Fort Worth Weekly // March 29 - April 4, 2023

Liberating Art

At the Amon Carter, Emancipation:

BY EDWARD BROWN

EATS & DRINKS

The Near Southside food truck Cheezy Does It soothes the soul.

BY EDWARD BROWN

STUFF

There’s a lot of blame to go around for the Mavs’ meltdown.

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

SCREEN

Finally, a D&D movie for grognards and noobs alike.

BY KRISTIAN LIN

MUSIC

Hotcake Hand Grenade does hardcore punk proper.

BY STEVE STEWARD

The Unfinished Project of Liberation interrogates the concept of Black freedom in America.

To Die For

By Kristian Lin

Nice

By Edward Brown

Round Ball, Flat Earth

The Mavs are imploding, and the blame is spreading like shrapnel.

By Patrick Higgins

STAFF

Anthony Mariani, Editor

Lee Newquist, Publisher

Bob Niehoff, General Manager

Ryan Burger, Art Director

Jim Erickson, Circulation Director

Edward Brown, Staff Writer

Emmy Smith, Proofreader

Michael Newquist, Regional Sales Director

Jennifer Bovee, Marketing Director

Stacey Hammons, Senior Account Executive

Julie Strehl, Account Executive

Tony Diaz, Account Executive

Wyatt Newquist, Digital Coordinator

Clintastic, Brand Ambassador

CONTRIBUTORS

Christina Berger, E.R. Bills, Jason Brimmer, Buck D. Elliott, Juan R. Govea, Patrick Higgins, Laurie James, Kristian Lin, Vishal Malhotra, Cody Neathery, Wyatt Newquist, Madison

Simmons, Teri Webster, Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue,

Anthony Mariani, Edward Brown, Emmy Smith

METROPOLIS

Operation Unresponsive

Fort Hood doesn’t have our 6.

BY E.R. BILLS

On Monday, March 13, 2023, another 20-year-old Latina soldier died suspiciously at Fort Hood in Killeen after complaining to her family about being sexually harassed and admitting that she no longer felt “comfortable” there. Her name is Ana Basaldua Ruiz, and she was from Long Beach, California. Pvt. Ruiz wasn’t the first, and she won’t be the last.

Award-winning investigative journalist May Jeong discussed the culture of Fort Hood in the July/August 2021 edition of Vanity Fair. “At first blush, such violence at a base that calls itself the ‘Great Place’ may seem extraordinary, inexplicable even. But then certain details start illuminating the mystery: that one out of every three women soldiers have experienced sexual harassment, according to a recent survey. That gun safety is a distant concern in a community where the Second Amendment tops the Maslow charts. That psychological trauma among veterans vastly exceeds physical wounds. That most soldiers enlist when they are still teenagers, their yet-unformed minds taught to kill. That American imperialism is imploding, and the blast force radiates inward.”

Over a decade before Jeong explored the subject, I touched on an aspect of it in “Johnny Got His Pills” in the Weekly on Oct. 27, 2010. The title was a riff on Dalton Trumbo’s antiwar novel Johnny Got His Gun, which won the National Book Award for Most Original Book of 1939 and was made into an unforgettable antiwar film (directed by Trumbo himself) in 1971. In the piece, I discussed the implications of the 2009 suicide of U.S. Army Sgt. Douglas Hale Jr. After a stay in a Denton psychiatric hospital following his second (15-month) combat tour in Iraq, he bought a gun in a pawn shop and shot himself in a restaurant bathroom. His final text read, “I love you mom im so sorry I hope u and family and god can forgive me.”

In my story, I questioned the things that the U.S. military was doing to militate the toll of warfare and, specifically, the prescription of stupefacient (anesthetic, deadening, consciousness-dulling) substances to navigate that “terrain.” One of Katie Couric’s producers subsequently emailed me looking for more

information on the subject. It was exciting to see my work get that kind of attention — but the subject matter was terribly bleak.

I was writing pieces like that at the time because I thought they might contribute to a broader conversation. Attention from Couric’s people was encouraging, but I don’t know if they ever did anything on Sgt. Hale. Since then, things have changed. Stupefacient substances (including many formerly illegal ones that are now legal in some states) are in, and Fort Hood — in terms of nomenclature, anyway — is on its way out.

Originally named after reckless Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood (commander of the Texas brigade of the Confederate Army during the Civil War), Fort Hood is slated to be renamed Fort Cavazos — honoring the first Hispanic four-star general in Texas, Gen. Richard Cavazos — and military officials have until Jan. 1, 2024, to finalize the transition.

Fort Hood is America’s largest active-duty armored military installation, housing approximately 40,000 soldiers, and troops from Fort Hood and elsewhere have manned military operations in more than 83 countries since 9/11, including Operation Iraqi Freedom (March 19, 2003-Aug. 31, 2010), Operation New Dawn, (Sept. 1, 2010Dec. 31, 2011), Operation Enduring Freedom (Oct. 7, 2001-Dec. 31, 2014), Operation Inherent Resolve (August 2014-present), and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (Dec. 31, 2014-present). Based on a Feb. 21, 2023, casualty status report by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), in the course of these “operations,” reported hostile and non-hostile casualties among U.S. military and DOD civilians have totaled 7,026.

The number of suicides among U.S. service members and veterans over the same period is a staggering 30,177.

That’s roughly 1,371 suicides a year, 115 a month, and almost four a day.

That means Sgt. Hale was hardly an anomaly.

That means the U.S. military had been conducting an unofficial operation as it simultaneously operated Operations Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, Freedom’s Sentinel, and others. For now, let us dub it “Operation Unresponsive,” because “unresponsive” is the standard cliché used to explain the condition of the victims when they are found intact in and around Fort Hood — and the command apparatus is consistently unresponsive to this issue, consistently unresponsive to the families of the victims, and continually unresponsive or less than forthcoming to the press.

And not just regarding the suicides or suspicious deaths but also reports of sexual harassment, sexual assault (heterosexual and homosexual), and murder.

But what’s a daily, weekly, monthly regime of murder, suicide, and sexual harassment when a military base like Fort Hood, located on 218,823 acres in the Killeen area, contributes $28.8 billion to the Texas economy? Especially when that economy is largely fossil fuel-based and the U.S. military is the biggest fossil fuel consumer on the planet?

Is it a coincidence that we don’t seem to go to war in many places where there isn’t oil these days? It’s almost like Big Oil has its own military.

It used to be we sent American troops off to fight real wars against real enemies, not perform weapons testing for the Military-Industrial Complex (which President Eisenhower, a native Texan, tried to warn us about) or run errands for Big Oil. Today, however, our soldiers mostly get to make or watch innocent brown people suffer overseas only to make sure our “black gold” supply chain remains intact. We know it, and they know it. There’s no honor in it, nor any real appreciation from the corporate entities it benefits the most. It’s a charade we’re all a part of but, as civilians, can accept and assume passive roles in. Stupefacient substances help with that, but our soldiers shoulder the active load — and it is a horrendous load. And this load has made places like Fort Hood more dangerous for U.S. soldiers than their actual deployments. Consider 2020, a decade after “Johnny Got His Pills.”

Fort Hood grew more fubar every other month. Twenty-year-old Spc. Shelby Tyler Jones, a native of Jena, Louisiana, died at a convenience store in south Killeen on

March 1 after being shot at a local club. Some of his buddies reportedly tried to rush him to a hospital but had to stop at the store to render aid. Three months later, the case was “exceptionally” cleared, and no one was prosecuted in Jones’ death.

