Supermarket chain H-E-B dabbles in film with new documentaries on conservation

Bats, and Ocelots, and Bears...oh my

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In the hopes of raising awareness for conservation, San Antonio-based supermarket chain H-E-B has released a new series of short documentaries covering Texas wildlife and state parks.

Called Our Texas, Our Future, it's a five-part series that explores areas in Texas: from the Gulf coast of Houston to the deserts of West Texas, spotlighting animals, marine life, and the state's public parks system.

The series was created in partnership with Fin & Fur Films, and is narrated by Austin-based singer Shane Smith. His band, Shane Smith and the Saints, also created original music for the series.

"H-E-B has a deep commitment to support all Texans, and that includes helping to protect, conserve, and beautify our great state for people to enjoy now and for generations to come," said Leslie Sweet, H-E-B's Managing Director of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs in a release. "We’re excited to support these passionate filmmakers and their mission to tell important stories that we hope will inspire people to celebrate and protect the diverse habitats, unique wildlife, and beautiful landscapes across Texas."

Each film can be watched on the Our Texas, Our Future website, and the Alamo Drafthouse Lake Highlands will host a free screening on August 28.

A Century Celebration: Texas State Parks
Director: Ben Masters; Runtime: 9 minutes
This film celebrates the 100th anniversary of Texas State Parks through a retelling of how the public park system came to be. 1.5 million acres of public land stretches from the West Texas mountains to Piney Woods in East Texas, where about 10 million visitors trek Texas state parks every year. Watch the trailer for A Century Celebration: Texas State Parkshere.

Batsies
Director: Elizabeth Unger; Runtime: 15 minutes
San Antonio locals know all too well the history of Bracken Cave, which is home to the world's largest bat colony, comprising more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats. A group of Texas State University wildlife biologiststake viewers on a trip to unearth little-known facts about one of Texas' most precious creatures. Batsies details the group's fight to protect the state's bat population and explains why the mammals are so crucial to Texas' ecosystem and agriculture. Watch the trailerhere.

Redfish Revival
Director: Shannon Vandivier; Runtime: 16 minutes
Redfish Revival is a deep dive into the history of Texas' redfish population, and how a group of Houston fishermen saved them from overfishing in the 1970s. The group's dedication to conservation helped bring about important legislation protecting against overfishing in the 1980s, and even led to redfish being deemed the official saltwater fish of Texas. Watch the trailer here.

Second Chance
Director: Austin Alvarado; Runtime: 22 minutes
Second Chance showcases the ongoing recovery of Texas' black bear population, which has slowly been on the rise over the last 30 years. Researchers from the Borderlands Research Institute in Alpine journey to understand how the bears are surviving in the West Texas desserts in the wake of Texas' human population expansion. Watch the trailer for Second Chance here.

Ranching with Ocelots
Director: Shannon Vandivier; Runtime: 12 minutes
Ocelots are the most endangered cat in the nation, with less than 120 in the wild today. Ranching with Ocelots investigates the relationship between the animals and two traditional Texas vaqueros – Timoteo and Miguel Rodriguez, who also appear in the film Easteños – who seek to protect them. Their ranch is home to the largest documented ocelot population in North America. Watch the trailer here.

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Trinity Metro chooses design team for new Near Southside station in Fort Worth

Train News

Trinity Metro has hit another benchmark in its plan to extend TexRail to the Near Southside: The agency has selected a team consisting of Huitt-Zollars + TranSystems, who will partner to serve as final design consultant (FDC) on the transit expansion.

Huitt-Zollars is a design firm with expertise in planning, program management, and construction management. TranSystems oversees construction on transportation networks and infrastructure. Both firms have previously worked for Trinity Metro on projects such as the TEXRail Track and Stations project, which was completed by TranSystems; and the Mahaffey Maintenance Facility, which was completed by Huitt-Zollars.

This project consists of a 2.1-mile commuter rail extension from the Fort Worth T&P Station to a new Near Southside Station in the Fort Worth Medical District.

