Fort Worth Weekly // May 3-9, 2023

Wings Over Near South

Tyler Anne Stevens’ new independent-music

venue

The Cicada is just what Fort Worth needs.

BY JUAN R. GOVEA

METROPOLIS

Behold, your City Council voter guide.

BY EDWARD BROWN

METROPOLIS

Our school board voter guide will help you stay away from the cray.

BY STATIC

EATS & DRINKS

Coming soon to Magnolia, the vegan Dreamboat Donuts & Scoops is a sweetooth’s … dream.

BY LAURIE JAMES

STUFF

The Cowboys’ draft was bereft of big splashes and full of — to be kind — head-scratchers.

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

May 7–September 3

The exhibition is organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Kimbell Art Museum. It is supported in part by the William and Catherine Bryce Memorial Fund, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the Fort Worth Tourism Public Improvement District.

Promotional support provided by

Matter of Trustee

Want to avoid the lizard people at the polls? We’ve got you covered.

By Static

Cold Draft

Essentially, the Cowboys could have skipped the entire first round.

By Patrick Higgins

Crepitation Sensation

The new independent music venue the Cicada spreads its wings over the Near Southside.

By Juan R. Govea

PM

By Laurie James

AZLE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

JAZZ BAND

SATURDAY, MAY 6 • 5:30-9 PM

MARINATED SIRLOIN SAVE $4.00 $11.99

Time for fajitas! Handtrimmed boneless Angus sirloin with a hearty texture that’s perfect for grilling and cast-iron searing. Choose from Southwest, Chipotle Lime, or Orange Honey Habanero.

STAFF

Anthony Mariani,

Bob Niehoff,

Ryan Burger,

Jim Erickson,

Edward Brown,

Emmy Smith,

Michael Newquist,

Tony Diaz,

Wyatt Newquist,

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

Anthony Mariani, Edward Brown, Emmy Smith

METROPOLIS

Voter Guide

On Saturday, May 6, locals will elect an expanded Fort Worth City Council.

BY EDWARD BROWN

Voters on the North and Near East sides will elect the first councilmembers ever for newly adopted Districts 10 and 11. While Fort Worth City Council opted to control the redistricting effort rather than allow a citizen-led commission to redraw districts, the process that involved extensive resident input ensured minority representation would not be diluted in the final map.

District 11 includes much of the predominantly Hispanic community along Hemphill Street formerly represented by business-friendly District 9, meaning a minority councilmember from the new zone is likely.

In recent months, grassroots groups and progressive candidates have been agitated by the youngish city council’s failure to adopt a civilian oversight board for Fort Worth police as other major cities have, and candidates from both sides of the political spectrum have publicly blasted the elected representatives for reducing public comments to biweekly forums. Conservatives see the upcoming election as an opportune time to install culture warriors battling so-called woke ideology.

Mayor

As a voting member of Fort Worth City Council, the mayor has no more political power than councilmembers but can rely on the mayoral title to sway public sentiment. Mattie Parker was elected to the position two years ago after serving as chief of staff for former mayor Betsy Price.

In her time in office, Parker has engaged the community, much like her predecessor. Her focus on public safety, economic development, and supporting entrepreneurs, among other initiatives, has largely placed her policymaking outside the partisan divide. Last year and following the Tarrant County primary that saw Tim O’Hare beat Price, Parker publicly distanced herself from the Republican party she previously associated with. She cit-

ed hyper-partisanship within the GOP and lies fabricated by O’Hare and his primary campaign as her main reasons for bucking the GOP. Parker’s staunch support for law enforcement has made her the target of criticism from left-leaning groups, meaning her main base of support may lie with moderates.

Ken Bowens Jr., a business owner and self-described Independent Party candidate, cites improved infrastructure, affordable economic development, and public safety as his top priorities. Jennifer Castillo is the first Latina to run for Fort Worth mayor. The Air Force veteran and real estate business owner prioritizes lowering property taxes, expanding affordable

housing, and supporting businesses.

Political activist and cashier Alyson Kennedy ran for Dallas mayor in 2019 and is a member of the Socialist Workers Party. Military veteran Adrian Smith’s top goals if elected mayor include supporting childhood literacy, lowering property taxes, improving police/community relations, and ensuring equitable development across Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Districts 2 through 11

District 2 incumbent Carlos Flores is running unopposed for the area that includes the Stockyards and historically Hispanic neighborhoods along North Main Street.

The third-generation Fort Worthian was first elected in 2017.

Real estate broker Michael Crain, who was elected in 2021 to represent District 3, which covers much of the West Side, is also running unopposed.

The race for District 4, which encompasses far North Fort Worth on the east and west sides of I-35, will field two candidates. Community volunteer Teresa Ramirez Gonzalez is a former Fort Worth police officer and self-described Christian conservative. Her campaign focuses on public safety, reducing government spending, revitalizing underserved communities, and supporting veterans. Gonzalez is running against Charles Lauersdorf, an active-duty Marine who unsuccessfully ran for State District 113 representative in 2018. His top areas of political focus include improving public safety, curbing property tax increases, and promoting infrastructure projects and development.

Heavily Black District 5, which includes most of Fort Worth’s East Side, has been represented by Gyna Bivens since 2013. Candidate Bob Willoughby, a frequent speaker at city meetings and vocal critic of Mayor Parker, has unsuccessfully run for the seat multiple times. Pastor William McKinley Jackson, who heads Samaria Baptist Church, is an advocate for public investments in communities and clean neighborhoods.

District 6 incumbent Jared Williams bested Jungus Jordan two years ago, overcoming substantial Fort Worth police union ads favoring Jordan, to represent far south and southwest portions of Fort Worth. Small business owner Italia De La Cruz is running to unseat Williams with a platform promoting quality of life, low taxes, small business, and limited government. Como resident Tonya Carter is a frequent vocal critic of over-policing in her neighborhood. Her other political priorities include lowering taxes, raising low wages, helping the homeless, and providing access to produce and healthy food in Black neighborhoods.

