Adopt Pets, Place to
Critic’s Choice (only): Paws in the City, pop-u3p events, PawsintheCity.org
Armed with only the commitment to end the abuse, neglect, and overpopulation of animals in North Texas and a team of more than 150 very committed volunteers, Paws in the City is one of the largest and most respected no-kill organizations in the area. Along with the adoption, fostering, donation, and volunteering information available at PawsintheCity.org, online is also where you can see available animals and actually start your adoption journey, but Paws in the City isn’t just waiting around for you to come to them. For the next adoption or fundraiser event, keep an eye on PawsintheCity.org/Events.
Courtesy of Facebook
Apartment Community
Readers’ Choice: Ramble & Rose, 501 W Rosedale St, 817-790-9308
Critic’s Choice: Mag and May, 315 W Magnolia Ave, 817-904-3112
Who wouldn’t want to live right in the middle of the Near Southside? Mag and May allows for easy access to West Magnolia Avenue and South Main Village. The mural-adorned building is a colorful sight to behold, and the rooms offer modern amenities and contemporary aesthetics. Community is also a big part of the Mag and May experience. Complimentary access to nearby activities like bowling, occasional food trucks, free cookie giveaways, and an upbeat management staff make this apartment a great and fun place to live.
Athlete (College)
Readers’ Choice: Max Duggan, TCU Football
Critic’s Choice: Stephanie Grundsoee, TCU Rifle
The Danish Horned Frog is probably not a household name but should be. Grudsoee is the premier shooter on TCU’s championship rifle team. She was instrumental in a run that led them to the Air Rifle National Championship and Overall runner-up during last year’s championship match. Grundsoee was All-American in each rifle discipline — air rifle and smallbore — the last two seasons as well as collecting academic conference honors. Her end-of-season performance grabbed a silver medal in smallbore and fifth overall in air rifle. The former youth Olympic gold medalist recorded a perfect round in air rifle last season and is only the 11th NCAA athlete ever to do so. Grundsoee is a junior this season and will anchor her team that will be hungry to recover the national championship trophy they surrendered during an incredibly close championship match against Kentucky last year.
Athlete (Pro)
Reader’s Choice: Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks
Critic’s Choice: Luka Dončić
Apologies for the predictable pick, but no North Texas athlete is crushing it like the Mavs’ jumbo point guard. His accomplishments are staggering: He made it to 5,000 career points faster than any NBA player not named LeBron, Durant, or Carmelo; he put up 44 and 46 points in playoff games against the Clippers; he single-handedly took Slovenia’s basketball team to the Olympic semifinals; and he’s on the cover of NBA 2K22. If the home team can just put enough players around him who complement his genius, they can look forward to another NBA title.
Athlete (Underrated)
Critic’s Choice (only): Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys
Dem ’Boys are usually synonymous with overrated everything. Wide receiver Michael Gallup remains, though probably not for long, an underrated and complete bargain for Jerry Jones when evaluating last season. Despite working partially with a backup quarterback, Gallup maintained the most yards per reception of the Cooper-Lamb-Gallup triad. All three receivers hauled in five touchdowns for the season, though Gallup received the fewest targets. No. 13’s salary is currently $2.4 million. This route runner isn’t likely to wear the star on his helmet next season because he wants more money and deserves it. The current salary for Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins — the highest paid receiver in the league — averages out to more than $27 million per season. Last year, Hopkins had roughly twice the yards of Gallup with 50% more targets but scored only once more than the Cowboys’ third receiver. I hope the Dallas fans enjoyed him while he was cheap, because his production will be difficult to replace for a similar price.
City Councilmember
Readers’ Choice: Ann Zadeh, District 9
Critic’s Choice: Ann Zadeh/Chris Nettles
Before we pass this public service accolade to a new city councilmember, we offer a final thank you to former city councilmember Ann Zadeh. In many ways, the former representative of District 9 paved the way for the current crop of youngish elected city leaders. Backdoor deals, gutted ethics policies, conflicts of interest, unethical campaign contributions *cough Brian Byrd*, pandering to Fort Worth’s police union *cough Jungus Jordan*, and other acts against the public interest have defined city dealings for as long as we’ve been keeping track (26 years and counting). Zadeh’s tenure was often marked by her sole dissenting vote that never wavered on ethical and moral issues that affected the lives of all Fort Worthians. Bravo, Ann.