Spc. Christopher Wayne Sawyer, 29, was discovered “unresponsive” — after allegedly shooting himself in the head — at his residence on base on March 5. A native of Longview, Washington, Sawyer had reportedly witnessed repeated acts of sexual harassment and encouraged the victims (male and female) to file reports, sometimes accompanying them or filing corroborating accounts. Nicknamed “The Governor” by members of his unit, Sawyer stood 6-foot-5 and weighed just over 230 pounds and wasn’t comfortable ignoring the maltreatment that some of his fellow soldiers experienced or was bashful about expressing his contempt. He had a 5-year-old daughter at home and was so shocked by some of the behavior at Fort Hood that he was anxious to leave. According to Sawyer’s wife, Destanie, he and others said little was done about most of the harassment, and when the files and complaints climbed the ranks, they were swept under the rug.

Then, Sawyer himself seemed to be swept under the rug.

On March 14, 2020, Spc. Freddy Beningo Delacruz Jr. was gunned down with two others at Summerlyn Apartments in Killeen. A 23-year-old native of Vidalia, Georgia, Delacruz was shot seven times in the back, his girlfriend (pregnant with his child) was found shot seven times on her bathroom floor, and Delacruz’s friend, veteran Shaquan Markell, was shot execution-style on the living room couch, a video game controller in his lap. Twenty-threeyear-old Barnard Lnell Morrow, a former soldier from Mississippi — and a man who considered his victims “family” — was charged with triple homicide and convicted of their murders in spring 2022.

On April 23, 20-year-old Houston native Vanessa Guillen was reported missing after telling her family she was being sexually harassed by a fellow soldier. Her remains were found in a shallow grave near the Leon River over two months later on June 30. She had been dismembered and partially encased in concrete by 20-year-old Spc. Aaron Davis Robinson of Calumet, Illinois. Robinson had bludgeoned Guillen to death and then enlisted the help of his girlfriend, 24-yearold Cecily Anne Aguilar (the estranged wife of another Fort Hood soldier), to help him conceal the crime. When Robinson found out Guillen’s remains had been discovered, he fled, killing himself with a handgun after being cornered by Killeen police. Aguilar pleaded guilty in U.S. magistrate court in Waco to one count of being an accessory afcontinued on page 5

Houston native Valerie Guillen was murdered, dismembered, and buried in a shallow grave after reporting sexual harassment at Fort Hood.

ter the fact and three counts of making false statements to the government.

The day Guillen was reported missing, 21-year-old Pvt. Gavin Chambers died at Fort Hood. Six days later, on April 29, 19-year-old Pvt. Joshua Holden Barnwell reportedly died after an “accidental weapons discharge” struck him in the head.

On May 16 of this one year, 2020, Sgt. Brad Reynolds, 37, committed suicide, leaving behind a wife, two sons, and a daughter. Pfc. Brandon Scott Rosencrans was found dead on the side of a road in Harker Heights (near Killeen) two days later. He had been shot four times at close range after befriending and then apparently being drugged by 30-year-old Brandon Michael Olivares and 39-year-old Estrellita Hidalgo Falcon. Rosencrans’ jeep was found burning three miles from his body, and Falcon was sentenced to 19 months for auto theft. Olivares was charged with murder and is awaiting trial.

Staff Sgt. Richard Lee Harrington Jr., 45, of Brooklyn, New York, killed himself on May 25. Harrington’s suicide was followed by that of 23-year-old Spc. James Green.

The skeletal remains of Pvt. 2nd Class Gregory Scott Morales were found in a Killeen field on June 19, 2020 — 10 months after the 24-year-old Sapulpa, Oklahoma, native was reported missing.

Navajo citizen Spc. Miguel D. Yazzie died at Fort Hood on July 3, but his cause of death was not provided. Twenty-six-year-

old Pvt. Mejhor Morta, of Pensacola, Florida, was found unresponsive on July 17 after drowning in nearby Stillhouse Hollow Lake. Local fishermen discovered his body at the base of a dam. Spc. Francisco Gilberto Hernandez-Vargas of Woodside, New York — in the same battalion as Morta — was found dead in the water at Stillhouse Hollow Lake on Aug. 2. The 24-year-old had reportedly been riding on an inflatable tube being pulled by a boat before he died.

Then, on Aug. 25, 2020, Sgt. Elder Fernandez of Brockton, Massachusetts, was found hanging from a tree in Temple, about 25 miles from Fort Hood. A preliminary autopsy ruled Fernandez’s death a suicide, but it came not long after he reported to his superiors and his family that he was being harassed and that one of his commanding officers had sexually assaulted him. He was hospitalized for psychiatric care at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in mid-August and disappeared the day he was released.

Navajo citizen Pvt. Corlton Chee became the 28th soldier to die at Fort Hood in 2020, on Sept. 2. He reportedly collapsed during a training exercise.

“Operation Unresponsive” ran at a steady clip at Fort Hood for at least a decade, but the campaign was abridged in December 2020, when numerous Fort Hood leaders were found to be permissive of sexual harassment and assault and were relieved of command or suspended. Especially damning was the Army review determination that “no commanding general or subordinate senior commander proactively intervened to mitigate ‘known risks of high crime, sexual

assault, and sexual harassment.’ ”

Over the last couple of years, however — overdue punitive measures notwithstanding — victims’ friends and family members have claimed that the “Great Place” gives off a bad vibe, warning journalists like May Jeong not to be out around Fort Hood after dark and to be on the lookout for “cartels.”

Cartels. In Central Texas.

In WWI, U.S. fighter pilots protecting an airplane’s rear position coined the phrase

“I’ve Got Your 6.” The phrase means “I’ve got your back.” Several of our fellow Texans participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, because they had Donald Trump’s back. Many of our fellow Texans have patrolled our border with Mexico because they believed they had white Texas’ back. And plenty of Lone Star politicians continue to discuss secession as if they have the state of Texas’ back.

Who’s got the Fort Hood victims’ back?

I limited my examination of the mayhem and carnage at Fort Hood to 2020 — one year — but the trend continued well into 2022, ending with the reported suicide of 26-year-old Skiatook, Oklahoma, native Justin Lambillotte in his barracks on Dec. 23.

Fort Hood has been a disturbing new chapter of the wild, wild west for over a decade and right under our noses at that. It’s also been an asinine model of good-ol’-boy abuses (and excuses) right in front of our eyes. And Fort Hood clearly seems to have been more dangerous for the soldiers stationed there than any current combat zone they might be sent to.

So, though I applaud the decision to rename Fort Hood after Gen. Richard Cavazos — a Mexican-American hero — if I were a member of the Cavazos family, I might think twice.

It would be a shame to lend a real patriot’s name to a chronically fubar military base in a state governed by often conspicuously unpatriotic leaders. l

Fort Worth native E.R. Bills is the author of the upcoming Tell-Tale Texas: Investigations in Infamous History (release date August 2023).

Unfit for Office?

METROPOLIS

it’s easy to forget that most Americans — and Texans, for that matter — are tolerant, decent-minded folks.

Of all the Lone Star State’s counties, the largest ethical gulf between constituents and their elected leaders is arguably here. In Tarrant County, years of protests and grassroots efforts to push back on the self-serving interests of old white officials have led to no discernable changes in leadership. Given that status quo, the recent Republican-backed uprising against Rick Barnes surprised us.

However, among many local Republicans, recent emails — including one titled “Rick Must Go!”— indicate that all is not well in Barnesville. His numerous critics allege the party head failed to follow Federal Ethics Commission filing requirements and pay payroll taxes properly, and he allegedly abused his office to cover up for one precinct chair who falsified her address to allow her to represent an area where she did not reside, among other accusations.

and there are legitimate concerns that this will continue if he attains public office. He allows his ego to get in the way of the deliberative process. Rick Barnes has stated that he will be resigning as chair to run for Tarrant County commissioner, leaving the new chair to cope with the devastation.”

