate them into our program,” Cerny says.
The FWSO has programmed works like Kevin Day’s “Lightspeed” at the America Strong concert last July, Brian Nabors’ “Pulse,” the world premiere of Victor Agudelo’s “Algo va a suceder” in October, and works by other composers of color like Adolphus Hailstork, George Walker, and William Dawson.
There are also talks of commissioning the young, up-and-coming composer Brian Nabors for a world premiere in Spano’s inaugural season. The two worked together previously during Spano’s previous role as music
director at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Engaging Black and Latino performers on the symphonic series
“I see a big part of my job as both a business leader, but also a CEO, is to look for the best possible talent to bring here,” Cerny says. “We owe that to our foundation, to supporters, our donors, our board that guides us. We want to bring in the most exceptional talent that we can.”
Part of bringing the best talent to Fort Worth involves making sure that talent reflects the community — so FWSO has invited distinguished Black conductors, pianists, and violinists on its flagship Symphonic series, including Roderick Cox, Stewart Goodyear, Randall Goosby, and Kevin Edusei.
But advocating for underrepresented groups is not new to Cerny. While serving as general director and CEO at The Dallas Opera, he founded the Mellon Foundation-funded Hart Institute for Women Conductors in 2015 — an international program for women on the cusp of major conducting careers.
“The representation of women on the podium was almost nonexistent when
we started the program,” Cerny says.
Since its inception, over 500 woman conductors have applied to the Hart Institute, and conducting fellows have graced the FWSO podium, including Nicole Paiement in November of 2020. This season features Anna Skryleva and music director of the Chicago Opera Theater Lidiya Yankovskaya, while Jane Glover is slated for the 2022 – 2023 season.
For the FWSO, these initiatives are not a temporary effort but rather something that will shape the symphony’s structure and programming in the future. The hope is that having better representation will inspire a diverse group of young musicians to pursue classical music.
“It’s about creating opportunities but also building the next generation,” Cerny says.
He hopes FWSO musicians like Joshua Elmore will inspire others.
“I know that every young bassoonist in the country is going to say, ‘Wow, he just won this, and maybe one day I can do that,’” Cerny says.
And change has already begun on the national level, Neri says.
“The growth is there,” he says. “I sense it. I see it.”
1 Tell us a little bit about yourself — anything you think readers might want to know? Presently I am recovering from seven years of serving as the Fort Worth Council representative for District 9. But in doing so, I am enjoying getting back to more personal pursuits like yoga and Pilates and family but also continuing to focus on many things I am passionate about in our city: land use, public transit, safe streets, and community engagement.
2 Do you tend to read more for pleasure or for learning/information, and where do you tend to find out about books you want to read? I have to admit my reading is mainly for learning and information. I try to sprinkle in a few things for pleasure once in a while, but there is so much to learn, that’s difficult. I am an avid listener of NPR/KERA, and many of the books I read come from suggestions and interviews there. Another source is a couple of podcasts I listen to regularly called “Talking Headways” and “The War on Cars.”
Good Reads
From a philosophical self-help guide to a coming-ofage memoir, here are three fantastic books to add to your October reading list.
BY TINA HOWARD
3 What role do you think books play in society? I think books play a very important role in society. Information and education are vital tools for growth and quality of life. Books (in all their forms) provide that information and education to anyone who wishes to expand their horizons. And as a lover of libraries and bookshops, I enjoy utilizing those resources and interacting with others in the community.
4 Would you ever want to write a book yourself? I haven’t really thought about it before … I’ve written and edited articles for publications in my area of expertise, and that might be the extent of my commitment to writing myself. My son, Michael, recently graduated from college with a double major in English and chemistry, and he really enjoys writing, including poetry. I think he’s the writer in our family.
5 What’s a book you’ve read recently that you would recommend and why? Two that I have read recently are both solidly in the category of learning and information — Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America by Angie Schmitt and Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives by Jarrett Walker. In an effort to not always read about urban planning, I picked up How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell off the shelf at Leaves and found that the author had been an artist-in-residence at the San Francisco Planning Department. So even when I try to steer to other topics, I find my urban planning-minded people.
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
Our attention is a precious and limited resource, and we must be intentional about how we use it. Jenny Odell inspires us to resist the narrative of 24/7 productivity, find meaning, and undertake what we actually want to do in the world.
House of Sticks by Ly Tran
A striking memoir and coming-ofage story by debut author Ly Tran about being a Vietnamese girl trying to honor her parents’ culture and faith, survive as a resettled immigrant family, and find her place and voice in her new home.
What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins
A homeless and pregnant 16-yearold girl wanders into the life of two neighbors who are dealing with their own recent tragedies. This atmospheric mystery is, at its core, a reflection on loss and redemption, anger and forgiveness, and what it means to help each other move forward.
Tina Howard, along with her husband, Todd, is the owner of Leaves Book and Tea Shop on St. Louis Avenue in the Near Southside.
5 QUESTIONS: ANN ZADEH
Hotel Hangout
The Cultural District’s new Hotel Dryce might soon become the hippest spot in town.
BY BRIAN KENDALL
Swing by the Lobby Bar of Hotel Dryce, where locally famous mixologist Pam Moncrief regularly whips up original and unmistakably Fort Worth-esque cocktails, and you’ll undoubtedly run into a diverse and influential cast of characters. While the space undeniably embraces its Funkytown roots, it’s not entirely a juxtaposition to what you might find in the Stockyards; the hotel and bar manage to embrace all aspects of our city. And the lobby’s fresh feng-shui, eclectic interior design, and collection of local art give the space a particular distinctiveness not yet seen in our
city. Whether this peculiarity is due to no business wanting to fully explore the diverse aspects of Fort Worth and incorporate it in their interior design, I don’t know. Yet, it’s easy to see why those who spend an incredible amount of energy promoting the city would feel right at home in the Lobby Bar.
And to co-owners Jonathan Morris and Allen Mederos, it’s all going according to plan. Locals and out-oftowners are flocking to Hotel Dryce because Morris and Mederos feel the space is filling a void that once existed in Cowtown.
“One of my favorite things about this process is determining how we tell an
authentic story about Fort Worth without doing it the way that it’s been done over, and over, and over again,” Morris, co-owner and co-founder of Hotel Dryce, says. “So, people who experience the city in the way that I do will recognize it and say, ‘Oh, yeah. That’s my Fort Worth.’”
Of course, Hotel Dryce isn’t just a bar, it is also — as its name suggests — a hotel. At 21 rooms, it is small — even for a boutique — but the no-nonsense, utilitarian rooms — as well as its proximity to everything happening in the Cultural District — can provide outof-towners with a great slice of the city while also providing Fort Worthians with the perfect staycation spot.
Kitty-cornered from Dickies Arena and located directly behind Fort
Allen Mederos (left) and Jonathan Morris (right)
Works Art on Byers Avenue, Hotel Dryce was repurposed from a dry ice warehouse, and the designers went to great lengths to pay homage to the original structure. The brick exterior wall still serves as a barrier for the courtyard, and a blue zigzag line that was part of the original warehouse’s paint scheme remains throughout the hotel. “Dryce,” of course, is a portmanteau of “dry” and “ice.”
Mederos, an entrepreneur who describes himself as a jack-of-alltrades and a master of none, pinpoints the origins of Hotel Dryce back to a conversation he and Morris had over a beer at what was then Shipping and Receiving. Mederos had just returned from a trip to Florida where he was inspired by a boutique hotel he stayed in for his sister’s wedding and thought about opening a similar space in Fort Worth. As serendipity would have it, Morris, unprovoked, brought up the idea of opening a boutique hotel, and the rest is history.
“I immediately said, ‘Don’t say anymore; let’s do it,’” Mederos says. “Thirty days later, we had the icehouse identified and an offer on the table.”
Morris, who’s graced the pages of our magazine countless times, is one of the city’s most original movers and shakers. He’s a busy bee, if you’ll pardon the archaic cliché, dabbling in barbershops, retail spaces, TV shows (be sure to check out his Magnolia Network show, “Self Employed”), and now adding hotelier to his resume.
The pair gave me a sneak preview of the hotel and Lobby Bar on a particularly hot July afternoon while construction was still underway.
Morris spoke at length about the work of local artists that would adorn the lobby and rooms; Hotel Dryce teamed with Art Tooth to offer a $4,000 grant to Black and Indigenous people of color to contribute art to the hotel. Artists who received grants, and whose work you can see at Hotel Dryce, include Adam McKinney, Brenda Ciardiello, Guillermo Tapia, Jean Fernandes, and Niki Dione.
“People of color are traditionally underrepresented in Fort Worth
hotel spaces,” Morris says. “So, it was important for us to showcase these artists who are so important to the fabric of our city.”
Keeping all things local, the nononsense bedframes and woodwork were all custom built and designed by Patrick Adams — one of Fort Worth’s best mustachioed men — and his team at 6572. Sarah Pederson, who was charged with the hotel’s interior design, went with a mix of Western and Southwestern motifs combined with modern elements. One of the unique design touches is the rooms’ curtains, which were brilliants repurposed from Oaxacan rugs.
“Fort Worth leans so much into the past that it hinders itself,” Morris says of some of the interior design choices. “I think the past is important only because it helps define where you’re going and what the future looks like. So, we’ll have a combination modern stuff and vintage stuff living together. We’ll have a juxtaposition.”
Whether it’s the subtle tributes to the old icehouse, the minimalist nature of the rooms, or the occasional rusted sign hanging on a wall, utilitarian was the word I kept coming back to when describing the hotel. But I soon realized that I was only applying this adjective due to some mindless expectation of luxury. The truth is, whether the hotel is utilitarian or luxurious, it’s just, well, Fort Worth.
“I think that luxury in Fort Worth has been done, and I think that’s someone else’s territory to own,” Morris says. “That’s just not my domain. I want to connect people with the authentic version of Fort Worth that I see and that I experience. I think if you are looking for that authenticity, we have it in this space.”
Say It Loud
A former
punk singer
returns
home
to
Fort
Worth, relaunches his music career — and finds himself in a fortuitous encounter with our managing editor.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
It’s been said that you never really know whom you’ll run into in Fort Worth. You could be in line for coffee and standing next to a millionaire without knowing it. Enjoying a nice meal downtown, and Harrison Ford is sitting a few feet away.
Strolling down Magnolia Avenue, and you bump into Leon Bridges. (Sadly, that hasn’t happened to me yet, though I have met Leon in far less spontaneous circumstances.)
My big starstruck encounter in Fort Worth occurred relatively recently —
though it’s not one many may rank alongside meeting Bridges or Ford.
A few years ago, I connected with one of my childhood heroes: Matt Shelton.
“Who?” you react (yeah, I can read your mind). At the risk of sounding like a big nerd, let me explain.
Around the early 2000s, Shelton was part of a band called Letter Kills, a post-hardcore punk group among the likes of those you’d see at Vans Warped Tour. Shelton and the band used to open up for bigger acts like Fall Out Boy, Story of the Year, and The Used before he went on to join another similar group, The Wedding.
In 2008 — smack-dab in the middle of my awkward, home-schooled teenager years — The Wedding released what I consider to be one of the best punk records I’ve ever heard: The Sound The Steel. More of an EP than a record (It has six tracks, all starting with the letter R: “Receive,” “Return,” “Renew,” etc.), I was thoroughly impressed by the old steam train theme incorporated into the music; the chugging and whistles between each track; the driving, unapologetic guitars...
Oh, and the vocals — one of the best vocal performances I’ve ever heard. Whoever that singer was had everything a punk vocalist should have: spunk, range, power, a tinge of raspiness. Do I sound like a big nerd yet?
But, yes, that was Shelton. And I promise you, all of this has a point, so bear with me.
Like most things in high school, I wound up setting that record on the back burner for a bit, graduated, and continued my own music studies at TCU (where no one in the music department is listening to punk rock, at least not in the classroom). For a while, classical and various required listening assignments dominated most of my musical intake during my college years. Then, when I finished my music minor and dove headfirst into my major, journalism, I guess I just sort of forgot about my childhood passion in pursuit of a career in news.
Little did I realize that about a year into the workforce, I’d be reporting
BY
PHOTO
DARAH HUBBARD
Matt Shelton of Panther City Riots
about Fort Worth while also delving back into the music I loved growing up, leading the music at my church — and writing songs of my own. For one of those songs, a punk-meets-musical-theater track titled “Adventure Awaits,” I slapped together a scrappy demo mixed on GarageBand and kept it saved on my computer, not really knowing what to do about it at the time. But, hey, it existed.
Back to Matt Shelton. I honestly don’t even remember how I came across that name on the interwebs; I only remember seeing that he was in Fort Worth, serving as a music pastor at The Paradox Church, and his name was distinctly familiar.
Wait. Matt Shelton? From The Wedding?
Yes, that was him. The Wedding’s not around anymore, but Shelton’s here in Fort Worth, still playing music at a church, just like me. Who knew?
So, being the opportunist that I am, I reached out to Shelton via email, wrote up the geekiest gush over The Sound The Steel and how much his music inspired me — and, because why not, I followed up on Twitter asking if he wouldn’t mind my sending that poorly mixed demo to see what he thought about it.
That was in 2017. I didn’t hear back.
Then, in March (as in, this March, in 2021), I got an unexpected Twitter message from Shelton: “Hey! Hope all is well. Sorry for the three [actually four] years late reply, but I just hopped back on Twitter. Not sure what you are doing musically now, but I’d still love to hear it.”
Lo and behold, within those four years, I did wind up getting “Adventure Awaits” recorded professionally. It’s a real-deal single now under my artist name, Little Sam, on Spotify and Pandora and all the platforms. I sent that version to him, and he reacted positively. Whew.
Turns out, Shelton’s current place on his musical journey is somewhat similar to my own. This year — after taking time off The Wedding to raise a family, serve as a pastor, and grow as a person — Shelton is making a comeback to his
own music, preparing for the launch of his new band, Panther City Riots, and a debut album, You Gotta Say Something, to boot. It’s a project uniquely his own; he wrote every song and produced the album himself, recording instruments and vocals at Spaceway Productions, Brilliant Recording, and his own home studio.
Panther City Riots is nothing like The Wedding, mind you. Instead, it’s a more mature, indie-esque outfit, grounded in rock ‘n’ roll with bright synths that spark 1980s nostalgia.
The song from which the album derives its title, “Say It Like You Mean It,” is an upbeat, mosh-pit-friendly track whose lyrics read somewhat like an autobiography, with indirect references to notable moments in Shelton’s life, including his move out of Fort Worth to California and subsequent stint touring with a couple of punk bands. Each song is honest and deeply personal — what Shelton describes as a reckoning with his faith and identity.
“It’s me writing against my own heart — me protesting my own desires, starting to ask questions about what I wanted in life, and what I was actually after,” he says. “These songs gave me an opportunity to wrestle with that.”
As far as the future goes, Shelton says he hopes to play more shows and possibly participate in a festival in 2022. But he also doesn’t want to stray too far from home, envisioning Panther City Riots as a band with deep roots planted in the place where it gets its name.
After all, you just never know what fortuitous occurrences could happen around here.
“I really like the idea of investing here in Fort Worth and the music scene,” he says. “I’m really passionate about this city and the culture we create.”
Panther City Riots performing at Tulips
Dream Street 2022:
A Wish With Wings
For the ninth year, Fort Worth Magazine is partnering with a Wish with Wings, a local charity that will receive 100% of the proceeds from the Dream Street tours scheduled for March 2022.
BY BRIAN KENDALL
Every year, Fort Worth Magazine partners with a charity to help make the publication’s annual Dream project a reality. This year’s Dream Street — which will showcase three high-end homes in the new Montrachet development in Fort Worth — is partnering with a Wish with Wings, a local nonprofit that grants wishes to children with terminal and life-threatening conditions. The charity will receive 100% of the touring proceeds when the homes open to the public in March 2022.
This marks the ninth year the magazine has partnered with a Wish with Wings, and the organization’s president and CEO, Judy Young, praises the event as the nonprofit’s biggest marketing tool.
“From a strict community awareness platform, more people are aware of us through Fort Worth Magazine’s Dream Street than anything else,” Young says. “The money we raise is raised for local families, and it’s spent on local families. So, the $20 donations people give to go through a Dream Street tour results in a substantial amount of available funding for us to utilize, specifically to grant wishes.”
And there’s little doubt they’ll need the funding this year, as the organization is prepping itself for a banner year with regard to execution of new wishes. Despite the pandemic causing a minor slowdown of wish fulfillment, a Wish with Wings is looking to grant over 60 wishes during the coming year.
“We have got so many wishes on our books right now that it is just wild,” Young says.
While the most common wish is Disney World — according to Young, 50% of wishes received are for Disney World — there is the occasional wish that veers from the typical.
One such wish was made this past year by a 13-year-old boy named
Georgie and a Wish with Wings’ service dog Willie
Georgie, who was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a cancerous brain tumor in the primary central nervous system.
Georgie’s wish was urgent — he was aware he didn’t have much time left — and seemingly simple. A native of San Angelo who was being treated at Cook Children’s Medical Center, Georgie wanted his siblings to come to Fort Worth so they could spend his final days together.
Due to COVID-19 precautions, the family wasn’t able to stay in the hospital with Georgie, but a Wish with Wings made sure his siblings and grandmother had a hotel room near the hospital for the next few nights. The organization also brought gifts for Georgie and all his siblings, decorations, and some of Georgie’s favorite food — steak and brownies.
But the wish granters didn’t stop there. After learning that Georgie had dreamed of one day becoming a police officer, a Wish with Wings partnered with the Fort Worth Police Department to pull off an impromptu parade. Within two hours, the streets were lined with first responders and the flashing lights of fire trucks and cop cars. Georgie received an up-close and personal tour of Fort Worth’s finest.
According to Young, Georgie was able to make it home to San Angelo before losing his battle with cancer. His parents later shared with the organization that having that time to celebrate his life was something they will cherish forever.
“We really do everything possible to make each wish as special as we possibly can,” Young says. “Especially when it’s an emergency wish, and we know that the child really doesn’t have much longer. We’re going to do everything we can to make memories for that family.