District 7 represents some of the city’s wealthiest communities just west of downtown and largely conservative and white communities in Northwest Tarrant County. After serving only two years, Councilmember Leonard Firestone is not seeking reelection. Insurance agency owner Caleb Backholm’s website lists public safety and cleanliness as his top areas of focus. U.S. Army combat veteran Jason Ellis aims to promote lower property taxcontinued on page 6

In two years, Mayor Mattie Parker has garnered criticism from the left (for her staunch support of Fort Worth police) and the right (from her public rebuke of Tarrant County Tea Party misinformation campaigns).

Courtesy City of Fort Worth

continued from page 5

es, support small businesses, and provide resources to meet growing infrastructure needs.

District 8, which includes large swaths of southeast Fort Worth, represents historically Black Polytechnic Heights. Incumbent Christ Nettles, a pastor and day care owner, is running unopposed.

District 9 represents downtown, much of the Near Southside, and diverse neighborhoods on the Southside. Elizabeth Beck is seeking reelection against three strong candidates. Former assistant district attorney Pamela Boggess says through her website that she supports lowering property taxes, keeping families safe, and supporting small businesses. Through his website, Jason Peña cites his top priorities as reducing crime and taxes and taking on “radical” politicians. Software developer Chris Reed is seeking his first elected position through District 9 with a platform focusing on better training of Fort Worth’s workforce, empowering small businesses, and carefully planned development.

Newcomer District 10 includes far north Fort Worth. Two candidates — former District 4 city councilmember Alan Blaylock and home inspector Brandon

Jones — are competing for the new seat. Jones plans to address traffic issues while ensuring zoning serves the needs of his constituents if elected, while Blaylock says protecting the quality of life for locals will be his top job as councilmember.

Fort Worth’s new District 11 represents much of south Fort Worth and many majority Hispanic neighborhoods like Worth Heights and Rosemont. Small business owner Christopher Johnson is looking to fill District 11’s seat, and his campaign is advocating for expanded mental health services and civilian police department oversight. Jeanette Martinez volunteers for several civic organizations, and her key talking points cover economic development, public safety, and property taxes. Longtime Hemphill Neighborhood resident Ricardo Avitia is an outspoken critic of business-friendly zoning and gentrification that he says prices out poor Hispanic families. Rick Herring, who grew up in the Riverside area, is an advocate for empowering neighborhoods to improve their quality of life by engaging city officials and participating in the zoning process. Tara Wilson, an emergency room nurse, is centering her messaging on addressing homelessness, poverty, and mental health. l

Ricardo Avitia has made combatting gentrification along Hemphill Street a central focus of his campaign for District 11 councilmember.

Courtesy Facebook

METROPOLIS

School Board Voter Guide

Beware of dark money — and candidates with children who don’t even go to school in their own districts.

BY STATIC

As a rule, in politics, you can’t trust anyone without some skin in the game. Rule No. 2 is, you can trust them only as much as that skin is worth or how expendable it is. As anyone who’s been to a casino can tell you, money comes and goes. There’s no emotional attachment there, so to see how much skin a politician really has in a school board race, it’s best to do some emotional accounting. Children, friends, time spent serving the community — all that is irreplaceable. When choosing school board candidates — the trustees we trust to protect the future of our children — that’s the money to follow.

Given the heated controversy involving book bans, gun control, vouchers, and teacher shortages, there is much at stake in this year’s election, and it’s even more

pronounced since at least one far-right company pumps tons of dark money into local school board elections. In last year’s vote, cell phone provider Patriot Mobile and its Super PAC Patriot Mobile Action

spent $2 million supporting far-right candidates, and 11 of them won. Following the national trend, Patriot Mobile’s goal is to dismantle public schools so that privatizing education is the only option, which

would severely limit or completely thwart upward mobility for millions of mostly minority students. Because racism, duh. All these Patriot Mobile clowns and their trustees/minions are whiter than rice.

People in the business of buying and selling property are also playing a role in school board elections. The Texas Ethics Commission says Realtors donated more than $390,000 to right-wing candidates last election cycle alone. Apparently, when test scores influence where families choose to live, Christian Nationalists would rather sabotage their own public schools than expose what’s been really going on in the classrooms. Or, y’know, help their kids score higher on tests, but that would require a respect for knowledge and information that has somehow eluded these fake Christians/non-fake Nazis thus far.

Vouchers were not popular in the lege this session, so now the right is focused on the “Guardian Rule” that would require all teachers to carry handguns in class. Never mind that nearly every school shooting is conducted with an assault-style firearm that sprays clouds of bone-shattering bullets. But, sure, a handgun fired by a fortysomething mother of two who just learned how to load the thing should do the trick.

Since conservatives never offer any solutions, just hot air, the book bans and the CRT nonsense are just distractions from real problems. One of the biggest is that Texas spends $4,000 less per pupil than the national average. The state is to blame for this, not the federal government. Fed funds make up about 7% of per-pupil spending whereas state and local governments comprise more than 90% of the total. It makes sense that in a red state, continued on page 8

Anti-endorsement: Do not vote for these reptiles.

public school students would be so underserved. The right’s entire philosophy is “Fuck them poor darkies, we’re eating.” Though there’s no way to verify, we’d bet a shiny gold bar plucked from the belly of the Titanic ’s remains that every Republican politician’s kid goes to a private school. Every one. Private schools as private businesses mostly have no standard

of education/accountability, so it seems we have entered into a new era, one where the rich get richer but also dumber at a steady pace until the meaning of capitalism has gone entirely through the looking glass into a postmodern definition of theft, indifference, and lethargy.

