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A proposal that involves donating the historic Saenger Theatre in downtown Pine Bluff to the city and establishing a public-private partnership to oversee its future has merit. Too many historic buildings in Pine Bluff have been destroyed or allowed to fall into disrepair.
If the transfer is approved, Mayor Carl A. Redus Jr. said he hopes to quickly begin construction to repair the most endangered part of the theater’s roof, which is leaking and compromising the structure’s soundness.
Inspection and Zoning Department Director Robert Tucker would be assigned to oversee the project for the city. Without immediate repairs to the roof, there may be nothing to discuss six months from now other than securing bids for demolition.
Old Town Theatres Centre Inc., the private nonprofit organization that owns the theater, is offering to donate the Saenger and its neighboring annex building to the municipal government, while retaining a role as fundraiser and advocate for the theater. Old Town would also have an option to manage the day-to-day operations of the theater if the goal of restoring it is reached.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
A $5,000 pledge, donations raised by Old Town, a $15,000 appropriation from the municipality and $16,000 in state funds is a start. Old Town Theatres has made several unsuccessful attempts since the theater closed in the 1970s to restore the building.
The nonprofit and municipality, along with some state aid, constitute the best opportunity proposed so far to save the building and a piece of our history.
Equal work, equal pay
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Jefferson County District Court Division II staffers have asked the Pine Bluff City Council to pay them the same as their District Court Division I peers, who are paid by county government.
The request is reasonable and fair. Both courts perform basically the same functions and work in the same building. We don’t know how the salaries ended up on different levels, but the discussions years ago involved equal space and pay.
District Court Division I staff and Judge Kim Bridgforth handle misdemeanor court cases for the county and state and are paid out of the Jefferson County budget, as approved by the quorum court.
District Court Division II staff and Judge John Kearney handle misdemeanor court cases on incidents that occur within the city limits and their salaries are paid out of the municipal budget adopted by the city council.
The two judges have the same salaries, but some salaries for staffers vary. The workloads by divisions may vary from year to year, but equal pay is only fair.
End the fighting
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Residents of the Lincoln County community of Gould deserve some Christmas cheer. Mayor Earnest Nash and four of the six members of the council have been feuding for months and no progress is in sight, with the mayor vetoing just about anything the four support.
Mary Prewett, city recorder/treasurer, resigned her office last week, citing differences with Nash. A reporter called and talked to both Nash and Prewett, with the mayor saying he did not know she had quit. He said if she resigned, she should have told him.
After a story was published Wednesday, Nash refused to talk with the reporter who had called both the mayor and Prewett.
Reporters call both sides in disagreements to obtain comments to inform the public about both positions. It’s taught in freshman Journalism 101.