June Denton Business Chronicle 2017

June 2017

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CHRONICLE

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County charm seen in wedding venues

By Madison Wilson

I

t’s wedding season, and there are countless ways of bringing that special day to life. From venues and flower arrangements to color palettes and cake flavors, no two weddings are alike.

Wedding trends come and go, but weddings aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

In today’s society, the cost of a wedding can vary greatly. Some couples opt for a $60 ceremony at the Denton

County Courts Building, while others shell out millions on the day they say “I do.”

A study conducted by The Knot, a wedding website, found the average wedding in the United States in 2016 cost $35,329. While many couples are comfortable with spending tens of thousands of dollars for one day, some WEDDINGS | CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Ashton Gardens is a wedding and special events venue in Corinth. Denton County has become a popular place for wedding venues to set up shop.

Courtesy photo/White Frames Photography

A newlywed’s financial must-dos

By Brianna McGurran | NerdWallet

A

By Madison Wilson | Staff Writer Denton has one less place to get its Cajun food fix. Dani Rae’s Gulf Coast Kitchen closed at the end of May after eight years in business.

The expansion of Interstate 35E will

make the building inoperable. The restaurant’s owners tried to find another building to move to but could not find anything in their price range.

WILSON | CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

n occupational hazard of dispensing personal finance advice is that money matters are never far from my mind. At wedding ceremonies I wonder whether the couple has shared their credit reports yet or if they plan to use a joint checking account.

That’s because I know getting married is not just a major emotional step. It’s a financial one, too.

Your goals and money management methods may change a lot once you’re hitched. And while divorce may be the last thing on your mind right now, you should learn about marital agreements and whether it makes sense to have one in your plan.

BRIANNA | CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

Getty Images/Thinkstock

Tackle financial and administrative tasks soon after getting married, and you can minimize the money stress that can trouble relationships.

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Denton Record-Chronicle

Enterprising Voices

Trust, privacy key to e-commerce R

ecently I led a Digital Trust Index project in Malaysia as a Fulbright specialist, creating a framework that includes measurement parameters, focus areas and stakeholder identification.

This DTI will help the Malaysian government evaluate consumer trust in specific digital technologies and infrastructures.

Trust and privacy are key in electronic commerce. Digital network breaches make consumers wary of what personal information is stored online. While the DTI is being developed specifically for Malaysia, I believe other countries could use this index, including here in the United States.

New users, as well as experienced ones, choose whether to use an e-commerce website based on trust and the usefulness and ease of use consideration. New users, however, rely more on trust, whereas more experienced users rely more on perceived usefulness when making transaction decisions.

Each dimension must be satisfied to establish consumer trust in a specific brand transaction. Businesses must address the following for success: ■ Security — Protecting information against theft or unauthorized use.

■ Privacy/data control — Controlling who gains legal access to personal information, when they get access and what they can do with it.

■ Benefit/value — Offering reciprocal benefits that are directly relevant to the data that businesses are col-

Mahesh RAISINGHANI | COMMENTARY

lecting and storing. This means that the data being collected are clearly necessary to providing the service.

■ Accountability — Taking responsibility for misuse and incorrect information and ensuring corrective action.

Reputation capital also is important to figure out how you can aggregate, monitor and use your online reputation. Reputation is conceptualized as the currency that says that you can be trusted.

Credibility, integrity and benevolence are the components that determine the reputation capital — defined as the sum of intentions, capabilities and values across communities and marketplaces.

For example, the reputation index/capital will help an individual in an Airbnb or other peer-to-peer transaction. However this reputation capital is not transferable across different peer-to-peer networks. Even though I may be a good Airbnb host or guest, I may not be a good Task Monkeys job assigner or job taker.

E-commerce and “mobile commerce” are moving from a primarily new and search products function to a product experience task, where buyers

Getty Images/Thinkstock

Trust and privacy are key in electronic commerce. Digital network breaches make consumers wary of what personal information is stored online. are mostly concerned about inferring product quality and characteristics. In this case, buyers’ trust in sellers is focused on whether sellers faithfully describe product quality, and the vulnerability is primarily about product misrepresentation due to lack of seller integrity. Therefore, trust as related to product understanding and its underlying dimensions are likely to have a different role.

In developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin Amer-

Biz on the Wire

ica, many people lack credit or debit cards, bank accounts, driver’s licenses, passports and other collateral that those living in developed countries use to identify themselves and conduct transactions. Yet, these same people own mobile phones and SIM cards. Because of this, phone companies in countries such as Malaysia increasingly act as intermediaries between consumers and service providers.

Privacy is becoming more

Tuesday, July 4, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 18, 6:30 p.m.

Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce hosts monthly networking luncheons the third Wednesday of the month at Prairie House Restaurant. Admission is always $12 and includes a meal.

Wednesday, June 21, 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, July 19, 11:30 a.m.

Seth Wenig/AP file photo

An Uber car drives through LaGuardia Airport on March 15 in New York. Uber is enabling passengers to tip its U.S. drivers with a tap on its ride-hailing app for the first time.

Uber adds option to tip

By Michael Liedtke | AP SAN FRANCISCO — Uber is enabling passengers to tip its U.S. drivers with a tap on its ride-hailing app for the first time, part of a push to recast itself as a company with a conscience and a heart.

Besides the built-in tipping option announced Tuesday, Uber is giving drivers an opportunity to make more money in other ways too.

Riders will be charged by the minute if they keep an Uber car waiting for more than two minutes. Uber also is reducing the time that riders have to cancel a ride to avoid being slapped with a $5 fee from five minutes to two minutes after summoning a driver.

Uber won’t take any part of the tips given drivers. The San Francisco-based company will continue to collect a portion of ride cancellation fees, as well as the new waiting-time charges.

The tipping option, long available in the app of Uber rival Lyft, was available beginning Tuesday in three cities — Seattle, Houston and Minneapolis. Uber plans to make it a

current on the privacy and security of data assets to protect themselves and their customers’ data from being compromised.

MAHESH S. RAISINGHANI, Ph.D., a professor in the MBA program at Texas Woman’s University, earned a Fulbright specialist grant to lead a Digital Trust Index project in Malaysia in December 2016. He can be reached at mraisinghani@ twu.edu.

Calendar of Events APIs and IPAs, hosted by TechMill, meets every other Tuesday at Harvest House, 331 E. Hickory St., for a techcentered hangout.

staple in its app in all U.S. cities by the end of July. The other features will roll out in August.

The attempt to smooth over its sometimes testy relationship with drivers is part of a broader effort to reverse the damage done to Uber’s reputation by revelations of sexual harassment in its offices, allegations of trade secrets theft and an investigation into its efforts to mislead government regulators.

“These drivers are our most important partners, but we haven’t done a very good job honoring that partnership,” said Rachel Holt, regional general manager for Uber in the U.S. and Canada. Holt is part of the leadership team running Uber with CEO Travis Kalanick on a leave of absence.

The expanded earnings opportunities are the first step in what Uber is billing as “180 days of change” for its U.S. drivers. Holt declined to describe what is planned during the rest of the campaign.

While building the world’s biggest ride-hailing service over the past eight years, Uber also developed a reputation

important with the rise of e-commerce, as these telecommunication companies collect, store and use the digital information of customers who may not have other resources.

If they provide services similar to that of trusted internet providers, these companies might be used to improve e-commerce in developing nations, which could positively affect the national economy and global marketplace.

E-commerce is here to stay, and businesses must stay

for cutthroat tactics that have occasionally outraged government regulators, its drivers, its riders and even its own employees.

The company’s hard-charging style also has caused legal headaches. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating Uber’s past usage of phony software designed to thwart regulators trying to curb the growth of its service. Uber also is fighting allegations that it’s relying on a key piece of technology stolen from Google spin-off Waymo to build a fleet of self-driving cars.

Drivers aren’t the only people Uber is trying to treat better. After an internal investigation uncovered multiple instances of sexual harassment, bullying and other boorish behavior within the company, Uber fired more than 20 employees and pledged to create a more harmonious culture for its employees.

Uber also said Kalanick was taking an indefinite leave of absence amid criticism of his freewheeling management style and following the death of his mother in a boating accident.

The Bolter, hosted by TechMill, is a free part-time developer program. The program will run for eight weeks and cover lessons on HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The program will meet each Tuesday and Thursday for the eightweek duration at Stoke, 608 E. Hickory St. Tuesday, July 11, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 13, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 18, 6:30 p.m.

Denton Black Chamber of Commerce meets the second Tuesday of the month at the Denton Housing Authority, 1225 Wilson St. Tuesday, July 11, 6 p.m.

Denton Chamber of Commerce hosts the Smart Business 101 series regularly for members at the chamber office, 414 W. Parkway St. The event is free to members and $15 for nonmembers.

Tuesday, June 27, 11:30 a.m.

Denton Chamber of Commerce will host its quarterly membership luncheon at SpringHill Suites by Marriott, 1434 Centre Place Drive. Tickets cost $35 per person or $400 for a 10-seat table sponsorship.

Friday, June 23, 11:30 a.m.

Denton Young Professionals hosts coffee and breakfast every third Wednesday of the month at The Chestnut Tree, 107 W. Hickory St. Wednesday, July 19, 7:15 a.m.

Denton Young Professionals hosts a monthly mixer at a new business each month.

June’s location will be Bone Daddy’s House of Smoke, 3258 S. Interstate 35E. Thursday, July 6, 5:30 p.m.

Denton Hispanic Chamber of Commerce holds its board meeting and member breakfast the second Friday of the month at Quality Inn and Suites, 1500 Dallas Drive.

Friday, July 14, 11:30 a.m.

The Denton League of United Latin American Citizens No. 4366 meets the third Saturday of every month at the Denton Senior Center, 509 N. Bell Ave. Saturday, July 15, 9:30 a.m.

Denton Planning and Zoning Commission meets at City Hall, 215 E. McKinney St., every other Wednesday.

Wednesday, June 21, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 5, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 19, 6:30 p.m.

