Barnett Shale

Catching up to the Chesapeake scholarship fund...

Minority and underpriveleged students will be the beneficiaries of the new Chesapeake Scholarship Fund in North Texas. Here's the story on how matching funding firmed up.

-- Scott Nishimura

$10,000 art-buying spree, courtesy Chesapeake

If you spot a bunch of Fort Worth high school kids snapping up art at this week's Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival, there's a reason why.

Chesapeake Energy is giving a group of Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School teens $10,000 to spend at the festival, which runs through Sunday in downtown Fort Worth. The art they buy will become part of Chesapeake's Art on Tour travelling exhibition, which tours schools, libraries, community centers, and other public venues.

Chesapeake launched Art on Tour last year as an eight-piece exhibit. "Works by Main St. artists will be added to the collection each year," the company says.

"Chesapeake Energy supports education in many different ways, and Art on Tour is another opportunity to invest in learning in a meaningful way," says Leah King, director of community relations for Chesapeake.

This year, the Diamond Hill-Jarvis students, under the supervision of art teacher Maria Patino, have spent the last few weeks researching art and artists on exhibit in the show. Fort Worth ISD students help as installers as the exhibit travels and serve as docents, giving tours.

-- Scott Nishimura

$565,000 in grants from Arlington gas fund

The Arlington Tomorrow Fund, set up last year to distribute earnings from a fund endowed by money the City of Arlington makes from natural gas, has announced $565,000 in grants to community organizations. Here's S-T reporter Paul Bourgeois' story on the grants. Click here to read the city's original release on the fund, with contact information.

-- Scott Nishimura

(Archive photo: Lamar Baptist Church, one of the grant recipients)

Is Chesapeake going to turn the lights back on?

On with the two really important questions of the day: Is Chesapeake Energy going to rename the Pier 1 building?

Yes, says Julie Wilson, the company's vice president of corporate development.

What about the lighted crown, which Pier 1 shut down to save on electricity costs? Is Chesapeake going to turn the lights back on?

Sounds like it. "Keep your eyes on the skies," Wilson hinted.

Mayor Mike Moncrief may have shed some light on this critical question in a brief statement he made after today's announcment that Chesapeake's going to buy the Pier 1 headquarters building and move its Barnett Shale operations there.

"This is an enormous committment on the part of Chesapeake, and it confirms the company's long-term strategy to remain in our city as a leading producer of natural gas in North Texas and beyond," the mayor said. "This agreement will also allow Pier 1 to remain focused on its operations as the largest retailer of imported home furnishings and decor in North America."

And then this kicker on Moncrief's statement:

"We're glad that the well-known beacon of light from this beautiful structure will continue to illuminate our skyline for many years to come."

Hmm.

-- Jim Fuquay and Scott Nishimura

Need to catch up on your reading about the Chesapeake-Pier 1 headquarters purchase? Here's everything we published in the print edition:

Chesapeake agrees to buy Pier 1 headquarters for $104 million

Chesapeake working hard to raise public profile in Tarrant County

Why Pier 1 decided to sell

Editorial: Chesapeake deal is great news for Fort Worth

Mitch Schnurman column: Chesapeake deal start of even bigger things

Chesapeake donates $1 million to United Way

Chesapeake Energy has pledged $1 million to the United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County, kicking off the first-ever Barnett Shale Endowment Fund. UPDATE: Click here to read the full Star-Telegram story.

The United Way is not only looking for other energy companies to donate, but also homeowners drawing cash from the leasing of their mineral rights, said Nancy O'Malley, spokeswoman for the group.

Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake announced the donation, which will be paid in roughly $200,000 annual payments over five years, this evening at the opening of the new headquarters for United Way. The non-profit just moved into the Mercado development on Main Street just north of downtown Fort Worth.

United Way plans to spend 5% of the value of the fund annually and keep the rest to build interest income. United Way's first distribution of the fund is expected by April 2009, O'Malley said.

While this is not the first large donation from a deep-pocketed energy company getting rich off the Barnett Shale, it is considered to be the largest natural-gas-related donation for the United Way's Fort Worth office.