BY STATIC

In a state where top elected officials prioritize villainizing drag queens and attacking women’s rights to bodily autonomy,

The head of the Tarrant County Republican Party recently filed to run for the Precinct 3 seat of the county commissioners court (currently filled by Gary Fickes) and appeared to enjoy staunch right-wing support. County Judge Tim O’Hare (who previously held Barnes’ role) and Precinct 4 Commissioner Manny Ramirez were handily elected to their positions just a few months ago, and Barnes is likely optimistic about his political fortunes.

Documents from the ethics commission, the agency charged with enforcing federal campaign finance laws, show the Tarrant County Republican Victory Fund that Barnes administers was fined $8,082 last year for failing to file proper federal campaign disclosures.

“Barnes neglected important financial duties and should not be entrusted with public funds,” reads one email. “He has not been transparent regarding [Tarrant County GOP] finances and projects,

Based on numerous social media photos and information from numerous confidential sources, Barnes maintains close connections with alleged scofflaw Lisa Grimaldi. One email passed among local Republican precinct chairs took aim at Barnes for allegedly covering for Grimaldi, who represented Precinct 1109 until recently, even as her numerous social media photos describe her home as Saginaw, which is not in 1109.

“As executive committee members, we call for the immediate removal of [Grimaldi] as precinct chair of 1109,” the unsigned email reads. “Is chairman Rick Barnes covering this up?”

continued on page 7

Infighting among local conservatives may be our best hope for neutering the political ambitions of the GOP’s most unsavory candidates.

The accusations of misconduct by Barnes and his friends continue to pile. Last week, our editor received an anonymous letter from a whistleblower alleging Grimaldi falsified her time sheets when working for Justice of the Peace Christopher Gregory beginning in 2019 until her recent departure to work for Judge Cynthia Terry at the 325th District Court. The allegations are consistent with interviews one of our reporters conducted with one former county employee and multiple insider sources who allege Gregory knew about the false timecards yet did not report the infraction or discipline Grimaldi. A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office said the incident has not been brought to their attention.

“I am intrigued by your email and the fact which you have alleged wrongdoing on myself but have never reached out to me,” Gregory replied after we sought comment from him. “The bases [sic] of your story or whistleblower’s statements and accounts are false or the story has been skewed to fit a narrative or agenda to ruin my good name.”

One confidential source who asked to remain anonymous to protect their privacy recommended we compare Grimaldi’s timesheets with data from county key -

cards that she used to enter and leave the building. Viewing those records would be helpful, but the DA’s office used the absurd argument that releasing keycard records would put Grimaldi in danger even as she no longer works for Gregory.

“As an employee in a court, the public can become irate if their tickets or cases are not resolved to their satisfaction,” the DA’s office wrote to us. “Should a disgruntled civilian wish, they could use the requested information to create a behavioral

profile on a county employee as to when they arrive to work. This creates a risk of safety” for Grimaldi.

The open records department must be willfully delusional if they believe our aim is to publish the minutiae of Grimaldi’s movements rather than verify she worked 40 hours a week.

Neither Barnes nor Grimaldi responded to our requests for comment.

While it is refreshing to see local conservatives call out their elected officials for alleged misdeeds, Barnes is far from the only right-wing leader putting petty politics over good governance. As long as Tarrant County remains effectively a one-party county, our 2 million residents will be left relying on exceedingly rare dissent among the conservative ranks to boot unfit leaders who rarely receive public scrutiny. l

This column reflects the opinions of the editorial board and not the Fort Worth Weekly . To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@ FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for concision and clarity.

Critics claim Rick Barnes (right) covered for Lisa Grimaldi (left) when she allegedly listed a false address as her home while serving as chair of Precinct 1109.

Courtesy Facebook

STUFF

Melting Down

With the playoffs

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

It’s been essentially a quarter of a season since the Mavericks made the seemingly allin move for controversial point guard Kyrie Irving. Just a year removed from a Western Conference Finals appearance, the team had become frustratingly stagnant, hovering around the .500 mark for most of the year.

With the departure of guard Jalen Brunson in the offseason still stinging and with fans watching 40-point effort after 40-point effort by superstar Luka Dončić having little positive effect on the team’s standing within the jumbled Western Conference, a call had begun bubbling up. It was a whisper at first, but — carried simultaneously by sports talk blowhards, ESPN talking heads, and even via hand-painted murals on the sides of buildings downtown — it quickly grew into an unignorable chorus. “Get Luka some help!”

Coming so close last year, further than they’d gone in more than a decade, an effort had to be made to “put them over the top,” lest an increasingly frustrated Dončić look to pull at the handle of an escape hatch straight outta Big D at his earliest opportunity. The gambit in acquiring Irving at considerable cost was meant to finally land a second superstar to play alongside their international phenom, to help bear some of the Atlas-ian

weight our beleaguered hero had been carrying all by himself — to assuage the fear that Luka just might hate playing here. With another Top 10 player in the league across from him in the backcourt, surely 77 would see that our little hometown team was worth staying around for, that there should be practically no ceiling for what Dallas might be able to do come playoff time. In fact, the Mavericks had likely just made a move to ensure a trip right back to the conference finals. Or beyond!

Alas, after an awkward transition period at the beginning and, due to injuries, a bewildering infrequency of games in which both the Mav superstars are actually playing together, the picture of what exactly the Dončić-Irving era looks like is becoming clearer. Sadly, as of now, I’m not sure the image is all that pretty.

The new double All-Star lineup has been playing exactly like an All-Star team. That is, a team that scores 120 every night, but, due to a complete lack of focus on — or even a tepid interest in — defense, gives up 121. As of this writing, in the 21 games since Irving joined the Mavs, the team has gone a dismal 8-13 and fallen from fourth in the West to 11th. Essentially, the Mavs have gone from potentially hosting a playoff series at home to out of even the play-in game.

It’s not just that their record is bad. The hair-pulling experience of Mavs fandom

recently has been exasperated by just who those mounting losses have come against. Taking Ls to mediocre (to downright terrible) teams who are missing key players seems to be Dallas’ specialty of late. Drop a game to the Pelicans without Zion Williamson? A trio to the Grizzlies without Ja Morant? Then two to the freakin’ LaMelo Ballless Hornets?!? Right now just ain’t no fun. For fans or the players.

Because he’s a walking technical foul, Luka wears his emotions on his gruesome, cupping-scarred shoulders, and this past weekend’s failures in Charlotte seemed to bring his frustration to a head.

“Yeah, it’s really frustrating,” he said. “I think you can see it with me on the court. Sometimes I don’t feel [like] it’s me. I used to have really fun, smiling on the court, but it’s just been so frustrating for a lot of reasons, not just basketball.”

Not exactly music to the must-keep-Luka-happy-at-all-costs set, in which I include myself. What if you make the move for Kyrie and Luka still wants to leave? You can imagine North Texas’ collective Edvard Munch impression.

Responsibility for Dallas’ current floundering belongs at the feet of those at every level of the organization. It starts with owner/camera junky Mark Cuban and novice general manager Nico Harrison and

the one-sided team they’ve constructed, including the so-far-failed Kyrie Irving experiment. No offense to Irving. He’s been exactly what was advertised. It just doesn’t really seem to be exactly what the Mavs needed. The price for Irving was what little defensive effort the team had in Dorian Finney-Smith and what little leadership they seemed to have in Spencer Dinwiddie.

Then there’s obviously-in-way-overhis-head coach Jason Kidd. Does anyone really have an impression that he has a handle on this team? He can’t seem to motivate. His on-court adjustments are suspect at best. He doesn’t even seem to realize which players deserve the bulk of the minutes. How is it that Jaden Hardy is just now getting decent playing time despite being another potential superstar in the making?

