Fort Worth Magazine - October 2023

IS PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDING THE TEAM SPORT THIS CITY CAN GET BEHIND?

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS: How to Chow Down With the Dead / STAUBACH: TCU's Joe Staubach, That Is

Dream Street Tour

a

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Choosing

50

A Brotherhood Bull riding traditionally has been a “lone ranger” sport. One bull. One cowboy. However, the PBR’s budding team competition is changing all that. And the Texas Rattlers, Fort Worth’s representative, are building a winning culture.

BY TYLER HICKS

56

Dream Street 2023

Nestled amid a picturesque Colleyville landscape are three exquisite houses that stand as a testament to architectural splendor and artistic ingenuity. Each dwelling is a unique masterpiece, a symphony of design and nature that invites both admiration and, yes, even a little envy. These are, quite frankly, a dreamscape.

the fort

: know

16 Buzz

Don Graves knows there is only one way he was able to walk away from Iwo Jima 78 years ago: by the grace of God. The 98-year-old thrilled race fans at Texas Motor Speedway with a rendition of “God Bless America.”

24

Calendar

Trick-or-treating, haunted houses, Vincent Price voices in our heads, oh, my. All that folklore, superstition, and creativity around Halloween is fun. And there are things to do this month to celebrate it.

26 Fort Worthian

Elizabeth Beck gets a bunch of steps in each day as a lawyer, City Council member, and hiker, a leisure pursuit she calls her spiritual reprieve and weekly renewal.

28 History

That formidable dinosaur sculpture standing guard at Fort Worth Museum of Science and History? It could have come from the imagination of Vincent T. Hamlin, who dreamed up a seeming replica — “Alley Oop” — a generation before anybody had unearthed any recognizable fossil remains.

: live

32 Music

Keegan McInroe, whose unmistakable smoke-worn voice has graced local venues for over a decade, releases a new album recorded in a ghost town.

36 People

Joe Staubach has a very recognizable name, that’s true. But the walk-on, redshirt freshman wide receiver is living his own life at TCU.

40 State Lines

Jefferson was once a boomtown, the secondbusiest port in Texas with riverboats toting affluence and a cosmopolitan panache. A beautifully preserved town is left there today.

: eat

44 Dia de los Muertos Eight traditional Day of the Dead dishes, such as tamales and pozole, to feed the living and also nourish the souls of the dead on their long journey between worlds.

198 Fort Worth Inc. in August recognized the winners of the Best Companies To Work For in the Fort Worth area over a tasty lunch at River Ranch Stockyards.

CLOSE

208 Local photographer Keith Barrett captures the Stockyards staple, Star Cafe, well before it opens for lunch.

HERE, LIFE MEANS MORE.

“We’re busier now than we ever were. Our children call and they can’t get us and they wonder where we are now. And I have to reply: we were at bingo, we were at lunch, we were at dinner, oh no – we are going down to trivia. It’s endless, what you can find to do. It’s just one fun-filled, lifetime vacation.”

- STEVENSON OAKS RESIDENTS RON & JOYCE STULTS

At MRC Stevenson Oaks, our philosophy is that no matter how old we are or what challenges we live with, life is about continuing to grow. We fight back on thieves like loneliness, helplessness and boredom. We resolve to make every day one that confirms the seven domains of well-being through identity, growth, autonomy, security, connectedness, meaning and joy.

A Great House

It was about a year ago when I first became privy to the square footage of this year’s trio of homes — all clocking it at over 7,500 square feet — and I started wondering: What size home constitutes a mansion?

You see, for the uninitiated, this is our Dream Street issue, a near annual magazine that covers three homes designed, constructed, and decorated by the area’s top architects, builders, and interior designers. Outside of our monthly issues, this is our magazine’s flagship program. Welcome.

So, back to my question: What is a mansion?

Well, Google, in its infinite (perhaps too infinite) wisdom gave me multiple answers. All depended on the source. Some sources said 5,000 square feet was enough, while others argued 8,000 square feet was the minimum requirement. Then there were those who struck a balance, claiming 7,000 square feet as the minimum threshold. Granted, even being interested in such a query reeked of a certain amount privilege, so we’ll call this a first-world curiosity. Regardless, my being an ethical journalist who would never report a falsity, I wanted to know whether I could call each of the three homes featured in this month’s Dream Street editorial a mansion. For what it’s worth, the journalist’s guide to such things, Merriam-Webster, defines mansion as “a large imposing residence.” Of course, in my unscientific, adolescent understanding of mansion, I imagine something akin to a castle separated by wings. Perusing past Dream Home and Dream

Street editions of the magazine, I found a single use of the word during our 2020 Dream Street written by our previous editor of Fort Worth Inc., a journalist who has my utmost respect. The home he called a mansion? Well, it measured 7,551 square feet — a home that, until now, had been the largest home constructed for a Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street.

Ultimately, I elected to take such precedent as a green light to use the hoity-toity word in this year’s editorial — you will notice my using it once (we’re not gloating over here). But, with that said, it has been very clear that these three homes, each valued over $5.2 million, are the most jawdropping, luxurious, and creative homes our magazine has ever had a hand in constructing. Seeing the finished product, I am astonished by the amazing work of our partners. They made three of the most brilliant mansions I’ve ever seen.

And, while perusing the magazine on your favorite La-Z-Boy is fun, I sincerely hope you can make it out to see the incredible homes in person. With each ticket purchased, remember you’re donating to an incredible charity, a Wish with Wings. Looking forward to seeing all of you soon.

Corrections? Comments? Concerns? Send to executive editor Brian Kendall at bkendall@fwtexas.com.

NEXT MONTH

60 Years Since JFK

Brian Kendall EXECUTIVE EDITOR

ON THE COVER: At 7,714 square feet, John Webb of Heritage Homes has constructed the largest Dream Home since the project’s inception 23 years ago. A Mediterraneaninspired house with an interior design by Susan Semmelmann, this cover photo showcases the home’s lavish backyard.

The Film Issue with Barry Corbin

Edna Gladney

Monobean Stairs with Modern Horizontal Railing

Monobeam Stair System with Glass Railing

If you could build your dream home anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I like a city; I seek hustle and bustle so I can ironically isolate myself from said hustle and bustle. That said, I’d like a modestly sized penthouse in Barcelona

owner/publisher hal a. brown vice president dream street operations mike waldum

EDITORIAL

executive editor brian kendall contributing editor john henry digital editor stephen montoya contributing writers malcolm mayhew, tyler hicks, michael h. price, shilo urban copy editor sharon casseday

ART

creative director craig sylva senior art director spray gleaves advertising art director ed woolf director of photography crystal wise

ADVERTISING

sales director andrew yeager

advertising account supervisors gina burns-wigginton x150 marion c. knight x135 account executive tammy denapoli x141 territory manager, fort worth inc. rita hale x133 client services manager julia martin x116 executive administrator/project coordinator kaitlyn lisenby

MARKETING

director of digital robby kyser director of marketing and audience development sarah benkendorfer content marketing specialist grace behr events and partnerships manager lauren roberts

CORPORATE

chief financial officer charles newton founding publisher mark hulme

CONTACT US

main line 817.560.6111 subscriptions 817.766.5550, fwmagsubscriptions@omeda.com

a last name

for its beautiful ocean and mountain coastline.

My dream home would be nestled in a charming, quiet neighborhood in Fort Worth. Just add a wraparound patio and a massive backyard overlooking a golf club.

Overlooking the Shotover River in Queenstown, New Zealand.

The French Riviera, like F. Scott Fitzgerald but without the almostmad wife.

The Amalfi Coast. With

of DeNapoli, my spot has to be Italy. The Amalfi Coast is famous

My dream home location: Hawaii beachfront property! Any island of Hawaii.

The picturesque Santorini Greece. A decision based on my love of the popular musical, “Mamma Mia.”

Fiesole, Italy. It is in the hills just up from Florence. I would have a villa overlooking the vineyards with a view of Florence.

I would build my dream home in Taos, New Mexico, on the outskirts of town near the ski valley overlooking the vast desert landscape.

Right here in Fort Worth! I love to travel to Italy and other places but would only want to visit those and live here.

CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THEIR DREAMS®

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WALSH

‘By the Grace of God’

Texas Motor Speedway hosts 98-year-old Iwo Jima survivor.

BY JOHN HENRY

For Don Graves, the memory of walking off Iwo Jima a beleaguered U.S. Marine is as fresh today as it was some 80 years ago.

Now 98 years old, Graves recalls vividly leaving the site of one of the Marine Corp’s bloodiest battles, this pivotal triumph in the Pacific Theater of WWII.

Of the 335 Marines of his 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Division — Dog Company — only 18 survived the ferocious fight to take the island. There were no officers and no sergeants remaining.

“Just a bunch of PFCs [Private First Class], corporals, and privates,” he says. “And that’s how we fought.”

The Battle of Iwo Jima is best known for the Joe Rosenthal’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of a group of Marines raising the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi. It’s as iconic as any photo taken during the war, “that flag business,” as Graves calls it. Graves was nearby the flag raising.

“When we went down [to catch their transport off the island], our regimental commander, ‘Harry the Horse,’ Col. Liversedge met us, and he said, ‘Men, before we go board the Higgins and join our transport and go back to Hawaii, I want you all to line up and go through our 5th Marine Division’s cemetery. I want you to say goodbye to your buddies.

“The gate was at the foot of Suribachi; it’s not there now.

But one by one, we went through the gate. When I finally reached it, I looked over on the left pole of the arch, and there was a K ration turned inside out and it was tacked, and on that I read, ‘Fellas, when you go home, tell the folks we did our best, that they may have many more tomorrows.’

“Every Marine that read that broke down. There wasn’t a dry eye. That’s what the Greatest Generation did.”

Graves, a Fort Worth resident, is one of the few survivors from that ghastly encounter, which lasted from Feb. 19 to March 26, 1945, still alive.

That moment to the one on Sept. 24 when he performed “God Bless America” prior to the start of the NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway is a fascinating journey that started with his answering the call of his country. Graves enlisted as a Marine at 17 years old in 1942. He was following in the footsteps of his father, also a U.S. Marine.

That’s why we’re writing this story. Graves has performed the national anthem at a number of venues and events over the years, including for the Texas Rangers baseball team.

He has a great set of pipes, there’s no question about that. Just talk to him. You wouldn’t be surprised to learn he possesses an exceptional vocal talent — which he has been using for years — but his voice isn’t solely a product of genetics. It has been crafted by the tapestry of life experiences, echoing 98 years of witnessing every facet of humanity: from the darkest depths of savagery known to mankind, to the heavy burdens and scars borne through those years, and ultimately, to the radiant redemption found in their aftermath.

What he saw at Iwo Jima he shares today while making any one of a number of speaking engagements each year to discuss religion, the war, and patriotism. He’s concerned about younger generations’ apathy toward their country. And, so, he speaks to them about it at schools. His visits are impactful. Students see in real life the history they read in their textbooks.

After serving his country, he later answered the call as a Christian pastor, inspired to do so after attending a Billy Graham revival meeting in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Graves accepted the invitation at the urging of a neighbor who was concerned that the war’s scars were manifesting in selfdestructive behaviors, something Graves does not deny.

“He said, ‘You are a mess,’” Graves recalls the conversation with the neighbor. “You are losing your best friends — and I had a lot of them because I was a public singer — you’re losing your wife, and you’re losing yourself.”

Graves managed to escape harm in the Pacific, but his life was saved in Oshkosh. He retired from active ministry at age 82 after ministering to thousands in a number of states.

He was asked years ago to speak at a Daughters of World War II event by Laura Leppert, wife of former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert. It was at one of those meetings that he was asked to perform the national anthem.

A star was born. Or maybe reborn.

“The opportunity to sing ‘God Bless America’ to a national TV audience is a rare treat, and I am so thrilled to be able to do it,” said Graves. “It is a great honor.”

“All of us at Texas Motor Speedway are honored to

PICTURED: Justin Rogers, GM, SouthWest Toyota of Lawton Oklahoma; Stephen Gilchrist, Dealer Operator, Gilchrist Automotive

welcome a true American hero like Don Graves to sing ‘God Bless America’ prior to the start of the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400,” said Mark Faber, Texas Motor Speedway executive vice president and general manager. “We will celebrate Mr. Graves for his valiant service to his country as a U.S. Marine as well as his 32 years of service to his church and parishioners. He is a hero to us all.”

That he was not among the 6,821 Americans killed or nearly 20,000 wounded is certainly only by the grace of God. That’s what he thinks anyway.

Graves, who more recently received a presidential citation from President Trump, will attest that there are no atheists in the foxhole.

The American forces assaulted Iwo Jima for the purpose of securing the island and its three airfields. Graves’ division landed in the third wave on Feb. 19 at 8 in the morning, he recalls.

“On the beach, we knew this wasn’t going to be easy,” he says. “We couldn’t move, we couldn’t get up. Guys were getting killed. Every time they’d go over the top, they’d drop. I was on the beach at least two hours.”

It took the division three days to go 540 feet to Suribachi, he says, “inch by inch, foot by foot, shell hole by shell hole.”

Graves, all 5-foot-6 of him, hit the beach with 300 of his “buddies.” He was carrying a 72-pound flamethrower on his back and a .45-caliber pistol on his hip. The fighting was fierce.

“When I was on that beach, I put my face in the sand,” Graves recalls. “I had that 72-pound flamethrower on my back. There are Marines all over. Some are dead. Some are wounded. A man way over to my right. Everybody knew about him.”

John Basilone was already a war hero by the time of the Iwo Jima landing, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for duty on the island of Guadalcanal in 1942. He returned home to tickertape parades and nationwide fanfare. He met with the president and mingled with the Hollywood set. He got married. However, when he was offered a commission and a cushy desk position in Washington, he declined.

“I ain’t no officer, I ain’t no museum piece, and I belong back with my outfit.”

Uncommon valor is what that is. Basilone went back into action. He did not return, killed mere feet from Graves on Iwo Jima.

“John took a sniper rifle and was killed instantly,” says Graves, who will turn 99 in May.

Graves spent six weeks on the island. Afterward, he and what was left of his division returned to Hawaii to train for the invasion of Japan which was averted by Truman’s decision to drop the big ones.

Analysis after the war ended estimated that the capture of Iwo Jima saved tens of thousands of lives.

“I think about my buddies all the time,” Graves says. “How can anyone go through that thing — day one through the end and not get hit?

“Grace of God.”

» Crocodile Cheers

THE FORT WORTH ZOO IS CERTAINLY DOING ITS PART TO IGNITE RUMORS IT’S BECOMING A MATERNITY WARD, OF SORTS. To add to its growing number of baby and toddler residents, the zoo announced on Aug. 31 the hatchings of four critically endangered gharial crocodiles.

The hatchings, which were the result of two separate clutches from two different females at the zoo, are historic feats — with only one other institution, to date, successfully producing a hatchling.

“It’s a major milestone for the conservation of this species, quadrupling the number of gharials ever born in the United States,” Vicky Poole, associate curator of ectotherms at the Fort Worth Zoo, said at a press conference.

The breeding of gharials is the result of over a decade’s worth of work on the part of the Fort Worth Zoo — 13 years, to be exact. The exhibit that currently houses one male and three female gharials was constructed in 2010 with the sole purpose of reproducing gharial crocodiles.

While the gharials who call Fort Worth home have produced clutches in the past, low fertility among eggs is a common occurrence with the species.

“Staff closely watched the developing eggs for the past few months,” Poole says, “and with each sign of life, our superstitious anticipation grew, just like a baseball pitcher throwing a no-hitter game. We were all pretty emotional with each hatching.”

According to a press release, there are currently only 35 gharial crocodiles, who are the most critically endangered crocodilian species in the world, living among nine institutions in North America.

While they still don’t know the sex of each gharial hatched, the zoo incubated them at specific temperatures to achieve 50% male and 50% female hatchlings. As luck would have it, of the four that hatched, two were incubated at temperatures that would produce male offspring and two that would produce female offspring.

Though the gharials are Fort Worth-born — and will thus, similar to Townes Van Zandt, be considered Fort Worthians for life — they are unlikely to stay at the zoo for long, eventually being sent to other zoos for breeding programs. But that doesn’t mean you won’t have a chance to catch a glimpse of the gharials before they find new homes.

“We’ll try to get them on display eventually, but for right now, our goal is to monitor how well they’re growing and eating in a smaller environment,” Poole says. — Brian Kendall

Aboard!

The beloved Forest Park miniature train, a childhood staple since making its first trip more than 60 years ago, is making its rounds again after being shuttered for more than a year.

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, as well as her predecessor, Betsy Price, and her grandson, were among the first passengers on the train’s first return trip last month.

“All of us have memories on this wonderful train track,” Parker told a news outlet. “Everyone in Fort Worth has some attachment to this amazing part of Trinity Park.”

The train sitting idle had indeed become a concern among the masses who grew up here. And there have been a bunch of people over the course of 65 years who have ridden the train from its start in front of the Fort Worth Zoo and through Trinity Park, the same five-mile round trip since the very first in 1958.

It is indeed a Fort Worth cultural icon, brought to us originally by Bill Hames, the carny who made a career as a showman and ran the concessions and carnival portion of the Fort Worth Zoo for years.

Mary Talley is the current owner. She said she had initially inherited shares in the attraction when her grandmother passed away but did not become principal owner until recently when the pandemic and other challenges derailed the attraction.

“The trains were in need of a facelift,” she said. “These are the original 1972 CP Huntingtons my family purchased back then. There’s just not a lot of CP Huntingtons for sale, so we had to refurbish them, and we are working with some vendors right now to build some new engines. Our plan is to make the trains bigger and better than ever.”

While Talley owns the trains, tracks, and bridges, the city owns the property on which it runs. The city’s concerns extended beyond seeing a pastime for children continue. It makes a little money off the attraction, too.

Last November, the City Council notified Forest Park Rides Inc. that it was in default of its contract with the city. The contract allows 60 days to address contractual breaches. Obviously, city officials have been accommodating with the timeline.

“Thank you to the city for giving us the time and being patient with us. We had some supply chain problems getting this back on track, no pun intended,” Talley said. Hehehe.

Not a problem, Ms. Talley. All’s well that ends well.

— Stephen Montoya

WE’RE NO. 1 »

THE RANKINGS OF THE “FREE CITIES INDEX,” produced by the PRI’s Free Cities Center, are predicated on a pro-growth policy criterion, judging the nation’s 50 most populous cities based on whether they levy less burdensome taxes on businesses and individuals, impose a less costly regulatory environment, and efficiently provide core public services.

Based on these factors, the following cities ranked as the top five progrowth cities, according to a press release:

1. Fort Worth

2. Austin

3. Colorado Springs, Colorado

4. Raleigh, North Carolina

5. Charlotte, North Carolina

Texas has seven cities in the top 25, including Arlington at No. 11 and Dallas at No. 23.

“Families desire cities that are affordable, foster economic opportunities, and offer residents a high quality of life. The Free Cities Index rankings show that the cities that are offering these attributes are growing in population,” said Dr. Wayne Winegarden, PRI senior fellow in business and economics and the index author, in a statement. “By the same token, cities that levy less burdensome taxes, impose a less costly regulatory environment, and efficiently provide core public services are attracting employers, investment, jobs, and tax revenue.”

Though nonpartisan, the Pacific Research Institute has a philosophy it advocates, declaring that it “champions freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility by advancing free-market policy ideas.”

Between July 2021 and July 2022, Fort Worth added more than 19,000 residents, more than any other U.S. city. Fort Worth, with just below 957,000 in population, is the 13th-largest city in the country, just behind, San Jose, California; Jacksonville, Florida; and Austin.

The city is projected to eclipse one million in population by 2030 and surpass Dallas by 2045, according to U .S. Census Bureau forecasts.

As a region, Fort Worth-Dallas is projected to become the third-largest metro in the U .S. in the 2030s. The area will also, sooner rather than later, be the only U .S. metropolitan area to house two cities with populations over one million.

Fort Worth is in the midst of reforming its permitting processes through the new city hall.

According to the Free Cities Index author, the top-ranked cities performed well across most of the policy criteria, indicating that it is not one policy area driving the rankings of the top performers. No city was ranked toward the top of every category, showing that every city has room for improvement.

The authors said the study illustrates that, according to population trends, people are flocking to progrowth cities and regions.

“These population trends provide important feedback for state and local policy leaders,” said Winegarden. “Attracting families and entrepreneurs requires policy leaders to enact policies that will inspire people to live there and encourage job creators to invest there.”

The “ PRI ’s Free Cities Center cultivates innovative ideas to improve urban life based around freedom and property rights — not government,” according to the press release. — John Henry

When you’re searching for a real estate agent, you want one that knows the art of buying and selling just as well as they know you. That one agent is Susanna.

THE FINE ART OF REPRESENTATION

OCT. 4

A Night with Nolan

The greatest pitcher in the history of pitching baseballs (you heard it here, folks) is taking the stage at the world’s largest honky-tonk to discuss his career, not in baseball, but as a Texas cattleman. And we’re sure you’ll hear one or two stories from the mound, too.

Billy Bob’s Texas 2520 Rodeo Plaza cowboyconversations.com

OCT. 6 – 8

‘Dracula’

Bram Stoker’s classic tale of a Transylvanian vampire wreaking havoc on and, well, consuming some of London’s upper crust is getting the Texas Ballet Theater treatment. We promise it will be more frightening than Bela Lugosi in pointe shoes.

Bass Performance Hall

525 Commerce St. texasballettheater.org

OCT. 6 – 8

PBR Team Series Rattler Days

The PBR team series finally makes its way to the capitol of bull riding, Dickies Arena, where the Fort Worth-based Texas Rattlers will try to catch the league-leading (as of press time) Austin Gamblers. This will mark the last competition before their proverbial Super Bowl in Las Vegas.

Dickies Arena

1911 Montgomery St. dickiesarena.com

OCT. 7

Eli Young Band

Denton-based Eli Young Band has been churning out solid country tunes since 2002. And, with their latest album, •••••••••••••garnering critical acclaim and over 170 million Spotify streams for its lead single, “Love Ain’t,” they’re aging like fine whiskey in a wooden barrel.

Billy Bob’s Texas 2520 Rodeo Plaza billybobstexas.com

OCT. 13

Shania Twain

With over 100 million records sold, Shania Twain holds the title of the best-selling female artist in country music history; we’re sure that impresses you — much. While the Canadian singersongwriter is touring behind her most recent studio release, you can still expect Twain to belt out some old favorites.

Dickies Arena

1911 Montgomery St. dickiesarena.com

OCT. 8

OCT. 14

TCU vs. BYU

TCU’s sole home game in October pits the Horned Frogs against their new conference foe, BYU. The two teams enter the game having previously met 11 times, thanks to the schools crossing paths in the Mountain West Conference.

Amon G. Carter Stadium 2850 Stadium Drive gofrogs.com/sports/football

Michelada Festival

For those who frown upon Clamato in their hoppy beverages, the following still applies. While the famous Mexican beverage will no doubt be bountiful, this seventh edition of the Michelada Festival includes food, music, and celebrations of Mexican heritage. The festival also raises funds to award scholarships to FWISD graduates.

General Worth Square 5916 Main St. micheladafestival.org

Shania Twain

OCT. 18

Candlelight:

A Haunted Evening

With a tentative program that includes music from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and themes from classic Halloween flicks like “The Exorcist” and “Ghostbusters,” this candlelit string quartet performance is likely to be the perfect combination of scary and romantic — synonymous words to some.

Downtown Cowtown at the Isis

2401 N. Main St. downtowncowtown.com

OCT. 19 – 22

Gordy’s Hwy30 Music Fest

Less than a month after hosting its annual NASCAR event, the pavement at Texas Motor Speedway might still be soaked in grease when it plays host to this four-day fest that includes performances from Dierks Bentley, Zach Bryan, Cody Jinks, Staind, and Gary Clark Jr.

Texas Motor Speedway

3545 Lone Star Circle

hwy30tx.com

OCT. 20

Cliburn Homecoming Concert + Party

An event celebrating the last 10 years of the Cliburn, the world’s quintessential notfor-profit piano organization that hosts the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

Whiskey Ranch

2601 Whiskey Ranch Road cliburn.org

ArtsGoggle

OCT. 20 – 22

Art Worth

The work of 80 local artists will be on display at Will Rogers Memorial Center during this three-day festival that also includes classical music performances and demonstrations of decorative art disciplines like glass blowing and metal pours.

Will Rogers Memorial Center 3401 W. Lancaster Ave. artworthfest.org

OCT. 20 – NOV. 12

‘The Visit’

Fort Worth’s most intimate theater puts on this dark comedy by Swiss writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt. The play tells the story of a wealthy philanthropist attempting to save her hometown from financial ruin, but there’s a catch: She wants the townspeople to kill the man who got her pregnant.

Amphibian Stage 120 S. Main St. amphibianstage.com

OCT. 21

ArtsGoggle

Artist booths will line seven blocks of West Magnolia Avenue during the city’s biggest showcase of local arts. The 10-hour affair will also include a litany of food choices and live music — all courtesy of Cowtown locals, of course.

Magnolia Avenue (Near Southside) artsgoggle.org

OCT. 28

Johnny Cash: The Official Concert Experience

If you regret never catching a live performance from the Man in Black, this concert, which features a full band performing in perfect sync with a live recording of Johnny Cash, might quell your sorrows. This is a onenight-only thing, so snag your tickets.

