September Denton Business Chronicle 2016

DENTON September 2016

Business

CHRONICLE

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Denton a hotspot for decor trend

By Matt Payne and Jenna Duncan n just five years, the vendor showcase Vintage Market Days has grown to 36 cities across several states, illustrating the upward trend of vintage-style decor.

The first Denton show next weekend will highlight what is already around town — such as longtime Square businesses like Garden Gate and newer shops like Vintage Bleu — displaying their antique furniture, refurbished goods and home decor for thousands.

“The reason I think it’s grown, of course, is because of the fixer-up shows, and of course Joanna Gaines and the farmhouse look — this is where she finds those kinds of things,” said Rachel Chronister, who heads the event in Denton. “This is where they find those unique things for the fixer-up farmhouse look, and that’s the look right now and Vintage Market Days is the place for it.”

Gaines, from Waco, hosts a show on HGTV called Fixer Upper.

Vintage Market Days will tie together a trend that’s happening in Denton and beyond: People want the do-it-yourself style with a little help and inspiration from pieces by professionals. The event will feature about a dozen local vendors that are seeing returns on having retail shops in Denton, Chronister said.

Other area businesses have seen growth by teaching people how to refurbish furniture. One example is Serendipity on the Square, which is a featured sponsor of the Sept. 30-Oct. 2 Vintage Market Days at Diamond T Arena.

Another vendor event, Vintage Variety Market, takes place this Saturday and Sunday at the North Texas Fairgrounds.

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Boutiques bolster market Thera Jones built her Krum home from the ground up with her husband in 2014, and her drive to craft a career in interior design rose just like their household.

She and her mother, Debbie Drake, started their first commercial venture in interior design at Shop the VINTAGE | CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Not your

grandma’s vintage ABOVE — Vintage Bleu offers a variety of refurbished and repurposed furniture on West Oak Street.

RIGHT — Debbie Drake, left, and daughter Thera Jones have owned Vintage Bleu for a little over a year.

Photos by Tomas Gonzalez

Tebow’s serious, but Mets cashing in

By Tim Reynolds | AP

By Jenna Duncan | Staff Writer prouts Farmers Market has pushed back its opening again, this time to Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 7 a.m. The store at 4930 Teasley Lane was supposed to open June 29, but the opening was pushed to Aug. 24 and then to Sept. 14. Be sure to check Sprouts’ online pages before you go.

Komodo Loco doesn’t have an opening date set, but the Asianinspired restaurant hopes to be open

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by early October. The Oakland Street restaurant will feature ramen, sake and sushi, though it doesn’t aim to be a sushi bar.

Vintage and restored furniture and antique finds are on sale now at Faded Blue, a new shop at 1100 N. Locust St. The shop opened this month and features reclaimed and vintage decor and furniture, as well as furniture and accessories handmade by the shop’s owner.

DUNCAN | CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Mets fans can buy a few jerseys featuring names of players in the team’s instructional league.

Cespedes jerseys, they’re big sellers.

Cone jerseys, available as throwbacks.

Of course, those are for Yoenis Cespedes and David Cone, and not the instructional leaguers — Ricardo Cespedes and Gene Cone. No, the only of the 58 players getting a spotlight in this camp with the Mets is Tim Tebow, the quarterback-turned-baseball hopeful whose No. 15 jersey is already a hot seller even though he has yet to take one professional at-bat.

The Mets are cashing in already, and Tebow has a book coming out next month. Yet both the team and its new star of sorts insist this is no publicity stunt, even though the odds seem stacked very high against a 29-year-old former football player finding his way to the major leagues. And it’s certainly worth noting that the revenue from any Tebow apparel bought off the Mets’ site gets shared with other big-league clubs.

“The good thing is that I don’t have

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

Tim Tebow jerseys are sold at a New York Mets instructional camp Tuesday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. to say anything,” Tebow said when asked what he would say to those who think it is a stunt. “I don’t.”

Day 2 of the Tebow experiment with the Mets arrived Tuesday, when he returned to the minor league complex in Port St. Lucie for more running, throwing, catching and hitting. The media

contingent chronicling his every move was much smaller Tuesday, and there were fewer fans as well. One man left shortly after the gates opened for Tuesday’s workout, saying he went only to get a picture for his grandson.

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Enterprising Voices

Startup mentor can offer valuable tips hile there are many resources available to help you start a new business, sometimes it really helps to talk with someone who has startup experience. Those of us with a passion to help potential entrepreneurs look forward to these conversations, as we know the words “I have an idea” can lead to the independence of business ownership.

If your idea is to start a business out of your home, under today’s laws that may fall under the definition of a cottage industry business, and you may not be aware of all of the rules and regulations. This is where having a mentor can help.

First — in 60 seconds or less — you should be able to describe your idea and how it benefits your customers. From your response, an experienced mentor will know how much thought and work you conducted on your idea, and how much you know about your customers and potential market size. A good 60-second pitch will lead to a series of short discussions.

Recently, I spoke with a prospective cottage industry owner whom I will refer to as Beth. Beth pitched her idea to me clearly and succinctly. She obviously had done her homework.

She already had taken several steps required to set up a home-based baking business. She identified the Texas cottage industry laws and completed food safety train-

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Tina MIMS | ing. She also obtained her “doing business as” (DBA) through the county clerk’s office, registered the business with the secretary of state and established a business checking account. Beth seemed ready to go. However, there was one key step she missed.

I asked her, “Where do you live?”

I inquired because some rental agreements, homeowner associations and ordinance codes restrict business activity in a residence.

“Why, I live in an apartment,” Beth replied. I immediately suggested that she check with her apartment complex leasing office and read her leasing agreement to identify whether a business, even a cottage industry business, could exist in the apartment.

A few days later, Beth called me. She was very frustrated to learn that after all her efforts to set up the business her apartment lease strictly prohibited business operations of any kind.

This is an example of where having a mentor can help.

Because of our arrangement, I was able to advise Beth that a solution to her dilemma exist-

Craig Kohlruss/Fresno Bee

Jalen Bailey, 8, pulls a tray of peanut butter cookies out of the oven after baking them at his family’s home Aug. 20 in Fresno, Calif. Jalen’s Bakery is the kind of home business that could benefit from the help of a mentor to deal with all of the rules and regulations. ed. By developing her network, she can find an alternate location that meets the laws and requirements of the city, county, state, federal and other regulating bodies while complying with lease agreements, property use rights and other contractual restrictions.

Beth also could consider moving out of her apartment, depending on her commitment to her original home-

Biz on the Wire

based baking business idea.

As a potential entrepreneur, you may be wondering where you can find a mentor.

Attend networking events in Denton where you can meet people with different levels of experience willing to share best practices for success, such as the Denton Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Commerce fall luncheon Sept. 23 at Texas Woman’s University.

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 6:30 p.m.

Argyle Planning and Zoning Commission meets the first Tuesday of the month at 308 Denton St. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 6:30 p.m.

Alex Sanz/AP

This QuikTrip station in Duluth, Ga., was out of unleaded gasoline Monday. The shortage was caused by a leaky pipeline in Shelby County, Alabama, that is expected to reopen today.

Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce will host its monthly networking luncheon at the Prairie House restaurant, 10001 U.S. Highway 380 in Cross Roads.

Registration is available at www.aubreycoc.org and costs $12 per person.

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

Pipeline could reopen today ATLANTA — A main gasoline line is expected to restart today with a temporary bypass after a leak and spill in Alabama led to surging fuel prices and some gas shortages across the South, a company official said Tuesday.

The roughly 500-foot section of pipe that will serve as the bypass is now complete, and the company expects that will allow it to restart the main gasoline line, Colonial Pipeline spokesman Steve Baker told The Associated Press. “[Today’s] restart of the main gasoline line is a key milestone,” Baker said. “However, it will take a few days for the fuel supply chain to fully recover.”

The bypass was needed to move fuel around the leak of its main gasoline pipeline in Shelby County, Alabama. The leak, which spilled between 252,000 gallons and 336,000 gallons of gasoline into a detention pond, was detected Sept. 9.

The leak has led to some gas shortages and higher prices at the pumps in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina.

On Tuesday, gas prices continued to climb in several southern states, the auto club AAA reported.

In Georgia, Tuesday’s average price for regular gas rose about 5 cents from Monday, to an average $2.36 statewide — up nearly 27 cents over the past week. Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia also saw prices climb since Monday, AAA reported Tuesday.

In Alabama, Gov. Robert Bentley said gas prices in parts of the state rose 20 cents over the weekend after the pipeline leak, but said he didn’t consider that price gouging.

“It changes overnight sometimes that much,” he said.

Bentley toured Colonial Pipeline’s emergency response center, in a resort hotel about 12 miles from the pipeline breach, and spent much of a news conference Monday praising the company’s response.

A disaster drill was held last year near the scene of the spill, he said, and that helped the company plan and execute a response that included about 700 people so far.

“Oh, yeah, I’ve noticed that the prices have just gone up — I mean, through the roof!”

Tom Wargo said at a gas station northeast of Atlanta.

Wargo runs a nonprofit organization that supplies pet food to people in need and spends much of his time on the road. He just returned from a road trip to Louisiana, where he helped people after

success.

TINA MIMS is executive director of Texas Woman’s University’s The Hub. The Hub is the state’s only university center dedicated to women’s entrepreneurship and business ownership to help Texas become No. 1 in the nation in woman-owned businesses. She can be reached by email at hub@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.

By Jeff Martin | AP

TWU’s Hub for Women in Business is another resource for potential mentors at www.twu.edu/hub, and so is eWomenNetwork at https:// new.ewomennetwork.com.

Talk to your friends about your business idea and ask them if they know of any small business owners you can chat with and learn about those first important steps toward business ownership

the floods there, he said.

“I tried getting gas yesterday and a lot of the stations had no gas at all, except diesel,” Wargo said Monday.

“We certainly expect the gas prices to increase, certainly while this line is under repair and not at full capacity,” AAA spokesman Garrett Townsend said Monday.

According to a preliminary report, it wasn’t possible to immediately pinpoint the leak, partly because highly flammable benzene and gasoline vapors hung in the air and prevented firefighters, company officials and anyone else from being near the site for more than three days.

State workers discovered the leak when they noticed a strong gasoline odor and sheen on a man-made retention pond, along with dead vegetation nearby, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said in the report.

The report does not identify the cause of the leak. The agency, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is investigating the leak in a section of the pipeline constructed in 1963, it said.

Governors across the South issued executive orders last week to suspend limitations on trucking hours, allowing drivers to stay on the road longer to take fuel to gas stations.

Denton Black Chamber of Commerce meets the second Tuesday of the month at the Denton Housing Authority, 1225 Wilson St.

