Fort Wort Weekly // June 7-13, 2023

KATIE Robertson’s TIME

After years of lending her talents to dozens of other artists, the soulful singer-pianist is focusing on the most important music to date: her own.

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

FEATURE

Five local LGBTQ+ leaders discuss Pride, the Near Southside, and our backward county judge.

BY EDWARD BROWN

EATS & DRINKS

The pizzas are a little spendy but oh-so tasty at Pie Tap.

BY LAURIE JAMES

BOOKS

A History to Remember documents Blacks’ contributions to TCU.

BY EDWARD BROWN

SCREEN

Has any other show stimulated viewers intellectually and viscerally more than Succession?

BY JESSICA WALLER

May 7–September 3

The exhibition is organized by the The Metropolitan Museum of Art and 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

INSIDE

Source of Pride

Anthony Mariani, Editor

Lee Newquist, Publisher

Bob Niehoff, General Manager

Ryan Burger, Art Director

Jim Erickson, Circulation Director

Edward Brown, Staff Writer

Emmy Smith, Proofreader

Michael Newquist, Regional Sales Director

Jennifer Bovee, Marketing Director

Stacey Hammons, Senior Account Executive

Julie Strehl, Account Executive

Tony Diaz, Account Executive

Wyatt Newquist, Digital Coordinator

Clintastic, Brand Ambassador

By Edward Brown

CONTRIBUTORS

By Laurie James

4

By Patrick Higgins

Christina Berger, E.R. Bills, Jason Brimmer, Buck D. Elliott, Juan R. Govea, Patrick Higgins, Laurie James, Kristian Lin, Vishal Malhotra, Cody Neathery, Wyatt Newquist, Madison Simmons, Teri Webster, Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue, Cole Williams

EDITORIAL BOARD

Anthony Mariani, Edward Brown, Emmy Smith

Agustin Gonzalez

Pride

METROPOLIS

ers privately disclosed a mix of excitement and trepidation about this year’s fest, given the openly hostile rhetoric from local and state-level Republican leaders against the LGBTQ+ community.

County Judge Tim O’Hare recently targeted the Near Southside when he asked State Comptroller Glenn Hegar to investigate a March drag show at Tulips FTW, a Near Southside music venue. In the letter, O’Hare alleges the performers that evening “exposed themselves” to children in attendance even as the drag queens and audience members have publicly rebuked O’Hare’s allegations that the all-ages show featured sexually explicit performances.

BY EDWARD BROWN

Near Southsiders are planning for the biggest Pride month yet with dozens of bars and restaurants preparing to raise money for LGBTQ+ charities. Proceeds from select Bearded Lady cocktails, for example, will support The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that works to prevent suicide among queer youths.

Capping off the month’s festivities will be the annual Trinity Pride Fest — Saturday, June 24, at Magnolia Green Park (1201 Lipscomb St) — which will feature live music from queer musicians, plus food trucks, artisan vendors, and other activities.

Several Near Southside business own-

The night’s headliner, Salem Moon, wore several layers of clothing during her performance as a precaution against the types of right-wing misinformation that O’Hare is known for spreading. In his letter, O’Hare asks Hegar to investigate whether the venue is operating as a sexually oriented business, which would potentially malign the venue’s public reputation.

Responding to O’Hare’s Facebook post about the letter, one Denton mother pushed back on the county judge’s assertions.

“Have any of you been to a drag show?” the mother said. “Not one of these performers would show their junk to the audience. Do you have any idea of how many layers of bindings and spanks they have on?”

continued on page 5

Square Roots

If you’re confused about which companies with “Roots” in their name to boycott, here’s a refresher: Wandering Roots and Roots Coffeehouse are fine. Roots Market is the homophobic one.

Oh, there’s also a wedding venue called Roots Fort Worth, which doesn’t allow same-sex marriages on-site.

Phew! It’s almost exhausting keeping track of all this open discrimination

After denying an application from an LGBTQ+ vendor recently, Roots Market’s owners released a statement on Facebook proclaiming that they wanted to respond to recent “attacks” against them — a classic line among conservatives and other hypocrites who once described so-called snowflakes as dramatic and reactionary. Roots managers went on to explain that they decided to not to work with the vendor because they are a Biblically focused brand founded on Christian values. How “love thy neighbor”

fits into them was conveniently glossed over when Roots said in their statement, “We have love and compassion for those who identify as LGBTQ+. And we firmly believe in God’s design for marriage and family.”

About a dozen protestors took to West Magnolia Avenue on Saturday outside the market, carrying Pride flags and signs saying, “Don’t shop here” and “Honk for equality.”

Turning away a vendor just before market day and telling her it was because you did not know she is queer seems like a strange

way to express love and compassion

It’s an interesting idea for an open-air market-hosting business to be Biblically based. As if there is a way to participate in capitalism that is specifically godly. Jesus was a famous anti-capitalist who advocated for redistribution of wealth and the wealthy giving away their possessions. Not that starving artists typically end up belonging to the 1%, but you get the point.

It’s also not the way Jesus would treat someone. Jesus opened his arms to everyone, regardless of their lifestyles or sex

lives. To claim to be Biblically based and then reject someone because you disagree with their beliefs is almost funny in its misunderstanding of what it means to be Christlike. (For the uninitiated, that’s a popular term among Christians for the ideal standard to set for oneself.)

If the Roots Market folks want to reject a certain vendor, of course, they are legally allowed to — this is Texas, and Texas is inherently backward in its legal protections for marginalized communities.

But it’s laughable when businesses with judgmental policies turn around and complain about public backlash. If judgment is so upsetting, just wait until the afterlife, right?

Perhaps in the long term, this will all just feed into a martyr narrative for all the holy rollers at Roots Market. And they’ll probably love it.

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.

We sat down with five local LGBTQ+ leaders to talk about the present, the future, and why our county judge is demonizing the Near Southside.

(From left to right) Shannon Osbakken, Rachel Gollay, and Samantha Jo Glenn believe the Near Southside plays a vital role in providing safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community.

Agustin Gonzalez

There were a lot of honks for equality outside Roots Market on the Near Southside last weekend.

Courtesy Facebook

Tulips owner-founder Jason Suder declined to comment on this story.

O’Hare is part of a broader right-wing effort to demonize drag queens to further oppress non-straight non-Christians. The Texas House recently advanced Senate Bill 12, which creates criminal and civil penalties for venue owners who allow sexually oriented performances in the presence of a child. Many queer allies see Republicans as falsely equating strip clubs to theatrical performances like drag.

O’Hare’s political stunts have done little to dampen the commitment of business owners along West Magnolia Avenue and South Main Street on the Near Southside to provide safe and affirming environments for trans youth, gay patrons, and members of the queer community. Bearded Lady owner Shannon Osbakken said now is the time for local elected officials, business owners, and area stakeholders to recognize something that is clear to many: The Near Southside’s economic success and cultural vibrancy is largely due to its unapologetic embrace of the LGBTQ+ community and acceptance of folks from all walks of life.

“It’s no coincidence that our community is the most open-minded, liberal, and inclusive, and it is drawing people from all over the Metroplex,” Osbakken said. “Hopefully, that will be taken into consideration when businesses are being attacked.”