District 9 councilmember Elizabeth Beck impressed us with her deep knowledge of her district and voiced concern for folks who can be left behind in the clamor for development and growth. District 6’s Jared Williams is a bright, young rising star who won a hard-fought election campaign against powerful vested interests. This year’s award, though, goes to District 8 councilmember Chris Nettles, whose steadfast calls for a city that respects and represents all of its citizens, irrespective of race and economic class, are finally determining how the city shapes public policy.
Nettles showed leadership when he made good on a promise to use his electoral mandate to call for a trial date for Aaron Dean, the former police officer who shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson in her home nearly two years ago. Judge David Hagerman, who will oversee that trial, refused to acknowledge Nettles’ presence when the councilmember sought to hand-deliver a request for a trial date. Undeterred, Nettles handled the slight with dignity. Fort Worth City Council is moving forward in the interests of all Fort Worthians, even as Tarrant County doggedly refuses to budge.
Dentist
Readers’ Choice: Spencer Hoyt DDS, Fort Worth Dental Arts, 2421 W 7th St, Ste 103, 817-886-0300
Critic’s Choice: Curt Hinkle DDS, 3456 Bluebonnet Cir, 817-923-5000
Facemasks may have bought you a one-year grace period from showing the world your smile, but now is the time to brush up on your oral hygiene. One good place to start is with the friendly dental team at Curt Hinkle DDS. Located on Bluebonnet Circle and next to a Mapsco map store that seems oddly frozen in time, Hinkle’s team is uber-friendly and welcoming.
Folks of all ages have made Dr. Hinkle’s office their dental home. His jovial personality and mindfulness of his patients’ comfort are hallmarks of this private practice. The dental hygienists know all their patients by name, and they follow each cleaning with practical tips and advice for preventing gum disease and tooth decay.
Doctor
Readers’ Choice: Lisa Gardner OB-GYN, Fusion Medical Aesthetics, 2625 Whitmore St, Ste 111, 817-644-1758
Critic’s Choice: Jocelyn Zee DO, John Peter Smith Hospital (JPS), 1500 S Main St, 817-702-3431
Over the years but especially this past year and a half, Dr. Zee, a critical care physician in the Intensive Care Unit at JPS, has been both a skilled health-care provider and an inspirational leader. In addition to working long hours in uncomfortable personal protective equipment (PPE) and putting her life in danger giving COVID-19 positive patients one-on-one care, she shows up early and leaves late to boost the morale of her colleagues, offering a friendly ear for venting or reassuring words. Zee has also been known to draw colorful cartoons — from Peanuts characters to boba tea — on team members’ PPE equipment when she’s off duty, bringing a little color and cheer into an otherwise dreary situation. A Bedford native, Dr. Zee started college at age 13 and was UTA’s youngest student at the time. From UTA, she went to the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine for medical school. She did her residency in family medicine at JPS and has been there ever since.
Dog Groomer
Readers’ Choice: Glamour Paws, 3000 S Hulen St, Ste 108, 817-923-9828
Critic’s Choice: Happy K9 Self-Serve Dogwash & Grooming, 6501 Camp Bowie Blvd, Ste B, 817-717-3517
Unless your dog has Kujo-like emotional issues or hygiene problems that require extra help (#TMI), do-it-yourself dog washing can be an affordable, enjoyable activity for you and your four-legged best friend. Rather than turning your bathroom or yard into a swamp, head to Happy K9. Raised tubs and all the supplies you need are provided for $12-32, depending on the size of your pooch. Or for $25-55, K9 will do the washing. Grooming packages start at $50 and already include the bath. Whichever route you choose, you can count on K9.
Facebook Group
Critic’s Choice (only): FW4CHANGE
Facebook is a trove of debunked conspiracies about the origins of COVID-19, the efficacy of facemasks (coverings are highly protective against pathogens, by the way), idiotic misrepresentations about Critical Race Theory (the academic framework that scholars use to understand how racism shapes our society), and other lies that attempt to subvert the unfaltering march toward equality and social justice in this country. The coordinated right-wing antics aren’t simply coming from rural areas outside Fort Worth, by the way. Some of the strongest sources of racist rhetoric come from privileged white neighborhoods like Tanglewood.
