April 2017
DENTON
Business
CHRONICLE
www.dentonbusinesschronicle.com
Pricing out
P R O M
Jeff Woo
Denton Florist on East University Drive handles the accessory side of prom season.
Denton shops, students keep up with trends, ‘promposals’ By Caitlyn Jones and Matt Payne
I
t’s the climax of any Hollywood high school film. It’s been a drain on parents’ wallets for nearly a century. It’s been a constant source of anxiety and excitement for generations of teenagers. But prom isn’t just for the kids. When the adolescent tradition rolls around every spring, several local businesses see a boost in revenue as high schoolers scramble to put together their “perfect night.”
Planning the prom
Like many widespread customs, prom got its start in the elite upper classes. The term is a shortened form of promenade, a French word referring to the formal introduction of guests at a ball. Ivy League universities hosted their own proms during the second half of the 19th century in an effort to
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promote social etiquette. Soon the trend trickled down to high schools and became an almost obligatory rite of passage. But the extravagance of prom has come a long way over the years. In the 1920s and ’30s, most proms were simpler affairs in the high school gym with crepe paper streamers and a single punch bowl. The post-war economic boom in the 1950s allowed school officials to move the dance out of the gym and into more formal venues like country clubs or hotels. Ryan High School English teacher and Student Council sponsor Kathleen Bossenbroek said she and the senior class officers typically spend a few thousand dollars each year on a local venue. This year, Ryan’s prom will take place May 6 at the University of North Texas Gateway Center. PROM | CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Trump order gets back to ‘America first’ By Catherine Lucey and Scott Bauer | AP
By Jenna Duncan | Staff Writer We’ve got more barbecue, y’all. Bumbershoot Barbecue is now open in Argyle, behind Earl’s 377 Pizza. The little trailer opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and stays open until sellout. There are plenty of picnic tables right outside the trailer to get your grub on food truck park-style. There’s only a few more days Denton residents can get their homemade candy fix from The Candy
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Store on West Oak Street. The store owners are retiring, effective April 29, and have leased out the shop space to a vape shop. Through some testy moments between developers and City Council, we’ve confirmed that Rooms to Go and Alamo Drafthouse are coming to Denton soon. Both projects are in process with city planning and should be open by July 2018. DUNCAN | CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
KENOSHA, Wis. — Turning back to the economic populism that helped drive his election campaign, President Donald Trump signed an order Tuesday he said should help American workers whose jobs are threatened by skilled immigrants. At the headquarters of hand and power tool manufacturer Snap-on Inc., Trump signed an order aimed at curbing what his administration says are hiring abuses in a visa program used by U.S. technology companies. Dubbed “Buy American and Hire American,” the directive follows a series of recent Trump reversals on economic policies. “We are going to defend our workers, protect our jobs and finally put America first,” Trump declared, standing in front of an American flag fashioned out of wrenches. Much like some prior orders, however, Trump’s executive action Tuesday essentially looks for detailed reports rather than making decisive changes. In this case, the reports are about granting visas for highly skilled
Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
President Donald Trump signs the “Buy American and Hire American” executive order Tuesday during a visit to Snap-on Inc. in Kenosha, Wis. foreign workers and ensuring that government purchasing programs buy American made goods as required by law. Trump chose to sign the directive
at Snap-on, based in Wisconsin, a state he narrowly carried in November on the strength of support from TRUMP | CONTINUED ON PAGE 3