Mike Brennan, president of Near Southside Inc., the nonprofit tasked with revitalizing the district and organizing community events, said the community has long been diverse and accepting.

“At Near Southside Inc., we’ve seen firsthand how this inclusive community spirit is an important economic asset, helping to attract so many new residents and businesses,” he said.

To further dive into the history of the Near Southside’s queer-friendliness and ongoing commitment to present drag shows, music, and art that celebrates the lived gay experience, we gathered Samantha Jo Glenn (co-owner of Funky Picnic Brewery & Café), Rachel Gollay (singer-songwriter, queer activist), Jenna Hill-Higgs (Liberty Lounge owner, social activist), Osbakken, and Evan Michael Woods (Amphibian Stage marketing director) at Hill-Higgs’ Liberty Lounge for a roundtable discussion.

Describe your work advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and/or programming events that support the LGBTQ+ community.

Glenn (Funky Picnic): Our biggest events are our drag shows. We have drag brunch once a month and Drag After Dark, which is a late-night Friday show. We’re at two years of hosting drag shows. That’s one of our biggest programming events.

Gollay (musician, activist): I volunteer as a program leader with LBGTQ SAVES, which provides safe and brave spaces for youths ages 12 through 24. That’s been meaningful work, especially given the current legislative landscape in Texas. I’m about to start a job with a Jewish LGBTQ-focused nonprofit. I’ll be doing that as my day job focused on community engagement and mobilization.

Hill-Higgs (Liberty Lounge): The place you’re sitting in now has been a part of the continued on page 6

Fresh from the Gulf, these jumbo shrimp are great for appetizers or adding their signature flavor to a quick-cooking entrée. Have our handmade cocktail sauce on hand!

Evan Michael Woods: “If [Amphibian Stage] didn’t have the [Near Southside] community here, we’d be losing artists, headliners, and butts in seats.”

Agustin Gonzalez

Metro

continued from page 5

[queer] community for more than 50 years. It is necessary to create a space where you can come and be with your community. I was concerned for anyone who was lost or

alone. We use our bar to raise money for charities. I believe you need to give back. As a teenager, I lost a lot of men in my life who were uncles to me. We were going through the AIDS epidemic. We host [a queer history event] once a month. We discuss our gay history in Fort Worth, which is amazing. Now I’m on Trinity Pride’s board. Bars were historically the meeting places. That’s how I treat this place. We can weather this storm

and come out the other side — and sell a couple of cocktails in between.

Osbakken (Bearded Lady): We’ve had quite a few drag shows. In June, we’re decking everything out for Pride. We’re doing Pride brunches every weekend. I try to create a safe space for anyone to come work or come to visit. Probably more than half of our staff is part of that community. Basically, if you

are not supportive, you are not going to fit in with the restaurant. It’s something we prioritize there.

Woods (Amphibian Stage): At Amphibian Stage, we make a conscious effort to hire queer artists to be a part of the stories we tell onstage and make a conscious effort to highlight queer stories. We started a community

continued on page 7

Jenna Hill-Higgs: “I’m a firm believer that we meet hate with empathy and give them grace.”

Agustin Gonzalez

Tulips FTW was packed in late March for a drag show that drew supporters as well as protestors.

Courtesy Facebook

nights program that are select performances of our mainstage show. [We offer] pre- and post-show opportunities so like-minded individuals [can] share their love of the performing arts. This summer, as part of that idea of championing queer stories, we are producing a queer riff on The Importance of Being Earnest that I am directing. We are excited to tell that story, especially at this time. What role does the Near Southside play in providing a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, and why is that important to you?

Glenn: I’m a cis straight white woman, so I’m not personally a part of the queer community. For me as a business owner, I try to create a space that is welcoming of everybody. I’ve taken feedback from the community, like adding trashcans in the men’s restroom. I’ve had people say, ‘As a man who used to have a period, I appreciate that.’ Our staff has represented all of the letters of LGBTQ. I’ve had an employee going through a transition whom we sat with. ‘I started hearing this new name and new pronouns,’ I told him. ‘Let me take the lead in changing this on your online profiles with the company and setting the tone with the staff.’ If we do have issues come up with protests or angry social media comments, I know I’m in a community that has the same viewpoints. We are all

in this together. That can mean continuing the fight rather than giving in to the haters.

Gollay: This area has so much queer history to it. The first gay bar I went to was Hot Shots, which became the Rainbow Lounge. We had a time. It is so important to have venues like that where the support for the

queer community is not conditional. That’s important now in the political climate we’re in, where you see big brands capitulate to people who are trying to terrorize us out of who we are. To know there are local businesses and communities supporting us in that way means that we are stronger together and able to weather these storms.

Hill-Higgs: I love this area. I can’t seem to leave it. I’m a firm believer that we meet hate with empathy and give them grace. It’s hard sometimes. It would be easy for us to meet that ugliness with grrrr. Doing what I get to do now fills my bucket. It goes back to that concern of not wanting anybody to be alone. The straight people who hang out at this bar are our allies. They see us as human, so our issues become real. When it comes down to a political vote, after they have had a drink with us, [it’s that much harder to vote against us]. It is powerful when you know you have a place where you belong.

Osbakken: I believe that in a mostly conservative city, our niche community is really the only space where anyone in the LGBTQ+ space can feel completely safe. Anyone who lives and works in this community will not put up with any hate, bigotry, or discrimination. By being vocal about it, we created a safe space. So many businesses have pride flags hanging up. It is important and creates a draw to our neighborhood.

Woods: As a queer person navigating this neighborhood and other parts of this city, even if overnight all the pride flags vanished and I couldn’t use that as a marker, I still generally feel that I don’t have to pick and choose or dodge parts of this neighborhood. We have this expectancy on how folks operate with the queer community. If that is not something you are not going to do, then you are not going to fit in. That’s how the Near Southside

continued on page 9

TIMELESS MELODIES TRINITY METRO

Bars and restaurants along West Magnolia Avenue like the Boiled Owl Tavern hang pride flags to signal that the queer community is respected and protected within those businesses’ walls.

Want to make Friday on the Green even more fun? Ride instead of drive! Take a Trinity Metro bus straight to Magnolia Green, or transfer from TEXRail or TRE at Fort Worth T&P Station to ZIPZONE – type “Friday on the Green” as your destination in the app for easy trips straight to the event! Find routes, rates and more at .

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.

JUNE 8, 2023 | 5–8 P.M. | FREE

Portraits & People

Get inspired by photographers Christina Fernandez and Richard Avedon and learn more about the subjects of their portraits.

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

Metro

continued from page 7

feels. It is that explicit queer component and all the businesses that are doing the work that make queer people feel welcome.

The Near Southside is an economic powerhouse within Tarrant County and a huge draw for visitors and locals alike. Do you see a connection between the district’s growth and the broader community’s commitment to supporting gender diversity?

Glenn: Visit Fort Worth does a good job of trying to bring more visitors and tourists to Fort Worth. All of those people aren’t going to be straight. It helps that [the queer community] can do a pretty easy search for a welcoming neighborhood, especially when they hear all of these stories about how Fort Worth is more conservative and all of the legislation being pushed in Texas. For us, our drag shows [at Funky Picnic] give us a packed house. If I can have a full house on a Saturday morning, that’s going to help my business. That will help the broader neighborhood. We employ around 30 people.

