Even a Chance?

Is there an effective way to prevent mass shootings?

The shocking massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School un Parkland, Fla., has once again brought accusations, blame and shaming from both sides of the political spectrum. It’s the president or the FBI. The Republicans or Democrats. Guns and the NRA or lack or proper parenting, the decline of traditional values and our culture as a whole.

We see calls for the president and Congress to “do something” to prevent such a terrible atrocity from happening again.

But can they? Can anyone? Honestly?

We want to know what you think. Is there a realistic chance anyone can come up with an effective way to stop this kind of violence when we can’t even agree on the cause?

Send your response (50 words maximum) to opinion@texarkanagazette.com by Wednesday, Feb. 28. You can also mail your response to the Texarkana Gazette Friday Poll, at P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX 75504 or drop it off at our office, 101 E. Broad St., Texarkana, Ark. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will print as many responses as we can in next Friday’s paper.

Last Week: A Better Twin Cities? What does Texarkana need to make life better and more enjoyable for residents and visitors? Realistically, what does Texarkana need that could realistically be done?

I would like to propose a cafeteria, not a smorgasbord, but a cafeteria. One that has a variety of homemade soups, breads, salads, and desserts, as well as a few entrees. Put it on Arkansas Blvd. where the big fish place closed. Everyone likes to pick what and how much we eat, including senior citizens. — D.H., Texarkana, Ark.

Tear down dilapidated buildings/ houses. Indoors ice skating rink with lessons. Get some good restaurants. Stop with the Mexican and chicken already! Signs on State Line need to come down—carnival looking! Flowers and trees to decorate the front of businesses on State Line, Summerhill and Texas Blvd. Makes the town look happy, proud and welcoming to visitors. Low cost housing for the homeless Get them off the streets begging for money. They can be put to work taking care of the flowers and trees and picking up garbage. And a new library north of town with all the amenities libraries offer now such as the one in Fort Smith. — A.A.W., Texarkana, Ark.

From www.facebook.com/texarkanagazette

A skating rink.

One organization or individual promoting on social media all the events each weekend in one place.

I wish our downtown was more like Jefferson or Hot Springs! Cute little shops to go shopping, maybe little cafes, a street dance, and it would be so nice to have a nice public restroom downtown to be open and clean during our downtown activities!

Bring back minor league hockey and public use of the rink during the off season.

An animal sanctuary. Maybe a news station incorporating kids because they need to be heard. New Boston Road to be built up with kitschy new apartments and shops along with downtown for sure. Gotta think. A four states theme park.

A new park with fitness obstacle courses for kids and parents!

Gang task force first off! I won’t take my children in large crowds due to all the shootings and crime in this town!

We need a cheap place for families to go and spend time. We need somewhere for families of all ages. From babies to elderly. Maybe that would help bring families closer together, maybe stop some of the young crime because they have other things to do instead of run the streets, encourage happier lifestyles.

A culinary school. Anything would be better than what we have now.

Bring back ice hockey

A skating rink (roller/ice). For a kids and adult hockey team with public open skating times.

Inside aquatic center for year round use.

Hockey. Fresh (like in Tyler) or Whole Foods. Jamba Juice.

Farmers market. Downtown. During the growing season. Fresh vegetables, home baked breads and sweet. All natural soaps and lotions. Hand crafted pot holders. Knitted scarfs and hats. fresh eggs.

I just has this conversation. We need somewhere fun to take kids that adults can enjoy too. Something like Dave and Busters or Rain Forest Cafe. A better Mall would be nice, too.

I would like to see a Panera Bread, and Boston World Market.

Texarkana simply needs economic and community development. One progressive organization with modern tools working for both sides of the line.

Get protections for certain communities of people in the workplace and other companies might wanna come here.

Zoo would be cool too

More places for families to do things! I would love too see the historic district come alive. It’s trying, but more needs to be done. It would be great to see everything around here develop more. We are seeing stores close up left and right.

An up-to-date putt putt golf, with games and a snack bar.

Texarkana needs more things for children indoors. Yes, we have 1 theater and a kid’s museum and the mall, etc., but we need more. Also, a public swimming pool that doesn’t belong to a gym or college would be amazing.

Fayetteville has an awesome tactical laser tag course. It’s not a cure-all for everyone, but fun for kids, adults & families.

I think Texarkana needs a great way just to find out what is going on in the area. After every large event, there are always so many people saying they had no idea about it. We need local spots on radio and TV that constantly let people know about whats going on. Not just one time, but multiple times throughout the day, for weeks ahead of time.

We need a public pool.

A large venue for live music especially catering towards bands touring from Dallas through Little Rock.

Drive in then old fashion swap meet

Luv all that Texarkana does, especially the parades.