Bass Performance Hall 525 Commerce St. texasballettheater.org

NOV. 4 – 7

Boo at the Zoo

For the 32nd year, our beloved Fort Worth Zoo will get decked out in Halloween flourishes and themed animal shows to become one of the season’s must-visit spots. And, of course, there will be plenty of treat stations to keep the kiddos on a stable sugar rush.

Fort Worth Zoo fortworthzoo.com

Elizabeth Beck

City Council member, attorney, and, oh, yeah, hiker

BY JOHN HENRY

PHOTO BY CRYSTAL WISE

The all-encompassing nature of the job of City Council member might best be illustrated by Elizabeth Beck’s trip in the not-toodistant past to Big Bend Country, that portion of Texas’ magnificent TransPecos region.

She had just gotten off the trail from a hike and taken a seat at the lodge bar, awaiting her workout reward of a burger and beer. One must replenish those lost carbs after all. Her hiking raiment that day happened to include a “Fort Worth” cap with the city’s longhorn-who-identifies-as-Molly-thecow logo just below the script.

“Not long after, this man walks in with a ‘Fort Worth’ T-shirt,” she says. “And I said, ‘Hey, I like your T-shirt,’ and he looked my hat, and he goes, ‘Oh, my God. I love that hat! Are you from Fort Worth?’ I said, ‘I sure am. What neighborhood do you live in?’ And he goes, ‘Well, it’s this neighborhood off Eighth Avenue.’ I said, ‘You mean Fairmount.’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’

“I said, ‘Hi, I’m Elizabeth Beck. I’m your city councilwoman.’”

That happened three other times with constituents from District 9 visiting Big Bend during the New Year’s portion of the holiday. On that same trip.

Fort Worth, it’s a small world after all.

The City Council and hiking are two of her chief concerns these days, in addition to two teenage daughters, of course. A three-legged dog, Trip, and his buddy, a cat named Roe, who is also missing a limb, are also members of the household.

“I love it,” she says of her job representing District 9, but Beck, 41, could have easily been talking about her treks across some remote trail. Those walks she calls her “spiritual reprieve.”

Beck is at the start of her second two-year

term on the council after winning reelection in May. She is also an attorney at Braziel Law Firm, where she practices labor and employment law.

Believe it or not, law was her third career. After graduating from Southwest High School, she joined the U.S. Army Reserves. She spent 8 1/2 years in the 223rd Maintenance Company based in Grand Prairie. In 2005, she deployed as a sergeant to Iraq.

Beck has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UT Arlington, as well as a master’s in city and regional planning. Before going to law school at Texas A&M-Fort Worth, she was a transportation planner at the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

She never had any ambition to run for elective public office.

But she ran unsuccessfully for the District 97 seat in the state House of Representatives in 2020. The experience, though, opened her eyes to so many issues at the city level.

“I want to be useful to my city, and I think this is my best and highest use right now,” she says.

The job can be difficult, she reminds. “It is not for the faint of heart. It really takes a toll on your physical health, your mental health, your financial health, and your interpersonal relationships.”

That’s why hiking has become such an important part of her life. It’s a fivemile journey of rejuvenation she takes every Sunday.

She rings in the New Year, every year since in 2017, in Big Bend. She discovered this vast and remote region of wonder, this place of isolation and tranquility in 2016.

“It’s part of my reset for the beginning of the year, but I also really enjoy sharing that place with people because that is my place in the world.”

She loves the solitude, unless, of course, she bumps into constituents. She loves that, too.

1. My best attempt at using a timer for a selfie in the Santa Fe National Forest. 2. With my two daughters on South Padre Island. 3. A visit to the West Wing of the White House. 4. The Prada in Marfa? Well, here’s the Target in Marathon. 5. The joy of discovering the beauty of Banff, the jewel of Alberta. 6. Enjoying the sunset in Big Bend with fellow hiker Keitha Spears. 7. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is renowned

HISTORY: VINCENT T. HAMLIN

Alley Oop’s Fort Worth Homecoming

BY MICHAEL H. PRICE

He’s got a chauffeur that’s a genuine dinosaur… And he can knuckle yo’ head before you count to four.

—Dallas Frazier

“Alley Oop” (Lute Records, 1960)

The formidable dinosaur sculpture standing guard at Fort Worth’s Museum of Science and History is a native Southwesterner in more ways than one. The creature goes by the academic name of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, and as such, it was not discovered until 1950.

But a Fort Worth cartoonist named Vincent T. Hamlin had envisioned that unknown monster in the fertile substrata of his imagination — almost a generation before the first real-world unearthing of any recognizable fossil remains. Hamlin called the creature by a simpler name, and he made Dinny the Dinosaur a key player in a rip-snorting comic strip called “Alley Oop” about a prehistoric Everyman. Dinny’s resemblance to the Acrocanthosaurus, or high-spined lizard, is uncannily prophetic, although the creature’s practical use as a horse, in effect, by the title character, Alley Oop, is a stretch.

The juxtaposition of provocative science-fact with adventurous frontier lore and science-fantasy is one of those nowhere-but-Texas coincidences that would leave V.T. Hamlin beaming with pride. If he were still around to do any beaming, that is.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that Hamlin (19001993) was an early mentor of mine in the cartooning profession and that I have worked since the 1990s on a series of books dedicated to keeping Hamlin’s rambunctious stories in print. Latest of these are Library of American Comics Essentials: Alley Oop, 1939; and Alley Oop’s Ancestors, the latter containing Hamlin’s 1920s cartoons for the Star-Telegram of Fort Worth. Not to mention that in 2005, the playwright–director Johnny Simons and I developed a stage production of “Alley Oop” at Fort Worth’s Hip Pocket Theatre.

It was the ranchlands of West Texas, rich in prehistoric outcroppings and an air of primeval antiquity, that had given the Iowa-born Hamlin an inspiration for “Alley Oop,” way back during the 1920s. He was based at the Star-Telegram at the time — producing a series called “The Panther Kitten,” a droll chronicle of a tenacious baseball team called the Fort Worth Cats. His nearness to the cowboy life and the natural history of the region became a springboard to “Alley Oop.”

“Y’know,” Hamlin told me during a series of late-in-life conversations, “I really created the blueprint for “Alley Oop” there at the Star-Telegram. Well, I suppose I had been drawing the guy who would become Oop ever since I was a kid — sort of a cowboys-anddinosaurs thing.

“But the one I called the Panther Kitten — he was my proving ground for the real Oop character. Y’might say I took this baseball cat and transformed him into this big caveman-cowboy I called Oop. I was more interested in prehistory and frontier life, anyhow, than I was in baseball — not that my tendencies to mix cavemen up with dinosaurs could be considered accurate prehistory!” If dinosaurs and cavemen had co-existed, Hamlin suggested, “why, those prehistoric rascals probably would have invented horsemanship and livestock-wrangling, using dinosaurs!”

The Telegram also provided Hamlin with the leverage to break through to greater prominence, however awkwardly.

“Fort Worth, I recall with a certain pleasurable fondness,” Hamlin said, “even though they canned me there at

the Star-Telegram. It was at the Telegram where I had the freedom to get frisky with my drawing — polish it up to the level it needed to be at — and where I had the responsibility placed on me to crank out the stuff on a routine basis.”

Hamlin also ranged the state as a news photographer. He shot the zeppelin Shenandoah from atop Fort Worth’s 24-story F&M Bank Building — one such photo appeared in The National Geographic magazine — and he showed up with camera in hand at a watershed moment in Texas’ oil-boom history when the No. 2 well of Ira and Ann Yates (hence the townsite’s name of Iraan) yielded a gusher in 1928, signaling a land rush. His friendships with the working cowboys of West Texas gave Hamlin plenty of inspiration for the wild and heroic character of Alley Oop.

That landscape, Hamlin recalled, “got me to thinking about the dinosaurs that must’ve been all over the place back in prehistory. I had a dinosaur cartoon in mind before I got up the sense to throw in a caveman and call him Oop.” He christened “Alley Oop” after the French expression allez-oop! — a sporting exclamation, signaling strenuous activity.

But how about that sacking from the Telegram?

“Like I said, they canned me,” Hamlin explained, describing a freelance venture in which he and a Telegram engraver had used the newspaper’s equipment.

“No big deal to the brass,” Hamlin continued, “’cause we made no secret of it, and they had more or less given us a nod and a wink to do so. But what soured the deal was the nature of some of the work we were getting on the side. This was during Prohibition, remember, and one of Herman’s and my lines was making these counterfeit labels for — well, for bootleg whiskey bottles.

“Well, the boss, a guy named Jimmy North, called me on the carpet, in a friendly but stern way. I was kind of lippy as a youngster, which had gotten me in some scrapes back in college, and I hadn’t entirely outgrown it.

“So ’stead of going, ‘Yes, sir, I was wrong, sir. I won’t do it again, sir,’ like I was s’posed to do, I just went mouthy on ol’ Jimmy North. And he fired me. So here I was, scrambling again.”

After a few years’ frustrations and false starts, Hamlin moved to Florida, put “Alley Oop” into production, and landed a newspaper-syndication deal. After his first syndicate went bust, Newspaper Enterprise Association stepped in to rescue “Oop,” which had become a popular success by the end of 1933. Successors to Hamlin have kept the strip going into recent times.

“I came back to visit Fort Worth after ‘Oop’ got to going pretty good,” Hamlin told me. “Looked up the Star-Telegram people for old times’ sake, and even dropped in on Jimmy North… His greeting was like, ‘Well, I sure kicked you upstairs, didn’t I?’ To which I said, ‘Well, it sure was a roundabout way of gettin’ upstairs!’”

Although Hamlin never presented himself as an authority on prehistory, he weaved a scientific background into “Oop’s” Sunday-funnies installments, with sidebar features dealing with prehistoric life. Dinny was strictly a concoction of the artist’s imagination — or so Hamlin believed until the discovery of Acrocanthosaurus remains on ranchlands in Oklahoma and Texas proved him predictive as well as productive.

When Hamlin announced his gradual retirement during the early 1970s, he complained to me: “Nobody’s interested in dinosaurs or prehistory anymore.” This sad insight may have seemed accurate to an artist who had weathered the popcultural trends of multiple generations and by now found his eyesight failing.

But Hamlin also maintained ties to “Oop” and lived long enough to take part in an ambitious series of books reprinting many peak-period episodes. He also lived long enough to witness practically everybody become interested all over again in that area of his greatest fascination: Hamlin died not long after Steven Spielberg’s movie version of “Jurassic Park” (1993) had reawakened that interest.

And as to whether anybody’s “interested in dinosaurs and prehistory” all these years beyond that surge — well, just ask the visitors queueing up for the Science and History Museum’s Dinosaur Gallery. The effect is nothing short of a posthumous homecoming for Vince Hamlin.

Keegan Keeps on Chooglin’

Local singer-songwriter, Keegan McInroe, goes to West Texas to find his muse.

BY BRIAN KENDALL

The first time I met Keegan McInroe was a late Friday at the Boiled Owl. A man, whose name escapes me and was at least two-and-a-half sheets to the wind, put his arm around McInroe and declared him the

most interesting man in Fort Worth. And there was nothing ironic about this. If doubling down on Tom Waits and Willie Nelson tribute shows, recording an album in a ghost town church, spending half of one’s days traveling Europe with a guitar around

one’s waist, braiding one’s hair at world-record speeds, and being an elected official in the town of Dublin qualify as interesting, then McInroe has the credentials — all of them — to back up this assertion.

McInroe has just released his latest in a long and prolific line of solo full-length albums. Agnes, named for both the old stone-clad, tin-roofed church in which it was recorded and the patron saint of chastity, virgins, and victims of sex abuse, hit streaming services in late September. The church that moonlights as a studio, called St. Agnes Church, resides in Terlingua, a Big Bend-area ghost town that’s recently transformed into a novelty vacation spot for adventurous and unpretentious souls. Yet it remains a solid 90-minute drive from what one might deem conventional civilization.

“Agnes, the character, ties in both thematically and because of the church,” McInroe tells me. The collection of songs, like all of McInroe’s releases, make up what amount to a concept album. Once he sojourned out to the region and decided to record the album in St. Agnes in November of 2022, he made a special trip to the region in August for the sake of research.

“I had read the story of St. Agnes and started doing some research, and I started doing a little research on the Big Bend region,” McInroe says. “I had already written a couple songs, but after my visit, I wrote the song ‘Agnes.’”

He would, indeed, record the album that November after getting approval from the church during the second day of his August excursion.

The album is raw and recorded live in the church with few overdubs — there are even times you can hear mission bells going off in the background. But at the center is McInroe’s voice, which hops between a Tom Waits-like hoarseness that sounds

like he’s smoked a couple packs a day for the better half of his life — he’s early 40-something — and a Townes Van Zandt clarity. It can be jarring when listening to the full album. But, really, his voice is hitting the timbre of what the song requires. He’s embracing the voice that’s telling the story, for which he has a knack.

And, yes, the album very clearly has a concept tied to both the patron saint, whose devotion to purity led to her martyrdom, and the region in which Agnes was recorded. McInroe sees a connection.

“It’s twofold, right?” McInroe says. “I mean, you’ve got her, but you’ve also got the region. So, she’s the church and what she experiences is basically the micro level, and then there’s the region and how the people of the region experience something similar is on the macro level.”

McInroe did his due diligence; he did his research. After all, he’s a guy who studied religion and philosophy at TCU and is clearly a natural when it comes to learning.

To take you back to the beginning, McInroe spent his last semester at

TCU studying in London on one of those study abroad programs. While there, he took advantage of his proximity to the rest of the old country and would regularly take weekend trips around Europe. He got to know the land, and he got to love the land.

“I would hit the airport Wednesday night and then I would come back Monday afternoon from somewhere in Europe, and I just fell in love with all of it.”

After graduating, McInroe returned to good ol’ Fort Worth and got a gig waiting tables at Red Lobster. Yeah, he was a musician in a band, playing nights and weekends, but he needed the side gig to make ends meet.

“I’m coming in and serving octogenarians their salad with blue cheese and their biscuits, and it’s $6, which is great for them, but I’m getting maybe a dollar from ’em,” McInroe says. But when he returned from a five-week tour with his band, Whiskey Catfish, he was officially unemployed at Red Lobster and would take the opportunity to try his hand at “doing the music thing” full time. Seventeen years later, and Keegan hasn’t had

a boss, a you’re-late-for-work call, a weekly stand-up meeting, or any damn meeting. He’s making his way doing what he loves.

From 2012 to 2019, McInroe was spending half of every year in Europe — I gathered he has a healthy following in Germany. All he had in tow were a few changes of clothes in a duffel bag and a guitar case, all of which he had strung around his waist as he toured small venues and the occasional busking festival — where McInroe says most of the performers were literal clowns. He was in constant motion. As one might say, playing all the stages while neglecting the wages, if you’ll pardon the cringeworthy rhyme.

“When the pandemic started, and I went to my mom’s place [in Dublin, Texas], it was the longest I’ve been anywhere for more than two weeks at a time in over 10 years. I’ve been pretty much in perpetual motion.”

He’s now spent the majority of his time in Fort Worth, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t hesitate to hit the road and return to Europe. Heck, he was recently there for a couple months and plans on returning soon. But, here in his adopted hometown, he’s gained a following for his local shows, stellar and prolific songwriting, wealth of knowledge, and tributes to Tom Waits and Willie Nelson.

“This, ultimately, is my musical home,” McInroe says. “If I’m going to be in a major city in Texas, this is where I’m going to be. It feels like Fort Worth’s been in this really lovely golden moment. It’s getting a lot of attention in a lot of ways, and there are a lot of really cool things that are coming in. I mean, yes, prices are also going up. The Chat Room and the [Boiled] Owl just raised their prices a dollar on drinks, and that really hurts [I say this jokingly]. And that’s really the barometer I use: How much drinks are at the Boiled Owl.”

The Frog Prince

Joe Staubach, the grandson of Roger Staubach, comes from football royalty, but there’s much more to his life than the game.

BY JOHN HENRY

There are any number of things a writer will try to pick up through a binocular scan of the sideline during a football game.

Player interactions, reactions, and emotions can provide context for what is happening out there. Same with the coach. Uh-oh, the trainer is attending to someone. Those are merely a few of the things to look for. However, one inspection last season caused a binocular

double take after an initial survey failed to notice anything unusual going on with TCU’s sideline.

The name on the back of No. 43 would catch anybody’s eye. It stood out like a cat at the dog park, or, perhaps, SMU red and blue at the Brown-Lupton University Union.

“Staubach.”

You do not have to be a 50-something sports enthusiast who watched the Dallas Cowboys erect its castles, drawbridges, and stone walls as America’s Team to know the name Staubach.

Roger Staubach was the original, seemingly immortal mythical figure of the empire that is the Dallas Cowboys.

“Captain America” was involved in most of the Cowboys’ earlier epic conquests and the faithful servant who orchestrated one of the most iconic plays — the “Hail Mary” — in NFL history while leading the franchise to four NFL championship game appearances, including victories in Super Bowls VI and XII.

His cultural significance, at least in this part of the country, is tantamount to Elvis, if you’ve ever heard of him, without — as far as I know — the peanut butter, sliced bananas, and crisp bacon sandwiches.

That is not the way Joe Staubach, a graduate of Dallas Jesuit High School, looks at it. Roger Staubach is “granddad,” first and foremost. Yes, of course, he knows all about the history, legend, and heritage, but he is living his own life as a redshirt freshman walk-on wide receiver at TCU.

When he arrived in Fort Worth a year ago, Joe remembers, the cashier at whatever convenience store he had stopped in immediately recognized the name. When he introduced himself to coaches, they, of course, got it.

Otherwise, he says, the recognition is “kind of random.”

There was a time, of course, he didn’t even know.

“I do vividly remember if you’re talking in terms of like, recognition, realizing what [Roger] did,” Joe says. “I was in kindergarten or first grade at Christ the King [elementary school], and a coach asked me about it and kind of explained it to me.”

Joe went to his parents for more details, and that was when “I started to understand that my name, you know, came with recognition and people kind of noticed it.”

The holiday family football games almost certainly began to take on more meaning. Who else among us had Roger Staubach throwing passes to us on Thanksgiving?

Joe found his way to Fort Worth, above all else, because he wanted to study at the school’s Neeley School of Business. He plans to study finance and real estate. Real estate is the industry of his father and grandfather. Trying out for the football team wasn’t really on his radar until his father, Jeff, counseled him, suggesting he should give it a try, if he wanted.

With his last name has never come any family pressure or expectation to be the next Roger Staubach on the football field.

“My parents were really great about that,” he says. “I mean, they put me in sports when I was little, which I’m very thankful for, but they never forced me to play.”

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It was always about the experience itself, and, “you know, get your energy out and all that stuff.”

“I tried everything, soccer, basketball, baseball, football … whatever it was. And they said, ‘Just go have fun.’ They were never like, ‘You gotta be a quarterback.’ They said, ‘If you’re gonna do it, you’re gonna work hard,’ which is the right way to do it obviously. I was talking to my mom yesterday; she’s like, ‘If you end up not loving it eventually, that’s fine. Do what makes you happy and do it to the best of your ability.’”

Being a “walk-on” in college athletics refers to a studentathlete who joins a university sports team without receiving an athletic scholarship or any form of financial aid specifically for their athletic abilities. Walk-ons are typically responsible for covering their own tuition and other expenses. They earn a spot on the team through tryouts or by simply showing up and expressing an interest in participating.

Walk-ons generally are practice players who help the scholarship athletes prepare for games. Some are or evolve into game-day contributors. Some might even, in time, earn a scholarship.

But the walk-ons demonstrate a unique level of dedication and commitment because they are essentially donating their time to their team. In addition to no scholarships, there are also none of these newfangled NIL deals. That is, college athletes can now profit off their “name, image, and likeness” — NIL. Some — probably, really, only a relative few nationwide — have deals that pay millions. Typically, though, it’s far less than that, but substantially more than a federal Pell Grant and more than enough to take a date to dinner and a movie every Friday night — out of season, of course.

Earning a spot as a walk-on also often requires something tantamount to an appointment to a military academy. OK, that’s somewhat of an embellishment, but it can require some politics. Joe Staubach had an ally in Max Knake, the former TCU quarterback, who gave him a recommendation of sorts.

“I wasn’t really ready to hang up the pads,” Joe says. “I wish I had gotten more out of it in high school. I was praying about it,

and [his dad] was like, ‘You should give it a shot.’ I thought, all right, we’ll give it a shot.”

TCU might be the only school in the nation — I don’t know — who has two Pro Football Hall of Fame grandsons on its roster. Luke Pardee, a quarterback from Klein Cain High School, is the grandson of Jack Pardee. The native Texan and A&M graduate was a Hall of Fame coach.

That first year in 2022 was one they’ll both remember very fondly. A magical run — we use that term, “magical” all the time, but is there really any other way to describe it — to the national championship and all the moments along the way is not something either will forget, naturally.

Joe actually has two grandparents who are former NFL quarterbacks. His maternal grandfather is Jim Ward, who played for the Baltimore Colts and Philadelphia Eagles. Jim Ward was a backup to Johnny Unitas for a spell. His shortlived career was ended by a knee injury delivered at the hands of known quarterback killer Dick Butkus. Ward is one of the few, perhaps only, players drafted in the NFL from tiny Gettysburg College.

In the fall of 2022, Gettysburg’s enrollment was 2,378, a fraction of the upwards of 51,000 casualties in the better-known Battle of Gettysburg and Lincoln’s worst prediction: “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here.”

The reader is literally witnessing a popcorn trail in print. Back to the Staubachs.

Joe’s parents, Jeff and Jenny, met through a mutual friend of the Staubachs and Wards. Jenny — and don’t tell anybody — went to SMU. Joe is the oldest of three. His sister, Caroline, plays soccer at Baylor.

Jeff is one of five children born to Roger and Marianne Staubach, whose family tree includes 17 grandchildren.

The family is “girl dominant,” Joe notes.

Joe says his grandfather always told him to “do whatever you want to do. I just love watching it.”

“He’d give advice all the time in football, but the stuff that really stood out to me is the off-the-field advice, like being

loyal to others and committing to something, and you don’t quit. And then just my faith life.

That the family is “girl dominant” might seem ironic to some considering Roger’s association with Our Lady. Roger and Marianne’s commitment and devotion to their Catholic faith is well known.

One of the most famous plays in NFL history is the “Hail Mary,” Roger’s last-second 50-yard desperation pass to Drew Pearson in a playoff game against Minnesota in 1975.

The pass was completed for a touchdown, and the Cowboys won 17-14. In the locker room afterward, Roger told the media that he merely hoisted the ball and said the “Hail Mary,” a traditional Catholic prayer and devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.

Roger joked while talking to students in Dallas years ago that, “I could have said the ‘Our Father’ or ‘Glory Be.’ It could be the ‘Glory Be Pass.’ It became a term the NFL recognized. The Blessed Virgin is very proud of me. We have a great relationship because of that.”

The Staubachs are noted for living life by the most important tenets. You are to love your neighbor and treat everyone how you want to be treated, regardless of position or title, one’s place in society, or their socioeconomic condition. One is to live a life of service.

“My senior year of high school I really dove into my faith a lot more,” Joe says. “I hadn’t taken it seriously just because it was kind of like, ‘all right, it’s a class’ in a Catholic high school. But I dove into it and began to really take it seriously. I became consistent of my prayers.”

That stood out to his family.

“My grandparents talked to me about how they were proud of me for doing that. And [his grandfather] told me the off-the-field stuff is twice as important as anything else, the way you treat others. That’s the advice that stands out the most for me.”

BEAUTY IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Oftentimes when I am talking with residents they say to me, “I wish I had moved to The Tradition much sooner.” Also, they remark on the many meaningful friendships they have developed. Studies show companionship is vital to all of us; it makes for a thriving and healthy lifetime.

If you are starting your search for luxury, rental retirement living, you’ll love our beautiful Communities and all the extraordinary services, amenities, activities, and new friendships that our residents enjoy. Maintaining an engaged and independent lifestyle is easy when you are close to the city’s most desirable neighborhoods and near to all that is familiar. Start enjoying your to-do list in warm, enriching surroundings, and take advantage of our many educational and social events as well as outings to cultural venues, popular restaurants, and special area attractions.

I hope that you consider a new way of living and join us at The Tradition. Please make an appointment to tour our beautiful Community, meet residents firsthand and learn more. I look forward to welcoming you home!

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Clearfork Main, Fort Worth, TX 76109

Jefferson, Texas

Population: 1,849

BY SHILO URBAN

With Deep South charm, Victorian romance, and beguiling bayou beauty, Jefferson is an enigmatic getaway in the Piney Woods — but in 1870, it was the second busiest port in Texas. This might strike you as odd since Jefferson is a landlocked city near the border of Louisiana, but

things were a little different back then. Just south of Shreveport, a massive 160-mile-long logjam blocked the Red River as it had since time immemorial, according to the Caddo Indians. The natural dam pushed water levels up several feet in the river as well as Caddo Lake and the Big Cypress Bayou east of Jefferson. It all connected into

a vast watery expanse that reached to the Mississippi River, enabling steamboat travel to Jefferson from New Orleans and far-away ports of call.

Boom times began shortly after Jefferson was founded in 1840, with riverboats bringing affluence and a cosmopolitan panache. Vestiges of its heyday era still adorn the town today, a patina of past glory that hums with the mysterious allure of the lost. Balconies with wrought-iron railings beckon you to linger. Horse-drawn carriages trundle down the original brick streets. Stately Greek Revival mansions and ornate Victorians stand in silent reverie with a haunting elegance — and haunted halls, rooms, and porches.

