Stake Diane: When Mr. B gave up his chase for Halle Berry he focused on Diane Lane, who was somewhere Under the Tuscan Sun. B figured that since Ferre Ristorante and Bar is a cutting-edge, contemporary and stylish Italian-Tuscan restaurant in happen’ Sundance Square that Ms. Lane would be a frequent visitor. So B hung there…and hung there…and hung there…and all he got was great food and free Cliburn/Bass Performance Hall gawking. You, however, can win a $50 certificate good toward lunch any Monday through Thursday. Let B know if you see Diane.
No bailout funds…were used in this giveaway! Jeanine Werberig, Henry Barbolla, Linda Van Grevenhof, Lizz Pulliam and the rest of the fab folks of the recently opened Fort Worth branch of Community Bank at I-30 and University snuck into the vault to pilfer six $50 Visa cards for the enjoyment of Newz-E-Letter readers. It’s Community Bank’s way to give back to the community and spur the economy.
Best wedding crasher: Mr. B was hanging out at the Omni Hotel earlier this month, trying to figure out whether to crash the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber’s event or the wedding of Camille Carlock and Hal Brown. Why not do both? After a fine meal with the Chamber, B had cake and danced the night away with the Browns. Hal is the owner of Fort Worth, Texas magazine and even though we weren’t invited to the wedding, he is inviting us to his BEST OF 2009 party June 12 at Casa Mañana Theatre. The evening will celebrate Tarrant County’s finest restaurants, shops, services, places and people, and raise money for charity (the Browns’ honeymoon?). We have two sets of two tickets for the party that also features entertainment from Trey and the Tritones, Pete’s Dueling Piano players and Cirque acrobatics.
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Yep, that plaid jacket means it’s time for Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial this weekend! Last week, Chamber members were treated to a preview luncheon with guests Lance Barrow, CBS Sports, and Carl Pettersson, three-time PGA Tour winner. Fort Worth is also hosting the PGA Tour Spring Meeting this week at the Omni Hotel, where all the PGA Tour directors and host organizations will learn how Fort Worth runs a world-class event.
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Next best: OK, so not everyone gets to go to the BEST OF 2009 party. But you can be your own Hal Brown and throw a party for six at Main Event Entertainment Fort Worth, thanks to Teeerrrifffic Tammy Todd. She cavorted through her monstrous entertainment complex off Bryant Irvin and came up with a VIP prize pack that includes one hour in the exclusive VIP room -- equipped with Wi-Fi, flat-panel TV, soft seating and bar access --one hour of bowling with shoes included and one game of laser tag.
Sky high: Mr. B asked tournament director Peter Ripa about getting one of those all-inclusive, $40,000 skyboxes for the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial as a giveaway item. Ripa said a government bailout would be more likely. He did offer a payment plan and on B’s wages, it would take only 731,900 years and three swine flu pandemics. Maybe he could get us one of those red plaid champions’ jackets for a giveaway.
Daily prayer: Now that unemployed son NoBGood has graduated and is living at home, Mr. B has been thinking about life & death -- life for B, death for NoB. And that got B to wondering: Once you are in heaven, are you always wearing the clothes you were buried in?
Auspicious start: Lying lazily in bed yet another day, Bryant Dowden of Trilogy Payment Solutions started the award-winning business in his bedroom.
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Incredible story: Mr. B packed a lot of sitting around in front of the TV watching sports the past 25 years. Vanja Djuric, 25-year-old owner of Direct Tax & Financial Services, only managed to escape Bosnia, learn English, start a company in high school, get a degree or two and start Direct Tax. Soon she'll be a CPA. Ask her for the War and Peace version if you are at her Ribbon Cutting tomorrow at 5761 Westcreek Drive.
Leaving us in stitches: Joseph Paul DeWoody of Pendragon Oil last week attempted to open a can with a kitchen knife because the can opener only would get it halfway. He managed to slam the knife on the lid and take off the top half of his thumb. 28 stitches later, he was back in time for a late dinner.
Traveling party: Rick Isaminger, Family Health Education Coordinator at Samaritan House, and some friends have an ambitious goal -- visit every county in Texas. There are 254, and since March, they’ve hit 10 percent.
Tour-iffic: You had questions; they have answers. Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus administrators are offering tours June 9-11 from noon to 5:30 of the revamped former RadioShack buildings. To reserve a 45-minute tour, call Christy Rodriguez at 817-515-1017. The campus opens for summer classes June 8. The one-month session precedes the official opening this fall.
Who you callin’ chicken? Patti Mansfield of Corporate Kitchen Catering and Carlo Capua of Z’s Café are claiming “best chicken salad” in town. If each makes a two-pound batch and delivers to Mr. B, he’ll be happy to host a taste test and declare a winner.
Positively Fort Worth: These items are sponsored by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce…Fort Worth ranks third nationally for “healthiest housing market”, according to Builder... The Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors has developed a campaign called TGIFW –Thank God It’s Fort Worth…More pro-business news comes from Trinity River Vision, which says more than 50 firms are under contract for the project, with nearly $27 million awarded in contracts. During the next year, TRVA anticipates $40-to-$45 million in new contracts. With all this good news, doesn’t someone need a newsletter writer?
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Time in a bottle: Your loyal servant is trying to get a giveaway – with no expiration date – from new member James Alexander of Alexander Cremation and Funeral Services.
Watch what you pay for: Heard during a Chamber seminar—“A bad consultant is an insultant.”
Lost in translation: From Bethany Tyler of Burnett Staffing -- “I tweet. I’m a twit.”
Selling Fort Worth: Lance Barrow of Colleyville is a CBS television producer for the NFL and golf and spoke at last week's Colonial Preview Luncheon. He says he gives Fort Worth and the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial special treatment…$2 million worth of marketing special treatment. Other highlights of the luncheon:
- Barrow said: “Colonial is my favorite week—great golf, being home, lots to brag about. It’s better than a Super Bowl or The Masters.”
- Golfer Carl Pettersson said: “The tournament stands out because they care for the whole family. The downtown area is one of the better ones in the country. It’s feels safe for a family. And the course is old-style. We don’t play those much any more.”
- Colonial’s Julie Brauer and staff outdid themselves with lunch, a petite striploin Pizziolia Tuscan grilled steak with sautéed angel hair pasta.
- Colonial is hosting all tournament sponsors and hosts this week for the PGA’s spring meeting.
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Swine poo: Texas “produces” 14 million TONS of manure a year, which could be turned into 700 million gallons of usable gas.
Curious: Swine flu made Mr. B wonder what disease cured ham had? Guess we could ask when Am-Bass-Adorables visit Superior Livestock Auctions and Productions in the Exchange building June 18 for a ribbon-cutting. Many Chamber event photos are online here.
Name game: OK, Texans DO like to do things differently. The Social Security Administration reports that Emma and Jacob were the most popular baby names nationally. In Texas, it was William and Emily. Top five for boys were William, Jacob, James, Ethan and Elijah. For girls, it was Emily, Isabella, Abigail, Emma and Madison.
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Appropriately named: President for the 2009-2010 season of the Texas Ballet Theatre of Fort Worth is Kathryn Grace Carruth.
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