One school district taken over by Patriot Mobile’s Christian Nationalists is Carroll. Grieving parents in Southlake are now watching their children suffer as the second richest town in Texas crumbles under the weight of a massive debt created by Patriot Mobile’s hand-picked trustees and their imaginative bookkeeping. The school district recently sent out a newsletter to middle-school parents stating

that their kids would be double-blocked this year, meaning they will be forced to learn the same accelerated math and language arts curriculum in half the time due to a teacher shortage. As expected, Carroll teachers actually make disturbingly less than their peers in surrounding areas like Fort Worth. According to job posts on Indeed, Carroll teachers start out at $15/hour whereas Fort Worth’s bring home a whopping $36. For all the money flowing in and around Southlake, you’d think the city would take care of the people in charge of their most prized possessions for most days, every day. But you would be wrong. It’s no wonder educators are resigning en masse from Carroll.

The Fort Worth school district is not immune to the Patriot Mobile virus. The company sent out mailers endorsing Patricia Carlson for District 2, Valarie Navarez for District 3, and Josh Yoder for District 5. If you have a brain and a heart, do not vote for any of them under any circumstances.

Carlson is running against incumbent Tobi Jackson, who has 13 years of experience as a trustee and a high-transparency public presence. She is highly involved with the district and runs the after-school program SPARC. In a recent print interview, the 74-year-old Carlson, who co-owns a business with her husband but would not disclose its name, believes in vouchers a la Greg Abbott and, when asked how she would resolve disagreements among fellow trustees, said, “Absolutely!” #uhwhat?

Quinton Phillips is the incumbent in District 3. He is a professor at TCU and runs an empowerment after-school program for kids in the community. He has a high-transparency public presence and is a proud graduate of his district. Patriot Mobile-backed challenger Navarez is 22 years old, has no experience, and has a mostly private social media account, showing only church endorsements. Martayisha James, 27, is also running against Phillips. She is president of an environmental coalition and has lived in the district for 18 years.

In District 5, Carrie Evans is the incumbent. Evans, 45, is a lawyer and has served on the board for five years. She is being challenged by Kevin Lynch, 41, who has very little public presence and is the dad of five kids not enrolled in the district. The Patriot Mobile-backed Yoder wants to make sure all teachers are packing heat. The only thing on his social media is bragging that his PAC outspent the Dems and advocating for book bans and Jesus.

In Keller, incumbent Beverly Dixon will defend her place against yokel Chris Coker, who is proud of pulling his kids out of the district when COVID happened and is a fan of book-banning, guns in schools, and, yes, vouchers. Dixon is the ideal candidate. She is a Navy vet of 21 years, mom of two kids in the district, and is heavily — and we mean heavily — involved in the Keller community. She has countless endorsements by administrators who vouch for her work and love her generous spirit on her social media page as well as many videos and pictures of her being honored by the community for her volunteer work. Coker sent out a message about her letting kids get hurt by “woke” politics, and everyone in the community had a good laugh about that.

Basically, there are some red flags when considering which locals will represent us on our school boards. No public service experience? Red flag. No public presence? Red flag. No kids in the district that the trustee hopes to represent? Yewj red flag. Endorsed by Patriot Mobile? Don’t even go there.

The election is Saturday. Get movin’. 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 clarity and concision.

Boycott Texas!

Boycott its blue cities, its red rural towns, its tony exurbs. Don’t choose Texas for your vacations, staycations, or conventions. Don’t worry. The Riverwalk will still meander through downtown San Antonio without you. Austin’s 6th Street will always echo with boisterous drunks with or without your help. Houston’s moveable feast of world cuisines won’t disappear entirely. It will still be there when and if Texas ever returns to sanity.

Do not send your young people to Texas for higher education. Our Republican Party is at war with the young because Zoomers — having spent too much time under their desks in lockdown drills — don’t buy into the GOP’s insane AR-15 idolatry. Boycott the state universities, but don’t stop there. Boycott the private ones, too. Texas wants to make it hard for college students to vote, take away a woman’s right to bodily autonomy, flood our streets with firearms, and overregulate what can be taught. The legislature knows it can get away with that with no cost at the ballot box. Make it pay in this way.

Boycott Texas products — American Airlines, ExxonMobil, Southwest Airlines, Dell, all of them. Boycott all things Texas because the state has become a beachhead

of far-right, white, Christian Nationalist blowhards whose true mission is to serve the wealthy while joyfully scapegoating the most vulnerable: the poor, the homeless, minorities, immigrants, and trans teens.

Texas is No. 1 in banning books and is home to one of the most draconian anti-abortion bills, the most gerrymandered political maps, the most anti-immigrant laws, the most lax gun safety legislation, and the most anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Some bills that could pass the legislature this session include SB 1933, which would give Texas’ Secretary of State the power to take and directly administer elections in any county, and SB 1029, which makes it extremely difficult for transgender Texans of any age to obtain gender-affirming care.

We have a governor who’s in competition to out-crazy Florida’s for the Republican presidential nomination. We have a radicalized state government gripped by three toxic ideas: sTOp ThE sTeaL, anti-immigrant, and anti-trans. What makes this especially heartbreaking is that we have real issues that the legislature should be dealing with. We’re the No. 1 emitter of toxic substances into our waterways. We also have the most people without health insurance, worst access to mental health care, and lowest overall well-being for children. Texas is failing our youth while its legislators whine about wokeness, whatever the hell that is.

I don’t propose boycotting Texas idly. I hate the thought of small businesses suffering and vulnerable service workers losing their jobs, yet I don’t see any other way to hurt all the lords and ladies in Austin. We

live in a one-party state. Who can we beseech to moderate Texas’ John Birchy Republican Party? Can we convince the fundamentalists who now believe in a religion so at odds with the traditional Christianity of mercy, humility, and compassion that you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s the opposite of Christianity? Nope.

