
A classic is something that is considered to be of the highest quality and capable of standing the test of time.There are a handful of movies that while good when seen at first become better over time, partially because of the great lines of dialogue. In one of my favorite movies, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, there is a great line where Steve Martin speaking to John Candy says, "And by the way, you know, when you're telling these little stories? Here's a good idea - have a point. It makes it so much more interesting for the listener!" It's a classic quote from a classic movie that never gets old.
Along those same lines, Magnolia Blossoms (page 88) is a classic story in this issue about a classic street on Fort Worth's Near Southside that has grown better with age. Over the past 30 years, Magnolia Avenue has been steadily transformed from a crumbling eyesore that city planners seemed to want to go away in the "60s and "70s into its early heyday of the "20s and "30s. In this informative feature, Jocelyn Tatum does a delightful job of walking us down Magnolia's memory lane, detailing the area's remarkable renaissance.
The transformation was spearheaded in the 1980s by a small group of men and women that included Southside trailblazers David Motherall and Joan Kline, both on the board of Fort Worth Southside Inc. (FWSI). In those early years, Motherall and Kline became close friends. They have worked tirelessly together over the last three decades alongside hundreds of businesses and neighborhood leaders to revitalize the formerly vibrant, mixed-use historic district.
In our second main feature entitled Movin" Right Along (page 66), various writers take us on a trip that brings us up to speed on everything we need to know about transportation in Fort Worth, from trains, planes and automobiles to Mayor Betsy Price's bike Fort Worth initiative.
There is a lot going on in the area of transporting people to Fort Worth, including the $17.5 million administration building renovation and expansion at Meacham International Airport, as well as a proposal by Texas Central High-Speed Railway (TCP) to bring high-speed rail between Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston. Once people get here, however, will the experience be a good one?
One of the draws of Fort Worth over the years has been the ease of getting from here to there without road rage. In the last 14 years, however, greater Fort Worth has grown 48 percent. More people means more congestion. So unless we want to join Austin and Houston as among the most traffic-congested cities in the country, our city leaders must cast a unified vision to navigate the extremely diverse and complicated transportation issues facing our city. City officials must partner with business leaders to foster public/private partnerships to build a transportation network infrastructure that will support Cowtown's rapidly expanding population growth.
Our April cover is always Top Doctors because our readers have informed us that this is their favorite issue of the year. The physicians that make the Top Doc List (page 107) are selected by their peers in the medical community, which makes it a great ongoing reference for our readers. It's another one of those things that has stood the test of time.
Hal A. Brown
owner/publisher