The FW4CHANGE Facebook group offers a marketplace of ideas based on common values like empathy, equality, and basic respect for human dignity. When formulating plans to make Fort Worth a better place for everyone to live, those conversations necessarily center on police violence, economic inequality, Sheriff Bill Waybourn’s perverse love affair with ICE, the role of white supremacy in state and local politics (not so much nationally since The Former Guy was booted), and, yes, discussions on why so many Tanglewood moms seem to be on the wrong side of every civic issue facing Fort Worth.
First Responder(s)
Readers’ Choice: Chief James Davis, Fort Worth Fire Department
Critic’s Choice: Fort Worth Fire Department’s Hurricane Ida Response Team
When Hurricane Ida recently hit the Gulf Coast, a group of firefighters from Fort Worth and the surrounding area came to the relief of the Lafourche Parish Fire Department in Louisiana. By covering the LPFD3’s shifts, FWFD enabled the LA team to check on their own homes, assess the damage, and be there for their own families even if for only a moment. Between emergency calls, our hometown heroes even cleaned up storm debris at the station they were visiting. Talk about above and beyond.
Health Care Worker(s)
Readers’ Choice: Direct Support Staff of MHMR of Tarrant County, 1300 Circle Dr, 817-335-3022
Critic’s Choice: Kerrie Bryant, JPS Health Network, 1500 S Main St, 817-702-3431
Back in college, Kerrie Bryant was a cheerleader. Now, her co-workers call her a cheerleader for the department. Bryant is the business operations manager for JPS Correctional Health. Her dedicated and compassionate team treats about 2,700 patients once or twice a day at the Tarrant County Jail. She personifies the JPS core value of “Own It,” stepping up to ensure that everyone has what they need to meet the needs of their patients. During the challenging year that afflicted many at the jail, her professionalism, preparedness, and leadership by example help motivated the team to do their best, and she can be counted on to dive in to solve any problems that come up. One of her greatest passions is working with HopeKids North Texas, which supports families who have children with life-threatening medical conditions. She is a member of the Junior League of Fort Worth, an avid tennis player for the United States Tennis Association, and an active alumna of Tarleton State University.
Hospital
Readers’ Choice: Cook Children’s Health Care System, 801 7th Ave, 682-885-4000
Critic’s Choice: John Peter Smith Hospital (JPS), 1500 S Main St, 817-702-3431
The entire staff at JPS deserves kudos for its resiliency while facing unprecedented challenges in the past 18 months while staying true to its mission of caring for those in need, treating unsheltered patients, working to reduce opioid abuse, and supporting the mental health challenges in our community. The response to the global COVID-19 health emergency has taken the efforts of every area of JPS, including the heroic physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists who care for extremely ill patients and to the teams from Pharmacy and Community Health, which have administered more than 103,000 lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines to health-care workers, patients, and the public. Because medical emergencies don’t stop during a pandemic, the JPS Level One Trauma Center — Tarrant County’s first and only — continued treating about 400 critical patients every day. In addition, JPS launched a telemedicine program, offering video visits for urgent care, primary care, and behavioral health so patients can access care anytime, anywhere. Plus, JPS has local food trucks on campus every night from 10pm to 2am in the parking lot at the northwest corner of Main and Allen streets. Well-fed people are happier people.
Hydrate, Place to
Readers’ Choice: Replenish IV Therapy, 1307 8th Ave, Ste 101, 817-886-4315
Critic’s Choice: Replenish IV Hydration & Vitamin Therapy
We’re all about drinking some big, cold container of nonalcoholic liquid when we’re feeling parched, but some people may need something more. This clinic offers 10 different formulas of IV drips tailored to specific needs, including nursing mothers, dieters, athletes, and others. There’s even a CBD IV drip for pain relief and anxiety. Your first drip is free, so you can test whether it does more for you than a large glass of water.
Journalist
Readers’ Choice: Edward Brown, Fort Worth Weekly
Critic’s Choice: Hady Mawajdeh, 90.1-FM/KERA
Hady Mawajdeh, we’re gonna miss ya. The KERA digital engagement reporter and producer recently announced that he is heading off to work for Vox as the producer of the popular podcast Today, Explained.
Mawajdeh’s arts coverage didn’t keep him from digging into heavy journalism. During his nearly five-year tenure at KERA, Mawajdeh dived into the role guns play in society through a series called Guns and America. He explored why there’s often no consensus on what qualifies as a mass shooting and the role of domestic abuse in America’s high rate of gun violence. Mowajdeh’s past work included stints at 90.5-FM/KUT in Austin, North Carolina public radio, and the Texas Standard.