Electronics recycling takes place at The Cupboard Natural Foods and Cafe, 200 W. Congress St., the second Saturday of each month. Drop off any computer-related electronics for recycling. Visit www.computercrusher.com for a list of acceptable items and more information.

Saturday, July 8, 8 a.m.

Lake Cities Chamber of Commerce holds weekly coffee meetings at rotating businesses on Wednesdays.

Upcoming locations will be listed at www.lakecities chamber.com/events.

Wednesday, June 21, 7 a.m.

Little D Open Coffee Club, hosted by TechMill, meets every other Tuesday at West Oak Coffee Bar, 114 W. Oak St., to discuss technology and startups.

Tuesday, June 27, 8 a.m.

Tuesday, July 11, 8 a.m.

Sanger Chamber of Commerce holds a networking leads luncheon the fourth Wednesday of every month.

RSVP at http://sangertexas. com. This month’s luncheon will be held at the chamber office, 300 Bolivar St. Wednesday, June 28, noon

Women Who Code, a global nonprofit that helps women grow in technology careers, hosts a web development study group at Stoke, 608 E. Hickory St. Friday, June 30, noon

Who to contact Scott K. Parks Managing Editor 940-566-6879 | sparks@dentonrc.com Jenna Duncan Business Editor 940-566-6889 | jduncan@dentonrc.com Sandra Hammond Advertising Director 940-566-6820 | shammond@dentonrc.com Shawn Reneau Retail Advertising 940-566-6843 | sreneau@dentonrc.com

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Enterprising Voices

Bargain buyouts could be unlocked soon “Middle market deals are expected to dominate in 2017.”

— KPMG mergers and acquisition advisory

D

uring late 2015 and most of 2016, we wrote extensively about how a series of operational, financial and macro catalysts were culminating to unlock the value pent up in our portfolio. To a large degree, 2016 played out much as we expected, even though the first half of the year was disappointing. The majority of the gains were delivered in the July-September quarter.

By then, some of the catalysts to which we had been pointing were finally recognized by the market. Other catalysts unfolded just last summer, and our holdings were lapped up quickly by other investors. Yet other catalysts played out and were ignored, creating some very intriguing opportunities.

We believe this will unlock a fresh set of catalysts: bargain buyouts. Fortunately, 2017 should see lots of merger and acquisition activity.

Earlier this year KPMG, one of the Big Four global audit and accounting firms, released its “2017 Mergers and Acquisition Report” from which the quote above was extracted. While 2016 was an active year for mergers and acquisitions, KPMG believes buyout activities will remain healthy in 2017. Within that active arena, the vast majority of attention will be on “middle market” companies — companies below the $500 million threshold.

J.P. Morgan takes a similar point of view. In its 2017 M&A Global Outlook report, the mergers and acquisitions team at J.P. Morgan concluded the M&A market would see consistent deal volume in 2017 as companies looked to complement modest organic growth.

Underpinning this expected deal volume are three main factors: cross-border

Jonathon FITE | COMMENTARY

transactions; impact of potential regulatory and tax reform, and shareholder activism.

Cross-border transactions are playing out in real time in our portfolio. Kennedy Wilson Europe (KWE) has a collection of some of the most interesting commercial and multifamily real estate across Europe. Yet, since the Brexit news last summer and the decline in the British pound, KWE’s share price traded below our estimate of its net asset value. Other knowledgeable investors noticed this as well, and last month a U.S. real estate holding company made an offer to buy out KWE shareholders for a 20 percent premium.

We believe the offer still undervalues Kennedy Wilson Europe’s true worth. Fellow shareholders agree, arguing the premium did not reflect the true value of the business.

This pushback resulted in an updated offer at an even higher buyout price. This deal should culminate in the back half of the year.

Let’s turn to J.P Morgan’s second theme, regulatory and tax reform. While the Trump administration seems to have done little but generate headlines for cable news commentators, there has been meaningful progress behind the scenes on several fronts.

For example, executive orders have cleared the regulatory fog around the coal sector. Yet since the regulatory hurdles were cleared away, the stock price for some coal companies has fallen nearly 60 percent.

During discussions with one

Andy Jacobsohn/DMN

The KPMG building is pictured in Dallas. KPMG, one of the Big Four global audit and accounting firms, believes buyout activities will remain healthy in 2017. company’s CEO, CFO and board of directors in May, we suggested the company sell itself to one of the other major industry players. The company management team publicly stated that industry consolidation made sense and that they were very open to reasonable transactions. Once seasonal coal volumes pick up this summer, we expect these conversations to progress, potentially culminating in a transaction later this year or early next.

Tax reform also may progress in late 2017 or early 2018, just in time for the primary election season. This could be a big boon to retail holdings that pay some of the heftiest tax bills in the U.S. While this is an interesting macro theme, their operational and financial catalysts may be far more impactful.

Some retailers popped as much as 50 percent on the heels of lower costs and a good earnings report in May. Given the general pessimism in the retail sector, similar pent-up moves could unfurl in other retail names as their operational performance shines through.

But buyouts may occur in advance of those moves. Just this month, the Nordstrom family announced it was exploring options to take the business private — buying out the shares it doesn’t already own to take advantage of its bargain price.

Similar buyouts could occur at other retailers that generate lots of cash and have a very healthy balance sheet.

Companies like these tend to be favored targets for private equity firms.

This takes us to J.P Morgan’s third theme, shareholder activism. According to J.P Morgan, as of year-end 2016, private equity firms are seeking to put to work a record $822 billion in dry powder.

That is a lot of capital to fuel deals like the ones above.

Shareholder activism also can occur when company management teams spend their own money to buy their company’s stock. This shows much tighter alignment with fellow shareholders than simply receiving large grants of shares as part of their compensation. When they take out their own wallets to buy, that’s a good signal.

Recently, Revlon’s chairman bought $25 million of stock over six weeks, taking his stake to nearly 80 percent. It’s not too far-fetched

to think he might just take the rest private in one fell swoop.

The first half of 2017 has been lumpy, but it may shape up to look much like 2016 if GDP growth and inflation expectations re-emerge in the second half of the year. This may drive bargain buyouts ahead.

JONATHON FITE is a managing partner of KMF Investments, a Texas-based hedge fund. Jonathon is a lecturer with the College of Business at the University of North Texas. This column is provided for general interest only and should not be construed as a solicitation or as personal investment advice.

Comments may be sent to email@KMFInvestments. com.

Biz on the Wire

Barclays, ex-CEO charged with fraud over Qatar deal LONDON — British regulators charged Barclays bank and four former executives, including then-CEO John Varley, with conspiracy to commit fraud when they asked Qatar for a cash infusion to avoid a government bailout at the height of the financial crisis in 2008.

The Serious Fraud Office announced the charges Tuesday following an investigation into two rounds of fundraising from Qatar in June and October of 2008. The probe centered on two side agreements under which Barclays paid the Qatari investors $406 million over five years, the bank disclosed in 2013.

The question at the heart

of the case is whether Barclays hid from authorities and other shareholders the true nature of the fundraising plan with Qatar.

The charges are the first in Britain against a bank and former executives for activities during the 2008 financial crisis. They are a blow to current CEO Jes Staley, who is trying to rebuild Barclays’ reputation after a series of scandals. The bank is already facing litigation from the U.S. Department of Justice and a Financial Conduct Authority probe of allegations that Staley tried to uncover the identity of a whistleblower.

“Skeletons seem to be jumping out of lots of closets at once for Barclays,” said Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at

Matt Dunham/AP file photo

John Varley, pictured in 2009 in London and then the CEO of Barclays, has been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office.

Hargreaves Lansdown. “The spectacle of former executives being paraded through court will do nothing to strengthen the credentials of the bank as it continues to try to execute its turnaround plan.”

Barclays said it is “consid-

ering its position” and “awaits further details of the charges from the SFO.” The bank’s shares fell 1.9 percent in London.

Barclays says it disclosed the first advisory service agreement with Qatari investors that was reached in June 2008, but the second agreement and the fees payable under both were not included in public documents, according to a statement released in September 2013, when the bank was selling more shares.

The bank and two former executives also face a charge of unlawful financial assistance related to a $3 billion loan facility Barclays made available to Qatar in November 2008. It is alleged Barclays

lent money to Qatar with the understanding that the gulf nation could use the money to buy shares in the bank, making its financial position look more positive.

The fundraising efforts of 2008 came as banks around the world struggled to keep their doors open. Britain’s Northern Rock collapsed early in the financial crisis.

Varley, 61, former investment banking chief Roger Jenkins, 61, Thomas Kalaris, 61, who headed the bank’s wealth management division, and Roger Boath, 58, head of the European financial institutions group, were all charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation in relation to the

first round of fundraising.

Barclays, Varley and Jenkins were charged with another count in regard to the second round, as well as a separate charge of providing unlawful financial assistance.

The four are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on July 3, together with a representative of the bank.

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Enterprising Voices

When online, post with a purpose W

e see so much content throughout the day. Do you notice that certain posts will grab your attention but some you simply skim over? The content that grabs you is the content with a purpose in mind.

When you’re posting content on any social channel, your blog or your website, what is the ultimate purpose of that content? We always encourage our partners and clients to post with a purpose.

So what does that mean?

All of your content should have a goal or purpose. Even a simple Facebook post is part of a larger strategy, and what you write could impact that strategy. If you post on social media about a sale or service but don’t include any clear call to action (CTA), you possibly missed out on customers.

How to create a strategy with purpose

Does your digital marketing strategy have a purpose?

Too often we work with clients who know they need digital marketing, but they aren’t sure of the purpose. Once you decide on your overall goal, you can create a strategy and start posting with a purpose.

Digital marketing goals:

Daryl HIVELY | COMMENTARY

■ Brand awareness ■ Lead generation ■ Sign-ups ■ Improve SEO ■ Win back Work with your sales and marketing team to decide on one to three key goals. If your goal is brand awareness, you can focus on bringing more traffic to the website and getting as much brand exposure as possible. This can be done right through a search engine marketing (SEM) campaign or a Facebook targeted ad.

With any social posts, include your brand’s logo and link back to the website.

Start posting with a purpose

Once you have clear goals in mind, posting to your blog, social page and website will become much easier. We hear

from clients again and again that the hardest part about content strategy is deciding what to post, so they just start posting anything that comes to mind. It’s still good to post relevant content on a consistent basis. Posting with a purpose becomes much easier with a plan in mind. Even writing web copy on a landing page promoting a product or service will flow with a specific goal in mind.

Here’s an example of a social post with purpose versus a regular post.

■ Post with purpose: Did you know that 79% of adults are active on Facebook? That’s a huge audience you could be reaching. Contact us today by calling (555-555-5555) or visiting www.ourwebsite.com and learn how we can help you succeed on Facebook!

■ Regular post: Did you know that 79% of adults are active on Facebook?

You can easily see that one post has a purpose and is driving traffic to the website while the other post, while still informative, is lacking a clear goal.

Effective digital marketing strategy

Your digital marketing

Getty Images/Thinkstock

Once you have clear goals in mind, posting to your blog, social page and website will become much easier. All of your content should have a purpose. strategy should work together with your overall marketing plan.

Your entire team, including your marketing, sales and administrative staff, should

be on the same page with your marketing goals. Creating a solid plan will help you effortlessly post with a purpose and achieve great results.

DARYL HIVELY is the CEO of Guarantee Digital, a digital agency working with media partners in over 200 markets. Visit www.guaranteedigital.com to learn more.

Biz on the Wire

Ken catches up to Barbie with new looks

By Joseph Pisani | AP

NEW YORK — He’s been overshadowed by Barbie for decades, but now Ken is finally getting some attention.

Mattel is introducing 15 new looks for the male doll, including different skin tones, body shapes and hair styles.

Barbie had a similar makeover more than a year ago, both part of the toy company’s plan to make its dolls more diverse and appealing to today’s kids.

Ken hadn’t changed much since he was introduced 56 years ago as Barbie’s blueeyed, chiseled boyfriend. Now he’ll be sold in three body shapes: “slim,” “broad” and “original.”

He’ll have modern hairdos, such as cornrows and man buns, and come in seven skin tones. And he’ll also be sporting new fashions: think skinny ties, plaid shirts and graphic tees.

“We are redefining what a Barbie or Ken doll looks like to this generation,” said Mattel’s Lisa McKnight, who oversees the Barbie line.

Paul Jordan/AP

This photo from Mattel shows a 1962 Ken doll.

Mattel/AP

These images provided by Mattel shows a variety of Ken dolls now available. Mattel announced Tuesday it is introducing 15 new looks for the male doll.

Mattel is trying to fight falling sales of its iconic doll line at a time when many kids would rather play with a phone or tablet. Barbie sales were down 13 percent in the

first three months of the year compared with the same period a year ago. A liveaction Barbie movie is in the works for next year, with hopes that the big-screen flick

will spur doll sales as well.

Ken was in need of a makeover, said Jim Silver, the editor-in-chief of toy review website TTPM. Kids playing with the revamped Barbie

dolls don’t want an outdated Ken, said Silver.

“He’s part of the storyline and he has to fit in with the picture,” he said, “or you would lose sales.”

Some of the new $10 Ken dolls were being rolled out to shops and online stores Tuesday, Mattel Inc. said, and all of them will be on store shelves

by Christmas.

The El Segundo, California-based company also announced new Barbie looks Tuesday, including one with a nearly shaved head and another with an Afro.

Mattel has been tinkering with other lines, such as adding its first boy doll for the American Girl brand.

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Mattel/AP

This new Ken doll features Mattel’s “broad” body.

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This Ken has the new “slim” body.

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Enterprising Voices

Texas innkeepers and hotels and their rights I

n Texas, a land lease grants the lessee an actual estate in the real property made up of the specific rights granted. Depending on the type of rights granted to a lessee, the express terms of the grant may be affected by numerous state laws, including statutes, ordinances, regulations and court decisions.

For example, a residential lessee has certain statutory rights that are more particularly set forth in Chapter 92 of the Texas Property Code.

However, a guest of a hotel or inn is not afforded the same rights and estates that are created in a lease, regardless of the type. In Texas, the guest of a hotel or innkeeper is only granted a privilege or authority to use the property for a short period of time and in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth by the hotel or innkeeper.

The guest holds a “license� as opposed to a “lease� and is not entitled to exclusive pos-

Scott ALAGOOD | COMMENTARY

session of the areas in which the guest is allowed to conduct activities. A license does not create an interest in the land or the buildings in favor of the guest, but only allows the guest the right of use.

Aside from the aforementioned distinction, a hotel or innkeeper typically remains responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the property, has a right to enter the licensed areas by way of a key or keys, and may reside on the property.

The license granted to the guest is usually for a short

period of time. No exclusive possession is granted to the guest, and the hotel or innkeeper is not required to initiate an action for forcible detainer to remove the guest from the property.

Section 92.152(a)(1) of the Texas property code specifically excepts the renting of a room in a hotel, motel, inn or similar transient housing from the laws governing the leasing of real property for residential purposes.

While statutes governing residential leasing are plentiful in Texas, those relating to the renting of a hotel or motel room are fairly scarce. Some of those laws are codified at Chapter 2155 of the Texas Occupations Code. Chapter 2155 regulates room rate information that must be supplied by the hotel or innkeeper (Section 2155.001); liability for valuables not stored in a hotel vault (Section 2155.052); non-liability for holding baggage left by a guest (Section

Casey Dunn/DMN file photo

The Hotel Saint George is in Marfa.

2155.053); and notification of hotel’s firearms policy (Section 2155.103).

Other miscellaneous statutes that apply to hotels and innkeepers are: â– Section 341.066 of the Texas Health & Safety Code (safe drinking water, sewage disposal, sanitation, and safety of gas stoves used for heating); â– Section 792.002 of the

Texas Health & Safety Code (smoke detectors); â– Section 41.0025 of the Texas Family Code (liability of parents for damage or destruction to a hotel room by child); and â– Section 55.251 of the Texas Utilities Code (limiting certain telephone calls to 50 cents).

Unless they contain five or

fewer rooms for rent and are occupied by the proprietor as his or her residence, hotels and inns are places of public accommodation that must comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Outside of these few state and federal laws, the operation of hotels and inns is regulated by the local ordinances of the municipalities in which they operate.

Where a hotel or inn is not regulated by local ordinance, the Texas Department of State Health Services through its Public Health Sanitation Program will, as resources and time allow, inspect and investigate complaints about hotels, motels, inns, RV parks and campgrounds.

R. SCOTT ALAGOOD is certified in commercial and residential real estate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and can be reached at alagood@denton law.com or www.dentonlaw. com.

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Focus production to move to China

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DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. will export vehicles from China to the U.S. for the first time starting in 2019.

Ford said Tuesday it plans to move production of its Ford Focus small car from the U.S. to China, where it already makes the Focus for Chinese buyers.

Sales of small cars have dropped sharply in the U.S. and companies are seeking to cut costs making them. Ford’s president of global operations, Joe Hinrichs, said the move to China will save the company $1 billion, including $500 million for canceling plans to build the Focus in Mexico.

Wary of the response from President Donald Trump, who has criticized Ford for making vehicles outside the U.S., Ford said the move won’t cost U.S. jobs. The suburban Detroit plant that makes the Focus will be converted late next year to produce the Ford Ranger pickup and Ford Bronco SUV. Hinrichs said Ford’s research shows that customers — who are used to phones and other gadgets from China — care more about product quality than where their vehicles are made.

Ford also said Tuesday that it plans to invest $900 million in its Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville to make the new, aluminum-sided Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Those vehicles will go on sale this fall and will be exported to more than 55 markets globally, the company said. The investment will secure 1,000 jobs at the Kentucky plant.

Plans for Focus production have bounced around over the last few months as Ford tries to squeeze some profits from the ailing small car segment.

U.S. Focus sales were down

20 percent through May, hurt by low gas prices and consumer preference for SUVs. In January, the company announced it would cancel a new plant in Mexico and instead use capacity at another plant in Mexico to build the Focus. But over the last few months, Hinrichs said, Ford decided it could save another $500 million in tooling and other manufacturing costs if it moved production to China.

Hinrichs said last month’s departure of former CEO Mark Fields had no bearing on the decision, which was in the works for some time.

Hinrichs said Chinese wages

are lower than wages in Mexico, although the cost to ship the vehicles erases some of that advantage. It’s still cheaper to make cars for the U.S. in Mexico, he said, but Ford has extra capacity in China and the move frees up capital for the company immediately.

Ford isn’t the first car company to export vehicles to the U.S. from China. Volvo Cars made the move in 2015. General Motors Co. started importing the low-volume Buick Envision midsize SUV from China in 2016. GM also imports small numbers of a plug-in hybrid Cadillac CT6 sedans from China.

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Enterprising Voices

Defining economic development in Denton H

ow do you define economic development?

If you ask 30 Denton residents that question, you’re likely to get 30 different answers.

Some may say it has to do with new restaurants and stores that are opening in town, while others think it means large companies receiving tax incentives if they invest in the community. Still others may believe it involves jobs and lowering the unemployment rate or special events in an area like downtown Denton.

While all those answers touch on some aspect of economic development, none of them captures the full picture.

Even economic devel-

Caroline BOOTH | COMMENTARY

opment professionals have difficulty coming to consensus on a definition, but one thing we agree on is that economic development means something different for each city, county or state, depending on its unique circumstances and goals.

Another point of agreement is that economic development is not a one-time

event, such as a local manufacturing plant expanding its operations and hiring 200 workers or a mixed-use center with new shopping and dining options opening in town.

Instead, it is a planned and long-term process that involves many stakeholders, encompasses numerous types of activities, and unfolds and evolves over time.

As director of the city of Denton’s economic development department, I define economic development this way: It is a purposeful process that creates, retains or reinvests wealth and opportunities within a designated area.