As the self-proclaimed “most

Comida de los Muertos

Eight Day of the Dead dishes to nourish the souls of the departed.

BY SHILO URBAN

Pan de Muerto / Bread of the Dead

Vibrant and joyful, Day of the Dead celebrates the lives of loved ones who have passed away. The holiday is observed on November 1 and 2 throughout Latin America but is most strongly associated with Mexico, where it originated. It’s believed that the spirits of the deceased return during this time to visit the living, who welcome them back with open arms. Some families travel to cemeteries to decorate graves and picnic. Others set up ofrendas (altars) in their homes with marigold flowers, prayer candles, and photos of departed kin, who are the guests of honor. Día de los Muertos is a personalized, intimate affair — but no matter how each family marks the holiday, food is always central to the celebration.

Traditional Day of the Dead dishes like tamales and pozole don’t just feed the living — they also nourish the souls of the dead on their long journey between worlds. Families place the deceased’s favorite foods and drinks on graves and ofrendas, enticing the spirits to make the trip with mouthwatering aromas and delicious displays. Many dishes date back hundreds if not thousands of years to pre-Hispanic cultures like the Aztecs and Maya. While Día de los Muertos fare varies by region, by family, and by ancestors, certain foods are intricately interwoven with the special time of year that reunites the living and the dead.

Pan de Muerto / Bread of the Dead

Perfect with a cup of Mexican hot chocolate, pan de muerto is a fluffy, semisweet circular loaf that’s dusted with sugar and topped with knobby crossbones of dough. Subtle flavorings of star anise, orange zest, and orange blossom complement its buttery, brioche-like texture. The bread symbolizes different things to different people: the circle of life, the tears that were cried, the tomb or the skull of the deceased. Some loaves are covered in sesame seeds and others

in pink sugar. Placed on the ofrenda to pay tribute to the dead, pan de muerto brings back sweet memories of loved ones lost.

You’ll see pan de muerto at grocery stores and Mexican bakeries all over town leading up to Day of the Dead; Esperanza’s Bakery & Café makes some of the best. Part of the Joe T. Garcia’s family, the bakery churns out hundreds of pan de muerto each season.

Calaveras de Azúcar / Sugar Skulls

Although not intended to be eaten, these elaborately decorated ornaments are inextricably connected with Day of the Dead. Each calavera represents the spirit of a friend or family member who has passed on; their name is often written on the skull. Big smiles, bright icing, sequins, and jewels create an eye-catching display for the ofrenda. More folk art than food, calaveras are crafted with a mix of sugar, water, and meringue that’s pressed into a mold and dried (amaranth seed dough was used before the Spanish introduced sugar). The skulls’ striking iconography makes them the very symbol of Día de los Muertos, and they’re replicated on everything from cookies to T-shirts.

In Mexico, sugar skulls are usually purchased at open-air markets, but you can shop for them at Kandy Queen Dulceria in Richland Hills — a colorful extravaganza of Mexican candy, chips, and drinks. You’ll find pre-decorated skulls in three sizes along with Day of the Dead piñatas and party decor.

Tamales

Tamales are a year-round staple in many Latin American cultures, but they’re especially important on holidays like Día de los Muertos. Originating in Mesoamerica as early as 8,000 B.C.E., tamales consist of masa (corn dough) and a filling wrapped inside a corn husk or banana leaf. They’re mentioned in the oldest known indigenous record, the Dresden Codex, which notes they were

stuffed with fish, deer, turkey, and iguana. Aztecs filled them with frog, flamingo, and salamander, and their warriors carried the portable protein packets into battle. One of the most common foods on ofrendas, tamales can have hundreds of different sweet and savory fillings. Local restaurant Maria’s Mexican Kitchen makes its tamales with chicken and blue corn masa, then tops them off with crema, tomatillo sauce, and a fried egg.

Atole & Champurrado

Atole is a warm, satisfying beverage that’s often sipped at breakfast with tamales — and like tamales, its main ingredient is corn. It’s impossible to overstate the significance of corn, or maiz, to indigenous American cultures. Much more than the principal source of nourishment, corn was the life source of humanity. Maize gods played vital roles in many native mythologies; the ancient Maya believed that human beings were formed from yellow and white corn. You can use either to make atole, a blend of corn flour with canela (Mexican cinnamon), raw cane sugar, and vanilla. Turn it into champurrado by adding chocolate, another Mesoamerican treat. During Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico, street vendors sell atole and champurrado to families heading to cemeteries to keep vigil with the departed.

Pozole

Taking its name from the Aztec word for corn (pozolli), this hearty stew has been served on the Mexican table since the pre-Hispanic era. Hominy and meat (usually chicken or pork) are pozole’s defining ingredients, but the rich broth gets its verve from chili peppers, onion, and garlic — plus a flotilla of fresh toppings like avocado and cilantro. “Pozole is one of the main celebratory dishes we do on Day of the Dead,” says Angel Fuentes, owner and mastermind of Guapo Taco. He cooks pozole in honor of his grandmother, who loved the flavorful soup. “I use her recipe pretty much — that’s why it’s so good!” Fuentes

serves this green chicken pozole at his restaurant during colder months, a steaming bowl of comfort that’s ideal on a chilly evening.

Recipe:

ANGEL FUENTES’ POZOLE

Ingredients

• 4 ounces dried guajillo or ancho chiles, or a combination

• 3 pounds pork shoulder well-marbled with fat (preferably with bone), cut into 1- to 1½-inch cubes (or pork shank)

• 1 large can white hominy (108 ounces), drained and rinsed well

• 1 white onion, chopped

• 8 cloves garlic

• 5 bay leaves

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 4 tablespoons dry oregano (Mexican oregano if available)

• Salt to taste

Garnishes

• 1 small cabbage, shredded

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

• ½ white onion, chopped

• 4 limes, quartered

• 1 bunch radishes, sliced thin

• 12-24 tostada shells (or tortilla chips)

Directions

1. In a small pot, cover the chiles with water and boil until soft. Blend with ½ onion, 4 cloves garlic, and 1 tablespoon oregano. Set aside.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to a large pot: pork, hominy, bay leaves, cumin and the rest of the onion, garlic, and oregano.

3. Cover, bring to a boil and then simmer until the pork shreds easily, around two hours — but it might be more or less, so check it with a fork to see.

4. Strain the red chile sauce and add to the pork mixture, then simmer for 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves and garlic cloves, and salt to taste.

5. Ladle into bowls and top with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serve with tostadas or tortilla chips.

Calabaza En Tacha / Candied Pumpkin

Calabaza en tacha has a place of honor on many ofrendas, particu-

larly on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Pumpkin was an essential component of the Mesoamerican diet for thousands of years; its firm flesh was roasted in fire pits and sweetened with the sap of the maguey plant, which you know as agave syrup. But today most calabaza en tacha is made with piloncillo, an unprocessed Mexican cane sugar sold in a cone. Slices of pumpkin are braised in a thick piloncillo syrup with Mexican cinnamon and maybe cloves or star anise. Baked until tender and fragrant, calabaza is eaten warm and swimming in syrup. You can also drizzle it with condensed milk or serve with vanilla ice cream.

Arroz con Leche / Rice with Milk

“Arroz con leche is the first food that comes to mind when I think about Día de los Muertos,” says Jacqueline Anaya, the chef behind the restaurant Calisience. Seasoned simply with sugar and cinnamon, the creamy rice pudding is a surefire crowdpleaser that brings up fond memories for many. “Everyone makes arroz con leche similar, in my opinion, and because of its similarity, it reminds us of past holidays or of a specific person who’s no longer with us,” says Anaya. “It’s a delicious, sweet, comforting dessert.” Serve the recipe hot off the stove or chill it down — or just stop by Calisience and order a bowl made by the master.

Recipe

JACQUELINE ANAYA’S

ARROZ CON LECHE

Ingredients

• 8 cups water

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)

• 1 can condensed milk (14 ounces)

• 1 cup long-grain white rice

• ½ cup sugar

• 4 cinnamon sticks

• Raisins (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently

so the rice doesn’t clump or stick.

2. Leave uncovered and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the rice is tender, continuing to stir frequently.

3. If desired, add raisins a few minutes before serving. Remove cinnamon sticks and spoon into bowls.

Mole Negro / Black Sauce

With layer after layer of smoky, complex flavor, mole negro is one of the richest Mexican dishes. Recipes for this intense and velvety sauce are often cherished heirlooms and handed down for generations. Up to 30 ingredients come together in mole negro: blackened or burned chiles, nuts, seeds, raisins, prunes, breadcrumbs and/or chocolate. Typically spooned over chicken or turkey, the sauce takes at least a day and sometimes more to prepare correctly — which is why it’s only made for special occasions, like Día de los Muertos. You’ll often see mole negro on graves and ofrendas; this beloved dish is at the top of the list of family favorites.

The mole at Enchiladas Olé isn’t technically mole negro, “but I make it with a lot of nuts,” says chef and owner Mary Perez — and it’s considered by many to be the best mole in Fort Worth. Pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, almonds, and chocolate all go into the recipe. Restaurant Don Artemio puts a twist on tradition by serving mole negro with seared Chilean sea bass, sliced plantain, and tomato herb rice. As Day of the Dead draws closer, watch for the sauce to pop up on other Mexican menus around town.

Arroz con Leche / Rice with Milk

Atole & Champurrado

Pozole

Mole Negro / Black Sauce

Calabaza En Tacha / Candied Pumpkin

Tamales

Calaveras de Azúcar / Sugar Skulls

A STELLAR REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE

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Real estate is always evolving. And as the extraordinary area that we call home continues to grow, so does our appreciation of all that it has to offer. Count on your Williams Trew agent for a professional real estate experience that you’ll appreciate for years to come.

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Ebby Halliday Real Estate, LLC dba Williams Trew Real Estate

Ebby Halliday Real Estate, LLC dba Williams Trew Real Estate

A BROTHERHOOD

How Fort Worth’s PBR team, the Texas Rattlers, is building a winning culture in the nascent sport of team bull riding

BY TYLER HICKS

The dark closes in, threatening to overwhelm your field of vision. But there’s a way to fight it, to shake off the shadows.

That’s how Braidy Randolph describes it, at least.

An 1,800-pound bucking bull smacked him in the face, mid-ride, last year in Las Vegas, and he tried to fight through the daze and walk back to safety. The bull, aptly named Mule Train, would strike fear into the heart of most mortal men. He sports a coal-black hide with a flourish of brown, and he has knocked off 96% of the riders who have tried to stay atop his back for the eight seconds needed to register a qualified ride. As a bull rider, it’s Randolph’s job to brave beasts like that most weekends.

“He just rocked my world,” the 23-yearold Randolph recalls nearly a year later. “It was one of those deals where you try to really fight through the haze and shake off the daze, but when I tried to stand up, I passed out.”

The Stephenville native may be young, but by now, he’s accustomed to enduring the ups, downs, and painful glory of a life riding bucking bulls. His hard-won talent has helped him reach No. 13 in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) rider standings as of this writing, and he’s overcome major injuries before. In 2019, for instance, he broke two bones in his lower left leg. Doctors used rods and pins to repair the damage, but a dangerous infection later settled in, threatening to waste away his leg and end his career. The leg eventually healed, but only after a busted incision alerted Randolph and his doctors to the raging infection. Even so, he resumed riding before his leg was even fully recovered.

This hit by Mule Train was different — not because of its damage, but because of what Randolph was fighting for.

Back in 2019, he was competing solely for himself. But last year in Vegas, he was competing in the finals of the PBR’s first team series season. Randolph is one of 10 bull riders on the Texas Rattlers, Fort Worth’s official PBR team. The squad is a collection of bucking bull veterans and young athletes, including guys from Brazil, Missouri, Idaho, and Australia. In last

year’s inaugural season, the team scored 10 straight victories, a scorching streak that earned them the No. 2 seed at the Finals in Vegas.

“The guys need to know that this is how good they are,” the team’s coach, rodeo veteran Cody Lambert, said at the time. “It is not a streak. This is how they ride. If you understand that, you don’t visit the zone every now and then. You live in the zone.”

Bull riding has historically been a “lone ranger”-type sport. Cowboys palled around with fellow riders, of course, but when they rode, they rode for themselves. Any money they earned was theirs alone, and oftentimes, guys went home with plenty of bruises but no winnings. The PBR has now shifted that paradigm, creating a league of eight teams.

From July through October, these teams travel across the country, participating in tournament-style events in which the squads take turns competing head-tohead. Riders are scored based on how well they ride, and they need to stay atop the bull for at least eight seconds to earn any kind of score. The team with the most collective points wins, and at the end of the competition, each rider receives a share of the team’s winnings.

While this new format has been met with skepticism by some fans and veteran cowmen, there’s little doubt it comes at a perfect time for the business. Rodeo events are breaking attendance records across the country, and in 2019, PBR and

CBS came to agreement on a media rights deal that will keep PBR events on national television through at least 2028. According to The Athletic, PBR has managed to sustain strong TV viewership numbers despite a rising trend in cord cutting. This year alone, five PBR events on CBS earned more than one million viewers.

Further, the PBR still hosts its regular season “Unleash the Beast” series from November through May, meaning there are major bull riding events on TV nearly every month of the year. “Unleash the Beast” is a classic rider versus bull competition where both man and beast are vying for individual glory. Architects and proponents of the team series say bull riding fans now have the best of both worlds.

They can watch their favorite riders — and their favorite bulls — compete in the “Unleash the Beast” series; then, when that season ends, they get to see them join forces for team competitions similar to the other professional sports they follow.

“Introducing the team structure is quite a departure from, let’s call it 100 years of history of Western sports, but team series is 100% the future of professional bull riding,” says Chad Blankenship, a sports business veteran and the general manager of the Rattlers. “What we’ve seen in only the first year and a half is that it offers everything a PBR and Western sports fan has always loved about bull riding. It has the excitement, it has the rivalries, and the structure benefits the riders, too.”

Randolph and Dan Keeping, two Rattlers interviewed for this story, say their team has forged a brotherhood that motivates each of them to be better. So last year in Vegas, it didn’t really matter that Randolph got bucked off.

What mattered was that, for the first time, he had a team ready to lift him up.

“We had lost one of our guys (veteran João Ricardo Vieira) to injury the day before, so it was one of those deals where you really want to fight for your team,” Randolph says. “You’re not really afraid of any bull; we feel like there’s no reason we can’t ride ‘em all. And you want to fight for that guy next to you.”

“You’re not in it alone” In the 1980s and ’90s, Cody Lambert was part of “the Wolfpack” — a group of friends and bull

Cody Lambert

riders that included Jim Sharp, Ty Murray, Tuff Hedeman, and Lane Frost. The cowboys traveled together and leaned on one another for advice and support.

“For me, it was always better to feel like I was part of a team,” Lambert tells Fort Worth Magazine.

Every aspiring cowboy grows up hearing the story of Lane Frost, thanks in part to Luke Perry’s portrayal of the legendary rider in the film “8 Seconds.” At an event in Wyoming in 1989, Frost successfully rode a bull named Takin’ Care of Business. Yet after the 25-year-old rider dismounted and landed in the mud, the bull pressed one of its horns against Frost’s back, breaking several of his ribs. When he stood up, his broken ribs pierced his lungs and heart, killing him.

Lambert would later develop the protective vests that are now required for all pro riders. He would also help found the PBR itself, and he played an outsized role in the organization’s evolution.

“I got stuck with the role as the unofficial livestock director,” he said in 2015. “It’s like there’s nobody there to coach the team, so one of the players becomes a player-coach. That’s how it felt to me.”

The Director of Livestock title later became official, and Lambert set a high bar for the PBR.

Since the organization was founded on the promise of matching up the world’s best riders with the world’s best bulls, he threw down the gauntlet, decreeing that only the rankest bulls (read: the toughest, most powerful bulls) would appear at PBR events.

“We’ve consistently demanded the best,” Lambert said in that same 2015 interview. “We were trying to get the best in the beginning, and then at some point, as the PBR grew, we could demand the best. We paid more, and we were the only place that the best bulls can be challenged. And we still are. If you have a real legitimate bucker, there’s really no place for him to go except the PBR.”

That’s truer than ever, as PBR competitions have become truly international events. Riders flock to the league from around the world, and from 2017 to 2022, the PBR’s Global Cup events affirmed both the sport’s global popularity and the viability of a team format. Teams from America, Brazil, Australia, Canada, and Mexico competed against one another for

gold, silver, and bronze medals, and the U.S. delegation included two teams: the Eagles, populated by riders from Montana, Washington, and several other states, and the Wolves, an all-Native American squad.

“In hindsight, the Global Cup really functioned as a beta test,” says Blankenship, who was a senior vice president at PBR before becoming the Rattlers’ GM. “It wasn’t created that way, but it was so fun, and fans loved it. The riders were into it, too, and it was such a compelling product on television. Watching those competitions, all of us at PBR thought we should look into developing a team series.”

Blankenship says the team series was originally going to be “an overlay” with “Unleash the Beast” events; the two competitions would be part of the same season. But the team’s concept evolved over the course of several years of planning, and in 2022, the PBR was ready with a product they feel showcases some of the most intriguing aspects of their sport. The team’s series has faced its fair share of criticism, though, especially in its early days.

“I was excited about the team format, but most people told me they thought

it wasn’t gonna be very good,” Lambert says. “I think a lot of them came around. For people that ridicule it and don’t like the team format, I think if they watched a little bit, I think they would enjoy the way it was presented.”

Blankenship elaborates.

“Fundamentally, I think a lot of people — including the riders — have come to love it so quickly because it has all the aspects of bull riding,” he says. “You see these incredible bovine athletes, and you’re adding into that all the layers of team sports and team fandom.”

Fort Worth, home to Dickies Arena and the storied Stockyards, was always going to be a part of the team’s equation. The city is, of course, steeped in Western lore, and it’s been playing host to bull riding competitions for decades.

“We knew we had to have a presence in Fort Worth, and we see the team as being a legitimate economic driver,” Blankenship adds. For example, Rattler Days — a threeday celebration at which all eight PBR teams will compete against one another — will be held at Dickies Arena in early October this year.

Once it was decided that Fort Worth

would be home to a PBR team, one of the first steps was to find a coach. Lambert was a no-brainer. After all, he knows bucking bulls better than most people on the planet, and he and his fellow Wolfpack members were inspirational figures for many modern bull riders. Since his hiring in early 2022, Lambert has complemented his rodeo legacy by building and training a team whose 10-win run was one of the biggest stories of the PBR’s first team season.

“The type of team we have is not built around superstars; it’s built around real talented guys that are humble,” he says. “We’ve gotten closer as it goes. We want that feeling because it always feels good when you’re not in it alone.”

“A different kind of grit” On a scorching August morning, Lambert runs his team through the obstacle course he designed specifically for the Rattlers. The course includes bars for balancing; monkey bars for arm, shoulders, and core strength; and rock climbing for added power in the neck, lower back, thighs, and calves. In other words, it has everything bull riders need to improve if they hope

to succeed against bulls that are getting stronger every year.

“I watched ‘American Ninja Warrior,’ then designed the course myself,” Lambert, now 62, says. “It’s all built with bull riding in mind, and it’s based on a different kind of grit.”

After a 6 to 9 a.m. workout, the team enjoys a late breakfast before going into film study. Like a football or basketball team watching game tape to break down plays and defensive formations, the Rattlers comb through tapes of the bulls they will face in their upcoming competitions. There’s a bit of unpredictability in this sport that keeps things interesting: A couple days before a team’s competition, the PBR will let each team know which “pen” (a group of bulls) they have been assigned for the upcoming event. This gives Lambert and his team the chance to strategize, assigning specific bulls to the Rattler they think has the best chance of scoring a quality ride. For instance, if a bull has a tendency to shoot out of the chute and immediately start kicking to his left, the team will most likely pick a rider who has recently had success staying balanced when faced with that kind of

move. Yet the teams have no idea which bulls they’ll draw after the first day of competition; it all depends on how that first day goes.

Due to the team’s repeated tape sessions — and the studious nature of the roster Lambert and Blankenship have constructed — the riders have a practically encyclopedic nature of the bulls populating the PBR ranks these days.

“There probably ain’t a single bull in the PBR that I don’t know about,” Randolph says. “If a new calf is coming up, we’ll watch ‘em buck so we can match up the right pattern.”

That said, Randolph admits there are some bulls who can switch up their moves, creating problems for riders who think they know what’s coming. He includes the bulls Cold Creek, Dennis the Menace, and Preacher’s Kid on that list.

“Those are tough to get by. They’re really electric in the air and really strong. They’re no fun to ride, because they don’t have a set pattern and you gotta be on your toes with them.”

That’s why Lambert spends a lot of time talking to his riders about focus. He shares mistakes he made while riding or notes mistakes other riders have made in the tapes they watch, but he doesn’t dwell on them. Instead, he teaches them to ingrain the little things in their mind so they don’t think about them when they get atop their bull.

“Cody is a classic motivator,” Randolph says. “Most of this game is mental, and he’s gotten me to believe in myself more than I used to. Before I joined the Rattlers, my riding wasn’t up to the level it is now. He’s always supporting us, no matter what, as long as we give it our all. He’s always pushing us, but he’s also telling us how great we are. When you hear that constantly, it’s hard to not pick it up and believe it.”

In addition to Randolph and his good friend Dan Keeping, the Rattler roster includes the masterful 39-year-old Brazilian João Ricardo Vieira, two other Bradys (Brady Oleson from Idaho and Brady Fielder from Australia), and top 100-ranked riders Alvaro Ariel and Cody Jesus. Younger riders Dawson Gleaves, Creek Young, and Trace Redd round out the team.

“If you’re writing about the team, you gotta have everyone in there,” insists Keeping, a 24-year-old with a twirly mustache and a charismatic Texas twang. He hails from Montague, Texas, a town with roughly a few hundred inhabitants.

“My dad was a smart man and drove me to push myself,” he says, recalling his life on a 6-acre property roughly an hour and a half north of Fort Worth. “When I was about 11 or 12, we had 2-year-olds or yearlings that were wild, and the other kids didn’t want to ride them. They were mean or would hook you in the box, but I took ‘em on. To be honest, I got a little ahead of myself.”

He got a reputation as a “crash test dummy,” the kind of guy who would ride bulls even if there was a good chance the ride would end in a rough wreck. Nowadays, Keeping isn’t too fond of that “crash test” moniker, but he admits he had a tendency to overextend himself.

“The older I got, the ballsier I got. Or the dumber I got. One or the other; it’s kinda the same.”

He grew up on the youth rodeo circuit with Randolph, and the two were close even before their Rattler days. Over the last year and a half, their bond has only gotten stronger. If you watch video from those days in Vegas, when the team was riding a 10-game win streak and seeking a title, you’ll hear Keeping in the background, hollering words of encouragement every interminably long second of Randolph’s rides. And after his friend was knocked out by Mule Train, Keeping was one of the first to offer him words of encouragement, to let him know he had

a whole team that was proud of him. Keeping credits Lambert for building a culture rooted in brotherhood. It’s a brotherhood that one might compare to the original Wolfpack. Unsurprisingly, that crew had a significant impact on Keeping. In fact, the Wolfpack is still shaping his career.

“Everyone says Lane Frost and I are kinda built the same, so I learned a lot from watching tape of him,” he says. “Then I got to meet Jim Sharp, and when you’re 13, 14, 15 years old in this world, seeing Jim Sharp walk around stays with you. You learn how to carry yourself the way you should. And now I’m coached by Cody.”

One of Lambert’s mantras has stuck with Keeping: “There’s another level,” Lambert says, “that you don’t even know about yet. But you’re about to unlock it.”

This mindset keeps the team positive and striving, even when they ultimately fall short. Their first season got off to a mediocre start, then their hot streak had many followers believing they could win the whole thing. A slew of injuries ultimately kept them from the crown, but they finished second place in a league where they initially appeared doomed for one of the bottom spots. Now, as of this writing, they’re in the middle of the pack as the last full month of the season begins. Their team identity as a tight-knit, scrappy unit that believes in itself at all times might just help them unlock that next level Lambert talks about.

“It’s a different feeling, being on this team,” Keeping says. “It’s just awesome being able to be any part of it.”

FortWorth Magazine

FortWorth Magazine

Dream

Dream Street

2023

When it comes to the massive undertaking that is the Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street, it’s safe to say the third time’s the charm.

Yes, this year marks the third iteration of this one-of-a-kind project that teams some of the area’s top builders, designers, and subcontractors to construct and furnish three luxury, multimillion-dollar homes that sit side by side. Nestled in the new Oak Alley development in Colleyville, these three homes, each measuring over 7,500 square feet and sporting a price tag of over $4.7 million, are the biggest, flashiest, and most extravagant homes our publication has had a hand in constructing since the dawn of the Dream projects (beginning with a singular Dream Home in October 2000).

With home and interior designs inspired by Tuscany, the Mediterranean, and the Isles of Britain, the following pages will take readers on a tour of lavish European living — all from the comfort of where you currently sit. And, like the magazine’s long-running series of annual Dream Homes, each home will showcase the latest in building and design trends.

The homes will be open for touring from Oct. 7 – 29, with ticket sales benefiting a Wish with Wings, the magazine’s official charity. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit dream.fwtx.com.

