Suppose you had a million bajillion dollars. What would you do with it?
Buy a fancy house? Pay off debts? Get a new car or two (or three)? Create a college fund for the kids? Retire to an island in the Caribbean?
Yeah, that's pretty much what I'd do, too.
But I'd also want to give some back to the community -- try to do a little good for the world. Specifically, I think I'd try to do something to help out the place where I live, Blytheville, Ark. After all, when you think about it, almost all of our community problems can be traced back to a lack of money. But beyond a fully funded city government and local school system, I have a few other pet projects I would specifically like to throw money at.
For one thing, if I had a million bajillion dollars, I'd totally revamp Main Street. For starters, I'd eliminate motor traffic for at least the main two or three blocks. No cars allowed. For parking, I'd build a two- or three-story parking garage in that parking lot behind the Ritz. I'd tear up the sidewalks, and replace them with a fancy brick walkway. I'd totally remove the existing lighting, which currently exists on a hodgepodge of short and tall poles. Instead, I'd utilize antique-looking light poles, and make sure there were plenty of them. I'd install a state-of-the-art security system, with generous use of video cameras. Any smash-and-dash burglars would stay away, unless they wanted to find themselves on video tape.
Also, if I had a million bajillion dollars, I would mandate that all city utility lines be placed under ground. This rule would apply to both existing lines and new construction. Not only would this eliminate unsightly power lines (have you ever noticed how ugly North Broadway looks with all the power lines?), but we'd all be able to laugh off the next big ice storm.
If I had a million bajillion dollars, I would start tearing down vacant and dilapidated houses by the hundreds. In fact, I'd even work to level entire city blocks, when possible. We have about 15,000 people living in a land area built for 26,000 people. It's time to consolidate our housing. I'd relocate people who need to be relocated, then remove homes, streets and utility lines from entire areas, then sell the former residential areas as farmland.
The next way I'd use my million bajillion dollars would be to expand the city's recreational trail system. I start with the only existing trail, the one that encircles the Youth Sportplex. After repairing the cracks and fissures there, I'd expand the trail to the north, traveling past the old North Sawba cemetery, and running all the way up to Highway 150, where I'd build a small parking lot and trailhead area. Then, I'd expand the trail into Blytheville proper, with spurs running into neighborhoods all over town. Another spur would connect Blytheville's trails with the new trail the city of Gosnell is building along Airbase Highway.
If I had a million bajillion dollars, I'd build an easier way to get from the Main/Walnut/Ash corridor to North Sixth Street. It shouldn't be that convoluted to get from Highway 18 to Highway 61. The current system, which requires a right on Broadway, followed by a left on Chickasawba, followed by a right on Sixth Street (or something similar), would be replaced. I'd either buy up land and tear down buildings in order to run Sixth Street all the way up to Walnut; or I'd create curved connector road, through the middle of Founders Park, to provide easy, direct access between Walnut and Sixth.
Of course, I don't have a million bajillion dollars. So my grand plans will have to wait. No radically revamped Main Street. No massive network on recreation trails. No fancy cars. No island home in the Caribbean. I guess I'll have to go with the incremental approach instead.
Either that, or I need to start buying some lottery tickets.
aweld@blythevillecourier.com