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Discussing Caves with Author Michael Ray Taylor during 2020 Six Bridges Book Festival

Unfortunately the COVID pandemic led to the 17th annual Six Bridges Book Festival being held virtually this year. I’ve been a regular moderator over the years for the event hosted by the Central Arkansas Library System. This year I spoke remotely with Michael Ray Taylor, author of Hidden Nature: Wild Southern Caves, on Oct. 23. It was a fascinating discussion on caves, what they can tell us about the past, his own adventures, and advice for beginners and experienced cavers.

Rock Island in Arkansas, Episode 2: History of the Perry Depot

Since getting involved in a project three years ago to preserve the Rock Island depot in Perry, Arkansas, I’ve been recording interviews with former employees of the railroad and others who have had connections to the building. The depot, which we believe was built in 1918,  was slated to be torn down in 2017. But, thanks to the efforts of the Perry County Historical and Genealogical Society, Preserve Arkansas, and the financial support of many donors and a grant from the state, it is being preserved. The wooden building, which is in surprisingly good condition, has been moved to an adjacent lot, placed on a newly-constructed foundation, and the roof has been replaced.

A westbound passenger train approaches the Perry depot in 1960. This photo was taken from the cab of a Budd Rail Diesel Car by Rock Island company photographer Ed Wojtas.

This podcast, which is the second episode in a series I’ve been slowly producing, tells the history of the Perry depot through first-hand accounts. I feature memories from Buford Suffridge, who has been leading the restoration effort, and Danny Majors, the son of longtime Depot Agent Joe Majors. I also include former Rock Island employees John Henderson, Bill Anderson and Mike Childers. It’s an effort to preserve the stories of those who remember when this was part of a major rail link. Millions of people probably rode over this spot when it was part of the Rock Island’s sunbelt line linking Memphis, Tennessee and Amarillo, Texas.

The plan is for the depot to eventually serve as a community meeting place and museum, telling the story of the community and the Rock Island. But there is still a lot more work to do before that can become a reality.

A lot of the stories featured in this podcast focus on Joe Majors and what it’s like being a depot agent in a small town alongside a major rail line. I hope the image here, which was shared by his son Danny, will someday be featured on a large display inside the depot.

Longtime Perry Depot Agent Joe Majors with his pipe and pocket watch poses for a photo outside the wooden station. He worked here from about 1950 until the Rock Island was shut down in 1980. Photo courtesy of Danny Majors.

A future episode of the “Rock Island in Arkansas” will tell story of the depot being the headquarters for the shortline Little Rock & Western Railway, which was created after the Rock Island was shut down. The program will also include details on our effort to preserve the depot so that it can become a community meeting place and museum.

You can read more about the project to preserve the depot as it has progressed here. I’ll also have an important update soon as the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program is to consider nominating the Perry depot to the National Register of Historic Places at a meeting on Dec. 2, 2020.

This episode was produced with the assistance Dr. J. Bradly Minnick, features the music of central Arkansas musicians Jim Mize, Fret & Worry and a classic recording of the song “Rock Island Line” by Leadbelly. You can listen to the first episode of the podcast here.

Issues That Matter: On the Ballot and in the Voting Booth

Any presidential election year draws a lot of attention, but with this year’s especially bitter fight between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, mixed with concerns about voting during the pandemic, there are a lot of questions from voters. Ahead of the November election, I hosted the latest edition of Issues That Matter, a periodic series hosted by KUAR, the Central Arkansas Library System and the League of Women Voters. Previous forums have been held in-person at libraries, but given the pandemic, for the first time this one was done virtually.

This forum was focused on ballot questions to be decided by voters. There were initially six questions to be put before voters, but one was knocked off the ballot by the Arkansas Supreme Court just hours before we held the program. Two others were also disqualified. The three proposals left for Arkansas voters to consider are:

  • Issue 1: Continues a 0.5 percent sales tax for transportation
  • Issue 2: Changes term limits to twelve consecutive years for state legislators with the opportunity to return after a four-year break
  • Issue 3: Changes initiative process and legislative referral requirements

Also featured was a member of the Pulaski County Election Commission who spoke about concerns from voters about getting absentee ballots and safety while voting at in-person polling locations.

The Issues That Matter program was streamed live on Facebook on Sept. 17, and we took questions from viewers. The forum was also broadcast on KUAR this past week.