Can we reason with rural voters who though they’re hurt by hospital closings in their areas still back the Republicans whose refusal to expand Medicare is the cause of those closings? No.

Can we convince those ensconced in the far-right news silo of the rightness of our

positions? No way, despite what the rest of us now know about all the brainwashing b.s. coming from Fox “News.”

Can we convince Second Amendment fanatics that continuing to inundate our country with weapons, leading to an increase in mass shootings, suicides, and gun deaths, hasn’t been such a great idea after all? They won’t listen. They’re fine with the mutilated bodies of elementary school-aged children just to never be slightly inconvenienced by common sense gun regulations.

Who can we convince? While Texas is home to a good number of rich rapacious rednecks who are all in on right-wing authoritarian governance, many large and small business owners don’t buy into the angry and hateful rhetoric of today’s Republican Party. We can’t blame the momand-pop shops. What are they gonna do? Pick up and move to Vermont? But you can bet the big boys, all the mega-corporations, love conducting business in a low-tax, anti-regulation state. They may or may not be embarrassed by all the crazies. As long as their bottom lines aren’t hurt, maybe they’re OK with all the hate and scapegoating. If we boycott them, they might not develop a conscience, but they, by the power of their vast money and influence, might moderate Texas’ far right Foxified Republican Party.

— Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue l

This column reflects the opinions of the author 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 clarity and concision.

TONED MUSCLEMEN

TRINITY METROlove love

Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue

CONNECT WITH ART THROUGH COCKTAILS, CONVERSATIONS, AND CREATIVITY. Each month you’ll find something different—from performances, artist talks, and unique tours to art making, music, and films.

MAY 11, 2023 | FREE Toasts & Tunes

Enjoy an evening enhanced with art making and cocktails while listening to local musicians perform on our Porch.

Second Thursdays at the Carter is generously supported by the Louella Martin Foundation.

A NEAR SOUTHSIDE

STUFF

Cowboys 2023 Draft (Over-?) Reaction

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

This past weekend saw the NFL draft take place in Kansas City from Thursday night into Saturday afternoon. Due to the multibillion-dollar year-round media behemoth that is the National Football League, the amount of printing press ink, broadcast airwaves, and water cooler talk devoted to the league’s annual player selection event is staggering. Because the monetary value of pro football-associated material is an eternal flame attracting mosquitoes as effectively as it does its targeted moths, there’s an ever-growing legion of inexplicably overconfident media “scouts” flooding the zone with content. They amass endless prospect profiles, combine them with self-described “insider info,” rumor, innuendo, or flat-out fabrication, and compile the resulting mishmash into tidy little mock drafts, attempting to attract those ever-coveted views, listens, and clicks. I, admittedly, am one such mosquito, and I do appreciate dearly your view and/or click.

However, after the months-long buildup and information overdosing, draft weekend finally comes, and the teams make fools of us all. Many players go several rounds ahead of — or well behind — where they’re “supposed” to. I assume the term “mock” is derived from the fact that these exercises amount to little more than a mockery of the eventual reality they are attempting to predict. At least for me, unlike the Mel Kipers and Lance Zierleins of the world, I have no legitimate reputation at stake. I’m simply a Cowboy fan. Anyone bored enough to regularly read these columns knows outright that I have no idea what the hell I’m talking about. For me, it’s just S&Gs. An offseason extension of fantasy football, if you will. I depend on the other dipshits — excuse me, “experts” — for the misguided info I use.

Now that the picking is done, it’s time for something even more fun: kneejerk reactions to your favorite team’s haul, all informed by

the same lack of reliable knowledge used in the pre-draft rituals, so let’s stretch those hammys and get ready for a sturdy yank.

It was a weekend full of surprising selections, from reaches to steals and everything in between. The following is the complete list of 2023 Cowboys draft picks.

Round 1 (Pick 26), Mazi Smith, defensive tackle, Michigan

If circumstances around Dallas’ selection in the first round had been a little different, I think Cowboys fans would be a little more enthusiastic about this pick. As it came to pass, favorite mock target to the ’Boys, Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, was still on the board, along with a few other top-tier talents at positions of need surprisingly still sitting there namely Georgia defensive end Nolan Smith (who went four picks later to the Iggles) and Penn State corner Joey Porter Jr. If we could imagine a world where all three of the aforementioned were gone, run-stuffing nose tackle Smith might have been better received.

The Michigan D tackle fills the biggest need on the defensive side of the ball. Despite the generally great play by Dan Quinn’s crew, the Cowboys were absolutely gashed on the ground at times. Smith should shore up some of that vulnerability, and his athleticism, freakish for a man his size, could even offer pass-rush upside. It’s a smidge early for the value, but I actually love this pick, regardless of the general coolness felt by many of the Cowboys faithful.

Round 2 (Pick 58), Luke Schoonmaker, tight end, Michigan

I’ll start by saying I like the player. Though not possessing as high a floor as Mayer, he has a potentially higher ceiling. He’s as committed a blocker as Mayer but stretches the seam more. He’s more versatile and dynamic. Only problem is this feels like a panic move at 58. Tight end was definitely a target for Dallas, and as they watched their preferred players at the position,

like Mayer and Iowa’s Sam LaPorta, go off the board, I think they felt they needed to land Schoonmaker earlier than they would have liked for fear of missing out on the last of the best. I routinely mocked him to the ’Boys in the fourth.

Round 3 (Pick 90), DeMarvian Overshown, linebacker, Texas

During the selection of Overshown, the Cowboys’ war room cam showed an absolutely elated Bones Fassel. He appeared thrilled to have landed his guy. Great, except that’s typically something you like to see from a special teams coach on Day 3. Top 100 picks should net you Day 1 contributors. It’s unfair to expect starters per se in all instances, but any pick in the first three rounds should be expected to play a big role on the team, so it’s a bit perplexing why we’re drafting a potential special teams ace here. Overshown is a mean tackler, but his coverage skills are lacking. With Damone Clark and Leighton Vander Esch still in the fold, I just don’t see how he makes it onto the field on defense all that much.