In addition to the rail extension, it also includes the design of the Near Southside Station with a 100-space park-and-ride lot. Construction on the $167 million program will begin in 2024.

In a statement, Trinity Metro President and CEO Richard Andreski says the expansion represents "a crucial milestone" in the development of Fort Worth's transportation infrastructure.

"By connecting riders to the Near Southside and Medical District, we are offering medical workers, patients and visitors an opportunity to ride the very popular and very successful TEXRAIL," Andreski says. "The expanded rail service will provide a great commuting choice many people while also offering Near Southside residents a seamless connection to DFW Airport."

Trinity Metro is the sole owner and operator of TEXRail, a 27-mile commuter rail line that runs between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B; and co-owner of Trinity Railway Express (TRE), a 34-mile commuter rail line jointly owned and operated with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).

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Fort Worth wins top honors on list of hottest cities in U.S. this week

Weather News

Texas wins this week with three cities earning top slots on a list of the hottest cities in the U.S. for June 27.

According toThe Washington Post, Dallas was the No. 1 most hottest city for the day, followed by Fort Worth and Austin. San Antonio and Houston came in on the list at No. 5 and No. 6.

Perhaps it's no coincidence that all five of those cities also have their own local CultureMap bureaus? #hot #buzzy

Wednesday, June 28 is expected to get even hotter. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat advisory for Dallas, Collin, Denton, and Tarrant counties, though 8 pm Wednesday. Dallas is supposed to reach 107 degrees, with a heat index of 115 degrees.

As Ben Noll, a meteorologist with New Zealand’s National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, tweeted, Texas will be hotter on June 28 than 99 percent of the rest of the world, including the Sahara Desert and the Persian Gulf.

The cause — and also the buzzy hot weather phrase for 2023 — is a "Heat Dome." A heat dome is where hot air gets trapped into a certain space. The Associated Press says it occurs when “stationary high pressure with warm air combines with warmer than usual air in the Gulf of Mexico and heat from the sun that is nearly directly overhead.”

Climate scientist Andrew Pershing says that what makes this heat wave unusual is how long it has lasted, stating, "There have been places in Texas that have had more than two weeks of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which are just really unusual temperatures for this time of year even in a region that is used to heat."

But the year 2022 was also bad, with many cities across South Texas experiencing the hottest May on record.

Texas is coming on strong for breaking records in 2023, besting record-breakers from prior years such as the Pacific Northwest which experienced record-breaking heat waves in 2022, and Reno, which had the hottest night in history in July 2022.

According to ABC13 in Houston, Wednesday will be the 16th day in a row with some kind of heat-related weather alert for southeast Texas. In Austin, the heat index hit 116 degrees on June 15, the highest on record for the city. Other Texas cities have already broken records this year, including Del Rio, San Angelo, and Laredo.

It's not just Texas: A story inThe Guardiannotes that nearby states including New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri are also experiencing scorching heat, with the National Weather Service predicting temperatures to rise further and stay this way through the 4th of July.

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Where to Eat in Fort Worth right now: 5 restaurants with new dishes for spring

Where to Eat

The April edition of our monthly Where to Eat column has a spring theme, with five Fort Worth restaurants that are celebrating the season with fresh new menus for spring.

Spring means the end of hearty, heavy comfort food and the beginning of light and breezy dishes, perfect for springtime nibbling. These new dishes also provide a great excuse to revisit a favorite restaurant: You get to try something new.

Here's where to eat in April:

Ellerbe Fine Foods
So many local restaurants have adopted a farm-to-table philosophy, it’s easy to forget who was doing it first. Since opening nearly 15 years ago in a 1940s service station on Magnolia Ave., Ellerbe’s — like clockwork — introduces a new menu when the seasons change. Chef Molly McCook’s new spring menu includes cornmeal-crusted redfish with blackened tomatoes; grilled, herb-crusted rack of lamb with housemade labneh; and, a sure-fire way to start a meal, spring beets with pickled turnips.