The English

7235 Oak Alley Drive

Taking its design cues from builder Nick Smith’s country of origin, this English Arts and Crafts home combines a traditional aesthetic with modern opulence.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN WALSH OF PREMIER PROPERTY MEDIA

Curved rooftops, asymmetrical windows, a botanical-inspired interior, and surprises around every corner — these are just a few of the charms and eccentricities that will greet those who visit this distinct home. Designed by Christopher Hough of Heritage Design Studio, the home is an homage to the birthplace of the home’s builder, Nick Smith of Kensington Custom Homes, and cleverly produces a traditional design that is also one of the most adventurous homes one will see in the Greater Fort Worth area.

Helming the interior design is Marlene Small of Heritage Interiors. Small went to great lengths to ensure that the interior remained authentic and celebrated the spirit of English Arts and Crafts. “Within this architectural style, there are unexpected nuances within the home,” Small says. “There’s a window that’s not quite where you expected it to be or a door that’s at a different height because there’s a story with the homes.”

Listed at $5,295,000

THE BUILDER:

Nick Smith

Kensington Custom Homes

Nick Smith’s story begins in London, where he lived in a 400-year-old Tudor home and first cut his teeth in property development. While he initially worked on commercial projects, Smith eventually moved to Dallas, where he switched to residential development and founded Kensington Homes, a boutique builder that enjoys a large presence in the Colleyville, Grapevine, Keller, Southlake, and Westlake areas.

Kensington Custom Homes are designed to be personalized to their clients’ specifications; no two projects are the same. Their homes are sustainably built, cutting down on waste and energy bills. Finally, their homes are built for performance. They don’t cut corners. They use the best products and materials and incorporate the best in-home automation technology.

As soon as one enters through the arched doorway, the lush botanical interior — with soft greens, rich plums, and stone and wood textures — sweeps one into the warm world of English Arts and Crafts. Highlighting the home’s entryway, which opens directly to the main dining and living areas, are ceilings adorned with windowpaned wooden beams, a stone-clad wall, and not-sosubtle nods to Asian influence. “It [Asian influence] was an integral part of English Arts and Crafts,” Small says. “It’s all romantic patterns and color — the movement was a rebuke of industrialization and modernization.”

The Floor Plan

7235 OAK ALLEY DRIVE

Home designer: Christopher

Hough, Heritage Design Studio

Style: English Arts and Crafts

Stories: 2

Sq. ft.: 7,682

Bed: 5

Bath: 6 Full, 2 Half

Garage: 4-car

The custom-built range hood was inspired by the old English AGA, a wood-burning stove that stayed on 24/7. “Growing up, all the rich families had one,” says Smith, the home’s builder.

“We initially wanted to put in an AGA, but we compromised and went with a design that looks like a stove but is more acceptable for the American market.” Elsewhere, in a nod to English heraldry and hunting, the home’s study includes a painting of the Smith coat of arms and taxidermy hens, mallards, and deer. “But we [English] are not the greatest of hunters,” Smith retorts. “Because guns are illegal.”

The lines within the master bedroom denote a contemporary interior design that is, once again, met with botanical flourishes courtesy of a viny chandelier. The contemporary elements beautifully juxtapose the master bath’s showstopping wallpaper, which recalls the Asian influence prevalent in English Arts and Crafts.

The upstairs bedrooms and what Small calls a “hang-out room” continue the botanical ornamentation. The rooms’ furnishings and accents play off of the color palettes of each space’s floral wallpaper. The home’s interior is inextricably and purposefully tied to the spirit of English Arts and Crafts. “You can do the trend; you can do what’s fashionable. But is it timeless and will it endure?”

Small asks. “I understand this is not for everyone. There will be people who come in here and say, ‘Oh, my gosh, there’s too much clutter.’ But there’s a story, and I think it’s important to be able to create the story.”

THE DESIGNER:

Marlene Small

Heritage Interiors

While this was a team effort on the part of Heritage Interiors, Marlene Small’s passion for weaving a story through her design choices left an indelible mark on the home’s unmistakable interior design.

Small has a degree in linguistics and languages, but she has been in the interior design industry since 1994 when she worked for an interior designer in Central Texas. She opened her own company three years later and began specializing on sorority facility projects. Small then joined the Heritage Interiors team in late 2019.

Since kicking off her time at Heritage, Small has delivered timeless spaces that exude her clients’ personalities and validates their vision.

“Homes in England with swimming pools ... not so much,” Smith jokes. “We don’t have long summers.” But for the Texas market, a swimming pool, and a large swimming pool, is a must. And with a large sliding glass door that connects the home to the outside, a plethora of patio space, and a flat-screen TV, the background is perfect for entertaining.

The English

Here’s the lineup of partners for our Dream Home at 7235 Oak Alley Drive

Builder: Kensington Custom Homes

Realtor: George & Noonan Real Estate Group

Interior Designer: Heritage Interiors

Appliances: The Jarrell Company

Architectural Design: Heritage Design Studio

Cabinetry (Kitchen): The Kitchen Source

Countertop (Fabrication): Absolute Stone & Tile, Inc.

Countertop (Materials): KLZ Stone Supply, Inc.

Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall Inc.

Electrician: Prewitt Electrical Services

Fencing: Lambert’s Ornamental Iron

Fireplaces: Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth

Flooring Labor: Vintage Floors

Flooring Material (Wood and Carpet): Vintage Floors

Flooring Material (Tile): Daltile

Front Doors: Silverado Custom Door & Window

Garage Doors and Openers: Overhead Door Company of Fort Worth

Garage Epoxy Coating: Premier Custom Floors

Glass: Galactic Glass

Gutters: Loveless Gutters

Insulation: Texas Insulation

Interior Beams: Green Valley Beam & Truss Co.

Interior Design: Heritage Interiors

Landscape and Irrigation: Guardado Landscaping

Lighting Fixtures: Passion Lighting

Low Voltage, AV, and Security: H Customs

Outdoor Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace

Paint (Materials): Sherwin-Williams

Plumbing (Fixtures): The Jarrell Company Pool: Claffey Pools

Realtor: George & Noonan Real Estate Group

Roofing: Texas Tile Roofing

Stairs and Railings: Aaron Ornamental Iron Works

The Mediterranean

7239 Oak Alley Drive

Deep in the heart of Texas lies this coastal castle, where beachy vibes and Spanish flare make life a little easier.

This sublime mansion represents a sequel, of sorts, to builder John Webb and interior designer Susan Semmelmann’s 2022 Dream Street project. Yes, this home marks the second time these Dream Street vets have teamed up for a jaw-dropping showcase of modern home design. While their 2022 home in Montrachet received high praise, the duo has clearly upped the ante with a Mediterranean-inspired adobe that feels plucked from the coasts of Andalusia. But traditional Texans need not worry, the home effortlessly incorporates all of the modern design trends metroplex dwellers have come to appreciate.

The six-bedroom, six full-bath, 7,700-square-foot home also represents the largest house of the bunch and, by extension, the largest Dream Home in the history of the program. Taking on this large space, Semmelmann, of Susan Semmelmann Interiors, seamlessly integrates a modern approach to interior design with nods to the Mediterranean aesthetic. According to Semmelmann, “Every room in this space isn’t just a design — it’s a feeling, an experience.”

Listed at $5,250,000

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN WALSH OF PREMIER PROPERTY MEDIA

“Everyone loves hardwood floors,” Semmelmann says. “So, I was really passionate about making the floors anything but hardwood. To be unique. To be organic. So, we chose a beautiful tile with a beachy, pebbly feel.” The tile, which is seen throughout the home’s bottom floor, evokes the texture of sand, which lead to the living room’s furnishings that bring to mind waves. The entry sets the stage, as this earthy, organic ambience is maintained through the entire home. Meanwhile, splashes of olive green on cabinetry, wall art, and dining chairs easily pop while remaining within the palette of earth tones.

THE BUILDER: John Webb

Heritage Homes

This marks the fourth time John Webb has teamed with Fort Worth Magazine as a builder on a Dream project. Having previously constructed the magazine’s first and only Showcase Home in July 2019, followed by his participation in the 2020 and 2022 Dream Streets, Webb has proven himself as reliable and excellent a builder as one could hope.

And, given his 30 years of experience in the business, one shouldn’t be surprised.

Webb formed Heritage Homes in 2014, where he’s mostly concentrated on the Southlake and Colleyville areas of the metroplex but has sinse branched out to other areas in Greater Fort Worth.

So, why does he keep returning?

“It’s a huge amount of exposure, and I enjoy doing it,” Webb says. “I’m able to show off what we can do and what we’re capable of doing as far as the creativity. It’s nice to show off what all the talented team members are able to accomplish.”

The Floor Plan

Home designer: Scott Watson, Arch House Collaborative

Style: Mediterranean

Stories: 2

Sq. ft.: 7,714

Bed: 6

Bath: 6 Full, 2 Half

Garage: 4-car

7239 OAK ALLEY DRIVE

As Semmelmann calls it, the master bathroom is the “big wow.” From the high ceilings to the tile work to the Mediterranean-inspired twin open-shower concept and massive his and hers closets, it’s a space that induces resortlevel tranquility. Not to be outdone, the bedroom itself includes a custom hair-on-hide headboard and bedding that sneakily manages to convey both mirror and wood.

A room dedicated to the nonprofit a Wish with Wings. A big reason Semmelmann returns year after year to participate in the magazine’s Dream projects is because of the money raised for this incredible foundation.

Go to page 94 to read more about this room and the magazine’s work with a Wish with Wings.

Semmelmann explains that for additional bedrooms, she typically makes them genderspecific without designing any that would be deemed “kids” rooms. In this case, she created a children’s hang-out/play area adjacent to the upstairs balcony. The orange-and-blue-clad room is also a perfect example of her “no hard stop” rule. All four walls, ceiling, and floor flow together, which is why her team will often paint ceilings, as seen above.

With more and more people working from home, Semmelmann elected to make his and hers offices — converting one the bedrooms to an additional study. Elsewhere, one of the most impressive single items resides in the game room bar area. In fact, it is the game room bar. Taking the trunk of an old, very large tree, Semmelmann’s team custom-built a granite countertop that possesses the lacquered trunk as a base.

THE DESIGNER: Susan Semmelmann

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

When it comes to Dream projects, this isn’t Susan Semmelmann’s first rodeo. This year marks the sixth time Semmelmann has teamed with Fort Worth Magazine to provide the interior design of a home, having previously partnered with the publication on three Dream Homes and the two previous Dream Streets.

Crediting her mother-in-law for introducing her to interior design, Semmelmann has now been in the construction and design world for 25 years. During that time, she’s designed countless spaces where clients have made some of their most cherished memories.

One of Semmemann’s main motivators for continuing to partner with the magazine is the charity aspect of the Dream Street project. “Nothing is a greater blessing than to take our God-given talents and use our resources to participate in something that can benefit a great charity like a Wish with Wings.”

A fireplace, grill, and a plethora of patio furniture make this the perfect outdoor space for spring and fall weather. And, for the summer months, the large pool, with its irregular and jagged shape, is a perfect exterior complement to Semmelmann’s interior design.

The Mediterranean

Here’s the lineup of partners for our Dream Home at 7239 Oak Alley Drive

Builder: Heritage Homes

Realtor: Jeannie Anderson Group - Compass Real Estate

Interior Designer: Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Appliances: The Jarrell Company

Architectural Design: Arch House Collaborative

Artificial Grass: Wintergreen Synthetic Grass

Cabinetry (Kitchen): The Kitchen Source

Cabinetry (Master): Closet Factory

Countertop (Fabrication): Absolute Stone & Tile, Inc.

Countertop (Materials): KLZ Stone Supply, Inc.

Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall Inc.

Electrician: Powered Solutions

Fencing: Lambert’s Ornamental Iron

Fireplace Tile: Cosentino

Fireplaces: Fireside Hearth & Home

Flooring Labor: Premier Designs Flooring

Flooring Material (Wood and Carpet): Premier Designs Flooring

Flooring Material (Tile): Daltile

Framing: Lone Star Framing & Construction LLC

Garage Doors and Openers: Open Up Garage Doors

Garage Epoxy Coating: Firehouse Garage

Glass: Galactic Glass

Gutters: Loveless Gutters

Hardware: Rick’s Hardware & Decorative Plumbing

HVAC:

Interior Climate Experts

Insulation: Texas Insulation

Interior Design: Susan Semmelmann Interiors

Lighting Fixtures: Passion Lighting

Low Voltage, AV, and Security: Multimedia Solutions Group

Outdoor Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace

Paint (Labor): J&V Painting

Paint (Materials): Benjamin Moore & Co.

Plumbing (Fixtures): Expressions Home Gallery

Plumbing (Labor and Supplies): Pro Serve Plumbing

Pool: Leschber Designs

Realtor: Jeannie Anderson GroupCompass Real Estate

Roofing: Tarrant Roofing

The Tuscan

7243 Oak Alley Drive

An authentic Tuscan villa that has the stone walls, wooden beams, and even an herb garden to prove it.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN WALSH OF PREMIER PROPERTY MEDIA

It’s not a stretch to say that visiting this stone and stucco clad home would make one feel right at, well, home next to a vineyard in Tuscany. Or that one might feel the urge to reach for his or her passport before entering.

As it turns out, this Tuscan home, built by Brian Demma of Brian Michael Distinctive Homes, was more than just inspired by Tuscany. No, that celebrated region in West Italy provided the whole blueprint.

While the home may transport you to another region, it does not transport you to another time. We’re happy to say the home contains all of the architectural flare of modern design — open floor plan, lots of windows and light — and interior designer Traci Darden of Elements of Design made sure to update the Tuscan style with cleaner lines and smoother finishes. The resulting home manages to become modern while remaining authentic.

Listed at $5,200,000

A quintessential element of a Tuscan country house is chestnut wood beams. And it’s a box this home checks with flying colors. Throughout the entryway, the stone walls, splashes of green, and indoor plants bring a great deal of the outside indoors — a nod to the natural elements often found in Tuscan design.

THE BUILDER:

Brian Demma

Brian Michael Distinctive Homes

Before founding Brian Michael Distinctive Homes, Brian Demma held positions as a corporate trainer and internet sales director for one of the nation’s largest private home builders and spent 12 years in information technology working for the second-largest computer manufacturer in the world.

During this time, Demma would spend his weekends purchasing, managing, and remodeling rental homes. It was during this time that his love of construction compelled him to pursue a full-time position in the industry.

According to the company’s website, with over 30 years of combined professional experience, Brian Michael Distinctive Homes is committed to delivering one-of-akind luxury homes that leave a lasting impression. Its executive team is composed of the hardest working, most resourceful, and dedicated service professionals in the industry.

The Floor Plan

7243

Home designer: Clay Nelson, C.A.

Nelson Architecture Group

Style: Tuscan

Stories: 2

Sq. ft.: 7,588

Bed: 5

Bath: 5 Full, 2 Half

Garage: 4-car

OAK ALLEY DRIVE

One of the home’s most distinct design features is the bookmatching stone work on the master bathroom’s large walk-in shower. While the symmetry can play tricks on your eyes — sometimes with varying effects — it’s a sight to behold in person. Elsewhere, Darden’s guest and kids’ bedrooms tout her ability to create livable spaces. “It’s accessorizing to the point of livability,” Darden says, “where they feel welcome to put their feet up, curl up on a sofa with a book and glass of wine, or just live their lifestyle, whatever it may be.”

Clearly a home built to have fun no matter which room one happens to find themselves, a shuffleboard becomes the centerpiece of this game room, which features rich, dark wood paneling that resembles an Italian bar.

Yet another necessary element a Tuscan home must have is cotto tile floors. Cotto is a terracottacolored travertine (limestone) that is particularly resilient to natural elements found in Tuscany. Darden checks this box by cleverly incorporating a rug that resembles the Tuscan tile in the downstairs sitting area.

Brilliantly blurring the line between indoor and outdoor, a loggia room with a small dining area opens up to both a barroom with a pool table and the outdoor patio, where a legitimate Italian pizza oven awaits.

THE DESIGNER:

Traci Darden

Elements of Design

Having spent over 25 years running her Southlake-based firm, Elements of Design, Traci Darden has become a well-respected veteran in the design world.

After she received her bachelor’s degree in interior design from FIDERaccredited Texas State University, Darden began her career in design in Austin, where she implemented design center solutions for multiple custom homebuilders. She opened Elements of Design in 1995 after marrying her husband and moving to North Texas.

When asked what drives her design style, Traci will tell you listening to the client and developing a plan that is livable and timeless. Her designs are touted as “thoughtful,” as she puts her eyes to a project and comes at it from all angles, truly thinking of it from a lived-in perspective. Her advice is sought after on multiple boards within her industry.

According to Demma, having the pool pushed away from the home’s patio is a classic Tuscan design element as it allows space for entertaining around a gas-fed fire pit. The backyard also includes an herb garden — yet another quintessential element a Tuscan house must have — a fountain display that if one squints could rival the Bellagio, and a pickleball court (not a quintessential element of a Tuscan home, but we like it anyway).

The Tuscan

Here’s the lineup of partners for our Dream Home at 7243 Oak Alley Drive

Builder: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes

Realtor: Sophie Tel Diaz Real Estate

Interior Designer: Elements of Design

Appliances: Expressions Home Gallery

Architectural Design: C.A. Nelson Architectur e Group LLC

Cabinetry (Kitchen): The Kitchen Source

Countertop (Materials): Levantina

Drywall and Texture: Alliance Drywall Inc.

Electrician: MPT Electric

Fencing: Lambert’s Ornamental Iron

Fireplaces: Fireside Hearth & Home

Flooring Labor: Galvan Floors

Flooring Material (Wood and Carpet): Galvan Floors

Flooring Material (Tile): Daltile

Garage Doors and Openers: Open Up Garage Doors

Garage Epoxy Coating: Professional Garage Concepts

Glass: Galactic Glass

Hardware: Pierce Fine Hardware & Plumbing

Interior Design: Elements of Design

Landscape and Irrigation: Guardado Landscaping

Lighting Fixtures: Passion Lighting

Low Voltage, AV, and Security: Comware AV

Outdoor Furniture: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace

Paint (Labor): J&V Painting

Paint (Materials): Sherwin-Williams

Plumbing (Fixtures): Expressions Home Gallery

Plumbing (Labor and Supplies): Pro Serve Plumbing

Pool:

BlueWater Pools LLC

Realtor: Sophie Tel Diaz Real Estate

Roofing: Texas Tile Roofing

Sport Court: NexCourt Inc.

Stucco (Material and Labor): Metro Architectural Finishes

The Wish Kids’ Room

Susan

Semmelmann’s Mediterranean home

includes a room devoted to a Wish with Wings.

Susan Semmelmann won’t tell you her passion is interior design. It’s what she does for a living, and she’s pretty darn incredible at it, but it’s not her true motivation. In fact, it’s not even the main reason she continues to participate in Fort Worth Magazine’s Dream Street. No, Semmelmann’s passion and her reasons for participating are rooted in charity.

A Dream Street ticket costs $20 — $10 goes toward a Fort Worth Magazine subscription, and $10 is donated to a Wish with Wings, a local nonprofit that grants wishes to children with terminal or life-threatening medical diagnosises. To date, the local charity organization has granted over 1,800 wishes to Texas children.

“Every year, my passion is to see how much we can raise for [a Wish with Wings],” Semmelmann says. “So, this year, I wanted to do something to showcase [the charity].”

In her Mediterranean-inspired home, Semmelmann has devoted an entire room, with a pair of bunk beds, to shed light on a Wish with Wings. The winsome room, the only one in the home clearly meant for kids, is adorned with paintings by Wish Kids (children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions), stuffed animals, and butterflies. The beddings — there are four beds in the room — will also be gifted to four lucky Wish Kids.

“The people at a Wish with Wings volunteer so many hours for the Dream Street tour, and I wanted to do something in honor of

Thank You

A letter from Hal Brown, publisher of Fort Worth Magazine

Since October of 2000, the month we went to press with our first Dream Home issue, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing 30 spectacular houses planned, built, toured, and ultimately sold to fortunate families.These immense projects have required the work of thousands (from the homes’ construction to the product in our magazine), been toured by thousands, and also raised thousands for charity. And the project continues to grow.

thank you that one can imagine. Working on this project with everyone involved has been truly inspiring.

Speaking of inspiration, I hope you enjoyed flipping through the previous pages and perhaps even become motivated to consider a new home build or remodel. And, of course, we can’t recommend the vendors who worked on these homes enough. You can find the list of these vendors on the last page of each home’s spread.

them,” Semmelmann says. “How can we help give awareness for their cause? And then how can we generate dollars to help the organization?”

To raise money, Semmelmann will be raffling off a donation of $5,000 worth of design services — the proceeds of which will go directly to a Wish with Wings.

“It’s the reason I do this,” Semmelmann says, “and I enjoy it so much.”

After 20 years of producing one Dream Home a year, in 2020 we tripled down in Southlake, producing a showcase of three luxury homes, sitting side by side, giving our devoted readers a peek at the industry’s latest trends and technology. While the three-home Dream Street project was three times the work, it also brought more reward, more opportunity to see phenomenal work by amazing people, and an even greater sense of accomplishment. Thus, we continued the Dream Street in 2022 with three amazing homes in the Montrachet development in Fort Worth.

Though I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite, I must say that this year’s Dream Street is going to be a tough one to beat. With three colossal homes — each over 7,500 square feet — with distinct and captivating styles, these three houses in the Oak Alley development of Colleyville have raised the bar to new heights. And, of course, it couldn’t have been possible without a wonderful group of hardworking and dedicated people.

To everyone who had a hand in this project — from the architects, builders and designers, to the workers who installed the drywall, laid the carpet and sanded the stairwell — I give you the sincerest and incredibly well-deserved

I also look forward to seeing everyone for the Dream Street touring, which will take place from Oct. 7 to 29. You should also know that touring proceeds benefit our flagship charity, a Wish with Wings, a local 501(c)(3) charity that grants magical wishes for little Texans with life-threatening conditions. For those who make the drive to Colleyville, I also extend a sincere thank you. If you can’t make it out for this year’s touring, I’m happy to report that this won’t be your last opportunity to tour a Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street. The project will be returning in the spring of 2025 with three new home builds in West Fort Worth’s Montrachet development.

Until then, thank you and keep reading.

Hal Brown

FOCUS

Fort Worth Magazine’s Dream Street 2023 Project Partners

The success of Fort Worth Magazine’s Dream Street project hinges on the expertise of the region’s top builders, interior designers, architectural designers, and subcontractors. Whether your goal is to revitalize your current home or build a new one, our official Dream Street project partners can help you turn your dreams for your home into reality. The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth Magazine.

official project partner for: Heritage Homes

Arch House Collaborative

FOCUS: Primary focus is high-end residential architecture and interior design. AFFILIATIONS: Arch House is the Design Review Committee for the following neighborhoods: Quail Hollow (Westlake), Westlake Ranch (Westlake), and Idlewild (Fort Worth).

WHAT SETS THEM APART: Being a full-service architectural firm, Arch House Collaborative offers expertise in all phases of the design and construction processes, including architectural design, interior design, and graphical interpretations of each phase of a project. PICTURED: Scott Watson.

Arch House Collaborative

5049 Edwards Ranch Road Fort Worth, Texas 76109

445 South Kimball Ave., Ste. 160 Southlake, Texas 76092

817.882.8882 archhouseco.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes

BlueWater Pools LLC

FOCUS: At BlueWater Pools our focus for the last 25 years has been to design, construct, and service luxury residential and commercial pools while providing our clients with an exceptional experience. RECOGNITIONS: Our senior designer has received numerous awards across his 35-plus years in the industry. These include gold, silver, and bronze medals from organizations such as NSPI, APSP, and others. His work includes backyard retreats taking Best in Show in home tour competitions, featured on HGTV’s “Cool Pools,” and published in Luxury Pools D Magazine 360 West, and 76092 magazines.

MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: As members of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), we utilize their educational platforms for continuing education and certifications. Our on-staff management pool operator (MPO) and certified pool operators (CPO) instructor have trained hundreds of CPOs with many local service companies, various county and city health department inspectors, and 100% of our service technicians. Through PHTA, our Design and Construction Team utilizes the Genesis platform and has both Certified Pool Builder and Certified Advanced Pool Building Professional credentials. Our TDLR license is #341, and we ensure each of our repair technicians possesses a Texas Residential Appliance Installer License. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: We are thrilled to have served more than 80% of our clients for over two decades. Our quality construction and customer service are what keep our clients coming back for new projects. WHY CHOOSE THEM: Our professional and highly trained team is the reason our clients choose us, knowing they will receive a superior product and experience. We’re not a volume builder. Our focus is on ensuring our clients experience a more personable, long-term relationship. MOTTO: Providing and Maintaining Family Memories for 25 Years! FREE ADVICE: Invest in your future — be an educated consumer. Don’t be fooled by the lowest quote. With no licensing protocols in Texas, dozens of clients have reached out to us to complete a project after being ghosted by their original builder. Nothing feels worse than seeing our clients have an added, unexpected expense to complete a project sold to the lowest bidder. Take our advice; research your builder. There’s more than just a cost difference between an economy car and a finely built luxury one. The same with a pool/spa. Once it’s built, it’s built; demo projects are very costly.

PICTURED: Scott McFarland, CEO; Angela Tucker, COO; Michael Hammonds, senior designer & project manager.