“That’s what we did a lot of during the pandemic — we just helped families make memories. And sometimes, that’s the best you can do.”
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: Stone Systems
Countertop Materials (all): Levantina
Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall
Electrician: C&B Electric
Fireplace Tile: Cosentino
Flooring (tile, wood and carpet labor): Galvan Floors
Fireplaces Interior linear plus inserts: Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth
Flooring (wood and carpet material): Skyline Floorscapes
Flooring tile (material all spaces): Crossville
Garage Doors/Openers: Open Up Garage Doors
Gutters: Loveless Gutters
Home Plans:
Montebello Architecture & Design
HVAC (materials and labor):
Southern Air Mechanical LLC
Interior and Exterior Trim and Door Labor and Materials (includes stair treads/risers):
Builders FirstSource
Interior Doors: Builders FirstSource
Low Voltage/AV/Security: Comware AV
Lumber and Trusses: Builders FirstSource
Mattresses: The Original Mattress Factory
Outdoor Fire Pit: Best Block
Pool Table: Fort Worth Billiards
Plumbing Labor and Supplies: Pro Serve Plumbing
Pool: Willow Branch Pools
Roofing/Flashing: Texas Tile Roofing
Safe Room: Ground Zero Storm Shelters
Stucco (Material and Labor): MCD Stucco
Windows and Doors: Builders FirstSource
Cashing in Crypto
Three letters — NFT — could reshape the future of buying and selling art as we know it. At least, so says one local artist who recently sold his painting for almost $100,000.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
PHOTO BY HANNAH DIMMITT
There’s something mesmerizing about artist Anthony Sims’ digital work, “Not Sure About Myself, I Am Certain” — a grotesquely colorful, skeleton-like creature moving its limbs amid a collage of random sketches that spin and float about the canvas.
It’s a painting, essentially, which the Fort Worth-based artist created by hand before handing it over to fellow artist Andri Wibowo, known professionally as TagaPaw. With TagaPaw’s help, Sims’ physical painting turned into an animated, multimedia piece that can only be experienced on a screen.
Then came the next step, perhaps the most challenging of all — selling it.
Making money off digital works like these is tricky for the artists who create them. Any image or video posted online can land in someone’s camera roll with a simple screenshot or screen recording. Of course, this method generally results in a loss of quality — plus, you don’t really own the work; technically, you stole it. Technically.
But there is a way to buy original digital art, similar to the way one would purchase an original painting or sculpture, set it in their home, and call it theirs.
Enter NFTs.
An NFT (that is, a nonfungible token) is a digital asset such as a photo or
video, bought and sold via cryptocurrency, with each transaction recorded on a ledger known as a blockchain. The blockchain keeps track of each time the work comes into the hands of a new owner — a certificate of authenticity, so to speak, that sets the work apart from a screenshot or recording.
Even tweets and memes are making money as NFTs; some may remember a couple notorious instances that made headlines, like when the viral Nyan Cat YouTube video sold for almost $600,000 in February or when Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey sold his very first tweet for more than $2.9 million in March.
Then there’s Sims, who in January began putting his work up on the digital art marketplace, SuperRare. One of those pieces was “Not Sure About Myself, I Am Certain,” that skeleton animation he created with TagaPaw.
In May, the piece sold for $99,973 — within an hour of its listing.
“[NFTs] are a new method of verification. It’s not super revolutionary; however, the revolutionary aspect of it is now we have a way to verify digital art. We didn’t have that before,” Sims says. “Now digital art can be treated like fine art.”
NFTs are trending in the art world,
particularly for digital creators like Sims, who are finding more value in selling through this method as opposed to an art show or Etsy.
Nick Bontrager, an associate art professor at TCU, has helped some of his students enter the cryptocurrency space. Not only does it save the artist time and money, he says — it’s also an ideal way to make a transaction during the COVID-19 pandemic when noncontact exchanges may be preferable.
“For the first time in an artist’s career, they can create something on their laptop or computer and not have to say, ‘Oh, now I have to find a print shop to turn this digital painting into a piece of canvas or paper so I can sell it on Etsy,’” Bontrager says. “By not leaving their room, they can offer it for sale and have worldwide buyers looking at their artwork that they’ve created and potentially buying and collecting it, which is fantastic.”
Bontrager compares cryptocurrency to currency exchanged at an airport. Buyers can exchange real money (such as American dollars) for digital money (such as Ethereum) on an exchange website, and its value is constantly changing.
“It’s just one more way to cater to a buyer, seller, and creator,” Bontrager says. “Rather than take a portfolio of my artwork to every gallery, museum, whatever in the metroplex, and possibly walk away with nothing, I have this other new opportunity to have a similar process with less risk.”
As for Sims, he sees NFTs as a new frontier for art. He’s quit his day job as a robotics technician and has committed to doing art full time, going on to show his work in places like Denver and Los Angeles. He also continues to sell on SuperRare; a couple notable pieces like “Love” and “Saint Death” recently sold for over $11,000 each.
“NFTs changed my life,” Sims says. “That [almost] $100,000 piece solidified my name as not just a fine artist but a crypto artist. I’m permanently now a part of this movement.”
Artist Anthony Sims poses with his work.
Autumn Fare
Four seasonal recipes to pair with the fall foliage.
BY HILLAIRE BAUMGARTNER
CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
This cozy soup is bursting with flavor and comes together with minimal effort.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 teaspoons garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 4 cups butternut squash, diced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
Instructions:
1. Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
2. Once hot, add the olive oil, shallots, and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes or until fragrant.
3. Add the spices and squash and stir to combine.
4. Pour in the vegetable broth and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
5. Continue cooking for 20 minutes or until the squash is very tender and cooked through.
6. Once cooked through, remove the bay leaf.
7. Pour in the coconut milk, then use an immersion blender to make the soup creamy until no chucks remain and then serve.
APPLE SPICED PUNCH
This refreshing, icy punch is full of fall flavor and topped with ginger beer.
Makes 4–6 drinks
Ingredients
• 4–6 pears, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
• 2 cups cran-apple juice
• Ginger beer
• Cinnamon sticks
Directions:
1. Make a puree by adding the pears into a blender or food processor and blending until smooth.
2. Add 1 cup of pear puree, cran-apple juice, and a handful of ice to a cocktail shaker and shake well.
3. Pour into a glass filled with ice and top with ginger beer and a cinnamon stick.
VEGAN BEER CHEESE DIP
An easy, creamy appetizer made vegan.
Serves 4 – 6
Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons vegan butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup beer
• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 8 ounces shredded vegan cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over low heat.
2. Add the butter and wait until it melts and then add the flour.
3. Whisk to combine until the flour is no longer visible.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and stir continuously until melted.
CHEWY DATE CRUMBLE BARS
These bars contain layers of an oat crust, date filling, and an oat crumble, then baked to perfection.
Makes 9 bars
Ingredients
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup golden or maple syrup, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups dates, pitted and chopped
• 1 cup water
Directions:
1. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, pour in the coconut oil, 1/4 cup golden syrup, and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
3. Set 1/4 of this mixture aside and with the remaining batter, evenly spread on the parchment paper.
4. Make the date puree by adding the dates, water, and remaining 1/4 cup golden syrup into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then take off of the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes, or until the dates are very soft.
5. Then, transfer the dates with the liquid into a blender or food processor and blend until creamy.
6. Spread the date puree over the crust layer in the pan, then top with the remaining crust mixture.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, then allow to fully cool before cutting and serving.
The Real Deal
El Torito, a new mom-and-pop restaurant, brings authentic Mexican cuisine to the city’s far south side.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
Atiny pocket of far south Fort Worth, near the intersection of McCart Avenue and Altamesa Boulevard, has turned into quite the hub for mom-and-pop restaurants. There’s Turkey Leg House, where monolithic turkey legs come
drenched in mac and cheese and other toppings. Nearby is Wizard’s Burgers, whose excellent namesake dishes landed in our “Best New Burgers” cover story in the August issue. Long-running sausage and soul food spot Sausage Shoppe picked this area to move to a few years ago. It’s near Da Crab Trap, a recently opened
seafood and Cajun joint. And home cooking can be found at Down Home Southern Kitchen, just a few feet away from the original location of Cousin’s Bar-B-Q.
Add to the mix El Torito, a charming new Mexican restaurant whose food and atmosphere are meant to give diners a glimpse of what it’s like
PHOTO BY CRYSTAL WISE
Tony and America Sylva
to dine in a restaurant in Mexico, says Tony Silva, who runs the restaurant with his wife, America.
“We’ve tried to think of every small detail to give people that authentic Mexican restaurant experience,” he says. “We want people to feel like they’re eating in Mexico.”
The décor, made up of equipale barrel chairs and tables, does a good job of setting the stage for the menu — a mashup of Mexican dishes both familiar and not.
There’s a wide selection of familiar faces: freshly made burritos, chile rellenos, enchiladas, and flautas. One of the restaurant’s top sellers is Enchiladas Suizas, enchiladas stuffed with shredded chicken, tomatillo sauce, and sour cream.
But the Silvas also offer plenty for those more attuned to traditional Mexican food, with dishes such as
campechana, a handheld, similar to a quesadilla, stuffed with pastor; huarache, a flatbread akin to pizza topped with proteins of your choice; and several traditional Mexican breakfast dishes, served all day. All are artfully, thoughtfully presented, topped with zigzags of crème or saddled with small piles of cilantro — little visual and edible touches that make them a cut above the norm.
“The recipes come from my mom, my grandmother, and my wife’s mom and her grandmother,” Tony says. “But the little touches, those are our own. It’s a way to differentiate ourselves, to elevate the dining experience a bit.”
The centerpiece of the restaurant is, undoubtedly, a self-serve salsa bar,
stocked with at least a half-dozen housemade salsas, everything from a red-hot chile salsa to a tangy avocado sauce to wimp-friendly mild salsas.
“People have such different tastes when it comes to salsa — we wanted to give them as many options as possible,” Tony says. “You may like something light. Someone else at your table might like something hot or heavy. This way, we can make everyone happy.”
El Torito
Highway Star
The new Bankhead Brewing Co., located within feet of the Fort Worth stretch of the old Bankhead Highway, is serving a road trip-worthy combo of food and brews.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
When Vivek Rajbahak began to look for a second location of his Bankhead Brewing Co., he found what he considered to be a primo spot. Recently closed, Funkytown Fermatorium on University Drive, had everything he needed for a Fort Worth spinoff of his Rowlett-based brewpub, including a couple million dollars’ worth of beermaking equipment.
“It was just perfect,” he says. “It’s so rare to come upon a building pretty much ready to go. It’s even more rare to find a closed brewpub with all of the
brewpub equipment still intact. I took that as a sign that this was the place.”
Not that he needed additional affirmation, but he got it anyway. After he landed the spot, a friend pointed out the building sits a block from a Fort Worth stretch of the old Bankhead Highway. The original location in Rowlett, opened in 2016 by a different set of owners, sits on the Bankhead; Rajbahak had zero idea the Fort Worth location practically does, too.
“You can imagine how I felt when I found out,” he says. “Obviously I knew I had made the right decision in opening here. It was a very happy coincidence.” Luckily, Rajbahak’s knowledge of
food and beer supersedes his expertise in Fort Worth geography. Opened over the summer, Bankhead offers housemade brews and brewpub grub in a low-key but still lively atmosphere. The food menu consists of a half-dozen wood-fired pizzas (try the Carnivore of Love, made with meatballs, sausage, pancetta, speck, jalapeños, and aged provolone), sandwiches such as a brisket smeared with bacon marmalade, small plates such as brisket-stuffed avocados, and larger entrées, including a fire-roasted pork chop.
Astute servers recommend which of the 16 beers on tap to pair your food with, be it Liquid Language, an imperial oatmeal stout, or Gussy Up, a raspberry wheat beer.
What makes Bankhead slightly different from other local breweries, Rajbahak says, is its food-forward philosophy.
“I like to think of us as a restaurant first, a brewery second,” Rajbahak says. “Not many breweries serve chickenfried steak and house-ground meatloaf, which we grind three times, and not many offer a children’s menu and a cocktails menu. We’re a brewery but also a restaurant, a bar, a place to watch the game, and a place to take your kids. I think we’re the rare brewery that does it all.”
Bankhead Brewing Co. 611 University Drive, bankheadbrewing.com
Vivek Rajbahak
The Carnivore of Love at Bankhead Brewing Co.
Your heart’s in the right place.
Discover a team dedicated to providing individualized care for heart arrhythmias, from atrial fibrillation to more complex heart rhythm disorders. Be sure to speak with a trusted specialist if you experience symptoms such as a racing heart, fluttering or palpitations. To find
Knock Your Stalks Off
Pizza Verde, whose plant-based pizza
is
among
some of the city’s best pies, has grown from a pop-up kitchen to a full-fledged restaurant.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
Along with birria and barbecue, pizza has been one of the city’s hottest cuisines for some time now. The past few years have seen an influx of new pizza places in Fort Worth serving just about every kind of pie you can imagine, from New York-style to Detroit-style pizza.
Jennifer and Landon Cabarubio noticed something miss-
ing, though: vegan pizzas. Not just pizzas loaded with veggies — most pizza restaurants serve veggie pies in one form or another. But pizzas in which every ingredient, from the toppings to the crust to the cheese, is plant-based.
Thus was born Pizza Verde, the couple’s forthcoming vegan pizzeria, located on the west side near Camp Bowie Boulevard. Slated to open late October/early November, the restaurant will occupy the space recently vacated by local favorite Rocco’s Wood Fired Pizza.
Landon and head chef Marcos Quintanar, both veterans of Mellow Mushroom, will specialize in a style of pizza that Jennifer calls “neo-Neapolitan.”
“The easiest way to describe it is that we are heavily inspired by traditional Neapolitan pizzas, which use high heat, quick cook time, and typically have a softer center,” she says. “We have tweaked the cooking process to get a crispier crust.”
Pizza dough will be made in-house and fermented for at least 24 hours, Jennifer says, and all the toppings are vegan, including the housemade mozzarella cheese, which is almond based.
Featured pizzas will include a potato leek pie, made with an olive oil and garlic base, diced potato, leeks, rosemary and lemon aioli drizzle, and a kimchi pizza, made with a hot oil and garlic base, kimchi, spinach, sesame seeds and gochujang, a Korean red chili paste.
In all, there will be about 10 pizzas, Jennifer says, plus an assortment of entrées and small plates, such as fried mozzarella, salads, and desserts that will include salted caramel
Landon and Jennifer Cabarubio, with chef Marcos Quintanar
gelato, sorbets, and vegan cheesecake.
Pizza Verde is the latest vegan restaurant to open in Fort Worth, a city primarily known for beef. Until fairly recently in Fort Worth restaurants, vegans were pointed in the direction of salad bars as their only options.
Now the city has a small circle of vegan restaurants from which to choose, including Spiral Diner, a Near Southside joint serving vegan versions of comfort food staples; Belenty’s Love, a recently opened vegan Mexican restaurant near TCU; and Planted Bakery, a vegan bakery and café in the Wedgwood area.
All Fort Worth natives, Landon, Jennifer and Quintanar began testing the waters for a vegan pizzeria last year by hosting a series of pop-ups at another local pizza joint, Black Cat Pizza.
“The pop-ups were a practical way to test the market, develop a menu, get some experience, and to start marketing ourselves as we were saving up with hopes of opening our own brick-and-mortar restaurant,” Jennifer says. “It became clear after the first few events that the community was just as excited about our concept as we were, and when the pop-ups continued to sell out and be consistently busy, we became confident that the demand was there.”
Landon and Quintanar were already pizza pros, having fine-tuned their pizza-making skills at Mellow Mushroom. Before his time at Mellow Mushroom, Quintanar worked at Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Zio Carlo Magnolia Brew Pub, and Chimera Brewing.
“He’s kind of our secret weapon,” Jennifer says. “Landon met Marcus at his very first job at Mellow Mushroom, where Marcus trained him and taught him how to toss pizza. They developed a friendship, and when we settled on the idea of a pizzeria, he was the first person we contacted. This is all very full circle.”
Pizza Verde 5716 Locke Ave., pizzaverdetx.com
Bits and Bites
October sees the return of the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival — or at least a slimmed-down iteration of the long-running fest — which was canceled this spring and last due to the pandemic. To sate our appetites until the fest returns in full force next year, organizers put together a mini-fest Oct. 22 – 24. Instead of the usual half-dozen events, there will be three: a taco and beer showcase called Taco. Beer. Repeat.; Gameday Gourmet, a tailgate party-inspired event in which 18 local chefs will show off their outdoor cooking skills (there will also be beer, wine, and spirits pairings); and Bluegrass Brunch, a seated five-course meal with a side of live music. All three events will take place at Clearfork Heart of the Ranch. As of press time, participating chefs had not been announced. For updates and tickets, check fortworthfoodandwinefestival.com.
