Stronger Together Through Trust: Weekly Message from Maggie Campbell, President and CEO of DAMC

The newest executive order from Governor Abbott related to the COVID-19 pandemic permits some categories of businesses – including restaurants, retail stores, museums and libraries – to reopen dining and service areas up to 25% of their capacity. Churches, private offices, and movie theaters may also opt for cautious but more open operations. These orders go into effect Friday, May 1 as a part of a phased re-opening of the Texas economy.

While this is a huge economic step, it’s also a pact, Texan to Texan. Texans are being asked to trust and take care of each other in all facets of our lives:

• As entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders, we’ll operate in compliance with State, County and City of Arlington COVID-19 measures. For some, this will mean making the choice not to reopen at this time. For those who do, this means a vigilant adherence to industry best practices for the health and safety of each and every employee and customer.
• As customers, we understand that we have a job to do, too. Not only will we continue to support our local businesses as we are able, but we will do so in a safe way. If we walk into a restaurant or retail store and can’t find a place to sit or stand that’s six feet away from other people, we’ll place our order to-go.
• As individuals, we’ll remain vigilant in our self-care.
• As members of our community, we’ll keep helping – whatever that means and however we can.
• As Texans, we’ll continue to wear masks, because now more than ever, mask-wearing isn’t an individual choice. It’s a team sport.
• As Americans, we’ll continue to advocate for data transparency, stay on top of the latest medical advances, and adjust our individual choices and policy decisions accordingly. Click here for more information about the City’s new drive-through testing program, which is free to qualifying residents.

Finally, by adhering to both the letter and the spirit of Gov. Abbott’s executive order, we will help our elected officials make informed decisions every next step of the way. 

SUPPORT DOWNTOWN NONPROFITS ON MAY 5: NORTH TEXAS GIVING TUESDAY 

Downtown Arlington’s nonprofit community – including Theatre Arlington, Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex, Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington Urban Ministries, UT Arlington, and others – have been lifting us up for decades in so many ways. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are struggling to fulfill their missions. Can you help?

The Communities Foundation of Texas is hosting a special North Texas Giving Tuesday Now. You can give directly to the Downtown nonprofit of your choice through the North Texas Giving Day website on Tuesday, May 5 from 6:00 a.m. until midnight, or you can make a pledge now.

To help raise the fun factor, the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation and the Friends of the Levitt Pavilion are partnering to present several live-streamed concerts on Levitt’s Facebook Live. The all-day event will feature these talented Texas-based artists:

North Texas Giving Tuesday on May 5, 2020
Levitt Live-Stream Concert Schedule
11:00 a.m. – Brad Russell
1:00 p.m. – September Moon
4:00 p.m. – Steve Helms
5:30 p.m. – Latin Express
7:00 p.m. – Sara Hickman

The City of Arlington will provide live studio updates at 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on donation totals. In preparation for Tuesday, don’t forget to consult our Downtown Delivers directory for delicious carry out and delivery options to enjoy throughout the day.

DOWNTOWN DELIVERS VALUE

You’ve probably experienced first-hand the value of Downtown Delivers, the DAMC platform that connects customers to Downtown restaurants and bars offering to-go ordering, curbside pick-up, drive-through and/or delivery services. In the days and weeks ahead, as our entrepreneurs adjust their operational models, DAMC will continue to provide this resource as long as it is valuable for our businesses and customers. In fact, we’re expanding the storytelling aspect of the program to include video so more people can discover all the flavors and personalities within our Downtown Arlington culinary community.

Visit our Downtown Delivers page for a directory of participants, and follow us on social media to be the first to see our video series.

DAMC PODCAST CELEBRATES DOWNTOWN ROOTS

We hope you enjoyed the first episode of our new podcast series Downtown Arlington Roots! John Blake, executive vice president of the Texas Rangers, and Parker Vandergriff, grandson of Mayor Tom Vandergriff, joined me in swapped tales of how the Texas Rangers came to town and the stories behind all three ballparks in Arlington.

This Thursday, April 30 at 4:00 p.m., we’re going back to our City’s wild western beginnings with two of my favorite storytellers, Arlington enthusiasts, and all-around great people: O.K. Carter and Geraldine Mills. It was all we could do to keep this episode under an hour!

New one-hour episodes of the podcast will be released each Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Find them anywhere you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, and Downtown Arlington Facebook Live. The line-up includes:

• April 30: Puttin’ Down Roots, the stories of early Arlington with writer and historian O.K. Carter and Geraldine Mills, Executive Director of the Arlington Historical Society
• May 7: Rooted in Creativity, the traditions of live music, arts and culture in Downtown Arlington with Levitt Pavilion Executive Director Letatia Teykl, 3Di Signs + Design Owner Paul Fulks, and Persis Ann Forster, Artistic Director for Dance Theatre Arlington
• May 14: Roots of Revitalization, today’s Downtown renaissance started with lots of big dreams, dedication and tenacity. Join the conversation with “Downtown Tony” Rutigliano, owner of Urban Alchemy, longtime Arlington leader Tom Cravens, and Tom’s daughter Mary Tom Curnutt, Tarrant County Judge, Precinct 2.
• Future episodes include Rerooting: The Origins of Innovation and Reinvention; and Rootin’ For Each Other: Downtown’s Long-standing Commitment to Kindness and Community Service

SPREADING KINDNESS 

The sacrifices we’re making on a daily basis are slowing the spread of COVID-19 and saving lives. But in Arlington, our community never sacrifices our collective will to spread kindness. Join us in celebrating acts of kindness that took place this week in Downtown, including:

• Purchase a pretty cotton lace mask from Wildfire and Lace and they’ll make a generous donation to SafeHaven of Tarrant County.
• This Friday, Hurtado Barbecue will donate 10% of sales to two Downtown businesses who are not yet permitted by the state to reopen: Legendz Classic Barbershop and Maren Karsen Salon.

If you see acts of kindness taking place in Downtown, please share the good news! Tag photos on social media with #ArlingtonKindness and @cityofarlington

Downtown Arlington remains diligent in our efforts to stay on top of information and resources available to business, non-profit and cultural arts institutions, and our stakeholders. You can find our complete list on our COVID-19 webpage.

With gratitude,

Maggie Campbell
President and CEO
Downtown Arlington Management Corporation