Fort Worth Weekly // April 19-25, 2023

A Night at the Ballet

Texas Ballet Theater and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra have teamed up for one unforgettable performance this weekend at Bass Hall.

BY JENNIFER BOVEE

A Black woman accuses Mercy Culture megachurch of harassment and more.

EATS & DRINKS

Burleson’s Old Texas Brewing Company brings its good eats, fun cocktails, and live music to Ridglea Hills.

BY EDWARD BROWN

SCREEN

Though uneven, Mel Brooks’ History of the World, Part II is full of yuks.

BY KRISTIAN LIN

MUSIC

After three years of not performing, Son of Stan returns with a show and new single.

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

and no stress. Find

Giant Turkey Leg Time

With world-class art, music, and, yes, food, Main Street Arts Festival and Fort Worth Art Fair is a rousing good time.

By Jennifer Bovee

Big Shoes

Tarrant County’s elections administrator has resigned, opening the door for a conservative lackey.

By Natalia Contreras

Stans for Stan

Jordan Richardson’s project returns to the stage after three years, now with a new single.

By Patrick Higgins

Wild, Wild West Side

By Edward Brown

Cover portrait of Opal Lee, Fort Worth’s “Grandmother of Juneteenth” and Nobel Peace Price nominee, by local artist Amy Jones Jenkins.

STAFF

Anthony Mariani, Editor

Lee Newquist,

Bob Niehoff, General

Ryan Burger,

Jim Erickson,

Edward Brown,

Emmy Smith,

Michael Newquist,

Jennifer Bovee,

Stacey Hammons,

Julie Strehl,

Tony Diaz,

Wyatt Newquist, Digital

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 WheatcroftPardue, Cole Williams

EDITORIAL BOARD

Anthony Mariani, Edward Brown, Emmy Smith

TASTE MAKERS TRINITY METRO

NIGHT & DAY

Won’t you be our neighbor? Two huge events asked themselves this question last year, and once again, the Fort Worth Art Fair and Main Street Arts Festival intersect literally and figuratively in Downtown Fort Worth this weekend. The second annual Fort Worth Art Fair runs 10am-11pm daily thru Sun in Sundance Square Plaza (420 Main St, @FWArtFair) in celebration of all things local, including the city’s art, cuisine, culture, music, and more. For more info, visit FortWorthArtFair.com. The 36th annual Main Street Arts Festival is 10am-10pm Thu, 10am-11pm Fri-Sat, and 10am-8pm Sun, featuring food, music, and works from more than 200 juried local, regional, and national artists. For more info, visit MainStreetArtsFest.org. Both events are free to attend.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Texas Ballet Theater will team up for A Night at the Ballet:

Brian Raphael Nabors, Humperdinck, Griffes, Ravel, and Stravinsky Fri-Sun at Bass Performance Hall (525 Commerce St, 817-212-4280). Featured works will include Prelude to Hänsel und Gretel by Humperdinck, The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Kahn by Griffes, Suite of Five Pieces from Ma Mère l’Oye ( Mother Goose ) by Ravel, Suite from The Firebird (1919 revision) by Stravinsky, and Of Earth & Sky: Tales from the Motherland (world premiere) by Brian Raphael Nabors. Tickets start at $26 at FWSymphony.org.

From 9am to 5pm today and Sunday, attend the family-friendly Spring Japanese Festival: Year of the Ox at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden (3220 Botanic Garden Blvd, 817-463-4160). Enjoy traditional Japanese performances, food, and more in support of the Fort Worth Japanese Society. Tickets are $6-12 at FWBG.org/JapaneseFestival (last tickets sold at 3pm).

Emmylou Harris performs in Dallas at the recently reopened Longhorn Ballroom (216 Corinth St, Dallas, 214-272-8346) at 8pm. Harris shook up country radio in the 1970s and established herself as the premier songwriter of a generation, selling more than 15 million records and garnering 14 Grammy Awards, three CMA Awards, and four Americana Awards. Tickets start at $40 on Prekindle.com.

Under the direction of Bryan English, the Tarrant County Orchestra presents Festival of Legends at Will Rogers Auditorium (3401 W Lancaster Dr, 817871-8170) at 7pm. Also on the program is the TCC Northeast Jazz Band performing under the direction of Dr. Phillippe Baugh. The music will include excerpts from Swan Lake , The Firebird , The Royal Fireworks , and more. Admission is free. Parking at Will Rogers is $12 per vehicle.

In celebration of National Poetry Month, the Dock Bookshop (6637 Meadowbrook Dr, 817-296-03288) hosts Rock with the Dock at 7pm. This adults-only event is BYOB, but Twilight Catering will be on hand with scrumptious fare for sale. There will be a DJ, and all artforms are welcome, not just poetry. Tickets are $6 on Eventbrite.com.

Every Wednesday from 7pm to 10pm, comedians and musicians are welcome on the dog-friendly patio at Shaw’s Patio Bar & Grill (1051 W Magnolia Av, 817-926-2116) for Open-Mic Night hosted by Tommy Luke. The kitchen is open until 9pm with specials like $10 select appetizers. There are also $10 margarita flights. This weekly event is open to all artists. “Singing, poetry, duets, scenes, instruments, comedy? If you’ve got it, we want to

By Jennifer Bovee

Emmylou Harris will perform at the recently reopened Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas Sunday.

Courtesy Facebook

Texas Ballet Theater and the FWSO have teamed up for A Night at the Ballet Fri-Sun at Bass Hall.

Courtesy Texas Ballet Theater

Waiting for Justice

METROPOLIS

who is making sure she takes them? She needs supervision. Her mom has been trying to do all of this while taking care of [Congious’] siblings.”

That dire situation is why Adams is publicly calling for the county to mediate a settlement agreement that could allow Tarrant County officials to forgo a costly court trial.

“It can be gut-wrenching to see how long these cases can take,” Adams said. “Even this first step has taken more than one year. I’m praying that the county grants the green light to mediate the case. This family is not trying to become the next billionaire. They are trying to make [Congious] whole again.”

BY EDWARD BROWN

A Chicago lawyer representing a local woman whose newborn died three years ago in Tarrant County Jail recently won a small but important legal victory.