A new, all-in-one restaurant/brewery/hangout/live music venue has opened in the burgeoning Mule Alley development in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Second Rodeo Brewing Co. comes from the same crew that opened the Truck Yard in Dallas and subscribes to a similar aesthetic, offering bar bites and live music in a lively, family-friendly, indoor/outdoor setting. The 14,000-square-foot space features an in-house brewery, overseen by North Texas brewmaster Dennis Wehrmann, and a gargantuan patio, not to mention daily live country music. 122 E. Exchange Ave., secondrodeobrewing.com
Speaking of second rodeos, locally based chef Jenna Kinard is now leading the kitchen of another hotel restaurant. The winner of this magazine’s Top Chef competition in 2019, Kinard was recently announced as the executive chef at Seasons 114 Kitchen at the Westin Southlake Hotel, due to open this fall. As many will recall, Kinard was the original executive chef at the Hotel Drover’s in-house restaurant, 97 West, but parted ways with the hotel before it opened, during the pandemic last year. Kinard’s menu at Seasons 114 Kitchen will have a Southern bent to it and will include items such as butternut squash cappelletti and beef tartare with garlic confit, shiitake mushrooms, and smoked chili-infused egg yolk. 1200 E. State Highway 114, Southlake
The Margherita pizza
The Ultimate Fort Worthian’s Guide to
Wine s Spiritss
From pinots to palomas and malbecs to margaritas, when it comes to wine and spirits, we’re giving you everything you need to know about these inseparable booze brothers.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW AND CRYSTAL WISE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRYSTAL WISE
Just as Fort Worth’s food culture has grown to epic proportions over the past several years, so has our city’s appetite for a good drink. And by good drink we mean something made or picked by hand, by people we know, whether it’s our favorite bartender or sommelier. There’s a time and a place for a glass of merlot or a Jack and Coke, but Fort Worth’s thirst for next-level drinking continues to be seemingly unquenchable. These are indeed good times to be a wine or spirits lover here in Fort Worth. We have all witnessed the rise of the local distillery and Fort Worth-branded spirits. If we drink gin or whiskey, chances are we’ve sipped — or slammed — a drink made with a local spirit. Likewise, we are surrounded by wine, from the uncountable
number of North Texas wineries to restaurants with A-plus wine lists to sit-and-sip wine bars. Ask any wine snob and they’ll tell you, Texas soil and weather are mercilessly cruel to winemakers. But there they are anyway, stomping grapes, ignoring detractors and putting out formidable bottles of reds and whites.
This month’s cover story is dedicated to those who play instrumental roles in our local spirit and wine businesses. From a sommelier at one of the city’s top restaurants to local winemakers and winery owners to the dudes who run the city’s new school of distilleries, these are the people who keep growing, nurturing, and pushing the bounds of our wine and spirits scene.
To them, we offer this toast.
Distilleries
ACRE DISTILLING CO.
Tony Formby wants to make this world a better place to live in, one drink at a time. Since opening downtown in 2015, Acre Distilling — which owners Formby and J.B. Flowers (both expats of Rahr & Sons Brewing) named after Hell’s Half Acre, the notoriously rowdy slice of downtown where, back in the Old West days, Butch Cassidy and his crew chilled and a photographer captured the famous portrait of the Hole in the Wall gang — has been crafting more than
20 spirits, including single malt whiskey, bourbon, gin, vodka, rum, liqueurs, and cordials, many of them award-winning. But what impresses most is Formby’s dedication to going green.
Teaming with area solar companies, he recently launched a campaign to make Acre a 100% green operation, using energy derived from more than 300 solar panels installed in Acre’s parking lot. Acre is the first solar-powered distillery in the country and one of only a handful in the country.
As part of this initiative, dubbed
“Green Acre,” after the classic TV show, Formby has also replaced single-use plastic with a biodegradable equivalent and introduced a bottle-recycling program.
“I wouldn’t call myself a tree hugger, but I am someone who is conscientious about the environment,” he says. “I want to do what I can to help make this a better world to live in.”
Signature spirit: No collection of Fort Worth spirits is complete without a bottle of
Acre’s excellent Hell’s Half Acre Rum. It’s won several awards, including the gold medal at this year’s US Open Whiskey & Spirits Championship. Also worth seeking out is Acre’s Lemon Bomb limoncello cordial.
Tours: Acre offers tours and tastings Thursday through Saturday. Tours include a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Acre’s distilling process, as well as a sampling of seven different Acre spirits. The tours
Tony Formby
Four of Our Fave Fort Worth Spots to Enjoy a Bite with Our Spirits
We all know you can find superb craft cocktails, often made with local spirits, at bars like the Usual, Proper, and Thompson’s. But what if you’re thirsty AND hungry? Some distilleries serve food, but most of it is of the grazing sort: charcuterie boards, chips and dips, and the like.
A handful of Fort Worth restaurants have outstanding selections of spirits. Here are four of our faves:
Heim BBQ: Home to some of the city’s best craft barbecue, Heim BBQ’s mothership location on Magnolia Avenue has a stellar collection of whiskeys — from Texas and elsewhere. A nice perk of sitting at Heim’s bar: They don’t mind if you eat there, and they’ll even take your food order. heimbbq.com
La Onda: Opened earlier this year on the east side, Fort Worth chef Victor Villareal’s Latin-tinged tribute to seafood has been a major hit with local foodies. Just as much thought is put into the drinks as the food, though, as the restaurant uses premium spirits, from near and far, for unique drinks such as a spiked Jamaica, boozed up with Fort Worth’s own Blackland gin, and its signature cocktail, Life’s a Risk Carnal, made with Xicaru mezcal from Oaxaca, Mexico. facebook.com/LaOndaftw
Tinie’s Mexican Cuisine: Developed by local mixologist and spirits veteran Glen Keely, the drinks menu at this high-end Mexican restaurant on South Main highlights mezcal, an agave-based liquor in the same family as tequila. Keely puts his impressive collection of mezcals — and tequilas — to potent use on cocktails such as the Juan Valdez, a sweet drink made with chocolate bitters, and Tonico de Plantano, a sip-worthy concoction made with banana liqueur and cinnamon syrup. tiniesfw.com
Trinity College Irish Pub: Named one of Fort Worth Magazine’s best new restaurants last year, this Irish pub in the West Seventh area is one of the few places in Fort Worth that serves classic Irish cuisine like Scotch eggs and shepherd’s pie. It also has a robust Irish whiskey program, made up of nearly 40 varieties, from single malts to hard-to-find selections such as Midleton Rare. For anyone with an affinity for whiskey, Trinity College is a must. trinitycollegeirishpub.com
also include a history lesson in Hell’s Half Acre, the storied downtown area of which Acre’s century-old building is a part. Tours last approximately one hour and cost $15 per person. Reservations are recommended and can be made on Acre’s website. After the tour, hang out on Acre’s dog-friendly patio or grab a craft cocktail at its cool wood-paneled bar.
Info: 1309 Calhoun St., acredistilling.com
Recipe: Java Shine Martini
Ingredients:
• 3 ounces Java Shine CoffeeFlavored Whiskey
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• Single shot of espresso
Instructions:
Dry shake (with no ice) vigorously for 10 seconds. Fill shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 10 more seconds. Strain into a martini glass and enjoy.
BLACKLAND DISTILLERY
Opened by lawyer, chef, and sommelier Markus Kypreos in 2019, Blackland is one of the city’s newest distilleries — and easily its most hightech. Located in The Foundry District, the distillery is known for utilizing “Blade Runner”ish hardware and state-of-the-art technology to produce its quintet of signature spirits: Blackland Gin, Vodka, Rye Whiskey, Bourbon, and Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon.
Not all die-hard distillery lovers may dig Kypreos and head distiller Ezra Cox III’s 21st-century way of brewing North Texasgrown grains, but whatevs, the high-end equipment makes a world of difference when it comes to how Blackland’s spirits taste, Kypreos says. “A lot of people distill by touch, smell, instinct. What we do is take away any chance of human error,” Kypreos says. “The end result is very clean spirits, without a lot of burn on the end.”
The distillery is unique in that it also houses an upscale cocktail lounge where guests can sip on drinks made with Blackland’s
Markus Kypreos
award-winning spirits at a marbletopped bar or velvet-upholstered banquettes.
In September, Kypreos announced the distillery will undergo an expansion that will include the addition of a VIP room and second barrel room.
Signature spirit: You and Kypreos can arm-wrestle over which is better: the newish Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon, our fave, or the red winter wheat-made Blackland Gin, one of Kypreos’ faves.
Tours: Starting in October, tours of Blackland take place Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Tours last approximately one hour and include a look at the distillery’s cutting-edge, spirit-producing technology. Each guest receives tasting flights of the distillery’s premium vodka, gin, bourbon, and rye whiskey, plus a signature craft cocktail. Tours cost $30 per person. Reservations are recommended and can be made in advance on the distillery’s website.
Info: 2612 Weisenberger St., blacklandfw.com
Recipe: Salted Pecan
Old-Fashioned
Ingredients:
• 1 ounce Blackland
Texas Pecan Brown
Sugar Bourbon
• 1 ounce Blackland
Rye Whiskey
• 2 dashes of black walnut bitters
• 1 pinch of salt
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. Stir to chill and dilute. Pour over ice. Garnish with a candied pecan. Enjoy.
FIRESTONE & ROBERTSON DISTILLING COMPANY
What Heim has done for barbecue, Firestone & Robertson has done for whiskey. Not only has F&R improved the art of making whiskey, but its contributions to the world of spirits have
unequivocally inspired others to get into the distilling game. And of course, F&R’s signature TX Blended Whiskey is its bacon burnt ends, a local sensation whose ripple effects have been felt regionally, nationally, and internationally.
Founded by Leonard Firestone and Troy Robertson, F&R is the first distillery to use a proprietary combination of grains, yeast, and barrel toasting, making it an industry innovator. That was the first of many firsts for this groundbreaking brand, now owned by French spirit-maker Pernod Ricard.
Firestone & Robertson, despite its growing global presence, is still very much steeped in Fort Worth. Its sprawling Whiskey Ranch is a sight to see even if you can’t stand whiskey. Resting on 112 acres of rolling golf grounds, it offers picture-perfect views of downtown, not to mention a stately bar, wraparound deck, plenty of cush furniture upon which you can sit and sip, and a gift shop where you can load up on F&R booze and merch. Whiskey Ranch is, in essence, as much a work of art as F&R’s spirits.
Signature spirit: By all means, indulge in TX Straight Bourbon and TX Blended Whiskey, the bottles that put F&R on the map. But don’t sleep on some of their more complex spirits, such as TX Straight Bourbon PX Sherry Finish, created by taking mature, 4-year-old TX Straight Bourbon and finishing it for eight months in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, or the TX Bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon, whose fiery, 100-proof bourbon was distilled by one and only one master distiller.
Tours: Although Whiskey Ranch isn’t back open for full-on tours just yet, due to COVID-19, it is open for weekly ticketed happy hour events with live music, lawn games, cocktails, and gift shop access. Whiskey Ranch is also hosting weekly cocktail classes. When COVID’s outta here, tours of the facility’s stunning distillery equipment should resume. Hit up their website for more info.
Info: 4250 Mitchell Blvd., frdistilling.com
Recipe: Smoked Bourbon Old-Fashioned
Ingredients:
• 2 parts TX Bourbon
• 1/4 parts Smoked Simple Syrup
• Handful of wood shavings (Whiskey Ranch uses wood from used TX Bourbon barrel staves)
• 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
• Orange peel
Instructions:
1. Place a handful of wood chips on a plank of thick
wood or ceramic platen.
2. Whiskey Ranch uses shavings from a bourbon barrel stave, but you can also use pecan, oak, peach, or hickory.
3. Use a torch to fire them up until they just begin to light.
4. Place glass over the chips to snuff the fire and leave for a minute to soak the smoke while making the cocktail.
5. Mix cocktail ingredients together in a separate glass with ice and stir.
6. Flip smoked glass over, immediately add fresh ice, and strain cocktail into smoked glass.
TRINITY RIVER DISTILLERY
The Trinity River Distillery may have the coolest home in Fort Worth: the old Ranch Style Beans factory, built just east of downtown in 1913. A tour of the facility is a visual wonder — a mashup of the plant’s old guts with the distillery’s cool, new equipment.
That equipment includes Trinity River’s calling card: a rainwaterfiltering system that allows the distillery to use rain, captured on-site in 13,000-gallon storage tanks, to make its spirits.
“It’s similar to how water companies use rainwater to make bottled water,” company president Bob Camillone says of the distillery’s double-reverse osmosis purification system. “It gives our spirits a cleaner, more
natural makeup and taste.”
Launched in 2012 by owner Mark Lusignan, who was later joined by co-owner and whiskeymaker Kirk Richards, Trinity River Distillery took over a portion of the historic Ranch Style Beans factory in 2015. There, under the brand Silver Star Spirits, it has made a name for itself for outstanding — and award-winning — whiskey, bourbon, vodka, and a sweet whiskey called Texas Honey. In 2018, readers of Fort Worth Magazine named it best brewery/ distillery in Fort Worth.
Signature spirit: Awardwinning Silver Star Texas Honey, made with natural Texas wildflower honey for a sweet, silky flavor. It’s good on the rocks by itself or perfect for boozing up lemonade. Equally good is Silver Star’s 1849 Straight Bourbon Whiskey, made from a mash of corn, rye, and barley and aged in 30-gallon white oak barrels for three years. The whiskey’s named after the date of Fort Worth’s birth: 1849.
Tours: Tours and tastings are, for now, on Saturdays only, at 2:30, 4, and 5:30 p.m. Those hours are subject to change due to whatever’s happening with COVID-19 that week. Cost is $25 per person and includes a flight of Silver Star’s four signature spirits, a tour of the facilities, which in itself is worth the $25, and a complimentary glass. The distillery’s bar is also open Saturdays, from 2 to 8 p.m.
Info: 1734 E. El Paso St., silverstarspirits.com
Recipe: Whiskey Smash
• 1 1/2 ounces
Silver Star Whiskey
• 4 blueberries
• 1 mint leaf
Muddle these ingredients, then add:
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• Add ice and shake, garnish with blueberries.
Bob Camillone
Wineries
LOST OAK WINERY
Spread out over 52 picturesque acres on the banks of Village Creek in Burleson, Lost Oak Winery is one of the state’s premier wineries. It’s somewhat of a rarity in North Texas — it has its own vineyard, and most of the wine production takes place on-site, often as wine fans watch.
The winery was founded by Gene Estes, who as a student at Grayson County College in Denison, studied viticulture. During his studies abroad, he snuck off to vineyards and wineries, developing a passion for wine — as both a consumer
and a producer. It wasn’t until he retired in 2006 that his passion for wine was fully realized when he opened this winery in a sprawling, scenic area, dotted with oak trees, of course, between Interstate 35 and State Highway 174.
Today, Estes’ daughter, Roxanne Myers, runs the business, overseeing the production of the winery’s multitude of dry and sweet styles. She’s a firm believer that Texas wine is earning its place among the country’s best wines.
“You don’t have to be Napa,” she says. “You don’t have to have perfect climatic conditions to make good wine. As long as you have enough good weather
A Chat with Brian Ruby of Del Frisco’s
With more than 1,000 different bottles of wine available, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in downtown Fort Worth is still one of our city’s go-to restaurants for an evening of wining and dining. The restaurant’s longtime wine director Brian Ruby chatted with us about what makes Del Frisco’s award-winning wine program so special.
Fort Worth Magazine: What goes into developing a good wine program?
Brian Ruby: Our wine program has been built over the years by a number of talented people. We look to offer a broad range of wines from all over the world, representing all major varietals. We try to offer a balance of classic producers and exciting new wines. I feel it is important to have a selection of wines in all price ranges, too, allowing every guest to add the pleasures of wine to their dining experience.
FWM: Del Frisco’s offers wine classes to its employees. Talk a bit about the importance and significance of these classes. BR: We want our servers to be able to answer basic wine questions. They also need to have a knowledge of varietals and growing regions so they can quickly navigate the wine list. We also use the wine classes to discuss whiskies, scotches, and tequilas. We also do a pairing class a couple times a year and show wine’s versatility with unexpected foods. Knowledge builds confidence.
— you need summer, you need winter. And you need good water. You need to get enough rain. When those elements come together, you can make great wine.”
Myers, who is also president of Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, points out that Texas is now the fifth largest wineproducing state next to California, Oregon, Washington, and New York. “Texas wineries contribute more than $13 billion of economic value to the state,” she says.
Five of Lost Oak’s wines have been awarded double gold medals, and more than 25 others have received gold medals from national wine-
FWM: When a guest asks a somm or server to recommend a bottle of wine, what are some of the questions a good somm will ask?
BR: Certainly, our somms will ask what foods they are having, are they celebrating, and perhaps get a feel for the guest’s level of wine knowledge and experience. A wine we suggest may check all the boxes for a great pairing, but if it doesn’t taste good to the guest, it can negatively impact the meal.
FWM: What are your top three personal favorite bottles of wine guests can order at Del Frisco’s?
BR: In no particular order, Massolino Barolo, Littorai Pinot Noir and Keenan Chardonnay.
Roxanne Myers
tasting competitions, including the San Francisco International Wine Competition and Texas International Wine Competition.
The winery offers tours, along with hiking trails, picnic areas, wine-making demos, and live music Thursday through Saturday.
Best bottles: Shiraz Reserve, a blend of three different harvests, from 2016, 2017, and 2018, come together for a flavor with soft oak notes and red berries; Viognier, one of the winery’s most awarded wines, similar to chardonnay; and Cabernet Franc, the fruit for which is grown locally in nearby Rendon.
Info: 8101 County Road 802, Burleson, lostoakwinery.com
TWO BROTHERS WINERY
The two bros behind this Old Town Keller winery are Brian and Eddie Kirkwood, who run the business with their wives, Stephanie and Donna, along with two pals, Greg and Stephanie Espinoza.
Opened in 2019, the winery was a direct response to Keller’s then-booming/still-booming restaurant scene. Plenty of places to eat were opening up but not a
lot of places to drink.
The Kirkwoods produce their own wine on-site, using grapes from California. There are whites like chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, along with a handful of red blends. Those into sweet wines will dig their wines flavored with peach, strawberry, raspberry, and apple.
The winery offers a small menu of small bites, from charcuterie boards to flatbread pizzas to dips and desserts. When the weather’s nice, you can sip and nibble on a lovely patio with a firepit cackling nearby.
Best bottles: A sweet tooth for sweet wines isn’t mandatory, but it’ll come in handy if you want to enjoy Two Brothers’ signature wines. Those include Runaway Razzberry, which the Kirkwoods describe as Sweet Tarts in a bottle. If savory is more your speed, indulge in their Whiskey Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon, a cab sauv aged 60 days in a whiskey barrel.
The northeast Tarrant suburb of Bedford may be the last place you’d expect
Where Else to Wine in Fort Worth
Wine enthusiasts can never complain about the lack of places to enjoy a bottle or glass of wine in Fort Worth. Here are six suggestions to get your pinot on in FW:
38 & Vine: Hightech wine bar in The Foundry District utilizes state-of-the-art equipment to store — and pour — its wines. Wine dinners and live music, too. thirtyeightandvine.com
CRU Food & Wine Bar: Odd that food would come before wine in this national chain’s name; wine is definitely the centerpiece.