Mawajdeh’s radio-friendly voice that reminded folks about local arts happenings through KERA’s daily arts calendar highlights will be missed.
Lawyer
Readers’ Choice: Daniel Hernandez Law, 800 W Weatherford St, 817-336-3100
Critic’s Choice: David Sloane, Attorney, 933 Weatherford St, Ste 203, 817-810-0088
Texas marijuana laws might be edging slowly to the same blissful realm of “not a big deal” that 31 other states (plus the District of Columbia and four out of five U.S. territories) have already embraced, but for the foreseeable future, weed is still illegal here. If you need to lawyer up about it, David Sloane should be your new guy. Self-branded as the “420 Lawyer,” Sloane, a former police lieutenant, is an active member of NORML and has 20 years’ experience defending clients charged with marijuana-related crimes. He also knows his way around a DWI charge, too.
Local Celebrity
Readers’ Choice: Leon Bridges
Critic’s Choice: Nancy Lamb, Sculptor/Painter, Nancy-Lamb.com
The weird thing about this pick is that while most celebrities have no idea who they may be mingling with out in public, Nancy Lamb seems to know just about everyone in town. And everyone certainly knows her. Even without her far-out look (love the whimsical eyeglasses and that hair), the artist is certainly a name. She’s been written about here and all over for her unique, nearly kaleidoscopic brand of photorealism. Instead of peddling products or pushing herself on her social media feeds like so many other celebs, Lamb instead highlights other local artists. Cheers to you, Nancy.
Local Political Development
Critic’s Choice (only): Fort Worth ISD’s mask mandate
Big props to the school district for listening to scientists and doctors over Gov. Greg Abbott, who seems intent on killing us and our children. Though the school district’s mask mandate has been neutered — four parents sued to stop it, and the Republican judge of course sided with them — the main point remains: If you don’t want to die or kill someone else, please just put that tiny piece of fabric over your mouth and nose, warrior. Funny thing is, we’ve never seen or heard one kid complain about wearing a mask, and we are around kids every day. The only snowflakes around here are the parents. Just put the damn things on!
Meet Locals, Place to
Critic’s Choice (only): Lola’s Trailer Park, 2735 W 5th St, 817-759-9100
Grown out of Lola’s original saloon, the Trailer Park is a haven for an ever-growing cast of local characters drawn from just about every scene in the city. It’s a boozy, rowdy amalgamation of the things that make Fort Worth funky and fun.
Meet Singles, Place to
Readers’ Choice: Electric Starship Arcade, 5620 Denton Hwy, Haltom City, 817-479-6366
Critic’s Choice: The Dock Bookshop, 6637 Meadowbrook Dr, 817-457-5700
Here you are. Reading our twentysomething-year-old newspaper and enjoying every snarky paragraph. If words are your thing, then what better place to meet singles than literary events? For your consideration, may I present the Author’s Series at The Dock Bookshop? Presented by the Fort Worth Public Library — another smart place to meet smart people — this fall’s events include in-person, author-attended discussions of Chasing the Thrill by Daniel Barbaris, Growing Up in the Lone Star State by Gaylon Finklea Hecker and Marianne Odom, and various works by the very prolific Charlaine Harris, author of the Aurora Teagarden mystery series and more.
Nurse(s)
Readers’ Choice: COVID ICU nurses at John Peter Smith Hospital (JPS), 1500 S Main St,
817-702-3431
Critic’s Choice: Jennifer Drinkwater RN, JPS Health Network, 1500 S Main St, 817-702-3431
During this unprecedented time, the most precious gifts nurses can give patients are time, attentiveness, and support. As a Critical Care Team lead, Drinkwater has gone out of her way to help connect COVID-19-positive patients to their loved ones during times when visitors have not been allowed on the unit to limit the spread of the virus. She set up video calls with family members for them to “see” one another and stayed after her shift to visit with patients, easing their anxieties and lending an ear. When patients could not speak for themselves, she made sure they felt like someone cared by sitting with them or holding their hand. When she was unable to visit with patients due to other duties throughout the day, Drinkwater requested chaplains and volunteers visit the unit.