Denton Chamber of Commerce hosts its Smart Business 101 series regularly for members at the chamber office, 414 W. Parkway St. The event is free to members. This month, the sessions will focus on maximizing online benefits for business.

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 11:45 a.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 11:45 a.m.

Thursday, Sept. 29, 8:30 a.m.

Denton County Young Professionals hosts meetings every Wednesday, except for the first of the month, at The Chestnut Tree, 107 W. Hickory St. Wednesday, Sept. 21, 7:15 a.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 28, 7:15 a.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 7:15 a.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 19, 7:15 a.m.

Denton County Young Professionals hosts a monthly mixer at a new business each month. October’s mixer will be at Rockin’ Rodeo, 1009 Ave. C. Thursday, Oct. 6, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 6 p.m.

Denton Chamber of Commerce’s group for women, Women in Commerce, will host its fall luncheon and business showcase this month at Texas Woman’s University’s Hubbard Hall, 1600 N. Bell Ave. Registration for tickets begins at $45 for chamber members and $65 for nonmembers. For reservations, email Angleica Del Rosal at angelica@denton-chamber. org.

Friday, Sept. 23, 11 a.m.

Denton Hispanic Chamber of Commerce holds its monthly lead generator luncheons the third Tuesday of the month. It is held at Sidewalk Cafe, 2900 Wind River Lane, and admission is $5 for members and $10 for guests.

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 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, Oct. 15, 9:30 a.m.

Denton Planning and Zoning Commission meets at City Hall, 215 E. McKinney St. Wednesday, Sept. 28, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 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, Oct. 8, 8 a.m.

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

More upcoming locations will be listed at www.lake citieschamber.com/ chamber-events.

Wednesday, Sept. 28, 7:15 a.m., SpringHill Suites, 1434 Centre Place Drive in Denton Wednesday, Oct. 5, 7:15 a.m., Oakmont Country Club

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, Oct. 4, 8 a.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 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 WalMart Distribution Center, 2120 N. Interstate 35.

Wednesday, Sept. 28, noon

The Hub at TWU is hosting a workshop on “Building Your Brand: Creating a Successful Elevator Pitch.” The event costs $20 and will be held at Noah’s Event Venue, 5280 Town Square Drive in Plano. Mary Anne Mason, CEO of Mason Strategic Advisors, will lead the three-hour session.

Thursday, Sept. 22, 5:30 p.m.

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 Advertising 940-566-6843 | sreneau@dentonrc.com

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Enterprising Voices

Investing in a low-fear, complacent market “You pay a very high price in the stock market for a cheery consensus.”

— Warren Buffett ell in May and go away?

That old adage did not hold up so well this summer. In fact, while there was brief spike in fear and an associated sell-off in markets when news of the “Brexit” vote came in late June, for the most part, markets quickly shrugged those fears off and charged ahead.

Given that many of the broad market indices are pushing toward new highs, let’s review some interesting data about the broader market.

One measure we follow to gauge the level of complacency or fear in the market is the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index, commonly called the VIX. This index represents the implied volatility embedded in the price of options on the S&P 500 index, a widely held benchmark of the broad U.S. stock market.

When investors are calm, volatility is low, reflected in lower-priced call and put options on the S&P 500.

When fear is high, those same option prices get much more expensive, which is reflected in a higher VIX. Over the past 25 years, volatility often bounces around in what we call the “zone of tranquility” — somewhere between 10 and 20 on the VIX scale. During the Dot.com bubble period, the normal trading zone did elevate a bit, but over the last 25 years markets have typically found themselves in this VIX range when investors are calm. When market fears emerge, the VIX spikes higher.

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Jonathon FITE | For example, during the fears of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks the VIX spiked above 40 — more than twice the “normal” level. During the throes of the 2008-09 recession, the VIX spiked above 80 — more than five times the typical zone of tranquility.

Subsequent periods of fear linked to the debt ceiling debacle, eurozone breakup concerns or a sudden Chinese devaluation all drove the VIX to levels between 30 and 40.

The VIX is a pretty good indicator for how much fear permeates the market at a given time, with higher spikes indicating higher levels of fear.

There is not a lot of fear in the market today.

By mid-August, the VIX had fallen to almost 11 — an extremely low level of fear and conversely an extremely high level of complacency. We should note that we do not think the markets are poised for an imminent radical crash.

But, with the November election, debates about another U.S. interest rate hike this fall, what seems like an anemic economic outlook with lots of global uncertainty (China devaluation, eurozone issues still not resolved, experimental central bank policies), risks do remain. We think a bit of near-term caution is warranted.

Yet, many investors continue to look in the rearview

Scott Olson/Getty Images file photo

A trader signals an offer on Standard & Poor’s 500 index options at the Chicago Board Options Exchange on Sept. 23, 2011, in Chicago. The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index is one way to gauge the level of complacency or fear in the market. mirror while driving full steam ahead. A recent report shows that through the end of last year investors continued to plow money into passive index funds linked to the broader market. Interestingly, this accelerating influx of new money is itself one of the major reasons the indexes have touched new highs.

Surely the next seven years will look like the last seven!

We think these folks could be sorely disappointed.

Jeremy Grantham, of GMO Capital, is best known as an asset allocator rather than an individual security analyst. Even so, Grantham

and his team employ a value investing methodology to their allocation models, shying away from overpriced, expensive asset classes because high prices drive disappointing future returns. Instead, they favor asset classes whose prices are low, indicating value may be more evident and future returns better.

In that vein, they have made a name for themselves by developing well-respected forecasts of future asset class returns over a seven-year horizon. For example, they correctly said in 1999 and 2007 that stocks, broadly, were poised to disappoint. In

2002 and 2009, they reversed their tone as prices came down and the prospect for future returns were better based on the value apparent during those periods of fear.

Grantham believes the next seven years will look very different from the last seven for the broad market indexes. GMO’s most recent asset class forecasts shows that most U.S. stock indexes are poised to disappoint, with large cap indexes likely underperforming small cap company indexes.

With darlings like Amazon and Netflix trading with expensive price-to-earnings ratios between 200 and 300,

it is no wonder these might lag going forward. Outside the U.S., GMO believes you may earn a positive return in foreign stocks over the next seven years, but just barely.

Bonds also seem to offer little solace. With central bank policies pushing interest rates down, the prices of bonds have soared, and are now dangerously overpriced. The result is a lackluster field of negative returns forecasted for most bond funds over the next few years. The best place GMO thinks there might be some opportunity is in hard assets.

So what should readers take away from the messages that fear is low and most index funds are poised to disappoint over the coming years?

■ 1. Avoid excessive exposure to bonds or broad market index funds since they seem expensive.

■ 2. Dollar-cost average into the pockets of value that still exist.

GMO’s analysis indicates that high-quality stocks, emerging market exposure and hard assets are poised to offer inflation-beating returns in coming years. Interestingly, these are the categories we own in our portfolio today.

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.

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Business Spotlight

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

A tour bus passes a self-driving Audi parked on Pennsylvania Avenue on July 15 near the Capitol in Washington. Federal officials rolled out 112 pages of guidelines Tuesday that they say will enable automakers to get self-driving cars onto the road without compromising safety.

Innovation, safety sought in self-driving car guidelines

By Joan Lowy, Tom Krisher and Dee-Ann Durbin | AP WASHINGTON — Saying they were doing something no other government has done, Obama administration officials rolled out a plan Tuesday they say will enable automakers to get self-driving cars onto the road without compromising safety.

In drawing up 112 pages of guidelines, the government tried to be vague enough to allow innovation while at the same time making sure that carmakers, tech companies and ride-hailing firms put safety first as the cars are developed.

Only time will tell whether the mission was accomplished, but the document generally was praised by businesses and analysts as good guidance in a field that’s evolving faster than anyone imagined just a few years ago.

“How do you regulate a complex software system?” asked Timothy Carone, a Notre Dame professor who has written about the future of automation. “They want to allow innovation, but they want to be very proscriptive in managing the risk side of this.

In my mind, they’re trying to manage the unknown.”

The guidelines from the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration don’t tell companies specifically how to get to an autonomous car that can safely carry people down the road, leaving a lot to interpretation.

But they tell companies to explain how they’ll comply with a 15-point safety assessment before they roll out the cars. And the guidelines also make clear that NHTSA will force recalls if software doesn’t perform as it should. The agency, for the first time in its history, may even seek authority from Congress to approve technology before it goes on the road.

“We want to be as nimble and flexible as we can be, recognizing that we will never, ever compromise on what we think is safe,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said at a Washington news conference.

Among other things, the safety assessment asks automakers to document how the car detects and avoids objects and pedestrians, how the car is protected against cyberattacks and what sort of back-

up system is in place in case the computers fail.

Companies that already have even semi-autonomous vehicles on the road will have to submit assessments four months after the government’s 60-day comment period ends.

Companies that are developing autonomous and semiautonomous vehicles will be asked to submit assessments before those cars go on the road.

For now, the assessments are voluntary, but the government intends to make them mandatory after a lengthy rule-making process.

The guidelines come as the government has struggled with how to capitalize on the technology’s promised safety benefits — the cars can react faster than people, but don’t drink or get distracted — while making sure they are ready for widespread use.

Officials hope the guidelines will bring order to what has been a chaotic rollout so far.

The Transportation Department also said it, rather than the states, would be responsible for regulating cars controlled by software. States

Alex Brandon/AP

Self-driving technology is seen inside a car before a government news conference Tuesday in Washington. have historically set the rules for licensing drivers, but Foxx said states should stick to registering the cars and dealing with questions of liability when they crash when the driver is a computer.

The guidelines allow automakers to seek exemptions from NHTSA from federal safety standards that might be outdated, such as a rule requiring a steering wheel and brake pedals in a vehicle without a human driver. California currently requires a steering wheel and brake pedals, but NHTSA has the authority to approve vehicles without them if the agency decides they’re safe.

The government also wants cars, whether partially or fully self-driving, to collect and share data from crashes and nearmisses so companies and the government can learn from the experience. Data isn’t currently collected industrywide.

NHTSA made clear that it can use its current recall authority to regulate the new cars. It warned automakers that self-driving cars that still rely on a human driver to intervene in some circumstances must have a means for keeping the driver’s attention.

If they don’t, that “may be defined as an unreasonable risk to safety and subject to recall,” the department said.

NHTSA says the warning isn’t aimed at electric car maker Tesla Motors. But it would address events like a fatal crash in Florida that occurred while a Tesla Model S was operating on the company’s semi-autonomous Autopilot system. The system can brake when it spots obstacles and keep cars in their lanes. But it failed to spot a crossing tractor-trailer, and neither the system nor the driver braked. Autopilot allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel

Gene J. Puskar/AP

One of Uber’s self-driving Ford Fusions navigates River Road on Sept. 14 in Pittsburgh. for short periods.

