MAKING WILL PROUD …
Will Rogers himself would be proud that his namesake arena is still drawing prestigious events even as the new Dickies Arena is opening just down the street.
The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup, one of the most prestigious events in the equine industry, has selected Fort Worth and the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum as a qualifier location for the North American League’s 2020-21 season. The event will be known as the inaugural Fort Worth, Texas, International, and will be held Dec. 15-20, 2020, at the coliseum, which seats 5,800.
It will be the first FEI Qualifier held in Texas and one of only eight qualifiers held in North America.
“This is a huge win for Will Rogers Memorial Center,” said David Reeves, director of sales for the Will Rogers Memorial Complex. “All of our partners deserve a huge pat on the back for our success in the equestrian event business, as we would never have landed an event of this caliber without everyone’s cooperation and hard work and the support of our community. This is great news and exposure for Fort Worth and Texas.”
The event will draw many of the top show jumping competitors and have an international live broadcast signal to increase exposure of the sport in North America. The World Cup Qualifier is also on the books for two additional years in Fort Worth.
– Rick Mauch, FWBP Contributor
ELBIT SYSTEMS TO SUPPLY MISSION CRITICAL PRODUCTS TO BOEING’S T-X AIRCRAFT
Elbit Systems of America will supply a number of products – including cockpit displays, datalinks and embedded training capabilities – to Boeing’s T-X advanced pilot training aircraft for the United States Air Force, the company said in a news release.
“We are supremely proud to be trusted by Boeing and the U.S. Air Force to supply these mission critical products and vital training systems,” said Raanan Horowitz, president and CEO of Elbit Systems of America. “Future pilots will greatly benefit from the revolutionary flight training capabilities featured in the T-X.”
The news release said it would provide a number of key components including large area displays, engine fuel indicators, upfront control panels, and Head Up Displays and their associated line replaceable units.
This cutting edge capability simulates the advanced avionics, sensors and weapons utilized by 5th generation fighters like the F-22 and F-35, enabling T-X pilots to virtually operate those systems while flying the lower cost-to-operate T-X aircraft, the company said.
http://www.elbitsystems-us.com/defense
AZZ INC. ANNOUNCES 100-YEAR LIFESPAN OF GALVABAR
AZZ Inc. (NYSE: AZZ), a global provider of metal coating solutions, welding solutions, specialty electrical equipment and highly engineered services, announced today that its Galvabar™ continuous galvanized rebar product was found to provide reliable long-term reinforcement with a potential lifespan of more than 100 years, according to a research team at the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University.
The University presented early findings from the ongoing study examining cost-effectiveness and longevity of different concrete reinforcement solutions during the Tran-SET informational seminar at the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Center for Infrastructure Renewal in Bryan, Texas.
Homero Castaneda-Lopez, director of the TEES National Corrosion and Materials Reliability Lab and an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M led the research study and, in collaboration with TEES EDGE professional and continuing education, developed the seminar.
“CGR will continue to be tested for even greater longevity, by combining it with epoxy coatings and low carbon corrosion resistant chromium alloy steels,” Castaneda-Lopez said in an AZZ news release.
“The initial findings from the research are extremely encouraging and support the value proposition that our innovative Galvabar™, a continuous galvanized rebar product, provides our customers the potential for corrosion protection of 100 years,” Michael Doucet, Senior Vice President of AZZ Surface Technologies, said in the news release.
“Given the extreme need to upgrade major infrastructure throughout the United States, these findings confirm our expectations that Galvabar™ can be highly effective from an engineering perspective and delivers significant cost-efficiencies in the upcoming infrastructure replacement cycle,” Doucet said.
The product is galvanized rebar with specialized thin zinc alloy coating that provides the corrosion protection of zinc and the added benefit of exceptional formability, the company said on its website. GalvaBar can be bent, twisted, or stretched after the galvanizing without cracking, peeling or flaking.
https://www.azz.com
FALLEN FORT WORTH OFFICER RECOGNIZED
Cpl. Garrett W. Hull, a Fort Worth police officer who died in the line of duty last year, was recently presented the 2019 Star of Texas Award. Gov. Greg Abbott presented the award to Hull’s family.
Abbott presented awards to 50 peace officers, firefighters and first responders who demonstrated heroism and sacrifice in service to their communities and to Texas.
On Sept. 13, 2018, Hull and other members of the criminal intelligence unit were conducting surveillance of three suspects who had been involved in more than 15 armed robberies in which three people were shot. The three suspects attempted to flee on foot into the surrounding neighborhood. During the foot pursuit, one of the men opened fire, striking Hull in the head.
Hull was taken to a hospital, where he later died. The man who shot Hull was shot and killed, and the other two suspects were apprehended.