Round 4 (Pick 129), Viliami Fehoko, defensive end, San Jose State

Though sharing a fairly uncommon last name with a current Cowboy wide receiver, the SJSU edge is not actually related to Simi Fehoko. He is, however, related to superstar Tampa Bay D tackle Vita Vea. A late fourth for his skillset is OK value, but with Tank Lawrence, Sam Williams, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler, and Chauncey Golston all already in the fold, not to mention the fact that Micah Parsons plays end on most snaps, the edge rusher room is getting a little packed. Would rather have seen this pick used on interior O-line like UCLA guard Antonio Mafi or Cincinnati wideout Tyler Scott.

Round 5 (Pick 169), Asim Richards, offensive tackle, North Carolina

Finally, the Cowboys look at O-line. However, it’s at the one position along the line where

they have plenty of depth. With both Tyron and Tyler Smith, Terrence Steele, Josh Ball, and Matt Woletzko, all exclusive tackles, who is going to start/backup left guard?

Round 6 (Pick 178), Eric Scott Jr., cornerback, Southern Mississippi

I got nothing. This dude wasn’t even on draft guru Dane Brugler’s Top 300 list. Feels a lot like a potential UDFA signing to me. So why here in the sixth? Especially to trade a fifthround pick next year to jump up and take him as the first pick in the round? This is 100% a Dan Quinn selection, and he deserves our trust, I suppose. We’ll just ignore the very similar feels this has to Quinn’s inexplicable love for the very uninspiring Nahshon Wright from a few years ago.

Round 6 (Pick 212), Deuce Vaughn, running back, Kansas State

Finally, a pick to get excited about! At 5-foot5 and a Wildcat standout, the comparisons to Darren Sproles are obvious. This dude has serious juice. He’s lightning fast, elusive, and hard to see behind beefy linesmen. He’s going to be exciting to watch. The fact that he is the son of longtime Cowboy scout Chris Vaughn, who got to make the call to his son for the pick, is just the feel-good human interest icing on a late-round steal of an electric player.

Round 7 (Pick 244), Jalen Brooks, wide receiver, South Carolina

A dart-throw wideout with some decent size to him. Likely headed for the practice squad.

It appears the Cowboys’ selections would all have been fantastic if the front office had started picking in the second instead of the first. Each player looks at least a round early. Overall grade: C+ (but again, what the hell do I know?) l

By picking more than a few head-scratchers, the Cowboys’ front office might need some grace.

The Cowboys’ 2023 draft class mostly had one thing in common: being a round earlier than they needed to be.

Courtesy DallasCowboys.com

NIGHT & DAY

cal is utterly intoxicating.” Tickets start at $45 at StageWest.org.

At 8pm, Spune presents Hurray for the Riff Raff with opening act Amelia Jackie at Tulips FTW (112 St. Louis Av, Fort Worth, @TulipsFTW). As you may or may not recall, Riff Raff is fronted by singer-songwriter Alynda Mariposa Segarra and had a song called “Daniella” featured in the HBO series Treme along with other essential New Orleans artists. Anyhoo,

Fort Worth, 817-212-4280) as part of the Broadway at Bass series. “This laugh-outloud love letter to the theater tells the story of Michael Dorsey, a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until one show-stopping act of desperation lands him the role of a lifetime.” Tickets start at $44 at BassHall.com/Tootsie.

Tonight is #LadiesNight at The Rail Club DFW (3101 Joyce Dr, Fort Worth, 817386-4309). The club is host

Invoke your inner geek (or is it “dork”?) and join the fun on this sacred Star Wars holiday when “may the force be with you” becomes May the 4th. A double-feature of Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back is playing at all Rooftop Cinema Club locations, including the one in Fort Worth on the roof of the Worthington Hotel (235 Throckmorton St, Fort Worth, @RooftopCinemaClubDown

42nd Annual Scarborough Faire® Renaissance Festival

May the 4th be with you. (Get it?) See two Star Wars flicks

Drew Becker as Michael Dorsey and Jared David Michael Grant as Jeff Slater star in the national tour of Tootsie at Bass Hall thru Sun, May 21.

Courtesy Bass Hall

Eight Great Events for Cinco de Mayo

1.) Anderson Distillery & Grill (400 S Oak St, Ste 100, Roanoke, 817-203-0623) has a fiesta-filled Friday on the schedule. Enjoy housemade margaritas featuring Anderson’s new agave spirit, $10 nacho plates, and live music by the Baba Yaga Band from 6pm to 9pm.

2.) The City of Cleburne is celebrating Cinco de Mayo in the parking lot of the Cleburne Conference Center (1501 W Henderson St, Cleburne, 817-645-2455) starting at 11am Sun with food trucks, Mexican street food, and treats from a variety of vendors. Along with a car show noon-5pm, entertainment at Cleburne Cinco de Mayo includes a dancing horse show, live mariachi music, luchadores, and more. Bring your lawn chairs and coolers (as it’s BYOB). There is no cost to attend.

3.) From 6:30pm to 10pm, the Levitt Pavilion (100 W Abram St, Arlington, 817-543-4301) invites you to enjoy a free evening of music at Cinco de Mayo Under the Moonlight this Friday featuring Texas Latino with opening act Mariachi Fuzion. There will be a variety of food vendors on-site, plus you’re within walking distance of several restaurants in the Downtown Arlington area. (Head back to Downtown Arlington on Saturday for West Main Fest. Read more about that in Night & Day.)