The story starts in 2020. That’s when Fort Worth police officer David Nguyen arrested Chasity Congious, a Black mother with several diagnosed mental health disorders. What followed was a nightmarish hell for Congious and her family. Early that year, Congious’ family called the police because she was experiencing a mental health crisis at her Fort Worth home, and her relatives feared for the mother’s safety and that of her unborn child. Although relatives asked Nguyen to take Congious to John Peter Smith Hospital for involuntary commitment, the officer took the young woman to Tarrant County Jail.

Congious was held for several months without adequate medical and mental health treatments, and Congious’ child, named Z.C.H. in court documents, died shortly after birth inside a jail cell.

“The mom made a request that she be given an opportunity to go to the funeral,” said Congious’ lawyer, Jarrett Adams, last year (“Justice for Chasity,” Jan. 2022). “They denied that request. It was within their discretion to allow the mother to attend the funeral.”

Adams sued the City of Fort Worth for Nguyen’s alleged wrongful arrest of Z.C.H. Judge Reed O’Connor ruled that Nguyen was protected by the legal doctrine of qualified immunity, a vague legal practice that effectively shields peace officers from liability for misconduct in all but the most egregious circumstances. In his recent ruling, Judge

O’Connor considered the unsafe and frequently deadly conditions at the county jail that is managed by Sheriff Bill Waybourn. O’Connor said that Adams can proceed with his civil rights lawsuit against the county.

“The overall statistics that Tarrant County Jail has failed three inspections in the past seven years, has the highest inmate mortality rate in North Texas, and has a mortality rate 3.5 times higher than Dallas County Jail should put a reasonable policymaker on notice about potential condition of confinement issues at the jail,” O’Connor wrote. “Based on the court’s own analysis, and bolstered by the findings of the other courts in this district, the court finds that the plaintiff has successfully articulated” that the jail’s unsafe conditions can be the subject of a lawsuit against the county that manages the jail, Tarrant County.

Adams said approval to move forward with a suit for damages based on the unsafe condition of the jail was what his national firm was hoping for.

“If it wasn’t for the conditions of the jail, that baby would be alive,” Adams continued. “We believe the court got it right in allowing us to move forward.”

The jail has not replied to a request for comment.

Adams said he has legal standing to sue the county for millions if not tens of millions in damages, and those funds could be used to help with the mental rehabilitation of Congious, who still to this day lacks the mental capacity to understand her child is dead. Congious’ family, Adams said, is emotionally and financially battered from providing for Congious’ needs, and the young woman requires part-time if not full-time professional help that her relatives cannot afford.

Adams said he takes near-daily calls from Congious’ mother, who is understandably stressed from the burdens of caretaking.

Congious “needs almost daily care and medication to deal with her mental illness,” Adams said. “We can get prescriptions, but

On Tuesday, Tarrant County’s five-member commissioners court discussed the possibility of mediating a settlement in a private session that lasted late into the afternoon. The commissioners did not disclose their decision by the time we went to press, and Adams said he was assured by county officials that he would be updated on the matter soon.

Adams hopes locals will call on their leaders to consider a settlement because that is the desire of Congious’ family.

County leaders recently took steps to prevent the types of disasters faced by Congious and other members of the Tarrant County Jail population. In March, the commissioners court voted unanimously to expand the list of nonviolent crimes that make a culprit eligible for the new Mental Health Jail Diversion Center, which is managed by MHMR (My Health My Resources) on the Near Southside.

In a public statement, county leaders said, “During the book-in process, a conference between MHMR, the originating law enforcement agency, and the Tarrant County Jail supervisor will determine if the charges can be dropped and the individual diverted to the center.”

Such actions could have saved the life of Z.C.H. The mere fact that the commissioners court is considering a mediated settlement is a positive sign, Adams said.

Without a settlement, “this case will proceed with discovery and depositions,” he said. “We are trying to avoid that. We believe we can win at trial, but I don’t want to drag this family through that. For the sake of this family finding peace, I don’t care about a big judgment. You can’t sit in someone’s living room and watch them cry and not deeply care for that family. To see Congious smile like a 14-year-old kid and ask for her baby? That hurts. Her child would be 2 today.” l

A recent ruling by a district judge allows a high-profile wrongful death lawsuit against Tarrant County to proceed to trial.

Jarrett Adams: “To see Congious smile like a 14-year-old kid and ask for her baby? That hurts. Her child would be 2 today.”

Courtesy Jarrett Adams

Voter Void

Like many other election officials across the country, Tarrant County’s lauded elections chief faced death threats stemming from lies about the 2020 election’s outcome.

BY NATALIA CONTRERAS, VOTEBEAT AND THE TEXAS TRIBUNE

A local elections official lauded by top state officials — and his critics — as one of the best in the field has submitted his resignation.

Heider Garcia, who has been the elections director in Tarrant County since 2018, told county officials his last day will be June 23, not long after the May 6 general election, based on his letter of resignation.

The move comes months after a newly elected county judge took office. During his campaign more than a year ago, Tim O’Hare pri oritized election integrity and frugal spending of tax dollars. Soon after he took office, he debuted a county election integrity task force, despite the lack of evidence of widespread voter fraud.

While campaigning, O’Hare went on var ious conservative radio shows and said “mail ballot harvesting” and “Democrats cheating” contributed to Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election in Tarrant County.

In his resignation letter, Garcia said, “When leadership respects the team’s values and shows trust, members of the team become the best versions of themselves. Judge O’Hare, my formula to administer a quality transpar ent election stands on respect and zero poli tics. Compromising on these values is not an option for me. You made it clear in your last meeting that our formula is different, thus my decision is to leave.”

Garcia declined to comment.

“It’s a shock,” said Williamson County elections administrator Chris Davis, who has known Garcia since he was appointed to his role to run elections in Tarrant in 2018. “I wish Tarrant County luck in finding somebody as professional, forward thinking, and as focused on transparency and accuracy. … This is a big loss for voters in Tarrant County because he was doing everything right.”

Tension grew publicly between Garcia and O’Hare during the past few months.