Gollay: For business owners who are motivated solely by profit and the bottom line, I don’t think that they are truly going to be the kinds of committed allies that we need. I think it needs to start with something more authentic, like these folks in the room right now who know this is just the right thing to do. And as a bonus, it does make business sense. It is better for the bottom line, but it starts by building community and solidarity in a real way. I also hope people with power and deep pockets are watching how this plays out. There are more of us united who want to support drag shows and LGBTQ-affirming spaces than don’t, and that includes lots of cis straight folks.

Hill-Higgs: I don’t know if it was the best business plan, but I had three things I wanted to do when I opened Liberty Lounge. First, I want to give back to my community because I’m in a unique spot. This is the neighborhood that helped raise me. I’m grateful for everything I received. When I was an actor in my 20s, there were certain drag queens who would give me jobs when they did a show, and they would pay me when I wasn’t really doing a lot. They were trying to help me make my rent. When I opened Liberty Lounge, I knew I could never give back as much as I received. My partner has been in business around here from the beginning. He saw it when it was still desolate. I love the growth. The people who have businesses here have that commitment. We are given the power in the Near Southside to not only provide a drink and a show but to give them something back, that acceptance and joy. I hope that when people read this, they realize that every time things have come to a vote, we see less than 50% of people show up. Every voice matters. You have to vote. It’s one of the ways we get seen and heard. There are powers-that-be that don’t want queer spaces. I don’t understand why. We’re just humans who love each other.

Osbakken: I hope that [the success of the Near Southside] will create a more inclusive city. I definitely think that it has always been a draw for our city and will continue to be. I hope we continue being the safe place for everyone to come and that we are an economic powerhouse in the Metroplex.

Woods: I’ve been thinking about this in the context of our theater that is bringing quite a bit of stand-up comedians and theater artists from across the country. For the most part, everyone who has come from New York and California has had a great time. If we didn’t have the [Near Southside] community here, we’d be losing artists, headliners, and butts in seats. Culture equates to dollars. l

Salem Moon (right) greeted Sharen Harrera, founder and director of the LGBTQ SAVES nonprofit that provides safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, at a late-March drag show at Tulips FTW.

Courtesy Facebook

BOOKS

Reconciling the Past

TCU Press’ new book documents the private university’s uneven relationship with Black students.

BY EDWARD BROWN

Though the TCU administration embraces diversity, the student population remains predominantly white — 65%, to be precise. School leaders have taken steps in recent years to diversify the student body while doing a better job of disclosing the campus’ founding by a slave-owning family with ties to the Confederacy. And TCU’s Race and Reconciliation Initiative, which launched in mid-2020 and maintains support from the board of trustees, advocates for progressive reforms on campus.

Still, by comparison, UTA is more reflective of the North Texas community that becomes browner every year: 33% white, 28% Hispanic, and 14% Black.

Those demographic disparities are largely due to tuition rates. A degree from TCU will set you back a quarter of a million dollars while a four-year degree from UTA costs just under half that. The Frogs’ heavily influential alumni base and name cachet undoubtedly demand the steep price.

But the authors of a new book say that to negate the historic influence of Black students and faculty at Fort Worth’s hometown university would be shortsighted. TCU, the authors say, wouldn’t be what it is, academically or ath-

letically, without their contributions.

Authors Marcellis R. Perkins (a current TCU doctoral student), Frederick W. Gooding Jr. (an endowed TCU humanities professor), and Sylviane Ngandu-Kalenga Greensword (a TCU postdoctoral fellow) recently cataloged TCU’s race relations over the past 150 years for A History to Remember: TCU in Purple, White, and Black. The results make for an objective examination of minority student integration at the private institution which allows Horned Frogs to take pride in student-led efforts to overcome the racism that seemingly grows stronger every day across the globe.

The authors jump right into the muck by noting that TCU’s founders, brothers Addison and Randolph Clark, were Confederate veterans and members of a slave-owning family — a fact readily disclosed on the university’s website. However, the stink lingered for years. Early yearbooks, all of them written by white students, show TCU’ers in Blackface, imagery of the Confederate flag, and white students taunting Black custodial staff.

Chancellor James Moudy, who served from 1965 to 1979 and oversaw early efforts at student integration, told university staff that many whites at the time “feared interracial dating and marriage.”

Integration came slowly to TCU, Moudy conceded, because administrators were “a little fearful of what the [white] parents would think.”

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 1960 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which federally mandated admitting Black students, TCU began accepting Black undergraduates in 1964, although Black students who passed for white, based on the authors’ reviews of photos from as early as 1915, may have graduated from TCU long before the 1960s.

“Despite the shadows of exclusion, taunting, and overt racism, the early waves of Black faculty, staff, and students found a way to shine bright enough to light a path for future generations of Black Horned Frogs who found comfort through [predecessors’] breakthroughs,” the authors write.

TCU led the way in integration in some areas. James Cash was not only the first Black student-athlete at TCU but also the first Black basketball player in the Southwest Conference.

The authors believe the role of Black student-athletes as pioneers helped shape the narrative of all ethnic minority students.

Linzy Cole, famed Horned Frog wide receiver (1968-1972), went on to play three seasons in the NFL. While the professional football league boasted many minority athletes by that time, sending a Black player to the NFL became a point of pride for Black TCU athletes to come.

The authors do not stray from topics that remain relevant today. TCU’s Black male cheerleaders faced overt racism due to their working proximity to white women. In 1970, TCU administrators wrote a letter to Ronnie Hurdle warning him to refrain from picking up or touching white cheerleaders, an action that prompted his squad mates to protest the racist admonition. Hurdle went on to accumulate more than 20 years of experience as a trial lawyer.

The authors of A History to Remember relied heavily on two local publications for research. In the late 1970s and early ’80s, the campus publication, The Skiff, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on Black students’ difficulty gaining admittance to one of TCU’s eight fraternities. The resulting public scrutiny helped Tyrone Wilson become the first Black student to accept a bid to Lambda Chi Alpha in 1981, and many Black students followed in various fraternities and sororities.

The stories of campus racism continued well past the turbulent ’60s and ’70s. In 1999, alleged incidents of racial profiling by Fort Worth police led 30 mostly male Black students to consult attorneys with the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). In the Star-Telegram, student Joe Briggs said he believed the police began targeting Black male students after a rise in sexual assaults on campus.

“Being a Black male on campus is becoming very burdensome,” he said at the time. “People whisper when you walk by. I can’t wait until I don’t have to walk with a yoke around my neck.”

The authors highlight at least one individual familiar to our readers. TCU grad Leon Reed Jr., who grew up poor before serving in the military and becoming a Como-based attorney, made headlines in the Weekly and elsewhere in 2020 when he walked from Fort Worth to Austin to raise awareness of police brutality. Reed remains a prominent and respected local voice for civil rights and a more just criminal justice system.

A History to Remember also covers recent race-relations missteps by campus leadership. In 2020, four students filed a civil rights lawsuit against TCU alleging faculty mistreated five Black students due to their race. The suit was settled through mediation.