Not to help usher his inevitable exit by daring to call him out, but blame for the meltdown also belongs to Dončić. In his fifth year in the NBA (his eighth total as a professional basketball player), you would expect some amount of growth in the allworld player. He still seems the same petulant child whining incessantly like he did in his rookie year. No one expects him to win Defensive Player of the Year, but as a “leader” on the team, he at least has to look like he’s trying. This means, at minimum, being in the actual defensive half court while the opposing team has the ball. You know, instead of pleading your case to the ref 50 feet away. This is to say nothing of his “dedication” to fitness and conditioning. There’s fewer than two weeks left in the regular season, and he still looks like he shares a personal trainer with Will Ferrell.

Especially considering their opponent was without their top (three) scorers, this past Monday’s win against Indiana is nothing to get excited about, decisive though it was. At least it wasn’t another loss. With six games left, the majority against “beatable” teams, there’s still a chance, even a likelihood, that Dallas creeps into the playoffs, but does anyone believe they’re in any position to repeat last year’s success if/when they get there? I’m calling it now. This team is failed. Say goodbye to Kyrie in the offseason. The experiment didn’t work. Then we’ll be right back to scrambling to acquire someone else just to keep Luka happy. At this rate, with his general on-court demeanor becoming increasingly more immature, it begs the question, Is there anything that can be done that will actually do that? l

looming, the Mavs’ season is spinning wildly out of control.

Despite a blockbuster trade, frustration is the order of the day — felt by fans and Luka alike.

ART

Liberating Art

At the Amon Carter, Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation interrogates the concept of Black freedom in America.

BY EDWARD BROWN

Perhaps one of the most defining elements of civic life in the United States is the fact that the lowly citizens and residents of this country have waited, sometimes centuries, for the grand proclamations and promises made by presidents to become a reality. Take the assertion that “all men are created equal.” Within that quote from our Declaration of Independence is a willful omission of women, and which men were considered worthy of rights certainly left out enslaved and indigenous persons at that time.

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art is diving into the rift between promises made and kept. For Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation, museum staff chose seven contemporary Black artists to produce work to display alongside a handful of Civil War-era pieces. The result is thought-provoking and often unsettling, forcing us to question our assumptions about the state of race relations in the United States nearly 160 years after the Civil War.

Greeting viewers is John Quincy Adams Ward’s “The Freedman.” The sculpture from shortly after Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation perfectly anchors the show in the past. Seated on a tree stump, the muscular Black man leans his left elbow on his left knee, resting but poised to rise at a moment’s notice. He holds a shackle in his right arm that has been broken or released from his left wrist. The man looks neither up nor down but directly at museumgoers as if demanding their engagement.

In the next room, Hugh Hayden’s “American Dream” could be a contemporary version of “The Freedman.” While the rested yet restive pose of Ward’s former slave remains, Hayden’s figure, rendered in white 3D-printed plastic, is seated on a wooden lawn chair while wearing a collared

short-sleeve shirt and presumably khaki pants. The trappings of modernity are everywhere, but the immutable pose that mimics the 1863 piece suggests that the updated window dressing is not the point. Hayden’s man may be free, but by adopting a similar pose, he is still tied to an oppressive history.

Letitia Huckaby has long focused on the legacy of freedmen’s towns and the stories of the offspring of enslaved men and women throughout the Deep South. For Emancipation, the Fort Worth multidisciplinarian presents four large works printed on cotton fabric. The black shadows of former human cargo of the Clotilda — the last slave ship to reach U.S. shores, in 1860 — overlap ornate floral and decorative patterns. Descendants of Clotilda founded Africatown, near Mobile, Alabama, and Huckaby’s work beautifully ties past to present while reminding viewers that those trafficked men, women, and children were the labor behind the textile industry at the time.

“The definition of emancipation that strikes me the most is the fact or process of being set free from legal, social, or politi-

cal restrictions,” Huckaby says in her artist statement.

Maya Freelon, known for vibrant tissue-paper art, has created a site-specific installation. On one interior wall, she laid out dozens of colorful squares in clear lines and rows. On the opposite wall is a vibrant protruding collage that spills downward toward the center of the large gallery. Among many American cultures, quilting was a means of preserving history by cutting up bits of family linens or incorporating more literal images and words onto the knitted blankets that are handed down for several generations. By invoking the quilting tradition, Freelon’s “Fool Me Once” reminds viewers that the past is intricately tied to the future, as the overall show so beautifully lays out.

Jeffrey Meris’ kinetic sculpture conveys torture. The crude automatic pully system of “The Block Is Hot” slowly lifts a white plaster torso up and down, leaving a fine layer of white dust on the museum’s floor. During a recent talk organized by the curators, Meris said the centerpiece is from a cast of his own body. He recalled

being detained by New York City police a few years ago for jumping a subway turnstile after several unsuccessful attempts to swipe his prepaid card. The police falsely described Meris as several inches taller and many pounds heavier than his actual size, something that struck him as emblematic of the general misperception by Americans and law enforcement that Black men are innately physically threatening.

Toward the end of the show is a striking sculpture by Alfred Conteh. In “Float,” a buoyant female figure covered in rust and decay appears to be floating upward even as rusty chains bind her feet to the ground. Her wide-brimmed hat suggests she has left a church service or another festive or solemn occasion, but there is little else to indicate where or when she is from, which lends a sense of purgatory to the work.

One-hundred-and-sixty years later, Ward would recognize many of the racist dynamics of his time still at play now. Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, for example, built his political career demonizing and dehumanizing Hispanics and Blacks, and Texas continues to lead the nation in censoring honest public school discussions about this country’s sordid history of institutionalized discrimination under the guise of combating Critical Race Theory.

Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation is brilliantly successful in reviving uncomfortable parts of this country’s history — not simply as an artistic compass showing where we’ve been but rather as a subtle and thoughtful reminder that America is arguably no closer to delivering on its promise of Black liberation than it was in 1863. l

John Quincy Adams Ward’s “The Freedman” anchors the show to the past while several contemporary works examine the present state of race in the United States.

Courtesy Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Maya Freelon’s “Fool Me Once” brings the tradition of quilt making to life through her exquisite installation.

Courtesy Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation Thru Jul 9 at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, 3501 Camp Bowie Blvd, FW. Free. 817-738-1933.

SCREEN

Harper Edge

At last, a Dungeons & Dragons movie for people who don’t own a 20-sided die.

BY KRISTIAN LIN

A writer-director named Courtney Solomon spent a full decade trying to make a movie out of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, and when his film finally reached theaters in 2000, hardly anyone saw it other than those who were paid to, like me. Most of us found it a joyless bore that went for character and plot over special effects and got neither, so imagine my surprise last December when I saw the trailer for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and found it entertaining. The series is now in the hands of comedy filmmakers who clearly understand the role-playing game that this is based on and know how to make light of it without pissing off the game’s fanbase, which is why this swords-and-sorcery movie lives up to that trailer.

The backstory is given to us in the form of a parole hearing of sorts, as a prisoner named Edgin (Chris Pine) explains how he fell from the respectable role of a harp -

er — a musician and spy for good — into a life of crime. Without waiting for the parole board’s verdict, he and fellow inmate Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) bust out and find that their former partner in crime, Forge (Hugh Grant), not only snitched them to the authorities but has now become an insanely rich lord thanks to his alliance with the red-robed wizards who killed Ed’s wife. However, Forge has kept his promise to raise Edgin’s daughter (Chloe Coleman) — by turning her against her convict dad. The fugitives decide to assemble a team to take down the nefarious lord.

The filmmaking team of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have had both highs (Horrible Bosses) and lows (Horrible Bosses 2) as writers, and their previous directing effort was the delightful Game Night. Their eye for comedy is particularly welcome in a scene when our heroes use a magic spell to interrogate a dead soldier regarding the whereabouts of a magic thingy. Their lack of clarity about the rules of rais-

ing the dead means that they have to keep digging up corpse after corpse to find the information they need. Later on, our heroes and the undead bad guys whom they’re fighting both have to flee from a dragon that’s so fat that it can’t walk or fly, so it rolls after its prey, which makes for a great visual joke. The CGI alternates between great and intentionally terrible to further the comedy, and at one point our heroes avoid death by diving into a gelatinous cube. Does it get more D&D than a gelatinous cube?

