Going Green is popular: Most of us go to Wal-Mart to do a little shopping, a little saving. Singer/songwriter Pat Green parked his bus there one night in Birmingham, Ala., and wrote Wave on Wave. "When we got finished,” Green told the (Nashville) Tennessean newspaper, “I knew it was going to be something big." Green is big! Billy Bob’s Texas is big, too, the Neiman Marcus of honkytonks, and has Pat Green on stage Feb. 6. And Mr. B is BIG! He has two seats, third row, for someone to Wave to Pat Green.
Who’s a tease? While many of you are considering your New Year’s resolutions, i.e., diets and getting ship shape, let Mr. B tell the rest of you about one of the finest events in town. And only because we have a pair of tickets from fabulous friends Susan and Marilyn. The Lena Pope Home Sweethearts Dessert Fantasy Feb. 21 is ALL desserts, so no sissies should enter to win. The finest restaurants and bakeries serve up their singular specialties for more than two hours. No program. No band. Just eat to your mind’s content and your stomach’s discontent. And all money raised supports LPH programs for families.
He cooks, you zzzz: Just about a year ago, the bakers/chefs mom & son Capua and Samaritan House rolled out Z’s Café, a cooperative luncheon/catering restaurant with workers from Samaritan House. It has been a success; you would be, too, if Carlo Capua and Steve Dutton were talking you up all the time. The one-year anniversary party at Z's Cafe is Friday Feb. 12, and there will be food and fun and frolic. But for Newz-E-Letter, Carlo has something really special: A catered “comfort food” – such as king ranch chicken, meat loaf, chicken vermicelli, etc – dinner for four with wine in your home.
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May the best man (or woman) win! Friendly competitors for the Small Business of the Year Awards were introduced at the Chamber’s Jan. 14th Business After Hours at the Fort Worth Sheraton Hotel & Spa. In the 1-10 Employees category, finalists are McConstruction Company, Steve McCune; Lerii Smith, Project Partners, Inc.; and Sherry Green, Technology Team. See all the finalists’ photos here, and the full list of companies here. Site visits by judges are being conducted this week. Awards will be announced at the Mayor’s State of the City address Feb. 25.
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Power-aid: Trent Simmons and Tim Halden are bright lights for Texas Power and when the light finally went on for Trent, he said, “Hey, we can do a giveaway.” Smart guy because Texas Power was just mentioned to 4,960 readers. And what better way to (Texas) power your way than with their compact fluorescent lights, which are ever efficient and everlasting. We have three packs to give away.
Left, right, left, right: Back in the dark ages, before computers and helmets, Steve McCune of McConstruction Company played football. He said that whenever his left shoulder popped out of place, the coach would just move him to the right side of the line.
Left brain, right brain: Artist Lynx, he of the wayward ties and artistic connection with The Vault, got his name when he tripped on a Paris runway while modeling Perry Ellis duds. Seems he crawled the rest of the runway similar to a cat. As for the discombobulated ties, of which he has 100s, they were a by-product of his not being dressed “original enough” to get into a Gucci party in Miami.
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Hit in head too many times: A Fort Worth-based doomsday of defense has won a huge contract to deliver technology-funky, super-duper, incredible helmets to the U.S. Marine Corps. Good thing it’s not for the Air Force, because TCU plays the fightin’ Falcons in Mountain West games every year.
Best 5 minutes of your day: Fort Worth Opera thunder funder Suzy Williams is right proud of her son Tim's 5-minute film of the Tostitos Salute to the Troops Bowl game, which was shown at halftime of the TCU-Boise State Fiesta Bowl game. Barry Switzer led a group of very recognizable stars to Iraq and the smiles will warm your heart. Google Thunderbolt Films.
Social news: Houdi Epstein, the buffet king at Zorro’s, is getting married in June and his Affairs to Cater mother, Ricki, has the grandma grin going. Her first, via son Uri, is due in July. On the other hand, Barb Sisson of TDG is old hat at the grandma stuff. Her 10th was born last week.
Hats off to this mom: Lenee Bassham, the new executive vice president of development for Easter Seals North Texas, started with the nonprofit in March of 2004, while more than seven months pregnant. She directed her first Hats Off to Mothers gala luncheon on May 5th, then “wrote and mailed thank you letters on the 6th and 7th, and had a baby on the 10th.”
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Botox with a fox? In a box? Mishelle Lancaster penned a good pun while trying to influence Mr. B in a blind drawing for a Botox giveaway. The Buzz Fence employee posted: “I'd rather my crows NOT have feet!”
Plain truth: Airport traffic may be down nationally, but not at D/FW International. It was flat 2009 versus 2008.
Things to know: From last week’s Chamber economic development update…
OK, that was just a joke: Economic Development Executive Vice President David Berzina says consultants expect corporate relocations to escalate this year, especially some that have been on hold since 2008. Exodus to Texas from California, New York and Massachusetts. And more:
- Unemployment — Among high school grads, it’s 11.7 percent. For college grads, it’s 3.5 percent.
And from guest speaker Robert Earley, the President and CEO of JPS Health Network, who, BTW, won a race for the Texas House at 23 and whose one-year anniversary as CEO is next Thursday.
- In its first two weeks as a Level I Trauma Center, JPS saw a 34 percent increase in patients. The closest TC going west is Lubbock. Earley says the No. 1 cause of death for people under 44 is trauma.
- He wants to work closely with UNTHSC and President Scott Ransom on more research and more academia to understand trauma.
- Supports UNTHSC’s quest to offer M.D. schooling in addition to D.O., and salutes it for raising its own funds to do so.
- JPS will build an east side resource center for preventive and emergency care for the homeless.
Three’s a charm: The recently-opened City Life Center on Florence in downtown Fort Worth is a recording studio, coffee house and church all in one. Live arts and entertainment on Friday nights, worship services Saturday night and The House Coffee Bar all the time. Scott Lowe is the bean man, Mark Williams the pastor.
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Can you help? The Chamber’s North Area Council board is trying to help the ROTC Cadets from its adopted school, J.P. Elder Middle School, attend the national competition in Wichita, Kansas March 25-27. The cost is $150 per student ($6k total). The board has raised $1,000 itsownself. These kids are not able to pay their way. With help from the student body and you, they can march proudly in Wichita. Contact Pennie if you want to help.
Miller (not) Lite: Senior Partner Kleber Miller at the Shannon Gracey law firm is 85. He still goes to work every day, and one associate said, “he still goes for the throat.”
Take him to Vegas: Seems as if Dewey Isom of Raymond James wins a lot of business card drawings. He won a night’s stay and dinner at Shula’s 347 Grill during this month’s Business After Hours at the Sheraton Hotel & Spa.
Pun of the week: From Carol Murray, who every day communicates the greatness of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History – “I need to mend Donny's pants, but I can't seem to get motivated to do it. I guess you could say I'm hemming and hawing about it.
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