What happened?
Editor, The Commercial:
Whatever happened to the Pine Bluff where I was born and raised? It was a beautiful little city, with well-kept houses, neatly trimmed lawns in friendly neighborhoods and a Main Street where all store buildings were open and carrying on a bustling trade 6 days of every work week, where a customer could buy most anything needed and if they traded at any store very often they became friends with the owners and sales people.
Kids were friends (but not gangs) and usually walked to school or rode their bikes and some played together on championship Zebra teams. For those, there were trophies and team photographs displayed in school trophy cases but those honors have disappeared with the changing of administrations, and there has been no response to my questions as to where they may be.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
No one carried firearms and there were no shootings, no stabbings no murders. Children played in the streets at night without fear of being run over and on summer nights family members would often go for walks either in the neighborhoods or downtown to do some “window shopping” without thought of, nor fear of, being mugged.
Now there are burned-out or empty and decaying houses throughout neighborhoods and Main Street has boarded-up store buildings from Barraque to Harding. It has been that way for years without any sign of ever attracting new businesses, except for a gambling casino.
Who would ever want to take a chance on locating to a place where so many others have shut their doors and where a wise person would avoid going out alone after dark?
My question is,”What caused the difference between the time I lived in Pine Bluff and as it is now?” I’ll leave that for each reader to answer, and for each to write their answer to the problem to this paper. I’d love to know what you think, and whether or not you believe this can ever be cured.
Jack Mayberry,
Sheridan