BlueWater Pools, LLC

10424 FM 1902

Crowley, Texas 76036

817.297.7120

bluewatercustompools.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Heritage Homes | Kensington Custom Homes

FOCUS: For over 75 years, Daltile has been the industryleading brand of ceramic, porcelain, glass, and metal tile as well as natural stone, large-format slab, and countertop products. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS:

Floor Covering Weekly Best Tile Manufacturer; Best Bath Product in the Best of IBS Awards; Most Familiar Ceramic Tile Brand in Builder Magazine’s Brand Use Study; Floor Covering Weekly Dealers’ Choice Award; Interior Product in the Green Home Builder Editor’s Choice Awards; Best of Tile Expo Style & Design winner. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Tile Council of North America, American Society of Interior Designers, and National Tile Contractors Association. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Our company’s greatest achievement is becoming the leader in the tile industry, offering an unparalleled breadth and depth of product through our 235 Sales Service Centers, 44 Countertop Slab Centers, and nine BDCs to support you. WHY CHOOSE THEM: With products and styles for every budget, Daltile delivers the broadest array of tile with unmatched availability, helping customers bring any design imaginable to life. FREE ADVICE: When moving forward with developing a design, it is important for homeowners to focus on the things that will make them happy in their home, addressing current and future needs. Don’t skimp on big-ticket items, like floor tile or countertops, as those features define a space.

Daltile

Fort Worth Showroom & Design Studio 3328 Fossil Creek Blvd. Fort Worth, Texas 76137 daltile.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Heritage Homes

Expressions Home Gallery powered by Reece

FOCUS: Building luxury homes calls for a dream team; and getting to know you, your style, and your vision is our top priority. We understand no project is the same, and we go above and beyond to help bring your dream bathroom and kitchen to life. OUR PURPOSE: To improve the lives of our customers and our people by striving for greatness every day. PRODUCT CATEGORIES: Bathroom

faucets and fixtures, kitchen appliances, including outdoor kitchen appliances and John Michael outdoor cabinetry, as well as special collections found only at Reece, including Posh faucets, Zuster vanities, Momo hardware, and Emma Hayes wallpaper. WHY CHOOSE US: Expressions Home Gallery has got your back every step of the way. With our curated product assortment and design

tools, you can feel confident you’ve chosen quality products that fit your needs and represent your lifestyle. OUR PROMISE: Part of your dream team, your trusted partner from start to finish (and beyond). PICTURED: (left to right) Anne Bartin, Shellie Phillips, Billy Wadle, Allison Greenhaw, Paula Jorgensen, Sabrina Martin, Shawn Linett, Stori Olson, and Kym Newman.

Expressions Home Gallery powered by Reece 5001 Bryant Irvin Road North | Fort Worth, Texas 76107

817.259.0920

reecebathandkitchen.com IG, FB, Pinterest & Houzz: @reecebathkitchenusa

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Heritage Homes

Fireside Hearth & Home | Dallas

FOCUS: Fireside Hearth & Home, a division of HNI, has been installing fireplaces since 1951. We’re fireplace experts focused on the latest trends, energy-saving technologies, and brands to offer you the best solutions. With 29 locations spread across 12 states, we’ve supported homeowners, builders, remodelers, architects, and designers across the U.S. on residential and commercial projects with the design, installation, and maintenance of their fireplace project. As part of Hearth & Home Technologies, the world’s largest manufacturer of fireplaces, stoves, and inserts, Fireside is your one-stop-shop for your fireplace needs. Whether you’re looking for entry-level or custom, traditional, modern, or

transitional, indoor, or outdoor fireplace units, or a comprehensive product portfolio of garage doors, we have what you need. In Dallas, we proudly offer Heat & Glo® and Heatilator® fireplaces along with Amarr® and Wayne Dalton® garage doors. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Fireside Hearth & Home is proud to be the best total cost supplier with the shortest lead times, best “Complete to Promise” and have the lowest warranty rates in the fireplace industry. WHY CHOOSE THEM: We believe that many of life’s best moments happen in your home. Though we have the best selection of brand-name products, what sets us apart is our commitment to serving our customers’ individual

needs. Our focus on customer satisfaction and being experts in all aspects of installation and service are key to the partnerships we create with builders and homeowners. In addition to providing top-tier sales and service, our team leads with a safety-first mentality, as consumer safety is our top priority with every install. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: We are grateful to be part of so many communities across the U.S. It’s why we are so passionate about giving back to the neighborhoods we live and work in through organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Built to Honor, and Housing First. FREE ADVICE: Pick a fireplace that will meet your specific needs. New technologies will not only help you

to pick out a fireplace that matches your home’s aesthetic, but also allows for you to choose additional customization options, like whether you want your fireplace to emit heat or not, and if so, where you want to direct that heat. Thanks to these advancements and our wide selection of product offerings, entertaining in front of the fireplace can now be year-round, indoor, and outdoor.

Fireside Hearth & Home

2917 N. State Highway 161 | Grand Prairie, Texas 75050

972.215.7675 | fireside.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Kensington Custom Homes

CONCENTRATION: Guardado Landscaping is a landscaping and retail garden center. RECOGNITIONS/ AWARDS: Guardado Landscaping has been the official landscaper for 11 Fort Worth Magazine Dream Homes; 2008 Kaleidoscope Home. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, Alabama Nursery Association, Better Business Bureau, and Greater Fort Worth Builders Association. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Every day there is a professional achievement. The entire staff receives a sense of accomplishment when a project begins and when it is completed. That’s important not only to me but to my staff. PHILOSOPHY: You only get one chance at a first impression — let us design a landscape that they will remember. FREE ADVICE: The team at Guardado Landscaping believes that a job well done means that promises have been kept and the customer is delighted with their project. Always keep your word and offer your customer the best possible service. There are many landscaping companies to choose from, so be sure that the vendors you choose are licensed, bonded, and fully insured. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Not taking the landscaping seriously is one of the mistakes people make when building a home. Because landscaping is the first thing people see when they drive up to a home, shouldn’t it be the best impression as to what’s inside?

Guardado Landscaping

3228 Alta Mere

Fort Worth, Texas 76116

817.732.3434

Fax 817.732.4545

sales@guardadolandscaping.net guardadolandscaping.com

Guardado Landscaping

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Kensington Custom Homes

H Customs Audio Video

FOCUS: Since 2004, H Customs Audio Video has concentrated on the sales and installation of residential and commercial electronics with a focus on automation. Home automation integrates lighting, HVAC, cameras, security, televisions, home theaters, and whole house audio that can easily be controlled from any tablet, smartphone, computer, or Control4 touch screen. BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY: H Customs Audio Video strives to provide the best in high-performance audio and

video with a dedicated, personalized approach to meet each of our customers’ needs. We help create home automation simplicity by using the best smart home technology. ADVICE: Contact a custom integrator instead of going to the “big box” stores. We have a larger selection of products and know how to tailor them to fit your specific needs. Big retailers sell parts; we sell a quality working system. WHAT SETS THEM APART: We have been in business for 17-plus years and have handled

thousands of different types of jobs. Control4 Home Automation is a great area of expertise for our company as they advance in technology. H Customs Audio Video performs all project interior design, systems design, sales, service, installations, and most project construction in-house, thereby reducing the number of other contractors needed to perform a project. PICTURED: Brad, Kyler, Adrian, Nikos, Edger, Craig, Aidee, Brian, Samaa, and Matthew.

H Customs Audio Video

5059 Martin Luther King Jr Freeway

Fort Worth, Texas 76119

817.300.1518 hcustoms.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Heritage Homes | Kensington Custom Homes

FOCUS: KLZ Stone Supply Inc. was founded in 2009 and has become the premier distributor of natural stone slabs in Texas. KLZ scours the world to bring you the most unique and exquisite slabs of granite, marble, quartzite, travertine, and onyx. RECOGNITIONS: ASID kitchen renovation. MEMBERSHIPS: American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and Marble Institute of America (MIA). GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: KLZ Stone Supply has the largest inventory in the U.S. and is the largest supplier in the state of Texas. WHAT SETS US APART: Our vast selection, exceptional quality, utmost integrity, and unmatched customer service have led KLZ to become the best choice for all your natural stone and tooling needs. FREE ADVICE: Don’t settle for a supplier who does nothing more than take orders. At KLZ we pride ourselves on service and guidance. PICTURED: Maggie Habashi.

KLZ Stone Supply Inc.

KLZ Stone Supply

11129 Zodiac Lane, Ste. 300 Dallas, Texas 75229

214.243.5132 klzstone.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes

Levantina

FOCUS: Distribution of natural stone, quartz, and sintered stone, with products from our own quarries and factories in both Spain and Brazil. RECOGNITIONS: Award-winning customer service. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: NARI, NKBA, ASID, and IDS, among others. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Levantina is pioneer of large format porcelain slabs. Sintered stone is starting to revolution the industry. WHY CHOOSE THEM:

We excel in customer service and quality. We are one of the very few fully integrated companies that owns quarries, factories, and distribution centers throughout the world to service the U.S. markets. MISSION: The vision of our business is to be at the forefront of the worldwide business of stone. Our mission is to continuously innovate and develop our products, systems, processes, services to ultimately have a

satisfied customer base, create value for the shareholders, and have a motivated and qualified staff. Our values are performance, success, integrity, motivation, and flexibility.

PICTURED: Cynthia Ochoa, Mariana Auge, Melissa Bakonyi, Ruben Herrera, Jesus Garcia-Gomez, Veronica Alvarado, Michelle Temple, Brandon Martschinsky, Juan Rodriguez, Martin Gonzalez, and Ruben Gonzalez.

Levantina 2250 Morgan Parkway, Ste. 140 Farmers Branch, Texas 75234

972.488.2800

jesus.garcia@levantina.com levantina.com

FOCUS: Our company’s focus is to educate the buyer in our field of low-voltage integration services so that the buyer can make decisions for their home or office to suit their specific needs. We strive to stay up to date in our industry and offer the most innovative solutions. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: CE Pro100. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Evolving with our industry to not only bring the best and latest in technology, but to provide the best in quality at each project. With our electrical division, we bring quality to high voltage. It has made automation, lighting, and lighting fixtures seamless, due to design, installation, and quality control. It also afforded us the opportunity to offer lighting service to integrate with low-voltage applications. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Clients become lifelong partners because of the relationships that are created alongside our unmatched design, products, and customer service. MISSION: Our mission is to provide our clients the best turnkey solutions. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Not consulting with their integrator early in the process so design and implementation can be installed correctly. FREE ADVICE: Consult early in your building process with your integrator and electrician to save you costs and budget for what you want to invest in your home.

Multimedia Solutions and Powered Solutions

2030 Diplomat Drive Dallas, Texas 75234

972.488.1084

multimediasolutionsgroup.com

poweredsolutions.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Heritage Homes

Kenneth and Melissa Golden

Pro Serve Plumbing LLC

COMPANY FOCUS: To provide exceptional quality plumbing services with attention to detail. We want our customers to feel confident in selecting us and to know that we will provide them with professional service every time. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: We have created a company that continues to experience professional growth, and our employees really like working for us. We have created long-lasting relationships with them, which allows us to provide our customers with the knowledgeable and professional workmanship that we promise. MOTTO: We take care of you so you can take care of what is important. FREE ADVICE: Do your research and ask questions. Nobody knows you like you know yourself. Most of the time, people know what they want, and it helps in the overall building process if they are able to convey that to their contractor. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Sacrificing on the things they really want, thinking they will do it later. Often times, later never comes, and they wish they had gone ahead and gotten that beautiful freestanding tub, or exotic granite, or elaborate light fixture. It’s your dream home; get what you want!

11255 Camp Bowie W., Ste. 120 Aledo, Texas 76008

817.244.0614

melissa@proserveplumbers.com

proserveplbg@yahoo.com proserveplumbers.com

Pro Serve Plumbing LLC

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Heritage Homes

Tarrant Roofing

Danny Leverett, owner/CEO

FOCUS: Our primary areas of expertise encompass residential reroofing, commercial roofing, and new construction roofing. RECOGNITIONS: We’re honored to have received several accolades, including being voted as the Best of Fort Worth in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2023. Additionally, we’ve been recognized as one of the Top 100 Roofing Companies in the Nation for 2022 and 2023, and lastly, we were named the BEST Place to Work in Fort Worth in 2020.

MEMBERSHIPS:

We proudly maintain our membership in the NRCA (National Roofing Contractors Association). WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE: Tarrant Roofing is a company dedicated to setting higher standards within the roofing industry. Each day, we provide solutions to homeowners seeking to enhance properties affected by storm damage or deferred maintenance. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our 100% satisfaction rating, consistent five-star service, and our lifetime labor warranty. MISSION: Our core mission revolves around “Quality 1st, Profit 2nd.” Our primary objective is to deliver the utmost level of service and restore properties to their original beauty. We refuse to compromise on quality or offer discounted services. Our enduring legacy is built on consistently doing what is right. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Constructing a custom home is an exciting yet substantial endeavor, presenting a chance to create something truly distinctive and aesthetically pleasing. In the world of roofing, we place significant emphasis on the integrity required to withstand the wind and hailstorms in Texas. Ensuring that corners aren’t cut during installation and utilizing top-notch materials is paramount to guaranteeing a secure and safe home. FREE ADVICE: It’s crucial to conduct thorough research and choose a contractor committed to excellence rather than just financial gain.

Roofing

1900 Handley Ederville Road

Fort Worth, Texas 76118

817.571.7809

tarrantroofing.com

Tarrant

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Kensington Custom Homes

Larry Cremean, President/Owner

Texas Tile Roofing LLC

FOCUS: Our company’s focus is to not only install longlasting roofs but also build long-lasting relationships with our customers. RECOGNITIONS: Best of FTW, Golden Hammer Award. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: NTRCA, RCAT, Tile Roofing Institute, GFBA, Dallas Builders Association, Western States Roofing Association. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Our greatest professional achievement is maintaining our integrity. WHY CHOOSE THEM: Clients

should choose us because we are going to be fair in terms of price. We have over 50 years of combined experience in this industry. We will tell you what will work and what will not work on your roof. We will be there to answer any concerns and/ or questions about your project. MOTTO: Our motto is “The Tile Roof Specialist.” The roof specialist comes with all that combined experience. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE: The biggest mistake when building a home is going for the

cheapest bid. Do research on the builders and subcontractors.

FREE ADVICE: Get yearly maintenance on your roof. You get maintenance done on your vehicles so they perform at their best and last longer; you need to have maintenance done on your roof so it will perform at its best and last longer.

PICTURED: Renee Cremean-Mattox, Evencio Gaona, Miguel Sandia, Javier Sosa, Pedro Marquez, Hugo Sandia, and Austin Taylor

Texas Tile Roofing LLC 2616 Weaver St. Haltom City, Texas 76117

817.838.6100 Fax 817.838.6104 texastileroofing.com

official project partner for: Heritage Homes | Kensington Custom Homes

The Jarrell Company Appliances, Plumbing and Decorative Hardware

SPECIALTY: We work with both professionals and homeowners to find the perfect high-end appliance, plumbing and decorative hardware solutions to suit their needs. Whether you are working on a large kitchen remodel, building a custom home or adding a new bathroom addition, The Jarrell Company wants to be your go-to supplier for everything that makes your home both gorgeous and functional.

MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Dallas Builders Association, Greater Fort Worth Builders Association, National Association of the Remodeling Industry, National Kitchen and Bath Association. GREATEST

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Since we opened our doors, we have seen a wonderful response from the community and incredible growth. We owe it to our dedicated and knowledgeable employees and our passion for everything that makes a house a “home.”

PHILOSOPHY: The Jarrell Company is where beauty and function meet. It is our mission to help people find the perfect high-end appliance, plumbing and decorative hardware solutions that will fulfill their practical and aesthetic needs. FREE ADVICE: Talk to an expert first. It will save you time, money and frustration. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Not planning for the appliances and plumbing properly. It is more complicated than you think. PICTURED: Eric Neel and Morris Wells.

The Jarrell Company

2651 Fondren Drive | Dallas, Texas 75206

214.363.7211 | Fax 214.363.3100

1900 S. Main St., Ste. 110 | Grapevine, Texas 76051 817.532.5530 | Fax 817.532.5531

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Kensington Custom Homes

Aaron Iron Works, Inc.

Stephen Stratton and Todd Brock

FOCUS: After 38 years serving the metroplex, all parts of Texas, and the surrounding states, including over a million-dollar project in Destin, Florida, Aaron Iron has continued to flourish through the range of economies that it faced in that time. A commitment to industry excellence, safety, and quality has taken this company from a local supplier of homeowner-driven products, such as hand-forged driveway gates and railings, to the increasingly demanding arena of commercial construction. This turn of events has grown us into not only a shop providing the decorative elements to complete a structure, but also a shop that erects the structure itself. WHAT SETS US APART: Our ability to design, engineer, and create gives us the creative license to take and handle the full metal package on a new project from I-beams to forged rails. This understanding of the metal aspect on any level gives Aaron the edge in information and performance when considering your next project. And, we still value our local homeowner market! PICTURED: (left to right) Carlos Rodriguez, field superintendent; Mark Visage, retail sales; Todd Brock, president; Hunter Fitzgerald, project manager; Renee Jolley, commercial sales manager; Stephen Stratton, vice president; Derek Hackleman, general manager.

Aaron Iron Works 107 W. Barron Ave. Everman, Texas 76140  817.731.9281

aaronornamental.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Heritage Homes | Kensington Custom Homes

Absolute Stone & Tile, Inc.

FOCUS: We concentrate on natural stone materials in custom homes and commercial buildings. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Absolute Stone & Tile has worked with Fort Worth Magazine on three Home of Dreams projects and has a close affiliation with Betty Baker, a prominent builder in Tarrant County. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Servicing the DFW area and becoming a trusted business for the past 16 years. BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY: Being locally owned and operated, our business focus is on the individual attention to our customers. We do our own work from estimating, consulting, and outlining to fabrication and installation, which ensures a prompt and reliable service. FREE ADVICE: Absolute Stone & Tile, Inc. is your “one stop” service company for all your granite countertops and other natural stone applications. We will help you in your project through every step of the process and provide you with a wide selection of materials and finishes that you can choose from. Whether you are a homeowner looking for just a kitchen upgrade, custom designs, or a commercial builder with multiple divisions, we can help you.

PICTURED: Roman and Felisa Abundiz.

Absolute Stone & Tile, Inc.

11655 Alta Vista Road, Ste. A Fort Worth, Texas 76244

469.621.8387

Fax 817.753.6140

absolutestonemex@hotmail.com absolutestoneusa.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

FOCUS: Alliance Drywall Inc. is a Texas-owned and -operated, turnkey drywall contractor. Providing both residential and commercial drywall systems, we supply and install for the following: metal stud framing, suspended ceilings, all gypsum products, soundproofing products, tape-bed-texture, special hand textures, Level 5 finishes, an array of drywall trims, and demo/cleanup services. RECOGNITIONS: Alliance Drywall Inc. is recognized as a leader in high-end residential construction with financial stability. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Celebrating our 28th year anniversary and feeling extremely blessed and proud to be here. Serving the many successful architects/builders/homeowners for this span has been very rewarding for us. MOTTO: “Whatever it takes.” FREE ADVICE: Homeowners tend to hire unqualified builders that tell them what they want to hear instead of the facts. It is expensive to build a true custom home. For most folks, the single largest investment you ever make is your home. Why hire someone inexperienced with the custom process? You get what you pay for! PICTURED: David Maserang and Jason Blaser.

Inc. 1207 Timberline Court Southlake, Texas 76092

817.577.0661 sheetrocker.com rock@sheetrocker.com blaser@sheetrocker.com

Alliance Drywall

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

builder: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes

Brian Michael Distinctive Homes

FOCUS: Luxury Residential Construction. RECOGNITIONS: Fort Worth Magazine 2023 Dream Street builder; D Magazine Best Builder 2023. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: In addition to the 2023 Fort Worth Magazine Dream Street, Brian Michael Distinctive Homes has maintained a consistent reputation for building high-quality homes, and our greatest accomplishment is the continued trust that we are given by our clients in accomplishing this task. WHY CHOOSE THEM: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes will attend every design meeting, help provide direction, and give undivided attention to our valued clients. MISSION: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes strives to build homes that exceed our homeowners’ expectations in quality and design. Clients can expect to work with a myriad of architects, interior designers, landscape designers, and pool experts. We utilize the highest degree of engineering and materials selection to build the perfect home. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: One of the biggest mistakes people make is to think that they can work outside a process which has tried-and-true methods, timelines, and order. When you start getting out of the order of the building process and rush the build, then it can cause issues at other stages. FREE ADVICE: Take the time to get to know the business and building philosophies of the builder you are entrusting to construct your home.

Brian Michael Distinctive Homes

1732 Johnson Road Keller, Texas 73248

817.431.3114 DistinctiveHomesTx.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes

Clay Nelson

C A Nelson Architecture Group LLC

FOCUS: High end Residential Architecture. RECOGNITIONS: D Magazine Best Architects, 2019 –2023; Luxe Gold List 2023; Modern Luxury 2023 Builder + Architect Awards; Build 2020 Home Builder Awards - Best Design Firm; Build 2021 Design & Build Awards - Best Design Firm. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Our greatest achievement is always the most recent completion. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Many architects are good at creating an appealing facade. C A Nelson Architecture Group takes great pride in doing that without compromising on the efficiency and functionality of the concept. MISSON: Our philosophy is that Form Follows Function. Before form can follow function, it must be proceeded by a desire to create something special. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: All projects have a budget. Sadly, all too often the first thing that is compromised is the quality of the design work. The reality is that the tighter the budget, the more the project needs logical, creative problem-solving. FREE ADVICE: Be honest about your budget and design goals. Tell your architect what you want and then give them the flexibility to be creative for you. If a client is always telling their architect what to do, the artistry and functionality of the project will be limited to the client’s vision.

C A Nelson Architecture Group LLC

5220 Spring Valley Road, Ste. 570 Dallas, Texas 75254

972.248.1905

canelsonarchitects.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Kensington Custom Homes

Claffey Pools

FOCUS: New pool construction, renovation, service, cleaning, and maintenance. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: 2023 Pool & Spa News Top 50 Builder and Top 50 Service Company; multiple gold, silver, and bronze international and regional awards; award winners featured in PebbleTec World’s Greatest Pools book; Pinnacle Awards; Southlake Style Reader Choice award. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Our greatest achievement to date was the 2021 freeze. We served more than 1,100 customers in just 11 weeks with the help of 41 employees who worked over 20-hour days, seven days a week. The team building that resulted from that trying period is something that any company would aspire to achieve. Our team is amazing and operates like a close-knit family. WHAT SETS THEM APART: We are a one-stop shop for customers. We take care of you and your pool for the entirety of its life cycle. From the initial construction to ongoing service and weekly maintenance to the time when it becomes necessary to renovate. MOTTO: A Passionate Commitment to Excellence. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: When building your home, you have a unique opportunity to incorporate your inside living and outdoor living spaces. Taking the time to see the entire space as one is crucial to create something truly special. FREE ADVICE: Never underestimate the consequences of decisions made solely on price.

Claffey Pools 1625 Brumlow Ave. Southlake, Texas 76092 817.623.5571 claffeypools.com

Shelly Claffey, Charlie Claffey, Brian Claffey

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Heritage Homes

Closet Factory DFW

FOCUS: Closet Factory DFW creates accessible luxury by custom designing storage solutions for any area of your home, from closets and garages to home offices, pantries, mudrooms, laundry rooms, and much more. RECOGNITIONS: 2023 Best of Houzz Design; 2023 Best of Houzz Service; five-star rated on Home Advisor; 4.8-star rated on Google; fastest-growing Closet Factory location in company’s 40-plus year history. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Closet Factory DFW is committed to giving back to the community through Closet Factory Cares, our national philanthropic organization. WHY CHOOSE THEM: Pride in workmanship means something to us. Each one of our custom projects is designed and manufactured locally in our factory in Grapevine. From our production personnel to our installers, every team member is a trusted, experienced professional. MISSION STATEMENT: Our 7 Keys Values: 1) Obsess over our customers, always. 2) Dependable to ourselves, our families, our customers, and our community. 3) Relentless in the pursuit of our goals, turning challenges to opportunities. 4) Meticulous with a constant focus on quality and attention to detail. 5) Team-oriented because all we accomplish is the result of a team effort. 6) Resolute in our confidence to achieve our objectives. 7) Thoughtful in every decision we make. PICTURED: Jeff Henderson, owner; Shelli Dierck, senior designer.

Closet Factory DFW

600 E. Dallas Road, Ste. 150 Grapevine, Texas 76051

214.530.9447 closetfactory.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes

ComwareAV

FOCUS: ComwareAV is an installation and design firm that provides a wide range of state-of-the-art technology and network integration services to a highly discerning clientele and luxury homebuilder. We work with end users, architects, builders, and interior designers to install and design the right environmental, entertainment, automation, network, and security controls into existing or new residential properties. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Home Technology Association – Estate Level, Elan Elite Dealer, Elan Dealer Council, Lutron Diamond, Crestron Elite, Sony Diamond, Samsung Platinum, Seura Platinum. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Working with the Gary Sinise Foundation to provide a specially adapted intelligent home and entertainment system for a severely wounded American hero through the R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) project. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Our company is in the top 10% of companies that will meet the standards to pass the Home Technology Association certification. ComwareAV is certified at the Estate Level, which means we specialize in luxury residences of any size, though with the skill set needed for residences 10,000 square feet and up. MISSION STATEMENT: We are perpetually devoted to enhancing and simplifying the lives of our clients through only the most efficient, exciting technical innovations in home automation and convenience. PICTURED: (standing, l to r) Shawn Angelle, network engineer; Kyle Couch, owner/CEO; Mark Rhine, project manager; (seated, l to r) Jason Hanifan, director of technology; Isabel Guerrero, office manager; Chris Wigginton, project manager.

