Up In The Air without Clooney: When Mr. B got one of those camera tickets at a red light, he went to sympathetic Capt. Billy Cordell of the Fort Worth Police Department to argue his case. “This photo is not taken from my best side,” Mr. B said. “If it ends up on Facebook, I could sue for irreparable damages.” Cordell escorted Mr. B out, but not before handing over a signed certificate from Capt. Jeff Halstead for a whirlybird adventure for two. This traffic ticket is good for two peeps for a ride aboard Chief Pilot Jay Paschke’s Fort Worth Police Air Support Unit Helicopter during normal police operating conditions (not a special flight).
Par excellence: J.J. Henry is the featured interviewee for the Chamber’s Pre-Crowne Plaza Colonial, Get-Excited, It-Is-Almost-Here, luncheon May 18. J.J. has won on the tour, won at TCU and probably could beat the pants off all comers during a member-member at his home course, Mira Vista CC. Which is all very cool. But not as cool as the Henry House Foundation, which funds projects to promote health care and well-being for children in Fort Worth and his home area, southern New England. That’s worth at least a stroke a hole. Fore of you can join Mr. B at his half table (it’s the economy).
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Mike Roundtree, roundtree advertising + marketing, asks Amber Tinsley of American Jewelry Exchange if he can exchange some gold bullion he’s not using. This was during last week’s Getting to Know Your Chamber networking session at the Fort Worth Club. About 100 members packed the Top of the Town to exchange leads, cards, promotional items and ideas. See the photos here.
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Marco? Polo. Marco? Polo: Ooops, wrong polo, according to Robin Sanchez at the Polo Training Foundation. This is the Cowboy Up version on a real horse and just so things will go swimmingly, Robin pooled her ponies and stablemates and is offering one free lesson at the spread in Burleson. By the time you’ve galloped and malletted, you’ll be the next Norman Brinker and be opening restaurants across the country.
Flowery excuses: So, Lovely Lauren left the Chamber for Balcom Agency a few days back and she was cleaning her social media drawers and twitted upon a giveaway that she must have been keeping for her own MySpace. Seems gal pal Martha (Cornbread) White at Gordon Boswell Flowers had sent over a Santa face with fresh flowers-Holiday Traditions floral arrangement for a Christmas prize package. Well, we are red Face-booked, ’cause we missed Christmas, we missed Valentine’s Day and we missed Mother’s Day. Christmas in July, instead? Martha says just exchange it for any similarly priced floral ensemble, but use it this month.
Rocking out: Mr. B thought financial man Chris Munizza of AXA Advisors was talking about retirement planning when he said “he can rock out.” Learned later he was referencing his karaoke rendition of Bon Jovi songs.
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Who needs college: Jason Bohn, golf winner in New Orleans last month and a Crowne Plaza Colonial player later this month, already was a millionaire in college. He sank a hole-in-one in a charity tournament and won $1 million as a sophomore at the University of Alabama. Needless to say, he turned pro on the spot to be able to accept the money ($50K a year for 20 years). |
Evil twins? At the recent Chamber Leaders in Business breakfast at the Fort Worth Club, there still was lots of talk about Goldman Sachs. A banker wondered who had a lower approval rating, Goldman or Congress. Someone else suggested turning the tables and having Goldman question Congress.
Dining with dollars: Mr. B got to sit at the head table during that breakfast, which featured speaker David Bonderman, THE moneyman for TPG Capital. His private equity firm has raised $45 Billion the past five years, which ranks 4th in the WORLD. Guess who left the tip?
Dying without dollars: During last week’s Easter Seals North Texas salute to mothers, Rosalind Rosenthal was encouraging the 300-plus attendees to donate to the nonprofit agency. “I believe in sharing what I’ve been fortunate to receive,” she said. “When I pass, I want my last check to bounce.” |
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Who’s there? That knock on your door may be a 2010 Census bean counter if you’re one of the 28 percent of American households that hasn’t responded. Do not give out your social security number, bank or credit card info, your first born or your mother’s maiden name. The Census is done to determine representation in Congress and who gets $400 billion of federal largesse.