4.) Mama Angie’s (8120 Rendon Bloodworth Rd, Mansfield, 469-673-6333) — the Mexican cocina owned by the same folks as Fat Daddy’s — will be celebrating all day Friday. Before commencing with the drinking, I recommend eating a bite or two. (I’ve got the fajita taco salad on my mind, for example.) Drink specials include $5 Jose Cuervo Gold/Silver or Tequila 512 shots, $5 margaritas (frozen or

on the rocks) with $3 “floaters,” $5 Mexican Candy Shots (jalapeno-infused Tequila 512 with Watermelon Pucker), and $4 schooners of Corona, Dos Equis, Modelo, and Tecate Light. Jim Clark will perform on the patio 6pm-8pm, and there’s no cover.

5.) The Post at River East (2925 Race St, Fort Worth, 817-945-8890) will be celebrating on Friday with a free show in the courtyard. There will be mucho Mexican drink specials, including $5 Espolon Blanco shots, $3 margaritas, and $3 Modelo pints. Paul Renna will perform from 6pm to 8pm. Dogs are welcome, and there is no cover for this all-ages show.

6.) Ridglea MetalFest is presenting Cinco de Metal in the Ridglea Room (3309 Winthrop Av, Ste 64, Fort Worth, RidgleaMetalFest. com) at 7pm Fri starring Lonestar Conspiracy with All Is Taken, By the River, Lud, and Vivid & Vulgar. Tickets are $13 on Eventbrite. com. There’s no mention of drinks on special, but I bet there will be!

7.) The newly minted Rusty Nickel IceHouse (2836 Stanley Av, Fort Worth, @RustyNickelFTW), former home of Smokestack 1948, wants you at their place to kick off the weekend. This Friday’s specials include $12 Coronaritas with Altos Tequila, $7 Altos Mexican Candy Shots, $7 Mexican lagers and Pacifico all day. You can purchase crawfish at the Wild Cajun Boil at 3pm, hot snacks by Mister Picoso at 5pm, and elotes and tacos from El Compadres at 7pm. Once you’re feeling good, enjoy the mariachi band at 5pm.

8.) Join Toro Toro (200 Main St, Ste B, Fort Worth, 817-975-9895) for a “fiesta of flavor, culture, and sips” this Friday. Enjoy Cinco de Mayo-inspired dishes and margaritas available all day. Indulge in prime ribeye tacos made with a chile rub, avocado, salsa verde, charred chile serrano, and toreado-style scallion cheese, all on a crusted corn tortilla. And sip on Toro Toro’s festive margarita, the El Cinco, topped with fresh cucumber and basil. Reservations are highly encouraged. Visit ToroToroFortWorth.com to book a table today. Complimentary valet is provided. l

By Jennifer Bovee

If the Rusty Nickel is your destination for Cinco de Mayo, be sure and check out the new merch.

Courtesy Facebook

BEST RAMEN WINNER

EATS & drinks

Vegan Donut Destination

Chef Parker Howard’s punk-rock dream turns out to have holes in it.

BY LAURIE JAMES

For the last 11 years, Parker Howard worked his way up to executive chef at Spiral Diner, Fort Worth’s first vegan restaurant. After a brief delay, he’ll open Dreamboat Donuts & Scoops later this month. It’s a concept that he says the Spiral crew discussed a year before COVID ravaged the restaurant industry.

“Dreamboat was always in the back of our minds,” Howard said. “I love donuts, and I don’t want to have to drive to Austin to get a vegan yeast-raised donut. At Dreamboat, we’re using the donuts to get the ice cream in your face.”

Soy-based ice cream has been a staple at Spiral diner for years. A soft-serve machine will crank out a plant-based, nut-free version to top the yeast-raised and cake donuts (some of which will be gluten-free), croissants, muffins, and parfaits. On the surface, it doesn’t seem hard to make a donut without using any animal products. It’s pretty simple to sub plant-based milk and plantbased butter for the dairy versions, and some modifications can leverage the lifting power of baking soda and baking powder instead of egg. Making a croissant without the intense amount of butter required by that finicky,

Plant-based does not necessarily equal “healthier,” but Dreamboat’s goodies are ideal for people who choose not to consume dairy or cannot consume gluten.

flaky pastry is another story, but Howard shrugs it off –– apparently vegan butter chills just as well as the dairy version.

Howard’s menu will include traditional options like apple fritters, vegan Oreo, and glazed donuts. His repertoire will also feature an Earl Gray-scented donut with the crisp combo of bergamot and lavender, along with goodies in mint, peanut butter, and matcha.

Howard attended UNT not to be a chef but a filmmaker, then turned to philosophy. Along the way, he played in some punk and hardcore bands locally, but he says at no point did it enter into his mind that he wanted a career as a vegan chef. The new restaurant will be located across the street from Spiral Diner. Howard says that he and the core team at Spiral are hoping for the creation of what he calls a little vegan village, where Dreamboat will offer breakfast, Spiral Diner will run the lunch shift, and the upcoming vegan fine-dining establishment Maiden (also helmed by Amy McNutt, Spiral Diner’s founder) will be the go-to choice for dinner. Howard, who as a continued on page 19

Noah Stephenson

With the addition of Dreamboat, a little part of Magnolia could become a “vegan village.”

Noah Stephenson

- Fort Worth Weekly Best Of 2021

child had family in Portland, Oregon, says traveling in his youth influenced his thinking. For decades, the American West Coast always had a thriving, meatless, ecofriendly culture, even though much of Central Oregon and Washington are cattle ranchland.

“Portland,” he said, “had a vegan minimall with a vegan clothing store, vegan grocery store, vegan café — when I was 18, that blew my mind. I think about that when I think about the vegan village.”

Howard came to veganism in an unusual way in 2006.