Grace
Opulent downtown dining destination is celebrating spring with several new dishes from executive chef Blaine Staniford. For an appetizer, try the new shrimp and grits, featuring Royal Red shrimp (large, crimson-colored shrimp), grits, and Staniford’s take on etouffee; or spring carrot bisque, made with pickled baby carrots, crème fraîche and spicy macadamia nuts. There’s a new salad with citrus roasted beets and smoked blue cheese, and a seafood bouillabaisse with crab legs, shrimp, mussels, and hirame fluke.

Maria’s Mexican Kitchen
Opened in 2021, Fort Worth chef Felipe Armenta’s high end Mexican restaurant in the TCU area is one of the few local Mexican restaurants to offer seasonal menus. Its spring menu emphasizes seafood, with new items such as seabass ceviche, blue crab and butter-poached enchiladas, and salmon marinated in a combination of garlic, soy, sesame, and chipotle peppers.

Pizza Verde
Nominated for Best New Restaurant in CultureMap's 2023 Tastemaker Awards, Fort Worth’s plant-based pizza joint recently introduced a handful of new pies, including the Funghi, made with an oil and garlic base, mozzarella, roasted oyster and cremini mushrooms, capers, parsley and fried leeks; and the Chimi, a pie with an oil and garlic base, mozzarella, Juicy Marbles steak, red onion, chimichurri, and parmesan chips, all of which are plant-based ingredients. For heavier appetites, there’s a new sub sandwich, made with plant-based meatballs and marinara; and Fritto Misto, their plant-based take on the classic appetizer, featuring oyster mushrooms and New Wave shrimp.

Taste Project
Open for breakfast, brunch and lunch, this cheffy, pay-what-you-can restaurant in the Near Southside area regularly rotates items, especially on its lunch menu, which was recently updated with several spring dishes. Among them is a shaved carrot and red and golden beet salad, with arugula, crumbled goat cheese, and mint, all tossed in a toasted fennel vinaigrette. New entrees include a lamb burger topped with whipped feta cheese, and a rice & veggie bowl filled with snap peas, pea shoots, fried leeks, and pickled veggies. Desserts include panna cotta and pineapple upside down cake, both made in-house.

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Crane flies have landed ever so lightly in Fort Worth, which means one thing

Insect News

The crane flies have arrived in Fort Worth, and this year, they're here in droves.

Fragile, leggy, and whisper-light, crane flies are most often found around streams and lakes. But at certain times of year, they show up in urban areas, hovering and bobbing around houses and doorways.

If you live in certain areas — green, suburban areas — you've surely encountered them or seen complaints on your cranky Facebook neighborhood page. This, even though they don't bite or want to bother you in any way.

To bug experts like Janet Hurley, an Extension Program Specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, their arrival means one thing: Spring is officially here.

If they seem to be in larger numbers, it's, as usual, related to weather.

"The weather has been warmer, and we've had a number of damp days," Hurley says. "We've also had an unusual 2023, with spring bouncing in and out for a couple months. They usually show up during or right before spring break. But we all joke that if you see the crane fly, you won’t be seeing freezing temperatures again."

Of all the pests Texas must endure, crane flies have to be the most innocuous. Now-retired Texas A&M entomologist Mike Merchant called them "among the gentlest of insects."

It's a myth that they prey on or are related to mosquitoes. Crane flies are larger, and unlike mosquitos, their wings do not have scales. They also don't want your blood. They live on fat reserves built up during their larval stage.

They live short but amorous lives. Their sole purpose is to mate and make more crane flies for next spring.

Hurley says that they might be a nuisance but to consider the alternatives.

"Once they're gone, the mosquitoes come in," she says.

Photo courtesy of Old Settler's Music Festival

4-day Americana festival rolls out the camping mats this spring in Central Texas

Texas getaways

Music festivals are one of the best reasons to road-trip to the Austin area. The 2023 OId Settler’s Music Festival, taking place April 20-23, will bring in some of the best names in folk, Americana, and Southern traditions.