Examples of other donations thanks to the Barnett Shale:

• In June 2007, Chesapeake announced a total pledge of $3.75 million for scholarships to students in Fort Worth and Dallas.
• For the past three years, Fort Worth-based XTO Energy has been a big benefactor at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, buying the Grand Champion steer each time. The company has also been big in buying up and redeveloping property in downtown Fort Worth. The company has a total seven buildings and a parking garage in downtown, imploded another one and is redeveloping a building in the Fort Worth Stockyards.
• Devon Energy gave $3 million to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History building project in 2007 and was the lead donor in the Fort Worth Police and Firefighters Memorial Project with a $200,000 gift last year. The Oklahoma City-based company, the largest player in the Barnett Shale, gave another $100,000 to the North Texas High School Rodeo Association last year. Several Barnett Shale players were major founding donors to the Science Museum's capital campaign.
• Here's a story from S-T reporter Sarah Bahari on how corporate sponsorship of charitable organizations is tightening, but Chesapeake says it still gives a lot.

-- David Wethe

(Photo: United Way of Tarrant County moves to new headquarters in Mercado building, north Fort Worth, in January)

XTO hauls out big bucks -- $500,000 -- for YMCA

Barnett Shale money continues to flow into local charities.

XTO Energy -- hours ahead of another major philanthropic announcement expected this evening in Fort Worth charity circles -- has just announced it's donating $500,000 to help refurbish the Amon Carter Jr. Downtown YMCA and establish the XTO Energy Wellness Center at the Y. UPDATE: Click here to read the full story.

The second announcement is expected just before 6 p.m.

XTO's gift brings the Y within $150,000 of its original $2.5 million goal for refurbishing the Y, said Tony Shuman, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth. The total project cost has since risen to $2.9 million.

Planned renovations include the relocation of a fitness center -- to be called the XTO Energy Wellness Center with 6,700 square feet of cardio and strength training -- to the first floor from the third. Additional first-floor renovations will include an exercise class studio, youth wellness center, and expanded "interactive child watch area." The first-floor lobby will be redesigned as a welcome center and cafe.

The second floor will house renovated locker rooms. The third floor will be renovated to include a teen wellness center, Arts & Humanities Center, and multi-purpose space.

"Our commitment to the capital building campaign of the Downtown YMCA is an investment in more than brick and mortar," Vaughn Vennerberg, senior executive vice president of XTO, said. "We are investing in the health and well being of those who reside and work in downtown Fort Worth. The mission of the YMCA is as strong as ever. From children to adults, the recreation programs of the Y enrich our lives by remaining convenient and affordable."

Remember, stay tuned to this space for more news at exactly 5:45 p.m.

-- Scott Nishimura

(Photos: Downtown Y)

First, satellite, then a library, now a playground

DISH, Texas, has gotten particularly resourceful at improving its citizens' quality of life through donations.

Two years ago, the Denton County town of 120 residents renamed itself DISH in exchange for 10 years of free satellite TV service. The city is also building a library, thanks largely to contributions such as used shelving from a library in nearby Justin and $2,500 in computers from Crosstex Energy. "Just beat the street," the mayor, Calvin Tillman, says.

Now, DISH has scored again, getting Chesapeake Energy to donate $22,000 worth of playground equipment toward the $32,000 cost of building a new playground at City Hall. The announcement went out Wednesday afternoon. Tillman says the town hopes the library and playground will both be complete by the time school lets out later this Spring.

"It's a very generous donation," Tillman says, of Chesapeake's contribution. Chesapeake will present the check to the mayor, 7 p.m. tonight at City Hall, 5413 Tim Donald Road. The playground will include swingsets, slides, playhouse, balance beam, and monkey bars.

"We felt it was important to give back to this community who is working hard to improve the quality of life for its citizens and provide additional services that were not available to this small town," Jerri Robbins, Chesapeake's manager of Barnett Shale public relations, said.

DISH is in the heart of Barnett Shale country. Chesapeake will operate some compressors in the area that will help transport gas from its drilling at D/FW Airport into a pipeline network. Crosstex and  Atmos Energy also have interests in the area. Atmos is donating $8,000 in labor to help build the playground.

Residents and city officials have been watching the gas companies closely.

-- Scott Nishimura

What to do with $75 grand?

In the tussle for leases on the Fort Worth South Side, Fort Worth Energy/XTO and Chesapeake are both offering to donate up to $75,000 to the Ryan Place, Berkeley Place and Mistletoe Heights associations, based on the number of leases signed.

This largesse, of course, hasn't escaped the notice of other neighborhood associations. The Fort Worth League of Neighborhood Associations worked it into its extended tip sheet to neighborhood associiatons at this week's gas drilling "education event." "You can negotiate for donations," James Huling, a Mistletoe Heights petroleum engineer, said in his presentation. "Use this as an opportunity to enhance the quality of life in your neighborhood."

