Dear Mahatma: When will work on the Mayflower overpass start? -- James
Dear James: Overpass? What overpass? Gee, we can't remember everything. An old friend says the nouns go first. Turns out both "Mayflower" and "overpass" are nouns.
We're told by the Arkansas Department of Transportation that indeed a railroad overpass is planned for Arkansas 89 just west of the elementary school, where tracks pass over the highway and numerous trains hold up traffic to the junior and senior high schools.
An overpass will make the location much safer and eliminate delays.
Emery Sapp & Sons has the $26.3 million contract. Construction should start soon, with completion expected in October of 2022.
Dear Mahatma: As I was sitting in traffic this morning, I looked up to see a temp plate on the Honda ahead of me. The plate is dated Nov. 18, 2020. That gave me an idea for a contest -- subject to your approval. This plate would indicate [as of receipt of the email] it is four months and 13 days overdue. If any of the Mahatma's Great Souls want to try and beat that, within a 60-day contest deadline, I'll put up a Benjamin as a reward. If no one can beat my standard, I get to keep old Ben. -- Our Man in Fort Smith
Dear Fort Smith: Forgive us for getting around to including this about three months after you sent it. Writing this column is sometimes an exercise in confused procrastination.
Let's allow our Great Souls to enter the contest.
Anyone who spots, and sends a photo to us, of a temp plate older than four months and 13 days can enter. We will route the email to Mr. Fort Smith, and the two parties can work out the details.
No doubt the Benjamin will change hands. We have on occasion seen temp plates more than a year old.
Dear Mahatma: We were in a serious wreck a few years ago in Dallas -- struck from behind by a drunk driver. We rolled across all lanes of traffic before coming to rest upside down. We were all wearing our seatbelts. I had to be cut out of mine. We all three crawled out of the windows to safety and with little more than bruises and a few minor cuts. The Ford Explorer we were in was totaled with the roof crushed. We lost shoes and earrings, but we had our lives by the grace of God and the wisdom of wearing our seat belts. -- Debbie
Dear Debbie: Thanks for the testimonial. Seat belts have been around for a long time, and wearing one -- for front-seat passengers and all kids -- is required by Arkansas law.
There is resistance to that law, as there is to any law. In our humble opinion, and having personally seen and been in traffic accidents, anyone who declines to wear a seat belt is asking for grief.
Vanity plate: LVS2GLF. Same here, dude.
Fjfellone@gmail.com