Located at The Shops at Clearfork, CRU’s Fort Worth store features 30 wines by the glass and 300 by the bottle. It’s a boisterous little place, primarily made up of people celebrating this or toasting that. cruwinebar.com
Grand Cru Wine Bar: Housed in an historic building that dates back to the 1920s, Grand Cru is a family-owned wine bar and retail shop in the Near Southside area. It’s a small place with a big stock: The number of bottled wines available is well over 200. Grand Cru also offers what it calls “luxury wines” — that is, wines that are not exposed to oxygen until they’re poured into your glass. grandcrumagnolia.com
The Magnolia Wine Bar: Formerly Kent & Co Wines, this classy Near Southside wine bar and hangout is a luxe affair, with plush seating and a see-and-be-seen vibe. A thorough wine list zeroes in on cabs and cab blends but also offers a wide selection of merlots, new world reds, and plenty of bottles from Spain and Italy. themagnoliawinebar. com
WineHaus: After this local wine store and bar fell victim to COVID-19, frequent customer Robyn Davis came to the rescue, saving and reopening it. What its wine list lacks in numbers, it more than compensates for in terms of quality, with a clear focus on well-made, small, and/ or limited production wines, many of which are hard to find. winehausfw.com
Winslow’s Wine Cafe: This longrunning, upscale café on the city’s west side has an extensive wine list, made up of small production wines from all regions of the world, all of which are blind taste-tested by the restaurant’s wine director. Many of the restaurant’s wines are available for purchase next door at Winslow’s Wine Shop. winslowswinecafe.com
Left to right: Donna Kirkwood, Edward Kirkwood, Stephanie Kirkwood, and Kari Williams are among the co-owners of Two Brothers Winery.
Somm of the South
Chelsea Monschein, a sommelier at one of Fort Worth’s top finedining restaurants, Grace, shares the secrets of being a good somm.
BY MALCOLM MAYHEW
As any wine buff knows, sommeliers are the heart and soul of any restaurant wine program. These wine experts, who float from table to table assisting restaurant guests with their wine selections, can intelligentially, poetically describe wines, in most cases even more so than servers and the restaurant owners themselves. Wine plays such a crucial role in fine dining, somms are invaluable.
For our issue devoted to wine and spirits, we chatted with Chelsea Monschein, the 28-yearold sommelier at downtown Fort Worth’s finedining restaurant Grace. The Colorado native has been in the food and drink business for years and was just recently promoted to somm.
Fort Worth Magazine: How did you get into the wine business?
Chelsea Monschein: I was studying international business and marketing at Texas Tech when I started working at restaurants and bars to help make it through school. This led me to fine dining, which of course led me to wine. Eventually, I left school to study through The Court of Master Sommeliers, which is how many of us become certified somms.
One of the reasons I became a sommelier is because I fell in love with serving people, and I also have a huge obsession with cultures and
traveling. When I discovered that wine is basically just alcohol and travel in a bottle, there was no looking back. One bottle says so much and has been touched by so many people, it’s truly incredible to see the final result opened on a table and people holding their glasses and laughing and toasting. It’s just an incredible feeling.
FW: Have you seen the movie “Somm”? Would you say it’s an accurate portrayal of the amount of work and intensity that goes into becoming a somm? CM: Of course, things are usually glamorized in movies and on screen. It almost makes it seem like an unobtainable dream, though I think it’s very obtainable. But it does capture this dance we do on the floor — we want what we do to look nice and easy and comfortable. Behind the scenes, it’s not always an easy job, and I think the movie captured that very well. Being a somm means devoting a certain amount of your life and time to studying, to tasting, to learning about new wines, to knowing your vintages. Somms put in an incredible amount of hard work, but when we’re on the floor, we make it look easy.
FW: You’re working at one of Fort Worth’s top restaurants — a restaurant whose wine program has been awarded the Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator 10 years in a row.
CM: I love our wine program because the focus isn’t on selling the most expensive bottle; it’s about getting the right bottle and creating an experience. We have plenty of nice, well-known wines on our list, and if people want them, that’s great. I love that. But we like to carry smaller, more niche brands that you can’t always get in grocery stores and ones that are not crazy expensive because of a name. That bottle might be less than they are willing to spend, but it’s the perfect bottle for them and creates an experience. And that’s one thing that is special about wine; it’s made to be shared and experienced.
FW: What are your three favorite bottles of wine on Grace’s wine list?
CM: My first favorite glass is the next one you’re going to have. As cheesy as it is, the next glass is always the best one. It’s what’s yet to come, and the experience to look forward to.
My second is a 2004 Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Columbia, Washington. I love this wine because it’s fun to move people who typically like California cabernets out of their comfort zone. It has great age on it for not an expensive price.
My third favorite is a personal bottle, a 1964 Barbaresco that I keep at the restaurant. One of the oldest bottles I’ve personally owned and one of the oldest in the restaurant. One that just makes me happy because it amazes people and is rare to see such an old bottle kept so well.
FW: What is it that drives you as a somm? I’m sure there’s good money in it, but there has to be another force that goes beyond money.
CM: If I were in it for the money, I would have stayed in business school [laughs]. It’s different for everybody. For me, it’s really just about talking to people and hearing their stories and finding a bottle or glass or even a cocktail for them — that’s just the icing on top. For me, it truly is bringing people a drink that impresses them or makes them happy — it’s addicting. I’ll never forget some of the bottles of wine I’ve had, not just because they were delicious but because of the whole moment, because whatever else was happening. I want to create that with everyone I talk to.
FW: Any sage advice for those wanting to become somms?
CM: One, never stop studying — the more you learn, the less you know. Two, the time is now. This is a quick-growing industry that is becoming more well known. The sooner you get a foot in a door, the better. There’s only going up from the first step, and with more people entering this field, the competition is increasing. Three, don’t be afraid to be wrong or not know. Wine and alcohol are so expansive, even the greatest sommelier doesn’t know half of everything. It’s a very humbling field. And finally, four, with great work is great reward. You’ll only get as far in this field as you are willing to work.
Grace, 777 Main St., gracefortworth.com
to find a good winery, but Richard and Melanie Bowen’s quaint spot on Bedford Road has been going strong now for six years.
One of the refreshing things about Silver Dollar is its refusal to take itself too seriously. The vibe at its combo winery/tasting room/café is laid-back and unpretentious, no doubt because the Bowens are, too. They’re avid motorcycle enthusiasts, somewhat of a rarity among wine snobs. And although they take their wines seriously, many of them have tongue-in-cheek names, an extension of their sense of humor — a quality most definitely lacking in the world of wine.
“We have a wine called IM’Peached, and everybody just
assumes it’s named after Trump,” Melanie says. “But if you look at the label on the back, it says, ‘A bold peach flavor that admits it did have relations with that wine.’ Sometimes we have a little fun with politics to keep ourselves amused.”
Silver Dollar Winery features a tasting room, decked out with tables made of wine barrels, a shotgun bar festooned with silver dollars, flights of its more than 20 sweet and dry wines, and an impressively varied food menu consisting of charcuterie boards, salads, and pizzas; there’s live music, too.
Last year, the couple opened a second location, in the Hill Country on a 25-acre plot of land found two miles east of the town of Hye. That’s where most of their wine production takes place now.
No easy task growing grapes in Bedford, so their vineyards for red wines/varietals are located in West Texas in the Brownfield area, and the vineyards for their white varietals are located near Bonham.
Best bottles: Chocolate Boot Scootin’ Boogie, a sweet red wine blend with dark and milk chocolate flavors; Pinot Noir Reserve, an all-Texas, fruitforward pinot aged two years in French oak barrels; and their Silver Eagle Chardonnay, a crisp, unoaked chardonnay that won bronze, silver, and gold medals in 2017.
Founded more than four decades ago by Paul Vincent and Merrill Bonarrigo, and now owned by Paul Mitchell and Karen Bonarrigo, Messina Hof is not only one of the oldest wineries in the North Texas wine community, but also the most award-winning winery in the state.
The winery’s origin story is humble enough, starting when Paul and Merrill received a study on grape feasibility in Texas from a Texas A&M graduate student. With that data, they planted the first Messina Hof vineyard at their home in Bryan. The 1-acre experiment consisted of 50 varietals, including cabernet sauvignon, chenin blanc, and Lenoir.
Over the decades, the two became pioneers in Texas wine production, opening spinoff locations throughout the state, including Grapevine, winning awards for their bottles, and helping open the doors for other mom-and-pop wineries.
Messina Hof’s Grapevine location, situated in the city’s historic and always-bustling downtown area, consists of multiple tasting rooms, wines on tap, wine flights, and a small food menu.
Best bottles: The winery recently took home multiple awards at the largest wine competition in the U.S., the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, which featured 2,601 entries from 18 countries. Messina Hof’s 2018 Private Reserve Tempranillo and 2019 Private Reserve Viognier both received Best of Class awards, the top in each category. Messina Hof won an additional six awards at the competition including a gold medal for Angel Late Harvest Riesling. Longtime Messina Hoff followers swear by their Sagrantino Reserva, a dry red wine that has also won numerous awards.
Info: 201 S. Main St., Grapevine, messinahoff.com
You won’t believe what’s possible with Realtors ® like us.
Soul Sisters
BY SHILO URBAN
You’ve probably heard of Budapest and maybe Nîmes and Trier. But what about Guiyang and Bandung? Have you ever been to Mbabane? Scattered across the planet, Fort Worth’s nine Sister Cities are filled with people who speak different languages, gaze on different landscapes, and practice different religions. We eat foods they’ve never tasted, and they play games we haven’t seen. But our similarities transcend these differences. We share a spirit of hope, a cross-cultural desire for peace and understanding — and we’re more alike than you might think. Ready to meet the family?
Nîmes, France
Violets bloom in window boxes as the sweet aroma of cherries, melons, and apricots floats up from the market. Welcome to Southern France, a sunsplashed fairy tale where medieval castles rub shoulders with olive groves and endless vineyards. Just a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean coast, the tree-shaded boulevards of Nîmes stretch past tiny cafes and towering Roman ruins. Red poppies, pink peonies, and purple wisteria go wild in the easy climate.
Nîmes’ mellow weather made it a choice destination for veterans of Julius Caesar’s army, who settled there to cultivate farmland and families once their fighting days were done. What remains of their civilization comprises some of the best-preserved Roman ruins anywhere, including Italy. Marble temples and stone fortifications dot the city. Its 2,000-yearold amphitheater is in such good condition that it hosts music concerts and bullfighting festivals even today. Bull meat is a delicacy in Nîmes and shows up in the classic dish gardiane de taureau, a hearty stew simmered for hours with onions, garlic, and red wine. While it wouldn’t be mistaken for Texas chili, it would no doubt find some fans in Fort Worth.
Waves of invasions and plagues buffeted the city in the post-Roman world. But Nîmes regained its footing at the dawn of the modern era, thanks to its quickly growing textile industry. Shepherds in nearby mountains had developed a new kind of woven material that was tough enough to wear while working in rugged environments. Factories in town produced the fabric by the ton, adding a vivid blue dye from India and shipping it around the globe. Soon the French material would be transformed into an American icon: blue jeans, a staple of Western wear and an integral part of the Fort Worth wardrobe. So, the next time you slip on a pair of Levi’s or that Texas tuxedo, remember where your denim came from: de Nîmes.
Reggio Emilia, Italy
Do you like Parmesan cheese on your pizza? You can thank Reggio Emilia. It’s nestled in a fruitful river valley that boasts the richest gastronomy in the entire country — and that’s saying a lot in Italy. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is just the beginning. Prosciutto di Parma and balsamic vinegar from Modena are coveted by the planet’s finest chefs, and we’ve all had a plate of spaghetti Bolognese. Cappelletti pasta, Lambrusco wine … the list goes on. You’ve just entered foodie heaven.
Lush pastures and fields envelop Reggio Emilia, a stone city located at the “lower knee” of the boot-shaped nation. Pigs munch on chestnuts, and dairy cows dine on shag carpets of grass. Like most farming regions, the people who live here are practical and down-to-earth. And like Fort Worth, Reggio Emilia is one of the friendliest places around. Proud yet welcoming, the Reggiani have a reputation for being genuinely friendly and sincere — and for really loving their city. Sound familiar?
Life’s a little slower in Reggio Emilia than in better-known Venice, Milan, and Florence (which are all about two hours away). And that’s just the way the locals like it: quaint, quiet, and off the beaten path. While they might not be as fashion-obsessed as big-city Italians, there’s no shortage of style in Reggio Emilia’s green valley. It’s home to Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ducati, and Maserati — plus four racetracks where the motor companies can show off their sweet machines. NASCAR fans would find plenty to love, and they better bring their cowboy boots: The region has a vibrant subculture of country-western music and dancing.
Bandung, Indonesia
Green hills encircle Bandung with infinite rows of leafy plants destined for Fort Worth’s favorite beverage: iced tea. Black tea plantations flourish here on tropical Java, the largest island out of 17,000 in the Indonesian archipelago. Like its next-door neighbor Bali, Java is speckled with active volcanoes and hot springs — an irresistible siren’s call for adventurer travelers. Bandung itself is located on top of an extinct volcano high above sea level, which has blessed the landscape with fertile soils and the best climate in the country: a pleasant 74 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.
Urban dwellers in nearby Jakarta escape to balmy Bandung on the weekends, as did the Dutch plantation owners who founded it. The Europeans designed the city to be a Parisinspired resort town, complete with designer boutiques, fine restaurants, and art deco luxury hotels. Today, Indonesians have taken hold of this cultural legacy and transformed Bandung into a thriving creative hub with its own unique fashions and food.
Art galleries and booksellers proliferate. Punk teens peruse indie record stores. Shoppers browse a giant collection of factory outlets and clothing stores, especially on Jeans Street — the island’s go-to destination for Nîmes’ native fabric. Denim vendors set themselves apart amidst a glut of competitors with huge storefront statues, which gives the road a bizarro Hollywood vibe. Nothing makes you want to buy a pair of jeans like a two-story Rambo aiming a rocket launcher at your face.
Street markets nearby sell hot martabak, a tasty fried pancake stuffed with egg, onions, and meat. Ripe strawberries and round honeydews fill the morning markets. And Bandung’s off-the-charts coffee culture delivers deliriously good cups of java, not a surprise here on the island of Java. Locals take their kopi black and sweet, or perhaps with some lemongrass or ginger. But the most popular drink here is the same as in Fort Worth: es teh, served with copious amounts of sugar and as often as possible.
Toluca, Mexico
Drive south from Fort Worth for 20 hours, and you’ll reach Toluca, our closest sister. Situated 30 miles west of Mexico City, the lively urban hub has a centuries-old center that’s lined with pretty arched walkways. Boutiques and cafes fill these graceful arcades, and fountains splash in nearby plazas. Sunshine spills through the colossal stained-glass murals at the Cosmovitral Botanical Garden, illuminating the flowerfilled wonderland with cosmic colors.
World-class museums beckon in Toluca, just as they do in Fort Worth. The two cities also share the same size population, the same propensity for severe hailstorms, and the same spicy crumbles in our breakfast tacos: chorizo. Smoked and cured meats
put Toluca on the map during the colonial era, and today it’s the chorizo capital of the country. Mexicans put their own spin on the Spanish chorizo, swapping out the expensive paprika from Budapest for hotter homegrown chiles. Chains of the red pork sausages hang in every market in Toluca next to emerald-green ones: chorizo verde. Made with tomatillos, charred green chiles, and cilantro, it’s the local specialty.
Chorizo makers find a ready supply of fresh pork from the surrounding farmland, along with beef and poultry. Like Bandung, the land here is especially fertile because of its volcanic soils. Snow-dolloped peaks dominate the city’s southern skyline; the Nevado de Toluca volcano is just 15 miles
away. Sleeping for thousands of years now, it’s a hiker’s playground with wide-stretched views and two silky-blue lakes in its crater. Pre-Hispanic offerings found in the volcano testify to its sacred status for indigenous peoples. Standing on the cusp of the milewide caldera, you feel the same sense of awe that inspired the natives so long ago.
The volcano appeals to other species, too. Monarch butterflies spend every winter on its slopes after their 3,000-mile migration from North America, which passes right through Fort Worth in the fall. Every monarch that flutters through your yard is on an epic voyage south to our Sister City, Toluca. If only they could bring back some chorizo.
Budapest, Hungary
Hot springs bubble up across the riverside city of Budapest, which sits on the world’s largest reserve of thermal waters. Humans have soaked in these natural Jacuzzis since ancient times, but it was the Romans who brought Budapest into being as a fortified military base. Its location on the Danube River was perfect for protecting the empire’s northern border, just like the fledgling army outpost of Fort Worth guarded America’s western frontier 2,000 years later.
Budapest and Fort Worth both began life as a camp for soldiers — but now they’re home to a very different type of resident: the bulbous, ear-wiggling hippopotamus. Both cities’ zoos feature hippos as a major attraction, and in Budapest the animals enjoy a special treat: a heated swimming pool. Fed by one of the city’s 123 thermal springs, the hippo hot tub is an in-demand hangout all winter long.
Both cities also delight families with a children’s train. But in Budapest, the kids don’t just ride the train — they run it. The Children’s Railway was launched after World War II as a Soviet-inspired training ground for young communists. Although the U.S.S.R. is long gone, the retro locomotive still travels through the city’s hilly green woodlands. Kids between the ages of 10 to 14 perform all the duties (except driving), dispatching trains and even changing the switches. Tiny workers in blue uniforms sell tickets and salute the shiny red cars as they roll out of the station. This rail gang might be the only remnant of Soviet-style socialism that could be described as “cute.”
Soviets, Hapsburgs, Ottomans, Mongolians, Huns, Romans, Celts — each has left its mark on Budapest. So has a small red pepper from Mexico. Chile peppers arrived from the New World in the 16th century, and locals blended them into a new invention: paprika. Now a national Hungarian symbol, the scarlet-colored spice shows up regularly in Fort Worth as a go-to ingredient in dry rubs for Texas barbecue.
