What's to Show for Revitalization Efforts?

Wendy Hundley of The Dallas Morning News has a story questioning whether there's anything to show for Richardson's revitalization efforts. Actually, she doesn't question it; she quotes some Richardson residents who question the efforts. Then she gives the mayor and city manager an opportunity to dismiss the criticism.

After the jump, unpacking the story.

Little Shop of Horrors at BHS

Little Shop of Horrors at BHS: So much to praise, including orchestra, tech, Audrey II, Mr Yartym, Doo Wop Girls and Audrey's awesome voice.

Showdown: Mesquite 79, Berkner 67

From 2015 01 30 Mesquite vs Berkner

In District 10-6A action Friday night, the Mesquite High School men's basketball team defeated the Berkner Rams 79-67, knocking the Rams out of a first place tie with Mesquite and Richardson. Bummer. But the Berkner Bandolera drill team put on a great halftime show. Come out and support your local school kids. The entertainment is the best value in sports.

More photos after the jump.

Richardson, "Wonderfully Diverse Land of Opportunity"

"Don't read the comments". Always good advice. Still...

After an otherwise too-easy takedown of Sarah Palin by Jim Schutze in Unfair Park (in which he pitches the theory that Texas is becoming the Sarah Palin of states, using the example of the newly elected representative from Belton who wants Texas Muslim visitors to her Capitol office to pledge an oath of allegiance), there was one comment that I just can't help passing along to Richardson readers.

I love Texas. Batshit crazy right-wingers are not Texas. Texas is the wonderfully diverse land of opportunity and the American dream that I see in Richardson, for example, where people have gathered from all over the globe to seek opportunity and better themselves and their families. The crazies like that lady in Belton are like mesquite -- an unfortunate legacy of past mistakes.

Source: Unfair Park.

The commenter was "JimSX," who sounds a lot like Jim Schutze himself, making the comment all the more remarkable as perhaps the first kind thing Schutze has had to say about, not only Richardson, but any Dallas suburb.

Belle (2013)

IMDB

Belle (2013): Race and class in 18th c. England. Rich costumes and sets. 2D characters. Think anti-slavery movement meets Downton Abbey. B-

Winter in Breckinridge Park (2015)

From 2015 01 28 Breckinridge

More photos after the jump.

Urban Planning in Lake Highlands

If you are like me, you think the IH635/Skillman/Audelia intersection is a mess. It's not Richardson's mess. It's Dallas's mess. It's Lake Highlands's mess. But it's a mess. People have been thinking about what do with it for years. Maybe something will finally get done.

The revitalization of our neighborhood begins with fixing the 635-Skillman intersection...

The crossroads cause confusion and congestion, resulting in snarls, accidents and dangerous pedestrian scenarios that worsen with each passing year...

The thoroughfare situation, according to experts who have studied the zone for years, makes inefficient use of our land, repels quality retailers and developers, and ultimately perpetuates proliferation of undesirable businesses, problematic apartment and condominium properties, and high-crime zones.

Source: Lake Highlands Advocate.

After the jump, what's wrong with this thinking.

Freaky Slow Development on Spring Valley

Source: City of Richardson.

Urban, mixed-use, walkable. Does that sound familiar? Does that picture look familiar? It's West Spring Valley Road. Or at least it was the vision of West Spring Valley Road that was dangled in front of Richardson residents almost five years ago. Since then, State Farm built an eleventy-seven story office tower up north in a whole new neighborhood called CityLine. Raytheon is building a big, new corporate campus next door. Whole Foods is busy stocking up gluten-free pizzas for the insurance agents and engineers who will live and work and shop up there.

Meanwhile, what's happening along Spring Valley Road? You hope I'll say something like what's in that picture, right? But you expect me to say nothin', right? Well, you're wrong... in both cases. After the jump, south Richardson's own development news.

RISD and Open Records Requests

The Dallas Morning News did a year-long study on how responsive local governments were to open records requests. Anecdotally, the RISD didn't come out looking too good:

When asked for a list of employee reimbursements in 2013, some agencies held that the information was only available in hard copy. The News’ most expensive estimate was a $4,050 fee from Richardson ISD for that information. The district maintained that data showing the amount of money paid to reimburse employees wasn’t available electronically.

Source: The Dallas Morning News.

Now, maybe there's nothing nefarious going on here. Maybe the cost estimate is accurate. But if this kind of external request costs $4,000 to meet, then the costs of internal requests are probably also prohibitive. So, if someone in the RISD with a need to know wants to examine employee reimbursement requests to look for abuse or even just for opportunities to reduce costs, it could be cost prohibitive. Wouldn't you think that would be reason enough to change procedures?

The Wizard of Oz at LHHS

The Wizard of Oz at LHHS: Classic movie musical comes to life. Lots of kids, young and old, all having fun. Sound glitches didn't stop fun.