This raises the welcome challenge of figuring out what to do with that money if it comes along. The Friends of Tillery Park, a non-profit, built a $175,000 playground on the South Side a week ago, using $50,000 donated by Fort Worth Energy and XTO and another $10,000 from Chesapeake.

Mary Dulle, the Berkeley Place Neighborhood Association president, notes that her association's annual budget is just $5,000-$8,000 annually. Presented with a huge chunk of donated change, she isn't sure what Berkeley would do with it. The "gates" at Forest Park Boulevard and Park Place, a local landmark, need refurbishing. That's one idea.

"I don't know what we're going to do with it, but if we get it, we'll figure out what to do with it," she said.

UPDATE: Click here to read the full story on the Berkeley/Ryan Place/Mistletoe Heights lease deal.

-- Scott

Hold them presses...

The bidding war for leases on Fort Worth's South Side erupted all over again Monday and the battle continued into the night.

The new offer from Fort Worth Energy, which is signing leases on behalf of XTO Energy: $15,000 per-acre signing bonus to property owners in Berkeley Place, Ryan Place and Mistletoe Heights. This tonight from Dub Stocker, of Fort Worth Energy.

That offer outdoes the $12,500 offer that Chesapeake FedEx'd Monday to property owners in all three neighborhoods. The $12,500 offer outdid Chesapeake's own $11,000 offer last week, which ostensibly outdid Fort Worth Energy's $10,000 offer, although Fort Worth Energy said those two offers were essentially a wash because of differences in the way the two calculated lot sizes. The Fort Worth Energy offer of $10,000 came as part of an agreement that Fort Worth Energy and XTO negotiated with the neighborhood associations. The Fort Worth Energy offer outdid Chesapeake's offer of $4,000 an acre, which, well, you get the picture...

The spectacle also poured into the charitable giving arena, with Chesapeake on Monday offering to donate up to $75,000 to each of the three neighborhood associations based on $15,000 per 100 leases signed. Monday night, Stocker said Fort Worth Energy was matching those terms.

Fort Worth Energy and XTO had already donated $50,000 to the construction of a $175,000 playground at Tillery Park, a South Side project launched by Berkeley Place residents. Then last week, Fort Worth Energy and XTO agreed to donate up to $50,000 to the Ryan Place association, or $10,000 for each 100 leases signed. Then Chesapeake made its own $10,000 donation to the Tillery Park project. Then Monday night, Fort Worth Energy and XTO, well, you get the picture...

The Fort Worth Energy/XTO lease still contains substantial environmental impact provisions favored by all three neighborhoods.

Click here for the full Star-Telegram report.

-- Scott and Jim

(S-T photo: Berkeley Place Fourth of July parade)

Chesapeake donates $10 Gs to playground project

Now's apparently a good time to be announcing a playground project if you're anywhere in shooting distance of the Barnett Shale.

Chesapeake Energy announced Wednesday it's donating $10,000 to the Friends of Tillery Park, the non-profit that's building a new $175,000 playground at Tillery Park, just off Forest Park Boulevard in South Fort Worth's Berkeley Place neighborhood.

Friday morning at the park, Chesapeake handed over a mock check to the organizers, with the real thing due to arrive shortly. The $10k put the organizers over their $175,000 fundraising goal for the playground; the surplus goes to future planned phases that include new fencing, landscaping, disabled-access sidewalk, and a pavilion. Volunteers spent five days last week (photo above) bringing the playground off the ground, and will complete the project Friday and Saturday.

Chesapeake made its announcement the same day it was sending fresh lease offers to property owners in Berkeley, Mistletoe Heights, and Ryan Place. It's competing for the South Side leases against XTO Energy and its agent, Fort Worth Energy, which earlier donated $25,000 apiece to the Tillery Park project. (Ryan Place also confirmed Thursday that XTO and Fort Worth Energy have agreed to donate up to $50,000 to the Ryan Place association, based on the numbers of property owners who sign their leases. Click here for the story.)

Jennifer Tayag, president of the Friends of Tillery Park, said the neighborhood buzz about the energy companies' contributions has been favorable. "They feel these companies are being good stewards by giving back to the communities where they make their living," she said.

The Friends of Tillery Park are still looking for volunteers to finish their build. Click here to volunteer.

And click here to read our previous posts on the Tillery Park project.

-- Scott