“One of my friends who was a vegetarian basically dared me to go a week without eating meat,” he recalled. “I cut out meat purely out of spite.”

Vegetarian since that year, he became a vegan in 2008, so it’s natural that he fell into McNutt’s orbit –– Spiral Diner has been holding down its corner of West Magnolia Avenue since 2002. Long before Fort Worth became a Blue Zones city, and long before the proliferation of Beyond Meat and other plant-based products, Spiral was a small enclave for the town’s few committed vegans and vegetarians, along with those of us who like to be a little experimental.

Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and similar products are made with pea protein, potato starch, coconut oil, and other vegetal ingredients. Howard sighs a little when asked about the fairly popular plant-based

meat substitutes, but he says they serve a purpose.

“They’re kind of a gateway drug to help people be vegan,” he said. “You can bring your grandpa to Spiral Diner, and he can still have a cheeseburger.”

Or something that looks and tastes like a cheeseburger, with neither beef nor cheese.

For Howard and everyone at Spiral, the goal has always been to create genuine comfort food that is completely plant-based. And that kind of cooking doesn’t come from a package.

“We make everything from scratch and don’t depend so much on the Impossible Burger,” he said. “That’s how I learned to cook. You find a recipe and tinker with it.”

Plant-based cooking is often healthier and more nutrient-dense than cooking with meat or dairy, but in the case of donuts, plantbased does not necessarily equal “healthier,” although it does provide an option for people who choose not to consume dairy or cannot consume gluten. And Howard, a life-long donut junkie, is now happily revisiting some childhood memories for Dreamboat.

“As a kid, my favorite donut was a Boston cream éclair, so I’m trying to make that a reality,” he said. “It’s 2023, and the products now make it so much easier than what we had in 2010.” l

Along with creative concoctions like this ice cream sandwich, Dreamboat will swim in inventive flavor combos.

Noah Stephenson

The donuts will help Dreamboat get ice cream in people’s faces.

Noah Stephenson

SCREEN

Raccaccoonie

Our space outlaws’ third adventure is an unexpectedly potent rodent’s tale.

BY KRISTIAN LIN

The first Guardians of the Galaxy movie had that one scene where a drunken Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) starts a bar brawl while wailing about the medical experiments that created him as a mechanical freak, and you could sense a dark backstory lurking behind the talking rodent’s ever-present bad mood. Well, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 draws out that backstory, and it’s so much worse than you could imagine.

The opening scene has a baby version of Rocket being plucked from a cage of other animal babies, and it’s deliberately filmed like the opening scene of the first movie to illustrate how he’s been uprooted from his home even more violently than Star-Lord (Chris Pratt). It’s strange — I’ve seen documentaries where actual animals were tortured and killed, and they didn’t hit me in the heart like this uniquely harrowing Marvel movie, where the tortured animals often belong to species that don’t exist. The most brutal stuff is kept offscreen for the sake of the PG-13 rating, but the other Guardians see video footage of what was done to Rocket, and their horror-struck reactions say everything.

Behind all that horror is The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), a eugenicist with a slaveowner’s mentality who aims to

create the perfect society by super-evolving animals. He places his creations on a planet that’s an Earth replica, where they live in inhumanly clean suburban neighborhoods straight out of a Tim Burton movie. When Star-Lord points out that some of his humanoid organisms are behaving like bastards the way humans do, the Evolutionary destroys his planet and everyone in it without blinking. Our villain is just as cruel in a one-to-one setting, as a flashback shows him killing one of Rocket’s imprisoned friends and then parodying Rocket’s screams of grief and rage by screaming back at him. I’m not a fan of Iwuji’s occasionally cack-handed performance, but this Marvel villain and his fascistic god complex scare me far more than Thanos.

The plot is catalyzed by a gold-skinned super-alien (Will Poulter) whom none of the Guardians have encountered before. He attacks and maims several of them, Rocket worst of all. Minus the decapitated Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) — don’t worry, the tree is OK — the crew sets out to save Rocket’s life by stealing his medical records from the Evolutionary, who has planted a self-destruct mechanism inside the unfortunate rodent that will kill him if anyone tries to operate on him.

I’m afraid there’s rather less humor in this entry than we’re used to from director/ co-writer James Gunn. Star-Lord does drop the first f-word in the entire Marvel series, which is less momentous than it might seem. Gunn executes a spectacular one-take shot in which the Guardians tear through the half-animal, half-robot creatures who guard the High Evolutionary, and if the shot is stolen from Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch — with the camera sliding from one hero to another as they use their own methods to dispatch the enemies around them — it’s no less resonant for that. (Snyder’s movie also had a character named Rocket. I think that’s just a coincidence, though I also think Gunn is aware of it.)

I wish the script had made more of the Sovereign, the gold-skinned aliens who are attacking the Guardians only because the Evolutionary has blackmailed them into it. Elizabeth Debicki is rather wasted as their queen, though Sylvester Stallone snags a cameo as the leader of the Ravagers who used to employ Star-Lord and now employs Gamora (Zoe Saldaña). It seems only appropriate that Drax (Dave Bautista) is the guy who connects with the children who are the Evolutionary’s next lab subjects.

For all that, everything piercing in the story belongs to the raccoon — I know, I know, he keeps saying he’s not one — as another flashback shows him in the Evolutionary’s prison promising to free himself and his animal-hybrid cellmates (voiced by Linda Cardellini, Asim Chaudhry, and Mikela Hoover), and we know he’s going to fail them. As Peter learns about the past that Rocket always refused to talk about, it forces him to reckon with his own past on Earth in a subtly moving way. Even that can’t match the climactic scene when Rocket finally faces the sadistic Evolutionary. Recognizing that your creator is evil would reduce most people to a puddle, but our diminutive hero not only stands tall, he delivers maybe the most inspirational line in any Marvel film. One of the supporting characters is right: The whole Guardians of the Galaxy saga was always Rocket’s story rather than StarLord’s. Turning the series into that turns out to be a stroke of genius. l

Rocket takes the wheel in more ways than one in Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Starring Chris Pratt. Voice by Bradley Cooper. Directed by James Gunn. Written by James Gunn, Dan Abnett, and Andy Lanning. Rated PG-13.