TCU leaders, perhaps aware of the university’s historically uneven dedication to racial equity, launched the Race and Reconciliation Initiative to reconcile the past. In 2021, initiative members released an initial report with a final summary slated for publication in 2026. TCU’s board of trustees unanimously approved key recommendations from the 2021 document. They include a campus commitment to promoting diversity in student admissions, better disclosing the Clark brothers’ connections to slavery and the Confederacy, and creating and observing an annual TCU Reconciliation Day, among other provisions.

Predominantly white, wealthy universities across the country are grappling with an inherently contradictory desire to educate a diverse student population while dealing with the realities of high tuitions that disproportionately disenfranchise low-income families who tend to be ethnic minorities. While no book can rectify those disparities, the authors of A History to Remember: TCU in Purple, White, and Black have compiled photos, archival material, and interviews to provide an objective and sometimes unsettling account of race relations at the private university, and those efforts are laudable and still needed today. l

Courtesy TCU Press

SCREEN

Joan of Waystar Succession

explores success for none but entertainment for all.

BY JESSICA WALLER

A timely rumination on the plight of siblings affected by the black hole that substituting wealth for love creates in families, Succession was recently called “the new Seinfeld” by MSNBC. As in, a new show about nothing. Clearly, MSNBC is feeling neglected (hey, remember Seinfeld?!) amid the buzz around the Murdoch family dynasty. The show’s inspiration was so often said to be the patriarch of Fox “News” that many critics claimed the writers must be working with a mole. Also: The show was about so many things and not just the fictional Waystar Royco empire! The newly completed hit HBO series limned the evils of capitalism, sexism, narcissism … basically enough isms to base an entire cultural studies class on.

I almost cried at the end, not because it was sad, though it was — but only hilariously. (Except the funeral scene. You’re a straight-up psycho if you didn’t cry at that.) I was teary-eyed because I couldn’t bear to see it go. No other show has offered this much by way of intellectual stimulation, with its unbendable plotlines and fly-on-the-wall dialogue in such hushed tones that I had to watch it on 100% volume so the subtitles wouldn’t ruin the comedic timing.

These two notes — plot and dialogue — are rarely found sustained in harmony over the course of one season let alone four. The show’s genius was the abject unpredictabili-

ty of the storyline working in time with the gallows-humor donkey laughs (at least from me — my poor dog). Only four measly seasons of gut-wrenching bait and switch bolstered by a labyrinth of psychological complexity and acerbic wit — it was not enough. And showrunner Jesse Armstrong seemed almost sadistic in his trickery of his audience’s I-can-predict-all-endings smugness. (I’m the problem. It’s me.) Four seasons were all we got. Let’s reminisce.

These actors were the most typecast any audience has ever seen. Perhaps because the actors were mostly unknown in America or previously typecast. Either way, this must have factored into casting as the creation of an illusion that seemed paramount at all times.

Truly, these people must be in therapy. Brian Cox as Logan Roy, the sociopathic magnate? Nobody will ever not be petrified by this man’s voice again. Domineering, entitled big brother Kendall? I would agree with critics who say Jeremy Strong will forever be Kendall if I didn’t religiously believe in his acting skills now as my new skies to watch for the next big wet dream of high art in the medium.

As far as character arcs go, vile/hilarious baby brother Roman was everyone’s archnemesis. Kieran Culkin had the most succulent lines to live out. He should easily win the Best Actor Emmy.

And overlooked middle-child Siobhan “Shiv” Roy (Sarah Snook)? Obviously, the new antihero of ambitchiousness that feminists were all secretly rooting for despite her frigid treatment of her husband, poor toadie Tom. But come on! Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) made everyone wince and cringe more than any other character, which is high praise among this despicable cast. Tom’s ending was unusual but not necessarily unexpected — unless you could have predicted Logan’s anticlimactic and thus all-consumingly climactic/uncomfortably realistic death midseason. And that’s nobody.

The show’s true climax, however, comes in the form of a clear message from the mouth of Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård), the most disgusting character of all, who in this brutally honest sendup of capitalism was the biggest winner in the end. Over bland fish with Tom, the Eurotrashy tech bro backs off his promise to Shiv.

“And I thought,” Matsson says, “ ‘If I could get anyone in the world, why don’t I get the guy who put the baby inside [Shiv] instead of the baby lady?’ ”

And that gave “pain sponge” Tom only one incredibly good option.

This scene is a visceral reflection of pregnancy as the No. 1 reason why women have been held back from equal success in this patriarchy (thanks, Texas). Oh, and the

main problem with Shiv gaining control? “I want to fuck her,” Matsson says nervously.

This is the second most common reason women have not achieved equality. Ultimately, the backroom dealings of cowardly men would be Shiv’s undoing, and why not? The underestimation of women is rivaled only by our underestimation of the calculations of cowardly men in power to stab you in the back while kissing your ass. As the impenetrable female version of her father but who fatally lacked any psychopathic qualities (upheld proudly by Matsson, the “killer” Logan chose), she could not foresee her gender as her undoing.

The secondary colors of Succession, and another Sisyphean trope to unpack, were the brilliant ways in which Logan’s struggle — that built his empire — was portrayed as the golden briefcase (I prefer Pulp Fiction to Greek mythology), the only thing unattainable to Kendall and the entire 1% in modern America: grit. However, in Logan’s funeral scene in the penultimate episode, Kendall finally achieved something his father never could: grace.

This profound scene shone a soft but illuminating light on one of the most valuable lessons in this explicitly didactic series: the modern male’s exchange of grit for grace. Kendall’s profound, impromptu funeral speech spoke of and embodied the thesis of the entire show, the dawning of a new age where we are no longer forced to abide these tyrants, oppressing women, minorities, and children under the pressures of building a country or a thriving economy. We — yes, we — have built it. It’s here. Now, the only pressure on men is to help rebuild what was lost in their paths of destruction, this modern allowance of grace under pressure instead of grit.

Most critics say Kendall will crash and burn, but I think he’ll be OK. If he was to get what he wanted, the crown of a corrupt kingdom, he never would have had the stomach for it. Because Logan promised it to him at 7, he built his identity around it. Now he can find out who he really is, outside the pull of the black hole.

Or maybe I’m seeing something where I shouldn’t. Maybe it’s the American (woman?) in me that sees hope where most see nothing but shit for miles. Much like Shiv, I will always want to trust in something, even when I probably shouldn’t. But I have a feeling Shiv’s going to be alright, too. Not Tom, though. And that’s OK. l

Some critics say Kendall (Jeremy Strong) will go down now that he’s out, but hasn’t he learned grace?

POWERED BY JIM AUSTIN ONLINE

INVESTING FOR SUCCESS NETWORKING MIXER WITH RON FRY AND JOHN JENKINS

Jim Austin, A Graduate of HBCU Presents: Cocktails and Fellowship

Gospel Jazz Brunch with Knice to Know

FINANCIAL AWARENESS SYMPOSIUM

Live Jazz Performance with Rob Holbert

Mega Mixer at the Warehouse FW with Live Performance with Hunter Kennedy

Men’s Health Summit

Bill Picket’s Invitational Rodeo: Texas Connection Series

DR. OPAL LEE’S WALK FOR FREEDOM

Juneteenth Comedy showcase featuring Celebrity the Comedian

R&B Unplugged Party with Paul Cannon and the Band

A Tribute to Selena featuring Natalie Rodriguez

R&B Party with Chain Reaction scan here

PLAYING LOCAL

Casino Slot Games for Texas Players

Promotional Content

Texas, the Lone Star State, is huge (right?), and there’s always plenty to do. You can go to the horse track in Grand Prairie, staycation in the Fort Worth Stockyards, stroll the river walk in San Antonio, or head south to the beautiful beaches of Corpus Christi.

