Fort Worth Chamber's Newz-E-Letter: March 26, 2008

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For Members, About Members	March 26, 2008
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PICTURE OF THE WEEK!

Last week's Small Business of the Year Awards Luncheon at Colonial Country Club was a showcase for spectacular small businesses in Fort Worth. This year's winners, shown above, are Judge Graham and Chad Horany, owners of Rassai Interactive; Hana Laurenzo, owner of Teneo Linguistics Company; Teresa Nelson, owner of Teresa's Treasures; and Walter Littlejohn, general manager of The Fort Worth Club.

Click here for more details about the winners.

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Paris in the Springtime: Spring Break is about wearin’ Mr. B out. Son NoBGood wants this, he wants that. Good thing daughter MisBehavin’ isn’t speaking to dear old dad; half the troubles are gone. If you’re like B, you need your own Spring Break, and the Hilton Fort Worth has your answer: A one-night stay for two on a weekend night, Friday or Saturday, double occupancy, AND breakfast for two in Café Texas AND complimentary champagne with chocolate covered strawberries AND complimentary parking. Even the taxes and gratuities are included (except on those dreaded alcoholic beverages). This is a REAL break.

The real camp in Camp Fire: Couldn’t afford to break away during Spring Break because the price of gas would eat your budget? Angela Downes, vice president of Camp Fire USA First Texas Council shares your indigestion. The fireball has got a family camping weekend April 25-27 and Mr. B will throw in the marshmallows. You’ll be at Camp El Tesoro in Granbury and the stay includes a cabin and catered meals, and activities include canoeing, archery, hiking, games, hayrides, creek-walking, arts and campfires with songs and Smores and more.

Iron-ing: Ah, late-March, (Spring) time to get those clubs out of the garage before they rust, and hit the golf course. Before you know it, we’ll be under attack by the pros playing the Crowne Plaza Colonial. You’ll want your game to be as sharp, so get in a round for two some Monday through Thursday at Woodhaven Country Club courtesy of Linda Gail Barnes and our fav fives at Fort Worth Sister Cities.

Desperate for entertainment: Been missing those Desperate Housewives on Sunday nights, and Ed Sullivan seems to have disappeared, too. What to do? How about rockin’ and rollin’ with nine friends at the Austin Company’s Rollerworld Skating Rink in Haltom City? It will be your own private party of pleasure, and includes skating and skates, courtesy of Jim Austin.

Business stars: Teneo Linguistics (emerging), Teresa's Treasures (1-10 employees), Rassai Interactive (11-50 employees) and The Fort Worth Club (51-plus employees) were honored as Chamber Small Business of the Year winners for 2008. Club manager Walter Littlejohn said "This is a little unusual for us...We usually serve, but today we win an award and have people serve us." Rassai partner Chad Horany said choosing to set up in Fort Worth over Dallas "was one of our best decisions because of the incredible business and community support." Teresa Nelson of Teresa's Treasures quipped, "Once you start hiring family, it's a downward spiral." Congrats to all the winners, finalists and nominees.

Animals of a different stripe: Former Fort Worth Texas magazine editor Alexis Wilson is going to work with the Fort Worth Zoo as director of marketing, public relations and development.

Posterized: Cindy Kumer and The CK Design Agency asked Mr. B to model for the movie poster it is designing for Epicstar Productions' new feature length film, "Prodigal." B was busy shooting a swimsuit ad for men with love handles, but Clooney was available. Film is due out in a few months.

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The Joker is wild: If you didn’t know, new Fort Worth City Manager Dale Fisseler is a funny guy—dry wit, self-deprecating. He could end up writing Newz-E-Letter if he or Mr. B get cross ways with bosses. Some funny moments from his talk to the East Area Council luncheon at Texas Wesleyan University:

Harrison Ford was dubbed in whenever Fissler’s photo appeared on the PowerPoint.
He says the city “doesn’t charge extra for drugs in its water.”
Acting Assistant City Manager Tom Higgins “signed up for this luncheon before he knew who the speaker was and then couldn’t get a refund.”
“Will Rogers never met a city manager.”
“If we get water from Oklahoma, contract would require that Texas lose the game every year.”
On the city’s infrastructure: “I need $2.3 billion and I need it fast. Not sure how long they’re going to leave me in this job.”

Name game: There’s a rodeo competitor named Rope Myers.

Pop goes the… Farmers Insurance agent and co-Mavericks super fan Angela Medcalf was attempting to get her scuba certification when she felt a pop in her ear about 10 feet below. Her doctor thinks she needs surgery. “Looks like I will not be swimming with the fishes,” Angela says.

Open sesame! Baylor All Saints Medical Center is opening its wonderful Andrews Women’s Center this week. And the University of North Texas Health Science Center is opening its TECH Fort Worth Acceleration Labs, which includes six labs and six offices for burgeoning health/technology companies.

Reeling it in: First-year RE/MAX franchise owners Jaci and David Coan were selected “Rookie Franchise of the Year” during the real estate group’s Texas convention. The veteran Fort Worth realtors opened RE/MAX Trinity at Montgomery Plaza last June and specialize in the downtown market.

Am-Bass-Adorables: It’s a busy week for ribbon cuttings, but lots you can accomplish. You can get your teeth pulled today at Sarah J. Morris DDS, PLLC, a job prospect analysis tomorrow at Halff Associates, Inc., manicured next Tuesday at Deluxe Nail Salon and a house next Wednesday at Alexander Chandler Realty, a Newz-E-Letter sponsor.

Is it getting crowded? Small-town Fort Worth has gone over 700,000 in population.
Break a leg: Kristen Campbell, daughter of EdwardJones’ Kim Campbell, is a principal actress in the world premiere of the stage play of Neil Young’s Greendale. The rock opera of the small town listed on a return postal address of an anthrax letter to Congress plays at Dallas’ Undermain Theatre until May 3.

Star power: Former CEOs Marvin Girouard of Pier 1 Imports and Len Roberts of RadioShack are scheduled guests Saturday at noon on BizRadio 1360. The show is live at Eurotazza Coffeehouse.

Star search: The Chisholm Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross honored community heroes last week during a gala at the Fort Worth Club sponsored by XTO. Mr. B was in the running but couldn’t spell PR whiz Emily Getzschman’s name correctly and was disqualified. Among the honorees were Haltom City firefighters Sterling Gilliland, Joshua Waits and Jason Williams; Col. (Dr.) James Lynn Greenstone; Lifesaver of the Year Johnny Phillips; and Community Spirit Award winner Roger (Good) Deeds.

Search me: Did you know that most Internet search requests are filed in a database for up to 18 months? So, which websites have you visited?

Duh…no more: Truth be told, Mr. B is a dropout and look where he ended up, working for the Chamber’s Miserly Mistress for 39 cents an hour. This doesn’t have to happen. You can be part of the solution by attending one of five Chamber/FWISD Go Center lunches at area high schools from April 2-25. (You also get a free boxed lunch, which hopefully includes that starched cafeteria rice that sticks together so well.) If you’re interested in attending and being part of the solution to encourage high school completion and college readiness, go here for more info.

Avoiding the meters: If anyone knows who hands out those “Official Guest of Fort Worth” parking passes, Mr. B is willing to trade a giveaway for one. Please don’t tell the 13 Chamber editors he wrote that.

Fruity times: Glenda Diaz is checking her lease and is about to open an Arlington Edible Arrangements to go with her Hulen store.

Refunds: Better news than the government’s refund checks: Insurance agent Clay Leverett of Allstate said he would pay Mr. B if he got daughter MisBehavin’ off the roads in California and off his insurance policy. She’s had four accidents in six months.