Hatchet job
Eldon V. Parkman, Emporia
Monday, November 29, 2010
Well I see that it finally took the county commissioners to finish the hatchet job on the Quonset huts at the fairgrounds. I expected it from the fair board. There were so many things that could have been done with them.
With all the help that Mr. Anderson was willing to give it sure would have cheapened any cash outlay right from the start. We have 4-H clubs, schools and the college that have art departments, and if supplies were provided and they were asked you might of been surprised at the outcome of some beautiful painted murals. Then if some of the local merchants were asked they might of donated some flower seeds and plants for use around the Quonset huts and some small shrubs for both ends of the buildings . This could have been a competitive event among the 4-H club gardening, with a first place trophy for the judged winners!
It had been said that the foundation’s were not bad on the buildings. I believe something like this idea would have beautified the south end of the fairgrounds into something every one could of been proud of and move the talked about new addition a little further west.
I feel this would have made E.T. Anderson’s remaining family happy. You probably could have gotten some senior citizens involved also if this had been handled differently from the git-go.
Eldon V. Parkman, Emporia
jasper007 (anonymous) says...
Mr. Parkman: On the on-line polls, I had voted to remove these huts. After studying, ie, memories, etc., I would now vote to keep them. The Anderson family have been very generous. Plans could have been changed, the new building erected somewhere on the grounds, and the best idea?. Spruce up the huts, which many people have agreed on. Unfortunately, the old saying applies here. "What the powers that be want, the powers at be get". Remember the courthouse??????
November 29, 2010 at 4:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tosie (anonymous) says...
you guys are still clueless....the foundations were BAD, the huts were shot, and ET wasn't willing to give the amount of $$ truly needed to fix up those huts, which would have been a waste of time and $$ - get over it and try to enjoy something that is being donated to the city. People like you are the ones who will make people shy away from giving anything to the community because all you'll do is gripe about it!
November 29, 2010 at 4:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
You can't polish a turd...well according to Mythbusters you can, but it's still just a shiny turd and only an idiot would see any value in keeping that around.
Not worth the effort! Tear 'em down! Ol' E.T. Anderson needs to learn to leave his own legacy and stop hanging onto his daddy's coat tails.
'enry
November 29, 2010 at 4:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
I guess a hundred years from now we will still have to be listening to people gripe and complain about why they had to tear down E. T.'s Quonset Huts. The revised History of Euphoria will probably contain an entire chapter about how four worthless old relics were wrongfully removed thereby opening a chasm in community relations that will never heal.
Get a Life people!!!!!!
November 29, 2010 at 5:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rabblerouser (anonymous) says...
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!
November 29, 2010 at 6:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Grunt (anonymous) says...
I'm sure ET was a wise enough man to understand that when he made his generous donation to the community; that things would probably change at some point in time, and these changes would be out of his control.
While they served their purpose, those sheds were next to useless considering today's expectations. They would also serve no support to the enhancement of Boyer's contribution, and ulimately the fairgrounds.
I'm glad to see them go to the scrap yard. We are better served with them at the scrap yard than standing on some rural property somewhere (if they could even be reassembled), driving that property value down. Good riddance in my opinion.
November 29, 2010 at 7:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jasper007 (anonymous) says...
Just like typical forums. One person expresses their thoughts, then the "trollers" unload their simple thoughts that they probably got from their neighbor. We have all rolled over for the powers that be. I noticed no one mentioned the "Great White Elephant" of a courthouse. Evidently you don't mind being lied to. Just keep digging deeper into your pockets. Yes, the present of the Bowyer building is much appreciated, but beware, you will pay something in the end....
November 29, 2010 at 8 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
I pay something in the end every day of my life. That is how I acquire things worth having.....I pay for them. I don't acquire things worth having by holding on to every old piece of worn out junk that happens to be around. Only a junk dealer acquires things worth having that way.
November 30, 2010 at 3:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
That old building next to the south east side of the fairgrounds is down. And the empty lot looks great!
November 30, 2010 at 6:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
People, People, People, The stipulation that E.T. (outlaw ) Anderson put into the land grant that he gave to the County ( that the land would revert to the Salvation Army, if the County ever sold or used the land for anything other than a County Fair ground ), has been nothing more than a Mill Stone around the Countys' and Citys' neck ever since he donated the land !
And now you have had all the bickering and arguing about 4 ancient, rusting, deteriorating hulks, that just happened to be donated by E. T. Anderson !
And even after the " Huts " are demolished, the new Bowyer building is built, the land will still be a mill stone around the County and Citys' neck, because of the Salvation Army stipulation that E.T. Anderson included in his grant !
Only difference will be, a brand new building will have been added to the weight of the " Mill Stone " .
How many times has there been the opertunity to use the land for possible " JOB " creation and the advancement of Emporia into the future, like so many people want,
and would this type of use of this land be much better for the County, Community ... than a " Fair Ground " ?
November 30, 2010 at 8:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alfalfa (anonymous) says...
methusla, about 99% of the time I really respect your point of view, this time I think you are way off target. There is more than enough real estate to develop in the Emporia area without using the fairgrounds. It is far off the mark to suggest the fairgrounds is some sort of a drag on the Emporia economy, it just isn't true.
November 30, 2010 at 8:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
What I would be interested in seeing made public is exactly how much money the Fair Ground brings into the local economy per annum vs the amount of money spent, per annum on Maintenance of Grounds, equipment, buildings etc..
Then I will be better able to decide whether it is a drag or adds to the local economy !
As it currently stands, I am leaning more toward " Dragging down " rather than " Complimenting " the local economy !
November 30, 2010 at 8:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
The funny thing about todays world is the fact that, in order to move into the future for a Country, State, County and Community, there needs to be sustained job growth, which translates into economic growth, which translates into a better life for all !
My question to everyone is, does the " Fair Ground " have the ability, as it stands now, have the ability or prospect to aid in aquiring a future for the local area ? And remember that " Mill Stone ", land grant stipulation, that I mentioned in an earlier post, will enter into and weigh heavily on any future plans of moving toward the future !
November 30, 2010 at 9:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mslater (Matt Slater) says...
I really wish people would stop complaining about the quonset huts!
Tear the ****ers down already!
November 30, 2010 at 9:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
I love it, matt!
On the day they tear those "****ers" down, let's park nearby and watch and cheer.
November 30, 2010 at 9:43 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/opi...
November 30, 2010 at 11:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
Excellent article Steve.....and so true.
The longer I participate on this forum the more I come to dislike the anonymity aspect. I am beginning to believer it causes more harm than it does good. I was glad to see the courts are starting to force the revelation of identity in some of the most disturbing cases.
Another worthy suggestion was the rating of posters with the possibility that the lowest rated ones would be dis-invited. But the best solution remains the one that requires you to put your name behind what you say.
November 30, 2010 at 12:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gogreen (anonymous) says...
I'm so ready to get the eff out of this town....
November 30, 2010 at 2:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )