Vol. 1
No. 12
April 8, 2021
Recycling and garbage mixup Hundred year old find on Henderson State campus points to El Dorado heritage Zoie Clift Travel Writer
Photo courtesy of Kelly Currington, Oracle Editor in Chief.
Products placed in recycling bins across the Henderson campus are simply mixed with the rest of the garbage. Kelly Currington Oracle Editor in Chief The average college student produces about 640 pounds of trash each year, according to Planet Aid. Nearly 3,600 students attend Henderson State University, indicating that the HSU campus accumulates about 2,304,000 pounds of waste annually. This does not include garbage from faculty, either. HSU used to recycle plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and paper. Now, Henderson only recycles cardboard boxes-about 700 a year. While there are plastic bottle and aluminum can recycling bins sprinkled around campus, everything placed in them is simply mixed with the rest of the garbage. “We are trying to donate plastic waste,” said Brandie Benton, associate provost of
enrollment services and admissions. “But the center will no longer take it.” The Arkadelphia Human Development center--where HSU donates their recyclables-accepted plastics up until 2018 when China banned plastic trade, according to Amy L. Brooks, environmental expert from the University of Georgia. Much of the plastic that Americans donate to recycling centers would eventually be shipped across the sea. The country banned the trade of recycled products because they were receiving too much of the waste to keep up with. “That stuff going on with China has messed a lot of things up,” said Eric Davis, Arkadelphia Human Development rehabilitation and structure supervisor. The Hot Springs Solid Waste Department is a 50-minute
drive from Henderson, yet the closest recycling location that accepts boxes, paper, plastics and aluminum--all of the materials that HSU donated before the ban. The department will make house calls to pick up recyclable products upon request, but only within the Hot Springs city limits. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 75% of all waste can be recycled. Unfortunately, the average American only recycles about 30% of it. Currently, 10 cities in Arkansas employ weekly curbside recycle pickup along with trash pickup--Little Rock, North Little Rock, Conway, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and Pine Bluff. Waste donation centers across the state can be found by location and products recycled at ADEQ.state.ar.us.
As HSU is recovering from financial struggles resulting from past years of mismanaged funds, expenditures related to services that are not essential to the functionality of the university are now set aside. This includes recycling. There are a few possible solutions to see that Henderson’s recyclables end up where they belong. The college could charge a fee to all students which will pay for transportation of gathered products to the Hot Springs Solid Waste Department. Or, student organizations on campus could share the responsibility of gathering and transporting recyclables. Many clubs and Greek groups priorities philanthropy--this would be an excellent venture to aid our campus and environment.
Law enforcement operation reminds drivers: you text, you drive, you pay Arkansas State Police Public Affairs Office
Distracted driving is on the rise and leaving a deadly wake across the nation’s roads and highways. Beginning next week Arkansas law enforcement officers will join other police and sheriff’s authorities across the nation to stop drivers who exhibit the telltale signs of driving while distracted. A nationwide steppedup enforcement operation begins April 5th and continues through the following Monday (April 12th). The U Drive. U Text. U Pay is an annual high visibility effort led by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Using a phone or other device to send text messages or post social media comments are among the leading causes of distracted driving and a violation of Arkansas law. However, anything that might cause a driver to take their eyes off the road and veer into another traffic lane or off the roadway could result in a traffic stop by a law enforcement officer. During an eight year span between 2012 – 2019,
NHTSA officials reported 26,004 people died in motor vehicle crashes that involved distracted drivers. While motor vehicle crash fatalities nationally decreased slightly during 2019, there was a 10 percent increase in crashes involving drivers who had been distracted. Nine percent of all traffic fatalities were linked to distracted driving. The figures represent a 10% increase, 284 deaths, over the previous year and accounts for the largest increase among contributing factors in traffic crash deaths reported. “Typing a text message or reading one while driving and all the other distractions occurring inside a moving vehicle have become lifestyle practices leading to life threatening consequences,” said Colonel Bill Bryant, Director of the Arkansas State Police and the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “A driver taking their eyes off the road for five seconds while traveling at 55 miles per hour covers the length of a football field,” Colonel Bryant stated. “The time and distance factors create a deadly formula, leaving a driver with little if any time to safely avoid a
collision.” Colonel Bryant has pledged the concerted effort of every Arkansas State Trooper patrolling the highways to take enforcement action when they witness distracted driving violations. Millennials and Gen Z drivers are statistically more prone to talk, text and scroll through social media posts on their phones while operating a motor vehicle. According to a NHTSA study, drivers 16 to 24 years old, were observed using handheld electronic devices more frequently than older drivers. During 2019, drivers 15 – 19 years old comprised 9% of those killed in vehicle crashes while driving distracted. The Arkansas Highway Safety Office and NHTSA urge drivers to put their phones away when behind the steering wheel. Whether traveling across town or cross country, drivers are encouraged to practice these tips when it comes to electronic messaging: • If you’re expecting a text message or need to send one, get off the road or highway. Pull into a safe location away from traffic, then
handle your messaging. • Ask a passenger to be your “designated texter.” Allow the passenger to access to your phone for calls or messages. • Do not engage in social media scrolling or messaging while driving. • Cell phone use is habit forming. If you struggle with the practice of avoiding text messaging while driving, activate the device “Do Not Disturb” feature, or place the phone in the trunk, glove box, or back seat of the vehicle until arriving at your destination. Texting while driving is not only dangerous, it’s illegal. No text or social media post is worth ruining someone’s day — or taking a life. Always remember, U Drive. U Text. U Pay. For more information, visit www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-driving or call the Arkansas Highway Safety Office at (501) 618-8136. For more on Arkansas’ ongoing Toward Zero Deaths campaign to eliminate preventable traffic fatalities, visit www.TZDArkansas.org .
