What’s the Purpose?

Is there a legitimate reason to preserve Wilson house?

For a few years now, Beech Street First Baptist Church has been at odds with those who seek to preserve a bit of Texarkana history.

The church owns a historic home on Pecan Street known as the Joe B. Wilson house and also as the Claude Foulke house.

The house was built in 1903 and, truthfully, no one paid much attention to it until the church made plans to demolish the structure.

On Wednesday, the Texarkana Historic District Commission unanimously denied the church permission to demolish the house. Beech Street has 180 days to find a buyer or come up with a preservation plan.

Some see this a victory for historic preservation. But others wonder to what end? Most of the architectural interior details have been stripped and sold, leaving not much more than a shell. And even if preserved, what will be done with the house? Is anyone prepared to buy the place and spend the money for upkeep? Do the preservationists have any plan? Or will it be left to sit and possibly deteriorate further?

And there is the question of whether the Historic District Commission should come in to rescue the house when no one seemed to care that much about it before the church decided to tear it down.

We want to know what you think? Do the preservationists have a legitimate interest in preserving this structure? Or should the church be able to do as it wishes with its property

Send your response (50 words maximum) to opinion@texarkanagazette.com by Wednesday, June 23. 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.

Question of the Week: Whose Rights?

Last week’s question was about a new Texas state law that prohibits businesses from requiring a customer to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or test a customer for the coronavirus. Is the ban on private businesses testing for COVID-19 or requiring proof of vaccination justified? OR should businesses be able to set their own guidelines?

From facebook.com/texarkanagazette

■ Yep Abbott is pushing it on this one. Trumplicans claim they want freedom. but just look at ALL the hand-tying laws they have passed. and they say it’s the dems wanting to take away people’s freedoms.

■ If they can legally deny you service for being gay, they should be able to deny you service for not wearing a mask or not being vaccinated. Either we make it entirely illegal on all levels to discriminate or you get what you get. Republicans love laws like this. They should be able to make your life harder but then make exceptions for themselves.

■ I guess if they don’t need customers they can do whatever they want. However most businesses need money to operate.

■ Either were gonna let businesses choose their customers or not. In or out.

■ Business can choose to serve or not serve who they please, but requiring specific medical information is a violation of privacy, and illegal for a business owner to require disclosure of private personal medical information. Easy.

■ Should be up to the business.

■ Just make it a state law and that businesses will have to comply also, just like citizens or if a business wants to control who comes and goes then maybe they should move their business to another state.

■ A business is a private corporate entity. They can act as they please which is protected under the First Amendment. Also it’s one of the factors of capitalism. You don’t like it shop somewhere else or abide by the rules the company has put down.

■ Should be up to the business. Also, funny how state residents going where they want when they want doesn’t apply to abortion centers.

■ Businesses have the right to test and require whatever they want to enter.

■ I think it should be the owners decision. Then the customer can decide if the want to shop there.

■ Businesses lost the right to refuse services to the public years ago.

■ If it isprivately owned, they should be able to say who can come into their place of business, but large corporations, no!

■ Nobody should have to do anything they don’t want to.

■ If you’re scared keep your face diaper on and stay home.

■ I say let the businesses decide if they need paying customers or not to stay in business.

■ This plandemic is getting old wonder whats next.