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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-04-28 Euless ArticlesEuless B&B Wrecker Service is a family and city tradition Andy and Debi Chesney are known for giving back BY TERRY EVANS A photo kept in a case in the foyer of Euless B&B Wrecker service shows the original building at Ector Drive and Texas 10, where Debi Cheney’s dad, Robert Baker, founded the business in 1954. TERRY EVANS SPECIAL TO THE H-E-B NEWS Arguably the city’s oldest business, Euless B&B Wrecker Service is owned by a couple of folks who are devoted to their hometown and surrounding communities. Andy and Debi Chesney can’t resist helping their favorite groups around Northeast Tarrant County, said former Euless Mayor Mary Lib Saleh. “Andy is the kind of person who, if you need help, he’ll be there,” Saleh said. “He and his whole family donate to so many great causes.” Debi Chesney, 63, whose father, Robert Baker, founded the business in 1954 in a garage at Texas 10 and Ector Drive, said she was amazed at the number of awards and letters of appreciation her husband has earned. When she responded to a recent request for documentation from the International Towing Hall of Fame in Chattanooga, Tenn., she put together more than 180 pages from Euless, Hurst, Bedford, Grapevine, Southlake and Colleyville recognizing Andy Chesney, 60, for his support of first responders. Related Michael Elliott, left, and Ty Harper do maintenance on a recent Monday on one of the big rigs at Euless B&B Wrecker Service.| Terry Evans Special to the H-E-B News ›‹ The Hall of Fame selection committee “said they had never had anyone send in as many as I sent in for Andy,” she said. “We just found out he’ll be inducted in September.” Many of those awards are from the Euless Fire Department, said the department’s public education coordinator and fire investigator, Ken Rawlinson. “We love the Chesneys,” Rawlinson said. The Chesneys earn that love partly by hosting emergency response training programs involving police and firefighters as often as quarterly on their 10-acre property. With their help, Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Morris sets up such scenarios as multivehicle collisions, overturned tractor-trailer rigs and other mock disasters, Rawlinson said. “Then, we’ll have the guys come out like it’s a real call,” he said. “It’s realistic training that we get for nothing. Andy Chesney donates his facility, materials, his crew. And this isn’t just a one-time deal. We’ll call him up whenever we need him and he’s yet to say no.” Euless also conducts part of its Citizens Fire Academy class at B&B, putting civilian participants into bunker gear and letting them use the big tools to cut up some of the Chesneys’ wrecks. Police and firefighters in any of the cities served by B&B are accustomed to the same treatment. But the family’s favorite cause has always been Trinity High School, said Andy Chesney. Debi Chesney was in Trinity’s first graduating class, in 1970; Andy followed her in 1974. Both of their kids — John Heilman, 42, and Holly Heilman Haven, 37 — graduated from Trinity, too. In addition to advertising in the school’s football programs, B&B provides trucks and trailers to haul “two or three groups each year in the Homecoming parade,” Andy Chesney said. They also annually sponsor a program called Every 15 Minutes, setting up wrecks on high school campuses to help the anti-drinking-and-driving project reach students with its message that someone in America is killed by a drunken driver every 15 minutes. The all-day program is “a terrible but amazing thing to see,” Debi Chesney said. One event that sets B&B apart in many minds is a tradition begun by its founder. Debi Chesney grew up working in her father’s business — even driving wreckers for him from the time she was 14 — and her best memories involve parties each spring that filled their home with people. “My dad started them in the early ’60s,” she said. “He passed away in ’75 and the parties stopped.” Debi Chesney had gotten married and moved to Sulphur Springs by then. But in 1977 she became single again and moved back to Euless. The next January she met Andy Chesney, and by April they were wed. In less than a decade she would be back in the wrecker business. “When we bought the business from my sister in 1986, I told Andy that we had to start the barbecues again,” she said. Now, just like Robert Baker did, each spring the Chesneys invite cops and firefighters from the cities they serve, as well as all the company’s civilian customers, for a party that runs from morning to midnight. It isn’t unheard of for up to 1,000 people to drop by to enjoy 1,500 pounds of smoked barbecue (53 briskets and plenty of sausages and chickens), libations, camaraderie, games and, as the sun sets, live music. “They cook all night long the day before,” said Saleh, who has