Casting Grant as the villain is a sure way to avoid being overly serious, though I do wish the writers had done more with him, since he’s clever enough to seem like he’s defending Ed while making his child hate her dad all the more. Sophia Lillis is oddly flat, too, as the group’s shape-shifting spy. Still, the bounciness that Pine brought to the Star Trek reboot serves him just as well here, especially when Ed can only shout encouragement while Holga single-handedly fights off the guards who’ve been tasked

with executing the duo. He’s given ample comic support by Justice Smith as a cowardly third-rate wizard and Regé-Jean Page (from TV’s Bridgerton), who manages the difficult task of being funny while playing a warrior with no sense of humor.

I could wish for better emotional ties among the group, but Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves gives us a fun bunch of antiheroes and places some familiar monsters in their way while leaving others for the sequel (beholders? bodaks? black puddings?). I wouldn’t mind following them on another adventure, especially if the jokes are as funny. l

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND PARTIES:

Rhino Health USA, Inc., has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for issuance of Proposed Air Quality Permit Number 170526, which would authorize construction of a Disposable Gloves Manufacturing Plant located at 273 W Everman Pkwy, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas 76134. This application was processed in an expedited manner, as allowed by the commission’s rules in 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 101, Subchapter J. Additional information concerning this application is contained in the public notice section of this newspaper.

Regé-Jean Page, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris Pine, Sophia Lillis, and Justice Smith prepare to face whatever made those skeletons in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Starring Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez.

Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Written by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, and Michael Gilio. Rated PG-13.

NIGHT & DAY

30

Thursday

For the Rangers’ home opener at 3:05pm, the Philadelphia Phillies will be in town. Today marks the Rangers’ fourth opener at Globe Life Field (734 Stadium Dr, Arlington, 972-RANGERS) and 52nd overall since the franchise moved to Arlington for the 1972 season. More importantly, this is the first day you can try the new Boomstick Burger. This monstrosity features a 2-foot (yes, 2-foot) Nolan Ryan Beef patty, chili from Texas Chili Company, and Rico’s brand nacho cheese with jalapenos and an onion ring on top, all on a brioche bun. It’s $35, but clearly it feeds more than one person. Four, to be exact. Tickets starting at $90 are in short supply but can still be purchased at Rangers.com and at the box office adjacent to the Southeast entrance.

Court of Dallas is hosting its annual fundraiser at 9pm at the Sleeping Panther (2000 S Beach St, 817-946-2295). Proceeds from the Bleeding Hearts Ball: The Changeling Masque will benefit local child advocacy organizations. This is a black-tie/costume affair. “All manner of cryptids and kin are welcome to join us at this ball to support the children in their fights against sorrow and pain, including (but certainly not limited to) dryads, merfolk, nymphs, satyrs, vampires, wolves, and more!” Tickets start at $35 on Eventbrite.com.

3

Monday

31

Friday

If you’re obsessed with Making the Team like I am, you’ve seen country artist Neal McCoy on the small screen many times in his role as a judge at the annual Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders tryouts. While CMT canceled the show after last year’s 16th season, the tryouts are still a big damn deal. It’s about that time of year, so I’m wondering if that’s why Neal McCoy is really in town. That’s pure speculation on my part, but either way, he’s performing at Billy Bob’s Texas (2520 Rodeo Plz, 817-6247117) at 10pm. Doors are at 6pm, and tickets start at $18 at AXS.com.

Mondays, amirite? Looking for someplace new for lunch today, look no further than Zest 2023 or our website. We just published our annual Zest edition as an insert into this very paper. (You know, the shiny thing falling out of the issue in your hand?) By Monday, you can also find it at FWWeekly.com in our Magazines dropdown. Enjoy this year’s crop of eats, drinks, and foodie finds!

March 12–July 9, 2023

4

Tuesday

1

Saturday

Horror fans might already be familiar with Ari Lehman, the actor known as the first to don the goalie mask in the original Friday the 13th, but he has parlayed his horror-convention fame into a dual career as a musician playing punk and metal around the country. His band, First Jason, plays with Eva Kora and Hand Over Fist at the Rail Club DFW (3101 Joyce Dr, 817-386-4309). Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 in advance at Eventbrite.com. Doors open at 6pm.

2

In honor of April Fool’s Day the day before — “a foolish night to play with the Fae” — the nonprofit Vampire

It’s time for First Tuesday at Stage West (821 W Vickery Blvd, 817-784-9378). From 6pm to 7:30pm, Spectrum Chamber Music Society presents Espectro de Tango, featuring a quintet of bass, cello, viola, and violins playing an evening of Tango music. “With a focus solely on this captivating genre, the ensemble promises to transport you to the streets of Buenos Aires, where every step is a dance and every note is a heartbeat.” Tickets are $20 at StageWest.org and include one drink and some bar snacks.

THE UNFINISHED PROJECT OF LIBERATION

Seven Black contemporary artists explore ideas of emancipation from 160 years ago to today.

5

Wednesday

Just you wait and see. Hamilton lovers, get ready for Spamilton: An American Parody, playing at varying times daily thru Fri, Apr 14, at the Reid Cabaret Theatre at Casa Mañana (3101 W Lancaster Av, 817-332-2272). This musical parody tells the fictional story of a famous writer/director/star trying to save Broadway while taking aim at this mega-hit and other classic and new productions. Tickets start at $65 at CasaManana.org.

By Jennifer Bovee

This Boomstick Burger feeds four, and it’s waiting for you and yours on Opening Day Thursday. Courtesy Texas Rangers

EATING LOCAL

Celebrate the Easter Season with the Perfect Menu Options at Central Market

Promotional Feature

Central Market wants to do the cooking for you this Easter and is offering a delicious assortment of complete meal options. From ham and salmon to short ribs and brunch, there is a menu option to please any palate. Here are a few of the offerings:

Easter Ham Meal: Hickory Smoked Spiral Cut Apricot Glazed Bone in Beeler’s Ham; Cornbread, Brussel Sprout, Bacon, and Potato Casserole; Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower; and Beet, Kale, and Orange Salad with Toasted Almonds and Pepitas. (Serves six to eight; cost is $169.99.)

Braised Short Rib Meal: Braised Short Ribs with Cremini Mushrooms; Cornbread, Brussel Sprout, Bacon, and Potato Casserole; Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower; and Beet, Kale, and Orange Salad with Toasted Almonds and Pepitas. (Serves four to six; cost is $159.99.)

Salmon Meal: Roasted Salmon seasoned with Mediterranean Spices, Tomato, Ol-

ives, Lemon; Cornbread, Brussel Sprout, Bacon, and Potato Casserole; Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower; and Beet, Kale, and Orange Salad with Toasted Almonds and Pepitas. (Serves four to six; cost is $129.99.)

Easter Brunch: Tomato and Grilled Eggplant Caprese; Ham, Sausage, and Cornbread Strata; Challah French Toast Casserole; Fresh Berries and Cut Melon; and Half Gallon Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice. (Serves six to eight; cost is $99.99.)

Vegetarian Meal: Vegetarian Quiche; Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower; and Beet, Kale, and Orange Salad with Toasted Almonds and Pepitas. (Serves four to six; cost is $59.99.)

Easter orders can be placed online at CentralMarket.com/Easter or by contacting the store’s catering desk now thru Thu, Apr 6. Meal pick-ups will take place on Fri-Sat, Apr 7-8.