ComwareAV

450 N. Kimball Ave., Ste. 100 Southlake, Texas 76092

214.393.3121

comwareav.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

Cosentino

FOCUS: Cosentino Group is a global, Spanish, family-owned company that produces and distributes high-value innovative surfaces for the world of design and architecture. It works together with its clients and partners to provide solutions that offer design and value and inspire the life of many people. This objective is possible thanks to pioneering and leading brands in their respective segments such as Dekton ®, Silestone ®, and Natural Stone by Cosentino ®, technologically advanced surfaces that allow the creation of unique environments and designs for the home and public spaces. CERTIFICATIONS: GreenGuard

– The GreenGuard Environmental Institute (GEI) guarantees that construction materials maintain air quality and can be used in closed spaces; ISO 14001 – A standard that guarantees that the company manages the environmental risks associated with their business activity; NSF –This certification, ratified by the FDA and the World Health Organization, recognizes that Cosentino’s surfaces may be in direct contact with food without contaminating it.

AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: 2016 Product of the Year, Interior Design and Architectural Record magazines; 2017 Architizer A+ Popular Choice Award, Interior Surfaces and Materials; 2017 Designer Kitchen & Bathroom Awards (United Kingdom); 2018 “Materials and Surfaces” Award, German Design Awards; 2020 Poncé de León “Company of the Year,” awarded by Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Florida.

Cosentino

11639 Emerald St., Ste. 400 Dallas, Texas 75229

214.256.9700 cosentino.com/usa

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official

Elements of Design

FOCUS: EOD’s focus is on new construction design services, catering to residential builders and their clients, model homes and show homes, as well as residential design after construction to include fully furnishing the home. We are your choice for full-service design as we understand the construction process as it relates to design and can bring in the wow factors that our clients are looking for during construction and after. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Our firm has received industry awards and recognition for our exceptional designs, demonstrating our commitment to excellence in interior design. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Our achievement of being in business for over 25 years with a loyal clientele, including clients who have been with EOD from the beginning, is a testament to our enduring success, consistent quality, strong customer relationships, and adaptability. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Choosing EOD offers a unique blend of design expertise, client-centric approach, and bespoke solutions. Our team of highly skilled and experienced designers excels at creating spaces that are not only beautiful but also highly functional and tailored to your individual needs and preferences. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Trying to coordinate the selections for an entire home without using a designer who is highly skilled at doing so. PICTURED: Traci Darden (sitting) and Monica Finn.

Elements of Design

405 S. Nolen Drive Southlake, Texas 76092

817.428.0657 IG: @eodllc traci@elementsofdesignllc.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

FOCUS: Firehouse Garage focuses on providing garage organization that is customized to your needs, offering custom cabinets, slatwall, storage racks/shelves, and custom floors.

RECOGNITIONS: Firehouse Garage has been ranked the No. 1 garage cabinet dealer by Redline Garage Gear for the last two years.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT:

Growing our business into the No. 1 garage cabinet dealership in such a short time while maintaining personalized customer experiences is our greatest achievement. WHY CHOOSE THEM: Being active firefighters, we understand the importance of having the customer place their trust in us. Because of that, we bring the same level of integrity to our business as we do when people call us to handle their emergencies. We stand behind our products and our installation, and our warranty is unmatched in this industry. MOTTO: Firehouse Garage — Organization You Can Trust! BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Don’t settle for using the garage as just a place to keep your junk. Hire a professional to make that large space an integral part of your home. FREE ADVICE: Don’t settle for industry fads or fly-by-night companies. Using a reputable contractor that is willing to provide real-world references is vital to making the most out of your investment. PICTURED: Jeff Pevytoe and Kenny Thompson, owners.

Firehouse Garage 682.408.7841 Admin@FHgarage.com FHgarage.com

Firehouse Garage

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Heritage Homes | Kensington Custom Homes

FOCUS: Our main focus is providing a quality product in a timely manner that helps our customers achieve their vision. In our industry, showers and mirrors have always been the No. 1 product provided by any residential company. Galactic Glass focuses not only on showers and mirrors, but also sliding room enclosures, wine rooms, and glass railing systems. We try to set the bar for custom glass and strive to be the best. WHY CHOOSE THEM: With our company, we aren’t just selling glass. We are selling our knowledge, experience, and a product that we will stand behind. We specialize in custom glass for custom homes. Our team works with some of the biggest custom homebuilders in our metroplex. These clients want something spectacular made specifically for their home. That is what Galactic Glass does and why our clients choose us. FREE ADVICE: When searching for a glass company, find the company that fits your budget and personality. We are a company that loves to have fun. With every project, we “shoot for the stars” and provide “out-of-this-world” service. We are an honest company that tries to be as “transparent” as possible. We are “clearly” one of the best when it comes to residential glass and bad jokes. PICTURED: Jeff Benson and Jordan Lively, owners.

Galactic Glass LLC

2401 E. Loop 820 N. Fort Worth, Texas 76118 682.626.5447 facebook.com/GalacticGlassLLC accounting@galactic-glass.com galactic-glass.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

FOCUS: We specialize in all residential and commercial installations in tile, wood, LVT, VCT, and carpet. We also fabricate and install custom quartz and granite countertops in-house, including fireplace facades and facets on accent walls.

MEMBERSHIPS: We are MBE and HUB certified and a member of the Bluebook Network. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Our greatest achievement is having our customers request services to be rendered by us and look to Galvan Floors to do their work as returning customers.

WHY CHOOSE THEM: We strive to meet our customers’ expectations and address their concerns. We take pride in finding solutions and concentrating on keeping up with new trends and products in the market. MOTTO: We are always up for a challenge! BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING

A HOME: If people rush when building, they select products without being fully aware of what is the best solution in an application.

FREE ADVICE: Please do a little research before making an executive decision on what finish to install in each area. Price should not always be top priority. PICTURED: Azenette Galvan, Juan Galvan, and Jocelyn Galvan.

Galvan Floors LLC

3140 South Freeway

Fort Worth, Texas 76110

817.920.0931 Fax 817.920.1758 galvanfloors.com

Floors LLC

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Kensington Custom Homes

Green Valley Beam & Truss Co.

CONCENTRATION: We are a locally owned woodshop that has been serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex for over 20 years. We specialize in hand-hewn hollow-wood beams, mantels, and planking. RECOGNITIONS: Named Best of Houzz winner four times for customer service.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: The majority of our projects come from referrals and repeat clients. WHY CHOOSE THEM: The advantage of our beams is that they are lightweight, durable, and resistant to warping. We offer a variety of distress levels and finish colors to match your style and vision. MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of Green Valley Beam & Truss is to provide a timeless wood product that creates a warm and inviting space in your home. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: The biggest mistake is not adding the beams during the architecture phase. Having the beams on the plans reduces the possibility of issues arising. It allows other trades to be cognizant of the beams. This also lets us spot errors in advance and advise the client on necessary changes needed. FREE ADVICE: Having a vision and starting the design process early can help ease future headaches. PICTURED: Cedric Luengas, Jesus Luengas, Justin Whitlock, Maddi Wolf, Peyton Whitlock, Christina Ramsey, and Tyler Whitlock.

Green Valley Beam & Truss Co. Aubrey, Texas 76227

940.215.6599

greenvalleybtc.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Kensington Custom Homes

Heritage Design Studio

FOCUS: Timeless residential architecture and interior design, holistic 3D modeling, consulting with developers for neighborhood standards. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: When the Heritage team presents a new design to the client and hears the excitement in their voices or sees tears of joy, this is the ultimate compliment. WHY CHOOSE THEM: As an architecture and interior design firm, Heritage believes the greatest contributions for a client’s dream are creative and timeless aesthetic and a listening ear. Each home is created as a one-of-a-kind work of art, shaped around the lifestyle of the family. By asking key questions and listening to clients’ desires, the ideal vision is reached. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Avoid compromising in areas that are highly visible and highly utilized while your home is being designed. You’re living in the home for many years and should be proud to pass the home on to future generations. FREE ADVICE: If you desire a home that will beautifully stand the test of time and outlast trends, make sure the exterior materials are appropriate to the roots of your desired style, such as heavy timber with a rustic Tuscan style or a finely honed limestone on a French Eclectic exterior.

PICTURED: Angela Hough, Shawn Webb, Will Manning, Chris Hough, and Selinda Dorsett.

Heritage Design Studio

596 N. Kimball Ave., Ste. 110 Southlake, Texas 76092 817.988.9680 heritagedesignstudio.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

builder: Heritage Homes

John Webb – Heritage Homes

SPECIALTY: We build luxury custom homes that represent the style, design, and functionality that our clients desire. Whether we build a modern farmhouse, a sublime Mediterranean home, or a traditional Tudor, our designs retain architectural integrity, all while reflecting the personal style of each client. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Each unique, beautiful custom home we have built is a true reflection of the customer. Working closely with our customers, we design and build the homes of their dreams. We accomplish great things with a relatively small team of dedicated professionals. WHY CHOOSE THEM: The small size of Heritage Homes allows for an agile and fully committed team — focused singly on creating a custom home unique to the client’s needs — surpassing their expectations. We build each home with attention to detail, master-level craftsmanship, and planning. FREE ADVICE: Plan and budget. Know what you want, how you want things to look, and how you want to live daily life. Address and prioritize must-haves and want-to-haves and match them with an honest budget. The second bit of advice would be to be patient. Some aspects of the homebuilding process seem to move quickly, others take more time. Understanding the process, communicating, and working closely with your project manager are critical to surviving the process with peace. PICTURED: Keaton Webb, Brandon Tatta, Betty Dixon, John Webb, Justin Andrews, Mike Nisbett, Stephanie McPherson.

John Webb – Heritage Homes 2011 Kirkwood Blvd., Ste. 110 Southlake, Texas 76092

817.601.4576

yourheritagehomes.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Kensington Custom Homes

FOCUS: Heritage Interiors prioritizes creating spaces that not only express a timeless quality, but are also functional and reflect the client’s unique style and preferences. By combining classic elements with modern touches, they create a space that is both elegant and practical. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: When challenges arise, and they do, staying committed to the clients’ vision and supporting their dream with tenacity. WHY CHOOSE THEM: Heritage Interiors values the client’s vision and caters to each one’s unique style and preferences. They will take the time to listen to your ideas and incorporate them into the design process. The result is a space that truly feels like yours, and one that you will love to spend time in for decades to come. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: One of the biggest mistakes that people make when designing their interiors is focusing solely on the latest trend and not considering daily function. While trends may look great in the moment, they may not necessarily work for your lifestyle or needs. By taking a more personalized approach to your design choices, and incorporating elements that reflect your preferences, ensures the design is both practical and beautiful. FREE ADVICE: Don’t be afraid to mix materials, such as solid wood countertop accent with a quartz material in the closet island or burnished brass hardware with an oil rubbed bronze faucet. PICTURED: Jackie Nonmacher, Carole Harston, Angela Hough, Marlene Small, and Lauren Reyes.

Heritage Interiors

596 N. Kimball Ave., Ste. 110 Southlake, Texas 76092

817.988.9680

heritagedesignstudio.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Heritage Homes

ICE HVAC

MOTTO: Where comfort and efficiency are no accident. FOCUS: Residential HVAC Sales and Service. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Not focusing on the items that affect the comfort and efficiency of the house is the biggest mistake people make when building a home. WHY CHOOSE THEM: It is imperative to take measures to improve indoor air quality. We focus on your HVAC needs for the good health and well-being of your family. At ICE HVAC, we understand the importance of providing careful consideration to each aspect of your project. We want to leave you feeling healthier, confident, and satisfied with our services. PICTURED: Roger Thoes.

1114 S. Airport Circle, Ste. 110 Euless, Texas 76040

972.414.0236

service@icehvac.com icehvac.com

ICE HVAC

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Heritage Homes

J & V Painting

FOCUS: J & V Painting services your commercial, residential, and faux painting needs. We specialize in small sheetrock jobs, texture, faux finishes, Venetian plaster, and tape-and-bed work. We are the leading edge in acrylics, as noted by our competition. We also use oil bases, epoxy, level-five high-gloss finishes, and lacquer. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: 2000 Southern Living; 2002 Historic Fort Worth Designer Showcase; 2008 Charity Designer Showhouse; 2017 - 2023 Fort Worth Magazine Dream Home; 2018 - 2023 Fort Worth Magazine Best Of; 2018 Fort Worth HOME Design Winners. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: BBB, IDAL - International Decorative Artisans League. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Continuing to service 10 out of my first 10 customers for the last 48 years. MOTTO: Doing it right the first time by continuing to deliver quality work for over 48 years with a dedicated workforce. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Getting in a hurry at the end of the job. Don’t start with a deadline. If you must, let everyone involved in the process know so they can tell you if it is possible. FREE ADVICE: Don’t expect to get a perfect paint job for a low price. Ask what you will get; for example, what type of paint, number of coats, “what will I get for this price?” Ask for a referral list. PICTURED: Kimberly Nappier-Pierce, Jon Nappier and Sara Hiett.

J & V Painting 4429 Birchman Ave. Fort Worth, Texas 76107 817.313.7027 jandvpainting.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Heritage Homes

MISSION: Dedicated to delivering unparalleled customer service, fostering exceptional home buying experiences, and providing profound expertise in the homebuilding process and the acquisition of new or existing luxury homes. My commitment is to be unwavering and grounded in honest, ethical guidance.

RECOGNITIONS: Real Producer Top 1%, D Magazine “Best Realtor” and Top Producer, Dream Home Alum, and CLHMS (Million Dollar Guild). GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: My most significant professional achievement is the privilege of pursuing my passion for over 23 remarkable years. This journey has taught me more than I could have expected and has not only been a testament to my dedication but has also resulted in the creation of lifelong friendships. WHY CHOOSE HER: Born and raised in this region, I possess an intimate knowledge of Southlake, Westlake, Colleyville, and their surrounding communities. Our hallmark is meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to customer service in the luxury real estate space. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Not consulting with the builder while designing their home. This will save a lot of headaches down the road. FREE ADVICE: Ensure you enlist the expertise of someone wellversed in the process, capable of demystifying the intricacies, and possessing a wealth of knowledge about the area, schools, builders, amenities, contracts, and more. PICTURED: Jeannie Anderson.

Jeannie Anderson Group 817.313.8004

JeannieAndersonHomes@gmail.com HomesByJeannie.com

Jeannie Anderson Group Compass Real Estate

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

builder: Kensington Custom Homes

FOCUS: Custom homes in the $3 millionplus market in Southlake, Colleyville, and Westlake areas. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Being involved in the Dream Home and Parade of Homes benefiting St. Jude Research Hospital for Children. WHY CHOOSE HIM: I have over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry and 22 years building custom homes in the area specified above. I provide a very personal service, communicating with clients on a regular basis. I do not discourage changes as I believe they lead to building a more custom and successful home for each client. My two superintendents are equally experienced in building custom homes and adhere to the company mission. MISSION: At Kensington Custom Homes, we craft extraordinary living spaces that epitomize the pinnacle of luxury, marrying meticulous attention to detail with the epitome of elegance. As premier builders of high-level, custom homes in North Tarrant County, we prioritize each project’s unique requirements, infusing unparalleled amenities and superior craftsmanship into every facet of construction. MOTTO: The best in homes for an active family lifestyle. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Underestimating how their choices might drive costs. FREE ADVICE: Make sure they are diligent about their choice of architect, interior designer, and builder and that the three have a proven track record of working together.

Kensington Custom Homes

7219 Oak Alley Drive Colleyville, Texas 76034

214.923.7575 kensingtonestates.net

Nicholas Smith

Kensington Custom Homes

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Heritage Homes | Kensington Custom Homes

The Kitchen Source

FOCUS: The Kitchen Source is a full turnkey design and remodel firm dedicated to providing the best client experience in the DFW metroplex and throughout Texas. The Kitchen Source’s award- winning team of designers will bring your vision to life. RECOGNITIONS: Legacy of Design awards for kitchen and baths; Wood-Mode’s Platinum Level Award; ASID’s Designer’s Choice Awards for Cabinetry/Cabinet Materials; NARI’s Contractor of the Year for Residential Kitchens; NARI’s Contractor’s Choice Awards for Kitchen & Bath; Sub-Zero/Wolf’s Regional Kitchen Design Contest winner and NARI’s CotY awards for Residential Kitchens. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Third-generation, family-owned business, serving the DFW metroplex for over 30 years. Having had the opportunity to serve clients on projects from New York to Hawaii to the Cayman Islands. MISSION: The Kitchen Source has built a reputation for professionalism and quality work. Our goal is to give our clients an exceptional experience throughout their remodeling or building project. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: One of the biggest mistakes is going with the cheapest bid. You want to make sure that when comparing bids, they include the same scope of work and materials. You may not be comparing apples to apples. PICTURED: Corinne Danicki, Jennifer Johns, Christine Martin, Natalie Jacinto, Elizabeth Tranberg, and Amber Paulk.

The Kitchen Source

3116 W. Sixth St., Ste. 101 Fort Worth, Texas 76107

817.731.4299

thekitchensource.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Heritage Homes

Greg Leschber

Leschber Designs Pools + Outdoor Living

FOCUS: Company focus is the detailed custom design of a backyard. From the pool, to the outdoor living space, to the landscape and landscape lighting to accent the entire project — “The complete backyard.” WHY CHOOSE THEM: Clients should choose Leschber Designs for several reasons: experience and personal attention. Greg Leschber meets every client, designs the project, helps guide clients through the material selection process, and personally oversees the construction of the project.

MISSION STATEMENT: We are not trying to build as many pools in the metroplex as we can. We want to build a handful of top-quality projects each year in order to maintain the personal attention that we believe is crucial to providing a top-quality project and producing not just satisfied customers, but excited and happy customers. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A POOL: Trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. In the end, the best-looking and most functional pools and outdoor spaces are the ones that “fit” the space they are in. FREE ADVICE: Don’t design the pool for someone else. Don’t make decisions about what kind of project you want to do simply because you think it’s what other people may like. If you are spending the money, get what you want … within reason!

Leschber Designs, LLC

Pool + Outdoor Living 1704 Bellechase Drive

Keller, Texas 76262

817.586.5709

LeschberDesigns.com

sales@leschberdesigns.com

official project partner for: Heritage Homes | Kensington Custom Homes

Loveless Modern Gutters Inc.

FOCUS: Rain Gutters. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Loveless Modern Gutters has been in this business for over 30 years. WHY CHOOSE THEM: We take the time to do it right. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: BBB and FBA. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Not listening to their subcontractors. FREE ADVICE: When building a home, it is a marathon not a sprint. PICTURED : James Loveless.

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

FOCUS: Our company’s focus is to deliver highquality interior and exterior finishes, including stucco and stone. Our lesser-known specialty is repairs. Whether selling or adding onto your home, getting ready for a family gathering, or repairing leaks or cracks, stucco is an easy fix to brighten a home or bring it up to date. WHAT SETS THEM APART: We’re a family-owned company that’s been around for 26 years. Our clients include homebuilders, homeowners, and realtors. With a great product and a good reputation, we are chosen for the quality of our work and our highly skilled employees.

BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: The biggest mistake people make is choosing materials that don’t belong in the geographical region. Texas weather can wear certain products out more quickly causing maintenance and replacement costs. Stone and stucco are perfect materials for the Texas climate. FREE ADVICE: Get creative. Homebuilding is one of the few markets where luxury is built not with high prices, but with good choices. Stucco makes it easy to get creative with its array of textures, colors, and applications. Asking for a well-placed light or architectural finish can amplify the experience of a home. PICTURED: Jeff Casey, CEO; Juan Cardenas, production vice president; Kurstyn Casey, operations vice president; Bear, shop dog. Metro

230 Miron Drive, Ste. 120

Southlake, Texas 76092

303.598.7787

@classicalplaster classicalplaster.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

MPT Electric Co.

FOCUS: Providing exceptional exterior and interior custom lighting for our customers with quality and exceptional service. We operate lighting, electrical cable, and wire and do home automation systems. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: MPT Electric Co. has worked with Fort Worth Magazine since 2020. WHY CHOOSE THEM: Clients and partners are our priority. We strive to meet our customers’ expectations and address their concerns. Each house is professionally managed by experienced teams that have the skills to complete any task. We also give our clients options and new ideas based on what we observe. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: With 27 years of electrical experience and only three years running MPT Electrical Co., we have grown quickly in the Southlake area. MOTTO: “Teamwork makes the dream work” so don’t hesitate to contact us. We will gladly assist you. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: The biggest mistake people make is not asking enough questions. FREE ADVICE: Pay attention to all the details and do your own research before making a decision. PICTURED: Marco Torres.

MPT Electric Co.

950 West Cedar St. Celina, Texas 75009  469.667.1755

marcoptorres@att.net

mptelectric55@yahoo.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

FOCUS: Installing championship-tested, quality multi-sport courts for clients across North Texas.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Our greatest achievements thus far have been successfully running a family-owned business for over three decades and having the opportunity to donate and build dozens of courts annually for our communities. WHAT SETS THEM APART: NexCourt is the only authorized dealer and certified installer of Sport Court products in North Texas. Our client’s happiness is our No. 1 priority, and through our work, we provide safe, reliable courts that create long-lasting memories across generations.

MOTTO: Our motto is “go the extra mile.”

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS:

We are proudly affiliated with the Dallas Mavericks Foundation, FC Dallas Foundation, Dallas Stars Foundation, and Nancy Lieberman Charities. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A COURT: The biggest mistake people make is overlooking safety and maintenance details when researching multi-sport courts because of the price. FREE ADVICE: Invest in a court that will withstand years of play and the Texas weather with little to no maintenance. PICTURED: Mark and Kristy Kundysek, owners.

NexCourt

1127 South Airport Circle Euless, Texas 76040

817.283.4646

Fax 817.283.4649 nexcourt.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Heritage Homes

FOCUS: Our team provides quality products, a professional and knowledgeable staff, and unbeatable customer service. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Over 15 years of being a C.H.I. dealer. We have acquired gold, ruby, and premier award status with our manufacturer, and we are a 4-star distributor. MEMBERSHIPS: Accredited BBB member since 2004; International Door Association (IDA) member since 2008; awarded No. 1 garage door company in the nation for customer service in 2015. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Providing a combined 45 years of industry knowledge and building a company that reflects our experiences and expertise in what we do. BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY: We live in a business world where it is impossible to make everyone happy at the same time, but we will do our best every day to try. FREE ADVICE: Research all your options of garage doors and garage door operators for your long-term best interest. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Homeowners not understanding or realizing the product choices made in regard to safety, maintenance, and the overall aesthetics of the home. PICTURED: (back) Cameron Hieb, Victoria Henry, Derrick San Miguel; (front) Joshua Cross.

Open Up Garage Doors

10500 E. Hurst Blvd.  Hurst, Texas 76053

817.399.9092   Fax 817.399.9305

contact@openupgaragedoors.com openupgaragedoors.com

Open Up Garage Doors

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

FOCUS: Everything lighting, interior and exterior, including decorative lighting, lighting design, and landscape lighting. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: National Lighting Showroom of the Year finalist nine times since 2010, winner in 2012; National Arts Award finalist five times since 2011; Lutron RadioRA 2013 winner; Lutron 2014 Visionary Award winner. MEMBERSHIPS/ AFFILIATIONS: American Lighting Association, Grapevine Chamber of Commerce. Bruce is an American Lighting Association Certified Lighting Consultant, one of five in Texas.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT:

We started our business 15 years ago from scratch, with zero customer base, building it into a major regional showroom in the DFW area with national recognition. MOTTO: Everything Lighting. FREE ADVICE: Lighting makes a huge difference on any project when done right; use professionals from the lighting industry for expertise. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Not using highquality recess lighting, not using enough, and not using it properly. Another mistake is not investing in lighting controls. PICTURED: Bruce D. Paul, CLC. and Gloria Paul.

1649 W. Northwest Highway Grapevine, Texas 76051

817.310.3261

Fax 817.310.5584

bruce@passionlighting.com passionlighting.com

Passion Lighting

Passion Lighting

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes

FOCUS: Pierce Fine Hardware, Plumbing & Lighting focuses on exclusive luxury hardware, plumbing, and lighting. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Pierce has received multiple accolades, such as being a six-year Best of D Magazine winner, DPHA Showroom of the Year, and Forte Brands Showroom. MEMBERSHIPS/ AFFILIATIONS: DPHA, NKBA, Forte Group, Forte Brands, ASID, and AIA. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Pierce’s greatest professional achievement lies in its 100% employee-owned status, empowering its knowledgeable and experienced staff to foster trust with customers. WHY CHOOSE THEM: Choosing Pierce Fine Hardware, Plumbing & Lighting ensures access to exceptional luxury brands from around the world, beautifully showcased in their expansive showrooms. Their proficient staff offers expert guidance throughout the selection process and diligently sees projects through from start to finish. MOTTO: The Pierce motto is “Buy quality; cry once,” acknowledging the importance of not compromising on products used daily — like whole home filtration, steam showers, or custom kitchen workstations. Pierce assists in making informed decisions on where to save and where to invest, ensuring lasting satisfaction with the products. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: The most significant mistake people make when building a home is failing to educate themselves on their options before embarking on the building or remodeling process. PICTURED: Steve Beck, Lenny Russo, Chip Thieman, and Kelly O’Neal.

