Speak Out 1/12/15

Reader suggests

cleaning house

[mail] I lived in Poplar Bluff for 38 years. For health reasons I had to move closer to my daughter. I still subscribe to the Daily American paper. Therefore I am focused on the happenings there. It saddens me to see what is happening. I have a few ideas that I think will help. First get rid of Mr. Kaplan, Ms. Pearson and her "yes men." Mr. Kaplan isn't capable to do his job--and is spending all your money to hire his cronies, from out of state to do his work at huge salaries. If he doesn't have a job for them, he will create one at your expense. It was so embarrassing for Ms. Pearson to treat Mr. Bagby as she did in public. I don't know where she came from, but she needs to go back wherever it was.

Downtown Poplar Bluff has been hurting ever since Dr. Jerry McLane opened up Valley Plaza shopping center and most businesses from Main Street moved out there or closed up. There is nothing left on Main Street. I doubt you buy a cup of coffee on it. So why go to all the expense to rebuild those historical steps . . . they've served their time. Crush the old steps and fill in the holes. Plant a couple of Poplar trees and set a couple of benches under the trees and a trash can. If you still feel steps are needed, build a standard set of steps with hand rail for the purpose.

Now for the Coliseum -- there never was enough recreational dollars there to support it and Rogers Theatre. Get that pool out of there and fill it with cubicles offices, which would serve as your new City Hall. For folks that come downtown for recreation there is no place to stay afterwards--you have to out on the highway to find a place to stay.

Years ago when that vacant spot on Main Street and Pine was open, that was your chance to build a 3 or 4 floor hotel with a coffee shop, a bar on first level -- parking garage under it. I think there is a skate place there now and this could also employ a few local people.

I lived in Doniphan -- we would ride the Ed Burford bus line to Poplar Bluff to visit my aunt and uncle and shop in those nice stores on Main Street.

I hope you will put this in Speak Out --And I have more ideas -- Watch your money!

Out of touch

What has happened to all the transparency Mayor Pearson and the new council members talked about? She at one time wanted the council packets made available to the citizens before the council meeting. Now, budgets and documents are withheld from the public and the DAR at the council meetings. The mayor and the new council members campaigned on lower utility rates. Now it sounds like the utility rates will go up. The council needs to pay it's debt to the utility department. That would help utilities. This council and their new city manager who needs a five-letter word to describe him--S - P - E- N- D - is out of touch with good business practices in the city of Poplar Bluff.