Last week, O’Hare said during a public meeting that he planned on calling a meeting to review Garcia’s performance after the May 6 municipal election.

“I want to say all things are on the table,” O’Hare told the Star-Telegram. “I know there are a lot of people that want to get rid of the ma chines. I’m not telling you I’m a fan of the ma chines, want to keep the machines. I’m telling you you can cheat in paper ballots. You can in machines. You can cheat in all sorts of things.”

During a commissioners court meeting in February, O’Hare and other Republican commissioners questioned Garcia for about 20 minutes about the purchase of a $150,000 laser paper cutter for a mail-ballot sorting machine. The county had included that purchase in the budget approved for this year, Garcia told the commissioners. O’Hare said the piece of equipment was too expensive.

“I think it’s a total waste,” O’Hare said before voting against the purchase.

Garcia, like many other elections officials across the country, has faced harassment and rac

dismissing them or shutting them down, Garcia engaged with them and earned their trust. This tactic was praised by local and state election officials and others across the country.

Garcia was able to take such an approach and run a successful elections department in Texas’ third-largest county — and the state’s last major urban area led by Republicans — because he had the support of his bosses: the Tarrant County commissioners. Election administrators rely heavily on those elected officials, who control the budget. Former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, a Republican, praised Garcia’s

elections administrator. Garcia’s critics, too, have given him credit, with one election-fraud activist saying he makes other election officials in the state “look like idiots.”

Garcia will “answer all of your questions,” said Aubree Campbell, a voter-fraud activist in the county who runs a group dubbed Taking Back Texas.

O’Hare has said he will call a meeting of the commissioners court soon to begin the search for Garcia’s replacement. Many Democrats and some Republicans worry that the next elections administrator will buy into the claims of nearly

METROPOLIS

No Mercy

because the folks at the megachurch are proud members of Cult 45.

Ashton Smith, a Black woman, recently fled the Northside compound after two years of experiencing alleged harassment by Mercy Culture staffers and racist remarks by congregants.

“Black Lives Matter shirts aren’t allowed” at Mercy Culture, Smith told us, adding that MAGA gear and merch are condoned if not outright encouraged at the Christian Nationalist church of choice for County Judge Tim O’Hare, District Attorney Phil Sorrells, Sheriff Bill Waybourn, and many of the other right-wing crackpots running Tarrant County.

Alleged racist remarks and outright calls to murder anyone part of the LGBTQ+ community by Mercy Culture members unsettled Smith, but a recent confrontation with one Mercy Culture staffer led Smith to finally sever ties with the church. Smith alleges that a female employee recently cornered her, questioned the way Smith dressed, and ordered her to leave or the police would be called.

BY STATIC

The recent indictment of the disgraced grifter-in-chief riled Mercy Culture’s congregants, not due to the former guy’s lifelong disdain of Jesus’ teachings to not lie, steal, or commit adultery but rather

Trump’s 34 felony charges for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up his affair with a porn star emboldened Mercy Culture’s congregation to go full-on racist and homophobe, Smith said.

“I will not go to a church that talks about Donald Trump,” Smith said. “It is one of the worst churches in Fort Worth. They told me I look like a thug.”

Smith, a four-time gold medalist at the Special Olympics World Games, acknowledges her muscular build and preference for wearing slacks in lieu of dresses make her appear androgynous. While she considers herself an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, Smith alleges that she was misrepresented by homophobic Mercy Culture followers as transgender.

“It is sad that I was told to leave a church” over misconceptions, Smith said, adding that she dresses in men’s clothing because she lives in an underserved community and knows women are more likely

continued on page 9

The vapid, anti-homophobic rhetoric by Mercy Culture elders sometimes leads to epic blowback, like the time video footage of State Rep. Nate Schatzline in drag went viral across several social media platforms earlier this year.

The Northside megachurch welcomes all — unless you’re Black, gay, unmarried, or not in thrall to the indicted former president.

Courtesy TikTok

to be assaulted. “Mercy Culture staffers look at me sideways because I am wearing this or that. I should be able to wear whatever I want.”

Smith filed a police report, alleging Mercy Culture staff harassed her — a potential Class B misdemeanor — and plans to follow up with a civil rights lawsuit. Allegations of abuse by leaders at the place of worship founded by Gateway Church, the pro-tRump charismatic operation that has infested several states and counting, are not new to our readers.

While non-brainwashed places of worship focus on biblical teachings, Mercy Culture fixates on worldly desires like grifting congregants into buying homes from church elders who conveniently work as Realtors (“Mercy Culture Wars,” May 2022) or allegedly spiritually abusing human trafficking victims (“Masters of Manipulation,” July 2022) and children (“Grooming Christian Nationalists?” June 2022).

Pastor Landon Schott is obsessed with politics even as the New Testament teaches putting heavenly aims above the petty, self-serving acts of politicians. Schott and his cohorts appear willfully ignorant that the Bible says oppressing others is a oneway ticket to hell.

Schott’s sermons and social media posts that mock non-followers of charismatic Christian doctrines poison the minds of congregants who may have been otherwise tolerant of others before buying into Mercy Culture’s cult of personality.

The anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric from Mercy Culture elders sometimes leads to epic and hilarious blowback. A recently resurfaced video of Mercy Culture elder Nate Schatzline, a state representative who authored a bill to ban drag performances, shows him prancing in a black sequined dress while in college. (Hey, Nate. Unlike you, we’re not judging, just pointing out the hypocrisy. You do you, brah.)

The Northside megachurch is running afoul of federal laws banning discrimination and entangling church and state. Schott frequently endorses Republican candidates during sermons.

“The law has to be equal for everyone, not just Christians,” Smith said.

She added that congregants and elders made veiled and not-so-veiled threats against her. On one occasion, a Mercy Culture staffer told her they were going to “Jezebel her ass,” which Smith took to be a threat of bodily harm, given the biblical reference to the female pagan thrown from a window and devoured by dogs.

Smith has found a new place of worship, Broadway Baptist Church on the Near Southside. With time comes perspective, and she occasionally thinks about the many doors at Mercy Culture with keycode locks and all the rooms with mirrors that may have allowed Mercy Culture Stasi to spy on congregants and other staffers.

