Reprieve!

AND HERE some of us thought that on the earth, peace and good will toward men was just a Christmas thing—once a year in late December and nothing more. Instead we saw a story in Arkansas’ Newspaper chock-full of it, and from the court beat, yet.

The parties that have been arguing about the Old White River Bridge in Clarendon met in court this past week and decided to act pretty, as mama put it. The state Department of Transportation wants to tear down the old lady, and a few residents and town officials want to keep it up as part of a bike and walking trail. One that allows folks to peer above the river and view the hardwoods below. Not to mention birds, deer, assorted fur-bearers and maybe the ivory-billed woodpecker.

The state has said it needs to take the bridge down because it promised the feds it would. If not, the state could be on the hook to repay 80 percent of the $60.8 million it took to build the new one. And the division administrator for the Federal Highway Administration is said to have sent a letter to the state saying Arkansas “must fully comply” with the original plan, lawsuits or no.

Which sounds to some of us like paperwork that could be easily shuffled around a different way. So as to allow all parties to be happy.

Why does anybody need to tear the bridge down? Besides that paperwork requiring it. It’s not hurting anything. It’s certainly not interfering with the river. If the locals think they can turn it into something useful, what harm in it? Clarendon could use another attraction. And it seems that it would save money just to leave it alone. How much does it take to tear down something like that? (Answer: $11.3 million was the low bid.)

Instead, a judge in Pulaski County, his Hon. Chris Piazza, asked officials to hold off on the dynamite until another hearing in February. And they agreed.

It’s remarkable when folks can shake hands and agree to cool off. Remarkable, as in somebody should remark.

Come, we have reasoned together. Now let’s see if we can continue to do so.