When the famous BuseyArmstrong No. 1 well near El Dorado gushed oil in 1921, the town’s story would be linked to oil evermore. El Dorado has a vibrant heritage as an oil boomtown of the 1920s. The town lived up to its name when this famous well was discovered a mere mile from the city a century ago. This led to an instant population and prosperity spike as well as an architectural renaissance that can still be seen in the city’s downtown, now known for its many historic buildings on the National Register. Today, downtown El Dorado is home to shops, stores, restaurants, and even the oldest pool hall in the state, all located near the historic 1928 Union County Courthouse. Eye-catching architecture and storefronts connect a diverse mix of specialty shops that sell everything from antiques to art. All of this though, has roots in the city’s boomtown history. According to Richard Mason, who is from El Dorado and is a downtown developer and author of books about the boom including The Queen of Hamburger Row, the mostly timber harvesting and farming community had a population of around 3,500 back in 1920. That all changed overnight with the discovery of oil near town. “It changed El Dorado unbelievably,” said Mason. When the historic 1921 well, which was located where the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission’s local headquarter building is now, gushed oil it became the state’s first commercial oil well and the population of the town soared. The news about the well hit all across the U.S. and trains came to town packed with people that followed booms. “There were oil field workers, oil field promoters who would come in and buy land and lease and drill wells, there were prostitutes and there were criminals, they got the whole bunch,” said Mason. A mere two years after the famous gusher, it was estimated the town’s population had grown to around 40,000 people. The oil from the famous well lasted 59 days. And then it was gone. “It had created so much excitement though that there were 120 wells drilled that year in south Arkansas,” Mason said. “And some of those found other oil fields which kicked the boom off. After two years they found what is known today as the Smackover field and it was a huge field. It was at that time the largest field in the U.S. The Smackover field in 1923 put the boom into high gear. It was a huge thing.” During the first five years of the boom, the financial worth of the oil produced had more value than all of the appraised property in the entire state. However these years didn’t come without a price. “It was a lawless time,” said Mason. “I estimate in Union County there were at least 30 brothels. The last of these were closed in the 1960s. They were up and down the street...And you can imagine with that many people coming in law enforcement was essentially nil. It was also during Prohibition. As soon as you left the square you had this row of barrel houses full of gambling, prostitutes and whisky everywhere.” A central part of town was called Hamburger Row, which went from the railroad station up to Main Street, which today is Washington Avenue. The city council had passed an ordinance that allowed people to put hamburger stands on the street, which had wooden sidewalks, because there were not enough restaurants to serve all the people. These streets were also used to transport oil field equip-
ment. Along with not being easy to navigate due to the muddy messes they became following rain, the oil field equipment itself was also very heavy. Trucks couldn’t handle the transportation feat so mules and oxen had to be used for the tough job instead. Mason said the townspeople eventually got the city back under rein from the lawlessness though. And a distinct occurrence impacted the town immensely. The several hundred local young men that had gone off to World War 1 started to return to their hometown and also to their families, some of which had become quite wealthy due to the boom. These families contributed money and completely remade downtown, which at the time was mostly wood framed buildings around the downtown square and Courthouse. This entailed essentially replacing everything downtown, including the Courthouse, and building new buildings to reflect the memorable architecture they had been inspired by while overseas in Europe during the war. “So the core of downtown is strictly oil related,” said Mason. “And the three downtown churches were all built with oil boom money.” Mason said the best examples of this architecture can still be seen in town in what have been deemed oil boom mansions. The largest that remains is the McKinney-O’Connor House, which was built in 1928. Today when you visit El Dorado you can learn about the oil heritage of town at Oil Heritage Park, which Mason helped build. Here you will find memorable 9-foot bronze sculptures of oil men and several plaques that tell the story of the boom. The historic Hamburger Row of that era is down to three buildings now. You can go down Washington Street and with a little understanding of the history of what was there, you can still see these buildings as they have 1925 embedded into the masonry work. The buildings are right across from the Presbyterian Cemetery and a block off downtown square. As you go toward Hamburger Row you are also right in the middle of the Murphy Arts District, a new entertainment district in town. There is a replica oil derrick there that lights up at night. And there are plans to renovate the Rialto Theater in town, which was also built during the oil boom. “Almost anything you see downtown in El Dorado is directly related to the oil industry,” said Mason. The Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in nearby Smackover is also an intriguing state park and a must visit spot to learn more about the region’s interesting oil heritage. The museum is located in the midst of the historic 60 square mile Smackover oil field. Outside is a 112-foot replica of a wooden derrick and inside you will find a re-created, boom-era street scene. Exhibits throughout the building explain the era in detail. Along with its heritage, El Dorado’s festivals have earned it a reputation as an entertainment capital for the region. Popular events include Showdown at Sunset, an annual historical reenactment of the infamous Parnell-Tucker gunfight. Other festivals include a Mayhaw Festival that takes place in May and MusicFest in October. The city is also home to cultural offerings like the South Arkansas Arts Center, the South Arkansas Symphony and the Newton House Museum. A new 70 room hotel called the Haywood has just been built in the Murphy Arts District and the Union Square Guest Quarters can be found right in the heart of downtown. For more details on downtown El Dorado, visit mainstreeteldorado.org.