About Searcy's Old Searcy Arkansas

This lovely historic home in Searcy Arkansas has just had a battle with the tree from the side yard. I drove by today, did a double-take, backed up and took photos. The house is probably close to 100 years old and lovingly restored. Tall trees tower around it and are possibly even older. I just wrote a blog saying the bigger the tree, the older the house. And the bigger the tree, the larger the limbs, and the larger the limbs, the harder they hurt when they fall. Ouch! Ouch!! Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!!!

Can the house be salvaged? Looks as if the limb had a hole through the middle causing it to be weakened. We'll have to see who wins this battle.

Hubby stopped by the docter's office the other day, sauntered in and approached the receptionist and said probably,

"Hello, there, Honey. I'm Rodger Duncan. Do you know who I am?" (small town where everyone supposedly knows everyone else)(Honey pronounced hawney,Southern Speak)

Blank stare back from receptionist. So he says, "I'm Barbara Duncan's husband. Do you know her?"

Big smile, dimples, and an "Oh, yes, she's the real estate lady!" She realized this old car-dealer who called her "Hawney" was actually harmless.

It wasn't always this way.

What a change since I've been in Searcy Arkansas. As the picture above shows, we girls once had no identity of our own. The pictures don't say our first names and last. We were Mrs. Rodger Duncan, etc. This was in the 70's. Look at the newspapers now and we girls have our own identity. I am Barbara S Duncan. I may be Mrs. Rodger Duncan, too, but primarily I have my own identity. I don't know of a single news reporter who'd ask for my husband's name to put under my picture in the paper.

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY!

On the left in this picture the old Rialto Theater in Searcy Arkansas is shown. It has had major changes since opened in 1923 as the Grand Theater. In 1929 it had the name changed to Rialto.

In 1949 it was remodeled to include the addition of a 67 foot high neon marquis.

Searcy Arkansas and White County have enjoyed the Rialto for about 86 years.

There is a movement right now by some residents of Rose Bud High School led by Liz Clark and Julie Chism to take it on as a project and assist in trying to raise funds to make needed repairs to the old building.

An article by Warren Watkins, Daily Citizen writer, reports that the Rialto, once owned by the Lightle family, was given to the city by the Lightle Family in the 1980's. In 1994 it was leased to Victor Weber for $175 a month. Weber shows only family-oriented movies at $2 per ticket and charges a lot less for concession items. When his lease expired the city let him continue with a verbal agreement where Mr. Weber pays no rent.

Most needed repairs are to the entire electrical system and the roof needs replacing. The balcony is completely unusable.

What totally shocked me was the article's statement that the basement floods in the winter and the water stands until it evaporates in the summer. I DIDN'T KNOW THE RIALTO HAD A BASEMENT..... The Rialto was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

When is a tree not needed? Right now. The tree in front of Searcy's historic Legion Hut keeps a person from noticing the historic structure nestled in between two other buildings.

Legion Hut was built of native stone in 1934 and was reportedly about 3000 sq. ft. in size. It's on the North side of the Court Square facing busy Race Street where vehicles whiz by at all hours of the day. At the time it was built, however, traffic was light and the building was the hub of a lot of city and county activity.

It has housed the mayor's office and been the scene of lots of social activities. Square-dancers once held their functions there. My husband remembers it being a teen center where the kids could spin records and dance.

The Historical Society plans to make improvements to it since it has been in a declining state for the last few years.

I put the small picture of the adjoining building for you to see how close the properties are. Bobby's Family Restaurant puts out some mighty fine home cooking with a regular clientele. Whoever shares the office at the Legion Hut will have some awesome food smells drifting their way. I do hope they remove the tree in front so we can see the old building.

We are thankful for living in a free country. July 4th, 1776 was a great day.

But there's another close-by birthday that I'm very thankful for. It's the 37th birthday of Title IX. What's Title IX? Younger people may not even think about Title IX but I remember it so vividly.

Imagine having a 13 year old daughter who is exceedingly bright, energetic, with nothing to do!

That's the way it was. There were NO sports for girls in Searcy Arkansas and no organized games for girls in the schools or the community. Boys had plenty to do. In the school system there were organizations like the Key Club which allowed boys only! And this unfair situation existed all over the country.

Title IX, when passed by the Nixon administration, required all educational institutions that received federal funds to treat men and women equally. That meant the schools were going to have to add something for girls. Boy's basketball team? Add a girl's basketball team. Football? (Well, that's probably where the law has never been fulfilled but things are at least better.) Track? Add a girl's track team.

That blasted all boy's social club that was operating inside the high school was within a year or two (almost over the sponsor's dead body) of being integrated with the first girls.

Searcy Arkansas took note also and formed a committee (I was on it because of my loud-mouthed protests of needing something for girls) to hire a recreational director with one of his first duties to be forming a softball team for girls to somewhat equal the opportunities that boys already had.

In the schools they started a tennis team for girls and my daughter joined it, excelled and still plays tennis to this day. She played softball. She joined every athletic activity that was available for girls in the city and in the school system and I firmly believe that all of the activities helped keep her busy in a wholesome way that made her a better individual.

So when we come to things we are thankful for and if you have a daughter you'd better put this on your list! Title IX!!!! Happy Birthday.