While a definition is helpful to describe what economic development is, what’s more

important is identifying its goals and determining the methods and manner in which those goals are achieved.

Broadly, the goals of economic development in Denton are to expand the tax base and diversify tax revenue streams, provide high-quality jobs and enhance quality of life for residents.

The general methods we use to achieve these goals are: business recruitment, retention and expansion; workforce training and education; small business and entrepreneur support; downtown/ main street programs; and tourism.

As far as the manner in which we work toward our goals: City of Denton economic development profes-

correct one, but to provide you with information and explanations that make economic development concepts and activities in Denton clearer and more distinct.

I hope this column will provide opportunities for informed conversations about economic development in Denton, and I want to hear from you. If you have suggestions for topics you’d like to see covered or have questions about something you read here, please reach out to me.

sionals take our role as public servants and stewards of public resources seriously.

We are ethical, transparent, responsive, collaborative, community-focused and creative.

Over the coming months, I will delve into more detail on aspects of economic development in Denton, including our targeted industry sectors for recruitment, an overview of our existing industries and their expansions, collaborative workforce development efforts, the SHOP (shop here on purpose) Denton program, Shop Small Saturday and our community’s demographics.

My aim in writing this column is not to convince you that my definition of economic development is the

L. CAROLINE BOOTH is the director of economic development for the city of Denton. You can contact her at 940-349-7751 or caroline. booth@cityofdenton.com.

Need for new tax code on menu U.S. Chamber exec to speak at Denton luncheon

Area Chamber Roundup Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce

It was a solemn yet joyful occasion in Aubrey on May 20 when the Aubrey Veterans Monument was unveiled.

The Aubrey Historical Society dedicated the monument to past, present and future veterans of the armed services. The monument reads: “Dedicated in honor of all who serve in the United States Armed Forces past, present, and future in war and in peace.”

Judges Tiffany Haertling and Margaret Barnes were presenters at the Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce’s May networking luncheon.

Their presentation, “Change Lives: Become a Foster Parent,” had the undivided attention of the room. Attendees were amazed at the lack of foster families in Denton County compared with the population.

Upcoming activities in the Aubrey 380 area include Freedom Fest on July 1 at Rancho De La Roca and the Western Son Distillery concert series June 24 featuring Roger Creager.

Sanger Area Chamber of Commerce

Congratulations to Jaye Hopp and staff at JW Hopp & Associates Inc. for being the Sanger Area Chamber of Commerce’s business of the month for June.

The Sanger-based tax firm also helps with payroll, bookkeeping and other business services.

In the past month, the chamber added several new members: Sanger Dental, Dinner with Debbie, Gotcha Covered, Ministering Touch Massage Therapy, Anytime Fitness Sanger, LuLaRoe Susan Kimmel, Grace Bible Church, 95.9 The Ranch, Kelly Rose Scentsy and DBaker Roofing.

Chuck CARPENTER | COMMENTARY

tion process, and taxes are a critical factor in how most companies make decisions — including whether to expand, hire new workers or invest in new technologies.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is an aggressive ad-

ment to running one’s business. Thus, it has always been a priority to maintain a creative and efficient atmosphere at our chamber membership luncheons.

To achieve these dynamics, we have been blessed with corporate sponsors that concur with this philosophy. The luncheon sponsor is Grunden Financial Advisory Inc. Tickets are available online and cost $35 for individuals and $400 for tables of 10.

CHUCK CARPENTER is president of the Denton Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at dcoc@ denton-chamber.org.

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What Happens to your Ranch/Livestock in a Divorce? Something to think about…

Farm and ranch divorces face a few more unique complexities than a typical divorce. The first question often asked is, “what will happen to my ranch and livestock in or after my divorce?” The ranch and/or livestock may be for business or for pleasure, but either way, the complexities exist.

When dealing with a divorce involving a ranch, cattle and/or horse business, the spouses, and possibly other family members, are usually highly involved in the day-to-day operations of the business as each family member brings something unique to the operation.

It’s not uncommon for one spouse to run the financial side of the business while the other spouse runs the actual operation such as: training and showing the horses; buying, raising and selling the cattle; managing the ranch itself etc.

However, if customers are involved, this adds an additional layer of issues to be discussed and resolved. It could be that some customers are more loyal to one spouse or the other, and this issue cannot be overlooked.

The first step in a ranch divorce is to evaluate how the business operates, to identify the key employees and to identify the customers. The reason is that if the spouses are considering co-owning the ranch business post-divorce, they will need to ensure that the employees are on board as well as the customers. If the employees and/or the customers are not on board, the spouses may want to dissolve or divide the business, or in some cases sell it. In the event that they want to co-own the business after the divorce, they will need an operating agreement(s) and to legally reform the business.

Reformation of the business is vital to the business running

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T

he last comprehensive reform of the U.S. tax code was in 1986. Ronald Reagan was president, music was played on cassette tapes and photographs had to be developed from film. There were no Google search capabilities. News consumption since then has shifted from magazines and newspapers to 140-character tweets.

What has not changed over the past 31 years is the taxa-

vocate of a complete reform of the nation’s tax code. The timing and likelihood of a comprehensive upgrade will be the featured program during the next Denton Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon Friday, June 23 at SpringHill Suites by Marriott.

Ashley Wilso is executive director in the Congressional and Public Affairs Division at the U.S. Chamber and serves as chief lobbyist on a range of tax, economic and pension issues. She’ll talk to our members about tax issues during the luncheon.

We’ve always felt that attending a chamber function should be viewed as a supple-

smoothly in the future.

Like any other business, the business has to be taken apart one layer at a time so it can be divided without destroying its integrity, or to package it for sale. Either way, special knowledge of farm and ranch operations is vital when a divorce is imminent. It could be that the business is dissolved but the spouses agree to jointly own livestock post-divorce. If so, it is important that such things like expenses, breeding rights, showing rights, and training, for example, are addressed. Most post-divorce litigation in ranch divorces arise from issues like the fund money from the breed organizations, prizes, winnings, showing rights, breeding rights, training, semen, embryos. And with cloning on the rise, the division of DNA is an entire new area to be addressed.

if the ranch is to be sold, resurveying may be in order to enhance the value.

In other circumstances the parties may wish to parcel it amongst the two of them or one party may buy the other party out. With livestock valuation can come great subjectivity, especially with horses. Outside experts are often needed to value ranches and livestock if the spouses cannot agree on the value.

With cattle, the market usually drives the value, unless you have breeder bulls which would need to be valued by an expert. Interestingly enough frozen semen can also be quite valuable and must be valued as well. In addition, other assets such as equipment, trailers and vehicles will also need to be valued if being divided or sold.

Texas is a community property state, meaning that absent an agreement to the contrary everything a husband and wife own at the time of divorce is considered community property and may be divided by the court. However, if a party can

prove property is their separate property, the court cannot divide it. Simply put, separate property is property that was owned prior to the date of marriage, or that was obtained by gift, devise or descent.

Once property is established as community property or separate property, complex rules may come into play for the property division. For example, if land is a party’s separate property, then such things as crops or timber must be characterized as separate or community property, and there are special rules for which these can be divided. With livestock that is proven to be separate property, we must determine whether the offspring, semen, embryos and in some cases DNA are separate or community property.

As a ranch, cattle and horse owner, I have a deep background and understanding If the ranch and/or livestock needs to of ranch assets. I am board certified in be valued, special experts’ skill and family law by the Texas State Board of knowledge will be required. For example, Legal Specialization and have practiced family law in the state of Texas for 20 years. It is important to have a working knowledge of ranch assets and the division of such assets when representing a spouse in a ranch divorce. I have conducted many ranch, cattle and horse divorces (and postdivorce litigation) across the state, and fully recognize the complexities and uniqueness of a ranch divorce. There are many questions that need to be addressed and this article represents a few starting points to help gain a better understanding of what all is involved when dealing with livestock assets in a divorce.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an attorney / client (From left to right) Brook Stuntebeck, Sean Abeyta, Charla H. Bradshaw, James Logue, and Sarah Darnell relation.

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Enterprising Voices

Get ready to win big in federal contracting T

he U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program can open doors to contracts with federal agencies nationwide. But you have to be ready.

After 17 years in this arena, I have seen phenomenal small business growth. Early in my career, I was able to help a small manufacturer propel his annual revenues from $70,000 to $7 million per year in just two years. But he was ready. The entrepreneur came to SBA very enthusiastic and eager to get into the program.

He had a business plan and was already out there marketing his services to federal agencies. In fact, he had already identified a potential contract and had workers lined up.

Many people believe breaking into the federal contracting arena is hard, and it can be. However, that is the very reason SBA and our resource partners are here. We help small, disadvantaged firms cross the learning curve by clarifying complicated regulations and simplifying the proposal process. There are 93 8(a) firms certified in the Dallas-Fort Worth District, and there is room for many more. In fiscal 2016, nearly $194 million in federal contracts went to these firms.

Also, in 2016, the federal government exceeded the

Nancy ALVAREZ | COMMENTARY

nationwide mandated goal of awarding 5 percent of all federal contracts to small, disadvantaged businesses (SDBs). A total of 9.52 percent of federal contracts valued at $39.13 billion were awarded to SDBs. In Dallas-Fort Worth, SDBs received $468 million.

This is a great time to expand your business by seeking federal contracts. Because of projected budget increases, we may be seeing more contract awards with the Department of Defense, Veterans Administration and Homeland Security.

Before you contact SBA, make sure you are ready to hit the ground running. The 8(a) program is for those businesses that are contract-ready.

This is important because once you are certified your eligibility to receive set-aside contracts lasts only nine years.

I’ve seen firms start in the program and take about six or seven years to finally grasp

how the program works. If you waste just one year of this program, you’ve thrown away the opportunity to generate a substantial amount of money.

SBA has worked with federal agencies to expand opportunities for small businesses to compete for and win federal contracts. The Fiscal 2016 Small Business Procurement Scorecard, which SBA uses to grade agencies in terms of prime contracting and subcontracting performance, resulted in an overall grade of A for the federal government.

Seven agencies received A+, 11 received a grade of A, four received a B and one agency received a C. In fiscal 2016, the federal government exceeded its 3 percent contracting goal for small businesses that were service-disabled veteranowned (SDVO). These businesses received a record 3.98 percent of federal contracts, totaling more than $16.34 billion nationwide. In DFW, SDVOs were awarded nearly $314 million in federal contracts. The government also exceeded its subcontract goals for awards to women-owned small businesses. In DFW, WOSBs were awarded $303 million.

Nationally, prime contract dollars in all categories increased.

The annual scorecard is an

Rodrigo Abd/AP file photo

Small businesses are key players in federal contracting projects such as the U.S.-Mexico border fence, pictured March 30 in Sunland Park, N.M. assessment tool to: â– Measure how well federal agencies reach their small business and socioeconomic prime contracting and subcontracting goals; â– Provide accurate and transparent contracting data; and â– Report agency-specific progress.

The prime and subcontracting component goals include goals for small businesses, small businesses

Biz on the Wire

owned by women, small disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and small businesses located in historically underutilized business zones (HUBZs).

Every year, SBA works with each agency to set their prime and subcontracting goals, and their grades are based on the agreed upon goals. Each federal agency has a different small business contracting goal, determined annually in

consultation with SBA. SBA ensures that the sum total of all of the individual agency goals exceeds the 23 percent target established by law.

The individual agency scorecards released by SBA, as well as a detailed explanation of the scorecard methodology, are available online at http:// bit.ly/2sjrztF. While each federal agency is responsible for ensuring the quality of its own contracting data, SBA conducts additional analyses to help agencies identify potential data anomalies. As part of its ongoing data quality efforts, the SBA is working with federal agency procurement staff to provide tools to facilitate review of data, implement improvements to procurement systems and conduct training to improve accuracy.

The overall federal small business prime contracting performance released by the SBA, as well as a detailed explanation of the calculations, is available online at http://go.usa.gov/Nxxd.

NANCY ALVAREZ manages the U.S. Small Business Administration Dallas-Fort Wort District’s 8(a) Business Development, HUBZone and Mentor-Protege programs.

She can be reached at nancy. alvarez@sba.gov.

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The Amazon logo is displayed at the Nasdaq MarketSite on May 30 in New York. Amazon announced Tuesday it’s testing a new service for its Prime members that lets customers try on the latest clothes before they buy at no upfront charge.

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Amazon now delivers dressing room

By Anne D’Innocenzio | AP

NEW YORK — Amazon is increasingly claiming territory once held exclusively by department stores and it’s doing so again, essentially placing a dressing room in your house.

Amazon is testing a new service for Prime members that allows them to try on the latest styles before they buy at no upfront charge.

Customers have seven days to decide what they like and only pay for what they keep.

Shipments arrive in a resealable box with a prepaid label for returns.

Amazon said Tuesday that more than a million pieces of clothing and accessories are eligible and include brands like Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Theory and Levi’s, labels that

are big names at department stores. Shoppers receive discounts depending on how much they keep.

Prime Wardrobe is Amazon’s latest thrust into fashion and could be another big blow to department stores like Macy’s, which are struggling with weak sales. It’s also a potential concern for Walmart, which has been snapping up online clothing brands including ModCloth and Bonobos as it tries to snare millennials.

But Amazon’s new service is a threat to newer, online businesses as well; clothing subscription services like Stitch Fix, which charge a styling fee of $20.

Amazon has made a concerted push to expand into fashion through private labels

like Lark & Ro. But with Prime Wardrobe, it’s bidding for more loyalty from already devoted members of Prime.

Amazon is poised to surpass Macy’s this year as the largest U.S. clothing seller, according to Cowen & Co. analysts. The industry observer expects Amazon’s share of the U.S. clothing market will increase from 6.6 percent last year, to 16.2 percent by 2021.

Prime Wardrobe works this way: Shoppers pick three or more items and then have a try-on period to find the best styles. For items they want to discard, customers can drop off at a UPS location or schedule a free pick-up.

Shoppers will receive 10 percent off if they keep three or four items or 20 percent off for five items or more.

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Business Spotlight

Buy vs. rent — the small business conundrum grams that require a subscription payment, typically offer free tech support and automatic updates.

While subscriptions can be enticing, it can make more financial sense to purchase

By Jackie Zimmermann | NerdWallet Your business is growing up, and it’s time to consider investing in its future. The question for entrepreneurs is just how permanent your investment should be.

Here are four small-business resources — office space, employees, equipment and technology — and guidance to help you determine if you should buy or rent.

Home sweet rental

Your office is an essential component to your business.

But unless you need a customized space or have no intentions of growing, leasing is the way to go, says Jonathan Wasserstrum, co-founder and CEO of SquareFoot, an online platform that helps connect business owners with office space.

Buying real estate ties you to a specific location and leaves you vulnerable to fluctuations in the real estate market. It also adds another worry to a business owner’s already lengthy list of concerns.

“You have your own business to worry about and keep you up at night,” Wasserstrum says. “Why add real estate to that list? If you own your space and the toilet breaks, you can’t call the landlord to complain ... you are the landlord.”

To hire or not to hire?

When it comes to hiring, remember that business is cyclical, says Susan Solovic, who serves as a special advocate for the advocacy group Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.

“It’s feast and famine,” she says. “You don’t want to staff up for the feast time then find out in famine times that you’re going to have to let someone go.”

Until you feel like you are on solid financial footing, use contractors or freelancers. The one exception? Hire someone to complement your skills as a business owner if you know you don’t have the ability to tackle every aspect of the job.

If you’re not a strong people person, “you might want to bring in someone to be second-in-command to help with business development,” Solovic says.

If you use contractors, make sure you do your due diligence: Interview them like you would any employee to avoid getting stuck with mediocre work or missed deadlines.

You can also consider the ultimate temporary workforce — interns.

Businesses with unpaid interns have to meet specific requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Thinking big

Small-ticket items, like equipment you might need in an office or retail store, have become relatively affordable and multifunctional. Instead of buying a scanner and a printer, you can get one piece of equipment that does both.

This saves space and time, and could make spending the money to own the item more reasonable.

Now, say you own a construction company or a restaurant. The big-ticket items — construction equipment, stoves or refrigerators — are likely more financially cumbersome than an office printer.

When deciding whether to buy, consider how often you’ll use the item, and weigh the cost of purchase and maintenance versus lease payments.

If it’s something you need often, like restaurant equipment, buying new (or lightly used) products is a good investment as long as the financing terms don’t exceed the equipment’s life span. If it’s something you need for a few jobs here and there, like heavy equipment or trucks, consider leasing.

Software and the cloud

Focusing on your business

requires up-to-date technology, something small-business owners may not have the time to manage. Software as a service, or cloud-based pro-

licenses for specific software, says Miguel Cuevas, founder of business operations consulting firm IT Systems Solutions Pro. Consider purchasing software if it can be used for at least three to five years and

updates are available.

When is it worth paying for a monthly software service?

Cloud-based technology enables access to programs from multiple devices, making it a good option for businesses

that involve travel or field work.

JACKIE ZIMMERMANN is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website.

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Unemployment Update National numbers

By Martin Crutsinger | AP WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for a second straight week, further evidence of the strength of the labor market.

The Labor Department said Thursday that claims for jobless benefits in the most recent week available dropped by 8,000, to a seasonally adjusted 237,000. The lessvolatile four-week average rose by 1,000 to 243,000.

Applications for unemployment benefits are a proxy for layoffs. They’ve come in below 300,000, a historically low figure, for 119 straight weeks, the longest such stretch since 1970. Overall, 1.94 million people were collecting unemployment checks, down 10.2 percent from a year ago.

Various indicators show the job market is healthy even though hiring has slowed lately, partly because employers are having trouble finding workers. The jobless rate fell in May to a 16-year low of 4.3 percent.

The economy has generated 162,000 jobs a month so far this year — up from an average of 157,000 a month from January through May last year but down from an average of 187,000 a month for all of 2016.

Biz on the Wire Delta adds facial recognition kiosks

MINNEAPOLIS — Delta Air Lines says it is the first U.S. airline to use facial recognition technology to speed the process of checking baggage.

Four self-serve kiosks for checking bags debuted Monday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, including one that uses facial recognition technology to match travelers with their passport photos.

The new kiosks are only for checking bags and don’t replace security lines, airport spokesman Patrick Hogan said.

Travelers use their boarding passes to print check-in tags for their bags at the selfserve kiosks. Those with a passport can use the facial recognition feature. A Delta agent will check the IDs of those who don’t have a passport. The bags are then loaded onto a belt.

U.S. hits two Russian officials with sanctions

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on two Russian officials and three dozen other individuals and companies over Russian activities in Ukraine.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the new penalties are designed to “maintain pressure on Russia to work toward a diplomatic solution.”

In all, Tuesday’s action targets 38 individuals and firms. Any assets they have in the U.S. are now blocked.

Americans are prohibited from doing business with them.

The U.S. has been punishing Russia with sanctions since its 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region.

The Treasury Department says the new measures address people and companies who’ve sought to circumvent those sanctions.

Zinke pledges to enforce methane rule

WASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says the Trump administration will enforce an Obama-era regulation aimed at restricting harmful methane emissions from oil and gas production, even as it seeks to rewrite the rule to be more industryfriendly.

Zinke told a Senate committee Tuesday that Interior will enforce those parts of the methane regulation that have

taken effect. That’s despite announcing last week that it is postponing parts of the rule that take effect next year.

Under questioning from Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Zinke said he agreed that “flaring” of excess methane at

drill sites is wasteful. He said he hopes to design a rule that ensures taxpayers get fair value for the gas while not punishing industry.

The methane rule, finalized in November, forces energy companies to capture methane

that’s burned off or flared at drilling sites on public lands because it earns less money than oil. An estimated $330 million a year in methane — the primary component of natural gas — is wasted through leaks or intentional

releases on federal lands, enough to power about 5 million homes a year, officials say.

A bid by Senate Republicans to overturn the rule failed unexpectedly last month, prompting Interior officials to promise to sus-

pend, revise or rescind the regulation as part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to unravel what it considers burdensome regulations imposed by former President Barack Obama.

— The Associated Press

10

JUNE 2017

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Denton Record-Chronicle

Cover Story

Jeff Woo/DRC file photo

Tim Beaty owns the Monroe-Pearson building in east downtown Denton.

Events venue Monroe Pearson is set to open at the location in April.

Jeff Woo/DRC file photo

The main barn at Chapel Creek Ranch can accommodate 350 guests. There’s also a farmhouse-turned-chapel and a covered outdoor event space. The venue northeast of Krum held its first wedding last month.

WEDDINGS | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

couples prefer to be a bit more conservative with their money.

Venetta Petties is the founder of Pop and Go Weddings, a business she launched in 2016 to provide local brides with a more affordable wedding option.

Her target audience is brides who would get married at the courthouse or elope but would like to be surrounded by more friends and family than those options allow — and are budget-conscious — she said.

“It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around spending $20,000 to $30,000 on a wedding,” Petties said. “I really believe couples should invest in the marriage and not the wedding.”

Pop and Go Weddings packages start at $1,500. That price includes an officiant, photographer, bouquet for the bride and boutonniere for the groom, a small cake or cupcakes and champagne for the toast.

Most of the weddings that Petties plans are outdoors because it significantly decreases the wedding price to not have to pay for a venue location, she said. Her weddings typically cater for 50 to 75 guests, and the ceremony and reception are completed in about an hour.

One trend Petties has noticed in the wedding industry since launching her business is that wedding party sizes are decreasing.

“You may see a maid of honor and a best man,” she said. “I think people are getting away from the big wedding parties. I believe that brides are really starting to feel the pain of having big wedding parties from having to deal with all those different personalities.”

Wedding party sizes aren’t the only things that are decreasing. The number of invited guests also is declining, said Ashley Love, director of sales and marketing for Ashton Gardens, a wedding and special events venue in Corinth.

“We have seen a decline in guest counts,” Love said.

“While brides aren’t necessarily changing their budgets, brides are really looking to cater to a smaller set of guests on a more intimate and exclusive setting.”

The average number of guests attending events at Ashton Gardens decreased by a third from last year to this year, Love said.

Even with those numbers decreasing, the average amount of money couples spend on their wedding is increasing. The average wedding price in the U.S. increased $2,688 from 2015 to 2016, according to The Knot.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area’s luxury wedding market is thriving. Rachel Burt Garcia, owner and lead planner of As You Wish Weddings and Events, said a major trend in the luxury market with younger brides is eco-friendly weddings.

“Brides are wanting to use

Jeff Woo

Ashley Love is the director of sales and marketing for Ashton Gardens in Corinth. locally sourced flowers and local farm-to-table food and things of that nature,” Burt Garcia said. “I think that the millennial generation of the brides that are up-and-coming really care about their carbon footprint and the things that go into planning a wedding.”

County has more wedding venues than ever before

With more than two dozen wedding venues in Denton County, local couples have plenty of options for the cere-

mony location on their big day. And more venues are coming.

Chapel Creek Ranch in north Denton held its first wedding in early May. The venue has nearly 50 weddings booked, said manager Courtney Davis.

That venue has a rustic flair. The whitewashed chapel, which seats 100 guests, used to be a farmhouse. Situated on 140 acres, the ranch features a newly constructed reception hall that seats 350 and a creek

that weaves its way through the property. Guests can glimpse longhorn cattle and even shoot clay pigeons on the property.

Chapel Creek Ranch offers amenities including a bridal suite with a bathroom and balcony, a TV and dartboard in the groom’s room, a rehearsal breakfast and cleaning service after the event.

Another wedding venue is coming to downtown Denton: Monroe Pearson. The venue is set to open in April and is already accepting wedding and events bookings.

The Monroe-Pearson building just east of Bell Avenue dates back more than 100 years. The venue, with exposed brick walls, will be able to accommodate 300 guests.

Despite the comings and goings of trends and venues, wedding ceremonies will be around for years to come.

“I think we all realize people never stop getting married,” Davis said. “People just keep getting married, which is awesome.”

Jeff Woo/DRC file photo

From left, Andy Allison, Amanda Allison, Carolyn Harris and Tim Harris founded Hawthorn Hills Ranch west of Krum and Denton.

Courtesy photo/Renit Lambert

Venetta and Chris Petties founded Pop and Go Weddings to provide local couples with a more affordable wedding option.

MADISON WILSON can be reached at 940-566-6921.

DRC file photo

The Milestone is in far west Denton off Jim Christal Road.

Jeff Woo

DRC file photo

The chapel at Ashton Gardens in Corinth can accommodate 300 guests.

The Springs Event Venue is southwest of Aubrey on Wildcat Road.

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Vital Statistics SALES TAX

The following sales permits were issued by the state comptroller’s office for January. The list includes the owner, name of business and address within ZIP codes 75068, 76201, 76205, 76207, 76208, 76209, 76210, 76226, 76227, 76249, 76258 , 76259 and 76266.

75068 Taxco Artisanry, 2812 Dawn Spring Drive, Little Elm 1-Stop Enterprises LLC, 2640 Deer Hollow Drive, Little Elm Averquen, 1025 Port Mansfield Drive, Little Elm H.U.S.H. Clothing, 1112 Lake Forest Trail, Little Elm Ragadoodle, 611 Diamond Point Drive, Oak Point Rivera Sparkling Cleaning, 1428 Sun Breeze Drive, Little Elm True Believers Ink 2 Corporation, 3001 Baybreeze Drive, Little Elm Eng Hair Salon, 1000 E. ElDorado Parkway, Suite 160, Little Elm Klemmyjbllc, 1421 Whitewater Drive, Little Elm Little Elm Air And Heat LLC, 1409 Stillwater Cove Drive, Little Elm

Nd Technologies LLC, 2305 Sun Creek Drive, Little Elm Patricia Lynn Stegall, 2050 F.M. 423, Apt. 3407, Little Elm Sazi’s Creations, 305 Willet Court, Little Elm Vastra - The Attire LLC, 713 Calliopsis Street, Little Elm 76201 Carl Kleinsteuber, 2524 Bowling Green Street, Denton Cross Timbers NTX, 2308 W. University Drive, Suite 104, Denton Downtown Mini Mall, 118 N. Locust Street, Denton Jane Van Bunnen, 2313 Bowling Green Street, Denton Cellular Usa Inc., 2317 W. University Drive, Suite B5, Denton Denton Parlor, 110 W. Oak Street, Suite B, Denton Other Life Cycles, 715 Mimosa Drive, Denton

Waifu Material, 816 W. Congress Street, Denton Wireless Unlimited Investments LLC, 124 Eagle Drive, Suite 100, Denton 76205 Homegoods #52, 1800 S. Loop 288, Denton Veracity Research Co., 1104 Dallas Drive, Suite 220, Denton Jones Gifts, 7 Highview Court, Denton Cabana Beverages, Inc., 2220 S. Loop 288, Denton Chow Joe Cuisine, 2201 S. Interstate 35E, Denton Storrie Parachute Works, 115 S. Woodrow Lane, Denton V3 Construction Company LLC, 1332 Teasley Lane, Denton 76207 Love’s Truck Solutions LLC, 217 8900 N. Interstate 35, Denton WCN, 5800 N. Interstate 35, Suite 401, Denton Denton Taekwondo Academy, 5800 N. Interstate 35, Suite 507, Denton 76208 Danya, 908 Jeffrey Drive, Denton Hummingbird Hill, 3610 Fritz Lane, Corinth

RELEASE OF STATE TAX LIENS

NAME/ADDRESS Eagle & Wheeler, LLC, 1121 Dallas Drive, Suite 5 LDB Holdings, LLC, 520 N. Loop 288

TYPE limited sales excise and use tax limited sales excise and use tax

AMOUNT $3,806.14 $4,693.28

REC. DATE 5/4/2017 5/4/2017

TYPE franchise tax lien filed in error

AMOUNT $6,515.09 $3,844.86

REC. DATE 5/12/2017 5/19/2017

AMOUNT $17,621.80 $13,579.57 $47,589.35 $2,836.09 $145,216.80 $1,008.93 $12,969.91 $14,718.64 $74,845.27 $1,522,098.66 $73,837.48 $28,405.00 $4,637.83 $1,089.61

REC. DATE 5/12/2017 5/12/2017 5/12/2017 5/17/2017 5/17/2017 5/17/2017 5/23/2017 5/23/2017 5/23/2017 5/30/2017 5/30/2017 5/31/2017 5/31/2017 5/31/2017

FEDERAL TAX LIENS

NAME/ADDRESS Virwo Inc., 2220 San Jacinto Boulevard, Suite 215 Janice Blair, 1819 Stonegate Drive Martin Blair, 1819 Stonegate Drive Roy W. Lunt & Jane P. Piper, P.O. Box 3003 James C. Johnson, 2301 Great Bear Lane 380 Roadhouse LLC, 1405 S. Trinity Road Patricia Catlin, 3108 Inglewood Street Loreacy Moses, 5017 Teasley Lane, Suite 145 #86 William Anderson, 3721 Oceanview Drive Khosrow & Amy Jo Sadeghian, P.O. Box 50593 Virwo Inc., 2220 San Jacinto Boulevard, Suite 215 International Congress of Churches and Ministries, 909 N. Loop 288, Suite 300 Longhorn Efficient Solutions, LLC, 1100 S. Woodrow Lane Michael A. Koehler, 2206 Stella Street, Apartment 6

TYPE 940, 941 6672 6672 1040 1040 941 1040 1040 1040 1040 941 941 941 1040

BUILDING PERMITS

The following building permits were issued by the Denton Planning and Development department in May. Commercial alterations and commercial permits reflect the owner or tenant and the address of the business. Residential permits include the address of the home.

CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPATION Pizza Hut of America, 400 N. Loop 288, Suite 110 Pizza Hut of America, 1600 Teasley Lane Pizza Hut of America, 5017 Teasley Lane, Suite 155 Pizza Hut of America, 227 W. University Drive Old West Cafe, 2420 S. Interstate 35E Kids Zone, 3730 E. McKinney St., Suite 101-102 Irvin Realty Group, 501 S. Carroll Blvd., Suite 101 Grandy’s, 3450 E. McKinney St. Johnston Motors, 627 S. Mayhill Road, Suite 109 Unicus Athletics, 3801 N. Interstate 35, Suite 226 Dallas Used Cars, 4108 E. University Drive Hail Dents, 300 Dallas Drive, Suite 300 Addiction Behavioral Serivces, 7231 S. Interstate 35E, Suite 241 DFW Refrigerant Service, 3821 Market St., Suite 123 Doctor Trans & Auto Care, 2311 S. Interstate 35E David Kinast, 1014 Dallas Drive, Suite 112 John Cartwright, 721 S. Elm St. Fitness World, 3829 Market St., Suite 131 Fitness World, 3829 Market St., Suite 131 Denton Event Center, 2600 Virginia Circle, Suite 150 Denton Color Lab, LLC, 513 S. Locust St. Woman to Woman Pregnancy Resource Center, 525 N. Locust St. COMMERCIAL ALTERATION SKR Investments, LLC, 4210 Mesa Drive, Suite 110 J-Med Ltd., 2509 Scripture St. Tristar Repair & Construction, 400 W. Oak St., Suite 210 Pristyn RX, LLC, 3303 Unicorn Lake Blvd., Suite 200 Tires for Less, 821 E. McKinney St. Sam’s Club #4905, 2850 University Drive Taco Cabana, 2220 S. Loop 288 Journeys, 2201 S. Interstate 35E, Suite M8 Antrim Properties, 1800 Westminister St., Suite 10 City of Denton, 901 Texas St. White Box Only, 2317 W. University Drive, Suite 173 Metro PCS, 2317 W. University Drive, Suite 137 Denton Affordable Housing, 2118 Bolivar St.

33 Degrees, 919 Eagle Drive Luxury Nail Bar, 2219 S. Loop 288, Suite 108 Fisher Renewables, 2221 Alamo Place Faith United Methodist Church, 6060 Teasley Lane Rooster’s, 113 Industrial Street COMMERCIAL LO Denton Bonnie Brae, 2200 W. University Drive D.R. Horton, 2217 Skysail Lane City of Denton, 4111 Vintage Boulevard Rooms to Go, 3120 N. Interstate 35 Bill & Dee Builders LLC, 3000 Wind River Lane Med Trans Corp., 2200 Westcourt Road Bloomfield Homes, L.P. 9101 John Paine Road RESIDENTIAL DR Horton 2204 Ringtail Drive 4013 Crosstrees Drive 2101 Skysail Lane 4117 Ranchamn Blvd.

3291 Crosstrees Drive 2104 Skysail Lane 2113 Corsair Lane 2117 Corsair Lane 2109 Corsair Lane Lennar Homes 1901 Nob Hill Court 1917 Hollister Lane 1900 Hollister Lane 4109 Bonita Avene 4117 Bonita Avene 3901 Roxbury St. 4001 Bonita Avenue Pulte Homes 6425 Roaring Creek 6501 Roaring Creek 6505 Roaring Creek

76210 Dapper Pins & Cuffs, 2927 Lipizzan Court, Denton Brush By Brittany Feagins, 2921 Desert Drive, Denton JPatrick & GPucci LLC, 317 Matthew Avenue, Denton Kozak Productions, Inc., 1808 Copper Leaf Drive, Corinth

76226 Kissables By Nene, 9489 Hilltop Road, Argyle SoSam Products LLC, 9088 Loving Branch, Lantana Strategic Aspect, 1020 Harpole Road, Argyle Satin Pavement, LLC, 1220 Golf Club Drive, Lantana Area, Space, and Place Design, 989 Terrace Drive, Lantana Little Pond Farm, 1120 Harpole Road, Argyle The Junkyard, 780 Harpole Road, Argyle The Treasure Trove, 1417 8th Street, Argyle 76227 Hillary H. Abramson, 1893 FM1385 #241, Aubrey Warrior Landscaping, 8925 Sagebrush Trail, Crossroads Ad Graces Closet, 1115 Red Robin Drive, Aubrey Angel Botique, 1038 Warbler, Aubrey Modular Performance Marketing, LLC, 2208 Saint Jullian St., Savannah Murphy’s Antiques, 4854 New Hope Road, Aubrey SK Mart, 928 S Highway 377, Suite 200, Aubrey Ur Gifts 4 All Seasons, 1013 Cotton Exchange Drive, Savannah

The following names (followed by DBA and address) were posted in May for Denton at the Denton County Clerk’s office.

The following liens for Denton businesses and residents were posted in May at the Denton County Clerk’s office.

NAME/ADDRESS 380 Subs, 111 E. University Drive, Suite 102 Earthwood Cabinet Company, 1032 Shady Oaks Drive, Suite 205

76209 Fred Lansdon Alcorn, 2920 Longfellow Lane, Denton D&I Sunglasses, 500 N. Bell Avenue, Suite 112, Denton Denton Wash Wag, 2816 Weston Drive, Denton Distek Integration, Inc., 1555 Nottingham Drive, Denton Summer Ortiz, 1728 Red Oak Court, Denton Urbanite Angel Industries, 1717 Post Oak Court, Denton

Colbydog Snacks And Treats, 3612 Wessex Court, Denton

ASSUMED NAMES

LIENS

STATE TAX LIENS

Johnston Motors LLC, 627 S. Mayhill Road, Suite 109, Denton Shelby Electro, 1912 Lake Crest Lane, Denton Domino’s Pizza, 1701 N. Corinth Street, Corinth Hak Industries, Inc., 2141 Collins Road, Suite 602, Denton J And L Rodwerks, 2141 Collins Road, Suite 402, Denton PR By Paula, 3301 Danbury Cove, Corinth Lumajay Enterprises LLC, 4210 Plumbago Drive, Denton Wet Dog Irrigation, 3302 Benbrook Cove, Corinth

Megatel Homes, 4213 Roxbury St. Bloomfield Homes 5012 Stillhouse Hollow Lane 9405 Lake Fork Trail 4812 Stillhouse Hollow Lane 9413 Lake Fork Trail 9501 Athens Drive 9413 Athens Drive 5020 Marble Falls Drive 9705 Athens Drive Dunhill Homes DFW 3704 Juniperio St. 5601 Del Rey Circle 5605 Del Rey Circle 5609 Del Ray Circle 3700 Harbour Mist Trail 3801 Harbour Mist Trail 3809 Juniperio St. Robson Denton Development 10500 Goodland Road 12109 Brant Way 8205 Willet Court 12104 Gadwall Drive 8004 Osprey Lane 11708 Cinnamon Drive 11825 Willet Way 11913 Willet Way 11917 Willet Way 11905 Willet Way 9612 Rivercrest Drive 8109 Osprey Lane 9805 Blackwood Drive History Maker Homes 5416 Las Lomas Lane 5604 Dolores 5709 Del Ray Drive 3413 San Lucas Lane 3425 San Lucas Lane 3405 San Lucas Lane 5408 Las Lomas Lane Wyndham Custom Homes, 3500 Meadowtrail Lane Red Gable Homes, 2220 Paxton Way Gehan Homes, 9612 Creekmere Drive

NAME — DBA/ADDRESS

NAME — DBA/ADDRESS

Brenen Thomas, PaintingWithSole, 1221 W. Oak Street, Apt. 2204 Chadrick Hammons, Chad’s Wood Health Improvement, 2408 Shenandoah Trail Kevin Carr, House Ninjas, 3808 Surf Street Michael Friend, Bounce Party Rentals, 4101 Autumn Path Road John Linden, RJT Enterprises, 3804 Titan Trail Eddie Langaroodi, Signtific Solutions, 2209 Westvie Trail Servando Estrado, Estradas & Sons Mowing Services, 1304 Allen Court Bradley Labio, GENF Productions, 5301 E. McKinney Street, Lot 66 Rachel MacKenna, Rachel Fischer, 47 Amarillo Street Elfega Leon Bravo, Glowing Gloves, 5301 E. McKinney Street, Suite 267 Jon Dowdy, Design Roofing & Construction, 1620 Mozingo Street Todd Waggoner, Square Burrito Games, 2004 Camellia Street Hannah Lewis, Hannah Banana Breads, 1317 Windstream Street Martha Garcia, Happy Holistic Housekeepers, 5305 Paulie Drive Anthony LaBarbera, Thera Fit Global, 1408 Teasley Lane, Suite 421 Roberto Castro, The New Generation Lawn Service, 9110 Teasley Lane, Suite 29F Dylan Taylor, A NTX Boat Clean, 1104 McCormick Street, Unit 1 Erin Clark, Coach Erin Clark, 6016 Photinia Avenue Misty McCauley, Beast Mowed DFW Grounds Management & Landscape, 8621 Serenity Way Misty McCauley, Beast Mowed DFW Lawn Management & Landscape, 8621 Serenity Way Anthony LaBarbera, Lelizz, 1408 Teasley Lane, Suite 421

