Light on your feet: Thank you for all the invitations to your July 4th backyard barbecues. Not! You figured why invite Mr. B when, like clockwork, Larry Anfin, loyal reader and beer aficionado, will step up to the plate with a holiday giveaway from his Coors Distributing of Fort Worth. Who needs B when B can provide the beer without B? Never one to disappoint, Larry leveraged the business with this trio of delights: three winners will receive two cases of Coors Light and one case of Coors Banquet. Remember, don't drink and drive; fall down responsibly in your own backyard. Party planner: How could you have a July 4th celebration without people to party, padres grilling pork and Pulliam Pools. President Debra Smith paraded downtown and plopped down a plethora of pool party playthings in a HUGE red acrylic bowl, gift wrapped in red/white/blue with a flag motif pinwheel. It's filled with panache, including a God Bless America CD by Lee Greenwood. Debra has blessed one of you. Party all night: First Friday activities are booming in Tarrant County, but none will be rocking more than this week's Rock 'n Roll Heaven. Here is a voucher for four tickets so you can put on your blue suede shoes and dance the night away at The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's Concert in the Gardens. King Kraig Parker headlines the show with the look, voice, style and all the moves that made Elvis great. Fancy fauxs of two fantastic Texas rock legends, Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly, also will perform.

Picture of the Week     Meet two of the lucky door prize winners Melissa Miller, Insperity (left), and Christian Lehenbauer, Edwards Jones (right), from last week's Sports Series: Texas Rangers Update with Nolan Ryan and Chuck Morgan held in the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame at the Ballpark in Arlington. Christian won a baseball signed by Nolan Ryan while Melissa won tickets to a future game...play ball! See more event photos here.   Sponsored by

Snapshots of life: Texas Tornados meet Tuesdays at Earl's Deli and the group is collecting more than leads. Group leader Clarence Moore of ASG Security and Chamberite Carole Ann Fleming facilitate some wild stories and discoveries, but nothing like this beautiful, signed and matted 30" x 14" color photograph of a west Texas sunset with barn and windmill. The photo is appropriately titled Texas Tornado Country and was shot by Karl Giere.

Got a minute? This Leads Group discussion was about how staff continually comes into a supervisor's office to interrupt with questions such as "how do I do this" or “what do I do about that." It is a widespread problem. Mr. B asked management Mensa Mark Cook of CrossGroup for free professional advice:  “The reminder for all managers is that interruptions are part of the job.  We must build gaps into our schedules for employees to access us. Managers are producers through others first and personal producers second. The alternatives when interrupted are:

• Set a time limit on the interrupter and give the person your full attention. "I can give you five minutes right now. Could I give you help in that window or do we need to make an appointment for later today?"
• Make an appointment that day when it is more convenient. "As you can see, I am working on the monthly report; could we schedule a time this afternoon?"
• For the habitual interrupter, invest intentional time mentoring them. Be honest. Describe the interrupting behavior and work through solutions to improve the employee's performance.

What women want: How the heck would Mr. B know. So tell him, and the Chamber and some marketing students at Texas Woman's University's School of Management. They're doing a survey for the Chamber's Women Influencing Business (WIB) group looking for the best workplaces for women, in areas such as compensation, training, community involvement, mentoring, ethics and more. Go here to participate in the survey. Once it is tabulated, the results will serve as the basis for the application form for the "best places to work for women" competition.

Idle mines: No. 1 tip for 7.7.7.7. -- Clean Air Action Day - is to stop idling! So, Thursday, July 7, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., there will be no traffic jams, no lines at the drive thrus and no school pickup lines. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the east lot of the CentrePort/DFW Airport TRE station, there is a free barbecue lunch, alternative fuel vehicle display, ride and drive, and panel discussion.

Hall pass: Clear Fork Valley High School power forward and Chamber Development Manager Jennifer Johnston has dribbled into the Ohio school's Hall of Fame along with her state champion runners-up Lady Colts teammates. The 1988 ballers lost by two points in the title game. Today, Jennifer is a Vuduris and a Mr. B fav because she sells enough sponsorship space in the Newz-E-Letter to keep him in business. A hearty thank you and best wishes to departing, long-time sponsor Alexander Chandler Realty.

It's takes a village...: United Way workplace campaign chair Julie H. Wilson, veep of Urban Development at Chesapeake Energy, did some last-minute drilling to bring the total in above budget and leave officials gushing. The $22,514,000 raised was $14k above goal, which has been difficult to reach in recent years. Big corporate donors included Alcon ($2.4 million), Burlington Northern Santa Fe ($2.1 million) Lockheed Martin ($2 million), Bell Helicopter ($1 million) and Mr. B ($10).

On demand: Dan Hebert, Charter Communications' chairman of the cable in Fort Worth, has been elected Chairman of the Texas Cable Association. Perhaps a free movie offering is coming to subscribers in celebration.

Buddy up to her: Three new Chamber members, all near the 6300 Camp Bowie area, are Jersey Mikes (subs), Smashburger (burgers) and TCBY (yogurt). All have the same contact--Ashleigh Endicott.

Florida frolic: Steve Shineman, TCU's fab fund developer, is taking his first vacation lasting two weeks. Never had time for two weeks before, but Mr. B is guessing football success hasn't hurt the money ask. He and wife Amy are heading to a St. Augustine, Fla., beach house.

Related geniuses: The Bs at Balcom Agency won a silver medal from the Dallas Society of Visual Communications for their campaign for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History's grand re-opening in November 2009.

Another honoree: The Fort Worth Business Press won second place in headline writing and third place for a special publication, Energy Report, in the Texas Press Association annual competition.

It'll be a cold day in ...: J.O. Design is celebrating its 13th birthday this Friday afternoon and giving, not getting, gifts. Go by from noon-5 p.m. for free snow cones. And here's another cool opportunity: Am-Bass-Adorables will be at TCBY, 6328 Camp Bowie Blvd., next Wednesday for a frozen ribbon cutting.

Got milk? Sitting next to Nick and Rani of Vandervoorts Dairy during a recent Chamber breakfast, drinking some of their yearly 400 million gallons of Kroger-brand milk, but really thinking ice cream during these sunny, sauna days. Milk is produced six days a week; ice cream just two at Vandervoorts. No. 1 flavor is vanilla and No. 2 is Rocky Road.