The megachurch, as we’re frequently told, relies on surveillance and marked and unmarked security personnel to keep everyone in line. Unauthorized visitors with cameras are viewed with suspicion and frequently questioned.

Mercy Culture Church’s cult-like behavior would not likely be the subject of ongoing reporting and commentary by our magazine were it not for the church’s political activism that solely serves the interests of sexist, racist, homophobic Christian Nationalists seeking to install a Christian caliphate here and across the country. Our top county leaders are aware of and condone the toxic beliefs that fester at Mercy Culture. Rather than advocating for tolerance and respect for our country’s foundational separation of church and state, our DA, county judge, sheriff, and state reps allow Mercy Culture leaders to pave a path of destruction and anguish through Fort Worth. Why? Because O’Hare, Sorrells, and Waybourn care more about massaging their egos and generating votes than serving the people of Tarrant County and protecting this county from a powerful, dangerous, and emboldened Christian Nationalist movement. 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.

Ashton Smith: “Mercy Culture staffers look at me sideways because I am wearing this or that. I should be able to wear whatever I want.”

Courtesy Ashton Smith

SCREEN

History Brooks

A comedy legend goes back to the small screen.

BY KRISTIAN LIN

Mel Brooks was always a sketch writer. He started out on the 1950s TV program Your Show of Shows, part of a legendary writers’ room that included Woody Allen, Neil Simon, and the late Carl Reiner, with whom Brooks would develop their decades-long 2,000-Year-Old Man routine. His sketch writing evolved into a highly inconsistent, often hysterically funny career as a comedy filmmaker whose movies’ quality depended on the level of their set pieces, ranging from great (Young Frankenstein) to abysmal (Life Stinks). His 1981 film History of the World, Part I was overtly a collection of comedy sketches. Last month, Hulu dropped eight

episodes of a small-screen sequel, History of the World, Part II, which demonstrates how the whole concept belonged on TV to begin with. Just like Brooks’ filmography, the show is uneven, but on the occasions when it’s firing, it’ll make you laugh and laugh.

The most disappointing thing about Part II is the lack of a blowout musical number. There are songs, including a ballad by a young Joseph Stalin (Jack Black) about his dream of ruling the Soviet Union with love and kindness, but the production values are low. Maybe the showrunners elected to spend Hulu’s budget on actors rather than background singers and dancers, but even the best song — that would be the pleasantly funky campaign number by Rep. Shirley Chisholm (Wanda Sykes) — doesn’t rise to the level of “The Spanish Inquisition” from Part I, which has been living rent-free in my brain since my childhood. Brooks’ films always received a lift from their numbers, and this show really needed musical collaborations with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rachel Bloom, or those guys from Epic Rap Battles of History.

Brooks turns 97 this year, and you might wonder whether he’s still in touch with pop culture. Indeed, one sketch has Kublai Khan (Ronny Chieng) starring in a parody of Punk’d, a reference that’s a good 20 years out of date. Hipper stuff comes with The Real Concubines of Kublai Khan, in which Andy Khan (Andy Cohen) tries to interview all 10,000 women in the Mongol leader’s harem. The writers and actors are more diverse this time around, which gives the show more of world history to make fun of. Kumail Nanjiani turns up as Vātsyāyana,

pitching the Kama Sutra as a book of soup recipes with a few sexual positions thrown in — his publishers have a note for him.

Unhappily, the recurring sketches contain the weakest material here. One series is about the Civil War, while another is about the Russian Revolution, and there’s a noticeable letdown whenever the show comes back to those. (Although the one-minute bit staging Rasputin’s murder as a Jackass stunt complete with that show’s cast members gave me the biggest laugh of the whole season.) The series about Jesus Christ (Jay Ellis) can’t decide whether it’s a parody of Curb Your Enthusiasm or a mockumentary with Jesus and his disciples in a rock band bickering among themselves like the Beatles during their breakup. Neither

of those gambits works, and Quinta Brunson is wasted as Martha Magdalene, though it is funny when a focus group of bishops decides 300 years after Jesus’ death that he needs to be made into a buff white action hero (Brock O’Hurn) mowing down Jews.

Part II has deliberately avoided recent history, but it’s at its best when it uses history to comment on current events, like when Galileo (Nick Kroll) posts an apology video on TikTok — excuse me, “TicciTocci” — from his prison cell, looking like a canceled influencer as he begs forgiveness for saying that the Earth moves around the sun. Not so contrite is Typhoid Mary (Mary Holland), who spreads anti-vax memes on her cooking vlog and coughs into her corned beef and cabbage while her viewers set her comments section ablaze: “I like how she accepts her typhoid, so inspiring.” “Is she shitting while she’s livestreaming?” (Yes, she is.)

The Shirley Chisholm arc has its best moment when she visits Alabama Gov. George Wallace (played by the Black comedian named George Wallace) in the hospital after his assassination attempt — the actors break the fourth wall to tell us that this actually happened. After she doses him with painkillers, the drugged-up segregationist admits, “I’m scared of giving power to the people we’ve done so much harm to. I’m scared that I’m not really superior to anybody. And I’m scared of olives. They look like little witches’ eyes.” Moments like that make it worth sitting through Brooks’ jokes that go on too long. When he does History of the World, Part III in 2065, that’s what will keep me coming back. l

“I’m Rasputin, and this is me being stabbed in the back and thrown into the River Neva.”

(From left to right) Chris Pontius, Preston Lacy, Jason “Wee Man” Acuna, and Johnny Knoxville reenact Russian history in History of the World Part II.

Photo by Aaron Epstein

ART AND MUSIC ON THE PLAZA

100 Artists through local galleries include:

ART: MUSIC:

Artspace 111, Flatbed Press, Pencil on Paper Gallery, Fort Worth Art Collective with special guest ACA Gallery.

Booths will be dedicated to local emerging and women artists along with Sundance Square artists-in-residence.