attended her share of B&B parties. “All women in family bake cookies.” Debi Chesney said she and other family members do, indeed, bake 1,500 cookies for the event. They moved the business in 1996 to 1201 W. Euless Blvd., where there was room to expand and where they’ve watched that annual party grow. “It’s not a public party,” Andy Chesney said. “But it’s one that tends to pull the community together. We used to have bounce houses, but those got too rough. Now we get a trailer equipped with a dozen or more video games. The kids really love that.” Among those kids are the Chesneys’ grandchildren: Brittany Blythe, 21; Andi Leigh Haven, 14; and Parker Haven, 11. The business had five trucks and a handful of employees when the Chesneys bought it. Today, they employ more than 40 people full time — including almost 30 drivers and more than a dozen dispatchers to handle the 24/7 operation. Two buildings have a combined 9,200 square feet under roof. They operate 35 trucks ranging from standard 1-ton wreckers to a humongous 75-ton rotator rig to half a dozen tractors pulling lowboy trailers. The big rig can tow anything that rolls on the roads and is capable of uprighting derailed trains. “We can handle anything — planes, trains and automobiles,” Andy said. “We have worked train derailments and planes that ran off runways.” The lowboys have hauled special freight from huge generators to construction heavy equipment to a World War II-era tank. “I went to Houston and picked up an Army tank and hauled it to Lawton, Okla.,” Andy said. The TV show Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition used the tank to demolish a house that was then replaced with a new one for a wounded warrior, Debi said. The show is known for rebuilding or extensively remodeling homes for deserving families with special needs. “We got to ride in the tank while it smashed the old house,” Debi Chesney said. More information Euless B&B Wrecker Service is open 24/7 at 1201 W. Euless Blvd. Eyes on H-E-B: Four stars of excellence for H-E-B chamber BY FAYE REEDER SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM Family Life Center in Euless has much to offer Have you visited the Family Life Center at 300 W. Midway Drive in Euless? If not, Suzanne Hendrickson, a manager in the city’s Parks and Community Services Department, wants to spread the good word about the sprawling facility and encourage everyone to come check it out. Hendrickson says she sometimes worries that this gem in the heart of the city is the best-kept secret in town. “It’s amazing the number of people who live in Euless and don’t know that it exists,” she said. The center boasts a recreation center, fitness center, senior center, natatorium and aquatic park. The senior center was built in 2010 in conjunction with the total makeover of the recreation center, and the natatorium opened last year. All of the facilities are connected in Midway Park to form the Family Life Center. An indoor track and racquetball and basketball courts are key features in the rec center. The 5,000-square-foot fitness center is filled with the latest fitness equipment, and the natatorium sports a walking resistance river, three lap lanes, a splash area and a slew of classes. It even has a party room available for rental. The 22,000-square-foot senior center offers a library, media and computer rooms, classrooms and a catering kitchen. A lazy river, tot pool, play area, three slides and a main pool are attractions in the aquatic park. “The Euless Family Life Center has a little bit of everything,” Hendrickson said. “If people will stop by for a tour and see what we have going on, they’ll be glad they did.” Individual memberships range from $10-$50 per year, and family memberships range from $45-$225 annually. Three-month and nonresident memberships are also available. Eyes on H-E-B: Four stars of excellence for H-E-B chamber BY FAYE REEDER SPECIAL TO THE STAR-TELEGRAM 04/21/2015 7:00 AM 04/20/2015 9:50 AM Past H-E-B chamber board chairs Deborah Paganelli, right, and Brent McIlvain display the accreditation certificate. COURTESY PHOTO If Mary Frazior, the president and CEO of the H-E-B Chamber of Commerce, has stars in her eyes lately, it’s for a good reason. The organization was recently awarded a nationally recognized accreditation with four stars for excellence in chamber planning and performance. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sponsors the accreditation process — the only program of its kind — to facilitate excellence in the chamber industry and to foster a pro- business environment across America. To win the award, chambers are evaluated “on quality programs, clear organizational procedures and effective communications in operations and programs, including areas of governance, government affairs, and technology.” “This is the first time the H-E-B chamber has applied for accreditation, and we are honored to have received four-star accreditation,” said Frazior. “It is our privilege to offer programs and services that benefit local businesses and the community.” Past board chairs Deborah Paganelli (Texas Health Harris Hospital H-E-B) and Brent McIlvain (Edward Jones) assisted in the application process. Current chairman is Michael Land. “With this designation, the H-E-B chamber now has an elite status of being in the top 3 percent of chambers in the United States,” writes chamber spokeswoman Marlea Maschmeyer. If you have questions, contact the chamber at 817-283-1521 orchamber@heb.org. DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE_L_oF_L_ MAYOR CITYCNCL CITYATTNY SUTTER FREEMAN BROWN CRANOR ANIMAL CNTR McDONALD COLLINS W. RHODES GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN LIBRARY REF HARTSELL BARKER DATE DISTRIBUTED '-/I /)~ I I 5 DATE OF ARTICLE '!/ ~c:;( /1 5' NEWSPAPER __ F_W._'S~T COMMUNITY POWERED REVITALIZATION A new look for spring Volunteers do exterior work on a house during 6Stones' annual volunteer day, Community Powered Revitalization, or CPR. on Saturday in Euless. DISTRIBUTE D TO : MA YOR McDON ALD BA RKER CITYCN CL COLLIN S DATE DISTRIBUTED PA GE I OF I --- --- S UTTER FREEMAN BROWN CRA N OR ANIMA L CN TR CITYATTN Y W. RHODES GETCHELL LIBRARY A DMIN LIBRARY REF HA RTSELL DA TE OF A RTICLE L// cX cS/ /f .5-NEWSPAPER_--"F~W..;...;;'S;...;.T CALENDAR Eu less Thursday Teen Card Players Roundup, 4 p.m., Euless Public Library, 201 N. Ector Dr. Contact 817- 685-1480. Tuesday Water Uni- versity: Trees for North Texas, 8:30 p .m., Sim- mons Center, 508 Sim- mons Dr. Has the drought cau sed havoc on your trees? Trees are an important investment to your property. They give you energy savings in your home or business, water savings in your landscape, and value to the resale of your prop- erty. Selecting the right tree and planting it prop- erly helps improve the sustainability of your home or business land- scape. This program, taughtbytheTexasA&JM AgriLife Research and Extension Center, teach- es proper tree selection and planting for North Texas, as well as proper watering, p runing, com- mon insect issues and diseases. The event is free, but you must regis- ter to attend. Visit www.eulesstx.gov/wa- teruniversity or call 817- 685-1821. Tuesday JMoney Smart Class, Check it out: how to choose and maintain a checking ac- count. 7 p.m., Euless Public Library, 201 N. Ec- tor Dr. Contact 817-685 - 1480. Wednesday JMovie Time "The Box Trolls:• 4 p.m., Euless Public Li- brary, 201 N. Ector Dr. Contact 817-685-1480. April 30 Teen Advi- sory Group, 4 p.m. Eu- less Public Li brary, 201 N. Ector Dr. Contact 817- 685-1480. DISTRIBUTED TO: MAYOR McDONALD BARKER CITYCNCL COLLINS CITYATTNY W. RHODES SUTTER FREEMAN BROWN GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN PAGE_j_OF ;) CRANOR ANIMAL CNTR LIBRARY REF HARTSELL DATE DISTRIBUTED t./ L ;< ~ /; s--DATE OF ARTICLE L// cJ ;( /; 5"' NEWSPAPER ___ FW._'S_T The annual Arbor Daze festival is Friday and Saturday in Euless. Star-Telegram archives Arbor Daze festival in Euless will f ea tore Tongans, much more D This year's festival is Friday and Saturday at the City Hall complex. By Terry Evans Special to the H-E -B News EULESS -Ofa Faiva- Siale is excited about the Tungan community be- ing part of Arbor Daze, an annual spring festival in Euless. "It's a good opportu- nity to share our culture with those who are inter- ested, and learn a little bit more about it myself:' said Faiva-Siale, a Euless city employee. She said she hopes other festival guests will be as in- trigued as many Tungans are by videos from the 176- island archipelago in the South Pacific where one of the world's few remaining monarchies still rules. For its second year as part of this weekend's festival, the Tungan expatriates who settled by the hundreds in Euless are bringing in more artifacts from their home- land, demonstrating more islander crafts and per- forming more dances and songs. If you go Arbor Daze: The Ultimate Family Festival • 5-10 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday • Euless City Hall complex, 201 N. Ector Drive • Admission is free. and up to 3,500 guests receive free red oak saplings. • Free parking and shuttle services are provided. Go to arbordaze.org for in- formation on activities. entertainment, parking and a festival map. The Tunga tent will be the southeast anchor of the roughly two dozen activity and entertain - ment sites on about three acres of lawn next to the municipal complex, and will fit well with the theme of Arbor Daze: The Ultimate Family Fes- tival, said Betsy Deck, the city's spokesperson. "I think it's neat that we're celebrating the Tungan heritage," Deck said. "This helps to bridge gaps through in- More on FESTIVAL, 6A DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE :< OF ;2 MAYOR McDONALD BARKER CITYCNCL COLLINS CITYATTNY W. RHODES SUTTER FREEMAN BROWN GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN ------ CRANOR ANIMAL CNTR LIBRARYREF HARTSELL DATE DISTRIBUTED ) j I~%' /1 s-LI/ 'I ;i_ 1/5' f DATE OF ARTICLE f c><' f i NEWSPAPER FWST --~-----~ __ ____,::....:...;...