Tesla has since announced modifications so Autopilot relies more on radar and less on cameras, which it said were blinded by sunlight in the Florida crash. The company has maintained that Autopilot is a driver assist system and said it warns drivers they must be ready to take over at any time.

Some consumer advocates have objected to voluntary guidelines instead of safety rules that are legally enforceable.

“Consumers need more

than just guidelines. This new policy comes with a lot of bark, but not enough bite,” Marta Tellado, president and CEO of Consumer Reports, said in a statement.

Industry reaction, however, was largely favorable. Former NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, who now represents a coalition involving Ford, Google, Lyft, Uber and Volvo, said the guidelines are a foundation of how to test and deploy autonomous cars. Yet if a manufacturer doesn’t follow the guidelines “it will be open and apparent,” he said.

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Cover Story

DRC file photo

Serendipity on the Square

Serendipity on the Square owner Claire Amano built her checkout desk from a fireplace mantle, railings and an old door.

DRC file photo VINTAGE | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Barn on West Oak Street upon the completion of Jones’ home.

Before, they repurposed shabby furniture as a hobby and vended in pop-up vintage furniture galleries, often in McKinney, with their own spruced-up merchandise for sale. They also worked oneon-one with clients who found them through word of mouth once they began to grow a reputation for their work.

Since buying Shop the Barn and rebranding it Vintage Bleu in 2015, they’ve learned Denton is a hotspot for furniture repurposing, and several similar shops have made their way into town.

“It’s the dream to make your own store, have your own stuff and have people come to you,” Jones said. “It was the best-case scenario where we took over somebody else’s store when it was already what we wanted it to be.”

Creative twists Jones and her mother had a particular look in mind for their storefront, but Shop the Barn already fit their bill and facilitated a smooth transition.

Vintage Bleu’s variety offered from different designers defines the store, and what “vintage” exactly entails will vary depending on who designs or refurbishes a piece of furniture. The store’s appeal to the broad demographic of Denton residents hinges on this variety, which is why they continue the tradition of hosting vendors, artists and small businesses in their shop.

The store gains no sizable profit from vendors that sign a six-month lease and pay monthly rent installments, but the idea behind providing a space for designers is to appeal to the customer.

“Antique stores are changing. I think this generation is putting a twist on it — making vintage cool,” Jones said.

“We’re not your grandma’s vintage store.”

Jones said business has stayed steady because of Denton’s continually growing, young population — the store’s largest traffic source.

She likens the motivation of customers to her own whenever she was designing her home. Many young adults, recently married and starting families, visit Vintage Bleu, Jones has noticed, and look to collect heirlooms that fit their style to adorn their homes.

“Our customers like seeing a kind of twist. They often say, ‘I would’ve never thought to do that!’” Jones said. “That’s why we stage stuff to look homey — to piece together what they need.”

Barron Ludllum/For the DRC

Devin Drake owns Faded Blue, a vintage furniture shop that opened Sept. 2 on North Locust Street. ed attention as owner Devin Drake simply hauled things in and out of the house prior to opening.

Devin Drake, who used to work with Vintage Bleu, opened shop to share his passion of the past eight years with a community he believes is lacking in small-business storefronts. He participated in the McKinney trade days, which he described as a haven for retail.

For Devin Drake, the opening of another vintage store is multifaceted: It provides an outlet for “hunters,” as he characterizes vintage seekers, and restores an old, wellmaintained house.

“Denton has been lacking in stores because bars and restaurants have taken them over,” he said. “People like to see new life breathed into old houses like this.”

Faded Blue is a garage sale tucked into a brick-and-mortar structure. Devin Drake originally disliked the idea of collecting several pieces of furniture and knickknacks that only cluttered his home, but the thrill of the pursuit of any item that may stick out to

him quickly arose upon visiting yard sales.

Fascination of this kind has spread through social media like Pinterest and Etsy, and TV shows like American Pickers, which features crosscountry entrepreneurs who scour for rare, rustic finds.

“This location is perfect for one person to build their business out of,” Devin Drake said. Compared with Vintage Bleu, he appreciates the liberty of being the sole vendor at his location. “It’s a responsibility to the community to provide something of value.”

Bit o’ whimsy Joining the fray from 28 miles to the northeast in Celina is Whimsy Finds, which is expected to open a Denton location in late October, according to owner Lori Rolfe.

Denton provides more creative potential on account of the sheer number of residents compared with Celina, Rolfe said.

Rolfe said the new location on the Denton Square will attract those who happen to walk by, and she anticipates newfound success despite the

Tomas Gonzalez

Vintage Bleu relies on variety to appeal to the broad demographic of Denton residents. shop’s intentionally smaller size compared with the original location in Celina.

Whimsy Finds will reach out to the community and offer wreath-making, bunting and painting workshops at the Denton location.

“We want to appeal to the totally different crowd here in Denton,” Rolfe said. “And I believe our totally different products will appeal to college kids and the older.”

MATT PAYNE can be reached at 940-566-6845 and via Twitter at @MattePaper.

JENNA DUNCAN can be reached at 940-566-6889 and via Twitter at @JennaFDuncan.

Tomas Gonzalez

Thera Jones, left, and mother Debbie Drake own Vintage Bleu.

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Enterprising Voices

Make the most of your 2016 marketing budget ave you used your marketing budget this year? Have you planned your marketing for next year? Here’s what you could be missing.

Marketing can be a real pain in the butt. For most business owners, marketing is like daily meditation, or a regular weekly program of weight training and running: You know you need to do it, you see the value in it, you want to do it — but who has the time?

With the end of the year creeping up, it’s time to make the time.

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Have you used the year’s marketing budget?

For some folks, this is a silly question.

“Of course we have!” they scream at us. “We spent way too much money on marketing this year!”

Other folks are happy to stand in the back, trying to not be noticed because they’ve haven’t spent much of anything on marketing this year, and they know they probably would have had a more productive year had they spent some time and money on their marketing.

Or at least they would be looking pretty solid going into the holidays.

Marketing has short-term and long-term payoffs If you haven’t been investing year-round, now is the time to start.

If you blew your marketing budget at the beginning of the year, now is the time to come up with a more realistic budget. Let’s talk numbers — briefly, I promise.

Here’s about how much you should be spending on your marketing, according to marketing guru Laurel Mintz.

Businesses less than 5 years old should spend 12 to 20 percent of gross revenue, and businesses more than 5 years old should spend 6 to 12 percent of gross revenue.

You can read more of the article at www.bss.tips/yourbudget, but the general idea is that marketing is an investment in your business.

So, you can either invest in your business, or you can wish, hope and pray that it will magically grow on its own. You know, just like the money in your savings account. … OK, the analogy falls apart a bit.

You can grow your business on its own with little to no marketing, but it’s kind of a crapshoot. Very few companies can really sustain growth — or achieve the kind of growth they envision — without marketing.

But you already know that.

You are reading this. You understand the importance of marketing — and you’re willing to invest in your business.

Unfortunately, most people have trouble knowing when, where and how to invest their marketing dollars. Their marketing portfolio is lopsided.

Heather STEELE | ■ Finally get on social media and make a plan for staying active.

■ Invest in a marketing strategy (www.bss.tips/ marketing-strategy-plan).

■ Get a customer relationship management system to more efficiently nurture leads.

■ Start an email drip campaign.

■ Invest in search engine optimization (SEO) strategies.

■ Start creating case studies and asking customers for reviews.

■ Create white papers or e-books about your industry.

I could go on, but I don’t want to overwhelm you.

All the strategies I’ve mentioned here are long-term.

They generally take awhile to start generating results, but they will generate results. You just need to start now.

A blog isn’t going to bring business in the door tomorrow just because you write a post today. You’re not going to pop to the top of Google in an hour because you paid a firm for some SEO help, but those things can happen over time.

And you can do them yourself, or you can hire a marketing firm to help you.

Short-term marketing investments can look like this: ■ Set up a few social media

Kye R. Lee/DMN file photo

Addison City Council member Margie Gunther, left, Addison marketing director Carrie Rice, center, and Addison Mayor Todd Meier unveil marketing materials during a city rebranding event at a Whole Foods store Jan. 23, 2014, in Addison. Rebranding is one of the long-term investments that a small business — or even a city — can make in an effort to get the most out of its marketing budget. ad campaigns.

■ Buy a radio or TV ad spot.

■ Run a well-advertised event paired with an exciting giveaway, bundle or discount.

■ Start a referral program for existing customers with strong incentives paired with personalized invitations and requests to participate.

■ Offer training or a service for free, then follow up closely with all attendees.

Now, while these ideas can have some quick results, they’re often not sustained.

When a giveaway is over, people go back to their lives.

These methods share some-

thing else in common: They can be expensive to implement successfully.

But if you’ve ignored marketing all year long, you’ve got a budget lying around just itching to be used for something like this. At the very least, you’re in a much better position now to use a large portion of the marketing budget than you were in January.

Start thinking 2017 Marketing requires planning — that’s the long and short of it. You need a variety of investments spread across the year to really get an awe-

some return.

Now is the time to be thinking about next year.

Now is the time to plan out your marketing. But before you do that, you need to plan your budget. Take those numbers I gave you earlier, and plug them into this free marketing budget template: www.bss. tips/2017marketingbudget.

Once you’ve come up with a budget, you can start your marketing for 2017 before this year closes. Many businesses have a lot of downtime during the winter months, while other businesses are experiencing that downtime right

now, just before the holiday season gets into full swing.

Whatever the case, use that time to plan, budget and begin your marketing.

Don’t let the rest of the year slip away from you.

Don’t wait until you’re too busy to think about your marketing. This year may not have been the most stellar year for business growth, but you can make 2017 a great one.

HEATHER STEELE is the founder of Blue Steele Solutions. She can be reached at heather@bluesteelesolutions. com.

Haven’t spent much on marketing this year?

Make a few short- and long-term marketing investments before the year is out.

What does that look like?

First, let’s talk about longterm marketing. If you’re like a lot of business owners, you’ve already got some ideas of what you need to spend money on.

You just haven’t quite gotten around to it yet. That’s OK, I forgive you, but the year is coming to a close and it’s time to get on it.

Here are some long-term marketing investments that you might need to jump on before the rest of the year gets away from you: ■ Update and expand your website (or get a completely new website).

■ Get a new logo to match how your company has grown.

■ Rebrand your company to match that new logo.

■ Start a regular blog specific to your industry.

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Area Chamber Roundup Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce The rush of growth continues in the Aubrey-U.S. Highway 380 area, with new homes, new apartments and new businesses. September brought the much-anticipated grand opening and ribboncutting of Fortunata Winery and Villas. Congratulations to Kelby and Shari Trusty and Jon Marc Lewis on their new venture.