Art Displayed 10 am to 8 pm Thursday Through Sunday

Local performers and bands with music for all tastes include: Kristyn Harris, Rosie Flores, Ginny Mac, Matt Hilyer, Summer Dean, HONIN, Taylor Pace, Remy Reilly, Junya, Lou CharLe$, Gregory Newman, John Adams Electric Trio, Quamon Fowler, Tatiana LadyMay Mayfield, Sundance Square Big Band, Mariachi Real de Alvarez, Squeezebox Bandits, UNT Latin Jazz Lab and The Special Edition Band. DJ Danny West will rock the plaza til midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Live Music 11 am – 10 pm on Thursday & Sunday and 11 am to Midnight on Friday & Saturday

“Sundance Square is dedicated to supporting our community and continuing to build a place where all are welcome,” said Sasha Bass, CEO of Sundance Square Management. “As such we are proud to support and showcase our local artists and musicians and bring world class art to the city of Fort Worth.”

GENERAL ADMISSION TO THE ART FAIR IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC. Additional details and a full performance schedule can be found at www.fortworthartfair.com.

BOOKS

Confederacy of Suns

Local author M.R. Koch’s Halfway to Impossible harks back to the literary past for a captivating portrait of the aughts.

BY E.R. BILLS

How many literary references does it take to screw in a light bulb?

That’s easy. Less than it takes to screw up a book review.

The main character, Max, is very Yossarian, and local author M.R. Koch’s debut novel, Halfway to Impossible, is deceptively Orrwellian

No, I did not misspell “Orrwellian.” Not exactly. Because Orr is Yossarian’s tentmate in Joseph Heller’s 1961 satirical war novel Catch 22. “Orwellian” chiefly refers to George Orwell’s dystopian masterwork, 1984, but Orwell’s real name was Eric Blair. “Orrwellian” is my convenient upgrade to “Orwellian,” a categorization conjured in my mind after an inspired reading of Halfway to Impossible

“Orrwellian,” in Heller’s words, is descriptive of “a warm-hearted, simple-minded gnome.” A gnome is a diminutive, mythological being introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century in tales of Renaissance magic and alchemy. In any circle of friends, the Orrs are the true believers, and, if you’re lucky, the heedless strivers or dreamers. Heller’s Orr is a WWII American B-25 pilot who prostitutes beat over the head with a shoe and whose bombers

crash repeatedly — but he insists his bombardier tentmate Yossarian should fly with him. Yossarian thinks Orr’s crazy, while he — Yossarian — simultaneously feigns craziness to escape increased bombing missions and return home.

M.R. Koch’s Orr is Max’s friend, Sam. Sam has latched onto a transient, effervescent young woman that he beats himself over the head about and keeps crashing New Orleans to consummate his fascination with.

Though Halfway to Impossible never mentions Catch 22, it does mention Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises on a few occasions, and at the halfway point to impossible, Max meets his own version of Hemingway’s Brett Ashley — though he treats her with less conclusive fatalism than Hem.

Hemingway’s Jake Barnes may not be able to consummate or elevate the necessary appendage to consummate

his romantic relations due to a war wound, but the titular sentiment is sound. The sun also (or still) rises, and life goes on.

At the end of Catch 22, Orr escapes the war after another crash-landing in the Mediterranean and a paddle to freedom in a life raft. He’d had a fantastical plan all along, and Yossarian’s skepticism costs him his escape. But Max and Sam are not characters from a time when Americans had faith in “good” wars or even the nation they fought for. As a more assertive, somewhat Yossarianesque character in Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club notes, “We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war. Our Great Depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact.”

This is the backdrop of the landscape that Koch’s Max and Sam navigate. The sun still rises, but it offers much less luster for the male and female traversers of the aughts than it offered for their grand- and great-grandparents, making too many sunrises seem little more than lost causes. Koch flips Heller, as his Orr succumbs to gnomic naivete, and his Yossarian emerges not completely Orrwellian but hopeful, and more realistic, in Orwellian times.

Koch’s prose is richly descriptive and features refreshing lexiconic challenges in places, drawing you into a world where young men still raise their lances against the normal obstructions that deny their paths to Shangri La. The development and conveyance of the female characters, especially Caroline, Brett and Electra, are all compelling, insightful, and familiar. Koch is a keen observer, and if you were ever young and worldly, or even young and half-sober in a bar or nightclub in or around the dawn of the 21st century, you will probably recognize some of these people and feel nostalgic. There were Hemingway and Helleresque characters trying to make and understand their way. The nonlinear tale features succinct verisimilitude and ends like an ode to the humanity of American youth as they resign themselves to a dubious adulthood, punctuated by gain and loss, and loss and gain — the see-saw outlook of our present reality. But Koch’s Max is wiser and still tilting. I think Hem, Heller, and Blair would all be proud.

If my own existence and experiences didn’t resemble those of some of the characters in Halfway to Impossible in so many engaging ways, I’d clamor for a sequel, but I wonder if I’m not living it already.

It’s certainly pretty to think so. l

Halfway to Impossible by M.R. Koch REaDLips Press $13.99 215 pps.

Where Can a Texan Go to Toke Up a Cloud-Nine Experience?

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“We compared over 100 of the biggest

(and weed-friendliest) U.S. cities based on 17 metrics, such as access to top-rated dispensaries, consumption lounges, bud and breakfasts, and munchie relievers.”

Check out the 10 cities blazing the recreational ganja trail (and the 10 budding “fun weed” cities) below, followed by key stats from their report.

Best Cities for Recreational Weed

1.) San Francisco, CA

2.) Los Angeles, CA

3.) Denver, CO

4.) Santa Ana, CA

5.) Las Vegas, NV

6.) Long Beach, CA

7.) Portland, OR

8.) Torrance, CA

9.) San Diego, CA

10.) Eugene OR

continued on page 19

Courtesy LawnStarter

Key Insights

MO’ Than Anyone Else: At the time of writing, 12 states and the District of Columbia permitted home cannabis cultivation for recreational use. Missouri allowed the most, 18—50% more than in Michigan, the state with the next highest.

Cannabliss: For R&R with THC and CBD, toke up with your buds in these “Lounging” category chart toppers: Las Vegas (No. 1 in 420-friendly accommodations per square mile), Los Angeles (No. 1 in bud and breakfasts), and San Francisco (No. 1 in consumption lounges).