This means 28 groups and solo artists across four days of camping and enjoying the outdoors in Dale, about 45 minutes southeast of Austin (near Lockhart).

Old Settler’s Homestead, a 145-acre ranchland, has been hosting this barn dance, so to speak, for 36 years. Over time, it’s succeeded in drawing some major talents, but stayed grounded. These approachable sounds are great for visitors new to the fray:

Yola sounds like the American South but hails from the United Kingdom. The powerful singer is known for her emotional rawness over smooth instrumental arrangements, both leaning into genre conventions (country, soul, disco, and beyond) and floating stoically above them.
The Wood Brothers bring the poetry to the festival, and that’s saying something in such a lyric-heavy genre. The trio has stuck together for nearly two decades and been in the industry even longer, and the wisdom comes through the introspective acoustic-electric jams.
Shovels & Rope play with chemistry, abundant between Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, whose weathered, twangy voices bring a frankness to dramatic songwriting. This duo could play their own festival as moods and styles change from track to track.
Shinyribs is a warning from Austin to anyone who thinks folk music is always reserved. Frontman Kevin Russell, initially from Beaumont, is known for his performance antics — a force to be reckoned with, or otherwise, willingly swept up in.
Buffalo Nichols is turning the green venue blue with twangy slide guitar and a rich, nearly gravelly voice. The singer commanded a small, but dense crowd at his first year at Austin City Limits Festival in 2022, with a mellow tone amid the madness.
Matt the Electrician represents more country than many on the lineup, and has been active in the Austin music scene since 1998. His songwriting comes from cerebral origins, but sounds welcoming and promises easy listening as the festival rolls on.
Ley Line, also from Austin, is a standout for its comparatively exotic style. The four women sing in English, Portuguese, Swahili, and more, reminding fans in attendance — mostly seeking Americana — that the sphere of folk music extends far beyond our own borders.

In addition to the main attraction — the music — there will be food and artisan vendors, music workshops, and a youth talent competition. The camping, powered with renewable energy, sprawls around the active performance area, and the festival prides itself on the atmosphere away from the stages.

Old Settler’s is a 501(c)(3) organization staffed by volunteers, so in addition to providing a good time, it aims to foster a lasting appreciation for Americana and the human connections available through it.

"This is one of the greatest festivals I've ever been a part of,” said Kevin Russell of Shinyribs in a press release. “In fact, I think of this as my home festival."

Tickets (starting at $60, kids under 12 free) to Old Settler’s Music Festival 2023, from April 20-23, are currently on sale at prekindle.com.

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

These are the 14 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

Weekend Event Planner

This weekend in and around Fort Worth is music-heavy, with five big concerts in the area and a couple more at everybody's favorite honky tonk. There will also be three theater productions, including the national tour of a Broadway play; screenings of both a new documentary and acclaimed short films; the start of haunted house season; and a dance production.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events. Oh, and the State Fair of Texas starts this weekend in Dallas; if you plan on going, make sure you don't pay full price.

Thursday, September 28

Theatre Wesleyan presents Playmarket: Premiere Productions
Theatre Wesleyan will present the continuation of its long-running Playmarket program with the premiere of four original short plays. Playmarket: Premiere Productions will include The Death of Seneca by Jonathan Burt, Dime Store Dinos by Parker County Theatre Company executive producer Lori Coughlin, The Ramifications of a Changed Man by Alexandra Flurry-Powell, and Somewhere Between Floors by Lily Seavey. The production, taking place in the Thad Smotherman Theatre at Texas Wesleyan University, will have four performances through Sunday.

Broadway at the Bass presents To Kill a Mockingbird
Set in Alabama in 1934, Harper Lee’s enduring story of racial injustice and childhood innocence centers on one of the most venerated characters in American literature, small-town lawyer Atticus Finch (played by Richard Thomas). The cast of characters includes Atticus’s daughter Scout, her brother Jem, their housekeeper and caretaker, Calpurnia, their visiting friend Dill, and a mysterious neighbor, the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley. The touring production, adapted by Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin, will run through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.