Pierce Fine Hardware, Plumbing & Lighting

4030 W. Vickery Blvd. Fort Worth, Texas 76107

817.737.9090

piercehardware.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Kensington Custom Homes

Premier Custom Floors

FOCUS: Every floor is unique. We work with our clients to create a floor personalized to enhance the beauty of their home or place of business. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Fort Worth Magazine 2020, 2021, 2022 Dream Street vendor; Brightest Floor in North Texas, recognized by D Magazine — Brown Lane Studios. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Besides our extreme passion for the art and industry, our clients’ appreciation and satisfaction will always be our greatest achievement. SERVICES OFFERED: Epoxy/poly coatings, concrete stain, polishing, sealing, moisture mitigation, epoxy mortar, urethane cement, quartz broadcast, metallic marble floor, and much more. WHY CHOOSE THEM: We service all types of customers — residential, commercial, and industrial with interior and exterior floors. We use the highest quality material the industry has to offer. Our pricing is competitive, and our trained professionals are eager to help you understand the coating process and choose the perfect floor for your style and budget. MOTTO: Serving DFW and surrounding areas for all your epoxy needs since 2013. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: The biggest mistake people make when choosing an epoxy floor is believing that “epoxy is epoxy” and the cheapest option will get the job done. Without high-quality material and proper preparation and installation, the floor will likely not last. PICTURED: Paul Giatas, owner, and Andrew Vasquez, foreman.

Premier Custom Floors

817.914.1431

premiercustomfloors@gmail.com IG: PCFDFW FB: Premier Custom Floors

premiercustomfloors.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Heritage Homes | Kensington Custom Homes

FOCUS: Providing our clients with the very best in media products is what drives us every day to exceed their expectations. We are fortunate to be invited to showcase some of the most exclusive residences in the North Texas area, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. We dedicate ourselves to harnessing the very latest in technology, equipment, and processes to deliver a first-class experience to each and every client. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: John’s work has been featured in many local, national, and international publications and outlets including Fort Worth Magazine D Magazine Billboard Magazine, Fox Networks, CNN, MSNBC, to name a few. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: We are extremely proud to have been named the “Official Photography/ Videography Partner” of Fort Worth Magazine’s Dream Street project. It is an absolute pleasure to see our work featured on their pages and for such a great cause! WHY CHOOSE THEM: After photographing nearly $200 million in luxury properties this year alone, our media products capture spaces with an eye for detail that’s proven to sell properties. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Professional Photographers of America, National Association of Realtors, Greater Lewisville Association of Realtors. MISSION: Premier Property Media is dedicated to producing captivating imagery that continually raises the bar for multimedia excellence.

Premier Property Media

Serving all of DFW and North Texas 972.533.5079 info@premierpropertymedia.com premierpropertymedia.com

John Walsh

Premier Property Media

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Kensington Custom Homes

Prewitt Electrical Services, Inc.

FOCUS: Prewitt Electrical Services, Inc. is a family owned and operated business that specializes in all phases of electrical work serving both commercial and residential clients. Our company is your best source for value-driven, honest and professional electrical services. Our goal is to provide prompt electrical service, of the highest quality, with the finest technical expertise possible. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Prewitt Electrical was a proud partner in building the 2012 Habitat for Humanity home and the 2008 Kaleidoscope of Homes. We were also honored to be awarded with the Fort Worth Magazine 2012 Dream Home. BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY: Customers are our highest priority. Their safety and satisfaction are on the top of the list. We strive to meet all their needs and go above and beyond their expectations. FREE ADVICE: Do your research when it comes to hiring any contractor. Check their references, licensing and insurance. A little bit of digging goes a long way. BIGGEST BUILDING MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE: We believe the biggest mistake when building a home is cutting corners. You can count on Prewitt Electrical to never cut corners and always do the job right. PICTURED: Jeff Prewitt, owner; Michelle Prewitt, office manager; Bailey (not pictured) and Natalie Prewitt, Daddy’s little princesses.

Prewitt Electrical Services, Inc. 7456 Dogwood Park Richland Hills, Texas 76118 817.616.3168 prewittelectric.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes

FOCUS: Full-service garage door/opener company that also does complete garage makeovers, including concrete coatings, staining, sealing, garage cabinets, slat wall, garage gyms, etc. RECOGNITIONS: Quality Contractor Award (1st American home warranty), Outstanding Installer achievement (Amarr), A+ rating with the BBB since 2003.

MEMBERSHIPS: IDA, BBB, Angie’s list, Texas Home Improvement (THI). GREATEST

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Being in business since 2001 and holding an outstanding reputation since day one. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Our history speaks for itself. We aim to make every customer’s experience with us a pleasant and memorable experience. From the initial contact to the final payment of the job.

MOTTO: Professional ... It’s not just our name; it’s how we do business. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Not building the garage large enough for today’s larger vehicles and not enough space for adequate garage storage. FREE ADVICE: Annual garage door/opener (tune-up) maintenance is highly recommended by all manufacturers, and coating your concrete not only makes for a pleasing looking surface, but it also protects the concrete and helps to maintain and clean easier.

PICTURED : Shaun White Sr., Nat White, Kolton White, and Shaun White II.

Professional Garage Concepts

801 Greenview Drive Grand Prairie, Texas 75050 817.538.7668 professionalgarageconcepts.com

Professional Garage Concepts

Shaun White Sr.

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

Ricks Hardware & Decorative Plumbing

SPECIALTY: Rick’s Hardware & Decorative Plumbing is a family-owned and -operated business since 1976. In all of these years, we have been serving loyal customers and builders in the DFW area and beyond with an impeccable turnkey operation and top-notch customer service. GREATEST

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: We believe being a small business in a big industry continues to be our success. Through innovation, excellent customer service, and planning, we are achieving our long-term objectives and differentiating our company from our competitors. MISSION STATEMENT: Our mission is to bring the highest quality products and services to our customers to make the building experience as seamless as possible. With our expertise and knowledge, we strive to increase our customers’ quality of life and build long-term relationships. PICTURED: Dianne Tacker, Paul Tacker, Trevor Tacker, and Skye (Tacker) Davis.

Ricks Hardware & Decorative Plumbing 1200 Minters Chapel Road Grapevine, Texas 76051 817.552.4047 rickshardware.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Heritage Homes

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

FOCUS: Construction detailing and interior design. EDUCATION: B.S., TCU. RECOGNITIONS: Best of Interior Design in Fort Worth, Fort Worth Magazine; Best of Houzz; Entrepreneur of Excellence, Fort Worth Inc., Philanthropist of the Year; Most Luxury Design Firm; Best Overall Design, Best Kitchen, Best Bathroom, and many more. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: The greatest professional achievement is to look back at a 25-year career from building homes to serving hundreds of clients, with design expertise and resources and to have repeated clients and to be remembered for our team efforts and giving. PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT: We are a team, and it takes all of us with our core values and culture to cultivate spaces and have a successful and incredible work environment. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Raquel’s Wings for Life, a Wish with Wings, Susan Semmelmann Interiors Foundation, St. Jude’s, Cooks Children’s, Putting on the Pink, and more. FREE ADVICE: The more you can give of yourself to anyone or any project, the more you will get back in return. Finding balance with work, family, and friends is critical to any successful woman, as well as keeping your outlook positive, keeping faith in God, and continually growing in your field to be able to offer more knowledge and experience. MOTTO: The Spirit of Living Is in the Giving. PICTURED: Susan Semmelmann.

Susan Semmelmann Interiors

4374 West Vickery Blvd. • Fort Worth, Texas 76107 940.577.1000

susan@semmelmanninteriors.com semmelmanninteriors.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

The Sherwin-Williams Paint Company

FOCUS: Founded in 1866 by Henry Sherwin and Edward Williams, the Sherwin-Williams Company services the do-it-yourself homeowner, residential repaint contractors, multifamily apartment facilities, commercial paint contractors, municipalities, industrial and manufacturing. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Sherwin-Williams is the largest producer of paints and coatings in the world, with over 5,000 stores. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: We celebrated our 157th anniversary in 2023. WHY CHOOSE THEM: Sherwin-Williams specializes in paints and coatings and can provide you with a solution to protect your greatest assets with quality products, exceptional service, and beautiful color. MOTTO: Cover the Earth. Ask Sherwin Williams. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Acting as your own general contractor, not utilizing a professional builder and paint contractor, cutting corners on paint costs by not using quality paint products. FREE ADVICE: Your home is the biggest investment of your life. Invest in quality paint products from Sherwin-Williams to protect it.

PICTURED: District Sales Manager Frank Ortega, Sales Rep Tamara Moore, Store Manager Josh Guillen, District City Manager Jake Ledkins, and Store Manager Bailor Erdeljac.

The Sherwin-Williams Paint Company

5604 Colleyville Blvd. Colleyville, Texas 76034

817.514.3954 sw707230@sherwin.com sherwin-williams.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

FOCUS: Handcrafting custom, oversized, exterior, solid wood doors is our specialty. Also pivot door units which are now the latest trend. We also provide a large variety of hardware designs to complement your beautiful doors. RECOGNITIONS: Pecos West Safety Rest Area Project featured in Jan/Feb 2022 edition of Texas Architects Magazine; doors featured in Interior Design’s 2021 Best of Year Awards and in Architectural Digest; recognized in Dream Home Showcase Magazine article, “Artisans in Wood.” GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Historical project in Santa Fe, N.M., building all the doors and windows replicating the architecture of John Gaw Meem. Another favorite is an arched 15th century medieval-style church entry door in South Texas and featured in the book, In Stillness, I Hear My Father. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Rick’s decades of experience are not only in wood and building doors but in the construction industry as a whole. Our projects are built to a specific need, desire, and design paying the utmost attention to detail, from selecting the right wood for each project to sanding by hand. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Not investing in the finished products, the ones that make their home unique and are touched and used every day — products like their entry door. PICTURED: Rick and Lori Parrilla.

Silverado Custom Door & Window

Graham, Texas 940.362.4571

info@silveradodoors.com silveradodoors.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

Texas Insulation

FOCUS: Delivering exceptional service and industry leading products for residential and commercial builders across Texas.

RECOGNITIONS: 2022 Star Awards Finalist for Best New Product, multiple national installer awards. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: We are members of the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association, Dallas Builders Association, Greater Houston Builder Association, CBUSA, Texas Association of Builders and National Home Builders Association. GREATEST

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Growing to become the largest privately held spray foam company in Texas in just a few years. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Attention to details and the customization most others do not offer. Honesty, integrity, and direct communication are first and foremost. MISSION: With over 50 years of market experience, Texas Insulation is committed to delivering high-quality service and exceeding customer expectations in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.

BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: Not placing priority on energy saving systems and materials, which pay for themselves over time by lowering energy bills. FREE ADVICE: Doing research to make sure you have a certified installer and insurance backed insulation company. PICTURED: Abe Nevarez, Jerrod Spillers, April Tallman.

Texas Insulation

1839 Ryan Road

Dallas, Texas 75220

817.424.3028 texasinsulation.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Kensington Custom Homes

Vintage Floors

FOCUS: We specialize in custom wood floors, tile, stone and carpet. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Our greatest reward is the smile on the faces of happy, satisfied clients.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: National Wood Flooring Association, Greater Fort Worth Builders Association, Custom Builders Association, Better Business Bureau, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, ASID Industry Partner.

GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Our ability to maintain a large, loyal client base. We are so privileged to work with wonderful people who refer and recommend us to others.

MOTTO: Quality products, trusted service.

FREE ADVICE: When making selections for your home, always invest in quality products. Remember, “the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten.”

BIGGEST BUILDING MISTAKE

PEOPLE MAKE: Being in a hurry to complete the project. When building a new home or remodeling an existing one, please be patient. You can’t rush quality. Unforeseen delays can occur, but you must allow the necessary time to properly complete the project so the quality and craftsmanship are not compromised.

PICTURED: Bryan Page.

Vintage Floors

5136 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth, Texas 76107

817.877.1564

Vintage Floors Granbury

4303 E. Highway 377, Ste. 101 Granbury, Texas 76049

817.576.0444

Larry’s Carpet – Vintage Floors Lakeside 8305 Jacksboro Highway Lakeside, Texas 76135

817.237.7871

vintagefloorstx.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

FOCUS: WinterGreen installs synthetic grass lawns and putting greens for residential and commercial applications. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Over 2 million square feet of turf installed. WHY CHOOSE THEM: When starting WinterGreen, Winter and Ashley decided against purchasing a franchise because they knew being affiliated with one specific manufacturer would limit their offerings to customers. This decision allows them to choose the best product for each job and provide numerous artificial grass styles for each customer. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: The biggest mistake when installing artificial grass must include the importance of a perfect base system. You can choose the highest quality turf on the market and have it look less than perfect simply due to a lack of detail on the base system. FREE ADVICE: We leave the landscaping to the professionals; make sure you leave synthetic grass installation to the professionals, too.

PICTURED: Winter Moore.

WinterGreen Synthetic Grass, LLC

1507 E. First St. Fort Worth, Texas 76102

817.386.7261 wintergreengrass.com

FOCUS FORT WORTH MAGAZINE DREAM STREET

official project partner for: Brian Michael Distinctive Homes | Heritage Homes | Kensington Custom Homes

FOCUS: Yard Art Patio & Fireplace is focused on creating a relaxed shopping experience with a knowledgeable team and the best selection of outdoor furniture in the world. AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Apollo Award winner in 2015, 2010, and 2004; Apollo Award finalist in 2020, 2019, 2018, 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2008. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: ICFA, ASID, HPB, and AFHA. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Our greatest professional achievement is that we were able to stand strong and grow during times of adversity. This is thanks to our team’s dedication, hard work and, most of all, our customers. PHILOSOPHY: Our business philosophy is to provide our clients with the best outdoor furniture at the best prices. FREE ADVICE: Like everything else out there in the world, you get what you pay for. We are lucky because we specialize in quality outdoor furniture. BIGGEST MISTAKE PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BUILDING A HOME: The No. 1 mistake people make when building their home is space. Most people do not consider how much space they actually have. This is one of the reasons that, if it is in stock, we will send out extra furniture at the customer’s request to make sure they get all they want.

Yard Art Patio & Fireplace

Fort Worth • Colleyville • Plano • Allen • Prosper • Grapevine Info@MyYardArt.com  MyYardArt.com

Root

Every year, Americans spend 1.7 billion dollars for dental emergencies at the emergency roomoften without definitive treatment rendered. Endodontists provide dental pain diagnosis and tooth-saving endodontic therapies, such as root canal treatment, with advanced techniques and modern technology that improve patient outcomes. Dr. Francisco Nieves and Dr. Alex Fitzhugh have performed thousands of endodontic therapies in the Greater Fort Worth area. Dr. Nieves and Dr. Fitzhugh met as endodontic co-residents at the prestigious Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in New Jersey. Shortly after settling in the great city of Fort Worth, they both earned the acclaimed status of board-certified endodontist with the American Board of Endodontists, a feat only 25% of American endodontists have achieved. Dr. Nieves and Dr. Fitzhugh knew their ethics, practice philosophies, and desire to achieve excellence aligned-and their dream of opening West Fort Worth Endodontics will come to fruition this Fall. West Fort Worth Endodontics will be empowered by state-of-the-art technology, including the GentleWave ® Procedure, and high-resolution 3-D imaging to aid in dental pain diagnosis. If you are suffering from dental pain, considering preserving your smile and contact West Fort Worth Endodontics!

If more convenient, we are also located at:

1100 E Hwy 377, Suite 104

Fort Worth, TX 76116

(817) 776-4646 Burleson Endodontics

312 E Renfro St, Suite 204

Burleson, TX 76028

(817) 935-8414

Dr. Francisco Nieves

Dr. Alex Fitzhugh

Hall’s CareMart Pharmacy is more than just your local pharmacy.

ß Free in person delivery to Wedgewood, Tanglewood, Mira Vista, and River Crest areas.

ß Immunization specialist providing onsite immunizations at your office or assisted living facilities

ß Test: Flu, COVID, Strep throat, and Drug Testing for companies

ß Sterile lab inside our pharmacy

ß 20% Senior Discount on non-RX products to our prescription customers

Medical Guide

The following pages contain an inclusive collection featuring Greater Fort Worth’s hospitals, diagnostics centers, cancer centers, and post-operative care facilities. From modern hospitals to advanced treatments, this guide serves as a resource to help our readers navigate health care choices and make informed decisions. The information in this guide is updated annually by Fort Worth Magazine staff with data provided by the listed facilities. In cases of no new data, the listing remains consistent with previous editions of the Medical Guide. If you would like to submit a medical facility for consideration, please visit fwtx.com/best-top/ medical-guide.

CANCER CENTERS

JPS Oncology & Infusion Center 1450 Eighth Ave. Fort Worth 76104

817.702.8300

jpshealthnet.org/locations/oncologyinfusion-center

Moncrief Cancer Institute | UT Southwestern 400 W. Magnolia Ave. Fort Worth 76104

817.288.9970

moncrief.com

Texas Breast Specialists - Arlington Cancer Center North 906 West Randol Mill Road, Ste. 200 Arlington 76012

817.664.9600

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/ arlington/arlington-cancer-center-north/ texas-breast-specialists

Texas Breast Specialists - Bedford 1609 Hospital Pkwy. Bedford 76022

817.662.0008

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/ bedford/bedford/texas-breast-specialists

Texas Cancer Specialists

6801 Oakmont Blvd., Ste. 101 Fort Worth 76132

817.438.0259

texascancercares.com

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, Klabzuba Cancer Center 1300 W. Terrell St. Fort Worth 76104

817.820.4848

texashealth.org

Texas Health HEB Cancer Services 1600 Hospital Pkwy. Bedford 76022

817.848.4000

texashealth.org/locations/texas-healthheb

Texas Oncology - Arlington Cancer Center North 906 W. Randol Mill Road, Ste. 200 Arlington 76012

817.664.9600

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/ arlington/arlington-cancer-center-north/ medical-oncology

Texas Oncology - Arlington South 515 W. Mayfield Road, Ste. 101 Arlington 76014

817.664.4400

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/ arlington/arlington-south/medicaloncology

Texas Oncology - Bedford 1609 Hospital Pkwy. Bedford 76022

817.359.9000

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/ bedford/bedford/medical-oncology

Texas Oncology - Cleburne 191 Walls Drive Cleburne 76033

817.648.0120

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/ cleburne/cleburne/medical-oncology

Texas Oncology - Fort Worth Cancer Center

500 South Henderson St. Fort Worth 76104

817.413.1500 texasoncology.com

Texas Oncology - Granbury 1310B Paluxy Road, Ste. 2000 Granbury 76048

817.579.3700

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/ granbury/granbury/medical-oncology

Texas Oncology - Grapevine 1631 Lancaster Drive, Ste. 150 Grapevine 76051

817.251.9080

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/ grapevine/grapevine/medical-oncology

Texas Oncology - Keller

100 Bourland Road, Ste. 130 Keller 76248

817.359.9000

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/keller/ keller/medical-oncology

Texas Oncology - Mansfield 252 Matlock Road, Ste. 140 Mansfield 76063

817.435.5800

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/ mansfield/mansfield/medical-oncology

Texas Oncology - Southwest Fort Worth 6500 Harris Pkwy. Fort Worth 76132 817.263.2600

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/ fort-worth/southwest-fort-worth/medicaloncology

Texas Oncology - Weatherford 911 Foster Lane Weatherford 76086

817.597.7900

texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/ weatherford/weatherford/medicaloncology

Medical Guide

Texas Urology Specialists - Mansfield

252 Matlock Road, Ste. 140 Mansfield 76063

214.948.3101

texasurologyspecialists.com/locations/ mansfield

The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders - Burleson

11805 S. Fwy., Ste. 201 Burleson 76028

817.759.7000

thecentertx.com/locations/burleson

The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders - Granbury

Lake Granbury Medical Center 1308 E. Paluxy Road, Ste. 205 Granbury 76048

817.759.7000

thecentertx.com/locations/granbury

The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders - Medical City Arlington

515 W. Mayfield Road, Ste. 102 Arlington 76014

817.759.7000

thecentertx.com/locations/arlington

The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders - Mineral Wells

400 SW 25th Ave. Mineral Wells 76067

817.759.7000

thecentertx.com/locations/mineral-wells

The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders - Southwest Fort Worth 6100 Harris Pkwy., Ste. 235 Fort Worth 76132

817.759.7000

thecentertx.com/locations/fort-worthsouthwest

The Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders - Weatherford 920 Santa Fe Drive Weatherford 76086

817.759.7000

thecentertx.com/locations/weatherford

The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders - Central Campus

800 W. Magnolia Ave. Fort Worth 76104

817.759.7000 thecentertx.com

USMD Arlington Cancer Center Urology Clinic

801 W. Interstate 20, Ste. 1 Arlington 76017

817.784.8268

usmd.com/services/services-specialtycare/usmd-urology.html

USMD Imaging Center for Breast Health 811 W. Interstate 20, Ste. G40 Arlington 76017

817.505.1400

usmd.com/services/imaging-centers/ breast-health.html

DIAGNOSTICS

Akumin – Fort Worth

851 Grainger St., Ste. 101 Fort Worth 76104

817.659.2870

akumin.com/locations/texas-dallas-fortworth/fort-worth

Gateway Diagnostic Imaging Arlington 400 West Arbrook, Ste. 150 Arlington 76014

817.776.4001

gatewaydiagnostic.com/

Gateway Diagnostic Imaging Ft. Worth Medical District

1106 Alston Ave., Ste. 175 Fort Worth 76104

817.289.2002

gatewaydiagnostic.com/

Gateway Diagnostic Imaging Keller/ Alliance

4533 Heritage Trace Pkwy., Ste. 1401 Fort Worth 76244

817.799.6700

gatewaydiagnostic.com/

Gateway Diagnostic Imaging Mid-Cities 9155 Grapevine Hwy., Ste. 210 North Richland Hills 76180

817.428.3929

gatewaydiagnostic.com/

Gateway Diagnostic Imaging South Fort Worth

6930 Harris Pkwy., Ste. 110 Fort Worth 76132

817.405.6555

gatewaydiagnostic.com/

Gateway Diagnostic Imaging Weatherford

831 Eureka St. Weatherford 76086

817.599.8995

gatewaydiagnostic.com/

Touchstone Imaging Arlington 601 W. Arbrook Blvd. Arlington 76014

817.472.0801

touchstoneimaging.com/locations/ arlington

Touchstone Imaging Arlington Breast Center

4501 Matlock Road, Ste. 101 Arlington 76018

817.472.0801

touchstoneimaging.com/locations/ arlington-breast-center

Touchstone Imaging Burleson 665 NE Alsbury Blvd. Burleson 76028

817.447.3443

touchstoneimaging.com/locations/ burleson

Touchstone Imaging Downtown Fort Worth 1701 W. Rosedale St. Fort Worth 76104

817.922.7780

touchstoneimaging.com/locations/dt-fortworth-rosedale

Touchstone Imaging Fossil Creek 5455 Basswood Blvd., Ste. 550 Fort Worth 76137

817.428.5002

touchstoneimaging.com/locations/fossilcreek

Touchstone Imaging Grand Prairie 2740 N. State Hwy. 360, Ste. 200 Grand Prairie 75050

972.579.4480

touchstoneimaging.com/locations/grandprairie

Touchstone Imaging Hurst 1717 Precinct Line Road, Ste. 103 Hurst 76054

817.498.6575

touchstoneimaging.com/locations/hurst

Touchstone Imaging Keller

601 South Main St., Ste. 100 Keller 76248

817.482.2000

touchstoneimaging.com/locations/keller

Touchstone Imaging Southlake

925 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste 220 Southlake 76092

817.424.4800

touchstoneimaging.com/locations/ southlake

Touchstone Imaging Southwest Fort Worth

6900 Harris Pkwy., Ste. 100 Fort Worth 76132

817.294.1131

touchstoneimaging.com/locations/ southwest-fort-worth/

Touchstone Imaging Weatherford 250 Santa Fe Drive Weatherford 76086

682.803.0010

touchstoneimaging.com/locations/ weatherford

HOSPITALS

Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center — Fort Worth

1400 Eighth Ave. Fort Worth 76104

817.926.2544

bswhealth.com/fortworth

Baylor Scott & White Medical Center –Grapevine

1650 W. College St. Grapevine 76051

817.481.1588

bswhealth.com/locations/grapevine

Baylor Scott & White Surgical Hospital –Fort Worth

1800 Park Place Ave. Fort Worth 76110

682.703.5600

bshfw.com

Cook Children’s Medical Center 801 Seventh Ave. Fort Worth 76104

682.885.4000

cookchildrens.org

HSC Health

3500 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth 76107

817.735.2000

unthsc.edu

John Peter Smith Hospital

1500 S. Main St. Fort Worth 76104

817.702.3431

jpshealthnet.org

Kindred Hospital Tarrant County - Fort Worth Southwest

7800 Oakmont Blvd. Fort Worth 76132

817.346.0094

kindredhealthcare.com

Lake Granbury Medical Center 1310 Paluxy Road Granbury 76048

817.573.2273

lakegranburymedicalcenter.com

LifeCare Hospital of Fort Worth 6201 Overton Ridge Blvd. Fort Worth 76132

817.222.8300

lifecare-health.com

Medical City Arlington 3301 Matlock Road Arlington 76015

682.509.6200

medicalcityarlington.com

Medical City Fort Worth 900 Eighth Ave. Fort Worth 76104

817.336.2100

medicalcityfortworth.com

Medical City North Hills 4401 Booth Calloway Road North Richland Hills 76180

817.255.1000 medicalcitynorthhills.com

Medical City Weatherford 713 East Anderson St. Weatherford 76086

682.582.1000 medicalcityhealthcare.com/locations/ medical-city-weatherford

Methodist Mansfield Medical Center 2700 E. Broad St. Mansfield 76063

682.242.2000 methodisthealthsystem.org/mansfield

Parker County Hospital District 1130 Pecan Drive Weatherford 76086

817.341.2520 pchdtx.org

Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital

800 W. Randol Mill Road Arlington 76012

817.960.6100 texashealth.org/arlington

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance 10864 Texas Health Trail Fort Worth 76244

682.212.2000 texashealth.org/alliance

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle 108 Denver Trail Azle 76020

817.444.8600 texashealth.org/azle

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne 201 Walls Drive Cleburne 76031

817.641.2551

texashealth.org/cleburne

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth 1301 Pennsylvania Ave. Fort Worth 76104 817.250.2000

texashealth.org/fortworth

Texas Health Heart & Vascular Hospital

Arlington 811 Wright St. Arlington 76012 817.960.3500 texashealthheartandvascular.org

Texas Health HEB 1600 Hospital Pkwy. Bedford 76022 817.848.4000 texashealth.org/heb

Texas Health Huguley Hospital Fort Worth South 11801 S. Fwy. Burleson 76028 817.293.9110 texashealthhuguley.org

Texas Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Willow Park 101 Crown Pointe Blvd. Willow Park 76087

817.757.1500

texashealth.org/locations/texas-healthwillow-park

Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth 6100 Harris Pkwy. Fort Worth 76132 817.433.5000

texashealth.org/southwestfw

Treating Breast Cancer While Protecting the Heart

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.”

increasingly aim to protect the heart from unnecessary positioned for the trend. The move toward avoiding exposing cardiac tissue to damage several critical areas of the heart, which can women’s hearts, Dr. Sturgeon says. “Our technology is radiation, minimizing damage to healthy surrounding tissue.”