Nagaoka, Japan
Pink cherry blossoms drift down from the sky in Nagaoka every spring. Tulips bloom in rainbow colors. Summertime brings blue rose ice cream and cable car rides with the kids. Sake breweries and watermelon fields abound. This coastal city is just 90 minutes from Tokyo on the bullet train, but it’s worlds away from where it was when the Sister Cities program began.
President Eisenhower launched the Sister Cities initiative in the 1950s to promote peace between different cultures. Born 100 miles north of Fort Worth in Denison, Texas, he served as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II — and he wanted to ensure such carnage never happened again.
Back on Dec. 7, 1941, Eisenhower was shaken awake from a nap with horrible news: Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor. The strike had been masterminded by Admiral Yamamoto, a native son of Nagaoka. As America plunged into a devastating war, military manufacturing swung into high gear. A massive aircraft production plant opened in Fort Worth and started churning out bombers, employing one in five residents. One-third of the workers were women.
Beginning at 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 1, 1945, American bombers obliterated 80% of Yamamoto’s
hometown, including its national chemical lab. While the Allies had dropped leaflets warning residents about the pending air raids, almost 1,500 people were killed.
Recovery took decades, but the city is no longer known for its rubble — it’s famous for its fireworks. At the annual Nagaoka Festival, pyrotechnics paint enormous waterfalls, volcanos, and chrysanthemums in the sky above the Shinano River. The blazing display stretches for more than a mile. Folk dancers parade to the riverbank, where hundreds of glowing lanterns float on the tranquil water. The festival was established in 1946 as a prayer for peace and healing for the battered city. It starts every year on Aug. 1 precisely at 10:30 p.m.
Eisenhower and Yamamoto might never have imagined that their countries, such ferocious enemies, would become the closest of allies in just a matter of decades. The animosity between them seemed too great to overcome, the differences too vast. But the relationship between Fort Worth and Nagaoka is proof that even when divisions seem insurmountable, peace can prevail. No matter what we eat or drink or wear, no matter what we believe, our Sister Cities remind us that we are all one human family.
Mbabane, Eswatini
First came the cattle. Then the railroad arrived, followed by investments and a growth spurt. Fort Worth and Mbabane (em-buh-BAA-ney) share a similar coming-up story. But only one is surrounded by rhinos, lions, and elephants. Hippos aren’t in a zoo here — they’re wallowing in the watering holes and walking down the side of the road. Zebras and giraffes pop out of the bush like magical creatures, your childhood dreams come to life.
If the nation of Eswatini doesn’t ring a bell, you’re not alone. The king changed its name from Swaziland (a colonial term) in 2018. Not many rulers can up and rename their country whenever they feel like it, but King Mswati III can — he’s one of the only absolute monarchs left in the world. His landlocked kingdom in southern Africa is smaller than New Jersey, but big in cultural capital. It’s renowned across the continent for its spectacular traditional festivals, living rituals that have hardly changed in the past two centuries (if you don’t count all the mobile phones).
Most famous is the king’s controversial courting ritual, the Umhlanga. Also called the Reed Dance or the Dance of 100,000 Virgins, it’s one of the largest events in all of Africa. Tens of thousands of unmarried women and girls converge on Mbabane to present themselves at the royal kraal (the Afrikaans word for corral). They dance in brightly colored sashes and short skirts, beaded necklaces, and feather headpieces. Rattles made of cocoons shake on their ankles as they stomp, sing, chant, and create a kaleidoscopic cacophony. Drumbeats and whistle squeals pierce the air. Warriors adorned with cow tails stand guard. With bush knives in hand, the bare-breasted maidens parade before the king, who customarily chooses a new wife from the throng.
But King Mswati III hasn’t indulged in this royal privilege since 2013; perhaps the 53-year-old monarch already has his hands full with 15 wives and 35 children. But that’s a far cry from his father’s brood, which included more than 600 offspring from 125 wives over the course of his eight-decade reign.
Trier, Germany
A mighty stone gate hulks over the heart of Trier: the Porta Nigra, an ominous Roman relic darkened by the patina of 2,000 years. It’s a stark contrast to the undeniable lebensfreude (zest for life) in Germany’s oldest city, a lightness of being that filters through the flowers and fruit stands in the marketplace. Locals clink glasses of crisp Riesling wine between bites of tender roasted pork. Half-timber buildings ooze medieval charm and water dances in Renaissance fountains. A youthful energy hums alongside the Moselle River as it ambles through the ancient town.
Like Nîmes in France, Trier is the grandest treasure trove of Roman ruins in its country. The glamorous metropolis served as the empire’s northern capital for 400 years and was second only to Rome. Military manufacturing fueled its economy; the city provided Roman troops with ballistae (missile launchers) made in large factories — the Lockheed Martins of their day.
Trier’s sophisticated citizens soaked in elaborate public baths that covered an area larger than four football fields.
Gladiators brawled with tigers in a gigantic amphitheater. You can walk through the baths, the arena, and the Porta Nigra gate today — and you can feel the Romans’ incredible influence radiating through history.
But one relic evokes an even greater impact: Trier’s 10-story basilica. The church is the largest Roman building outside Rome, but its size pales in comparison to its story — a story that changed the world. It was commissioned by the Roman emperor Constantine, who became “the Great” in Trier. He ended the persecution of Christians, converted to the faith, and established Christianity as the official religion of the empire. And he did it all right here in Trier, one of the wellsprings of Christianity. The basilica stands testament to a movement that continues to shape people’s lives in Fort Worth and far beyond, a light that still burns long after the Roman Empire has crumbled into the darkness of memory.
Guiyang, China
With 5 million inhabitants, Guiyang is more populous than every American city except New York — but it’s just the 30th largest in China. Like Fort Worth, it’s known for being unpretentious and more affordable than its fancy-pants neighbors like Hong Kong. Thick forests of fir trees, pine, and bamboo surround the metropolis, a scenic summer destination for many Chinese. Pagodas perch on the city’s hilltops, and wild monkeys frolic in its parks. Home to 18 different ethnic groups, the region is a hotspot for festivals that celebrate everything from buffalo
fighting to dragon boats.
Guiyang is also notorious for its numbingly spicy, strongly flavored cuisine. Adventurous eaters will find new dishes to try every day of the week. Start with Guiyang’s celebrated Changwang noodles: spicy egg noodles with pig intestines and coagulated pig’s blood. Most locals eat it for breakfast every morning.
Not your cup of tea? The Fort Worth palate might prefer bean hotpot, another Guiyang specialty that’s available in highclass restaurants and holes-in-the wall alike. It’s a full-bodied broth made with pinto
beans, bacon, and onions that you cook right at the table, adding a variety of vegetables and seasonings as you so desire.
After supper, young people head to Drinking Street to play cards and sip small glasses of Moutai, a fermented sorghum spirit. Older folks meet in parks for a little outdoor recreation. They spin tops with whips and play mahjong, a game that’s 3,000 years old. If your top-whipping skills aren’t up to par, you can join in another popular Guiyang pastime: square dancing.
Moving the Needle
The end was in sight. After almost a year of quarantining, masking, and hand sanitizing, a couple of vaccines with excellent success rates had made their way to clinics and pharmacies across the country. All we were told to do was get the shot (or a couple), and COVID-19 would become a thing of the past — a small chapter in our history books that would create a blueprint for future health crises. But then, Fort Worthians didn’t get vaccinated.
BY BRIAN KENDALL AND SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
At the time of the 90-minute interview, Betsy Price was winding down her decade-long tenure as mayor of Fort Worth. Though things were looking up after the COVID-19 vaccine became available to all adults in Texas, for the past year, she had dealt with the hardships of being in a leadership role during a pandemic for which there was no playbook. So, there’s little doubt she saw the question coming and knew how she wanted to answer it.
“Get the damn shot,” she grumbled in response to our asking what she would say to those who are resistant to the COVID-19 vaccine.
And that was it. There were no platitudes about choice or liberty or lectures about mandates. Price kept it a simple, if curt, request.
Six months after the interview — and nine months after the first vaccine was administered in the U.S. — less than half of Fort Worthians are fully vaccinated; a new variant has swept through the nation; and the risk level for Tarrant County is classified as severe, with 94 new COVID-19 cases being reported per day.
Of the 20 most populous counties in the U.S., Tarrant County ranks 18th in vaccination rate, ahead of only Maricopa County (Phoenix) and San Bernardino County in California, whose landmass is 22 times that of Tarrant County.
According to statistics from the Texas Department of State Health Services, Fort Worth’s vaccination rate falls below both the state and national averages, and the city ranks last among the six
most populous cities in Texas (Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, El Paso). This, despite being well-resourced and having the lowest poverty rate of the six aforementioned cities.
Right now, if you want the vaccine, you can get it. What once required appointments weeks in advance now only necessitates one be willing to take a prick in the arm — walk-in vaccination sites are abundant throughout the city. Time and accessibility are no longer excuses. The only reason for one to have not gotten the vaccine is because he or she does not want to receive it.
It’s safe to say that many, if not most, Fort Worthians did not heed Price’s plea to get vaccinated.
According to experts, there are six main reasons people are willfully not getting the vaccine. These include a perception that COVID-19 is not a threat or is overblown, concerns over vaccine side effects, a lack of trust in the vaccines, a lack of trust in institutions, acceptance of one of the myriad of vaccine conspiracy theories that regularly make the rounds on social media, or a belief in holistic approaches that do not include vaccinations.
(Editor’s note: While acknowledging a lack of trust in government entities as a major reason for vaccine hesitancy, we can only use data provided by both the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Center for Disease Control and will not use or repeat anecdotal evidence, as these cannot be verified. As an aside, according to Dr. Nicholas Rister of Cook Children’s Medical Center and Dr. Robert Rogers of Fort Worth Allergy and Asthma, all reported COVID-19 cases within their care have been tested and confirmed to have the disease. No numbers have been inflated.)
Regarding anxieties over the COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC has continually released data showcasing the vaccine’s safety and efficacy — even during the wave of a new variant. According to data, the vaccines remain 80% effective against the delta variant and hold a 95% effectiveness against hospitalizations, meaning even if a vaccinated person were to contract COVID-19, the likelihood that he or she would get sick enough to go the hospital is greatly reduced. According to data
released by the Texas Department of State Health Services, only 0.2% of statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations are vaccinated.
On Aug. 23, the FDA approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Comirnaty, meaning enough data demonstrated the vaccine was safe and effective on most of the people who received it — a big step toward allaying concerns over the vaccine’s safety.
Yet, despite statistics, approval, and pleading from acronym-labeled agencies, many continue to avoid the shot.
The Skeptic Rachel Neill is a 43-yearold mother of five who doesn’t consider herself a radical anti-vaxxer — nor does she believe the COVID-19 pandemic is just one big hoax.
Rather, she’s a skeptic of medicine as a whole, especially after doctors gave her the runaround trying to diagnose her current condition.
Neill, as a result of Lyme disease, has mast cell activation syndrome, a condition that makes her more prone to allergic reactions. For a while, she says, her condition remained a mystery as she sought help from doctor after doctor, not finding answers until she got bloodwork done at Abundant Life Wellness Center, a holistic health practice in North Fort Worth. There, she finally got her diagnosis, and ever since has chosen to forgo a traditional practitioner for a naturopath, favoring alternative medicine over more mainstream treatments.
“I’m kind of a skeptic on medicine in general because of how it treated me with my own health conditions,” she says. “That journey prior to COVID — I had many doctors tell me things that were very wrong. Just because someone is an MD or is affiliated in the medical field ... that doesn’t necessarily mean anything to me after my experience.”
Neill is a 25-year resident of Fort Worth — a wife and stay-at-home mom who also spends much of her time caring for livestock on her family’s ranch in Springtown. Her daughter is a barrel racer. When the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold in March 2020, Neill found herself in a similar position as many
Americans as she took in the bevy of ever-changing data and protocols.
“My initial reaction was wanting information and not feeling like we were getting clear information anywhere,” she says.
This year, with vaccines approved and readily available, Neill says she and her husband are finding their opinions on opposite ends. Her husband is vaccinated; she is not. And after seeing how COVID-19 information developed over time in 2020, Neill says she’d rather wait and observe how the vaccine affects people in the long run.
“Can we really even believe the information we’re given at that point?” she says. “I feel like, right now, as a person living in America, I’d be cautious of any information I’m given. Read it, think about it for myself, ask myself what makes sense — I can’t take everything at face value right now.”
Neill says she tends to stay away from the news and social media, instead getting her information from articles written by private doctors, listening to podcasts, or speaking with other medical professionals. For Neill, acceptance of information depends on the source.
or other substances or when she finds herself in a large crowd.
“It’s been said recently that whatever position you want to take on the pandemic, you can find something to support it, and that’s kind of true,” she says. “When I read articles, I think it’s really important to take into account who wrote the article, what their credentials are, and who might be backing that person — that puts a slant on what they might tell you or not tell you.”
So far, no one in her immediate family has had COVID, Neill says. Due to her medical condition, she has no problem wearing masks, saying she often chooses to mask up in certain environments where she’ll be exposed to more dust
She does face questions, however, from other family members who are critical of her decision to skip the shot. One person in her family has told her that she couldn’t come to their home unless she got vaccinated.
But Neill says she doesn’t blame them. “I feel justified in the choice that I’ve made because I’ve educated myself. Because somebody feels different, I understand that position, but it doesn’t change mine,” she says.
What she fears is the possibility of certain rights or resources being denied to the unvaccinated.
“I’m worried that it’s going to become harder for those of us who are not getting the vaccine, whether it’s for a legitimate
reason or whether that’s just what we choose as what’s best for our own health,” she says. “I am concerned about where that may go in the coming months or what opportunities we may be denied.”
At the end of the day, Neill says she’s “not here to push my agenda on other people.” Her intentions are just like most everyone else — to make the right decision for the health of both herself and her family.
“My stance is that people should be able to choose, and no one should be shamed for their choice,” she says, “because we all don’t know everyone’s backstory.”
Religion, Politics, and Mandates During a Zoom call, we asked Dr. Robert Rogers, an allergist and active member of the Tarrant County Medical Society and North Texas Medical Society Coalition, point blank if the city was doing enough to promote people getting vaccinated.
“I would be happier to see the elected leaders in Tarrant County be more vocal about encouraging people to get vaccinated and also to encourage people to wear masks and to improve ventilation in school buildings — the things that we know would reduce transmission,” Rogers says. “I would like to see them be more forceful.”
Rogers believes that our opinions on vaccinations, masks, and returning to schools and crowded offices, for the most part, depend on one factor: What team do you support?
Ultimately, it’s groups of people or “teams” that greatly influence one’s vaccination status. Rogers uses evangelical Christianity as an example of a “team” — the metroplex has the largest percentage of evangelical Christians
Rachel Neill
among the nation’s most populated urban areas. According to Rogers, and backed by statistics from the Public Religion Research Institute, evangelical Christians are more resistant to getting the vaccine than all other major religious groups.
“Meanwhile, Hispanic Catholics have among the highest vaccination rates,” Rogers says. “So, religion can play a role in decision-making about whether you’re going to get a vaccine or not. What you’re hearing from your church or your friends at church or from the leaders at church, can have an influence on whether you’re going to be supportive or hesitant.
“Clearly, there’s a difference if you look at politics, too. People who voted for Biden are more likely to get vaccinated than people who voted for Trump. I mean, it’s just a really clear-cut indicator of a team influence.”
Chris Putnam, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives who challenged
politics,” Putnam says. “I mean, Tarrant County is still the largest urban, Republican area in the country. You compared us to the top 20 most populous counties, and I think we’re the largest that’s still Republican-led. And I think Republicans are generally more skeptical than Democrats. I think there’s a correlation there.”
While nuances exist, you can easily divide opinions on the available COVID-19 vaccines into three separate categories: those who are vaccinated, those who will never get vaccinated, and those who, while not admitting whether they’re vaccinated or not, are against vaccine mandates. Putnam clearly falls in the latter category.
“I’m in no way an anti-vaxxer. I’m a vaccine-choice person,” Putnam says. “We want consent. We all make our own personal private health decisions.
incumbent Kay Granger in the Republican primary in 2020 and will do so again in 2022, is a lifelong Tarrant County resident who graduated from TCU in 1992 and has since dabbled in entrepreneurism and politics. He’s become recognizable in recent months as a fervent advocate against mask and vaccine mandates — even going so far as to boast about his kids attending school without wearing masks on his Facebook page.
For the most part, despite being on different sides of the debate, the Congressional hopeful largely agrees with Rogers’ take that the division over vaccines is largely decided by one’s political affiliation.
“I think there is a correlation to
“I think a big part of the problem with the COVID discussion is that it has become so politicized. But, look, both sides are guilty. Now, I have my own personal perspective on what has happened; our government has gotten bigger. I absolutely believe that our bureaucracies have become more politicized and more self-serving. And the CDC, from my point of view, absolutely falls in that category.”
Putnam refuses to answer whether he’s received the vaccine, saying it’s a private matter and a personal choice. Yet, he admits during our conversation that vaccines might help — while simultaneously stating people have a right to be skeptical. Putnam’s Facebook page, a social media platform he remains very active on, contains numerous posts promoting anti-mask and anti-vaccine mandates. While mandates are one thing, one could easily argue promotion of people making the informed decision to get the vaccine is another. Yet, no post urging people to get vaccinated, or
PHOTOS BY DARAH HUBBARD
Dr. Robert Rogers
promoting its efficacy, exists on his feed.
“I’m not in any position to personally advocate for people to get vaccinated,” Putnam says. “I believe in the idea of informed consent, and I believe we have personal freedom. And forcing medicine into your body is, again, a bridge too far.
“I have absolutely no problem with the government or employers recommending vaccinations, zero. I do have a problem with persecuting people that choose not to vaccinate.”