We also say welcome and thank you to our newest premium members: Platinum member LIFE Credit Union (formerly Member’s Choice Federal Credit Union) and Gold member JP & Associates Realtors.

The Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce recently hosted the Miss Horse Country USA Pageant, where we celebrated young ladies and gentlemen from newborn to age 15. The winners will ride in a carriage in the Peanut Festival Parade on Oct. 1.

There are many other exciting events on the horizon: GreenFest on the Green Belt on Saturday, Sept. 24; Doug Bruce and the Tailgaters, benefiting Aubrey Education Foundation, Sept. 24 at Aubrey High School; and the 31st annual Aubrey Peanut Festival on Saturday, Oct. 1.

The chamber also is accepting players for the Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament at

Buff’s Grill (Bronze) and Believe Despite (nonprofit).

We encourage you to visit Pilot Point. We love local and we hope you will too. Our town is filled with great restaurants, live entertainment and much more, including Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch and Ray Roberts Lake.

Sanger Area Chamber of Commerce

Courtesy photo

The Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Fortunata Winery and Villas.

Frisco Lakes Golf Club on Monday, Oct. 10.

For information, contact the Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce at 940-3659781, www.aubreycoc.org or chamber@aubreycoc.org.

Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce Pilot Point is headed into fall and one of the most special times of year for our community. The calendar is brimming with activities, and we hope you will find something that interests you. You can

“like” Pilot Point Chamber on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or visit www.pilotpoint.org for detailed information on our chamber members, events and community.

The chamber is a proud volunteer supporter of the Emmitt Smith Gran Fondo, a long-distance cycling race that passed through our historic town square Sept. 17. Also that day, First United Methodist Church celebrated 160 years and local Back the Blue supporters hosted a fundraiser event at Whistle Post Brewery,

just off the square.

Oct. 8 is the Bonnie & Clyde Days Festival — parts of the 1967 movie starring Warren Beatty were filmed in Pilot Point — and the Pilot Point Cabinet Makers Soap Box Challenge. This event is free, lasts all day and wraps up with concerts by Brian “Beerman” Houser and Brave Combo. More information is available on the Bonnie & Clyde Days Facebook page.

We are proud to welcome new members JP & Associates Realtors (Gold member),

This month, the Sanger Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Sanger Sellabration.

What a wonderful day it was in Sanger, as a huge crowd visited the 38th annual Sellabration. Even though the morning hours were wet, the overall event was a huge success this year.

This year’s event consisted of over 80 vendors, numerous stage events including Ernesto’s Mariachi Band, Anthem of New Life Church and of course the headliner, Bubba Harper and the 24/7 Band.

There was street dancing, a wiener dog race, a pie eating contest, bounce houses, fire exhibitions, children’s games, a train any many other fun events.

We would like to thank all of our vendors and the many sponsors who made this event such a success.

Be sure to check out all the photos of the event tagged with #sellabrate2016 as well as our Facebook page

Lake Cities Chamber of Commerce The Lake Cities Chamber of Commerce has moved. We are now located inside Corinth City Hall at 3300 Corinth Parkway, on the second floor. We want to give a huge thank-you to PointBank for hosting the chamber’s office the last four years.

We are proud to announce that one of our members, iSchool High, had its audio/ video class win a spot at the All-American High School Film Festival in New York City. They are seeking sponsors to help send students to the event. Please email Benjamin Elio at belio@responsive ed.com.

We would like to welcome our latest members: Good Samaritan Society Lake Forest Village, Simply Tiny Sweets and Everest Heating and Cooling.

This month’s luncheon was Sept. 20 at Oakmont Country Club. We heard updates from our local police chiefs. This month’s luncheon was hosted

by ProCare Collision.

We have our weekly coffee breakfasts from 7:15 to 8:15 a.m. every Wednesday. Check our website, www.lakecities chamber.com, for host and location.

You also can check the website for “Shop Local” specials.

For more information on the chamber, email lccc@ lakecitieschamber.com.

Enterprising Voices

County game plan in works for 85th Legislature he Denton Chamber of Commerce recently coordinated the first meeting of our standing initiative to present a united front during the state legislative session.

The 85th session of the Texas Legislature convenes Jan. 10. As it’s been our practice the past few years, the chamber serves as the catalyst to help organize the needs and concerns of the community, then coordinates an effort to communicate those needs to state lawmakers in Austin.

Monica Glenn, co-owner of Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites and a member of the chamber board, serves as chairwoman of our State & Federal Relations Committee.

The traditional community partners are the city of Den-

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Chuck CARPENTER | ton, the Denton school district, North Central Texas College, Texas Woman’s University, the University of North Texas and the United Way of Denton County.

During the last legislative session, we organized five teams, consisting of representatives from each of the community partners, to personally deliver joint position statements directly to predetermined state representatives and senators during Denton

County Days in Austin.

Based on the success of this model, designated spokespersons for the topics make the actual presentations, but we blend the teams with representatives from each of the participating community partners.

This is obviously nothing unique or sophisticated, but, with the trend to enlist the services of professional lobbyists, we’ve found that lawmakers seem to be impressed with the commitments and are appreciative of the efforts.

Denton County Days is designed to acquaint the state’s top elected decision makers and key agency officials with the many assets of the county, and heighten the overall image and visibility of the North Texas region.

A joint project of the chambers of commerce of

The Denton Chamber of Commerce’s Glenn Carlton, left, speaks with former state Rep. Burt Solomons during Denton County Days in Austin in 2015.

and business leaders in Austin at the same time, and schedule our delivery of joint position statements during the festivities.

Denton County Days 2017 is scheduled for Feb. 23 and 24. We had just over 200 individuals from all over the county register to attend the 2015 event. More details will be available soon.

Courtesy photo

Denton County, the ultimate intent is to provide more exposure for area legislators, thus helping them to better

represent the needs of their constituents. We take advantage of having a large contingency of community

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

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Unemployment Update National numbers

By Paul Wiseman | AP WASHINGTON — More Americans applied for unemployment benefits in the most recent week of data available, but jobless claims remained at levels consistent with a healthy labor market.

The Labor Department said Thursday that claims rose by 1,000 the week before to a seasonally adjusted 260,000.

Applications have come in below 300,000 for 80 straight weeks, the longest streak since 1970.

The number of Americans collecting unemployment checks is 2.14 million, down nearly 5 percent from a year ago.

Another Labor Department report showed that job openings rose 4 percent in July but hiring only increased 1 percent. The disconnect suggests that employers are struggling to find qualified workers.

The job market has been solid even though the American economy has sputtered since late last year. The economy expanded at an unimpressive 1.1 percent annual pace from April through June after growing just 0.8 percent in the first quarter and 0.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Biz on the Wire

Wells Fargo CEO apologizes as senators heap criticism on bank

By Marcy Gordon and Ken Sweet | AP WASHINGTON — The CEO of Wells Fargo faced accusations of fraud and calls for his resignation Tuesday from critical senators at a hearing over allegations that bank employees opened millions of accounts customers didn’t know about to meet aggressive sales quotas.

Members of the Senate Banking Committee showed bipartisan outrage over the long-running conduct, unsatisfied by chief executive John Stumpf ’s show of contrition.

Stumpf said he was “deeply sorry” that the bank failed to meet its responsibility to customers and didn’t act sooner to stem “this unacceptable activity.” He promised to assist affected customers.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren flatly told Stumpf he should resign. “You squeezed your employees to the breaking point so they would cheat customers,” she said. “You should resign. You should give back the money you took while the scam was going on.”

The Massachusetts Democrat, one of the fiercest critics of Wall Street, also advocated for a criminal investigation by the Justice Department and securities regulators.

Stumpf, a 34-year veteran

of Wells Fargo and CEO since 2007, earned $19.3 million last year. The bank does have in place provisions its board could implement to claim back executive compensation.

Wells Fargo sales employees, trying to meet targets that called for every customer to have eight products with the bank, opened more than 2 million bank and credit card accounts, regulators said last week in levying a $185 million fine.

Money in customers’ accounts was said to have been moved to these new accounts without their permission.

Debit cards were issued and activated, as well as PINs created, without telling customers. In some cases, bank employees created fake email addresses to sign up customers for online banking services, the regulators said.

Peppered with criticism for hours, Stumpf at one point stumbled a bit over his words and bristled at Warren’s suggestion that the sales practices were a “scam.”

“We recognize now that we should have done more sooner,” he acknowledged. “I am deeply sorry that we have not lived up to our values in this way.” He promised: “I will make it right.”

Ben Margot/AP file photo

A man walks by a Wells Fargo bank July 14, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. Wells Fargo has been fined $185 million over allegations that bank employees opened millions of accounts customers didn’t know about.

The senators asked that he specifically lay out action the bank will take to do so. They also challenged assertions that he and other Wells Fargo senior executives didn’t become aware of the problems until 2013 — when the sales misconduct was reported by The Los Angeles Times. The practices apparently began at least in 2009.

Wells Fargo has long been known in the banking industry for its aggressive sales goals. Carrie Tolstedt, the former head of its retail banking business, announced in July that she would retire from the bank this year. She is expected to leave with as much as $125 million in sala-

ry, stock options and other compensation.

Sen. Bob Corker of Ten-

nessee said it would be “malpractice” if the bank doesn’t institute the compensation

clawbacks, and Stumpf said the board “has the tools to hold senior leadership accountable,” including himself and Tolstedt.

Questioned again by Warren, Stumpf said the bank had not considered firing her.

Under the settlement with regulators, Wells Fargo neither admitted nor denied the allegations. It later said it plans to eliminate the sales targets by Jan. 1. Some 5,300 Wells Fargo employees have been fired.

Stumpf offered some detail at the hearing about who was fired, saying “bankers, bank managers, managers of managers, and even an area president.” They ranged in pay from about $35,000 to $65,000.

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Enterprising Voices

Real estate investment and the internet eal estate investment trusts, or REITs, are becoming increasingly popular investments as a part of a diversified investment portfolio. Over a term of many years, REITs have performed very well.

According to Investopedia, between 1990 and 2010 the FTSE NAREIT (National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts) Equity REITs Index’s average annual return was 9.9 percent. Investopedia states that over the same period of time, mid-cap stocks averaged a 10.3 percent annual return, while fixedincome assets and commodities produced 7 percent and 4.5 percent average annual returns, respectively.

There are five basic categories of REITs: retail, residential, health care, office and mortgage.

■ Retail REITs invest in shopping malls, strip malls and freestanding retail centers.

■ Residential REITs acquire multifamily rental properties, such as apartment complexes and manufactured housing communities.

■ Health care REITs invest in hospitals, medical centers, nursing care facilities and retirement homes.

■ Office REITs focus on commercial office buildings.

■ Mortgage REITs invest in the mortgages underlying specific types of real estate rather than the real estate itself, and can be subcategorized by any of the real estate types set forth above.

