This story struck me as odd: To honor China’s 60th year of communism, the Empire State Building will be bathed in red and yellow lights.
OK. So now we are commemorating communism in America?
We are honoring a nation that has helped pollute the world at a faster rate than we ever could? We are honoring a government whose human rights record is horrendous? We are honoring shoddy trade practices that have hurt scores of American businesses?
Yes. We are.
Talk of renovating the Four Six building at the corner of Locust and South Washington streets in downtown El Dorado, named after its original telephone number, has been circulating around town recently.
Local entrepreneurs Richard and Vertis Mason have commissioned a study of the building, which the city purchased last year for $46,000, to see if it can be saved from demolition.
Initially, the Four Six building was included in the master plan for the city’s new multi-purpose conference center that’s being built next to the old behemoth. More recently, however, city officials have said the Four Six building may need to be torn down to allow room for construction of the conference center.
The Masons hope the building can be renovated and used to compliment the center, perhaps as a staging area or an overflow space for trade shows.
Vertis Mason, also a city alderman, said that the El Dorado Economic Development Board will have the “final say” on what happens to the early 20th century structure.
But she is optimistic that it can be saved.
“I really see this place as an open air market, or a bazaar, like they have all across Europe,” Mason said Thursday as she toured the building with her husband and an architect and structural engineer from Little Rock.
Larry Waldrop, general manager of the El Dorado Water Utilities, and Robert Edmonds, director of the El Dorado Public Works Department, were there as well.
Having walked through the building myself, I think an effort should be made to save it. As a former parking garage, it’s constructed very soundly, with steel beams and concrete and brick. It could be a nice addition to downtown, along with the conference center.
Moving El Dorado forward is about more than just tearing buildings down to put new ones in their places. It should also be about saving El Dorado’s past, when possible.
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As you can tell from the above photos, the building is anything but pristine. With a little TLC, it would shape right up.
I’m always amazed how morning infotainment shows can make room for stupidity but not real news. The story of Bill Sparkman, the Kentucky Census worker who was hanged while doing his duty, deserves a lot more air time and investigation.
Some believe that Sparkman, who was found hanging from a tree near a cemetery with the word “Fed” written across his chest, was killed by someone as a protest to the government.
Click here for more.
Rather than inject critiques, I will allow you to read Mike Ross’ response to recent mudslinging against him.
But first a brief update: A Washington advocacy group Wednesday asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether Ross accepted a bribe from a pharmacy chain while he was in a position to influence health-care policy.
The request came in a letter from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington to Attorney General Eric Holder.
According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the group wrote that as Capitol Hill geared up to debate major health-care legislation, Ross, a Democrat who sits on a House committee intimately involved in the issue, personally benefited when he sold his drugstore for more than $100,000 above market value to a pharmacy chain.
Ross’ letter is on the jump.
Tonight I had the pleasure of shooting the Union County Fair Pageant. Admittedly, it was my first pageant. Ever. And, it was not at all what I expected. Here are a few outtakes (more on the jump).
Fair time has come around again and I don’t think it will ever happen that we don’t think of this old jolly elf. Gerald Crossland kept the people and animals happy in the livestock building at the Union County Fairgrounds. We will especially miss him at the junior livestock sale this coming Friday.
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The Queen of MSNBC, Rachel Maddow (and I use the term queen without much affection) railed on our Congressman Mike Ross last night, as you can see in the above video clip.
I haven’t studied enough about the Ross pharmacy sale to USA Drug to make comments yet. There will likely be investigations. As for the above clip, I have to wonder why Ms. Maddow decided to drag the beloved Arkansas Razorbacks into her diatribe.
Leave the Hogs alone, woman! Leave them alone!
Related: The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington asked the Department of Justice to investigate whether Ross engaged in bribery and honest services fraud by selling his former pharmacy for more than its worth to a pharmacy chain (USA Drug) with an interest in pending legislation. Click here for more.
This will likely get worse for Ross before it gets better.
And for even further perspective, check out this National Public Radio piece on Ross and the health care debate. Arkadelphia gets a mention in the piece.
The fair is in town, complete with noisy rides, fried food and ‘interesting’ people. A visit should be on everyone’s to-do list. Seriously, it’s a blast!
Just go, already!
Seaport Airlines seems to be making good on their promise to begin operating commercial air service between El Dorado and Memphis by Oct. 26.
According to Seaport’s Web site, you can book a round-trip flight on Oct. 26 between South Arkansas Regional Airport and Memphis International for $49.
Not bad. Not bad at all. In fact, I’m hoping to book a flight so I can give you a play by play of the El Dorado to Memphis journey.
The price variants on the site are a little confusing, however. For instance, the “Super Saver” option offers a seat for $49. On that same flight, the “Fast Class” seat is $129.
There can’t possibly be a difference in these seats, considering that the single engine, Swiss-made PC-12s operated by Seaport only hold about 10 passengers.
The PC-12 has a maximum cruising speed of 312.5 miles per hour and a service ceiling of 30,000 feet. The cabin is pressurized. Maximum range at full capacity is 1,753 miles.
The flight between El Dorado and Memphis is expected to take about an hour.
Management at Marilyn’s, the renovated concession area of the Rialto Theater, told me today that they’re hoping to be open in time for MusicFest Oct. 2-3. Marilyn’s will operate as a bar/lounge.
I toured the Rialto last week and was very impressed with the changes. I think you will be, too. Marilyn’s shows a lot of promise and could be a nice addition to the downtown night scene.
Hours of operation and other particulars are still being worked out. But expect the bar to be open at night during MusicFest, I’m told.
As for the Rialto, think of it as a new community venue, much like the Municipal Auditorium. Event organizers will be able to rent the space to host concerts, comedians, theater, etc.
Thanks go to El Dorado entrepreneurs Richard and Vertis Mason — owners of the building — for their continuing efforts to spruce up downtown.
I think not.
I thought it might be fun to travel to the new Cowboy Palace in Dallas Oct. 2 to see the Hogs take on the Aggies in the “Southwest Classic.” That is until I found out it will cost $300 per ticket to see the game.
My question: Where is all this money going? And how can anyone justify that kind of ticket price for a collegiate sporting event?
It’s outrageous. This just furthers my opinion that big sports are shutting out the common, everyday fans. They ought to be ashamed.
Ever wondered what would happen if a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air crashed head on into a brand new Chevrolet Malibu? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety wanted to prove a point, and they did. It’s amazing how far car safety has come through the years. Still, the Bel Air is without question the car I would rather have.
Habitat for Humanity workers and volunteers from Murphy USA wait patiently for other workers to lay out the home’s floor plan, which is read from the soaked blueprint in the foreground, before they start framing the interior walls. Work was slow to start on Saturday after a week of rain prevented volunteers from prepping the house for Saturday’s work.
I was invited on a tour of the recently renovated Rialto theater last Thursday. This was my first Rialto experience and, let me say, I am very impressed. The building is full of history and is truly a gem in our community. Marilyn’s also had a nice feel. I am really looking forward to seeing these two venues put to good use. More photos on the jump.
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