“The Star of Texas Awards symbolize the deep and enduring gratitude Texans have for the brave first responders who were injured or died in the line of duty,” Abbott said. “Our first responders represent the very best of Texas, and we will never forget their service and sacrifice.
“To all the men and women who protect and serve, thank you for being the light of justice and peace in our communities. You are the shield that stands between danger and the people of Texas, and you have our deepest respect and unwavering support.”
The Star Of Texas Awards were created in 2003. Sept. 11 of every year has been designated Texas First Responders Day.
– Rick Mauch, FWBP Contributor
TEXAS CENTRAL SIGNS DESIGN-BUILD CONTRACT FOR HIGH-SPEED TRAIN — W/Image
Texas Central, developer of the high-speed train, announced Sept. 13 that a design-build contract has been signed with the joint venture of Salini Impregilo, spA, one of the largest civil engineering contractors in the world, and its U.S. subsidiary, Lane Construction Co.
Salini-Lane is to supply the civil and infrastructure scope for the new high-speed train service between Houston and Dallas.
This includes the design and construction of the viaduct and embankment sections along the entire route, the installation of the track system and the alignment and construction of all buildings and services that will house maintenance and other rail system equipment, Texas Central said in a news release.
This design-build agreement authorizes a set of early works for the joint venture to continue advancing engineering design, detailed planning, interface definition and other key prerequisites necessary to start construction.
This agreement is the result of their previous work providing front-end engineering and design for the train’s civil infrastructure. Other services included optimizing execution plans, strategies and logistics, as well as performing analysis to develop construction costs and schedule estimates, Texas Central said.
“This agreement brings us one step closer to beginning construction of the civil infrastructure segments of the project,” said Carlos F. Aguilar, CEO, Texas Central. “Salini-Lane’s unmatched track record with rail infrastructure, and very specifically its world class high-speed rail expertise across the globe, will be central to the completion of America’s first end to end high-speed rail system.”
Pietro Salini, CEO, Salini Impregilo Group, said the company was “thrilled and honored to bring our large-scale railway expertise to this unique opportunity. This inclusion in bringing high-speed train service to Texas and America, through leading the project’s design and construction, is an invaluable experience.”
Salini Impregilo is active in more than 50 countries on five continents, with experience building more than 4,000 miles of railway infrastructure around the world – in Australia, Europe, Asia and the Americas.
Salini has worked in the U.S. since the 1980s and expanded its presence in 2016, merging with The Lane Construction Corp., a U.S.-based company with almost 130 years of experience in infrastructure work.
The Texas train will be based on Central Japan Railway’s Tokaido Shinkansen train system.
The project’s total investment is expected to be approximately $20 billion with the civil works estimated at $14 billion, Texas Central said, leading to an estimated $36 billion in economic benefits state-wide over the next 25 years, including the creation of 10,000 jobs per year during peak construction and 1,500 permanent jobs when fully operational.
The company’s market-led approach is backed by investors, not government grants, a new business model for infrastructure advances, the news release said.
Texas Central and its affiliated entities will be responsible for the system’s design, finance, construction, operation and maintenance.
www.texascentral.com
– FWBP Staff
JUBILEE THEATRE OPENS 2019-2020 SEASON
Jubilee Theatre opens its Jubilee Theatre opens its 2019-2020 season with the highly acclaimed play Single Black Female by playwright Lisa B. Thompson, who also is Associate Professor of African & African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of the book, Beyond the Black Lady: Sexuality and the New African American Middle-Class.
This production will feature the return of local director, vickie washington, who spells her name in all lower case letters.
This comedic female duo production moves with rapid-fire vignettes which examine the lives of 30-something African American middle-class women. They search for love, clothes, and dignity in a world that fails to recognize them among a parade of stereotypical images, Jubilee said in a news release.
The play runs Sept. 27-Oct. 27 at the Jubilee Theater in Downtown Fort Worth.
The opening performance is at 8 p.m. Single tickets are priced at $24, $27 and $32. All are available at the box office, by telephone (817.338.4411), or online (www.JubileeTheatre.org ). Student and Group discounts are available.
Jubilee’s mission is to create and produce theatrical works that give voice to the African-American experience, and has labeled this entire season as Shades of Us!.
Single Black Female has received enormously positive reception since its 2004 premiere. The New York Times pronounced the play “a socially significant and very entertaining show that manages to be simultaneously self-deprecating and proud.” Variety calls it hugely entertaining theatre.
Single Black Female will show Thursday nights through Saturday nights, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday.
Thompson’s work has been published in Contemporary Plays by African American Women: Ten Complete Works (University of Illinois Press, 2015) and Catch The Fire: A Cross-Generational Anthology of Contemporary African American Poetry.
Jubilee’s mission is to create and produce theatrical works that give voice to the African-American experience.
Jubilee Theatre
506 Main St.
Fort Worth, TX 76102
817.338.4411
www.JubileeTheatre.org