It is becoming increasingly popular for REITs to solicit shareholders through the

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Scott ALAGOOD | internet using crowdfunding methods. The idea of an internet-based, crowdfunded REIT allows numerous investors to deposit small amounts of capital that can be used to acquire income-producing real estate or the mortgages underlying such real estate.

By utilizing crowdfunding and the internet, a REIT can open up investment opportunities to people who typically would have never thought about investing in real estate.

Crowdfunding is simply the practice of capitalizing a particular business venture through online contributions from a large number of people.

A REIT is a form of real estate syndicate and in most circumstances is regulated by federal and state law. If the interests being sold constitute a “security” under either federal or state law, such transactions will be regulated.

These regulatory requirements can include registration of the syndicate with the proper governmental authorities, mandatory disclosures and specific recordkeeping measures. It is possible that a syndicate may be exempt under federal and state securities laws.

Where it is found that a syndicate that thought itself

exempt is in fact not exempt, severe penalties may await.

Those penalties may include rescission of the investors’ investment, injunctive relief, civil and administrative fines, and criminal penalties.

Registration at the federal level means the filing of a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is important that the registration of the syndicate occur prior to any offering of the interest in the syndicate for sale. Furthermore, it may take up to nine months for a registration to become effective.

The timing of the contract for the acquisition of the real estate must be considered in connection with the registration timing, so that registration will occur prior to the solicitation of the funds necessary to make the purchase.

Fees associated with the registration can be very large. Also, anyone who is selling the interests in the syndicate must be registered with the SEC. Texas also requires registration of real estate syndicates under certain circumstances set forth in the Texas Securities Act. Similarly, state registration is lengthy and expensive.

Other states will have their own specific set of laws and regulations relating to the registration of a real estate syndicate.

Exemption from registration exists under both federal and state law. For example, there are exemptions for private offerings, intrastate transactions and small dollar offerings. Texas has an exemption where the total number

DRC file photo

Shopping centers like Golden Triangle Mall can become part of investment syndicates called real estate investment trusts, or REITs. of investors in the syndicate does not exceed a specified number so long as there is no public solicitation or advertisement being made.

With the utilization of the internet to advertise and procure capital to fund a REIT, the boundary lines normally associated with jurisdiction and the application of state laws over the transactions may be easily blurred.

It is possible for more than one state to believe that it may have jurisdiction over a single offering. As such, it is important that an investor take the time to read the prospectus and fully understand what

and where they are investing their money.

If the investment results are positive, then these jurisdictional issues may not arise.

However, when the investor experience is bad or results in a complete loss, then the jurisdictional question will determine how and where the investor may be able to present a grievance.

Potential investors should do as much research as possible before investing in any form of real estate syndicate, particularly where such is not publicly traded or is offered over the internet.

Knowledge about the back-

grounds of the syndicating parties, the specific type and class of the underlying real estate investment, state and federal regulation of the syndicate, past history of syndicate performance, and tax consequences of the investment and any income resulting therefrom are but a few of the areas into which a wary investor will need to delve.

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

Open/ Closed DUNCAN | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Ebby Halliday has a sign up and an opening is set: Sept.

30. The real estate office is moving from Teasley Lane to J.T. Clothiers’ old space at 2430 S. Interstate 35E. The new J.T. Clothiers on the downtown Square is now open. Management is working on figuring out the regular store hours now that it’s open at 200 W. Oak St. They’re currently trying to be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Celina-based Whimsy Finds has found a second home in Denton at 221 W. Hickory St. The retailer will host workshops and have collection items like home decor, jewelry and clothing from dozens of retailers available when it opens in October.

Vigne Wine Shop is now Steve’s Wine Bar and under new ownership on Hickory.

Word is that joining the new wine club starts at just $30 per month. They encourage people to order food to the storefront or bring your own snacks.

Bell & Oak, a leather goods company based out of Weldon’s Saddle Shop, is gone. Owner Clint Wilkinson decided to go in a different direction and is opening a boutique shop next month with Pastrana Studio selling high-end leather goods.

Pastrana will display its madeto-order wood furnishings.

Called Wilkinson, the shop will be next door to Weldon’s at the corner of East Hickory Street and Bell Avenue.

Clothing boutique Zig Zag Styles is preparing to open in the old Barefoot Athletics space Friday, Sept. 30. The boutique focuses on having affordable clothing in a wide range of sizes, going up to double extra large. Their only other location is tied to its warehouse in Arlington.

JENNA DUNCAN can be reached at 940-566-6889, jduncan@dentonrc.com and via Twitter at @JennaF Duncan.

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Business Spotlight

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

The New York Mets sell Tim Tebow jerseys at Tradition Field on Tuesday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. TEBOW | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

For their part, the Mets players seem fine with the baseball version of Tebowmania. A few even asked Tebow for advice on who’ll win college football games this weekend.

“I think it’s cool,” said Mets left-hander Steven Matz, who was working out on an adjacent field Tuesday and will be back in New York this week. “He’s a hard worker. He’s just another player and you can tell that’s all he wants to be. He’s just here to work hard and see if he can make the big leagues.”

That’s why Tebow says he’s here.

Tebow is taking the workouts seriously. He’s acknowledged that he still has a lot to learn — even with regard to what equipment he needs to take to the field for practice — and said he was hoping teammates would be comfortable having him around.

To him, this is just playing the game he loved as a kid. Except back then, money wasn’t an issue. It is this time, as is almost always the case in pro sports.

Tebow signed a deal with the Mets that included a $100,000 signing bonus. Mets general

manager Sandy Alderson defended it earlier this month, saying before a game in Atlanta the team wouldn’t spend that kind of money “so we can sell a couple hundred dollars’ worth of Tshirts in Kingsport,” referring to the Tennessee city where New York has a rookie league team.

But merchandise isn’t just on sale in Kingsport — it’s everywhere. The Mets’ website listed the $119.99 jerseys and $29.99 T-shirts as top sellers Monday, and some fans who didn’t want to wait for shipping were lined up at the team’s complex on Florida’s Treasure Coast to buy Tebow apparel.

“I heard that was something that they might be selling. What do I think about it? It’s cool,” Tebow said.

Tebow has a book coming out next month called Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life’s Storms.

He wouldn’t seem to need baseball as a platform to promote the book; he’s an analyst for the SEC Network and his fans are devout, whether he’s on TV or not.

But he did spend time after his first Mets workout answering questions about the book, talking about how his playing

Wilfredo Lee/AP

Tim Tebow catches a ball during a drill Tuesday in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The former NFL quarterback practiced at the New York Mets’ complex during his second workout as part of their instructional league team. days under Bill Belichick for the New England Patriots ended in 2013.

“The whole first chapter is about the last two days with the New England Patriots and getting cut from them and what it’s like and that meeting, walking into coach Belichick’s office and being told that you’re not enough,” Tebow said. “And so the goal with this and why its title is Shaken is every single person in this room and every single person probably in life goes through

times when they get told they’re not enough.”

For Tebow, having a chance to play is enough.

He looks at baseball as a way to tell his story a new way. A few weeks ago he was in his native Philippines, saying he hiked into remote areas and helped care for children who faced serious medical problems.

“I’m always grateful for that platform to make a change in someone’s life,” Tebow said.

“Hopefully for the better.”

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

Tim Tebow of the New York Mets signs autographs Tuesday in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Biz on the Wire

Bayer, Monsanto defend merger

By Mary Clare Jalonick | AP WASHINGTON — Top officials for Monsanto and Bayer defended their proposed $66 billion merger before skeptical senators Tuesday, insisting that the deal would lead to greater investments in technology that could help American farmers.

Monsanto, the American weed killer and seed maker, and Bayer, the German medicine and farm chemicals maker, responded to concerns from Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Grassley warned that consolidation and competition in the U.S. seed and agrochemical industry could hurt American farmers who are already dealing with an economic downturn.

“I’m afraid this consolidation wave has become a tsunami,” Grassley said as the hearing opened.

After months of negotiations, St. Louis-based Monsanto Co. last week accepted an offer from Leverkusen-based Bayer AG that will pay $57 billion to Monsanto shareholders and assume $9 billion in Monsanto debt. The deal combines two of the six U.S. and European firms that dominate the agrochemical market.

“This type of change enables more innovation and delivers better products to the farm even faster,” Robb Fraley, executive vice president and chief technology officer of Monsanto said.

Executives from Syngenta, Dow AgroSciences and DuPont similarly defended their own merger plans at the hearing.

IU

D

Denton Record-Chronicle

11

SEPTEMBER 2016

BC

Vital Statistics SALES TAX The following sales permits were issued by the state comptroller’s office for August. The list includes the owner, name of business and address within ZIP codes 75065, 75068, 76201, 76205, 76207, 76208, 76209, 76210, 76226, 76227, 76234, 76249, 76258, 76259 and 76266.

75065 Jeanine K. Stewart, Jeanine K. Stewart, 219 Strait Lane, Hickory Creek Walter J. Beachem Jr., Go Hard Remodeling, 401 N. Shady Shores Drive, Apt. 29, Lake Dallas 75068 Chase Raymond Day, Total Remodel By Chase, 944 Lake Woodland Drive, Little Elm Chiffon and Lace Bridal Boutique LLC, Chiffon and Lace Bridal Boutique, 2300 Crestridge Drive, Little Elm Clay Horse Products LLC, Clay Horse Products, 3047 Kona Drive, Little Elm James Earl Jones Jr., James Earl Jones Jr., 512 Hummingbird Drive, Little Elm Janie M. Briscoe, The Cozy Closet, 912 Lake Grove Drive, Little Elm Jhm Preserve LLC, Dickey's Barbecue Pit, 2587 FM423, Little Elm Kaige Equipment LLC, Kaige Equipment LLC, 1155 Highline Lane, Little Elm Kavika C. Pittman, Clean As A Whistle Cleaning Service, 2050 FM423, Apt. 1502, Little Elm Luna Janitorial Services LLC, Luna Janitorial Services LLC 2050 FM423, Apt. 307, Little Elm Maytex International LLC, Maytex International LLC, 2409 Playa Del Mar Drive, Little Elm Reagan Rochell, 18607 Designs By Reagan, 14500 Logan Springs Drive, Little Elm Stanley Lee Trimm, Cobie's Weapons, 416 Shady Oaks Lane, Little Elm