If it’s a rare rainy day or just too dang hot to get out, then you might have other ideas. Online entertainment options abound, and that includes gaming. Are you a Texan who loves slot games? Look no further. There are plenty to choose from on the internet.

Check out any top casinos from Casinos.com, and you’ll see that the options are endless. But what kind of machine grabs your attention? For those undecided, here are our picks of the top casino slot games for Texas players.

Golden Buffalo

Golden Buffalo is a 6-reel game with 4.096 pay lines and an RTP of 96.0%. Not bad, eh? However, what makes it stand out even more, is the plethora of winning opportunities. It has multiple multipliers and plenty of bonus games to enjoy. It will also make you feel right at home.

These hot drop jackpots are hugely popular. As well as the Super Jackpot, there are also hourly and daily jackpots up for grabs every day.

What’s not to love? This could give you a golden opportunity for an animal win!

Derby Dollars

Texas is also home to horse racing tracks like Lone Star Park, Retama Park, and Sam Houston Race Park. You can experience some of that action right here at home when you play Derby Dollars.

This 5-reel, 20-pay-line slot game has an RTP of 97.5% and is filled with symbols such as coins, horses, and trophies, as well as the more classic symbols. All you need to do is land three or more matching symbols on one of the 20 pay lines. If you’re lucky and hit the jackpot, you could win thousands.

If you are a fan of horse racing, a lover of slot machines, and really enjoy living in the state of Texas, then you might want to put your hard-earned greenbacks into Derby Dollars.

Sky Patriots

Next on our list of great Texas slots, we have Sky Patriots. Are you old enough to remember the military hijinks of Private Benjamin and MASH? Do you love a bit of army fun? Then this might be the game to suit your tastes.

This is a classic 5-reel game offering ten winning ways, with an RTP of 95.69%. The screen is jam-packed with battles, planes, and some seriously hot soldiers. As you spin, you just focus on those reels, the pay lines, and hot shot payouts.

Choose your bet size, spin those reels, and try to land matching symbols on one of those ten pay lines. If you happen to hit one of those bonus features, even better!

Sky Patriots can be found at many Texas casinos, so you won’t need to look around for it for too long.

Big Bang Buckaroo

The last on our list of top Texas casino slots is Big Bang Buckaroo. If you love a great classic-type slot game, then this one should be right up your street. This is as Texas as they come. If you find any game more reminiscent of the Lone Star State, then you’re better than us.

This is more of a classic style slot, with just three reels, five pay lines, and a 94.38% RTP. The beauty of this game is in its simplicity. There are no big reels or thousands of winning ways, just three reels and five pay lines. It also shows you those pay-line patterns, so you know exactly what you’re looking for.

Even though it’s simple, the winnings are still very exciting. The Big Bang in the name gives it away, really. If you do hit the right winning combination, you can win up to 7,500x your wager. The most rewarding part is a robotic cowboy who acts as the wild symbol and is the biggest payer of the lot. What’s more, it has a super soundtrack. Every time you win, there is a Western sound that ties in perfectly with the Texas theme. For a game that really hits the bullseye, give Big Bang Buckaroo a try.

Get Playing Online Slots in Texas

It may not be Las Vegas, but Texas does have quite a bit of excitement to offer and big fun (and great wins) to be had. In terms of slot games, there are some seriously great games out there for you to choose from. The above-mentioned games are just a taste of what you can expect.

Next time you’re playing at your favorite online casino, look through the slots and see which is your Lone Star pick.

TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND PARTIES:

Li Rising, LLC, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for:

Issuance of Permit 172666

This application would authorize installation of a battery recycling machine at the Battery Recycling Plant located at 1102 Avenue T, Grand Prairie, Tarrant County, Texas 75050. Additional information concerning this application is contained in the public notice section of this newspaper.

Texas is also home to horse racing tracks like Lone Star Park, but you can experience some of that action online by playing Derby Dollars.

With Father’s Day approaching and graduation season upon us, I’m devoting this column to Dads & Grads this week and next. Below are some ideas for Papa. For gift ideas for both, circle back with us next week.

1.) Get ahead of the pack and take your father to a car show Saturday. The Spring Car Show at Rabbit Hole Pub (3237 White Settlement Rd, Fort Worth, 817-744-7160) is from 9am to noon. At 12:30pm, prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place. The proceeds from car registrations ($20 per vehicle at the door) and from the charity raffle will go to the Jordan Foundation, a children’s nonprofit. Along with drink specials and food truck snacks available for purchase, there will be a Bloody Mary Bar sponsored by Vegas Baby Vodka.

2.) I know I said we’re highlighting gifts next week, but Alamo Drafthouse (3220 Town Center Tr, Denton, 940-441-4233) has an offer that is snacks, gifts, and events all rolled into one. When you purchase $50+ in gift cards online from AlamoDrafhouse.com now thru Mon, Jun 18, you will also receive a complimentary $10 Snack Pass that can be spent on burgers or bottomless popcorn (with real clarified butter), for example. Take Dad to see a summer blockbuster. He’ll love it! For ideas on what movies to see, check out our reviews under Film at FWWeekly.com.

3.) With the reopening of Dog Haus Biergarten (4000 Bagpiper Way, Ste 110, Arlington, 817-678-4287), give Dad a break from the grill. In celebration of its comeback at the Arlington Highlands outdoor mall, Dog Haus is hosting a Charity Weekend Sat-Sun, with 20% of proceeds going to the Arlington Professional Fire Fighters Association. Then from Mon, Jun 19, to Sun, Jun 25, it’s

free Haus Dog Week. In the meanwhile, you can text “WIN ARLINGTON” to 833-4401110 for a chance to win a complimentary monthly hot dog for the rest of the year.

4). The evening before Father’s Day, Padre might enjoy a summer bash at this hidden-pub gem. River Bottoms Pub (7920 Randol Mill Rd, Ste 2012, Fort Worth, 817860-3270) hosts its inaugural Summer Bash Festival from noon to midnight on Sat, June 17. There will be music on the hour every hour from 12 bands, including Beyond Destiny, The Flatbed Trailers, Shattered Bones, and more. Along with drink specials, there will be food trucks on hand for meal purchases. All-day wristbands are $20.

5.) In honor of Dads, grads, and National Picnic Day, head to Whiskey Ranch from noon to 5pm on Sat, Jun 17, for Picnic Day For $65 for two people, enjoy picnic snack boxes, two drinks tickets, and a commemorative TX Whiskey picnic blanket. A food truck will also be on-site for additional food purchases. Air Style Art will be on hand to engrave bottles should you choose to buy one for the person you are celebrating. Reserve your tickets now at FRDistilling.com.