In addition, your local CM stores in Fort Worth (4651 West Fwy, 817-989-4700) and Southlake (1425 E Southlake Blvd, 817-310-5600) will be filled with a la carte items in the Chef’s Case, seasonal floral offerings, holiday candies, bakery items, and more.

For more information, follow Central Market on Instagram (@central_market), Twitter (@centralmarket), or visit CentralMarket.com. #CentralMarket #ReallyIntoFood

A division of H-E-B, Central Market opened its doors in 1994 and now has ten store locations across North Texas. A bountiful produce department with unmatched quality and variety, an 80-foot seafood case, hundreds of cheeses, 2,500 wine labels, and extensive specialty grocery aisles make the Central Market experience unique.

EATS & drinks

Cheezy Does It, Folks

Foodie influencer

Scotty Scott goes from cookbook author to food truck proprietor with his Near Southside venture.

Cheezy Does It

The Holly, 305 W Daggett Av, FW. 1-6pm Sun, 11am-2pm & 4-9pm Thu-Fri, noon-10pm Sat.

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY EDWARD BROWN

While many food influencers are content to interact with followers through screen time on Instagram and TikTok, Chef Scotty Scott

has always sought more meaningful connections with his fans. Last year, he authored his first cookbook, Fix Me a Plate, which includes standard recipes and creative takes on Southern cuisine, after years of working his own pop-up events under his brand, CookDrankEat.

Scott said he recently opened Cheezy Does It after chatting with the owners of The Holly, a wine bar on the Near Southside. The proprietors were looking to offer patrons food options, and Scott had been

considering taking the step of opening an establishment. Not one to overthink the obvious, he settled on the fromage theme because, well, cheese and wine.

On a recent chilly afternoon, Scott was manning his truck solo. He said, like many food-service managers, he is still trying to find consistent help. The menu, laid out on the side of his truck in colorful letters, features several sandwiches and a few sides.

The Cheezy Joe brought out my inner (ravenous) child. Lightly buttered Wonder

Bread added a crispy crunch to every bite of rich, meaty homemade Sloppy Joe and gooey American cheese. The simplicity of the ingredients and the contrast between toasted bread and melted cheese made the offering a delightful and not overly filling opener.

The Goud Butt, served on toasted baguette slices like a panino, was another heavenly sandwich. It burst with flavor from the dense and nutty gouda that coated slivers of sweet red apple and bits of mint. Gouda is a continued on page 18

Wrapped in a steamed bun, the Bao Chicken Wow Wow was a culinary-fusion delight.

Chef Scotty Scott’s fries — chunky and topped with a chimichurri aioli — are no mere afterthought.

Eats & Drinks

continued from page 17

heavy, often oily cheese, but the sweetness of the fruit and cooling properties of the mint gave my taste buds a trifecta of pleasure.

An off-the-menu option, the Bao Chicken Wow Wow, served in a pillowy steamed bun that encased spicy fried chicken, diced cabbage and lettuce, and drizzles

of creamy mayo, was a creative Asian/Deep South mashup. The slightly bitter veggies, fiery bird, and cooling sauce had me savoring every bite.

An accompanying side of chimichurri duck fries was an unexpected delight. Rather than thin-cut taters, the potatoes had been sliced into large wedges that took several bites to finish. The unskinned spuds had a pleasant crunch while being steamy and soft within. Topping the bad boys were generous drizzles of chimichurri aioli that

added a creamy zing to every chomp.

Capping off my visit was the dessert of the day, a thick and chewy sugar cookie drizzled with salty strings of caramel that set me buzzing.

Scott’s newest venture keeps with his spoken belief that food should be fun. The childish themes of his new operation don’t detract from the originality of his menu and the exacting execution of the delicacies that he has honed at home over the past several years. The self-taught chef who is continu-

ally redefining his role within the culinary world finally has a spot where folks can enjoy his creations on a near-daily basis, and it’s a concept that has all the makings of Fort Worth’s next break-out success. l

Cheezy Does It

Bao Chicken Wow Wow ............................ $6

Cheezy Joe $9

Chimichurri duck fries .............................. $7

Goud Butt $12

Salted caramel sugar cookie $3

Tucked behind The Holly on the Near Southside is the newest venture of one of Fort Worth’s most popular foodie influencers.

Sometimes, sloppy sandwiches make for great eating.

Small

MUSIC

Pull the Pin

Hotcake Hand Grenade’s hardcore debut EP has been years and many influences in the making.

BY STEVE STEWARD

I was sitting at Cicada on a recent Sunday evening, talking with a guy named Raleigh Smith about his band, Hotcake Hand Grenade — formerly Patient: 0 — and their recent, eight-song EP Pull the Pin. The Spin Doctors’ 1991 hit “Two Princes” was playing on the PA, and it occurred to me that Smith and I are of a similar vintage, i.e., old enough to have been teens when the Spin Doctors blew up. That thought reoccurred to me a couple days later when I listened to Pull the Pin. “Oh, that makes sense that it sounds like that.”

Lest I confuse you, Pull the Pin does not at all sound like Pocket Full of Kryptonite — or any other Spin Doctors album. Rather, it’s like a band made by a guy who likes the same old punk bands that I do, who likely got into them at the same age as I did. Over the EP’s 15-minute runtime, I hear the hallmarks of acts like the Adolescents, Bad Religion, and the Circle Jerks, a sound that references a sonic epoch stretching from the Descendents’ Milo Goes to College to most of the groups on Epitaph circa Ribbed-era NOFX. Shoutalong backing vocals abound — on “Rotten Scumbag,” they remind me of Black Flag’s “TV Party,” and on “I’m in Love,” they make me think of Minor Threat. Plus, galloping D-beats, grimy, overdriven bass flourishes, and Smith’s Greg Ginn-spired shredding. At the end of it, the EP made me experience that “Oh, now I see what the ‘I like their old stuff’ guys were talking about” moment I had long ago, when, after bathing myself in the glossy pop-punk of Fat Records compilations, I gave Bad Religion’s 1981 debut How Could Hell Be Any Worse? a listen.

Smith has been playing music since he was a teenager, starting with a high school blues band called the Blue Monks that became a cover band called Muftak (named after a Star Wars species seen in the Mos Eisley cantina). Then, he formed the hardcore band Kreeper that lasted from 1996 through 1998. Smith said he took a hiatus for almost a decade until putting together a punk rock cover band to celebrate his 30th birthday in 2007. The cover band became an original band called Durango E and the Sombreroed

continued on page 22

RIDGLEA

Smith: “ ‘Dude, hardcore is your thing. You gotta start doing it again.’ ”

Assassins, and that band stayed together for over a decade. Durango E’s shows were pretty intermittent, however. In 2018, Smith realized he wanted to play a lot more frequently.

He was encouraged by two friends, Andy Kelly and Ron Shafter of defunct poppunks Big Useless Brain, who said, “ ‘Dude, hardcore is your thing. You gotta start doing it again.’ ”

Durango E ended in 2019, but Smith had already started writing material that would become Patient: 0.

Though he originally planned to write and record all the parts himself, he decided to make Patient: 0 a full band: bassist Eric Bourassa, drummer Jimmy Simpler, Smith’s son James Smith on rhythm guitar, and singer John Bourland, who had been Kreeper’s vocalist. Their first show was Feb. 15, 2020. The second one was March 6 at The Moon (now Lola’s).

“And the next week,” Smith said, “everything shut down.”

Patient: 0 kept going, and the five of them recorded an album in June 2020 called Sick AF, tracking it with Shafter on the TASCAM Model24 that the band brought to their practice space. Shafter mixed and mastered the record at home.

“The world reopened in May of ’21, and we started playing again,” Smith said, “but in July of ’21, [Bourland] let me know that he was moving to Colorado.”