Tracy Constantino, Et Al Gift Box Social, 2476 Dove Creek Drive, Little Elm 76201 Analytical Technology Inc., Analytical Technology Inc., 315 S. Locust St., Denton Clint W. Wilkinson, Clint Wilkinson, 347 E. Hickory St., Denton Deanna Ooley, Ooley Art Studio, 425 Mounts Ave., Denton Denton County Historical Foundation, Denton County Historical Foundation, 110 W. Hickory St., Denton Hailey L. Glass, Wild Garnet, 1824 Westchester St., Denton Ian Jamil Golden, Pane Relief Window Cleaning Of Denton, 2217 W. Prairie St., Apt. 19, Denton Keith D. Marble, Consignments By Sally, 1720 W. University Drive, Suite 101, Denton Korbi Grace Wilson, Kdub Creations, 2312 Parkside Drive, Denton Krista Whitehead, The Beauty Design, 1111 Eagle Drive, Denton Piatt Productions LLC, Piatt Productions LLC, 1409 Broadway St., Denton Redbox Automated Retail LLC, Redbox Automated Retail LLC, 2645 W. University Drive, Denton The Zigzag Stripe LLC, The Zigzag Stripe, 207 N. Elm St., Denton

BUILDING PERMITS COMMERCIAL ALTERATION Albertsons, 2321 W. University Drive Atmos Pipeline, 5624 E. McKinney St. Serenity Nails and Spa, 2530 W. University Drive, No. 1120 Atrium, 2813 S. Mayhill Road Bridgemoor Apartments, 2801 Spencer Road CH Guenther and Sons Inc., 319 E. Prairie St. Chiloso, 2215 S. Loop 288, No. 312 Chris and Daphne Arrington, 2900 Wind River Lane, No. 140 City of Denton, 215 W. Hickory St. Denton County Brewing Company, 200 E. McKinney St. Denton Regional Medical Center, 3535 S. Interstate 35E Elm Terrace, 1420 N. Elm St. Jack Bell Properties, 517 S. Locust St. Luma Corp. Inc., 2411 S. Interstate 35E, No. 1128 Lutheran Church, 703 N. Elm St. Shadow Wood Apartments, 618 Londonderry Lane Target, 1801 S. Loop 288 Texas Cardiovascular Specialist, 3537 S. Interstate 35E, No. 305

MIXED BEVERAGE TAX The following mixed beverage tax information was issued by the state comptroller’s office for August. The list includes the name of the business, address and reported tax.

380 Roadhouse LLC, 26781 E. U.S. Highway 380, Little Elm, $2,226.94 940s Kitchen & Cocktails, 219 W. Oak St., Denton, $2,476.32 American Legion Post No. 550, 905 Foundation Drive, Pilot Point, $1,456.58 Andy's Bar and Grill, 122 N. Locust St., Denton, $6,411.96 Angelina's Mexican Restaurant, 1400 N. Corinth, St., Suite 111, Corinth, $1,207.13 Applebee's Neighborhood Grill, 707 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $3,272.21 Applebee's Neighborhood Grill, 2672 FM423 Little Elm, $1,976.83 Aramark Educational Services, 303 Administration Drive, Hubbard Denton, $33.50 Ashton Gardens, 2001 Ashton Gardens Lane, Corinth, $2,070.03 Azul Mexican Kitchen, 2831 W. Eldorado Parkway, Little Elm, $0 Azul Mexican Kitchen, 2831 W. Eldorado Parkway, Little Elm, $1,047.67 Azul Mexican Kitchen, 2831 W. Eldorado Parkway, Little Elm, $843.79 B.P.O.E. Denton No. 2446, 228 E. Oak St., Denton, $870.33 Barley & Board, 100 W. Oak St., Suite 160, Denton, $5,679.79 Best Western Area Crown Chase, 2450 Brinker Road, Denton, $371.78 BJ's Restaurant & Brewery, 3250 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $4,118.28 Black-Eyed Pea, 2420 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $0 Bone Daddys House Of Smoke, 3258 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $3,126.35 Bono's Chop House & Saloon, 2025 N. U.S. Highway 287, Decatur, $1,670.64 Boomerjack Wings No. 8, 407 W. University Drive, Denton, $1,225.29 Brunswick Zone Denton, 2200 San Jacinto Blvd., Denton, $933.64 Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, 1400 S. Loop 288, Suite 110, Denton, $2,500.23 Cabana Beverages Inc., 2330 W. University Drive, Denton, $173.73 Casa Torres Mexican Restaurant, 2708 FM51, Decatur, $1,252.96 Chili's Grill & Bar, 600 S. U.S. Highway 287, Decatur, $2,895.60 Chili's Grill & Bar No. 1562, 2825 W. University Drive, Denton, $2,853.46 Chili's Grill& Bar, 2406 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $1,839.01 Chilitos Private Club Inc., 619-623 S. Denton Drive, Lake Dallas, $302.50 Chipotle Mexican Grill, 1224 W. Hickory St., Denton, $37.25 Chuy's Denton, 3300 Wind River Lane, Denton, $4,737.97 Cool Bean's, 1210 W. Hickory St., Denton, $3,305.17 Courtyard By Marriott, 2800 Colorado Blvd., Denton, $164.82 Crossroads Bar, 1803 N. Elm St., Denton, $1,211.15 Dani Rae's Gulf Coast Kitchen, 2303 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $995.75 Dan's Silverleaf, 103 Industrial St., Denton, $2,160.28 Denton Country Club, 1213 Country Club Road, Argyle, $2,502.98 Denton Country Club, 1213 Country Club Road, Argyle, $2,624.05 Drunken Donkey Bar & Grill, 3350 Unicorn Lake Blvd., Denton, $5,448.10 Earl's 377 Pizza, 427 S. U.S. Highway 377, Argyle, $2,523.08 East Side Denton Oak Street, 117 E. Oak St., Denton, $13,531.18 El Fenix-Denton, 2229 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $718.44 El Guapo's, 419 S. Elm St., Denton, $503.37 Ernesto's Mexican Restaurant, 10279 E. FM455, Suite 1, Pilot Point, $2,418.23 Frilly's, 1803 S. U.S. Highway 287, Decatur, $1,448.74 Fry Street Public House, 125 Ave. A, Denton, $4,991.36 Fuzzy's Taco Shop, 109 N. State St., Decatur, $1,139.60 Fuzzy's Taco Shop, 115 Industrial St., Denton, $927.28 Fuzzy's Taco Shop, 2412 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $1,320.70

76207 Erick Cancino, J.B.M Distribution, 209 Willow Stone St., Denton Terry Sewell, Sewell Art Glass, 2717 Westglen Drive, Denton Wheatridge Manufacturing LLC, Wheatridge Manufacturing LLC, 5001 Dakota Lane, Suite 100, Denton Winco Foods LLC, Winco Foods, 300 S. Western Blvd., Denton 76208 Andrea Fritz, It's All For His Glory Tees, 5301 E. McKinney St., Denton Guardian Interlock Inc., Guardian Interlock Surscan, 3741 Mingo Road, Suite 201, Denton Schweitzer Outdoor Services LLC, Renew Crew of Denton, County 5313, Wharfside Place, Denton Town of Shady Shores, Town Of Shady Shores, 101 S. Shady Shores Road, Shady Shores

Texas Roadhouse, 2817 S. Interstate 35E T-Mobile, 2415 N. Elm St. Wood Hill Apt., 1408 Teasley Lane, Building 37

The following building permits were issued by the Denton Planning and Development department in August.

Commericial 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 Ace Tech Motors Inc., 3701 E. McKinney St., No. 703 Denton County Shell Building, 121 N. Woodrow Lane Express Cheer, 1210 Duncan St. Faded Blue, 1100 N. Locust St. Guaranty Bank and Trust, 3101 Wind River Lane Island Divers, 5800 N. Interstate 35, No. 308 Klean Kuts Barber Shop, 3730 E McKinney St., No. 106 Komodo Loco, 109 Oakland St. LL Nails, 1435 S. Loop 288, No. 109 North Lakes Preschool, 1117 Riney Road Pizza Patron, 111 E. University Drive Shell of Building 5800 N. Interstate 35, Building 2 5800 N. Interstate 35, Building 3 5800 N. Interstate 35, Building 4 5800 N. Interstate 35, Building 5 Strande’s Garage, 706 E. McKinney St. Tektube USA LLC, 2341 N. Masch Branch Road, Nos. 405-424 Vintage Bleu Home, 221 W. Oak St.

76205 Du Pop In Popcorn and Candy Co. LLC, Du Pop In Popcorn and Candy Co., 2430 S. Interstate 35E, Suite 164, Denton Party City Corporation, Halloween City, 1435 S. Loop 288, Suite 123, Denton The Saxton Group LLC, Mcalister's Deli, 1931 S. Loop 288, Suite 100, Denton Vivian Gallarde Yost, V-Embroidery, 2100 Spencer Road, Apt. 5221, Denton

Fuzzy's Taco Shop, 1004 Maple St., Suite 101, Sanger, $300.29 Fuzzys Taco Shop, 421 S. U.S. Highway 377, Argyle, $770.29 Fuzzy's Taco Shop Cross Roads, 11450 U.S. Highway 380, Suite 160, Cross Roads, $1,449.88 Genti's Private Club Inc., 3700 FM2181, Hickory Creek, $370.97 Good Eats No. 729, 5812 N. Interstate 35, Denton, $0 Hangout Bar & Dine, 827 Eagle Drive, Denton, $62.98 Hannahs, 111 W. Mulberry St., Denton, $3,140.49 Harvest House, 331 E. Hickory St., Denton, $7,555.85 Hickory Street Lounge, 212 E. Hickory St., Denton, $1,988.02 Hilton Garden Inn Denton, 3110 Colorado Blvd., Denton, $459.95 Hooligans LLC, 104 N. Locust St., Denton, $4,493.55 Hooters, 985 N. Interstate 35E, Denton, $3,320.31 Horny Toad Cafe & Bar, 5812 N. Interstate 35 Denton, $1,018.66 Hula Hut Restaurant, 210 E. Eldorado Parkway, Little Elm $7,095.43 II Charlies Bar & Grill, 809 Sunset St., Denton, $3,848.88 J R Pockets Club, 1127 Fort Worth Drive, Denton, $2,068.96 Jack's Tavern, 508 S. Elm St., Suite 101, Denton, $2,408.38 Jack's Tavern, 508 S. Elm St., Suite 101, Denton, $2,555.84 Jem Beverage Company LLC, 217 W. Division St., Pilot Point, $363.94 Johnny Carino's Italian, 1516 Centre Place Drive, Denton, $647.55 Keiichi LLC, 500 N. Elm St., Denton, $358.51 Kobe Sushi & Steak LLC, 2832 E. Eldorado Parkway, Suite 208, Little Elm, $208.70 La Milpa Mexican Restaurant, 820 S. Interstate 35E, Unit 1, Denton, $1,198.22 Lake Cities Post No. 88, 105 Gotcher Ave., Lake Dallas $1,303.55 Lake Dallas Point Restaurant, 303 Swisher Road, Suite 100, Lake Dallas, $2,081.42 Lantana Golf Club, 800 Golf Club Drive, Argyle, $2,122.49 Las Cabos Cantina, 4451 FM2181, Corinth, $101.57 Leeper Creek BBQ & Cantina Club, 3142 N. U.S. Highway 287, Decatur, $90.24 Library Bar, 109 Ave. A, Denton, $662.89 Lone Star Attitude Burger Co., 113 W. Hickory St., Denton, $6,643.51 Los Jalapenos Restaurant, 420 E. Eldorado Parkway, Little Elm, $284.48 Lowbrows Beer and Wine Garden, 200 S. Washington St., Pilot Point, $665.91 Lucky Lou's, 1207 W. Hickory St., Denton, $9,002.32 Luigi's Pizza Italian Restaurant, 2000 W. University Drive, Denton, $239.86 Mable Peabody's Beauty Parlor, 1125 E. University Drive, Suite 107, Denton, $1,256.71 Mellow Mushroom, 217 E. Hickory St., Denton, $1,456.84 Meritt Ranch Beverages, 2946 W. Ganzar Road, Denton, $268.67 Metzler's Food and Beverage, 1251 S. Bonnie Brae St., Denton, $108.20 Mi Taza Latin Tex-Mex Café, 5017 Teasley Lane, Suite 101, Denton, $773.78 Miguelito's, 1521 E. McCart St., Krum, $785.77 Miguelitos, 1412 N. Stemmons St., No. 178, Sanger, $1,277.02 Motto Bar and Sushi, 222 W. Hickory St., Suite 103, Denton, $203.74 Movie Tavern Denton, 916 W. University Drive, Denton, $1,894.22 Muddy Jake's Sports Grille, 222 W. Hickory St., Suite 104, Denton, $0 Muddy Jake's Sports Grille, 222 W. Hickory St., Suite 104, Denton, $0 Mulberry Street Cantina, 110 W. Mulberry St., Denton, $3,012.05 Mulberry Street Cantina, 110 W. Mulberry St., Denton, $3,359.31 Norman Heitz Memorial Post 104, 501 Thompson Drive, Lake Dallas, $1,136.65 Oak Street Drafthouse, 308 E. Oak St., Denton, $5,879.18