=..::.. ~gling with other cultures!' : 1'aiva -Siale said several Tun - ~ will share their culture by :teaching visitors some Polyne- ~ dances. ~e dancers tell stories with ~hronized movements:' she "Most of the dances are not :rahitian type that get really rgetic. Tungan dance is meant to be very slow, feminine!' The city has slowed the beat of its festival, compared with what it was at its 1989 inception, said Suzanne Henderson, Euless recreation manager. "We've transitioned more in- to a community festival rather than the big Arbor Daze we used to have:' she said. "We' would have more than 200,000 visitors at a festival that ran three full days and took every city employ- ee and 500 to 800 community volunteers to run!' Last year's festival drew about 5,500 visitors, and Henderson expected about 10 percent more this year, because Euless drop- ped Sunday in favor of Friday and is returning some of the event's popular elements. The petting zoo is back this year and the main stage features higher- level entertainers, Deck said. "We're working toward more concert headliners, and Friday night draws a bigger crowd than Sunday," she explained. A separate community stage will feature lots of local talent, Deck said. Other activities include a bungee jump, rock wall and zip line, and there are plenty of foods available for purchase. Euless Public Library is back for its second year in the festival, bringing such activities as a Community Tree where visitors can add their names. An Edible Book Contest pits city employees against one another, using food to make creations that represent books. There also will be story time crafts for kids, wheel-spin ' . giveaways and demonstrations for e-books, digital magazines, genealogy and Tumblebooks. "Tumblebooks is an online ebook service for kids that the li- brary subscnbes to:' said Llbrarian Sherry Knight. "We'll demonstrate all of our digital products:' One thing that hasn't changed - and probably never will -is the tree giveaway. The city that has given away more than 150,000 trees in the fes - tival's quarter century has for its 26th year grown 3,500 red oak saplings from acorns picked up in Euless, and will hand them out as long as they last, Henderson said. County by County: Tarrant County briefs for April 23 Published: 23 April 2015 01:30 PM Updated: 23 April 2015 01:30 PM AREA Bedford, Euless form safezones to finish online deals The cities of Bedford and Euless each recently opened safe zones in their police department parking lots to conduct transactions arranged on Craigslist or other online marketplaces. The zones also are available to divorced parents needing to make child custody handoffs. Bedford designated three of its parking spaces with green markings saying “exchange zone.” Each space is monitored by surveillance cameras, with dispatchers inside watching. In Euless, several spaces in the department’s northwest parking lot, at 1102 Euless Boulevard, are marked as exchange zones. The city of Arlington is also working to create safe zones at police stations, department spokeswoman Tiara Ellis Richard said. Fort Worth Star-Telegram Southlake, Euless hosting fun festivals this weekend BY DUSTIN L. DANGLI DDANGLI@STAR-TELEGRAM.COM 04/23/2015 11:06 AM 04/23/2015 5:33 PM Crowds move through last year’s Art in the Square at Southlake Town Square. IAN MCVEA STAR- TELEGRAM ARCHIVES There is no shortage of festivals in Northeast Tarrant County this weekend. Southlake’s 16th Art in the Square, featuring artists, live music, food trucks and more, begins Friday and continues through Sunday at Town Square on Southlake Boulevard. And in Euless, Arbor Daze, featuring live entertainment, family-fun and tree giveaways, is Friday and Saturday. Austin artist David Bjurstrom was given the People’s Choice Award at Art in the Square and he and 159 other artists will be selling their work at the festival. The Southlake Women’s Club hosts the event, which benefits 26 non-profits, such as the Alliance for Children and the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Bjurstrom said his artwork, with its monochromatic tones, usually sets him apart from other displays. “I can be at a show and there might be one other person doing all pencil work, most likely not,” he said. Arbor Daze is switching this year from Saturday-Sunday to Friday-Saturday and is calling itself “The Ultimate Family Festival.” The city has slowed the beat of its festival, compared with what it was at its 1989 inception, said Suzanne Henderson, Euless recreation manager. “We’ve transitioned more into a community festival rather than the big Arbor Daze we used to