Smith decided to take over vocal duties, but at the end of that year, Simpler, who Smith has known since middle school, decided to move on to other things. Andy Schreifels, Big Useless Brain’s drummer, said he’d fill in for a show. “And then after that, he wanted to play full time.”

Smith attributes Shreifels’ drumming to fully realizing his vision for his new band, then still called Patient: 0. “His drumming took it from what I’ve always heard in my head to actually being real.”

The band’s missing piece came last fall, when Smith and company abandoned their difficult-to-find-in-a-Google-search name, playing a New Year’s Eve show as Hotcake Hand Grenade for the first time.

Perhaps because of Smith’s and his bandmates’ broad and well-practiced musical pedigrees, as well the fact that hardcore, as a musical idiom, has been around for as long as he (and I) have, Pull the Pin is without the raw, DIY, hack ’n’ slash of its forebears, but that’s really a long way to say that HCHG’s playing is tight and their songs are fast. Matt Morris — himself a participant in North Texas’ early-2000s pop-punk scene as a member of 41 Gorgeous Blocks — tracked the songs at Barking Dog Studios at his home in Midlothian. The record, mixed by a guy in Brazil named Davi Gomes, who plays in a Descendents cover band, is clear without sounding too clean, crisp without coming across like a car commercial, this balance achieved by the ear of Christopher Swinney, a member of the hugely popular pop-punk band the Ataris. To my ears, the effect sort of “remasters” a sonic era, when bands still recorded to tape but put everything out on CDs. It sounds refreshingly throwback, even when its songs reference unfortunately contemporary problems like political echo chambers (“Grape Soda”) and the reprehensible policy of separating immigrant families and putting them in cages (“Welcome”). It’s also a love letter to the music Smith likes the most.

“My roots come from Black Flag, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, DOA, stuff like that,” he said. “I got really into hardcore in the late ’90s, like Madball and Sick of It All. I didn’t want to be a hardcore band with like breakdown parts, though, so I took it back to the barebones hardcore punk rock.”

Whether or not you’re of a similar age as Raleigh Smith (and me, for that matter), Hotcake Hand Grenade will hit you like a pretty delicious explosion, but if you’re of that particular era — and found an alternative to the Spin Doctors because someone introduced you to Operation Ivy — these songs will form a circle pit in your heart. l

Courtesy Facebook

CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS

ADVERTISE WITH US

DENTAL INSURANCE

1-888-361-7095

Physicians Mutual Insurance Company covers 350 plus procedures. Real dental insurance - NOT just a discount plan. Do not wait! Call now! Get your FREE Dental Information Kit with all the details! Call or visit Dental50plus.com/fortworth (#6258).

LIFE INSURANCE

Up to $15,000.00 of GUARANTEED

LEAF FILTER

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever with LeafFilter, the most advanced debrisblocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. Ask about 20% off entire purchase. Plus, 10% senior and military discounts available. Call 1-877-689-1687.

MIND / BODY / SPIRIT

Gateway Church

Texas Commission on environmenTal QualiTy

NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION FOR AN AIR QUALITY PERMIT

BUY/SELL/TRADE

DEFIANT ARMS

Haltom City’s only true gun shop is ready to help you with accessories, ammo and more. Visit us at 5200 Denton Hwy (817-393-7738) or online at: Defiant-Arms.com

DORRANCE PUBLISHING

Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed. Comprehensive services include consultation, production, promotion and distribution. Call for your FREE Author`s Guide or visit DorranceInfo.com/FTWorth today. 1-866-256-0940

RUSTIC FURNITURE

HEADQUARTERS!

Unclaimed Freight has financing, layaway, delivery, and 5 locations in Tarrant County to serve you. For more info, visit: MyUnclaimedFreight.com

EMPLOYMENT

Hysen’s Nizza Pizza is Now Hiring!

Nizza is seeking a counter person, delivery drivers, and wait staff. Apply in person at 401 University Drive, FWTX, 817-877-3900. (Open Sun-Thu 11am-10pm and Fri-Sat 10:30am-11pm.) HysensNizzaPizza.com

UNCLAIMED FREIGHT

We are hiring for Sales at all locations. To apply, please call: 817-277-1516

EMPLOYMENT NOTICES

Companies Offering

Travel Accommodations:

According to the New York Times, the following companies have said they would cover travel expenses for employees who need abortions: Airbnb, DoorDash, JP Morgan Chase, Levi Strauss & Co, Netflix, Patagonia, Reddit, Starbucks, Tesla, and Yelp.

Additionally, NowThis has listed the following companies also offering the same assistance to employees: Amazon, Apple, BuzzFeed, Citigroup, Comcast, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lyft, Mastercard, Meta, Microsoft, Paramount, Sony, Tesla, Walt Disney Co, Vox Media, and Zillow. (JMB, FWW)

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Cardiovascular Disease & Stroke

These are leading causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. Screenings can provide peace of mind or early detection!

Contact Life Line Screening to schedule your screening.

Special Offer: 5 Screenings for $149! Call today! 1-833-636-1757

Life Insurance! No medical exam or health questions. Cash to help pay funeral and other final expenses. Visit Life55Plus.info/FTWorth or call Physicians Life Insurance Company today! 844-782-2870

Planned Parenthood Of Greater Texas

We’re not going anywhere. We know you may be feeling a lot of things right now, but we are here with you and we will not stop fighting for YOU. See 6 ways you can join the #BansOffOurBodies fight on FB @PPGreaterTX. For more info, go to: PPGreaterTX.org

HOME RESOURCES

DIRECTV

Get DIRECTV for $64.99/mo for 12 months with CHOICE Package. Save an additional $120 over 1st year. First 3 months of HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz and Epix included!

Directv is #1 in Customer Satisfaction (JD Power & Assoc.) Some restrictions apply. Call 1-855-966-0520.

DIRECTV Stream

Carries the Most Local MLB Games!

CHOICE Package, $89.99/mo for 12 months. Stream on 20 devices in your home at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/CHOICE Package or higher.) No annual contract, no hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS at 1-855-810-7635.

DISH Network Get 190 Channels for $59.99! Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo (where available). Switch and get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. Call 1-855-701-3027 today!

EARTHLINK

Highspeed Internet

Big Savings with Unlimited Data! Fiberoptic Technology up to 1gbps with customizable plan. Call 855-767-0515 today!

ERIE Metal Roofs

Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting material steel from Erie! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime!

Limited Time Offer: $500 Discount + Additional 10% Off Install (for military, health workers & first responders.) Call 1-888-778-0566.

GENERAC GENERATORS

Prepare for power outages today with a home standby generator. No money down. Low monthly payment options. Call for a FREE quote before the next power outage. 1-844-887-3143

Church time is the BEST time! Join us for online church each weekend. Online services start at 4 pm on Saturdays and are available to watch any time after at https://gway.ch/GatewayPeople.

Hannah in Hurst 817.590.2257

Massage Therapy for pain relief, deep relaxation, and better sleep. Professional office in Mid-Cities for over 25 years. “I am accepting new clients now and happy to return your call.” -Hannah, MT#4797.

MUSIC XCHANGE

Music Junkie Studios

1617 Park Place #106, FWTX www.MusicJunkieStudios.com

We offer lessons on voice, piano, guitar, bass, ukulele, violin, viola, drums, recording, and music for littles!

EMP STUDIOS

Musician-owned rehearsal and recording studios in Arlington and Fort Worth. Onsite screenprinting, merchandising services, recording, mixing, and mastering. For more info, visit: EMPStudiosTX.com

PET ADOPTIONS

PUPPIES!