There has long been a strong individualist, “Don’t Tread on Me,” libertarian-type credo in the U.S., and, more specifically, Texas — and, even more specifically, Fort Worth. It’s a get-offmy-property, stay-out-of-my-business, leave-my-finances-alone, and, more relevantly, allow-me-to-make-my-ownhealth-choices attitude that places the importance of individual freedoms over things like public health and safety. Rogers, conversely, believes we give up our individual freedoms daily to ensure public safety; but such infringements have become so engrained as obvious and common-sense laws that we don’t question them. Rogers draws a correlation between these simple rules and mandating the vaccine.
“I mean, I have to stop at a red light,” Rogers says. “You all stop at red lights. I actually want to live in a society where everybody stops at red lights because I don’t want to have to take the chance of going through an intersection and have people decide that they don’t need to stop at a red light, and they T-bone me. That’s just not a society in which I want to live.
“I know [stopping at red lights] is not physically the same as getting something in your body, but the whole purpose of that is to keep one person from harming or killing another person. It’s to protect us. If enough people choose not to get vaccinated, the virus will continue to exist, and it keeps mutating, and it will mutate eventually to a strain that evades the vaccination, and we return to square one.”
Who Are Your Sources?
The vaccines and the potential for a nationwide mandate — President Joe Biden has already unleashed a partial mandate that will
require millions more Americans to get vaccinated — has become a rallying cry for both holistic solutions and personal freedoms and liberties.
Yet, in the age of constant news streams, blogs, and “journalism” that fits specific narratives and written from the perspective of opinion rather than legitimate sources, the information we receive is vastly different and completely dependent upon the “teams” we belong to, as Rogers spoke to earlier.
“There’s an abundance of information available about the vaccine, and unfortunately, all that information isn’t equally good quality,” Rogers says. “If your inclination is to be pro-vaccine and pro masking, you’ll find Facebook groups and Twitter feeds that will reinforce what you think should be done. And, conversely, if you’re thinking this is all kind of made up and the risk of COVID is small or the vaccines are dangerous, you’re going to easily find information to support that bias.”
Ultimately, like much political discourse in the era of everyone’s-ajournalist, vaccines versus anti-vaccines versus anti-mandate becomes a fruitless conversation. Those who don’t trust
the government and its statistics will ignore the only legitimate non-anecdotal evidence we have that shows vaccines are safe and effective. So, throwing data someone’s way will consistently be met with a stern, “I don’t believe that.”
Conversely, the other side will ceaselessly be disregarded for shady sources. It becomes an endless circle of “government said, Facebook post said.”
According to medical professionals, vaccines, for their part, have done a lot of good. Medical doctors like Rogers argue smallpox, measles, mumps, polio, tuberculosis (the list goes on) are all a thing of the past thanks to advancements in science and inoculations.
“Vaccinations have been responsible for more lives saved than any other intervention we have in medicine,” Rogers says. “So, I mean, they’re incredibly, extraordinarily beneficial, but you still have people that are worried about them.”
The worry, detractors argue, is wellfounded and no one should encroach on someone’s right to not get vaccinated. But could this worry cause an indefinite pandemic? We’ll have to wait and see.
Chris Putnam
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
Detecting Breast Cancer –From Vigilance to Suspicion to Confirmation
By Jennifer Hecht, D.O., FACOS Texas Breast Specialists–Granbury & Southwest Fort Worth
A cornerstone of health consciousness for adult women includes being on the lookout for breast cancer. There’s plenty of evidence that this eternal vigilance is worth it. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, women who receive regular mammograms are more likely to detect cancer early, require less aggressive treatment, and have better outcomes.
The path from routine screening to suspected cancer to confirmed diagnosis usually is the shorter part of a longer cancer journey. But better understanding of these preliminary steps can help set you on the right course for a successful cancer fight.
For more than 30 years, research has shown a steady decline in mortality rates due to a combination of early detection and improvements in treatment. Early detection is key to increasing the possibility that cancer could be found at an early stage when treatment is most likely to produce a cure.
Screening, testing methods, and technologies continue to advance and include 3D mammograms, which are currently available in some areas, and new blood tests that are in development. These innovations and all screening options are intended to work in combination with this essential, albeit decidedly low-tech recommendation: Discuss with your doctor your individual risk factors, such as age, menopausal status, and family history.
Self-Exams
Women are encouraged to perform a breast self-exam every month, because with regular examination they have a greater chance of finding a lump early in its development. Women should check their breasts for lumps or unusual changes in feeling, appearance, or discharge. Pay attention to how your breasts normally look and feel, and immediately report any changes to a physician.
Conducting regular self-exams is important in detection, but it has limitations in detecting early-stage breast cancer when symptoms do not always appear. That’s why physicians recommend additional screenings.
Screenings
Screenings can find cancer cells before symptoms are present. Preventative, proactive screenings, such as mammograms, clinical breast exams, and MRI, are the most effective methods for early detection.
Mammograms, which use low-dose X-ray images to identify potentially cancerous breast changes, are the most common screening method.
Mammograms identify any abnormal areas in the breast, such as calcifications (white spots) and masses (tumors) that can only be detected from screenings.
Women should receive clinical breast exams at regular intervals depending on age. Physicians may recommend an MRI for some women. Women should understand their risk as some women with a family history of breast cancer are known to be of higher risk should start screening early and can take other preventative measures.
Confirmation and Identification
If a suspicious area is found, additional tests can confirm if the area is benign or cancerous. Also, breast surgeons often perform procedures to collect tissue to determine if it is cancerous and identify the tumor characteristics.
Tests on tissues from the tumor help in determining staging and identifying tumor markers. Tumor markers provide valuable insights to a patient’s care team, such as how aggressive a cancer is, most appropriate treatments, and whether a tumor is responding to treatment.
If a tumor is cancerous, breast surgeons consult with patients and their care teams about the best course of treatment for the individual patient. More surgical options and techniques are now available to help patients make a very personal decision that is right for them.
Ultimately, patients are their bodies’ best advocates, and it is important for women to actively take control of their health with regular preventative checks for breast cancer. Early detection is important, but with the myriad of treatment options available and more promising treatments on the horizon, we offer women even greater hope for successful outcomes.
Jennifer Hecht, D.O., FACOS, is a breast surgeon at Texas Breast Specialists–Granbury, 1310B Paluxy Road, Suite 2000, in Granbury, TX and Texas Breast Specialists–Southwest Fort Worth, 6500 Harris Pkwy., in Fort Worth, TX. For more information on resources and recommendations on screening and early detection, visit TexasBreastSpecialists.com.
Medical Guide
A guide to Tarrant County area hospitals, diagnostics, cancer and rehab centers.
HOSPITALS
JPS Oncology and Infusion Center 1450 Eighth Ave. Fort Worth 76104
The JPS Oncology and Infusion Center provides medical oncology/hematology, including chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, clinical research, pain palliation, hospice care and radiation therapy for Tarrant County residents.
Texas Breast Specialists-Arlington
906 W. Randol Mill Road, Ste. 150 Arlington 76012
817.664.9600
1 physician
Texas Breast Specialists-Bedford 1609 Hospital Parkway Bedford 76022
817.662.0008
1 physician
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth Klabzuba Cancer Center
1300 W. Terrell St. Fort Worth 76104
817.820.4848
texashealth.org
The Klabzuba Cancer Center is recognized by the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons as an approved comprehensive community cancer program, ranking it among the best
cancer treatment facilities in the country. It offers a full range of prevention, screening, diagnostic, treatment, survivorship, and palliative care services.
Texas Health HEB Cancer Services 1600 Hospital Parkway Bedford 76022
817.848.4000
texashealth.org/locations/texas-health-heb
Texas Health offers comprehensive oncology care including diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and education.
Texas Oncology-Arlington Cancer Center North
906 W. Randol Mill Road, Ste. 200 Arlington 76012
817.664.9600
5 physicians
Texas Oncology-Arlington South 515 W. Mayfield Road, Ste. 101 Arlington 76014
Texas Oncology is united with The US Oncology Network and participates with the largest network of clinical research trials nationally to provide high-quality care in communities throughout the state.
Texas Oncology-Southwest Fort Worth 6500 Harris Parkway Fort Worth 76132
Medical Guide
817.263.2600
3 physicians
Texas Oncology-Weatherford
911 Foster Lane Weatherford 76086
817.597.7900
3 physicians
Texas Urology Specialists-Mansfield
252 Matlock Road, Ste. 140 Mansfield 76063
214.948.3101
1 physician
The Center at Arlington 515 W. Mayfield Road, Ste. 102 Arlington 76014
817.759.7000
4 physicians
The Center at Arlington USMD
811 W. Interstate 20, Ste. G-14 Arlington 76017
817.759.7000
2 physicians
The Center at Burleson (Texas Health Resources Huguley Hospital Fort Worth South)
11805 S. Freeway, Ste. 201 Burleson 76028
817.759.7000
6 physicians
The Center at Fort Worth Southwest (THR Harris Methodist)
6100 Harris Parkway, Ste. 260 John Ryan Building Fort Worth 76132
817.759.7000
1 physician
The Center at Granbury Lake Granbury Medical Center
1308 E. Paluxy Road, Ste. 205 Granbury 76048
817.759.7000
1 physician
The Center at Mineral Wells
400 SW 25th Ave. Mineral Wells 76067
817.759.7000
2 physicians
The Center at Stephenville 150 River North Blvd. Stephenville 76401
817.759.7000
1 physician
The Center at Weatherford 920 Santa Fe Drive Weatherford 76086
817.759.7000
6 physicians
The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders - Central Campus 800 W. Magnolia Ave. Fort Worth 76104
817.759.7000
thecentertx.com | 12 physicians
The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders provides patients with services that include medical oncology, radiation oncology, cyberknife, hematology, and a wide array of patient support services.
USMD Breast Health Center is the only breast center in North Texas that can care for patients from diagnosis, to treatment, to recovery. USMD provides patients with integrative care consisting of physical, mental and spiritual elements, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, nutritional therapy, counseling and massage therapy.
USMD Urology offers a wide variety of urology services, including image-guided radiation therapy for prostate cancer.
UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Institute
400 W. Magnolia Ave. Fort Worth 76104
817.288.9800
moncrief.com | 1 full-time physician
Moncrief Cancer Institute, affiliated with UT, focuses on cancer prevention, survivorship, research and cutting-edge clinical trials. Its new facility features a fitness area free for all cancer survivors, genetic testing and risk assessment, psychological counseling, free nutrition classes, and breast screening for insured and uninsured women.
DIAGNOSTICS
Free Pregnancy Testing Center 1115 E. Pioneer Parkway, Ste. 143 Arlington 76010
817.460.1147
freepregtestcenter.com
Medical Center Arlington offers free pregnancy testing with no appointment necessary, free physician referrals, free Medicaid application assistance, as well as free childbirth education.
Touchstone Imaging Arlington 601 W. Arbrook Blvd. Arlington 76014
817.472.0801
Touchstone Imaging Burleson 665 NE Alsbury Blvd. Burleson 76028
817.447.3443
Touchstone Imaging Downtown Fort Worth Rosedale
1701 W. Rosedale St. Fort Worth 76104
817.922.7780
Touchstone Imaging Fossil Creek 5455 Basswood Blvd., Ste. 550 Fort Worth 76137
817.428.5002
Touchstone Imaging Grand Prairie 2740 N. State Highway 360, Ste. 200 Grand Prairie 75050 972.579.4480
6900 Harris Parkway, Ste. 100 Fort Worth 76132 817.294.1131
touchstoneimaging.com
Touchstone Medical Imaging LLC is a leading provider of diagnostic imaging services in the United States. Diagnostics include High Field 1.5T MRI, 3T MRI, Open MRI, CT, PET/CT, Ultrasound, Digital Mammography, Bone Density, Fluoroscopy and walk-in X-ray.
CANCER CENTERS
Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center — Fort Worth 1400 Eighth Ave. Fort Worth 76104
817.926.2544
bswhealth.com/locations/fort-worth
382 beds, 1,100 physicians
Baylor Fort Worth offers a comprehensive range of services including programs in cardiology,
transplantation, neurosciences, oncology and women’s services.
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center –Grapevine
1650 W. College St. Grapevine 76051
817.481.1588
bswhealth.com/locations/grapevine
302 beds, over 1,000 physicians
Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine is a full-service hospital offering advanced cardiovascular and women’s services, diagnostic imaging, orthopedics, spine, oncology, neurology, intensive and emergency care and a Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Verified as a Level II Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons.
Baylor Scott & White Surgical Hospital – Fort Worth
1800 Park Place Ave. Fort Worth 76110
682.703.5600
bshfw.com | 30 beds, 183 physicians
Baylor Surgical Hospital is an affiliate of United Surgical Partners International. Specialty areas include orthopedics, pain medicine, urology, general surgery, gynecology, ophthalmology, pediatric surgery, plastic surgery, podiatry, oral surgery and ear, nose and throat surgery.
Cook Children’s Medical Center
801 Seventh Ave.
Fort Worth 76104
682.885.4000
cookchildrens.org
444 beds, 454 physicians
Cook Children’s Health Care System is a not-for-profit, nationally recognized pediatric health care organization comprising eight entities — a Medical Center, Physician Network, Home Health company, Northeast Hospital, Pediatric Surgery Center, Health Plan, Health Services Inc. and Health Foundation.
JPS Health Network
1500 S. Main St.
Fort Worth 76104
817.702.1100
jpshealthnet.org
578 beds, 274 physicians / 220 advanced practice providers
A highly regarded teaching hospital, JPS is home to 10 residency programs and is the only Level I Trauma Center in Tarrant County and the only Psychiatric Emergency Center in the county.
Kindred Hospital Tarrant County - Fort Worth Southwest
7800 Oakmont Blvd.
Fort Worth 76132
817.346.0094
kindredhealthcare.com
92 beds, 100-plus physicians
Kindred Hospital is a long-term acute care hospital that specializes in the treatment and rehabilitation of medically complex patients who require an extended stay in a hospital setting. Kindred offers a wide variety of OP services such as wound care, hyperbaric, infusion, endoscopic procedures, permacath placement, pulmonary rehab, CT and radiologic exams.
LifeCare Hospital of Fort Worth
6201 Overton Ridge Blvd. Fort Worth 76132
817.222.8300
lifecare-health.com
45 beds, 217 physicians
LifeCare specializes in the treatment of medically complex patients who require extended hospitalization. Treats issues such as ventilator dependence/repiratory failure, chronic wounds, cardiovascular-related disorders, brain/spinal cord injuries, and complicated fractures.
Medical City Arlington
3301 Matlock Road Arlington 76015
682.509.6200
medicalcityarlington.com
433 beds, 1,154 physicians
Medical Center Arlington is Arlington’s first certified Chest Pain Center, Tarrant County’s first designated Primary Stroke
Medical Guide
Center, Arlington’s only trauma designated hospital (Level II), Primary Cancer Center certified, and the official hospital of the Texas Rangers.
Medical City Fort Worth 900 Eighth Ave. Fort Worth 76104 817.336.2100
medicalcityfortworth.com
348 beds, 1,060 physicians
Medical City Fort Worth is a teaching and research hospital with five graduate medical education programs. The hospital has recieved accomodations in patient safety, vascular surgery, and spine surgery, among other fields. Medical City Fort Worth is also a Level I Comprehensive Stroke Center.
Medical City North Hills 4401 Booth Calloway Road North Richland Hills 76180 817.255.1000
medicalcitynorthhills.com
164 beds, 880 physicians
North Hills Hospital is an acute-care hospital, a Level III Trauma Center, and the first hospital in the US to have a Cycle Chest Pain Center. The hospital specializes in cardiac care and total joint replacement.
Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
2700 E. Broad St. Mansfield 76063
682.242.2000
methodisthealthsystem.org/mansfield
262 beds, 318 physicians
Methodist Mansfield Medical Center is a modern acute-care hospital that has served the community since 2006 and is among the top performers nationwide in both patient satisfaction and quality care.
Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital
800 W. Randol Mill Road Arlington 76012 817.960.6100
texashealth.org/arlington
369 beds, 739 physicians
Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital
is a full-service medical center, a Cycle III Chest Pain Center, a Primary Stroke Center, and is certified by the Texas Department of State Health Services as a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance
10864 Texas Health Trail Fort Worth 76244
682.212.2000
texashealth.org/alliance
151 beds, 433 physicians
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance offers services like acute care, women’s health, emergency care, and heart and vascular care to communities in North Fort Worth, Keller, North Richland Hills, Haslet and the surrounding areas.
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle
108 Denver Trail Azle 76020
817.444.8600
texashealth.org/azle
36 beds, 298 physicians
Texas Health Harris Methodist Azle is a community-based hospital with 24-hour emergency services, diagnostic imaging, endoscopy services, and after-hours urgent care.
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne
201 Walls Drive
Cleburne 76031
817.641.2551
texashealth.org/cleburne
137 beds, 253 physicians
Serving Johnson County, Texas Health Cleburne is an accredited Level IV Trauma Center and in 2019 won a TMF Hospital Quality Improvement Silver Award.
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth
1301 Pennsylvania Ave. Fort Worth 76104
817.250.2000
texashealth.org/fortworth
707 beds, 1,444 physicians
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth is a Magnet-designated hospital and is Tarrant County’s largest hospital and regional referral center.
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville
411 N. Belknap St. Stephenville 76401
254.965.1500
texashealth.org/stephenville
98 beds, 183 physicians
Texas Health Stephenville has received national accreditation as a Level IV Trauma Center and a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, and offers a cardiovascular rehabilitation program.
Texas Health Heart and Vascular Hospital Arlington 811 Wright St. Arlington 76012
817.960.3500
texashealthheartandvascular.org
47 beds, 402 physicians
Texas Health Heart and Vascular Hospital Arlington is a joint venture by Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital and participating physicians on the campus of Texas Health Arlington Memorial. The hospital is a Cycle III Chest Pain Center.