have,” she said. “We would have more than 200,000 visitors at a festival that ran three full days and took every city employee and 500 to 800 community volunteers to run.” One thing that hasn’t changed — and probably never will — is the tree giveaway. For its 26th year, the festival that has given away more than 150,000 trees has grown 3,500 red oak saplings from acorns picked up in Euless, and will hand them out as long as they last, Henderson said. CORRESPONDENT TERRY EVANS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT. Dustin L. Dangli, 817-390-7770 Twitter: @dustindangli IF YOU GO Art in the Square ▪ 4-10:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday ▪ Southlake Town Square, 1256 Main Street, just off Southlake Boulevard. ▪ Parking and admission is free. ▪ Information at www.artinthesquare.com Arbor Daze ▪ 5-10 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday ▪ Euless City Hall complex, 201 N. Ector Drive, just off Airport Freeway. ▪ Parking and admission is free, and up to 3,500 guests receive free red oak saplings. ▪ Information at arbordaze.org New Dave & Buster's stays on top with craft beer and kickass games BY TERESA GUBBINS 4.23.15 | 1:42 pm On the menu at the new Dave & Buster's in Euless: "chef crafted" fish and chips. Photo courtesy of Dave & Buster's The mushroom burger is a menu classic at Dave & Buster's. Photo courtesy of Dave & Buster's Dave & Buster's drink lineup includes this strawberry-watermelon margarita. Photo courtesy of Dave & Buster's Dallas-based Dave & Buster's is expanding its local reach with a fourth branch in the area: this one in Euless, off 121 and adjacent to ritzy Grapevine and Colleyville. Set to open on May 4, the Euless location will feature the same combination of restaurant and entertainment as the other D&B's, but with some new things in the works. Yes, there will be delicious food and inventive cocktails, an exciting atmosphere, a sports-bar component, and an ultimate entertainment experience. Yes, there will be a "chef crafted" menu with pretzel dogs, bacon-wrapped sirloin medallions and a dish referred to as the Mountain O' Nachos. (Is that Irish?) There will be high-definition TVs and more than 170 arcade games, including Transformers Human Alliance, Mach Storm and Kung Fu Panda Dojo Mojo, many exclusive to Dave & Buster's. But according to general manager Jeff Cleary, Euless will introduce some new elements with this opening. "We're introduced some conceptual changes in our building design, and you'll see those at Euless," Cleary says. "The sports lounge is bigger, and the billiards area connects to the sports lounge. "So there'll be a sports bar feel on one side, and the other side is the dining room. It does a better job at separating what you're here for." They're also rolling out some new menu items and new games. "We have a 'Summer of Games' theme with a lot of new selections coming out," Cleary says. "It'll debut at Euless and then the rest of the stores will get them on May 12." Finally, they're embracing the hottest new trend in the beverage world. "One thing we'll specifically be trying out here is craft beer," Cleary says. "There's a high demand in the Grapevine and Colleyville area, so we'll offer eight to 10 selections in cans." Most of these new offerings serve the adult part of their clientele, but the thing about Dave & Buster's is the breadth of its audience: from birthdays and sports team parties in the afternoon to families at dinner to what they call "PTYA" or "play together young adults" between ages 21 and 34, who close out the place at night. If you've ever driven through the parking lot of the Dallas branch on a Saturday afternoon, perchance en route to Spec's or Total Wine & More, you'd witness the concept's crazy popularity. "That's the busiest store in the market," Cleary says. Other branches in the area include Frisco and Arlington. The company is prosperous. It launched a second coming-out as a publicly traded entity in October 2014, and it has outlasted other "eatertainment" concepts from the '90s such as Planet Hollywood. And there are more on the way this year: in El Paso; the River Walk in San Antonio; and Friendswood, near Houston. "We have people who compete with us in one segment, but not anybody who competes with everything we do," Cleary says. Local Possible Lightning Strike Starts Euless Church Fire April 27, 2015 8:15 AM EULESS (CBSDFW.COM) — Investigators areworking to determine if lightning started a fire at First United Methodist in Euless early Monday morning. The fire started in the attic over the sanctuary just after 1 a.m. As far as pastor Steve Heyduck knows, this is a first for a church with a very long history. “I haven’t heard any stories. We’ve been here for nearly 140 years, and there have been no lightning strikes before.” The pastor was told to expect some smoke and water damage inside the building .