6.) With plenty of TVs, all-day happy hour pricing, daily drink specials, and a laid-back environment that’s great for friends and families, consider spending Father’s Day at BoomerJack’s (various locations) on Sun, June 18. There are also $6 small bites 2pm6pm and 10pm-close Mon-Fri. Meanwhile, sister bar Bedford Ice House (2250 Airport Fwy, 817-864-9898) has similar specials but also offers live music from local and national acts. If your dad likes karaoke, take him there on Thursday instead, and he can sing his heart out on the inside stage.

7.) Trinity River Distillery (1734 East El Paso St, Ste 130, Fort Worth, 817-841-2837), home of Silver Star Spirits, offers a Dads Tour Free event 1pm-7pm Sun, Jun 18. Along with the free tour, there will be live music by the Grass Fight Band, complimentary brunch from Hot Box Biscuit Club (HotBoxBiscuitCo.com) while supplies last, and specials on Silver Star 1849 Bourbon Old Fashioneds. A cigar master roller will also be on-site from 3pm to 5pm.

8.) Shops at Clearfork’s CRU (5188 Marathon Av, Fort Worth, 817-737-9463) is honoring Dads on Sun, Jun 18, with a special brunch menu 11am-3pm and dinner specials featuring PlumpJack wine pairings 4pm-9:30pm. Brunch will be a three-course meal with a la carte pricing and will feature smoked salmon deviled egg toast, spinach and artichoke gratin, steak and eggs, Crab Cake Benedict, goat cheese beignets, and more. Mimosas and bellinis are $6 each. Dinner service will include chile-rubbed jumbo scallops with sweet corn risotto and cilantro lime butter, plus a filet mignon with chimichurri for $45 per person. PlumpJack Reserve Chardonnay and Adaptation Cabernet Sauvignon are available for $25 per bottle. Call for reservations.

By Jennifer Bovee

Give Dad a break from the grill at Dog Haus in Arlington Highlands.

Courtesy Facebook

Steak and eggs is among the many options at CRU for Father’s Day.

Robert Tsai

EATS & drinks

’Za Time Is Right

With delightful results, Pie Tap fits comfortably on Magnolia.

Pie Tap Pizza Workshop + Bar, 1301 W Magnolia Av, FW. 682-707-8888. 11am-10pm Sun-Thu, 11am-11pm Fri-Sat.

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY LAURIE JAMES

How many pizza joints does one neighborhood need? As my party of four walked into Pie Tap Pizza Workshop + Bar on West Magnolia Avenue recently, that was the question asked by the devotee of the other regional chain up the street. Pie Tap — also a regional pizza chain, also with Dallas roots (see: Cane Rosso) — was buzzing a couple of weeks after opening day. Fully staffed with a uniformed service team that functioned seamlessly, the industrial-chic space, replete with open kitchen, looked right at home on the Near Southside.

Volume in the dining area of Pie Tap’s sole Tarrant County location was high –– a crowded weekend eve meant there was a lot of competing conversation in the building. A soothing lemon chill martini (heavy on the vodka, limoncello, and lemon but not much ginger flavor as advertised) served as a chill-producing balm.

Having never tried Pie Tap, we missed the memo that you can order a margherita pizza at a deep discount on Mondays or at

lunch time. A build-your-own pie starts at $10, with extra toppings for $3.50 apiece. The kitchen did not skimp on either the fennel-y sausage or the spicy pepperoni on ours, but the total raised my eyebrows a bit. Maybe I’ve been eating too much Mr. Jim’s –– paying $17 for an eight-slice pie is pretty standard here. The Meat Lover’s had a thin, slightly chewy base with a bubbly, charred, pronounced crust.

The mushroom pie featured tender cremini along with shiitake, bits of bacon, well-caramelized onions, and a gorgeously melty fontina topping. The shtick here is that this pizza is made with Sicilian recipes, which are, you know, totally different from the soggy-in-the-center Neapolitan pies that

come out of some ovens nearby. My knowledge is limited except to say that the Sicilian cuts I’ve eaten were either square or fully Americanized like in New York City, the ones with the thick crust that you can sort of fold over, the pizzas that Sicilian immigrants made because they were making do with what they had. Those Sicilians went ahead and incorporated mozzarella on top, and I guess Pie Tap is honoring that particular part of the tradition. The slightly more aged, less sweet, nutty fontina offered a lovely flavor profile, especially in combination with the onions and mushrooms. Augmenting the experience: an egg with a perfectly runny yolk on top.

continued on page 19

The Caesar salad with tart house dressing pleased everyone at the table.

A Lemon Chill martini will beat the heat — and the noise.

Eats & Drinks

continued from page 17

And the gluten-friendly crust was texturally superior to the regular dough, especially if you like a crisp but not blackened base. If you want a little extra sauce in which to dip the rinds of your slices, for an extra dollar you can pick from goat cheese fondue, more of the delicious marinara, or ricotta ranch. I loved the tart goat cheese variety, which counterpointed the crunchy crust and slightly sweet mushroom pie and the uber-

spicy sausage and pepperoni, but I was the only one at the table who loved it.

We started the meal with the chicken meatballs: three meaty, larger-than-average spheres in a refreshingly simple sugo. The dense balls were well-spiced with both red pepper and rosemary. Two of our party loved the flavor, and the other two were just happy with the unfussy red sauce and large chunks of rosemary-kissed bread to dip.

The Caesar salad pleased everyone at the table. With a dish that’s largely romaine lettuce, sometimes the chewy spine is what you notice most. There was none of that ugliness here, just easy-to-eat, crisp greens along with huge pieces of shaved parme-

san blanketed by an amazing, sharp, tangy housemade dressing.

There’s just so much we could eat in one sitting, and sampling only two pies from so many options is not a total representation of the kitchen. Perhaps a trip back during lunch for the housemade pasta or rotisserie chicken would help — a half a pizza plus a small Caesar salad is a comparably affordable $11 during lunch.

The pie at Pie Tap doesn’t have the delightfully pillowy end crust of its nearby competitor, and if you require full-on gluten-free food, this is not the place for you, nor should you expect a pizza joint to be uncontaminated with wheat flour. The glu-

ten-friendly crust was better than average and definitely good the next day. And the service on the evening we visited was impeccable. If you like a more-crunchy-thanchewy thin-crust pizza, your heaven awaits. And I guess Magnolia can house one more pizza place. l

The meatballs in simple tomato sauce were a nice, spicy appetizer.

The mushroom pizza with a runny egg yolk on top was delightful.

MUSIC

Katie Robertson’s Time

cover sets with the likes of Big Mike Richardson and Blake Parish (Royal Sons, Hanna Barbarians) or in her electric-psych duo Genini with Jennifer Rux (Year of the Bear, The Fibs) — all but a handful of her collaborations — she’s made music with just about everyone in town at some point.

This weekend, however, sees her do something that, despite all the stages she’s shared and recordings she’s appeared on, she’s never done before: release music under her own name. Robertson’s debut single as a solo singer-songwriter, “Just to Say,” hits streaming platforms Friday.