Texas Health HEB 1600 Hospital Parkway Bedford 76022
817.848.4000
texashealth.org/heb
322 beds, 683 physicians
Texas Health HEB offers a Level III Trauma Center, a Cycle IV Chest Pain Center and Heart Failure Center, and has been certified as a Primary Stroke Center and designated as a “Baby Friendly” facility by WHO and UNICEF.
Texas Health Huguley Hospital Fort Worth South 11801 S. Freeway Fort Worth 76028
817.293.9110
for Patients with Kidney Disease
Dallas Nephrology Associates (DNA) and DNA Fort Worth Kidney Centers have been trusted sources of information and top-quality kidney care in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since 1971. DNA provides care for patients with kidney disease, hypertension, kidney transplants and complicated electrolyte disorders. As one of the largest teams of kidney specialists in the United States, we are focused on providing patients and referring physicians with expert care and evaluation of kidney disorders.
Our physicians continue to take the lead in fighting chronic kidney disease, diabetes and hypertension through leadership roles in education and research.
FORT WORTH OFFICE LOCATIONS:
•Crowley
•Fort Worth
•Keller
•Weatherford
RESEARCH:
•Renal Disease Research Institute
TRANSPLANT:
•Dallas Transplant Institute
•Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center - Fort Worth
•Baylor University Medical Center Dallas
•Medical City Dallas Healthcare
•Methodist Dallas Medical Center
VASCULAR ACCESS CENTERS:
•Vascular Center Dallas
•Vascular Center Plano
Bipin R. Bista, MD
Bernard V. Fischbach, MD, CCRP
Teresa McLemore, PA-C, FNKF
Angelito F. Yango, Jr., MD
Ali Clark, APRN, FNP-C
Asa Deep Koganti, MD
Daniel S. Richey, DO
Michelle DiNubila, RN, ACNP-BC
Shana M. Machado, DO
Mariana Yager, MD
Dr. Faryal Niazi, MD
Medical Guide
texashealthhuguley.org
168 beds, 495 physicians
Operated as a joint venture of Texas Health Resources and AdventHealth, Texas Health
Huguley is an acute-care hospital with two operating rooms specially designed for open-heart surgery, a clinical labratory, and wound care services.
Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth 6100 Harris Parkway Fort Worth 76132
817.433.5000
texashealth.org/southwestfw
261 beds, 656 physicians
Texas Health Harris Methodist Southwest Fort Worth serves Fort Worth, Benbrook, Aledo, and Crowley with a range of comprehensive services including 24hour emergency service, surgical and imaging services, orthopedics and sports therapy, a Level IIA neonatal ICU, adult critical care, obstetrics and gynecology, cardiovascular services.
USMD Hospital at Arlington
801 W. I-20 Arlington 76017
817.472.3400
usmdarlington.com
34 beds, 418 physicians
USMD Hospital at Arlington is equipped with robotic technology for minimally invasive procedures, nine operating rooms, and two procedural rooms, enabling treatment for many types of cases.
UT Southwestern Monty and Tex Moncrief Medical Center at Fort Worth 600 South Main St. Fort Worth 76104
817.882.2400
utswmed.org
UT Southwestern Monty and Tex Moncrief Medical Center at Fort Worth focuses on outpatient care and offers consultations in areas such as dermatology, endocrinology, opthamology, and urology.
WellBridge Healthcare
6200 Overton Ridge Blvd.
Fort Worth 76132
817.361.1991
wellbridgefortworth.com | 48 beds
WellBridge provides mental health and substance abuse inpatient and outpatient treatment programs for adults and seniors, including treatment for depression, anxiety, biploar disorder, and PTSD.
REHABILITATION CENTERS
Arise Recovery Centers
6115 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 220 Fort Worth 76116
877.738.6350
ariserecoverycenters.com
Arise Recovery Centers offers outpatient drug rehabilitation, alcohol treatment services, and therapy.
Clearfork Academy
7820 Hanger Cut Off Road
Fort Worth 76135
844.387.8780
clearforkacademy.com
Clearfork Academy is a Christ-centered residential treatment program for adolescent boys between the ages of 13 and 18 years old who struggle with substance abuse or addiction and the accompanying mental health and behavioral issues.
Cityview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
5801 Bryant Irvin Road Fort Worth 76132
817.346.3030
regencyhealthcare.com/locations/cityview Cityview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center offers services including in-house physical, occupational, and speech therapists; stroke care; cardiac care; wound care, IV therapy, orthopedic care, diabetic care and management; among others.
Emerald Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center
5600 Davis Blvd.
North Richland Hills 76180
817.503.4700
emeraldhillsrehabhcc.com
Emerald Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center offers physical, occupational and speech rehabilitation in a patient-centric approach.
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Arlington 3200 Matlock Road
Arlington 76015
817.468.4000
encompasshealth.com/arlingtonrehab
Encompass Health offers various rehabilitation services for amputations, brain injuries, stroke, trauma and other conditions.
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Cityview 6701 Oakmont Blvd. Fort Worth 76132
817.370.4700
encompasshealth.com/fortworthrehab
The hospital provides inpatient rehabilitation for stroke, Parkinson’s disease, amputation, brain injury, and other complex neurological and orthopedic conditions.
Fort Worth Carter Rehab 1400 Eighth Ave. Fort Worth 76104
817.922.7105
bswrehab.com
Fort Worth Carter Rehabilitation is located on the campus of Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth.
Including physical, occupational, and speech therapists, the center specializes in orthopedic and neurological therapy.
Fort Worth Transitional Care Center
850 12th Ave.
Fort Worth 76104
817.882.8289
regencyhealthcare.com/ locations/fort-worth
The Fort Worth Transitional Care Center offers various services including inhouse physical, occupational, and speech therapists; post-surgical care; wound care; IV therapy; and orthopedic care.
Nationally ranked cancer care.
Breast care clinic now open in Fort Worth.
UT Southwestern’s Simmons Cancer Center now provides
comprehensive, patient-focused breast care at its Moncrief Cancer Institute location in Fort Worth.
Offering the most advanced technologies and techniques for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment,
UT Southwestern’s cancer care is nationally recognized.
Patients benefit from a multidisciplinary team of breast cancer specialists, along with the convenience of infusion rooms, imaging, and support services.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 817-288-9788 or visit utswmed.org/breastcancerfw.
Medical Guide
Southwest Nursing & Rehabilitation
5300 Altamesa Blvd. Fort Worth 76133
817.346.1800
southwestnursingcenter.com
Southwest Nursing & Rehab Center specializes in individualized treatment programs with a team of occupational therapists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists and speech language pathologists.
Sports Rehab Specialists 1901 Cooper St. Fort Worth 76104
817.877.8977
sportsrehabspecialists.net
Sports Rehab Specialists is a privately owned outpatient physical therapy clinic. Programs and services include general orthopedic and post-surgical rehab, spine stabilization, manual therapy, return-towork programs, custom shoe orthotics, sport-specific rehab, dry needling, and massage therapy.
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance
10864 Texas Health Trail, Ste. 110 Fort Worth 76244
682.212.5000
texashealth.org/en/locations/texas-healthalliance
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance’s therapy center offers rehabilitation programs for the back and spine, balance, cardiology, and sports medicine.
Texas Health Harris Methodist
Hospital Fort Worth 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. Fort Worth 76104
The Therapy Services Center at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth offers various treatment programs and facilities equipped with a heated indoor pool and advanced therapy equipment.
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford Cardiac Rehabilitation
A team of physical and occupational therapists and speech pathologists provide patients comprehensive therapy. Services include sports medicine and orthopedic services, occupational and physical therapy, speech therapy, sports rehab, certified hand therapy and vestibular and balance therapy.
Texas Health HEB Pulmonary Rehabilitation
1600 Hospital Parkway Bedford 76022
817.848.5600
texashealth.org/en/health-and-wellness/ heart-and-vascular/pulmonaryrehabilitation Programs center on education and progressive exercise designed to help those who have chronic lung disease to return to an active and enjoyable lifestyle.
Texas Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Burleson
2750 SW Wilshire Blvd. Burleson 76028
817.782.8000
texashealth.org/locations/texas-healthburleson
The Burleson, Joshua, and Crowley communities are served by this
53,000-square-foot-facility offering everything from aquatic therapy to orthopedic rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation, and balance rehabilitation.
Texas Rehabilitation Hospital of Arlington
900 W. Arbrook Blvd. Arlington 76015
682.304.6000
texasrehabarlington.com | 40 beds
Texas Rehabilitation Hospital of Arlington is an acute rehabilitation hospital that helps patients through physical, occupational, and speech therapies.
Texas Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Worth 425 Alabama Ave. Fort Worth 76104
817.820.3400
texasrehabhospital.com | 66 beds
Texas Rehabilitation is designed for patients recovering from major illnesses, traumas or surgeries. It offers a CARF Accredited Stroke Program and Traumatic Brain Injury Program along with a Joint Commission Certified Inpatient Diabetes Management Program.
Treating Breast Cancer While Protecting the Heart
Texas Center for Proton Therapy is at the forefront of radiation therapy that reduces cardiac risks
IN BREAST CANCER TREATMENT, radiation oncologists increasingly aim to protect the heart from unnecessary radiation, and Dallas/Ft. Worth-based Texas Center for Proton Therapy finds its high-end technology well positioned for the trend.
The move toward avoiding exposing cardiac tissue to radiation is an evolution in care that can make a significant difference in women’s heart health later in life, explains Jared Sturgeon, M.D., Ph.D., a radiation oncologist at Texas Center for Proton Therapy. “Excess radiation can damage several critical areas of the heart, which can lead to a higher risk of coronary artery disease, including myocardial infarction and heart failure,” he says.
With the most advanced proton therapy in the state, the Center provides an excellent option for protecting women’s hearts, Dr. Sturgeon says. “Our technology is especially suited to concentrating treatment on the target tissue and avoiding the heart and lungs,” he says. “Proton therapy uses a focused beam only a few millimeters wide to precisely ‘paint’ the target with therapeutic proton radiation, minimizing damage to healthy surrounding tissue.”
In fact, proton therapy consistently demonstrates the lowest average dose to the heart in treatments of the breast, the chest wall and nearby lymph nodes, according to a major study by University of Oxford researchers published in the November 2015 International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.
Advanced targeting technology is also crucial for avoiding needless irradiation of the heart at Texas Center for Proton Therapy. “With its pinpoint accuracy, our proton beam treats tumors layer by layer, in three dimensions,” Dr. Sturgeon says. “With our advanced technology, we can also ensure that the proton beam doesn’t exit the body through tissue that shouldn’t be exposed to radiation.”
Additionally, the Center’s cone-beam CT image guidance system provides clinicians a three-dimensional view of a patient’s anatomy, allowing them to develop a tailored approach. Using the CT imaging scans, the Center’s physicists, dosimetrists (who calculate radiation doses) and radiation oncologists program the proton beam equipment to deliver the optimal dose to each target tissue, even if it’s irregularly shaped.
While the field of oncology continues shaving down cardiac risks related to breast cancer treatment, Texas Center for Proton Therapy plans to keep getting the most out of its considerable technology and expertise. “We’re dedicated to providing our patients the best possible treatment for their immediate needs and for years to come,” Dr. Sturgeon says.
Targeting Cancer, Precisely
Wings of Hope
On Aug. 6, Wings of Hope supporters gathered for an evening of cuisine, cocktails, and entertainment at River Ranch. This event benefited the Equestrians and Equine Service Partners of Wings of Hope which provides hope, healing, and discovery through the partnership of a horse.
Honorary Event Co-Chair
Gary Nussbaum
PHOTOS BY GARY HIBERD
Allison Gross, Mariam Copeland, Cheril Boustead
Pamela Gilchrist, Patti Pace, Lisa Nussbaum, Margaret Dickens
Jennifer Shank, Allison Gross, Cheyenne Cardona
Kathy Tindell, Debbie Frahm, Sandra Southwick
FOCUS
Health Care Professionals
The partnership between you and your doctor is one of the most vital pairings for a happy and fit lifestyle. In matters of health, you should never settle. Selecting the right practitioner can make all the difference. To aid in choosing the perfect person for your medical needs, a few local physicians have purchased space to tell you more about themselves, their practices, and how partnering with them will improve your quality of life.
The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth Magazine.
Y. Anthony Nakamura, M.D., F.A.C.S., P.A.
Accent on You
MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Cosmetic Surgery, specifically body contouring. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Board Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery. WHAT SETS THEM APART: With over 30 years of experience as a board-certified plastic surgeon and cosmetic enhancement expert, Dr. Nakamura offers a warm, personalized approach for each patient from consultation to aftercare. Dr. Nakamura places patient safety, comfort, and satisfaction at the foremost of his practice to ensure the best possible experience and aesthetic outcome. SERVICES: Accent on You practice has a fully accredited, free-standing surgery center in the building along with a medical spa that specializes in injectables, chemical peels, and other treatments. HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO OVERALL WELL-BEING OF CLIENTS: Dr. Nakamura understands that every patient’s cosmetic and health goals are as unique as their personality, and that’s why he takes a personal approach to every patient. PICTURED: Dr. Y. Anthony Nakamura.
Accent on You
3030 South Cooper St. Arlington, Texas 76015 817.417.7200 accentonyou.com
HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Concierge Medicine.
EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Dr. Craig Kneten –MD, University of Texas Health Science Center - Houston; internship and residency, John Peter Smith Hospital; practicing family medicine physician in Fort Worth for over 20 years; chairman, HealthTexas Provider Network; served as the Tarrant County regional medical director for HealthTexas and lead physician for the Baylor Scott & White Family Medicine clinic in downtown Fort Worth. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Baylor Scott & White Signature Medicine – Fort Worth is proud to welcome Craig Kneten, MD. Dr. Kneten is joining James A. Murphy, MD, at this established concierge medicine practice in Fort Worth. As a concierge medicine practice, they combine traditional, personalized medicine with advanced technologies and procedures to give patients quality care. SERVICES: As full-service concierge doctors, they provide patients quality, private, and attentive medical care at an affordable annual rate. CONTRIBUTION TO WELL-BEING OF CLIENTS: They value personalized care and intentionally keep patient panel small to provide you and your family hands-on attentiveness. PICTURED: (left to right) Itzel Cortez, Medical Assistant; Craig Kneten, MD; Michele Stone, Operations Manager; James A. Murphy, MD; Stephanie Gonzales, Medical Assistant.
Fort Worth
Baylor Scott & White Signature Medicine – Fort Worth
900 W. Magnolia Ave., Ste. 202 Fort Worth, Texas 76104
MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Dr. Farah is a globally recognized and highly accomplished Invasive Cardiologist practicing in Fort Worth. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Board-Certified Cardiologist, Board-Certified Nuclear Cardiology, Board-Certified Internal Medicine. AWARDS/ HONORS: Top Doctors, Fort Worth Magazine, 2020-2021; Rising Faculty of the Year 2018, University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler.
GREATEST
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Dr. Farah is the founder, CEO, and medical director of Bentley Heart; founding director of the Global Health Alliance Foundation; serves on the Global Health Advisory Board for the Government of India; has served as a spokesperson for COVID-19 and heart disease; and has been featured on different news media both nationally and internationally more than 100 times this year. She was recognized in two different books this year by authors from Australia and the U.S. HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS: Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital, Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center, Medical City Fort Worth, Harris Methodist Fort Worth. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Dr. Farah is an internationally recognized cardiologist, and what sets her apart from the rest is her ability to practice evidence-based medicine while combining mind-body-soul with a holistic approach for the best individualized care for her patients. FREE ADVICE: The heart is the most important part of the body, and prevention is key.
Bentley Heart
7100 Oakmont Blvd., Ste. 201 Fort Worth, Texas 76132
817.720.5185
Fax 817.720.5186
bentleyheart.com
bentleyheart1@gmail.com
FOCUS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
Carson Hearing Care
SPECIALTY: Full-service hearing health care company. PATIENT CARE: We have been serving the Fort Worth community for over eight years and provide exceptional patient care with comprehensive testing protocols and state-of-the-art hearing aid technology. WHAT SETS THEM APART: We build relationships and love our patients — we often hear people refer to our office as a big family. INNOVATIONS: We are always looking for new innovative products that will improve the quality of our patients’ lives. We have exceptional solutions for our hearing-impaired patients, those who suffer from tinnitus, and for those looking for hearing protection to prevent loss. Recently we introduced FLUSH to our line of services, which has been so well received by the community and has a worldwide following with over 1.3 million followers on TikTok. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Carson Hearing Care believes strongly in giving back to the Fort Worth community. Bass Hall and Saving Hope Animal Rescue are two of our favorites. MOTTO: Our Mantra — Be a better part of someone’s day and make good things happen for other people! PICTURED: Robin Carson, Au.D.; Lydia Sancer, Au.D.; Erich Gessling, Au.D.
Carson Hearing Care 5104 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth, Texas 76107
817.737.4327
Fax 817.737.4328
carsonhearing.com
rcarson@carsonhearing.com
Cityview Audiology & Hearing Aids
MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Audiology, hearing aid prescription and fitting; expert advice in hearing aid technology comparisons; tinnitus evaluation and treatment; cognitive brain health screening.
EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Dr. Diane Blaising – Doctor of Audiology, A.T. Still University for Health Sciences. Dr. Rachel Ruiz –Doctor of Audiology, The University of Texas at Austin; Certification in Tinnitus Management by The American Board of Audiology. WHAT SETS THEM APART: We offer a cognitive brain health screening. Hearing loss is one of the major contributing comorbidities and one of the top nine modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline. Studies show that treating a hearing loss with hearing aids may improve cognitive function in as little as six weeks, as measured with this tool. HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL WELL-BEING OF PATIENTS: Improving our patients’ cognitive abilities is a focus of our practice. FREE ADVICE: Have a baseline hearing test when you are 50 years old. In the future if you experience hearing loss, it is a reference point to your earlier hearing status. Also, there is treatment for tinnitus. Many of our patients have found relief from that ringing in their ears.
PICTURED: (front, left to right) Dr. Rachel Ruiz, Dr. Diane Blaising; (back, left to right) Bibi Simon, Isabel Ramirez, Emily Jones, Lisa Bixler, Kerri Harris.