More themed festivals: World food, crafts, blues and other music, a real German style Oktoberfest. More ethnic foods: Greek, Thai, etc. More frequent and affordable shows shows at the Perot: dance, opera, stand up comedians, variety shows. A zoo, more better museums, indoor playground. More business ran by interesting modern people like coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries.

Maybe if the people in the community would actually get out and come downtown to the different festivals and other things that go on support the area Buy local things of that nature just a random thought

I live out of town. I already drive an hour to Texarkana to shop and eat. I would like to see a Whole Foods come in.

Everybody wants what they ain’t got. people will never be satisfied. Plain and simple!

Texarkana needs a zoo.

A venue for local promoters to hold events like pro wrestling without it costing 5,000 to 6,000 dollars. City of Texarkana, Texas, has a couple places but picks and chooses who can use them.

Skating rink back and not let it get out of hand like it was. You come to skate not a day care!

Gym where school age can work out …or work on their skills being supervised!

I moved here from Nashville, Arkansas. As far as I’m concerned Txk is basically Dallas. I can buy tacos from multiple places. What kind of witchcraft is this?

Celebration station. Skating rink. Top Golf! Skating rink! Dave and Busters!

Zoo and aquarium.

Doesn’t make much difference what you bring there, the community will not support it. Unless it’s another chain restaurant, movies, or a bar that town won’t support it. Look what happened with the minor league hockey and baseball teams.

Old school drive-in movie theater. Rock climb gym.

Food trucks.

Careers, not just jobs. We need industry. We need manufacturers. We are in a perfect transportation hub. We need higher paying, career, retirement available jobs. A better trained and educated workforce. We need to put people to work and stop paying them to sit at home. Getting people to work, and paying them a better than average wage will draw everything mentioned prior.

Zoo would be great! Our skating rink bit the dust but an ice skating rink might take off!

Anything for the kids! Another zoo or rink would be nice. The few things we have get over crowded and parents use them as babysitters so maybe if we had more options for the kids more parents would venture out to them.

Something for teenagers to do besides the movies and the bowling alley. We aren’t even supposed to be in the mall alone under 18, which is a bit ridiculous. But 15-20 age group needs something to do here!!

Heck, put in a Taco Tico and folks will drive here to eat. And then find other venues to patron!

Another food place is not a good tourist attraction. However, a science museum or a zoo for the children would be wonderful.

I agree … a science museum, a zoo or petting type zoo, skate rink, and a hotel with indoor water park.

Zoo, big place for skate boarding, dirt go-cart tracks, maybe

Texarkana needs leaders who will work together and not against each other to make things happen. Right now Texarkana is basically a stop eat sleep and go town for people headed to other places.

Why not use the fairgrounds more efficiently for concerts, something like Canton once a month, hockey, ice rink? Lots of things could be happening at the fair grounds but it’s basically an unused venue that could generate large crowds if the events were right!

This comment is not exactly in the same vein as the others, but I want to see some basic cleanups—sweep the streets, pull the weeds from the medians, make businesses more responsible for cleaning up around their establishments. Make Texarkana more attractive (beautiful). In turn, hopefully our citizens will take pride and do their part to Keep Texarkana Beautiful! First impression are everything for attracting anything.

Texarkana needs a Jack in the Box Texarkana needs more business. USA is a very competitive market and other small cities and towns draw new businesses thru tax breaks and less red tape. Open the market up and let it grow.

More places for parents to take their kids that’s not a pizza place or park or water park. Like. Fun hands on learning museum or a train station museum. Just something fun of kids go do that doesn’t cost the parents a arm and a leg and their first born. Also we need a Taco Casa …

Clean up some of the burned out dilapidated old buildings. Braums, Krispy Kreme.

Build a casino there.

God.

Indoor paint ball/ arcade

The Quadrangle Festival is the only festival that I can remember that brought both sides of town together. Dine on the Line does but not as big into the streets of downtown. Both city governments should underwrite the museum system to find quadrangle every year because it makes our downtown stronger. Just like Mardi Gras. Just like dine on the line.

Please! No zoo!

It’s amazing how people think a fast food place is gonna “make life here better” probably the reason why it’s run down and stores are closing during the best economy in 15+ years. The crime rate is through the roof and we think a water park is gonna clean this town

I’d love to see a sit down coffee shop with juice bar and a menu that isn’t sugar filled. I’d love to see a Kroger, HEB, Whole Foods, Aldi or similar grocery stores. I’d love restaurants that care about the food they serve. That focus on non-GMO, no antibiotics, etc.

A walking area downtown akin to something that you see a lot in Europe would be very nice.

I miss the Quadrangle Festival when it was in its heyday and took up all of downtown so many vendors music events and street dance.

Texarkana needs something for the teenagers to do. While my husband was in the Army we used to go to a place called the Warrior Zone. It had pool tables, computers, PlayStations, Xbox, food and drinks, a fire pit outside. That’s the kind of thing Texarkana needs. A place where the teenagers can have fun and stay out of trouble.