Optical Shop
Readers’ Choice (only): Patrick Optical, 2255 8th Ave, 817-370-6118
Optometrist
Critic’s Choice (only): Ophthalmology Associates, 1201 Summit Ave, 817-332-2020
Located conveniently near downtown, this suite of offices is a full-service stop that treats refractive error and eye pathologies, performs Lasik surgery, and includes an optical shop that can provide you with new glasses or contact lenses.
Public Health Official
Critic’s Choice (only): Joshua Yudkin EPID, Epidemiologist with Tarrant County Public Health, 1101 S Main St, 817-321-4700
Newsflash: Showing proof of vaccination to attend a show at Billy Bob’s isn’t segregation. We had to dig into the dark, dark, and sad world of fringe right-wing rhetoric to find that segregation — the 20th century practice of government-sanctioned oppression of Black and brown Americans — was being misappropriated by folks who feel that their freedoms are being trampled on by snooty doctors and public health officials who are doing their best to slow the death mill that is COVID-19.
Try as these medical professionals might, dumbasses in Fort Worth “bravely” refuse to take a free vaccine that offers proven protection from the same virus that asphyxiated 621,000 Americans to death. Death by COVID-19 is a horrible way to die. And it’s preventable.
Yudkin penned two op-eds for the Weekly this year, and both were a refreshing reminder that, despite all the mask-averse freedom fighters out there, public health officials have stepped up in big ways to warn us about the very real threat of this ongoing pandemic. Yudkin is a doctoral candidate currently researching the intersection of community building and public health through a Fulbright research grant.
Podcast
Critic’s Choice (only): The Funky Panther
Chad, Javier, and Tim are three long-time friends who spotlight the funkier parts of Funkytown through weekly podcasts that can also be viewed on YouTube. The hour-long episodes meander through random commentary on local happenings and eventually settle on featured guests. The three hosts are high-energy, hilarious, and not shy about dropping f-bombs on air. Local musicians are frequent guests along with chefs, brewers, and distillers. The Funky Panther offers a fun and refreshing way to keep up with the colorful musicians, creatives, and business owners who keep the 817 funky fresh.
Photographer
Readers’ Choice: Southern Flair Photography, 2550 Legacy Point Dr, Arlington, 817-277-0477
Critic’s Choice: Brooks Burris, BrooksBurrisPhotography.com, 817-319-4115
Today’s photographers and photojournalists no longer have to dodge and burn their images, but they do have to dodge rowdy, beer-spilling concertgoers when documenting live music shows. Burris is a regular at The Post at River East, Billy Bob’s Texas, and other hoppin’ music venues, but you won’t see him jumping in front of crowds to snag his shots. Audiences won’t even notice he’s there, but they will marvel at his handiwork when it’s posted, often on the Weekly’s Instagram page (thanks, Brooks!) the following day.
An art studio on Race Street recently exhibited a collection of Burris’ mostly environmental imagery, which underlined his talent for visual storytelling when he has control over
his environment and doesn’t have to worry about Joe Schmo spilling Miller Lite on him during a particularly righteous guitar solo.
Radio Personality
Readers’ Choice: The Funky Panther Podcast
Critic’s Choice: Barry Samsula, WRR 101.1-FM, Classical 101
Gotta admit: Despite the pandemic and the sleeping in that accompanies working from home, we are up at the crack of dawn every Mon-Fri to take the little ones to school. And what do we listen to? Upbeat jive-turkey music? No, we gotta keep the team smooth and calm for smooth, calm sailing throughout the undoubtedly stressful school day. The answer? As if it could be anyone else, Barry Samsula. Classical 101’s morning DJ is so freaking happy and positive he makes Mr. Rogers look like a college football coach after a bad call. With Breakfast with Barry (6am-10am Mon-Fri), you’re gonna hear some smooth-mother-hunching-sailing music, that’s for damn sure, the kind that courses through your consciousness like a two-hander of Xanax, and if it weren’t for the annoying marches he occasionally plays (no one needs that rah-rah shit at 7:20 in the a.m., Barry), I would recommend this show for drowsy babies, a.k.a. the best babies. You can also catch the honey-voiced Samsula 10:36am-2pm Saturdays, in case you want that trip to the baseball game or piano class to also go smoothly. (It won’t, but it’s worth a try.) Thank you, Barry. We think you’re just the tops.
