Mark Twain Village
If the Delta Queen comes to New Smyrna Beach, I propose a theme park be built on the adjacent land to lessen the weirdness of a Mississippi paddle wheeler on the Mosquito Lagoon. Call it Mark Twain Village, with the "Rollin' on the River" roller coaster encircling a quaint village of artist's shops and boutiques selling trashy trinkets related to the antebellum wonders of the great Mississippi river towns.
A St. Louis arch could create a gateway across the river to Chicken Island where a casino would be built for offshore gambling, with a ring of docks to harbor anyone wanting to spend a few wistful hours at Cap'n Twain's Gaming Saloon. Patrons could also take the Huck Finn raft from the mainland. New Orleans is ripe for exploiting with a nightly Mardi Gras and bars o' plenty. Plus during hurricane season - Katrina's Hideaway could be an evacuation destination with a rooftop observation bar. Don't forget Memphis. A mini-Graceland attraction could pull in busloads of Elvis fans. Annual celebrations of his birth and death might become as popular as Bike Week. And for the kids - Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn are fodder for rides and knick-knacks. If you throw in some cultural and educational events, you might even put a little shine on this whole sordid affair.
If someone really wants to put New Smyrna Beach on the money making map they've got to think big - or it just won't float the boat.
Pick it up
In a recent newsletter from the Mayor of South Daytona, it was said the employees always stop and pick up trash or debris on their own time. There are instances that prove this not to be true. It's noticed there are city vehicles (trucks) that pass along our streets on a daily basis without stopping when trash is present. Prime example is on the corner of Palm Grove Court and Pope Avenue whereas two cardboard boxes are clogging the drain. Never mind that we have a hurricane on the way, several trucks have passed by without cleaning the drain. As a concerned citizen, it would be appropriate for me to pick up the debris, but I'm waiting on those employees mentioned by the Mayor to clean it up.
As we travel our beautiful little city, it's noticed that there are a number of Patriotic citizens living here. But please, if your flag, whether it is Old Glory, Service, Pro Team and/or College, take down the torn, faded or ripped symbol and replace it.
Response from Jeanne Willard, city of South Daytona public information official: In the newsletter, Mayor George Locke was responding to an FPL-funded Political Action Committee mailing that attempted to pit residents against city hall by stating "community support comes from the citizens who live and work in the community ... not from those who work in and for city hall." The mayor's point was that city employees live and work in our community, take great pride in the services provided and many go the extra mile to ensure that our city is an attractive place to live. With approximately 23 percent of the city workforce vacant due to budgetary constraints, it's likely that we will occasionally miss some debris on city streets. Residents can help keep our city beautiful by calling the Public Works Department at (386) 322-3080 to report any problem.
Thanks for enlarging the crossword
I have always lived my life by show me you're a Christian not tell me you're a Christian, but who ever enlarged the puzzle, God Bless you. I can finally do it again.