Strolling around downtown Pine Bluff after voting on March 3, I took some photos with my phone, a cheap ($15 per month T-Mobile) flip phone that's not great at taking pictures, since a lot of times in full daylight I can't even see an image on the little screen, and sometimes the image is blurred. A few photos turned out all right yesterday.
In the foreground are my 2008 GMC Canyon truck and the decorated former bus stop bench area next to the Southeast Arkansas Arts and Science Center at 8th and Main. In the background, starting on the left are the Pine Bluff library, the Chamber of Commerce building (where the Malco Theater once was), a glass wall covering the south side of an old brick building that once housed the Henry Marx Men's Store at 6th and Main, the as yet unrestored Hotel Pines (built in 1913), and close up on the right side the Arts and Science Center's satellite buildings (restored old brick buildings) housing, among other things, the Art Space on Main. An upper corner of the 11-story Simmons Bank Building (still the headquarters) can be seen farther back.
This is the old S. H. Kress building, what's left of it, still standing I'm glad to say, at 4th and Main, where the 4th Avenue railroad tracks are. Other buildings in this area are in decent shape and are usable but not currently being used. Just across the railroad tracks is the still-being-remodeled Baim's Department Store building where the new location of Pop's Barbershop, currently at 3rd and Main, will be.
The vintage car is a Buick LeSabre or Centurion convertible, 1972 or 1973. This is 2nd an Main, where Reed's Drugstore was. There's a "pool hall" (my name for it) there now. It hasn't been open in recent years but apparently is now. It was open about 15 years ago, and Mark Townsend, Dennis Burnette and I played some pool and drank a few beers in there. Diagonally across from it (where I took the photo from) is a more active bar and restaurant, RJ's Sports Grill, where live music is played at least once a week. I haven't yet been there except for a brief visit when no band was playing.
Here's an example of a blurred image, in this case because of my hurry to snap the photo without being seen. The car was parked in the Pine Bluff library parking lot (I parked next to it when I got there), and the sticker says "Good Without a God, humanist.org." Unusual to see in Pine Bluff! At least now that most people like June and Ed Freeman are no longer there (they likely would not have had a bumper sticker of any sort, however). The former Shrine Temple where I voted is only a couple of blocks north on Main Street from the library, and I did spend some time in the library after voting and before going on my stroll down and up Main Street.