COMMERCIAL City of Denton, 207 W. Collins St. Denton Market Street 3929 Market St. 3821 Market St., Building 2 Kasey Hester, 3413 Wavecrest Lane Mayhill Hospitality, 3761 S. Interstate 35E PACCAR Inc., 3200 Airport Road RESIDENTIAL Aaron Scott Corum, 1508 Willowwood St. Aaron Slack, 912 Eagan St. Bloomfield Homes LP 9004 Wichita Lane 9005 Athens Drive 9308 Benbrook Lane 9113 Wichita Drive 9013 Athens Drive 9017 Athens Drive 9009 Athens Drive Country Lakes West LLC 6320 Roaring Creek 6212 Meandering Creek Drive 6424 Meandering Creek Drive

Oakmont Country Club, 1200 Clubhouse Drive, Corinth, $1,920.35 Ollimac Company, 1400 Corinth Bend, Suite 103, Corinth, $669.93 On The Border, 2829 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $2,704.79 Outback Steakhouse, 300 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $1,538.52 Parker Brothers Trail Dust, 1200 S. Stemmons St., Sanger, $530.23 Pei Wei Fresh Kitchen, 1931 S. Loop 288, Suite 130, Denton, $67.60 Phil Miller Post No. 2205 VFW, 909 Sunset St., Denton, $1,282.71 Pilot Point Columbus Club, 221 N. Prairie St., Pilot Point, $9.38 Pizza Hut, 730 S. U.S. Highway 377, Pilot Point, $14.60 Pollo Tropical Beverages LLC, 2220 S. Loop 288, Denton, $20.10 Prairie House Restaurant, 10001 U.S. Highway 380, Cross Roads, $1,294.90 Queenie's Steakhouse, 113 E. Hickory St., Denton, $1,377.92 Red Lobster No. 6349, 2801 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $1,333.63 Riprock's, 1211 W. Hickory St., Denton, $4,075.14 Rock 101 Patio Grill, 2833 Eldorado Parkway, Suite 301, Little Elm, $5,041.08 Rock 101 Patio Grill, 2833 Eldorado Parkway, Suite 301, Little Elm, $4,522.50 Rock 101 Patio Grill, 2833 Eldorado Parkway, Suite 301, Little Elm, $4,411.41 Rock 101 Patio Grill, 2833 Eldorado Parkway, Suite 301, Little Elm, $5,163.08 Rock 101 Patio Grill, 2833 Eldorado Parkway, Suite 301, Little Elm, $4,351.44 Rock 101 Patio Grill, 2833 Eldorado Parkway, Suite 301, Little Elm, $3,982.34 Rockin Rodeo, 1009 Ave. C, Denton, $3,681.18 Rooster's Roadhouse, 113 Industrial St., Denton, $2,573.87 Rooster's Roadhouse Decatur, 106 N. Trinity St., Decatur, $1,711.44 Rosa's Cafe & Tortilla Factory, 1275 S. Loop 288, Denton, $231.75 RT's Neighborhood Bar, 1100 Dallas Drive, Suite 124, Denton, $6,751.65 Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio, 411 E. Sycamore St., Denton, $0 Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio, 411 E. Sycamore St., Denton, $0 Ruby Jeans Bar & Café, 309 N. FM156, Ponder, $610.10 Rusty Taco Denton, 210 E. Hickory St., Denton, $1,314.47 Savory Bistro & Gourmet To Go, 2650 E. FM407, Suite 165, Bartonville, $1,404.78 Sean's Mesquite Pit BBQ, 401 N. U.S. Highway 287, Decatur, $0 Service Industry, 222 W. Hickory St., Suite 103, Denton, $0 Shots and Crafts LLC, 103 Ave. A, Denton, $1,487.46 South Texas Distillery LLC, 632 FM1540, Sandia, $107.26 Springhill Suites By Marriott, 1434 Centre Place Drive, Denton, $166.62 Starbucks No. 6698, 4600 Swisher Road, Hickory Creek, $5.09 Sweetie Pie's Ribeyes, 201 W. Main St., Decatur, $317.44 Tex Tapas, 109 Industrial St., Denton, $1,114.21 Texas Roadhouse, 2817 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $2,846.16 The Abbey Inn Restaurant & Pub, 101 W. Hickory St., Denton, $3,322.32 The Aztec Club, 720 W. University Drive, Denton, $1,593.72 The Backyard On Bell, 410 N. Bell Ave., Denton, $0 The Bears Den, 11670 Massey Road, Pilot Point, $128.70 The Clubhouse At Robson Ranch, 9428 Ed Robson Circle, Denton, $433.22 The Draft House Bar & Grill, 2700 E. Eldorado Parkway, Suite 250, Little Elm, $2,799.86 The Fry Street Tavern, 121 Ave. A, Denton, $4,529.20 The Garage, 113 Ave. A, Denton, $3,345.64 The Green House, 600 N. Locust St., Denton, $1,220.33 The Labb, 218 W. Oak St., Denton, $2,999.99 The Labb Club, 218 W. Oak St., Denton, $1,514.60 The Loophole, 119 W. Hickory St., Denton, $3,909.71

The following liens were posted in August at the Denton County Clerk’s office.

STATE TAX LIENS TYPE Limited sales excise and use tax Limited sales excise and use tax Limited sales excise and use tax Limited sales excise and use tax Limited sales excise and use tax

AMOUNT $879.79 $1,392.01 $28,730.09 $3,600.42 $1,484.61

REC. DATE 08/01/2016 08/01/2016 08/05/2016 08/05/2016 08/16/2016

TYPE Limited Sales, Excise and Use Tax Limited Sales, Excise and Use Tax Limited Sales, Excise and Use Tax

AMOUNT $1,108.88 $1,373.75 $5,100.63

REC. DATE 08/12/2016 08/29/2016 08/31/2016

TYPE 1040 1040 1040 1040 1040 941 941

AMOUNT $44,925.47 $95,670.21 $24,915.90 $29,566.62 $51,239.59 $27,403.14 $8,597.79

REC. DATE 08/03/2016 08/03/2016 08/03/2016 08/03/2016 08/11/2016 08/19/2016 08/24/2016

RELEASE OF STATE TAX LIENS NAME/ADDRESS Jennifer Lee Hitchcock, 3808 Drexel Drive, Denton EZ-A Recycling Solutions USA LLC, 109 E. Oak St., Suite 1100, Denton Gonzales Concrete Construction LLC, 3425 Nottingham Drive, Denton

FEDERAL TAX LIENS NAME/ADDRESS Guerrero Mendoza, 4937 Stuart Road, Trailer 259, Denton Paul and Sue Herring, 2264 Hollyhill Lane, Denton Clifton Hawk and Kim Wells-Hawk, 305 Marietta St., Denton Glen Millinger, 2411 S. I-35E, Apt. 1612, Denton Douglas and Rachelle Marcello, 1608 Buena Vista Drive, Denton Acto De Compasion Inc., 3924 Parkhaven Drive, Denton John D. Shiver, 520 N. Austin St., Denton

76210 3 Men Enterprises LLC, Fallen Leaf Landscaping, 4251 FM2181, Suite 230-106, Corinth Bob Shelton Enterprises Ltd., Bob Shelton Enterprises Ltd., 2925 Country Club Road, Suite 105, Denton Brandon Moll, Brandon Moll, 6009 English Saddle Lane, Denton Christopher J. Moos, Black Magic Kustoms, 2901 Chisholm Trail, Corinth Elizabeth Leese, Elizabeth Leese, 2010 S. Corinth St., Apt. 3102, Corinth Emily Hart Davis, Emily Davis Photography, 45 Oak Forrest Circle, Denton Hyper Tech AV LLC, Hyper Tech Av LLC, 9100 Teasley Lane, Trailer 57l, Denton Jeffrey D. Talbert P.H.D., 1809 Sharon Drive, Corinth Jiangping Chen Tmax, 3317 Mustang Drive, Denton JJ Donut Inc., Mayhill Donuts, 3606 S. Interstate 35E, Suite 110, Denton Karen Scruggs Photography Inc., Karen Scruggs Photography Inc., 1604 Oak Ridge Drive, Corinth Paul Greenwood, Paul Greenwood, 7909 Hidden Path Lane, Denton Rachelle Ann Bosley, Bosley Cleaning, 7100 S. Interstate 35E, Lot 26, Corinth Scott John Campos, Scott John Campos, 6713 Hayling Way, Denton Whitney Cordy and Jerrica Johnson, JW's Sassy Seams, 2815 Tori Oak Trail, Corinth

6308 Roaring Creek 6409 Meandering Creek Drive 6213 Meandering Creek Drive 6205 Roaring Creek 6205 Meandering Creek Drive