Sandra Tovar, Exclusive Paiting, 7100 Riverchase Trail Lynn Schwab, Xtreme Gutters, 3501 Caribou Court Garay Eriberto Villeda, Garay Landscaping Services, 1528 Audra Lane Allan Gaskamp, 1st Choice Promo, 1800 S. Loop 288, Suite 396 Lynn Schwab, Lynn Schwab Photography, 3501 Caribou Court Christina Smith, Christina’s Cleaning Services, 2390 Riverside Drive Megan Wilbanks, Up Your Chimney, 2205 Southway Nicholas Lomeli, O.C.I. Optimus Cabling Innovations, 2124 Bernard Street Terra L. Beachum, Urbanchy, 628 Aspen Drive David Haynes, J&N Trading, 7309 Livingston Drive Laura Richards, Come Out Stronger Academy, 1501 S. Loop 288, Suite 104 Dee Rinehart, DOJO, 2801 Pioneer Drive Steven Gore, G-Force Mobile Laser Tag, 3508 St. Johns Drive Raymond Banks, Crown & Glory Salon, 3300 Hudsonwood Drive, Apt. 1301 Stephen Dillenberg, Cross Timbers NTX, 1004 Abbots Lane Cessia Gonzalez, Danya, 908 Jeffrey Drive Yrene Gannon, The Container Gardener, 9816 Callaway Court David Pond, Service Pro Pools, 5301 McKinney Street, Suite 454 Ivis Journet, C&I Appliance & AC Repair, 703 Emery Street Leonides Cendejas, Jose and Leo Kitchen and Bath, 5313 Fishtrap Road Carmen Cruz, PriDenton, 2513 Kariba Lane Charles Miles, Random Sync, P.O. Box 773 Julian Ruiz-Guereca, Linear Xpress, 320 Audra Lane, Apartment E

76249 Txt Equipment LLC, 16450 W. U.S. Highway 380, Krum V5 Smoked BBQ, 1222 Golden Hoof Drive, Krum AAA Clean Out Services, 12456 FM1173, Krum Marsha Grunden Interiors, 9620 Jim Christal Road, Denton Swift Tire Shop, 1200 E. McCart St., Krum 76258 Sabor De Mexico, 100 S. U.S. Highway 377, Pilot Point 76259 End the Brain Fog, 413 Saratoga Lane, Ponder 76266 Texas 710 Fields, 614 Ranger Creek Road, Sanger Texas Motor Acceptance LLC, 1650 W. Chapman Drive, Suite 303, Sanger Woody’s Tree Service, 7725 FM2164, Sanger The Glass Rose, 11465 FM1190, Sanger

NAME — DBA/ADDRESS Greg Warford, Crown Roofing and Renovations of Texas, 111 E. University Drive, Suite 105-172 Ty Ortiz, T&C Fencing, 1800 S. Loop 288, Suite 396 #111 Linda Ann Roberson, Garner’s Day Hab and Residential Services, 2301 East Windosr Street Dawn Dreyer, The Atrium Obscurium, 1006 Edinburg Lane Guillermo Aguirre, Super’M Glass and Aluminum, 420 Oakwood Circle James McCurley, RLR Properties, 827 Ridgecrest Circle Vega Rogelio, Vega Pools and Outdoor Living, 2414 Forth Worth Drive Dick Ikechuklwu, JESUS4EVER Transportation, 1800 Teasley Lane, #102 John Garrett Stark, Sno Ballz Chance, 816 N. Bell Avenue, Apt. 3 Luis Vivaldo Bencomo, Casamia Mexican Restaurant, 3810 Desert Willow Drive Ranay Haynes, Squeky Clean, 3517 Sunnydale Lane Weston Kuehn, K Media Systems, 3730 E. McKinney Street, #135 Wenceslado Rivera, Lalo Rivera Tax Preparer, 6601 Gissom Road, Lot 126 Tommy Marshall, Tommy Marshall & Associates, 101 S. Locust Street, Suite 600 Lori Pyles, ACMI Center Association of Metaphychics Instruction, 3500 E. McKinney Street, #7215 Haley Morehead, Talented Talon, 2200 Malone Street Cameron Richman, Southern Charmed Junk, 3424 Evening Wind Road Tamara L. Nantz, Xtremely Sassy Ventures, 1400 Gatewood Drive Candace Patton, Bonnie’s Lawn and Tree, 3308 Huisache Street Arlanders Moore, A.A.B. Trucking, LLC., 1512 Eufemia Drive Frank Clark, CCC Sales, 6181 Fishtrap Road Renita Thornton, High Performance Systems, 1309 Buena Vista Drive Mehti Barnett, Texas Tuff, 624 Londonderry Lane, Apt. 103 Cynthia Jackson, Da’Platinum Sistahood S.C., 505 N. Loop 288, Apt. K1 Miguel Alejandro Perez, Premier Finishes, 1906 Creek Avenue

Open/Closed WILSON | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Waffle Works, located in Andy’s Basement Bar & Grill on North Locust Street in Denton, opened the second week of May. The basement is now nonsmoking and offers eight specialty waffles from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

Those with a sweet tooth and affinity for all-natural ingredients have a new place to try: Gnome Cones opened in Argyle in May. The snow cone stand offers icy treats with no preservatives or dyes.

The syrups are made with fruit juice and cane sugar.

Customers can order 12 flavors including chai tea, apple pie and pomegranate.

There has been chatter that

Marshalls and HomeGoods are coming to Denton. Both companies as well as Tuesday Morning have filed preliminary paperwork with the city.

Tuesday Morning and Marshalls have submitted initial plans with the city to build stores at Rayzor Ranch Marketplace. Company representatives did not return requests for comment.

Sub Zero Ice Cream is now open in Flower Mound.

Guests pick a cream base, ranging from classic to vegan options, and it’s mixed with liquid nitrogen to create smooth ice cream in about two minutes.

A new neighborhood is coming to Shady Shores.

Adkisson Ranch broke

ground, and homes, beginning in the $500,000 range, are expected to be available in late 2018.

WCN, comprising three businesses owned by the same woman, is now open.

Wild Bird Stop, Cheeps & Critters Pet Thrift Store and Never a Dull Moment Tool Sharpening are located at 5800 N. Interstate 35, Suite 401. Wild Bird Stop is a bird seed store; Cheeps & Critters is a pet thrift store that buys, sells and trades new and used pet items including pet bowls, leashes, cat trees and gyms; and Never a Dull Moment is a tool sharpening service for knives, scissors and garden tools.

Business Spotlight BRIANNA | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Tackle these financial and administrative tasks now, and you can minimize the money stress that can trouble relationships — and get back to enjoying newly wedded life.

Agree on short- and long-term financial goals

Ideally, you’ll already know your spouse’s income, spending habits, debt load and credit score. If not, now’s the time for you both to be upfront about your financial backgrounds and behaviors.

That’s especially important as you discuss the goals you’ll work toward as a couple. If you’re thinking about buying a house together, poor credit or massive debt could affect whether you’ll qualify for a mortgage. If necessary, create a credit repair or debt payoff plan, perhaps with the help of a certified financial planner or credit counselor.

Get in the habit of talking about other priorities, too.

Discuss whether you’re each saving enough for retirement or how often you want to take — and how much to spend on — vacations.

Decide how to manage bank accounts

There’s no rule that says spouses must combine checking and savings accounts.

Discuss your preferences while ensuring the bills get paid on time. If you decide to keep your finances separate, though, it’s often easiest to use

NerdWallet/AP

“Ask Brianna” is a column from NerdWallet for 20-somethings or anyone else starting out. one shared checking account to cover joint expenses, says Jennifer Kruger, assistant branch manager at the Fidelity Investor Center in midtown Manhattan.

Make a list of expenses you’ll both contribute to, such as groceries, housing and utilities. You can split the costs in half or contribute proportionally based on your incomes or other financial commitments.

Add up the monthly total for each of you, then set up automatic transfers of that amount to the joint account.

Update beneficiaries

Doing paperwork may not be your idea of marital bliss, but there’s a lot of it right after you get married. First, update the beneficiaries on your life insurance policy, if you have one, and retirement accounts.

Federal law says your spouse will receive the balance of your 401(k) if you die unless he or she signs a waiver. You can name anyone as a beneficiary of an individual retirement account, but your spouse may end up getting half if you

Getty Images/Purestock

Doing paperwork may not be your idea of marital bliss, but there’s a lot of it right after you get married. live in a community property state. (In Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin, divorcing spouses typically must split equally any property obtained during the marriage, no matter who acquired it.)

Each spouse should also fill out a new Form W-4 at work.

Getting married often changes your tax rate; updating the form ensures your employer withholds the right amount of

federal income tax from your paycheck. Decide which tax filing status to use, too, now that you’re married. Most couples pay less tax by filing jointly, but in some circumstances, filing separately is best.

Consider a postnuptial agreement

Like a prenup, a postnuptial agreement dictates the division of assets in case of divorce or death; the only difference is that it’s created at

any point after marriage.

Without an agreement, state law will determine who owns what, which may not be in line with your wishes.

Marital agreements are particularly useful if you live in a community property state, you enter the marriage with children from a prior relationship, you’re expecting a large inheritance or there’s a big income disparity between you and your partner, says Kelly J. Capps, a family law

attorney and owner of Capps Law Firm in Austin. In these instances, you may have a heightened interest in keeping certain assets separate or clarifying how you and your spouse would split shared property.

BRIANNA McGURRAN is a staff writer at NerdWallet.

This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.

JUNE 2017

12

D

BC

Denton Record-Chronicle

CHAMBER SPOTLIGHT #DentonMeansBusiness UPCOMING EVENTS

RIBBON CUTTING Outback Steakhouse June 13, 2017

IN THE MIX WINC

May 24, 2017

NEW MEMBERS Applejacks Liquors

345 E. Hickory Street, Denton applejacksliquors.com

Unlimited Care of North Texas 608 North Bell Ave. Suite B, Denton UCONT.net

WolMed

2436 S. I-35E #336, Denton wolmed.com

414 W. Parkway Denton, TX 76201 940.382.9693 Denton-chamber.org

In Denton!

America’s Drive-In Daily ur p Ha py Ho m p 2pm - 4

Crown Chase Inn & Suites

Denton • Crossroads • Paloma Creek Aubrey • Pilot Point • Sanger • Krum

2450 Brinker Road (940) 387-1000 bwdenton.com

www.sonicdrivein.com/denton

Welcome to The Premier Life.®

Blue Mound United Methodist Church 8421 I-35N, Denton Bluemoundumc.org

D&D Travel Dreams Dream Vacations

2501 Great Bear Lane, Denton ddtraveldreams.com Interested in Membership?

Call 940.382.9693