Actually, Pete, the photo should look like this. Post all of you swine flu hysteria comments, and I’ll start it off with this: shutting down the Fort Worth ISD for a week. Well, OK. But why did they wait two days to shut down the schools after finding a case? Could it be because kids were taking TAKS tests Tuesday and Wednesday? So, student health is important, but TAKS tests are … more important?

Fire away.

Lots of great stuff going on in the Fort this weekend; here are just a couple of things that we’re looking forward to:

We’ve been at Prairie Fest every year since it started, and we’re equally excited about this year. Come out and enjoy the newly restored prairie, and visit with groups and companies that are actively trying to make this world a better place.

If that’s to sedentary for you, make your way by noon to Gateway Park (just across the river from Tandy Hills) to catch men’s adult soccer team FC Rahr in an exhibition match after the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new soccer fields.

What else is going on out there, Fort Worthians?

The weather this week has been incredible! Why are you going straight home after work and sitting in your house? Get outside and enjoy the parks and outdoor activities Fort Worth has to offer! Here are a few tips to get you started:

Photo by Pete Wann

Got a pooch? Take them to Fort Woof! 2006 winner of Dog Fancy Magazine’s “Best Dog Park in the USA” award, Fort Woof is a great place to spend some off-leash time with your favorite furry friend.

Photo by Pete Wann

Get out on the trails. As you may have noticed, there’s a river running right through the heart of Fort Worth. Get out there and bike, walk, paddle, or jog.

Take a trip back in time at Log Cabin Village. (You’ll have to do that this weekend, since they close early during the week.)

Photo by Pete Wann

Walk through the prairie at Tandy Hills, and see what this area looked like before settlers moved in and changed nearly everything. (This weekend is Prairie Fest, so be sure to get out to Tandy Hills to be a part of that!)

We only get a few weeks of great weather like this every year, be sure to make the most of it!

Leaving aside for a moment the gas drilling issue — how do you think Fort Worth is doing, environment-wise? Do the citizens (and our elected representatives) do enough to protect the environment we all share? If not, what could we/they do better?

Seriously, NO gas drilling discussion. There are plenty of other threads for you to discuss that.

Well, celebrate virtually, that is. As you have probably heard, today is Earth Day. What are you doing to celebrate, if anything?

I’m riding my bike to work every day this week — hopefully I’ll create a habit that will continue beyond just Wednesday the 22nd.

This may be anathema, but I really don’t get geeked up about Main Street Arts Festival. Nonetheless, I expect them to do OK. However, if you are looking for something else to do on a Friday night, down on Magnolia at The Chat Room is a nice triple bill — Oso Closo, Goodwin and Chatterton. On Saturday, I’d like to suggest Modern til Midnight with, among other things, a screening of St. Nick by David Lowery, James M. Johnston and Adam Donaghey.

I know you just can’t get enough helpings of helping here in Fort Worth, so here’s another chance for you to scratch the generosity itch while you quench your thirst: The featured charity during the regularly scheduled brewery tours at Rahr for the next two Saturdays will be the Friends of Tandy Hills.

In case you’re unfamiliar with how it works — when you pay the $5 charge for the tour, half goes to the brewery to cover the cost of your pint glass, and the other half goes to a given charity. You get a Rahr pint glass and three trips to the taps to “taste” the fine products produced there on Galveston Ave., the Friends of Tandy Hills get much needed funds so they can put on Prairie Fest and continue to restore Tandy Hills to its original beauty.

The brewery tour and tasting is from 1-3 PM. Stop by and help out Tandy Hills, then go home, take a nap, and come back that night to support the MS150. How often do you get to drink beer for a good cause twice in one day?

Asparagus is back for the season, so that can mean only one thing — the Cowtown Farmers Market is back in full swing on the Weatherford Traffic Circle starting Saturday morning. Check out the market’s website for more information.

I especially want to put in a good word for my friends Rupert and Nancy Crabb at Aduro Bean Coffee, Fort Worth’s own local coffee roasters. Their first 10 customers can snag a free Aduro Bean tshirt or coffee mug. Also, they have a new house blend, Black & Tan, that they are awful proud of that combines a dark roasted single origin bean with a blend of several medium roast beans for a low acid coffee with a light nuttiness that’s complemented by a hearty boldness. Or so they say. I know this: they are good people who roast some good coffee. Check them out.

Arts Goggle, the Near Southside’s semi-annual neighborhood night out, rolls out the spring edition tonight from 5 to 10 p.m. at various locations. Yours truly will be with my lovely missus at The Butler’s Pantry at 2221 8th Avenue where my wife and her confederates will celebrate the opening of RetroMania, their shop of Mid-Century Modern furniture, art and housewares.

I’ll be spinning googie records including Esquivel, Sammy Davis Jr. / Dean Martin / Frank Sinatra, Julie London and a few other goodies from the audio archives. Drop by for a free drink and a chance to look at cool stuff. Hope to see you there!

There’s a map after the jump.
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A recession — particularly one so deep that even Neiman-Marcus is struggling mightily — might seem like the worst time to launch a new glossy lifestyle magazine. Nonetheless, Fort Worth has a new one hitting newsstands in April — 360 West.

And if you’re wondering about the name, it comes from the idea that the magazine will be distributed to affluent households located west of Highway 360, so it’s not Fort Worth specific, but it is the product of two former Startlegrammers, Jerry Scott and Meda Kessler. Jerry was the S-T’s vice president of marketing for more than a decade and led the paper’s targeted publishing efforts since 2005. Meda is the former editor of the paper’s Indulge magazine. As a matter of full disclosure, I can’t say that I am completely objective about the magazine because Meda is a dear, old friend and colleague. She’s also one of the most talented designers I’ve ever known, and I’ve helped them out with a few little things for the magazine, so I hope they do well. Based on her past work, I expect it to be well-executed and have high-quality content. Even if a lux mag isn’t your thing, check out an issue. It might surprise you.

When I asked her why now for a magazine, she said, “Why the hell not?” And if they can make it through the toughest advertising climate in recent memory, there could be lots of upside when things come back around. One thing the magazine’s got that going for it in the first issue is a profile of Friend of West and Clear Darren Woods from the FW Opera. I’m looking forward to the read.

Jerry and Meda, congratulations and good luck!