Park Place Dealerships supports Carroll Education Foundation Gala
Park Place Lexus Grapevine GM Gary Venner; Park Place Motorcars Grapevine GM Robert Hinkle; Carroll Education Foundation Chairman Kathy Talley; Carroll Education Foundation Director of Development Leighanne Christon; Park Place Jaguar-Land Rover Grapevine GM Matt Woolsey
Carroll Education Foundation (CEF) has been integral in supplementing funds for teachers and educators to bridge the gap between state funding and the needs of the teachers to provide a quality education to Dragon students. For the past 11 years, Park Place Dealerships has supported CEF and will be the presenting sponsor of the Carroll Education Foundation Gala next month.
With a theme of “A Night with Carroll Superstars,” the CEF Gala will be held Saturday, May 18 at The Bowden in Keller. The CISD Superstar Teachers will be revealed. The event is already 85% sold. More information is available at carrolleducationfoundation.org/annual-gala/
A kick-off reception was recently held at Park Place Motorcars Grapevine in conjunction with the launch of the all-new Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan and the new GLE SUV.
Starting at a base price of $33,000, the sporty new A-Class is the entry-level luxury compact for today’s tech-savvy driver. With advanced voice recognition software, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the car responds to commands and requests much like the smart phones. Powered by a turbocharged inline 4-cyclinder engine that pumps out 188 horsepower, and driven by a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with manual shifting, this peppy sedan can go from 0-to-60 mph in about six seconds. But the A-class also offers extensive driver-assistance technology, including adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and many advanced safety features.
The fourth-generation GLE, priced at $58,000, is king of the mid-sized SUVs. Standing tall on the new “Modular High Architecture” platform, the GLE looks great and performs even better. The GLE 350 offers a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four that cranks out 255 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, while the GLE 450 comes with a groundbreaking 48-volt 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six with hybrid assist that cranks out 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Both come with Mercedes’ nine-speed automatic transmission.
Both models also feature dual 12.3-inch screens mounted side by side on the dash, one for virtual gauges and the other for the infotainment touchscreen. Simply say, “Hey, Mercedes,” and the new MBUX system’s voice-command feature will respond to commands such as “Find the nearest restaurant,” and it will set the destination in the navigation system. Say, “I’m cold,” and it’ll raise the interior temperature. Like your smart phone, the more you use it the more it gets to know your preferences.
The Carroll Education Foundation’s mission is to build financial support from the community and corporate partners to ensure excellence in education for all students in CISD.
Ken Schnitzer founded Park Place Dealerships in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn. Today, Park Place Dealerships employs more than 2,000 people and operates 16 full-service dealerships in Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston. For more info, visit parkplace.com.