“I’ve definitely had options and opportunities,” Robertson replied to being asked why she hadn’t released her own music before. “I just didn’t necessarily have anything I wanted to record that I was really excited about. I mean, I’d written a bunch of songs but none that I was like, ‘Oh! I want to take that to the studio right now.’ ”

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

Everyone’s heard of the classic Clinton-era parlor game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. The premise: Connect any random Holly-

wood actor to the Footloose star in six steps or fewer. “So-and-so was in X and with What’sher-name, who was in Y with Yadda Yadda,” and so forth. The idea is that, in his day, Bacon was such a steady performer that a connection could inevitably be accomplished within six steps. It could be fun to play a similar game with figures in the local music scene. Without much thought, it would be easy to contend that the ubiquitous Kevin Bacon stand-in in our fair burg’s musical

community would likely be Katie Robertson.

When thinking of the volume of local musicians with whom the singer-pianist has played over the last 10 years or more, it could be argued you could shave it down to just four or five degrees. From her time in bands such as Chucho, Hot Knife, and Foxtrot Uniform to working with singer-songwriters like Eric Osbourne, Keegan McInroe, or Cameron Smith, plus countless

Before the pandemic, Robertson’s older brother, Justin Robertson, himself a scene fixture, birthday-gifted her some studio time to try and usher her along toward getting some of her music out. Finally, after a rehearsal with Hot Knife one night, she enlisted her bandmates to come to Cloudland Recording Studios to track “Just to Say” the following day. In addition to the contributions of her Hot Knife bandmates Smith and wife Stevie Smith, Schuyler Stapleton, and Peter Marsh, horns were provided by Chuck Brown (Hotel Satellite, Telegraph Canyon), Jeff Dazey (Leon Bridges, EPIC RUINS), and Chris Waldon (Starbass Laboratories,

continued on page 21

RIDGLEA THEATER

THU 6/8 BEATLES VS. STONES - A MUSICAL SHOWDOWN

SAT 7/1 ROCKY HORROR

PICTURE SHOW WITH LIVE SHADOW CAST LOS BASTARDOS

SAT 7/15 TRANCEPORTAL 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY - SNEIJDER (UK) + MANY MORE!

RIDGLEA ROOM

FRI 6/9 GIRL CAN’T HELP IT - JOURNEY TRIBUTE BAND

SAT 6/10 JIM SUHLER & MONKEY BEAT

FRI 6/16 SOUNDS LIKE SUMMER ‘23

SAT 6/17 MALICE IN EDEN, SLOW ROOSEVELT (SPECIAL PERFORMANCE), CRUSHPOINT & MORE!

RIDGLEA LOUNGE

FRI 6/9 TRIP, PROPHETABLE, GRANDELUSION, RAZCAT, & STEALING BLUE

SUN 6/18 DOG PARK DISSIDENTS THE PINK AND BLACK TOUR

SAT 6/24 WELCOME TO THE PSYCHWARD

After years of lending her talents to dozens of other artists, the soulful singer-pianist is focusing on the most important music to date: her own.

Robertson: “I just didn’t necessarily have anything I wanted to record that I was really excited about.”

Juan R. Govea

Music

continued from page 20

War Party). Britt Robisheaux (Hoaries, Big Youth) helmed the sessions while Jordan Richardson (Son of Stan, White Denim) provided mastering. Released through Dreamy Life Recordings, the single will represent the 100th entry in the local imprint’s catalog.

“Just to Say” is a soulful and dynamic piano ballad about heartbreak and loneliness. Marrying the sounds of classic Motown and a Winehouse-esque blues, warm electric piano trills over rolling rhythms while Robertson’s smoky rasp is intertwined with the brass trio’s lush sustains that combine to build toward a climactic and cathartic

vamping finale as she refrains heart-wrenchingly, “It hurts me just to say I don’t belong / It hurts me just the same, I’m alone.”

Robertson credits her work with Rux in Genini for helping to build her courage a bit in writing her own songs.

“She set the vibe,” Robertson said. “She set the right, cool tones and basslines and things like that to where everything would just flow out of me. I gained a lot of confidence with Genini, to hear that people actually liked the stuff I was writing.”

Rux also helped remove some of the pressure Robertson had been putting on herself in writing lyrics.

“I think I wrote more melodically than intellectually,” she said, meaning that the words did not come as effortlessly as the music. A gifted pianist, sultry chords just fall from her fingers. The words were taking more time. Then through working with Rux, Robertson said she realized “the song doesn’t have to mean anything. You can just throw it out there and release it, and it doesn’t matter. If there’s a feeling or emotion behind it, you just hope that that resonates with someone.”

She admits that her commitments with other artists over the years have likely kept her from focusing on her music as much as she would have liked.

“I guess I just didn’t invest in myself as much as I probably should,” she said. “I was just asked to do things, and I’d be like, ‘OK, I’ll go play on that thing or whatever,’ and I just never made the time for myself.”

Robertson believes that finally having one recording to her name will motivate her to continue with her own music. The next step? Put a band together to take her songs to the stage in the full spectrum — though they’re just as moving presented by only her and her piano. The hope is that this is the first of many to come.

“Knowing how it turned out is so exciting,” she said. “To hear it and to be like, ‘Oh, yeah. That actually turned out pretty good. I could probably do some more of these,’ ” she added with a laugh. l

Robertson: “If there’s a feeling or emotion behind [a song], you just hope that that resonates with someone.”

Clark Miller

Clark Miller

jason@triedandtruehandyman.com

Texas Commission on environmenTal QualiTy

NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF APPLICATION AND INTENT TO OBTAIN AIR PERMIT (NORI) AIR QUALITY PERMIT NUMBER 172666

APPLICATION Li Rising, LLC, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for: Issuance of Permit 172666

This application would authorize installation of a battery recycling machine at the Battery Recycling Plant located at 1102 Avenue T, Grand Prairie, Tarrant County, Texas 75050 AVISO DE IDIOMA ALTERNATIVO. El aviso de idioma alternativo en espanol está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/air/newsourcereview/airpermits-pendingpermit-apps. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and not part of the application or notice. For exact location, refer to application. https://gisweb.tceq.texas.gov/LocationMapper/?marker=97.048039,32.789275&level=18. The facility will emit the following contaminants: organic compounds and particulate matter including particulate matter with diameters of 10 microns or less and 2.5 microns or less.

This application was submitted to the TCEQ on May 2, 2023. The application will be available for viewing and copying at the TCEQ central office, the TCEQ Dallas/Fort Worth regional office, and the Grand Prairie Main Library, 901 Conover Drive, Grand Prairie, Tarrant County, Texas beginning the first day of publication of this notice. The facility’s compliance file, if any exists, is available for public review in the Dallas/Fort Worth regional office of the TCEQ.

The executive director has determined the application is administratively complete and will conduct a technical review of the application.

PUBLIC COMMENT. You may submit public comments to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. The TCEQ will consider all public comments in developing a final decision on the application and the executive director will prepare a response to those comments.

PUBLIC MEETING. You may request a public meeting to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comments or ask questions about the application. A public meeting about the application will be held if requested by an interested person and the executive director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing.

After technical review of the application is complete, the executive director may prepare a draft permit and will issue a preliminary decision on the application. If a draft Air Quality Permit is prepared, a Notice of Application and Preliminary Decision is required and it will then be published and mailed to those who made comments, submitted hearing requests or are on the mailing list for this application and will contain the final deadline for submitting public comments.

OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING

You may request a contested case hearing if you are a person who may be affected by emissions of air contaminants from the facility. If requesting a contested case hearing, you must submit the following: (1) your name (or for a group or association, an official representative), mailing address, and daytime phone number; (2) applicant’s name and permit number; (3) the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing”; (4) a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the application and air emissions from the facility in a way not common to the general public; (5) the location and distance of your property relative to the facility; (6) a description of how you use the property which may be impacted by the facility; and (7) a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period. If the request is made by a group or an association, one or more members who have standing to request a hearing must be identified by name and physical address. The interests the group or association seeks to protect must also be identified. You may also submit your proposed adjustments to the application/permit which would satisfy your concerns.

The deadline to submit a request for a contested case hearing is 30 days after newspaper notice is published. If a request is timely filed, the deadline for requesting a contested case hearing will be extended to 30 days after the mailing of the response to comments.

If a hearing request is timely filed, following the close of all applicable comment and request periods, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for contested case hearing to the Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material air quality concerns submitted during the comment period. Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the Commission’s jurisdiction to address in this proceeding.

MAILING LIST. In addition to submitting public comments, you may ask to be placed on a mailing list to receive future public notices for this specific application by sending a written request to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below.

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

Further information may also be obtained from Li Rising, LLC, 902 Avenue T, Grand Prairie, Texas 75050-1152 or by calling Mr. Kevin Ellis, POWER Engineers, Inc., Sr. Air Specialist at (512) 879-6647.

Notice Issuance Date: May 19, 2023

CLASSIFIEDS

NOW HIRING IN CORSICANA, TX

MACHINE OPERATOR 2ND SHIFT

Position Summary: The Machine Operator will fabricate and assemble polyethylene pipe (HDPE) to create a variety of customized structures such as; fittings, valves, T’s, Y’s, elbows, aqua-shields, geothermal vaults, manholes, dual containment units, pumps, gas aeration lines and similar structures that meet customer specifications by performing the following duties:

Read and interpret blueprints, product drawings and pic ticket orders to determine the materials, tools and equipment needed to complete work

Follow quality control procedures when fabricating and assembling products per customer specifications

Maintain accurate records of materials used on “ticket”; locate and pull required materials from inventory

Sustain clean work area and equipment; follow safety procedures concerning use of equipment and materials for safe working conditions

Operate ISCO’s fusion and fast fusion equipment, cranes, and forklifts

Utilize a variety of hand tools, saws and cutting equipment

Perform other related duties as assigned

FABRICATOR

Position Summary: Fabricators are responsible for fabricating and assembling polyethylene pipe to create a variety of customized structures such as: fittings, valves, T's, Y's, elbows, aqua shields, geothermal vaults, manholes, dual containment units, pumps, gas aeration lines and similar structures that meet customer specifications by performing the following duties:

Read and interpret blueprints, product drawings and pic ticket orders to determine materials, tools and equipment needed to complete work

Follows quality control procedures to ensure that the assembled, fabricated product meets customer specifications

Upholds accurate records of materials used on "ticket"; locates and pulls required materials from inventory

Maintains clean work area and equipment;

following safety procedures concerning use of equipment and materials to maintain safe working conditions

Operates ISCO's fusion and fast fusion equipment, cranes and forklifts

Utilizes a variety of hand tools, saws and cutting equipment and performs other related duties as assigned

Basic computer skills

Must be able to lift up to 40lbs on a regular basis and stand for long periods of time

NOW HIRING IN MANSFIELD TX

MECHANIC

Position Summary: The Mechanic will be responsible for repairing and refurbishing fusion equipment in a distribution plant or field environment by performing the following duties:

Ability to troubleshoot and repair; small diesel/gas engines, centrifugal pumps, generators, electrical circuits and hydraulic/pneumatic systems

Maintain all rental fusion equipment to keep it in working order; troubleshoot and repair damaged equipment; perform scheduled maintenance

Maintain records of service, repairs and scheduled maintenance

Complete 24-hour check-ins and machine checklists

Enter and maintain records of rental equipment in computer system

Prepare equipment for shipping; repair quotes for customers; write repair orders

Locate required parts utilizing local vendor and/or vendor websites

May be expected to repair Fabrication shop equipment as needed and provide field support for trouble shooting equipment repairs

Previous experience with computers for order entry, parts ordering, and email is a plus

Perform other related duties as assigned.

Applicant may also be asked to work in the Shipping & Receiving area as needed. Responsibilities may include packing and loading customer orders of piping, valves, and fusion equipment, completing daily cycle counts, and receiving of product or equipment from vendors.

At ISCO, we put high value on appreciation and respect, and provide you with an opportunity to really make a difference. ISCO is a family owned and operated company born and raised in Louisville, KY that is focused on our team members’ growth. In addition to a standard benefits package of medical/ dental/vision, ISCO offers a 6% match on retirement! ISCO Industries is an end-to-end piping solutions provider that specializes in HDPE, working with leading edge technology that makes us a market leader.

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.

COWTOWN ROVER

www.CowtownRover.com

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

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EMPLOYMENT

Alcon Research, LLC has openings for Principal Specialist - Global Regulatory Affairs for the Fort Worth, Texas office. The Principal Specialist - Global Regulatory Affairs is responsible for preparing, submitting, and maintaining NDAs, ANDAs, and OTC drug products and interprets, applies, and implements global regulations for CMC projects, product change control and regulatory submissions. Job is 40 hours per week. Please send all resumes to Sylvia Cruz, Alcon Research, LLC, 6201 South Freeway, Fort Worth, TX 76134,Ref. No. SC0523

EMPLOYMENT

CHIP SPREADER OPERATOR WANTED: Road construction crew. Paid Health insurance and other benefits. Per Diem. EOE. 830-833-4547

EMPLOYMENT

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

EMPLOYMENT

SAP FI/CO Business Analyst needed by Lhoist North America, Inc. in Ft Worth, TX to analyze, improve, configure & customize comp sys & operational SAP enterprise & peripheral app packages (SAP FI/CO, MM, SD, VIM, & FSCM modules & solutions). Analyze user reqmts & bus processes,design functional & tech specs & deploy IT apps to meet operational & tech reqmts. Use ABAP to debug business apps, run reports using SAP Bus Info Warehouse (BW) Reporting, maintain release mgmnt schedules & ensure systems satisfy quality standards & procedures. Identify reporting & planning reqmts, analyze comp sys capabilities & limitations & identify gaps in current data & supplement existing data. Configure systems based on new reqmts or changes in business processes. Interested candidates should submit resumes to Emily Kelley, 5600 Clearfork Main St, Ste 300, Ft Worth, TX 76109. Ref code SFCBA62 in response.

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

FLEA MARKET

EVERY Sat & Sun 9-5

Indoors with AC!

Dealers Dean, Billy, Glen, Mo, Jim, Earl Richard and Robert. Good deals and FUN!!

4445 River Oaks Blvd

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 Spanish-Mediterranean 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

Hannah in Hurst

Pro Massage, private office. No outcalls. (MT#4797). Call 817.590.2257 (no texts, please)

PLANNED PARENTHOOD Care. No matter what. WeArePlannedParenthood.org

SUMMER EDITION IS HERE!

For summer fun, check out our Summer 2023 Edition online at