Realtor
Readers’ Choice: Tammy Melendez Home Team, 9137 Belshire Dr, NRH, 817-680-7766
Critic’s Choice: Cyndi Reep, Berkshire Hathaway HS, Alexander Chandler Realty, 2900 S Hulen, Ste 10, 817-806-4100
Here in North Texas, ladies — and gentleman, for that matter — tend to do what they want. Realtor Cyndi Reep is no exception. While she does have listings and can certainly help you sell your property, her true love is being a buyer’s agent. Whether it’s buying or leasing a commercial or residential space, she has a flair for helping clients find exactly what they want and need. Ask Ivy Garcia. This year, Reep helped her secure her space for Higher Purpose Emporium, a new metaphysical shop on the North Side. Helpfulness extends to her personal life as well. Cyndi is an active member of the local music scene and has lent a hand at a good many benefit shows at Rail Club Live over the years. Need a property? Help is on the way!
Social Influencer
Readers’ Choice: That Texas Couple Travel & Lifestyle Blog, ThatTexasCouple.com, @ThatTexasCouple
Critic’s Choice: Ramiro “Milo” Ramirez
The owner of the Salsa Limon mini-empire doesn’t give a damn about your precious feelings. He’s out there online every day taking it to the far-right cancer that dominates half or more of Tarrant County. Don’t agree with his politics? Don’t eat his tacos. It’s as simple as that. If only other local business leaders were as liberal with their (correct) opinions as Ramirez, maybe the Fort would be a less stupid, less fatal place.
Sportscaster/Sportswriter
Critic’s Choice (only): Levi Weaver, The Athletic
What you have to understand about journalism is that most of us are writers at heart, not economists, not politicians, not musicians, not painters. We are writers, and most of us also aren’t athletes. Though we don’t know what kind of shape Levi Weaver is in, we do know that even though — or because — he writes about your Texas Rangers on the reg for The Athletic, he is truly a born writer. In addition to his top-flight musings on the ball club out in A-town/Get-down, he’s also known to columnize on life and all that comes with it through the lens of sports, baseball in particular, and when we’re talking life in the U.S. of A., is there anything more American? Tip o’ the hat, Levi.
Tattoo Artist
Readers’ Choice: Aaron Stevens, Just Inkd Tattoos, 6201 Sunset Dr, Unit 650, Ste 122 (by appt only), @Just.Inkd
Critic’s Choice: Scott Prather, 3023 Bledsoe St, 817-435-2960
Scott Prather is a badass illustrator and artist who happens to lay down some of the most mesmerizing tattoo work in the 817. Looking for a flaming panda head that’s tricked out in samurai gear or a photorealistic lion head adorning your back? Whatever your fantasies can fathom, Prather has the artistry to bring those images to vivid life. Prather’s artworks have been featured at a solo show at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, and he’s been a consummate presence on the local art scene. You can find Prather at Sleepy Hollow Tattoos, where the resident ink artists are hand-selected for their unmatched creativity and precision.
Courtesy of Facebook
Teacher
Readers’ Choice: Rob Moore, Birdville Career & Tech Center, 7020 Mid-Cities Blvd, NRH,
817-547-3800
Critic’s Choice: Chrissy Cook-Gomez, Grand Prairie ISD
There are some people you never forget. At another alternative paper in a city that is far, far away (you know, in Dallas), Chrissy worked alongside some of us in the trenches many moons ago. She even worked here for a bit. Besides selling advertising space, correcting our grammar was one of the many other services she would often provide, so it makes sense that what she wanted to become when she grew up was a teacher. After receiving her BA in English from UTA, Chrissy earned her Master’s of Education at UNT and is now a beloved teacher at Grand Prairie ISD. The biggest teaching moment for us has been watching her navigate life and love with her husband Adrian and son Jett after the loss of her oldest son Gage to a rare form of pediatric sarcoma. With September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Thu, Sep 23, marking the fourth anniversary of his passing, Chrissy is honoring his memory by raising money for childhood cancer research. (Search online for the Gage Overton Memorial Fund and donate if you can.)