A Rottie Rescue has puppies available for adoption! Thor, Odin and Loki are 8 week old males, 16 lbs each. Adopters outside of Texas must arrange and pay for transport costs. For questions or an adoption application, please email: Info@ARottieRescue.com

PROPOSED PERMIT NUMBER: 170526

APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION. Rhino Health USA, Inc., 273 W Everman Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76134-5304, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for issuance of Proposed Air Quality Permit Number 170526, which would authorize construction of a Disposable Gloves Manufacturing Plant located at 273 W. Everman Parkway, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas 76134. This application was processed in an expedited manner, as allowed by the commission’s rules in 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 101, Subchapter J. AVISO DE IDIOMA ALTERNATIVO. El aviso de idioma alternativo en espanol está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/air/newsourcereview/airpermits-pendingpermit-apps. This application was submitted to the TCEQ on September 27, 2022. The proposed facility will emit the following contaminants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, organic compounds, particulate matter including particulate matter with diameters of 10 microns or less and 2.5 microns or less and sulfur dioxide.

The executive director has completed the technical review of the application and prepared a draft permit which, if approved, would establish the conditions under which the facility must operate. The executive director has made a preliminary decision to issue the permit because it meets all rules and regulations. The permit application, executive director’s preliminary decision, and draft permit will be available for viewing and copying at the TCEQ central office, the TCEQ Dallas/Fort Worth regional office, and at the Fort Worth Central Library, 500 West 3rd Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76102 beginning the first day of publication of this notice. The facility’s compliance file, if any exists, is available for public review at the TCEQ Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Office, 2309 Gravel Drive, Fort Worth, Texas.

PUBLIC COMMENT/PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting about this application. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comment or to ask questions about the application. The TCEQ will hold a public meeting if the executive director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing. You may submit additional written public comments within 30 days of the date of newspaper publication of this notice in the manner set forth in the AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION paragraph below.

RESPONSE TO COMMENTS AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACTION. After the deadline for public comments, the executive director will consider the comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material or significant public comments. Because no timely hearing requests have been received, after preparing the response to comments, the executive director may then issue final approval of the application. The response to comments, along with the executive director’s decision on the application will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments or is on a mailing list for this application, and will be posted electronically to the Commissioners’ Integrated Database (CID).

PUBLIC NOTICES

TDLR Complaints

Any Texans who may be concerned that an unlicensed massage business may be in operation near them, or believe nail salon employees may be human trafficking victims, may now report those concerns directly to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) by emailing ReportHT@TDLR.Texas.gov.

SUBMISSIONS

We’d Like To Hear From You! Do you have thoughts and feelings, or questions, comments or concerns about something you read in the Weekly? Please email Question@fwweekly.com. Do you have an upcoming event? For potential coverage in Night & Day, Big Ticket, Ate Day8 A Week, or CrosstownSounds, email the details to Marketing@fwweekly.com

INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. When they become available, the executive director’s response to comments and the final decision on this application will be accessible through the Commission’s Web site at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/cid. Once you have access to the CID using the above link, enter the permit number for this application which is provided at the top of this notice. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility's general location is provided as a public courtesy and not part of the application or notice. For exact location, refer to application. https://gisweb.tceq.texas.gov/LocationMapper/?marker=-97.327204,32.625195&level=13.

MAILING LIST. You may ask to be placed on a mailing list to obtain additional information on this application by sending a request to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below.

AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Please be aware that any contact information you provide, including your name, phone number, email address and physical address will become part of the agency’s public record. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the Public Education Program toll free at 1-800-687-4040. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040.

Further information may also be obtained from Rhino Health USA, Inc. at the address stated above or by calling Mr. Doug W. Durant, P.E., P.G., CD Environmental Engineering, LLC. 972-889-7200.

Notice Issuance Date: March 22, 2023

ADVERTISE HERE!

If you need to hire staff or promote your business, let us help you online and/or in print. For more info, call 817987-7689 or email stacey@fwweekly.com today.

BECOME a Published Author!

Dorrance Publishing, trusted by authors since 1920, wants to read your book! Book manuscript submissions currently being reviewed. Comprehensive Services: Consultation, Production, Promotion and Distribution. Visit DorranceInfo.com/FTWorth or call for your free Author’s Guide. (MB)

1-866-256-0940

EMPLOYMENT

General Manager (Fort Worth, TX) Road Maker Contractors, LLC. Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of the company. Oversee the development of construction project and engage in client development to ensure continued satisfaction for key client stakeholders. Reqs: Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering or rltd & 6 months exp. Resume/Cover letter to Ms. Marta Ferruses HR manager, 3904 Sandshell Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76137.

EMPLOYMENT

Now Hiring CDL Drivers Hazmat tanker Preferred, Laborers and Equipment Operators. Health Insurance and other benefits. Per diem paid. EOE.

830-833-4547

CONNECT to the BEST

Enjoy speeds from 5G and 4G LTE networks, no contracts, easy installation, and data plans up to 300 GB with EarthLink wireless home internet. Call 855-7961750 today!

COUPLES MASSAGE CLASS

Want to learn massage with your partner in your own home? You will be skillfully guided by a very experienced, licensed instructor. Table and supplies provided. Also offering in-home massage appointments. Call Steve 817 946-9397

MT167428 CE1319

DENTAL INSURANCE

Physicians Mutual Insurance Company covers 350+ procedures. Real dental insurance, NOT just a discount plan. Get your FREE Dental Info Kit with all the details by calling today or visiting Dental50Plus.com/FortWorth #6258. (MB)

1-888-361-7095

EARTHLINK INTERNET

Saving just got easier with EarthLink Internet. Get up to $30 off your monthly bill and unlimited data with the Affordable Connectivity Program. Apply without credit checks. Call 855-769-2689 now!

ELIMINATE Gutter Cleaning Forever!

LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule a FREE LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. Plus 10% Senior & Military Discounts. (MB) Call 1-877-689-1687

The Gas Pipe, The GAS PIPE, THE GAS PIPE, your Peace Love & Smoke Headquarters since 4/20/1970! SCORE a FREE GIFT on YOUR Birthday, FREE Scale Tuning and Lighter Refills on GAS PIPE goods, FREE Layaway, and all the safe, helpful service you expect from a 51 Years Young Joint. Plus, SCORE A FREE CBD

HOLIDAZE GIFT With-A-Buy thru 12/31! Be Safe, Party Clean, Keep On Truckin’. More at thegaspipe.net

Hannah in Hurst, LMT

Pro massage, private office. No outcalls. Serving the MidCities for over 25 years. (MT#4797)

Call 817.590.2257 (no texts, please)

HISTORIC RIDGLEA THEATER

THE RIDGLEA is three great venues within one historic Fort Worth landmark. RIDGLEA THEATER has been restored to its authentic allure, recovering unique SpanishMediterranean elements. It is ideal for large audiences and special events. RIDGLEA ROOM and RIDGLEA LOUNGE have been making some of their own history, as connected adjuncts to RIDGLEA THEATER, or hosting their own smaller shows and gatherings. More at theRidglea.com

LIFELINE SCREENINGS

Stroke and Cardiovascular disease are leading causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. Screenings can provide peace of mind or early detection! Contact Life Line to schedule yours. Special offer: 5 screenings for just $149. (MB)

Call 1-833-636-1757

PREPARE for OUTAGES

Prepare today with a GENERAC home standby generators. $0 Money Down + Low Monthly Payment Options. Request a FREE Quote. Call now before the next power outage! (MB)

1-844-887-3143

PurePleasureMassage.com

PUBLIC NOTICE

The following vehicles have been impounded with fees due to date by Texas Towing Wrecker (VSF0000964) at 205 S Commercial St, Fort Worth TX, 76107, 817-877-0206: Hyundai, Empty Semi-Trailor, 2022, 3H3V532KXPS060252, $2367.02.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Care. No matter what. WeArePlannedParenthood.org

UNCLAIMED FREIGHT

HIRING FOR SALES IN ALL LOCATIONS

PLEASE CALL 817-277-1516 TO APPLY!