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FACES & PLACES 
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Artchitecture Competition: What's better than a company holiday party and gingerbread decorating competition to boost employee spirits? The annual Chamber staff holiday bash was held at Billy Bob's Texas and was unlike ever before! During the decorating competition, there was trash talking, flying candy, icing everywhere, people falling out of chairs...every employee participated, the males being the most competitive. Pictured is the building that houses our offices, the Fort Worth Club, with team members Brian Balthrop, Matt Geske, Brittany Bates, Jean Manning and Doris Becker. Talk about a "sweet" idea.
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Knock on (Home) wood: Well, thankfully that's over for another year. Feeding, maybe even housing, wanted and unwanted guests. Wrapping, unwrapping and recycling paper ... and maybe gifts. De-decorating, re-packing, re-storaging and ...when is it time for re-laxing? My gosh, what a workout the holidays are and a one night's stay at the Homewood Suites Forest Park not only would be delicious, but deserving. The Homewood is Mr. B's retirement homestead with its free breakfasts, free appetizers and drinks five nights a week, free Wi-Fi, free BBQ grill, misters for 100-degree days at the pool...Two of you should come lobby sit with Mr. B and spend the one night.
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Conrad is very creative: Across the parking lot, sharing the same management team and not wanting to be outdone, is the lovely, most comfortably cozy Hilton Garden Inn Fort Worth/Medical Center. This is a fantastic place for lobbying and people watching. It is so visual and relaxing. The real comforts of home may begin in the most updated, ergo rooms in town, but Hilton really had me at Keurig. Each room has its own, along with a refrigerator and microwave. April Reece may have a room until June for you.
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Pedal power: Between all the holiday football, feasts and fudge, Mr. B was fortunate to keep the weight gain to two pant sizes. (size 33 for any re-gifters out there) B assumes many of you are in similar situations and it's time to get down to our fighting weight, but who wants to get punched in the gut or worse, the face. Bike riding sounds so much more pleasant and Fort Worth Bike Sharing, which has incredible discount deals at the Chamber website, has a one-year membership for one constrained caloric cyclist. Skip the telly and shrink the belly as you see the Fort, station to station.
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Green with envy: Mr. B puttered around during the break looking to drive a wedge between membership folks at area country clubs and gain admittance with little (no?) cash down. They probably still are laughing. He did meet galleries of nice folks and renewed acquaintances with Fort Worth golf's leading lady, Alison Wise. She is making greatness at Waterchase Golf Club even greater. How great? There are NO openings for memberships. NONE. (Except, of course, if Jordan Speith were to show up.) Alison introduced Mr. B to Clarence Henderson, the Guest Services Coordinator who makes EVERYONE'S experience enjoyable. He showed a 21-handicapper how to get 78 on the scorecard every time. That is a real guest service. You and three friends can dink and dunk at Waterchase during a round with carts.  Real estate Ouija: Eight Kreskins, including the Chamber's economic educater David Berzina, will discuss real estate in north Texas Jan. 15 at the annual Tarrant County Commercial Real Estate Forecast. Clearfork will grow. Alliance will grow. The price of gas will grow. Those are the starters. Go listen for the main course. The dessert -- a free ticket for two readers -- is compliments of beneficiaries the Chamber Economic Development Program and the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth community projects. Congratulations to Dec. 17 Prize Winners:
- David Duman, Quorum
- Travis Gallatin, Southwest Bank
- Lori Workman, Carlton Staffing
- Jennifer Whitman, Professional Performance Consultants
- Erin Vader, Nolan Catholic HS
Winners will be announced weekly
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HE SAID, SHE SAID, THEY SAID
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Cuddly kangaroos, too? Qantas' Airbus flight to Sydney, Australia is 18 hours, the longest nonstop anywhere. "They give you pajamas when you board," Fort Worth Mayor Price Is Right said. "It's a little unnerving to wear pajamas with your business associates."