Late Bloomers: License to use ≠ license to buy — rolling out cannabis shops can be a drag in budding “fun weed” cities. Bridgeport, Connecticut, for example, tied for last place in dispensary access. The city’s first dispensaries (that had yet to open at the time of writing) waited two years for permission to sell. In Virginia, consumers might need to wait longer.

High Praise: Tokers in Greater Los Angeles think their local weed shops are pretty dope. LA suburbs and Inland Empire cities took up seven of the top 10 spots in Consumer Satisfaction. Torrance tops the category. North Las Vegas, Nevada, and Baltimore also occupy top-five spots.

Big Cities for Big Appetites: If baking (not the Martha Stewart kind) activates your munchies, let’s hope you live in one of the most populated cities like New York, San Francisco, or Chicago — these foodie hotspots are our top munchie relievers. Greater Los Angeles is the best region overall if you’re high and hungry. In smaller cities like Springfield, Massachusetts, or Joliet, Illinois, pack some snacks.

Doobie Debits: Buying cannabis on credit is not currently an option. Colorado and Arizona cities make up seven of the 10 with the highest concentrations of dispensaries taking debit cards. California cities Salinas and Stockton, along with Worcester, Massachusetts, are the other three.

LawnStarter and 420, What’s the Connection?

LawnStarter can mow your grass and get rid of weeds in your yard. For all other grass and weed needs, well, check out the rankings above. For more information, visit LawnStarter.com.

Content was provided by LawnStarter, which neither condones nor promotes illicit drug use. This feature is intended only to provide entertainment value and info. If you or someone you know may be struggling with substance abuse, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800662-HELP (4357).

Teenagers, amirite? As the story goes, a group of high school students at a California high school in 1971 began meeting up at 4:20pm — a time picked randomly based on the end of after-school activities — to smoke out. As marijuana was illegal in California at that time, the kids started using “4:20” as a code word. Years later, one of the students became a roadie for the Grateful Dead, who started spreading the word with flyers. High Times picked up the story, and here we are. Thankfully, there are celebratory parties all around town with Thursday being 4/20 and all. Below are eight.

1.) On Thursday, the Near Southside is the place to be. From 4pm to 10pm, The Bearded Lady (309 S Main St, 817-349-9832) is collaborating with Wandering Roots Markets to put on their inaugural 420 Party There will be music, drinks, awesome food, sweet munchies, and a 420-themed vendor market. There is no cost to attend.

2.) Also on the Near Southside Thursday, Cheba Hut (1217 8th Av, 682-224-0021) presents Reefer Rodeo 10am-midnight, featuring “nug subs” for the low, low price of $4.20 each. While supplies last, customers will also receive a complimentary Cheba Hut frisbee. Tommy Luke & Tone Sommer (7pm), Luther/Parish (5pm), and Carlos Ramos (1pm) will perform.

3.) A new joint (see what I did there?), Delta 8 Denton (813 N Locust, Denton, @Delta8Denton) will celebrate its grand opening Thursday with Super Dank 420 Fest. There will be hourly giveaways, $1 dabs, a Mario Kart tournament on a 12-foot screen, and a vendors’ market where the snacks (hopefully) live.

4.) Back on the Near Southside, Pouring Glory will pour it on thick. The celebration is 2pm-10pm Thursday. Along with a stacked music lineup, artists, and vendors, plenty of 420-inspired foods will be available for purchase, including Three Little Pig Nachos, turkey and waffles, twice-baked quesadillas, and the PBJ ITK, a sourdough grilled cheese sandwich with provolone and bacon jam.

5.) The 420 Party Thursday at Rahr & Sons (701 Galveston Av, 817-810-9266) will feature an eclectic mix of edible delights, including the Takis Taco from Santos Tacos and treats from Morgan’s Ice Cream, plus the brewers are working on a special batch of Double Danky Pineapple Express Dadgum IPA. The party runs from 4pm to 9pm, and there is no cover, which is cool because there will be live reggae from Watusi.

6.) Arlington folks can have a chill Thursday evening at Tanstaafl Pub (409 N Bowen Rd, 817-460-9506) playing 420 Trivia starting at 8pm. The questions will be a mix of movie trivia, music facts, and general 420 knowledge. “Think and drink with trivia, prizes, giveaways, and drink specials all night.” You can compete alone or in groups of up to four people. There will be prizes for first, second, and third place winners, plus the best team name.

7.) The festivities Thursday kick off at noon in Bedford at Turning Point Beer

(1307 Brown Trl, 817-705-8817). There will be limited-edition 420 Turning Point T-shirts for sale in the taproom, four special draft releases, games, $4.20 IPA pours, and more. Special 420 taps include All Keif, Dank Bomb, Even More S’mores, and Purple Durp. Hustletown will be on hand with comfort food for sale.

8.) At 9pm Thu, Swimming with Sharks Entertainment presents the second annual 420 Comedy Show at the Dallas Comedy Club (3036 Elm St, @DallasComedyClub). Comedians Noah “Shark” Robertson and Anthony Ramoz will host this comedy showcase/open-mic night. There will be a lottery draw for stage times. Each comedian will have 4:20 worth of stage time, and extra points will be given for 420-related material. One winner will receive $100 at the end of the night. Comedians get in free, and audience members only pay $10 per ticket at the door.

By Jennifer Bovee

Swing by Cheba Hut for a toasted sub and more this 4/20. Courtesy Facebook

Enjoy some Double Danky Pineapple Express Dadgum IPA at Rahr & Sons on Thursday.

Courtesy Untappd.com

EATS & drinks

Westside Brews and ’Cue

Burleson-based Old Texas Brewing Company

livens up Ridglea Hills with a mix of live music, craft cocktails, and scrumptious food.

Old Texas Brewing Company, 6333 Camp Bowie Blvd, Ste 200, FW. 10am-10pm Sun, 10am-11pm Mon-Thu, 10am-midnight Fri-Sat.

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY EDWARD BROWN

Ridglea Hills has historically leaned on culinary stalwarts Campisi’s Restaurant, Zeke’s Fish n Chips, and The Lunch Box to feed discerning locals.