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.”

needless irradiation of the heart at Texas Center for 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.

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 and radiation oncologists program the proton beam 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.

Dr. Sturgeon says.

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.

In fact, proton therapy consistently demonstrates the breast, the chest wall and nearby lymph nodes, according Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.

Targeting Cancer, Precisely

Medical Guide

USMD Hospital at Arlington 801 W. Interstate 20 Arlington 76017 817.472.3400 usmdarlington.com

UT Southwestern Monty and Tex Moncrief Medical Center at Fort Worth 600 South Main St. Fort Worth 76104 817.882.2400 utswmed.org

POST-OPERATIVE CARE

Advanced Rehabilitation and Healthcare of Burleson

275 SE John Jones Drive Burleson 76028

817.730.4603 ahstexas.com/burleson

Allegiant Wellness and Rehab

724 West Rendon Crowley Road Crowley 76036 817.297.4141 allegiantwellness.com

Baylor Scott & White Outpatient

Rehabilitation - Fort Worth - Carter Rehabilitation 1400 Eighth Ave. Fort Worth 76104

817.922.7105 bswrehab.com

Burleson Nursing & Rehabilitation Center 600 Maple Ave. Burleson 76028

817.295.8118 seniorlivingproperties.com

Cityview Nursing and Rehabilitation 5801 Bryant Irvin Road Fort Worth 76132

817.346.3030 regencyhealthcare.com/locations/cityview

ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital of Weatherford 703 Eureka St. Weatherford 76086

682.803.0100 clearskyhealth.com/weatherford

College Park Rehabilitation and Care Center 1715 Martin Drive Weatherford 76086 817.458.3100 collegeparkrehab.com

Encompass Health Rehabilitation

Hospital of Arlington 3200 Matlock Road Arlington 76015

817.468.4000 encompasshealth.com/arlingtonrehab

Encompass Health Rehabilitation

Hospital of Cityview 6701 Oakmont Blvd. Fort Worth 76132

817.370.4700 encompasshealth.com/fortworthrehab

Fort Worth Transitional Care Center 850 12th Ave. Fort Worth 76104

817.882.8289

regencyhealthcare.com/locations/fortworth

Granbury Care Center

301 South Park Drive Granbury 76048

817.573.3726 granburycarecenter.com

Hilltop Park Rehabilitation and Care Center

970 Hilltop Drive

Weatherford 76086

817.599.0000

hilltopparkrehab.com

Holland Lake Rehabilitation and Wellness Center 1201 Holland Lake Drive Weatherford 76086

817.598.0160

hollandlakerehabilitationandwellness.com

Medical City Rehabilitation –Weatherford 879 Eureka St. Weatherford 76086

682.582.2991

medicalcityhealthcare.com

Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital Arlington 4351 Centreway Place Arlington 76018

682.339.1400

https://reunionrehabhospital.com/ locations/arlington/

Santa Fe Health & Rehabilitation Center

1205 Santa Fe Drive

Weatherford 76086

817.594.2786

ahstexas.com/santafe

Southwest Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

5300 Altamesa Blvd. Fort Worth 76133

817.346.1800 southwestnursingcenter.com

Sports Rehabilitation Specialists 1901 Cooper St. Fort Worth 76104

817.877.8977

sportsrehabspecialists.net

Texas Health HEB Cardiac Rehabilitation 1600 Hospital Pkwy. Bedford 76022

817.848.5600

texashealth.org/heb/services/heart-andvascular/cardiac-rehabilitation

Texas Health HEB Pulmonary Rehabilitation 1600 Hospital Pkwy. Bedford 76022

817.848.5600

texashealth.org/en/health-and-wellness/ heart-and-vascular/pulmonaryrehabilitation

Texas Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Burleson

2750 SW Wilshire Blvd. Burleson 76028

817.782.8000

texashealth.org/locations/texas-healthburleson

Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth 6100 Harris Pkwy. Fort Worth 76132

817.612.9715

texashealth.org/southwestfw/services/ rehabilitation

Texas Rehabilitation Hospital of Arlington

900 W. Arbrook Blvd. Arlington 76015

682.304.6000

texasrehabarlington.com

Texas Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Worth

425 Alabama Ave. Fort Worth 76104

817.820.3400

texasrehabhospital.com

Willow Park Rehabilitation & Care Center

300 Crown Pointe Blvd. Willow Park 76087

817.757.1200

willowparkcare.com

Treating the mind, body and soul

Kids with neurological disorders o en face many challenges – and see many specialists.

To make the journey easier, we've created the Jane and John Justin Institute for Mind Health at Cook Children’s – bringing together nine specialties under one roof.

Pediatric specialists in neurological, developmental and behavioral health are changing the way we deliver health care. Together, we’re healing minds and bodies, and sharing smiles that warm the soul.

Based in Fort Worth, Texas

To see how we’re connecting care for kids unlike anyone else, visit instituteformindhealth.org or scan this QR code.

Imaging You Can Trust

Gateway Diagnostic Imaging o ers accessible, a ordable, easy, high-quality diagnostic imaging whenever you need it.

No one expects to get hurt or wake up in pain. But life happens— and Gateway Diagnostic Imaging is here to help. With same-day appointments and flexible early morning, evening, and weekend hours, we’re always at your service, whether you’re in need of an MRI, CT, X-ray, or ultrasound. Our 12 Dallas-Fort Worth locations and fast scan technology add convenience to busy lives.

That’s important because… You can decide where you receive care.

The local hospital isn’t your only option. Patients can decide where they receive diagnostic imaging. Gateway’s team of board-certified, fellowship-trained radiologists make us a trustworthy choice. We also o er state-of-the-art technology with 3T wide-bore MRI machines at each of our centers. A 3T wide-bore MRI is a stronger machine that allows for more accurate readings in less time; its larger size also makes it more comfortable and less claustrophobic. That doesn’t mean it costs more, though.

Gateway operates on the premise that... You should never have to sacrifice quality for cost.

We believe everyone should be able to a ord quality care. That’s why an MRI with us costs up to 400 percent less than it would at a hospital. Plus, our services are in-network with all major insurance carriers.

Pain can make today feel like your worst day. Gateway aims to change by o ering our patients fantastic service, impeccable quality, and reduced costs.

“With Gateway Diagnostic Imaging, I know my patients will be getting high-quality images at a competitive cost that are read by skilled and experienced radiologists.”

— Sheena Black, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon

Gateway imaging centers in DFW

Up to

Patient savings compared to a hospital MRI

Excellence and Leadership in Caring 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.

Teresa McLemore, PA-C, FNKF

Dr. Faryal Niazi, MD

Daniel S. Richey, DO

FORT WORTH OFFICE LOCATIONS:

• Crowley

• Fort Worth - 2 Locations

• Keller

• Weatherford

RESEARCH:

• Renal Disease Research Institute

Sara Syeda, MD

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

Ali Clark, APRN, FNP-C

Asa Deep Koganti, MD

Michelle DiNubila, RN, ACNP-BC

Mariana Yager, MD

Angelito F Yango, Jr., MD

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.

Executive Medicine of Texas

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Preventative and Concierge Medicine. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: All of our providers are Board Certified. Our physicians: Dr. Walter Gaman – M.D. and degree in infectious disease, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada; Board Certified and Fellow of the American Board of Family Medicine. Dr. Mark Anderson – M.D., the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; Board Certified and Diplomat of the American Board of Family Medicine; master’s in public health, the University of Michigan; Certified, Age Management Medicine Education Foundation. Dr. Lé Santha Naidoo – D.O., Midwestern University, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine; three American Board Certifications: Family Medicine, Integrative and Holistic Medicine, and Obesity Medicine. AWARDS/ HONORS: D Magazine Best Doctors in Dallas, 2005; Healthcare Heroes, 2013; Leadership 500 Excellence Award, 2015; Best of People’s Choice of Business, 2016; Living Magazine Best of 2017, 2019; Top Doctors Top Physicians, 2018-2020; Tops in Tarrant, 20192023. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: American Academy of Family Medicine, Age Management Medicine Education Foundation, A4M. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Our founding partners (Drs. Mark Anderson and Walter Gaman) are published authors and co-host the Stay Young America! podcast. INNOVATIONS: We are dedicated to bringing new and exciting options to our clients including, but not limited to: Peptide Therapy, Virtual Colonoscopy, DNA Testing and Brain Mapping. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Executive Medicine of Texas provides patients with a customized roadmap to optimal health. Founded in 2005 by Drs. Mark Anderson and Walter Gaman, Executive Medicine of Texas was designed to treat patients as family, not a number. Being pioneers in preventative medicine, the team at Executive Medicine of Texas is dedicated not only to executives, but also individuals and families. FREE ADVICE: Invest in your health and the health of your loved ones because health is the only thing you can’t replace. PICTURED: (left to right) Lé Santha Naidoo, DO; J. Mark Anderson, MD, MPH; Randi True, PA-C, CFNC; Chris Tupper, DC; and Walter Gaman, MD, FABFM.

Executive Medicine of Texas

2106 E. State Hwy. 114, Ste. 300 Southlake, Texas 76092 817.552.4300

patientinfo@emtexas.com EMTexas.com

Fort Worth Concierge Plus, Medical and Wellness

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Our specialty is holistic wellness, blending urgent pediatric and adult care with advanced beauty and wellness treatments. From IV infusions and hormone optimization to transformative beauty procedures, we’re here for your complete well-being in the Fort Worth area. Your health and beauty journey starts with us! EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Michael Cowan, DO, board-certified Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Certified in Botox/Dysport, SkinPen, TruBody body sculpting, and men’s and women’s sexual health procedures. PROFESSIONAL

MEMBERSHIPS: Texas Medical Association, Tarrant County Medical Society, Fellow American Academy of Pediatrics. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Dr. Cowan is a successful medical entrepreneur in the DFW marketplace. He considers it an honor and achievement to be entrusted to care for entire families in the Fort Worth area. INNOVATIONS: At Fort Worth Concierge+, we’re always pushing the boundaries of medical innovation. We offer a unique fusion of medical and wellness services. We offer treatments like the transformative DiamondGlow® for

radiant skin, facial aesthetic injections, and skin care, FemiWave for women’s intimate health, and GAINSWave for men’s sexual performance. We’re also providing successful weight loss solutions and cutting-edge peptide therapy. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: Our care goes beyond the clinic. We blend urgent medical attention with a holistic approach, ensuring every patient feels heard and valued. From kids to adults, our team prioritizes compassion and comprehensive care, making your well-being our top priority. FREE ADVICE: Always ask your provider lots of questions.

Engaging in open dialogue ensures you’re well informed about your health and the treatments you’re receiving. It fosters a collaborative relationship. Your provider is there to guide and support you, so never hesitate to seek clarity on any concerns or curiosities you might have.

Fort Worth Concierge Plus, Medical and Wellness

Two locations in Fort Worth | 817.727.2002 info@fwcplus.com | FWCplus.com

Accent On You Cosmetic Surgery Center and Medical

Y. Anthony Nakamura, M.D., P.A.

Spa

SPECIALTY: Plastic Surgery. EDUCATION: B.A., UT Austin; M.D., UTMB, Galveston; Intern resident and general surgery, LSU School of Medicine, Charity Hospital New Orleans; Plastic Surgery resident, UTMB, Galveston. CERTIFICATION: Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, Texas Medical Association, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dallas Society of Plastic Surgeons, Fort Worth Society of Plastic Surgeons. WHAT SETS US APART: My concentration in the body contouring part of aesthetic surgery, as well as 30-plus years of experience in knowing what works and what doesn’t. COSMETIC SURGERY CENTER SERVICES: Breast enlargement, breast lift, liposuction body contouring, Tummy tuck, waist tuck, and mommy makeover. MEDI SPA SERVICES: Wrinkle relaxers, facial fillers, lip enhancement, Sculptra/Radiesse, SkinPen Microneedling, salt facial, ZO Skin Health, Revisions Skincare, and ISDIN. PATIENT CARE: My goal is to create a beautiful and natural appearance. To ensure the highest level of care possible, our beautiful facility combines a surgery center that is fully accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. with a medical spa. We are one of very few surgery centers that has a private, one doctor, fully accredited facility. CHARITABLE WORK: Notre Dame School Affair of the Heart, Wounded Warrior, and CWC.

Accent On You

3030 S. Cooper St. Arlington, Texas 76015

817.417.7200 Fax 817.417.7300 accentonyou.com

Cityview Audiology & Hearing Aids, Inc.

Dr. Diane Blaising, Dr. Rachel Ruiz, Dr. Reagan Moody, Dr. Carolyn Adams

MEDICAL SPECIALTY: Audiology, hearing aid prescription and fitting; expert advice in hearing aid technology comparisons. 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. Dr. Reagan Moody – Doctor of Audiology, The University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Carolyn Adams – Doctor of Audiology, The University of Texas at Dallas. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Dr. Blaising and the staff at Cityview are well known and greatly appreciated for taking the time to listen to each patient’s needs and concerns. Treatment plans are customized with the latest, cutting-edge technology available to fit seamlessly into each patient’s lifestyle. A full range of audiometric tests and evaluative instruments, including speech in noise assessment, tinnitus assessment, and an assessment of how the patient’s brain uses sound, is available to help us meet each patient’s unique needs. HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL WELL-BEING OF PATIENTS: Improving our patients’ quality of life is the 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 good to have a reference point to your earlier hearing status.

Cityview Audiology & Hearing Aids

5701 Bryant Irvin Road, Ste. 202 Fort Worth, Texas 76132 817.263.1800 info@cityviewhearing.com cityviewhearing.com

FOCUS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

Dr. Mitch Conditt

Fort

Worth Snoring and Sleep Center

SPECIALTY: Fort Worth Snoring and Sleep Center is limited to the treatment of snoring, sleep apnea, and TMD. EDUCATION: Baylor College of Dentistry, DDS in 1985. HONORS: Fellow with American Academy of Craniofacial Pain; Diplomate with American Board of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Member of Texas Dental Association, American Dental Association, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, American Academy of Craniofacial Pain, American Academy of Orofacial Pain. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: Achieving board certification in Dental Sleep Medicine. UNIQUE PATIENT CARE: We give patients an option to treat their snoring or sleep apnea without the use of a CPAP machine and almost always without requiring patients to sleep overnight in a sleep lab. Most major health insurance policies cover the treatment. FREE ADVICE: Don’t believe snoring is just a nuisance. It is usually a sign of a potentially deadly disorder called sleep apnea. PICTURED: Dr. Mitch Conditt.

Fort Worth Snoring and Sleep Center

451 University Drive, Ste. 102

Fort Worth, Texas 76107

817.527.8500

fortworthsnoringandsleepcenter.com

office@fortworthsnoringandsleepcenter.com

SPECIALTY: Ophthalmology: Cataract Surgery, Premium Lens Implants (Toric Lens, PanOptix, Vivity, Tecnis Symfony), 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

Eye and Laser Center

Martin Reinke, M.D.

Reinke

FOCUS: Gynecologic health, menopause, and full wellness for women. EDUCATION: B.S., Biomedical Science, Texas A&M University; D.O., Kansas City University, College of Osteopathic Medicine; OBGYN residency, Wayne State University; 23 years’ experience in clinical practice; Board Certified American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecologists; member of The Menopause Society (formally the North American Menopause Society). RECOGNITIONS: Houston County Top 10 Leaders under 40; Fort Worth Magazine Top Doc; Child Magazine Mom-Approved Doctor; 360 Magazine Top Doctor; Baylor All Saints Andrews Women’s Hospital Provider Excellence Awards. GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: First, our family, our daughters. The work we do to consider and support each other is real and an achievement. Second, my career and the relationships I have developed with colleagues and patients. Women’s medicine has allowed me to support and heal women at pivotal moments in their lives. WHAT SETS HER APART: I take a patient-centered and holistic approach to women’s health care. I learned early in my training that the body is a unit and mending it must consider this. I empower patients by offering evidence-based information, personalized treatment options, and then we decide together what is best. I incorporate technology but only when the risks are well-understood, and the benefits are clear. MOTTO: Prevention is the best medicine.

MYTexasHealthCareOBGYN

Multiple locations in Fort Worth 817.923.0088

MYTexasHealthCareOBGYN.com

No Substitutions.

Insist on Benjamin Moore paint for unmatchable color and luxury performance. There’s no substitution for quality. See the Love. Find all 3500 Benjamin Moore Colors at your locally owned Benjamin Moore store.

Best Companies

Fort Worth Inc.

Under the warm Texas sun on Aug. 17, Fort Worth Inc. hosted its annual Best Companies To Work For awards luncheon at the picturesque River Ranch Stockyards. The event was a vibrant celebration of Fort Worth’s top-tier workplaces and a heartfelt tribute to the companies that have proven their success of going above and beyond to craft exceptional environments for their employees. The event served as an opportunity to unveil the rankings of the Best Companies To Work For in Fort Worth across three categories: small, medium, and large companies. Each category highlighted the top organizations that have shown unwavering dedication to a prioritization on employees’ well-being, fostering growth, and nurturing job satisfaction. Special thanks to Platinum Sponsor, R Bank.

Give Back

Robert Ramirez, Sonya Mosley, Shana Hazzard, Cathy R. Sheffield, Ashley Elgin, Joni Horton, Katye LaNier, Shnease Webb, Jennifer Carpenter

Andrew Kubiak, Landon King

Row 1: Olivia Ash, Annmarie Van de Riet, Sarita Davis, Michelle Betscher, Sean Ward, Robert (Bo) Cooper

Row 2: Aderick Moore, Matias Elejalde, Michael Reed, Jacob Ehrhardt

Hope Bankston, Candice Ransbarger

Anna Summersett Peter Burke

Steve Bowman, Charles Flowers

PHOTOS BY JOSH DAVIS

Give Back

There’s nothing more rewarding than giving back and making a difference in the lives of people in this great community. As the city’s magazine — which has the eyes and ears of some of Fort Worth’s most affluent and philanthropic citizens — we feel a responsibility to give back, 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.

Oct. 4

Public Figures, Private Artists The Art Station

Oct. 6

State of the City Fort Worth Chamber

Oct. 7-29

Fort Worth Magazine’s Dream Street Touring a Wish with Wings

Oct. 11

Christmas in Cowtown VIP Opening Night Junior League of Fort Worth

Oct. 12

Christmas in Cowtown Private Shopping Junior League of Fort Worth

Oct. 12

The Party in Fort Worth Fort Worth Promotion & Development Fund

Oct. 15

Cookin’ for Kids Kids Who Care

Oct. 19

Feast in the Fort Parenting Center

Oct. 20

Cowtown Ball

American Cancer Society

Oct. 20

Bras for a Cause

Bras for a Cause

Oct. 20-22

Art Worth Fest

Art Worth

Oct. 27

Monster Mash

The Women’s Center

Camp Fire Mission

Camp

The Junior League of Fort Worth

would like to thank our sponsors for their continued support and generosity

Premier Sponsor

Media Partner

Valet Sponsor

Bar & Spirits Sponsor

Event Sponsor

Amber and Troy Robertson • Bank of Texas • Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center • Clinic Concierge • Frost

Jean Roach, Amy Bailey, and Lori Davis • Pat and Karen O’Neill • Texas Health Resources The Ryan Foundation • Williams Trew Real Estate

Special

Events

Blackbeard Operating, LLC • Carrie Cappel, Elizabeth Knuckley, Natalie Martin, and Tiffany Rubenkoenig • HUB Fort Worth

Martha V. Leonard • Robin Greenhaw, Paige Pate, Sandra Tuomey, and Wendy Wright

Teresa and Luther King / Luther King Capital Management • The Northern Trust Company Savannah Petronis, Baird Private Wealth Management

Private Shopping

Ben E. Keith Beverages • Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation • Peggy Sims / Steamatic DFW and Jane Sykes • Texas Christian University

Preview Party

Casey Kirchner, Kendall Riddell, and Megan Smock • Gail W. Rawl • Glenda Diaz - Keller Williams Realty • Janeen Lamkin • JL Gems

Fort Worth Fertility / Dr. Robert Kaufmann • JLFW Board of Directors 2023 - 2024 • Kim and Glenn Darden • Linbeck Group, LLC

Tarrant Property Tax Service • Vantage Bank

Christmas in Cowtown

Oct. 12-15, 2023 • Will Rogers Memorial Center christmasincowtown.com

Fredrick Prescott Dan and Joi LaChaussee

Katherine Kaya

Paul Miller Jeanne Akita

While West Exchange Avenue doesn’t get the same attention as its eastern counterpart — the Star Café has been a solid spot for home-cooked grub and garlic-drenched steaks since the mid-1930s, then known as Edna’s Star Cafe. In the 1970s, the diner was remodeled as one of the early Black-eyed Pea Restaurants — a chain that kicked off in Dallas — before returning to its roots as Star Café in July 1980. The spot, which occupies the space above the dance floor of the self-proclaimed “World’s Smallest Honky-Tonk” (the Basement Bar), was recently purchased by Chris Flores, who told Bud Kennedy in April 2022 that the café “needs to stay like it is.” The above photo was taken by area photographer Keith Barrett, who admits his Instagram is all over the map as far as where he shoots, “but I love shooting Fort Worth.”

Get your photo on this page and win a $100 gift card to Fort Worth Camera. Just tag Fort Worth Magazine (@fwtxmag) and Fort Worth Camera (@fwcamera) and use the hashtags #fwtxmag and #fwcamera on all your amazing Cowtown images. main line 817.560.6111 | subscriptions 817.766.5550 | website fwtx.com

@KDBarrett

PHOTO BY KEITH BARRETT

Gilchrist Direct makes the process easier than ever. Shop 100% online, in-person, or let your personal concierge do the work for you.

• Shop, Buy, Delivered – Our secure online platform allows you to shop online, pick a car, and make your purchase, without ever leaving your home or office. We’ll even park it in your driveway.

• Unparalleled Selection – Choose from our vast new and used vehicle inventory.

• Concierge Service – Your concierge is here to make it easier to find, finance, and maintain your dream vehicle. They can answer questions, offer advice, and get you the best deal. Think of them as your friend in the industry!

Power & Prestige

Mansfield residents Jennifer (Jenn) Evans and Britt Bartakat share a love of luxe autos that provide the perfect merging of performance and prestige — always Mercedes-Benz and always from Park Place Motorcars Arlington. Jenn’s and Britt’s current luxury rides include a 2023 white Mercedes-Benz CLA 35 coupe (named Snow) and a 2022 black MercedesBenz A220 sedan (named Elvira). With strong acceleration and sports-sedan handling, the Mercedes-Benz CLA 35 coupe looks stunning as it flies by down the road. “CLA 35 Snow! I love the smooth, quiet, comfortable drive; the power; the technology; and her look! Hot!” says Jenn, who works in education. Britt’s 2022 Mercedes-Benz A220, a subcompact luxury sedan, drives as delightfully as it looks. It has all the high-end features that Britt desires. She praises the A220 for its amount of luxury, technology, and oomph. “A220 Elvira! I love her get-up-and-go and smooth and

comfortable drive. She is amazing!” says Britt, a medical recruiter.

Park Place has made these satisfied customers into lifelong clients. “Not only is Ken Erwin [sales experience manager] our go-to guy, but all the staff at Park Place Arlington have always been kind, courteous, and helpful,” says Britt. “Park Place is Our Place because of Ken Erwin. He has become a part of our family. Park Place Motorcars Arlington dealership and Ken Erwin are why we keep coming back to Park Place.”