To the Editor:
El Dorado’s citizens have an opportunity for their voices to be heard on how they want their tax dollars spent as well as how they treasure historic resources in our city. On Monday, May 2 at 3 p.m. at the El Dorado City Hall, there will be an important meeting and public hearing of El Dorado’s Airport Commission to discuss the planned demolition of the current airport terminal building at Goodwin Field and its replacement with a new building.
Not only is El Dorado’s terminal underutilized and vulnerable to being even more greatly underutilized in the future (as Jay Johnston so eloquently described in an April 22, 2016 letter to the editor), the current building is also an important historic resource for the region. But to me, what I believe should also matter to we citizens and taxpayers, is that the costs to the city and to its citizens are estimated to be lower for renovating the old building versus building a new one; and, these cost savings could be significant if the city applies for and receives available state and federal grants for such renovation projects.
Recently, Preserve Arkansas (a statewide non-profit historic preservation group) designated the current terminal at Goodwin Field as one of the eight most endangered historic places in Arkansas. I agree with the reasons they have stated about why this historic resource should be preserved:
• It provides a distinctive gateway to El Dorado and the region, a gateway which supports efforts of various groups and developers who are working to capitalize on the significant historic places that illustrate El Dorado’s history and make it a distinctive location and destination;
It is eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its representation of the International Style of architecture, the style which emerged in the 1920s and 30s and was developed and spread as architecture for the modern age;
Preserving the building and retrofitting the building to meet current and future needs would protect the significant public and private investments that have been made in the building in the relatively recent past;
Typically, rehabilitation of historic buildings creates more jobs than new construction – labor costs are typically 60-70 percent of rehabilitation projects, whereas labor costs are typically 50 percent of new construction projects;
It was designed by noted architect and El Dorado native John Abbot.
Please join me and express your support for preserving one of the El Dorado’s historic resources and for saving our tax dollars that could be used for other worthwhile projects in our community. Come to the meeting and be heard – your presence is important!
Linda S. Rathbun
El Dorado
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To the Editor:
The American Legion Auxiliary Post 10 would like to thank the public for the support for our spring flea market on April 9. The flea market had 21 exhibitors and God gave us a beautiful day for shopping. The grand door prize was won by Floa Russell of Smackover.
The proceeds will go to the auxiliary to be used to fund our veteran prorams. Auxiliary 10 could have not done this without the support of the members of the American Legion, the auxiliary and the kitchen, also the El Dorado News-Times.
We will have a fall flea market on Sept. 10.
Joyce Jacobs
Flea market chairman
American Legion Auxiliary Post 10
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To the Editor:
On a recent edition of O’Reilly Factor, I heard something disturbing. A radical group wishes to get the Holy Bible banned from libraries.The reason being it is too graphic. So is the classics. This is strictly ignorance on their part. We are in an age of grace, no longer under ceremonial and dietary laws. I subscribe to Bible Pathways. It is an expository devotional guide, taking you through the whole Bible in a year. I would recommend this to all. Also, I recommend Joseph Prince’s newest book, “The Grace Revolution.” It explains all the misconceptions of grace and law, and says that while we live under grace, we still have personal issues to struggle with in our lives, but pray and still strive to live set apart from the world. I like the way Prince defines holiness, as striving to live on higher principles, not wearing monks clothing and eating nothing but lettuce leaves and abstaining from everything, like fundamentalists insist on doing. I am a teacher, with library media, as one of my areas. I also, besides teaching degree, hold an associate degree and Bible and Christian ministry from Sunset Bible Institute. Don’t ban the Bible!
Leslie Putman
El Dorado