The arrival of Boozie’s Brewery & Gourmet Sandwiches a few months ago at the former Wild Acre Brewing Company lo -

Old Texas Brewing Company

Barbecue plate $20

Hamburger steak ...................................... $14

Fish sandwich $12

The Pecan Brown Sugar Old Fashioned .. $9

Brisket-stuffed jalapeños $6

cation added rare late-night drinking to the densely populated but largely sleepy part of town. Now, a Burleson transplant brings its own take on weekend brunches, karaoke, late-night dining, and sports watching options to the West Side.

Old Texas Brewing Company is spacious with an outdoor patio, dozens of booths and smaller tables, a long bar at the center of the space, and a small stage in the back. Light country music played overhead as I ordered an adult beverage.

The drink menu boasts several Topo Chico-based mixed drinks, a wide range of creative margaritas, lots of wine, and a few dozen macro- and micro-beer options. Since the Fort Worth building does not have room for brewing equipment, craft suds from the Burleson spot will be available on draft here soon, a waitress said.

The Pecan Brown Sugar Old Fashioned was a slightly sweeter take on the classic bourbon-forward libation. The generous pour of Blackland Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon, garnished with an orange peel and a candied cherry, went down easy.

Smoked meats are a big draw at the original location, and the barbecue plate showed why. Three thick cuts of fork-tender beef, drizzled with a sweet tomato-based sauce, were succulent, smoky, and delicious. The well-marbled meat benefited from the peppery bark and gave every bite a welcome range of flavors and textures. Two large smoked links had a crispy casing and juicy fillings of pork, cheddar, and jalapeño. The dish, rounded out by golden-fried okra continued on page 25

The beer-centric restaurant doesn’t skimp on quality when it comes to smoked meats.

Old Texas Brewing Company serves a slightly sweeter and more complex take on the Old Fashioned.

Eats & Drinks

continued from page 23

and lightly seasoned steamed broccoli, was belt-bustlingly delicious.

The hamburger steak came with a hefty, buttered piece of Texas toast and a single

baked sweet potato. The large, charbroiled beef patty with grilled onions, mushrooms, and brown gravy satiated my carnivorous cravings.

Two brisket-stuffed jalapeños were a delight. Served with a cooling side of ranch, the creamy blend of tender brisket and cheese sauce was encased in smoked peppers and wrapped with crispy strips of bacon.

The chiles were mercifully not too spicy.

My visit ended with the fish sandwich and a side of bracelet-sized golden-fried onion rings. The large brioche bun could hardly contain the massive cod filet encased in a flaky fried crust. The sammy topped with red onions, lettuce, and tomatoes was livened by a side of tangy tartar sauce.

The service was impeccable, and the

waitress told me Wednesday evening karaoke and live music on the weekends draw big crowds. Old Texas Brewing Company, with its vast cocktail and beer menu and scrumptious dining options, offers yet another reason for locals to stay in their ’hood for late-night drinks or for outsiders to visit Ridglea Hills for lunch — and more. l

Not too hot or filling, the brisket-stuffed jalapeños are a smoky delight.

Located near The Lunch Box and other popular Ridglea Hills restaurants, Old Texas Brewing Company offers far more than great food.

EARTH DAY

Make Some Planet Friendly Plans With Your Kids

Promotional Feature

Concerned about the environment and inspired by the Vietnam War protests across the country in 1970, the then junior senator Geylor Nelson organized a “teach-in” on college campuses to shed light on environmental responsibility and help change the public’s attitude. According to HowLifeUnfolds.com, for maximum student participation, his team chose April 22 as the date, as it fell between Spring Break and final exams. And so began Earth Day.

From celebrity young people like Greta Thunberg of Sweden to the girl next door, Earth Day is still relevant to students some 50 years later. So, how do you involve your kids? Here are some ideas for this Saturday.

Every Day is Earth Day at the Thrift Store

Celebrate Earth Day this year by donating and browsing at your local thrift store, where sustainability is automatically in play. By donating unwanted items and by thrift shopping yourself, you are giving goods a second life and helping the planet. At Goodwill, you’re also supporting educational career training programs that help local people in need. Before you head to Forest Faire, have the kids clean their rooms and pull a few toys they no longer play with. Take them to your local Goodwill to make a donation, and maybe pick out something cool (and affordable) to purchase inside.

How About a Trip to the Museum

Before or after your forest adventure, take the young earth-conscience person in your life on a visit to the Fort Worth

Museum of Science (1600 Gendy St, 817255-9300), where fellow environmentalists will gather to learn about and support the importance of long-term ecological sustainability from 10am to 4pm. Adult admission (ages 12-64) is $16, junior and senior admission (ages 3-11 and 65+) is $14, and children (ages 0-2) get in free. For more info, visit FWMuseum.org.

Attend

the Forest Faire at Treetops

Whether you’re looking for a new school for your nature-loving little

ones or just an activity for Earth Day afternoon, head to the Treetops School International (12500 S Pipeline Rd, 817-283-1771) 11am-2pm Sat for the annual Spring Forest Faire. “We use the natural environment of our school campus to celebrate Spring,” says teacher Julie Rose. “The school carnival idea was transformed to fit our students and our focus on education and celebration through nature.” As it is a carnival-style event, activities and snacks will be procured using tickets which can be purchased for 50 cents apiece. There is no admission cost to attend.

About School Enrollment at Treetops

At Treetops School International, the mission is to inspire students to climb to new heights in service, character, and education by creating a positive, safe community. If this philosophy appeals to you and your kids, you might consider fall enrollment. But first, you will need to attend at least one in-person tour before your child is placed in the lottery for the next school year (upon completion of the paperwork, of course). The final campus tour of the spring is 9am-10:15am on Wed, May 17. To reserve a spot, call 817-283-1771 today.

MUSIC

Joy and Pain

The witty and wonderful Son of Stan celebrates a new, dichotomous single and his first show in more than three years.

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

Many songwriters often disguise the depth of their meaning innocuously beneath a veneer of hooks and cheery melody. The contrast of infectious sing-alongs contain-

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ing gut-punch lyrical content has been employed by artists as diverse as Louis Armstrong, Weezer, and the Carpenters. Done consciously or not, these depressive easter eggs can elicit heart-wrenching epiphanies that add a deeper appreciation of otherwise seemingly innocent pop tunes. How deeply have you analyzed the lyrics to “99 Luftballons”?