Friday, September 29

Magnolia at the Modern: Carlos
The documentary Carlos follows rock legend Carlos Santana’s journey from 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation. The film features unseen archival materials, including home video recordings made by Santana himself, concert footage, and behind-the-scenes moments. There will be seven screenings through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Pink in concert
It can be difficult for a singer to maintain a certain image over a long period of time, but Pink - or, if you prefer, P!nk - has managed to do just that. She's stuck with her version of pop/rock for over 20 years, and her fans have rewarded her by pushing her to the top of the charts with every album, including the new Trustfall. She'll play at Globe Life Field in Arlington as part of her Summer Carnival Tour, joined by Brandi Carlile, Grouplove, and KidCutUp.

The 26th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival
Over 100,000 film lovers unite in over 500 cinemas across six continents to view and vote on the finalists’ films in the 26th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. Manhattan Short is not a touring festival; rather, it is an instantaneous celebration that occurs simultaneously across the globe, bringing great films to great venues and allowing the audiences to select their favorites. Screenings will take place on Friday and again on October 5 at Palace Arts Center in Grapevine, as well as twice on Saturday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Luke Bryan in concert
Since his debut album in 2011, country singer Luke Bryan has been as consistent as they come, with each of his five albums featuring all-original songs going to No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts and making at least the top 5 on the Billboard 200. He's also upped his profile by appearing on The Voice and, since 2018, serving as a judge on American Idol. He'll play at Dickies Arena in support of his 2022 compilation album, Prayin' In A Deer Stand.

Loona Assemble in concert
K-Pop sensation Loona Assemble will take the audience on a new journey beginning with the Loona Assemble Debut Ceremony, in which “in the year of great chaos, Hyunjin, YeoJin, Vivi, Go Won and HyeJu boarded the Loosemble spacecraft. A new world unfolds here, starting with a long voyage to find their friends.” They'll perform at Will Rogers Auditorium.

Jubilee Theatre presents East Texas Hot Links
It's summer 1955 in the piney woods of East Texas where local men wander into Charlesetta's Top o' the Hill Café almost every night for comfort, solace, and companionship. Times are changing, the Klan is active, and young black men have been disappearing or turning up dead. This night, Delmus wants to celebrate getting a new job, but the other regulars are skeptical. They try to warn him as they joke, feed the jukebox, and play cards until betrayal catches all of them and life at Top o' the Hill is changed forever. The production runs through October 29 at Jubilee Theatre.

Haunted houses
This weekend officially kicks off Halloween season in and around Fort Worth, with four big haunted houses opening their doors. Friday brings Hangman's House of Horrors in Fort Worth and Moxley Manor Haunted House in Bedford, each of which feature three separate haunted attractions. Starting on Saturday are Cutting Edge Haunted Housein Fort Worth, located in a 100-year-old abandoned meat packing plant, and The Parker House in Denton, with two main attractions. All of the haunted houses will be open on weekends through at least Halloween.

Ned LeDoux in concert
Kids following in their parents footsteps has a long tradition in the entertainment industry, although few manage to outshine their mother or father. Ned LeDoux is the son of cowboy musician Chris LeDoux, whose work inspired Garth Brooks and others. Ned, touring in support of his 2022 album, Buckskin, will play at Billy Bob's Texas.

Saturday, September 30

Ballet Frontier of Texas presents A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ballet Frontier of Texas' A Midsummer Night's Dream is based on William Shakespeare’s play, a happy tangle of plots and subplots about the loves and adventures of mortals and mystical beings. The play features the iconic characters Puck, Titania, and Oberon, with fairies and wood nymphs, magical potions, and mistaken identities abounding. There will be performances on Saturday and Sunday at I.M. Terrell Academy.

Joji in concert
Japanese singer/rapper Joji first made his name as YouTuber, where he made comedy videos under the name of Filthy Frank. Transitioning to music in 2017, he's made a significant impact in the R&B/lo-fi world, with each of his first three albums making the top 5 on the Billboard 200. He crossed over to the mainstream with the hit "Glimpse of Us" off of his 2022 album, Smithereens. He'll play at Dickies Arena.