Television Personality
Readers’ Choice: Clarice Tinsley, FOX 4 News
Critic’s Choice: Evan Andrews, Good Day on FOX 4
Meteorologist Evan Andrews and the rest of the team at Good Day on Fox 4 are back to their pre-pandemic ways. Every Monday thru Friday from 4am to 10am, they are back in the studio prepping us all about the news, traffic, and weather. Gone are the days of realizing that Evan plays the drums simply by noticing his kit in the background of his media room as he was doing the work-at-home thing like most of us were. We will no longer know if one dog or the other — or both of them (and the cat) — are snuggled down on the miniature couch in front of those drums. The worst thing of all? For our semi-weekly dose of Frederick, the turtle, we must now rely on social media rather than our television screens. Thank you, Evan — and company — for letting us into your world when ours was falling apart. Now how about getting us a few more weeks of summer? No? Doesn’t work like that? Sigh.
Use of Taxpayer Money
Critic’s Choice (only): Fort Worth Police Department’s Civilian Response Unit
Let’s give credit where it’s due. Fort Worth’s police department made the right call when it created a new civilian-led team to respond to nonemergency situations. The first nine members of the new team graduated in March after undergoing six weeks of training at a police academy. The team members are not armed, but they also aren’t tasked with addressing violent situations. Abandoned cars, reports of burglaries, credit card fraud, and other non-dangerous situations will be handled, in part, by the Civilian Response Unit.
A civilian response unit could have prevented the tragic killing of Atatiana Jefferson nearly two years ago. Jefferson was playing video games with her nephew when former Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean shot her through her back window. A neighbor had called a nonemergency line to report that the front of the home where Jefferson lived with her mother was open.
As the Civilian Response Unit becomes a familiar face to locals, especially in Black and brown communities, the unarmed teams could help improve community relations between law enforcement and civilians.
Veterinarian
Readers’ Choice: Texas Coalition for Animal Protection (TCAP), 2400 Westport Pwy, Ste 100, 817-837-4500
Critic’s Choice: Charles Pipes DVM, Countrybrook Animal Hospital, 3046 Lavon Dr, Ste 136, Garland, 972-530-3951
If it were legal for veterinarians to treat humans, Dr. Pipes would be our primary care physician. Not because we need some Ivermectin — kidding, he would never — but because we need the caring and compassion that our small, country vet’s office affords us. There are no big-city price tags either. The team at Countrybrook has grown to include several vets and a newly remodeled/enlarged facility that will enable them to make even more people — and their doggos and meow-meows — feel better. For nonemergency cases, it’s totally worth the drive.
Work, Place to
Readers’ Choice: City of Fort Worth, 1000 Throckmorton St, 817-392-7752
Critic’s Choice: Mouser Electronics, 1000 N Main St, Mansfield, 817-804-3800
Having started out as a family business in a small three-story building in Mansfield, Mouser Electronics is now a multimillion-dollar company doing business around the globe. Anyone in the area who has a friend that works at Mouser knows it’s a great place to be. Their employees actively bring them new recruits and are rewarded for doing so with referral bonuses. Does that motivate them to praise the company? Perhaps. But no one stays at a crappy job for an extended amount of time just to earn a referral bonus. Mouser is simply taking care of its own people first. They take care of the community as well. Recently, the company donated a batch of pies from Buttermilk Sky Pies (3150 E Broad St, Ste 110, Mansfield, 817-592-3149) to the front-line workers and staff at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center. To join the ranks of the happy, thankful team at Mouser, start by checking out the job opportunities at Careers.Mouser.com.
Work Out, Place to
Readers’ Choice: ZYN22, 3236 W 7th St,
817-778-4133
Critic’s Choice: CrossFit Iron Horse, 5220 W Vickery Blvd, 817-922-8200
Iron Horse is Fort Worth CrossFit heritage. Formerly a gymnastics gym, the enormous space off Vickery gives the feel of a world-class training facility that isn’t full of itself. It’s home to some of the fittest people in Funkytown, including owner Candice Wagner. The former Marine is a three-time CrossFit games qualifier and fixture in the local fitness scene. Iron Horse offers programs centered on CrossFit, Olympic lifting, or even functional bodybuilding if looks supercede your performance goals. Wagner also offers an online coaching platform specifically for athletes looking to compete in CrossFit and other similar sports, and the gym has lifestyle and nutrition coaching options as well. If you’ve never worked with a coach before, it’s worth dropping in on a trial run to see if you’ve been missing something at the chain gyms.
Read about our winners by going to the Best Of Getting & Spending, People & Places, Arts & Culture, Good Grub, and On The Town section articles on FWWeekly.com. To see the Best Of 2021 special edition in a flipbook, page-by-page format, click here.
