Well, no, that is not Marco Ronquillo. That is Tab Hunter (God is he hot!) with me at the USA Film Festival’s grandest soiree Saturday night at a private home on Rheimes Place in Highland Park where we celebrated the finale of one of this city’s greatest arts programs. This year’s festival was incredible. Dedicated to the recognition and encouragement of excellence in the film and video arts, executive director Ann Alexander knocked it out of the park with this year’s line up, bringing Arlene Dahl, Diane Baker, Tab Hunter (!), Pat Boone, Candy Clark, Dallas native Peri Gilpin and the amazing Iris Apfel, among others, to town.
Only a few hours before, I met Marcos in Oak Cliff at Burt Barr & Associates ,when I stopped by post work-out to find out what Marcos Ronquillo is all about. I’ll know more Tuesday: he is giving me time to answer questions about his vision for Dallas real estate. Voting for the next Mayor of Dallas and a new slate for City Council begins TODAY!
I live in Preston Hollow. I cannot figure out how a billion dollar plus dollar toll road will help me, my neighbors, or the folks who live south of the Trinity. I cannot figure out how it will help the folks east of Central. What I really cannot figure out is how it will help reduce traffic congestion for those of us who drive south on I-35 to Austin or the Hill Country. About two months ago we were headed south to Hico to inter my son-in-law and it took almost 40 minutes to get through that bottleneck/mixmaster/mess which is the only way out of the city. I’m no “get on my bike gal” — I don’t even own a pair of Birkenstocks. But we have to do something about the traffic in this town and that something is not a billion dollar plus highway along a river.
I left this event with three things firmly set in my mind:
(1) The people in Oak Cliff hate the notion of a toll road in the Trinity River Area; they want that land for a beautiful park.
(2) I want to know more about Marcos Ronquillo. He was quoting the Brookings Institute and touched on my HUGE concerns that the City of Dallas is dying because we are losing our middle class.
(3) Dickey’s Barbecue does a pretty good job of catering. They have a wonderful stage presence coupled with great food.
Stay tuned. I’m still checking out how this Toll Road will impact our dirt. And real estate taxes! Our’s are among the HIGHEST in the nation. Better tell Mr. Ronquillo to put on his boxing gloves…