Due to his empathetic spirit, humorous charm, and obsession with ’70s-era soft rock, it only makes sense that Jordan Richardson might be one such songwriter. The new single by his self-described “divorce pop” passion project, Son of Stan, might just be his sneakiest musical/lyrical contradiction yet. Dropping Friday, “With No Feeling” features his signature whimsical musical flare with a topic that lacks anything but feeling.

“The majority of the [lyrical] material does come from — I don’t know if you’d call it ‘dark’ places — but it’s like the self-therapy that you do through the art that you make,” Richardson said. “Those principles and ideas and emotions are there, but whatever chords or sounds I make to go with them can sort of feel light-hearted or goofy or sardonic or whatever. The words can be just what they are.”

With a Ween-esque jazz-fusion musical bed, on “With No Feeling,” Richardson grapples with the crushing impact of a breakup and the temptation to become emotionally numb in the process of getting over it. Despite its heavy subject matter, there’s a danceable quality to the track, a bouncing groove moving along under Richardson’s sly falsetto, as he questions, “Is there any-

one out there left with no feeling?” At the midpoint, the track gives way to an oil slicksmooth rap verse by former Fort Worthian Juma Spears. As a whole, the song represents another unpredictable direction for the musically unpredictable band.

“Artists like Beck and Ween have always kind of been the model,” Richardson explained of the band’s sonic diversity. “Not

that we try to sound like them, but it’s in the freedom to explore. To be chameleonic and to not really care, that is the genre. I mean, there’s a lot of care involved [in creating the songs], but there’s really no concern about branding or marketing. It’s never something we think about. For good and bad. Definitely more for bad,” he added with a laugh.

With a general aesthetic that can be best described as the sounds riding a cloud of smoke out of the open T-tops of a pastel pink-and-blue Trans Am parked at a 7-Eleven in the 2015 of the Back to the Future II timeline, Son of Stan has a shuffling roster of some of the area’s top players to bring it to life. Near iconic local guitarist Michael Doty (Duell, House Harkonnen), drummer Austin Green (The Cush, Telegraph Canyon), and bassist Steve Steward (Oil Boom, Darth Vato) make up the core along with players like keyboardist Justin Pate and singer Mallory Morgan. To celebrate the new single, the band will perform at Lola’s Friday. The occasion will be their first performance in three years.

“It’s always a band filled with people in other bands,” Richardson said. “I know that’s always how it goes in a local scene, but I like to grab people who are really talented but are also fun to hang out with. I think that’s what everyone wants, which is why those people are in all the bands. It made sense to me to put out something to coincide with the show, so I decided to tie up some loose ends on [‘With No Feeling’] and put it out.”

Doty has become Richardson’s main collaborator of late, and the two have more

continued on page 30

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Richardson: “To be chameleonic and to not really care, that is the genre.”

Mallory Morgan

than a couple dozen new songs in the can, a collection that Richardson said should make up a potential album (or two) sometime in the fall. It will no doubt be a series of tunes that captures the duo’s chops (Doty has a particularly tasty solo on “With No Feeling”) but is also as diverse as the two musicians’ listening habits.

“Our tastes drive why we try to explore stuff that’s a little richer harmonically or a little bit more involved or maybe more difficult,” Richardson said. “I think that’s more reflective of our tastes than it is trying to just be like, ‘Hey, let’s [consciously] make something hard’ or ‘different’ or whatever. It has more to do with what the mood is at the time, but I’m always seeking that seventh note or the added ninth in all the mu-

sic I’ve made — that extra harmonic color, even when I was playing in emo bands or whatever.”

After producing the vocals for Spears’ upcoming album, Richardson asked him to add the verse to “With No Feeling.” Spears, who recently relocated to Thailand, and Richardson hit it off during the sessions, bonding over the fickleness of the local scene, a subject that inspired Spears’ bars. After he finished his part, Spears joked, “Does this mean I do divorce rap now?”

In addition to the resurrection of SoS, Richardson has also found a new form of fun content generation. He now hosts a weekend radio show on the new 97.1-FM

The Freak with former Ticket personality T.C. Flemming.

“I always need a fairly creative outlet that isn’t music,” Richardson said. “Between my own music and producing, I have to kind of keep that in check. I felt this desire to do something that can still be creative but is fun and in the entertainment avenue.

Besides being a musician, I’ve always had a goal of being either a game show host or having a talk radio show.”

Airing at 2 p.m. on Saturdays, The Dirtbag Culture Hour offers wild and randomly incongruent popular culture content. The station branding boasts about the freeform nature of the programming. “We say what we want!” is the channel’s tagline.

“We might burn a whole show on Charlie Sheen’s meltdown or two segments on the fact that it’s Robert Patrick of Terminator 2’s birthday,” he said. “It’s a real blast. It’s really awesome what the station is doing, and it’s really cool to be a part of it. We get two hours a week on an iHeart Radio station, one of the

biggest corporations in media, and not one person — knock on wood — has ever given us a single note on the show, which means either they really are living up to this idea that we can do and talk about whatever we want or that no one even knows that we’re on, not even the programmers,” he joked.

There are plans for a video for “With No Feeling,” but due to an admitted lack of motivation for marketing, for now, they remain simply plans.

“I’m still nourished by the fact that I get to produce and I get to play in other bands,” Richardson said. “The thing that I became so headstrong and serious about doing, which is my own project — the saving grace of it and why I don’t get burned out on it — is because I’ve never made it the thing that is the project that has to satisfy a team or a manager or anything like that. The other side of that coin is that it’s made it more difficult to find traction with it, but I think that’s more my bad than anything else. I just don’t put that same energy into it.” l

Son of Stan 7pm Sat w/Arenda Light and Hotel Satellite at Lola’s Fort Worth, 2000 W Berry St, FW. $15.

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BUY/SELL/TRADE

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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.

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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.)

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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)

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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.

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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

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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

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

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LEGAL NOTICE

To: Carlos Chavez Morales

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