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Warning—Curves Ahead: Mr. B’s friend Bennie is a little off kilter, but wanted to share this warning …“If someone comes to your front door saying they are checking for ticks, due to the warm weather, and then ask you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT. This is a SCAM. Wish I had known this yesterday.”
Warning – Bad Joke Ahead: About last week’s Cash America giveaway of 14-carat stud earrings, Mike Roundtree of roundtree advertising + marketing asks: “Are they used for breeding earrings?” |
Take me to your leader: Time for an in-house commercial…Pennie (I Will Follow Where You Lead) Blossom says the Chamber has seven Leads Groups. Check them out here. Two of the groups are seeking members. Not every Leads Group is a perfect fit, but when you find one and if you work it, it works for you. For more info, you can get a Pennie for your thoughts at Pblossom@fortworthchamber.com. |
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Score one for us: Am-Bass-Adorables are doing a ribbon cutting in May for AAA Texas at 9509 Sage Meadow Trail. Internal Chamber note says, "You will not find this street on GPS – too new." Bet AAA has it.
Score again? At the Business After Hours tomorrow night, sure hope Ridglea Country Club is serving what it served Mother’s Day – tenderloin with horseradish and coarse grain mustard, pork loin with rum & raisin sauce, and wild rock fish with spicy shrimp and tomato sauce.
Riddle me this: During the first quarter of 2010, the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau says Fort Worth hotels experienced the highest first quarter occupancy and demand in the city’s history. Fort Worth hotels overall are 5.7 percent above the national average and downtown hotels are 14.9 percent higher. |  |
Show some respect! Please address Margaret Ritsch, director of public relations with Balcom Agency, as Margaret Ritsch, APR. Including, you, husband Fritz! She completed the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations, entitling her to use the APR professional designation. It also means she gets to boss around Stephanie Scott and make her write the news releases. Stephanie is the daughter of former FW South honcho Don Scott and author Joan Scott.
Chinatown: Did someone forget to tell Carlo Capua of Z's Cafe that Fort Worth Sister Cities Madam Mae Ferguson is in China checking out a possible hookup. Carlo is in Ghana, across the universe, and he's ghana-be real surprised to find out he's on the wrong mission. Back in China, David Berzina and Lacy Kreger of the Fort Worth Chamber and Fort Worth economic developer Robert Sturns, are checking out Zhaoqing, a city of approximately 4 million people, and Guiyang, a city of around 3.5 million. Lacy is yakking it up on her blog and even ratted out David for buying a $9 diet soda. Lacy also wrote she saw Repulse Bat, but it was in Chinese so we don't know if she was repulsed by a bat or if it's some kind of artwork. |
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I can see clearly: Yikes! B thought the Chamber’s Vision Fort Worth 20/20 Awards tonight at Reata and Four Day Weekend was honoring optometrists and ophthalmologists, but it’s for company hiring practices (for those with “perfect vision”). |
Watt’s next? Fort Worth Mayor 3M and the council proclaimed last Tuesday W.R. (Bob) Watt, Jr. Day. Consider some of what occurred during his 32 years as President and GM of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo:
- Livestock entries have increased 51 percent to 22,000;
- In 1978, 500 rodeo contestants were hosted with $138,000 in prize money and entry fees. In 2010, 1,287 rodeo contestants competed for $594,000 in total purse;
- Grand Champion steer in 1978 sold for $16,000; in 2010, the Grand Champion steer sold for $210,000;
- Sales receipts increased 672 percent to more than $5 million;
- Attendance increased from 610,000 annually to nearly a million;
- In 2010, the Show awarded $860,326 in scholarships, educational grants and charitable contributions.
Check, please: Last week was National Goodwill Industries Week and the locals put a ha-ha-ha on its website of some of the most “interesting” donations. Included were the $5,000 left in the pocket of a Jos. A. Bank sport coat and the marijuana left in a donated purse. Goodwill said the money was returned; curiously, no explanation was given about the marijuana. |
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