Hometown Matters

By Pauline Masson – After rejecting two versions of a proposed law to make it illegal to sleep in a tent, camper or RV in Pacific – with a penalty of a fine or imprisonment – aldermen will take up the the third version of the bill next Tuesday.  Former Mayor Herb Adams says he would like to see aldermen say No a third time and set their sights on creating a policy for government to respond when people find … Continue reading “Eyeing Homeless Issue, Former Mayor Says City Needs a Policy – Not a Law“

Even though the restoration has lagged into the sixth year, no discussion of Black History in Pacific would be complete without the story of Historic First Baptist Church, 421 South First Street. This small frame strucure, built in the path of recurring floods, has been the home church of a series of Black leaders who inspired and championed a close-knit community of Black citizens for six generations. At least five times, the building was damaged beyond what some thought was … Continue reading “Historic First Baptist Church / Root of Black History in Pacific / After a Five-Year Rebuild, a New Life”

By Pauline Masson On  Jan. 17, aldermen rejected the first version of a proposed law, crafted by City Attorney Bob Jones and Police Chief Scott Melies that not only made it a crime to sleep in an “uninhabitable” structure (a tent, camper or RV) in Pacific, it also made criminals of citizens who allowed anyone to sleep in such a structure on their property.  That version of the bill made it through the first reading, but a motion for the … Continue reading “Police Chief, City Attorney’s New Law to Rid the City of Illegal Camps Failed to Pass First Reading”

By Pauline Masson Trying to please all sides, aldermen vowed to try to open the city swimming pool this summer,even though the Park Board had recommended that the pool not open for the 2023 season. Aldermen weighed the difficulty of locating and fixing a leak that is draining 1,000 gallons of water a day from the pool, rising management costs and tentative plans to build a new pool in the near future by asking voters to approve a $7 million … Continue reading “Aldermen Vow to Try to Open the City Swimming Pool This Summer – Decision in Two Weeks”

By Pauline Masson Park Board members concluded their Feb 13 meeting with a vote to recommend to the Board of Aldermen to not open the City Swimming Pool for the 2023 season, which could mean that the pool might never re-open. The recommendation to close the pool will go before aldermen at the Tuesday evening Feb. 21 board meeting. Aldermen are going to have to decide whether to approve the Park Board recommendation and close the pool or override the … Continue reading “Park Board Votes to Close the Swimming Pool This Summer / Former Officials Warn, “Test the Water of Public Opinion First” / Aldermen to Act Tuesday”

By pauline Masson – One morning a couple of years ago as Emma Moore went to her mail box, a white neighbor aproached her and said, “Maam do you do babysitting?”  “No,” she said. “I’m not a babysitter.”  She could hardly believe she heard herself saying it out loud. After raising five chldren, helping to raise 15 grandchildren and (to date) 24 great-granchildren, there has never been a time when Emma and John Moore’s neat bungalow on East Central Street … Continue reading “She is the Oldest Black Lady in Pacific, and an Icon of Elder Grade and Dignity”

By Pauline Masson Pacific is not alone in trying to determine how to deal with persons sleeping in tents or makeshift shelters within the city limits. But how cities deal with the challenge varies greatly. Police Chief Scott Melies has been consistent in his quest for a law that will authoize his department to remove homeless persons, which he describes as “unsheltered.” Aldermen backed away from his fist attempt at a new city law that would have made it a … Continue reading “Homeless People Assist or Banish? New Law in Progress – To weigh in, Talk to Your Alderman”

First in a series to celebrate February as Black History Month in our Area By Pauline Masson – We are all familiar with the stories of famous Black athletes, movie stars, miltary heroes, musicians, and politicans. But in our local area, we are blessed with an impressive list of Black citizens who helped shape Local History. Lonzie Cole 1928-2008, deserves to be remembered for the impression he made on young people. He died in his sleep and was found by … Continue reading “Lonzie Cole Made a Difference / Urged Young Blacks Stay Fit and Learn”

By Pauline Masson A 1906 photo of the old Franklin Road crossing two sets of tracks in Dozier – that former mayor and Pacific history guru Jeff Titter shared with a Eureka day tripper – inspired a search for the old road and the community of Dozier . Franklin Road between Allenton and Pacific once entered Pacific at present day Union Street. A fragment of the road exists behind the East Osage Plaza but does not connect to the old … Continue reading “Dozier: Photo of 1906 Rail Crossing Inspired Search For Long Lost Community on the Old Franklin Road”

By Pauline Masson Heading into his fifth year as Franklin County Clerk, manager of elections, Franklin County Clerk Tim Baker says knowing how government works might be as beneficial to citizens as the right to vote.  As head of the department that manages County elections, Baker comes across as the County’s head cheerleader. Understanding how government works, he says, is as simple as ABC. Citizens should start young. To illustrate his point, Baker and his staff of eight have put … Continue reading “Tim Baker, County Clerk – Manager of Elections and Head County Cheerleader”