RBD in concert
Mexican Latin pop group RBD was huge in their native country and across Latin and South America in the 2000s, starting with their 2004 debut album, Rebelde. The group, which gained popularity due to them starring on the telenovela of the same name, would go on to release five albums (including versions in both Portuguese and English) before disbanding in 2009. Now they've reunited to celebrate that first album and more with the Soy Rebelde Tour. They'll perform at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Easton Corbin in concert
Country singer Easton Corbin was among the fastest rising artists in the genre in the early 2010s, releasing three albums in five years, including 2015's About to Get Real, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts. After a long dormant period, he finally released his first new album in eight years, Let's Do Country Right, earlier this year. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.

Richard Thomas in the national tour of To Kill a Mockingbird

Photo by Julieta Cervantes

The national tour of To Kill a Mockingbird will be at Bass Performance Hall through October 1.

Beloved Arlington developer earns nod for revitalizating old buildings

Vintage News

Developers tend to view the world as a place to tear down and build anew. But Arlington resident and longtime financial visionary Alan Petsche often has different ideas in mind.

"A love for, and a respect of history," he calls it.

Petsche is the man responsible for thoughtful projects such as the restoration and reopening of Arlington's famous Candlelite Inn, the 1957 restaurant said to have served the first pizza in town; and Joe's Radiator Service, a 1963 structure at 200 N. East St. in Arlington that's now home to pizzeria Cane Rosso.

For those efforts, Petsche was named the 2023 Dream Builder by the Downtown Arlington Management Corp., who presented the award at the Arlington association’s annual meeting and luncheon on September 20.

“A restored building has memories in its walls. You hear and feel them,” Petsche said as he recounted a Candelight memory. “You know what kids? Your grandma and grandad had their first date here. Same booth we’re in now!”

The award honors individuals who've contributed to revitalizing downtown Arlington; previous recipients include developer Ryan Dodson, whose Dodson Commercial Real Estate did the Urban Union development in Arlington, and former Arlington mayor Jeff Williams.

From left: John Arnot from DAMC, Alan Petsche, Maggie Campbell DAMC President/CEO, and Jim Minge, Texas Trust Credit UnionDAMC

A long-time resident of Arlington and graduate of Lamar High School and UTA, Petsche has a legacy of building successful businesses and helping others in the community. He was only nine when he began working for his father, who started the A.E. Petsche Company in the family garage. Petsche eventually became the COO of the family business, which served the aerospace industry for more than 40 years before it was sold in 2009.

A release calls him a "serial entrepreneur" who has owned and operated an eclectic variety of businesses ranging from a comic book store he started in high school to a computer company, commercial real estate organizations, and restaurants. He is highly regarded in Arlington and beyond for his generosity, business acumen, integrity, musical talent, and service to the community.

At the Candlelite Inn, his team serves lunch to 150 volunteers of Mission Arlington weekly. The Court at the College Park Center Special Events Arena is named in his honor as a major donor to the University of Texas at Arlington.

He was also the biggest investor in the Urban Union development, helping drive major re-investment and bringing dozens of new businesses into downtown Arlington. Urban Union currently has 24 storefronts within eight buildings.

In a prior life, he was in a '70s power-pop band called The Pengwins, which toured and sold records throughout the U.S. and in Europe. He keeps the music flame alive with a record label called Spyder Pop Records (initially created under the name Aaron Avenue Records) which has been called "a textbook model of how to do musical community right," as well as "rightly renowned for their spectacular presentation of vinyl and CD releases."

Maggie Campbell, President and CEO of the Downtown Management Arlington Corporation said, "Alan’s love for his hometown of Arlington is evident in the investments he has made, such as restoring the Candlelite Inn, and his passion for making downtown Arlington a prime destination for living, work, and entertainment that appeals to residents and visitors."

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