Cityview Audiology & Hearing Aids
7801 Oakmont Blvd., Ste. 109 Fort Worth, Texas 76132
817.263.1800
CityviewHearing.com info@cityviewhearing.com
Austin Davis, LPC-S Founder and CEO, Clearfork Academy
MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Clearfork Academy specializes in residential substance abuse and mental health treatment for adolescents 13-18 years old. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministry, Lee University, Cleveland; Master of Arts in Counseling, The Church of God Theological Seminary; Licensed Professional Counselor- Supervisor. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Clearfork Academy is a long-term (13 weeks versus the typical 30-day model) program that follows a uniquely designed programming model that we call the “Clearfork Way.” It takes the relational aspects of a summer camp and clinical expertise of a hospital and joins them together in a graceful manner. Clearfork Academy provides age, gender, and faith specific treatment to teens from across the country. SERVICES: Detox, residential, inpatient, and outpatient services — including individual, group, family, art, music, HIGH ropes/adventure, and equine therapy; a fitness obstacle course, volleyball court, basketball court, gardening, and culinary training. MISSION: The mission of Clearfork remains consistent to its early beginning — to lead teens to a new legacy. We know that substance abuse eventually leads to three major consequences: institutions, jail, or death. Clearfork’s mission is to help our teens and families develop the necessary insights and skills for long-term healing. FREE ADVICE: Don’t wait to take care of yourself or a loved one who is struggling with mental health or substance abuse. PICTURED: Austin Davis, LPC-S.
Clearfork Academy
7820 Hanger Cutoff Road Fort Worth, Texas 76135
844.599.8675
admissions@clearforkacademy.com
HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Cosmetic Dentistry. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Graduated cum laude, Texas A&M University, Biomedical Sciences; DDS, Texas A&M Baylor College of Dentistry; Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry; expertly trained in advanced cosmetic dentistry procedures such as smile makeovers, veneers, and full mouth rehabilitations. PHILOSOPHY: Our philosophy is one centered around relationships and trust. For each patient, we take time to understand how we can best partner with you to achieve your goals and to help you achieve peace of mind when it comes to your health. Dentistry is what we do well, but people are why we do it. SERVICES: We offer a full range of cosmetic, restorative, and surgical options for our patients. HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL WELL-BEING OF CLIENTS: Our amazingly talented and highly trained team partners with patients wherever they are along the journey and helps to better their oral health one visit at a time. FREE ADVICE: Your oral health is directly linked to your overall wellness. Now more than ever, we are aware that your oral health and your mouth are intimately connected to systemic health. Prioritize your wellness, find a good dental home you can trust, build a routine, and stay committed to your oral health goals. Good oral health can also contribute to peace of mind and self-confidence as well.
4255 Bryant Irvin Road, Ste. 111 Fort Worth, Texas 76109
817.731.9487
countrydaydental.com
info@countrydaydental.com
HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Dermatology (General, Surgical, and Cosmetic). EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS: UNT Health Science Center; Board Certified by the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Dr. Keehan has been practicing in Fort Worth for over 11 years. We are a familyowned clinic offering medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology services. As a small practice, we are able to spend more time per patient and provide individualized care. We respect our patients’ time and try our best to stay on schedule so that waiting is minimized. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: We treat conditions ranging from general dermatology issues like acne, eczema, and psoriasis to more serious issues of melanoma and other skin cancers. We also offer cosmetic treatments including neurotoxins (Botox, Jeuveau, etc.), fillers, facials, chemical peels, lasers, microneedling, and hair removal and restoration. Our office carries a variety of private label products to reverse the signs of aging, treat dry skin, etc. We also sell products made by EltaMD, Skin Medica, and RevitaLash. FREE ADVICE: The best way to protect your skin and avoid aging is to make sure sunscreen is part of your daily routine. PICTURED: Patrick Keehan, DO, Amy Henry, Nicole Rodriguez, McKenzie Woods, Alexia Burbaugh, and Diana Valdez.
Keehan Dermatology
Patrick Keehan, DO
Keehan Dermatology
4625 St. Amand Circle
Fort Worth, Texas 76126
817.769.3603
keehandermatology.com
FOCUS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
Reinke Eye and Laser Center
Martin Reinke, M.D.
SPECIALTY: Ophthalmology: Cataract Surgery, Premium Lens Implants (Crystalens, ReStor, Tecnis, Toric Lens), Diseases of the Retina and Vitreous, Diabetic Retinopathy/Lasers, Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma Treatment.
EDUCATION: B.A., Magna cum laude, Harvard University, 1986; M.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, 1990; Ophthalmology Residency, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, 1995; Vitreoretinal Fellowship, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 1997.
CERTIFICATIONS: Board Certified, American Board of Ophthalmology. AWARDS: Physician’s Recognition Award, American Medical Association. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Texas Ophthalmological Association, Texas Medical Association, Tarrant County Medical Society. AFFILIATIONS: Baylor Scott & White Surgical Hospital Las Colinas, Baylor Scott & White-Irving, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Texas Health Surgery Center Arlington. PATIENT CARE: A commitment to excellence in eye care is enhanced by our outstanding, caring staff. Dr. Reinke is a uniquely talented surgeon who personally provides all preoperative and postoperative care.
Reinke Eye and Laser Center
1310 N. White Chapel Blvd. Southlake, Texas 76092
817.310.6080 • Fax 817.310.6014
1916 Central Drive Bedford, Texas 76021
817.283.6607 • Fax 817.283.2674
7433 Las Colinas Blvd. Irving, Texas 75063
972.556.1915 • Fax 972.556.1877
reinke.southlake@gmail.com
dfwlasercataract.com
MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Weight Loss, Nutrition and Fitness consulting. WHAT SETS THEM APART: The consistent face-to-face interaction you get with SciFit professionals on a weekly basis makes the program’s personalization, accountability, and effectiveness unlike any other. Dr. Bryce provides the stern, cut and dry, science-based aspect of the programming, while Angela takes a softer, empathetic, and creative approach to helping their clients reach their goals. Together, they make a great team that provides the necessary components of an extremely effective program. SERVICES: SciFit Center takes a new age approach toward weight loss, fitness and wellness by integrating 3D Body Composition Scanning, Food Sensitivity, Metabolism and DNA testing. HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO CLIENT’S WELL-BEING: The coronavirus pandemic not only put us in a state of extreme caution, but also caused some of us to gain weight and reduce exercise, which can lead to an inefficient immune system. Having a specifically formulated diet, exercising effectively, and minimizing stress are the keys to allowing your immune system to function optimally. FREE ADVICE: When it comes to weight loss, there are so many different philosophies out there. From keto or paleo to intermittent fasting, the selections can become quite overwhelming. The most efficient way to make progress is to find something that works well for you, your body type, and preferences.
2408 Forest Park Blvd. Fort Worth, Texas 76110 817.975.7583 scifitcenter.com
Oct. 7
State of the County 2021
Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
Oct. 7
Youth of the Year Gala
Boys and Girls Club
Oct. 8
Day of the Girl
Girls Inc.
Oct. 9
A Night at the Stockyards
Bobby Norris Roundup for Autism
Oct. 14
Christmas in Cowtown
Junior League of Fort Worth
Oct. 14
Feast in the Fort Parenting Center
Oct. 15
Big Taste
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Oct. 16
Epic Step Up 5K
Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas
Oct. 19
Public Figures, Private Artists
The Art Station
Oct. 22
Monster Mash
The Women’s Center
Oct. 23
Party for Paws
Humane Society
Oct. 30
40th Anniversary Event
Ronald McDonald House
Nov. 6
Light The Night
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Nov. 10
Bring the Conversation to Light Luncheon
Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation
Nov. 13
2021 Fort Worth Margarita Ball
Children’s Charities of Fort Worth
Nov.13
Hoot ’N Holler
ACH Child and Family Services
Nov. 14
Cookin’ for Kids
Kids Who Care
Nov. 18
Wranglers Wishes
Make A Wish
Nov 19
Artists’ Christmas Art & Gala
Camp Fire
Give Back Calendar
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.
let’s get animated!
FRIDAY night, OCTOBER 22 at 7:00pm RIDGLEA COUNTRY CLUB
Purchase your table by September 4 to be recognized in the invitation.
Remember the days of watching cartoons and playing video games…well those days are back! Dress as your favorite cartoon stars and join us for the ultimate flashback party!
Will you be the Scooby Gang? The Rugrats? The Flintstones? The Super-Friends? The possibilities are endless!
Gather your toon friends for a night of fun! You can hit the arcade, dance with Emerald City, or just chill in the lounge. There’ll be something for everyone!
Let’s all get Tooned, have fun, and why not help out The Women’s Center while we’re at it!
WHAT TOON WILL YOU BE?
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER TARRANT COUNTY
KEYNOTE
SPEAKER: DALLAS COWBOYS LEGEND AND CLUB ALUM, WARE
DEMARCUS
Thank you to the 2021 Youth of the Year Gala sponsors! Every dollar raised at the gala directly supports the work of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County. The Club is the best hope for at-risk youth in Tarrant County and our community’s future depends upon partners like you to continue to invest in the Club and the kids who rely on our youth development services.
MAJOR SPONSORS
Thank you
Bell Helicopter
Jere C. Robertson
Carol Sweeney
Frost
Rev. Dr. Kevin and Dr. Robin Henson
Catherine and Jim Kerrigan
Luther King Capital Management
Michele and Fred Reynolds
Texas Capital Bank
The Rios Group
Balcom Agency
Susi and Mike Bickley
Biltmore Homes
BNSF Railway Co.
Deborah Connor
First Presbyterian Church
J.P. Morgan
JPS Foundation
Jim Lacamp
Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation
Herd and Claire Midkiff
Muckleroy & Falls
Frank and Jane Neal
Philip and Alicia Newburn
David and Anne Norris
Lisa and Gary Nussbaum –
Molly and Mitch Snyder
QuikTrip
Sara and Matt Robison
Todd and Jodi Spake
Burch and Lisa Waldron
HOLIDAY GIFT MARKET
OCTOBER 14 – 17, 2021 | WILL ROGERS MEMORIAL CENTER
We would like to thank our sponsors for your support and generosity!
PRESENTING SPONSOR
VALET SPONSOR
Sewell INFINITI of Fort Worth & Sewell Lexus of Fort Worth
BAR & SPIRITS
Burt Ladner | Frost
PREMIER SPONSOR
Amber & Troy Robertson Fort Worth Magazine
PREVIEW PARTY
Esperanza’s Catering - A Division of Joe T. Garcia’s
MARKET AMBASSADORS
Jean Roach, Amy Bailey and Lori Davis | The Ryan Foundation | Williams Trew
SUPPORTERS
Kim & Glenn Darden | Carrie Cappel, Paige Pate & Sandra Tuomey | HUB Fort Worth | JLFW Board of Directors 2021-2022
Junior League Gems | Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation | Radiology Associates of North TX | Simmons Bank
FRIENDS
Bank of Texas | Ben E. Keith Beverages | Debra Black & Friends | Clara & Samson Cantu | Rick & Molly Granaghan
Molly Hardgrove & Amy Patyk | Janeen & Bill Lamkin | Linbeck Group, LLC | Luther King Capital Management | Gail W. Rawl Tracy Reed | Peggy Sims & Steamatic DFW/The Sykes Family & Floor Coverings International | Vantage Bank Texas
MEDIA SPONSOR
Fort Worth Business Press
Tickets now available at christmasincowtown.com
HELP US END POVERTY,
ABOUT US
Catholic Charities Fort Worth (CCFW) is a learning organization that believes every person should have the opportunity to live their best life, free from poverty. Founded in 1910, CCFW works every day to make this vision a reality, serving tens of thousands of people in North Texas, and across the nation, each year. CCFW is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and reflects these values through our client-centered approach and commitment to ensuring our practices meaningfully impact the lives of those we serve.
We strategically challenge the way poverty is addressed nationwide by creating solutions to meet the evolving needs of our community, eradicating the barriers keeping people in poverty, and transforming the narrative around poverty through advocacy and collaboration. Ready to join our mission?
To learn more about our work and opportunities to get involved, visit CatholicCharitiesFortWorth.org
Please join us for the first annual Wranglers & Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish. Featuring live music, traditional Texas barbecue, inspiring wish stories, and all the two-stepping your heart desires, this evening is sure to be one you won’t easily forget. Celebrate the power of a wish come true with us on November 18th!
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorship deadline is Friday, October 15th, 2021 W.R. “Bob” & Jerri Watt Dan Roberts, Old Boots Music
For more information on purchasing a table or becoming a sponsor, email us at wranglersandwishesfw@ntx.wish.org or visit wish.org/ntx/our-events
BECOME AN ANGEL AND JOIN US the 67th THE TEMPTATIONS & THE FOUR TOPS AND OFFICIAL JEWELER AMON G. CARTER JR. EXHIBITS HALL
Jewel Charity Angel donors are the heart of our organization. Angel gifts provide access to care for the precious patients at Cook Children’s. To become an Angel or for other ways to help, please visit our website.
Discover Original Artwork Created and Donated by Business and Community Leaders
PUBLIC FIGURES PRIVATE ARTISTS
Join Us for Some Fun and Support the Mission of The Art Station
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
5:30-8:30pm
Fabulous Hors d’oeuvres, Desserts, Specialty Cocktails, Wine & Beer Live Music . Silent & Live Auction
Historic Masonic Center 1100 Henderson Street (at West Lancaster), Fort Worth, Texas
Providing art therapy Breakthroughs to create better lives for children, teens & adults.
For tickets or sponsorships: Visit www.bidpal.net/PFPA
D Questions? Email pmarshall@theartstation.org
Presenting Sponsor:
Byrne Construction Services
Monet Masters: Integrated Transfer Services
Creative Champions: Jim Lacamp
Artful Advocates:
FROST . Lane Gorman Trubitt . Stacy & John McKnight
Nancy Newton & Richard Wilson . Republic Services
Lee L. Tennison . The Human Source Foundation
Palette Partners:
Leeanne & Stuart Denyer . Kellly Hart . Hillwood, a Perot Company
Acre Distilling . Rahr Brewing . Studio 101 Gallery
FEATURED ARTISTS (At Time of Printing)
Jane Avila
Jason Boone
Becky Renfro Borbolla
Eddie Broussard
Jinx Burk
Lisa Anderson Collins
Owen Daniel
Rachael Delira
Jimmie Joe Jenkins
Jerry Johnston
Bradley Kent
Barry King
JR Labbe
Jim Lacamp
Louis Lambert
Cleve Lancaster
Anette Landeros
Rachel Malone
Boyd Matson
Tim McKinney
Stacy McKnight
Mike Micallef
Pam Minick
Bob Mitchell
Nancy Mitchell
Hope Montey
Steve Montgomery
Susie Monzingo
Patrick Newman
Grace Nowlin
Susan Nus
Mary Palko
Mattie Parker
Beverly Powell
Jennifer Powell
Deb Preissinger
Andy Taft
Dawn Taft
Lee L. Tennison
Andrew Walker
Stacey Martin Watkins
Ginger Watson
Media Partner:
The Fort Worth sky showcased a rare occurrence on Aug. 22 when a phenomenon known as the Sturgeon Moon rose over the city — named so, because this time of year is supposedly peak fishing season for the giant sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Photographer Matt Lantz captured this moment near the Tarrant County Courthouse, with the moon framing what he calls “one of the most photogenic buildings in all of Fort Worth.”
@lantzscape_photos
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
PHOTO BY MATT LANTZ
TIMELESS Appeal
The Howells are die-hard Land Rover fans. Frank Howell, principal owner at Texas Aerial Inspections, has purchased four Land Rovers from Park Place Jaguar Land Rover DFW — most recently the 2022 Land Rover Defender 110 with a 518-hp supercharged V-8 engine. According to Land Rover, the new engine makes this the “fastest and most powerful production Defender ever made.” Meanwhile, Frank’s daughter, London, stylist and owner of Salon Victoria in Southlake, prefers a 2021 Land Rover Discovery, with good looks and spacious, versatile interior perfect for busy families. As a working mom, London says she is always on the go. “I need convenience, safety, reliability, all within a luxurious vehicle,” she says. “This car
is everything and then some. Even my daughter, Grey, says it’s her favorite car we have ever had. I will always drive a Land Rover.”
The Howells return to Park Place Jaguar Land Rover DFW because of its elite service and staff. “The sales team is set apart from any other. I personally worked with Cade and Sydney. They were so fast, upfront, and didn’t waste my time. They delivered on everything they promised,” London says. “Park Place is My Place because they make you feel like you are an extension of their family. The way they treat you is the way they would treat a close relative or friend.”
Experience the Gilchrist Automotive Difference.
We Drive the Difference:
¡ Triple Crown Ford & Lincoln Promise which includes: - 2 years of oil changes, tire rotations, & multipoint inspections.
¡ Triple Crown Ford & Lincoln Valet Service which includes:
- Online or over the phone sales purchase and delivery
- Service pick-up and delivery
Fort Worth resident Gabriel Albani says his 2021 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 CFTP, with its racing-focused tuning, carbon fiber wheels, and aerodynamics, fits all his track duty needs. “This vehicle is going to slay the foreign, exotic competition at our local road courses such as Motorsports Ranch and Circuit of the Americas, and I can’t wait to embarrass all of them,” says the technical solutions architect at Webex by Cisco. Gabriel says that working with GM Dustin Rodgers and the team at Triple Crown Ford & Lincoln in Stephenville is the same experience as you expect from any of the Gilchrist Automotive family of dealerships. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the stress-free simplicity and ease of doing business with them. Thank you all again for putting me in the pilot seat of the baddest Mustang ever built!”
“We will work hard to earn your business for life.”
Stephen Gilchrist, owner Gilchrist Automotive
Family Owned and Operated since 1986. We tailor the purchase experience to fit your needs, not ours; because we don’t just want to sell you a vehicle, we want to build a relationship and become your trusted advisor for all purchases and service.
Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator; Dustin Rodgers, General Manager; Gabriel Albani, customer.