MUSIC

Wings Over Near South

Tyler Anne Stevens’ new independent-music venue The Cicada is just what Fort Worth needs.

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY JUAN R. GOVEA

The pandemic and resulting lockdown hit Tyler Anne Stevens and husband John Stevens really hard.

“The pandemic really had me dig into the ground, let’s say,” Tyler said. “Like a cicada, we dig out of the ground, and we rebirth.”

From the down times, the couple recently opened a new independent music venue. The Cicada is located in the former home of MASS near South Main Village on the Near Southside.

“My stepdad is French,” Tyler said, “and the cicada is a good-luck charm in Provence, and it’s important to me to honor him. The cicada is the sound of Texas, the sound of hot and summer, and it indicates that we’re loud.”

While excited for the future, the co-owners are still grieving their former project. The Tin Panther on the edge of downtown closed in 2020. The Stevenses pay homage

to the place with Tin Panther memorabilia hanging throughout The Cicada. But there’s way more to the new venture than that. There’s a reconstructed stage, a goldleaf bar, and a dart room that

the co-owners say is really important to their family.

“It’s been the legacy of us working in a bar, and I spent a lot of time at a bar when I

continued on page 22

Tyler Anne Stevens: “The pandemic really had me dig into the ground, let’s say.”

Tyler Anne Stevens: “Everyone has made so many compliments about how well it sounds.”

Music

was growing up as a kid,” said John, a bartender of more than 20 years. “This is what we do, this is what we’ve done forever, this is what we know.”

The co-owners started remodeling in October and have been handling everything since opening in March, from booking shows to cleaning up after them. The MeThinks, Ruff Wizard, The Grae, Slothfist, and Prof. Fuzz 63 are just some of the bands that have graced the Cicada stage, and Holy Moly, Tommy Luke’s open-mic, and Guthrie Kennard’s songswap on Thursdays are on the schedule.

“We hope to provide a room for upand-comers and well-established bands,” Tyler said. “The Cicada can be a place to see a band for its very first show or its 300th. Of course, we’re striving to bring Fort Worth

the best from both worlds. Finding new great bands is a magical thing. It’s just as magical as watching a band that has been rocking for 20 years together. Music is a magical thing that brings all types together.

I think that is what we and other Fort Worth venues want to do most of all: bring people together.”

The co-owners say they’re looking to build something for the community to call their own.

“It’s what our kids know as well,” Tyler said. “We want something to create for them so that when [John and I] retire, maybe they can take over. It’s all about family.”

The Cicada is booked through the summer, and there are nightly open-mics and other acts, including comedy and a burlesque show every first Friday. The bar staff are also working on signature craft cocktails.

“Our bartenders are great at making a delicious cocktail,” Tyler said. “Not having a long menu gives you the chance to talk to your bartender and your bartender get to talk with you and what you like. You’re more guaranteed to have a cocktail that suits you without ordering something with a funny name.”

The Cicada has five beers on tap with seasonal beers and ciders cycling through.

Online feedback indicates the sound has been great, courtesy of soundguy Clay Anderson.

“Everyone has made so many compliments about how well it sounds,” Tyler said, “and we look forward to bringing better and better shows.” l

Tyler Anne Stevens: “Finding new great bands is a magical thing. It’s just as magical as watching a band that has been rocking for 20 years together.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find

Newoptions for our vaping friends

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.

CATTLE BARN FLEA MARKET

EVERY Sat & Sun 9-5 Indoors

4445 River Oaks Blvd

Dealers Moe, Daniel, Carrie, Anabelle, Belinda, Earl, Pat and Larry.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Care. No matter what. WeArePlannedParenthood.org

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

DIRECTV for $64.99/mo

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. (MB) call 1-855-966-0520

DISH Network: $59.99, 190 Channels!

Blazing Fast Internet, $19.99/mo. (where available.) Switch & Get a FREE $100 Visa Gift Card. FREE Voice Remote. FREE HD DVR. FREE Streaming on ALL Devices. (MB) call today! 1-855-701-3027

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

EMPLOYMENT

CHIP SPREADER OPERATOR WANTED: Road construction crew. Paid Health insurance and other benefits. Per Diem.

EOE. 830-833-4547

EMPLOYMENT

Elevate Credit Service, LLC seeks Sr. QA Automation Developer in Fort Worth, TX. Maintain, organize, and refactor Automated regression test cases. Telecommuting permitted. Apply @ www.jobpostingtoday.com/ # 38884.

EMPLOYMENT

Now Hiring CDL Drivers with Tanker & Hazmat preferred, Equipment Operators and Laborers Health Insurance and other benefits. Per diem paid. EOE. 830-833-4547.

ERIE METAL ROOFS

Replace your roof with the best looking and longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Three styles and multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer: $500 Discount + Additional 10% off install for military, health workers, and 1st responders. Call Erie Metal Roofs today. (MB)

1-888-778-0566

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

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

LEGAL NOTICE

To: Carlos Chavez Morales

You are hereby notified that a Complaint has been filed in the Circuit Court for Howard County, Case No.: C-I3FM-22-001094. You shall file a written response. A copy of the Complaint may be obtained from the clerk’s office at 9250 Judicial Way, Ellicott City, MD 21043 and 410-313-2111. You have until 30 days following the latest publication to file a response.

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

Run down? Worn out? Fed up?

You need a pro massage from Hannah in Hurst. (MT#4797) Call 817.590.2257 (no texts, please)