 Revved up re-gift: Joe Michels of Solomon Bruce Consulting won a weekend with a Maserati at Rich Aviation Services' holiday open house. Michels is a great guy, but he's not that kind of guy. He re-gifted his prize to Paige Oliver, who works business development at Rich. She used it to surprise her newlywed husband, John, as a present for a promotion he had received at work. "Let's just say that when you turn it on, it purrs," Paige said of the car, not her husband. "It was hard to restrain ourselves on the freeway and keep it even somewhat close to the speed limit. And it was difficult to get back into my 2004 Toyota Corolla after that. It definitely gave us a goal to work toward."
Early startup: Matt DeBilio, a sophomore TCU student/entrepreneur in the making, just might be the Chamber's first college student that is a paying member. He is in the Lone Star Professional Alliance leads group.
The write stuff: Former Fort Worth Star-Telegram sports humorist David Thomas has hit the New York Times bestseller list with FOX CATCHER. A movie of the book he co-authored with wrestler Mark Schultz is out, too. Those with good memories know Thomas wrote Remember Why You Play in which the Faith Christian Texas high school football team plays the Gainesville State Tornadoes, a team of convicted juvenile offenders. Toilet humor: Cally Monson of MMG Construction (port-a-potties) is a Board of Director nominee for the Portable Sanitation Association International. Kudos: Chamber Dr. in the house, Cynthia Fisher Miller, has received Workforce Solutions' "UnSung Hero Award." "For those of us who know Cynthia, that title describes her very well," said Chamber Economic Development doctor David Berzina. Mayor Price Is Right, Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck Cluck Goose and Tarrant County Here Come Da Judge Glen Whitley were there to congratulate her. Others recognized included Berzina, Jay Chapa, City of Fort Worth, Captain Gil Miller, Fort Worth Naval Air Station, Joint Reserve Base, and Chancellor Erma Johnson Hadley, Jennifer Hawkins and Troy Vaughn of Tarrant County College.
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"I was proud to be toughest judge in Tarrant. I won't mind being toughest D.A. in Texas. I want our community to be safe."
--New Tarrant District Attorney Sharen Wilson
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Movin' on up: Cheraya Arthur has steered herownself into a new job. She arrived for a contract position with Mayor Price Is Right's office to direct SteerFW. Now she has a staff position as a liaison for the Mayor and the Council. Merrill Lyncher Matt Dufrene will steer the Steer.
Lullabies: Bugs (tall, skinny with buck teeth; nicknamed in the Army ) Bower is the 92-year-old, still-working father of Lizz Larsen of Northstar Bank. Bower power equals nine gold records and two Grammy Awards. He wrote music and/or lyrics for artists such as Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Steve Allen, Cab Calloway, Liza Minnelli, Pearl Bailey and Kool & The Gang. His song catalogue includes Polka Dot Bikini, Catarina, Celebrate and hundreds of children's favorites. He still teaches music, and his first student, Johnny Mandel, was composer of the M*A*S*H* television theme.
Perfect timing: Because of Mr. B's mixed(up) denominational holidays, Hannukah AND Christmas are expensive. He will be joining Am-Bass-Adorables next Tuesday at 2:45 for a ribbon cutting and money swap with Bill A-Mays-ing at PrimeLending, 101 Summit Ave., Suite 400.
 Two for the show: That's all the days remaining to book and pay for the Chamber-sponsored trip to My Irish Eyes Are Smiling Ireland March 23-31. Click here to contact Irish charmer Merry Monta for full details. Schedule alert: Mr. B is having a raging internal debate about Chamber Business After Hours. What's more important, the networking or the food? The answer isn't so important Jan. 20 because the BAH humdinger at the Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel has both. The networking includes a recognition of all the finalists in the Chamber's Small Business of the Year Awards. And the Worthington food rated with Embassy Suites, Sodexo and Buffalo West for tops during 2014. It's not too late to register. Tips for road warriors: Weekend attendees of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo can download an app for parking information. Or you can take a shuttle from Ridgmar Mall or Billy Bob's Texas for $1. |
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS
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SPLENDID CLIENT GIFT
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Fort Worth: Energized for the Future Coffee Table Book
The Chamber's 200-page coffee table book tells the story of our city's remarkable growth and opportunity. This hardcover book highlights Fort Worth's people, companies and diverse culture through richly photographed pages. Purchase it today for $35.00*
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