A southbound coal train blocking the Dallas Street crossing in Gravette last Thursday morning/afternoon brought back a memory to those of us who used to have to wait and wait and wait when the Dallas Street and Main Street crossings were blocked by a derailment or another problem.

Last Thursday’s blocked crossing made Gravettians appreciate the Highway 72 overpass that was the project of thenmayor Dean Fladager, who worked tirelessly for several years to see it accomplished.

It was his efforts and those of many others and the generous support and donations which contributed to bringing the overpass to fruition - that and the cooperation of the Arkansas Highway Department, which insisted Gravette pay a share of the cost. It was a landmark project.

Now many cities cooperate with the AHD to get things done. Bentonville, for instance, has contributed countless dollars to making highway improvements in that city.

I mention this because it takes foresight and leadership to make things happen. Sometimes it takes stubbornness to overcome bureaucracy.

It is in that vein that I think Gravettians should tip their hats to Mayor Byron Warren, who, even before he became mayor,was appalled at the potential expense Gravette citizens were facing for a multimillion-dollar sewer project.

He, with the help of others, has overcome many obstacles in trying to find a less expensive solution to the demands that are being placed on Gravette to meet effluent standards from the existing facility.

His tenacity and that of Mayor Fladager remind me of the time I worked as a reporter for the thenmorning newspaper in Fort Smith - The Southwest American.

The editor of the paper was a man named C.F. Byrnes. His regular column in that paper often championed an Arkansas River navigational system from the Mississippi River to the Tulsa area.

There was a joke in the newsroom when one of his numerous columns on the subject spewed from his old mechanical typewriter promoting the project. The joke involved words similar to these: “There he goes ... the old man with water on his brain.”

Fast forward. Some years later his dream became a reality: the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River navigation system was built. It was named after Senator Robert Kerr of Oklahoma and Senator John McClellan of Arkansas, who championed the project for federal funds.

When the system wasdedicated it was their names which headlined the stories. I always thought it was Byrnes who deserved so much credit for the creation of the river barge channel that serves us well.

That is the reason for this “Cuff.” Many of you remember and appreciate the work of Mayor Fladager - and that of Mayor Warren today.

Although the sewer system still needs attention and there are hurdles to overcome, the future looks much brighter. Hopefully, it will be much less expensive than had been projected.

As an afterthought, in remembering those good old blocked street days when Gravette’s only crossings were blocked, it was always appreciated when the train engineer could at least clear one crossing.

The multi-hour blocking of Dallas Street Thursday did not create a crisis situation because there is an overpass. But there was much confusion for motorists who waited and waited for the crossing to be opened before turning around and rerouting. Particularly since they could see southbound engines only a few blocks south of the crossing.

It was a long three or four hours before the train pulled away, finally ending the confusion, lost time and lost patience.

There must have been a logical answer for the illogical reason for not breaking the train at the crossing.

Dodie Evans is the editor emeritus of the Westside Eagle Observer and may be contacted by e-mail at [email protected].

Opinion, Pages 6 on 02/15/2012