76226 Forrest Wayne Sanco, Sanco Specialties, 12 Hickory Crossing Lane, Argyle Llmt Enterprises LLC, Pool Scouts, 8929 Honeysuckle Drive, Argyle Sergio Mendez and Juan Reyes Blazin Events, 4205 Sonoma Drive, Denton Stonecrest Partners LLC, Stonecrest Partners LLC, 1315 Stonecrest Road, Argyle The Oaks Boutique LLC, The Oaks Boutique LLC, 1400 Country Club Road, Argyle Toni Elmer Photography LLC, Toni Elmer Photography LLC, 430 Elwood Court, Argyle 76227 7-Eleven Beverage Co. Inc., 7-Eleven Convenience Store No. 37326H, 2401 U.S. Highway 380, Cross Roads 7-Eleven Inc., 7-Eleven Convenience Store No. 37326H, 2401 U.S. Highway 380, Cross Roads Bit-Tagious LLC, Bit-Tagious LLC, 120 Stanley Drive, Unit 12, Aubrey Caliber Bodyworks of Texas Inc., Caliber Collision Centers, 11751 U.S. Highway 380, Cross Roads 76234 Calvert Electric Inc., Calvert Electric Inc., 221 Travis Road, Decatur Fernihough Enterprises Inc., Wise Outdoor Power, 2601 S. U.S. Highway 287, Suite 100, Decatur Kenneth Lee Thornton, Ken Thornton Repairs, 482 County Road 4371, Decatur Raja Salfiti, Salfiti Wichita Falls Pharmacy Inc., 1101 W. Eagle Drive, Suite C, Decatur Waddy Oilfield Services LLC, Waddy Oilfield Services LLC, 988 County Road 2937, Decatur

Dunhill Homes DFW LLC 3820 Harbour Mist Trail Faustina Tapia, 2028 Denison St.

Gehan Homes Ltd., 6321 Roaring Creek History Maker Homes 5421 Las Lomas Lane 5308 Sea Cove Lane 5304 Sea Cove Lane 5308 Wharfside Place 5417 Las Lomas Lane 5305 Sea Cove Lane 5300 Sea Cove Lane 5409 Las Lomas Lane Hill Alley St. Properties, 721 Bailey St. Lennar Homes 1921 Sapphire St. 4200 Fanita Place 1912 Hollister Lane

76258 Fa Fitness Gaineville LLC, Anytime Fitness Pilot Point, 770 S. U.S. Highway 377, Suite 205, Pilot Point 76259 Abac Limited LLC, Lonestar Shelter Manufacturing, 249 Seaborn Road, Ponder Service Specialist LLC, Service Specialist LLC, 2765 Florence Road, Ponder Sonja Ann Goodman, Cheveux Salon & Spa, 1003 N. FM156, Suite C, Ponder 76266 Kelly Thomas, Fabulous Funky Junk, 10199 Burke St., Sanger Linda Darlene Raabe, Jlr Crafts, 9346 Brittany Hill Road, Sanger

Sandlin Homes 5000 Brookside Drive 9012 Athens Drive 9701 Meadowpark Drive

Megatel Homes Inc., 4000 Hialeah Drive

The Milestone, 1301 W. Sherman Drive, Aubrey, $2,736.14 The Olive Garden Italian, 2809 S. Interstate 35E, Denton, $1,304.35 Tokyo Samurai, 3600 E. FM407, Suite 100, Bartonville, $599.18 Toms Daiquiri Place, 1212 W. Mulberry St., Denton, $1,376.31 Tower Tap House, 290 E. Eldorado Parkway, Little Elm, $4,263.67 Tredways BBQ, 721 E. Hundley Drive, Lake Dallas, $84.48 Tredways BBQ, 721 E. Hundley Drive, Lake Dallas, $261.03 University Lanes, 1212 E. University Drive, Denton, $569.16 Verona Pizza Italian Restaurant, 201 Loop 81, Decatur, $45.56 Villa Grande Mexican Restaurant, 12000 U.S. Highway 380, Suite 100, Cross Roads, $1,713.25 Villa Grande Mexican Restaurant, 2530 W. University Drive, Suite 114, Denton, $1,463.68 Vitty's Sports Bar, 1776 Teasley Lane, Suite 102, Denton, $2,202.35 Vizcarra, 114 W. Congress St., Denton, $0 Walters Tavern, 201 Main St., Lake Dallas, $2,512.03 Wildhorse Grill, 9440 Ed Robson Circle, Denton, $2,265.06 Wing Daddys Sauce House, 2763 E. Eldorado Parkway, Suite 105, Little Elm, $2,831.75 Wing Town, 4271 FM2181, No. C316, Corinth, $0 Xchan Thai Bistro and Sushi, 113 N. State St., Decatur, $0

76249 Ausbur Fortner, Party Dog Express, 1618 Palomino Lane, Krum Brent E. Smithers, Smithers Business Forms, 4840 FM2450, Krum Deckard Designs, Deckard Desgns, 6042 Hawkeye Road, Krum Fa Fitness Gaineville LLC, Anytime Fitness Krum, 802 E. McCart St., Krum Pandy Diane Lockridge, Pandy's Unique Thingz, 529 W. Lloyd St., Krum Texas Bull Inc., Bull's Pest Control, 4525 Miller Road, Denton Christopher S. Countryman, Radius It Consulting, 9986 Copeland Place, Pilot Point

Robson Denton Dev. LP 12012 Brant Way 8201 Brant Court 12005 Brant Way 8117 Dunlin Drive 12116 Gadwall Drive 9708 Blackwood Drive 9704 Orangewood Trail 10504 Goodland Drive 9817 Blackwood Drive 9913 Baywood Court 10004 Lindenwood Trail 8224 American Way 12121 Willet Way 12017 Brant Way 8101 Dunlin Drive 8113 Sanderling Drive 8209 American Way 8304 American Way 12009 Brant Way 12021 Brant Way 9508 Crestview Drive 9512 Rivercrest Drive 9901 Orangewood Trail 9717 Orangewood Trail

Forestar Real Estate Group 7363 Sweetgate Lane 4125 Boxwood Drive 4122 Boxwood Drive

DR Horton 3805 Cuddy Drive 3809 Gennaker Drive 2120 Skysail Lane 2200 Skysail Lane 2201 Skysail Lane 2204 Skysail Lane 2205 Skysail Lane 2209 Skysail Lane 2124 Skysail Lane 2216 Skysail Lane 2121 Skysail Lane 2208 Skysail Lane 2212 Corsair Lane 2217 Corsair Lane 3905 Gennaker Drive 3913 Gennaker Drive 3920 Cuddy Drive 4001 Gennaker Drive 4009 Gennaker Drive 4013 Gennaker Drive 4017 Gennaker Drive 4005 Gennaker Drive

LIENS NAME/ADDRESS Clean Reflections Inc., 1215 Kendolph Drive, Denton Blue Steele Solutions LLC, 225 W. Hickory St., Denton Western Welding Inc., 1300 Fulton St., Suite 301, Denton PC Depot Plus LLC, 627 S. Mayhill Road, Suite 113, Denton Stephen Bobbitt, 2236 Southway, Denton

76209 Jose I. Gamez, Pacos Produce B.Y.P., 2937 Stockton St., Denton Meridith Carmichael-Moore, By Mer, 2223 Foxcroft Circle, Denton Park Window Coverings LLC, Park Window Coverings LLC, 1817 Redwood Place, Denton

HEADACHES? Denton Chiropractic Center Auto & work injuries accepted.

Mon. - Fri. 7-9, Sat. 7-6 I-35 at McCormick Se Habla Español.

(940) 566-3232

Dr. Marcus Villarreal

Dr. Melissa Noell

www.dentonchiro.com

We’re Here to HELP You!

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ASBESTOS SURVEYS for BUILDING PERMITS Seven day turnaround – No RUSH charges

VERITECH

sm

A fully licensed asbestos consulting firm now based in Krum

ASSUMED NAMES

Founded 1987

214.890.0702

ghatt@hq-veritech.com

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

IU

NAME — DBA/ADDRESS

WE CATE R

Adam Stahr, Alleyooper, 3720 Logan Drive Antonio Carlos, Las Lomas Taqueria, 2400 E. University Drive, Denton Bernardo Illari, Champaki Editions, 1502 Seminole Ave., Denton Blake Huggins, Accelerated Complete Automotive, 1904 Moonlight Drive, Denton Daniel Correa Lopez, Lopez Fencing Company, 2220 Northway, Denton DeShonna Randall, Elite Choice Realtors, 3205 Key Largo Lane, Denton Erick Cancino, JBM Distribution, 209 Willow Stone St., Denton James P. Keffer, OrthoBionics, 3300 Montecito, Denton Jason Kaufman, True Home Realty, 2434 Lillian Miller Parkway, Denton Jean Claude Roy, JCAM Autosports, 3721 Beatriz Drive, Denton Lovely Sweets and Events LLC, 1801 Jason Drive, Suite A, Denton Lynne W. Brister-Cox, Beads and Baubles, 1900 Emerson Lane, Denton Marcos Muniz, IMG Construction, 3316 N. Bell Ave., Denton Mayhill Lodging LLC, Mayhill Hospitality LP, 3761 S. Interstate 35E, Denton

940-440-9760 www.PHTexas.com 10001 Hwy 380 Cross Roads, TX IU

Digital Copy Center

Offset Printing

Direct Mail Merge

Full In-House Bindery

Graphic Design Services

Signs and Banners

940 648 3581 x401

kelly.worthington@globalimpressions.com

globalimpressions.com

9750 Industrial Rd • Justin, TX 76247 CR

Global Gl bl IMPRESSIONS

12

SEPTEMBER 2016

BC

D

Denton Record-Chronicle

At First State Bank,

WE TAKE STOCK IN YOUR FUTURE.

In Denton!

We’re happy to work with you to get you what you need now and well into the future with Working Capital Loans and Business Lines of Credit.

Crown Chase Inn & Suites 2450 Brinker Road (940) 387-1000 bwdenton.com

Allow First State Bank to assist with funding your business’s needs!

CORINTH CAMPUS 1500 N. CORINTH STREET CORINTH 940.498.6282

(940) 349-5444 . F-S-B.com

FLOWER MOUND 1200 PARKER SQUARE FLOWER MOUND 972.899.8400

400 W. Oak St. | 2430 W. University Dr. 3190 Teasley Ln. | 1696 S. Loop 288

Welcome to The Premier Life.® IU

Your Success is Our Success

Denton | Gainesville | Lake Kiowa | Muenster Saint Jo | Valley View | Decatur | Roanoke

America’s Drive-In

Daily ur H appy H o m 2pm - 4 p

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

nctc.edu IU

www.sonicdrivein.com/denton IU

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