Well, I would like to introduce myself to y’all as the new but certainly not improved contributor to the ConwayJournal.com section of Downtown Rumor Rants, Ravings, and Generally Untrustworthy Information. My name is Bubba Noseit and I like to consider myself pretty knowledgeable about not much of anything. I do have a good ear and love to listen to people go on about things. Whether it’s a complaint, a compliment, or just gossip, I will try to convey those activities into a regular contribution so everyone can see just what is going on around these here parts. Fact or fiction? Well, you will have to decide for yourself but I will try to tell it like it is and hopefully not offend anyone in the process.  Here goes my first attempt…

 
RANT
Drainage Rant:  I was a little surprised the other week to walk down Laurel Street on the sidewalk and have water flooding up to my ankles.  The storms that had plaguing the area on and off for a few days had dumped a lot of water in the area and it was rolling down from Palmetto Chevrolet like a river.  The recent City improvements to the drainage on Laurel Street that had torn the street up for months seemed to do little as the water flowed up to door level on several Laurel Street businesses.  What was all that drainage work suppose to do?  It certainly does not seem to be working when it rains heavily.  Maybe we should tear up the road again.
Another rant I have is who is responsible for keeping those yellow nonskid pedestrian mats at each intersection up?  There is one that has broken off on the corner of Main Street and 4th Avenue and someone just slid it over to the tree on the sidewalk by the City park. It has sat there for over a month now.  Is this a City issue?  Dept. of Transportation issue?  Someone, please fix it. 
 
Also, what ever happened to music that was playing from the speakers in the ground at certain locations in downtown?  The music seems to have stopped playing but the devices are still there.  I believe that the Visitors Center, City Hall, The park at Main and 4th and the walkthrough off 3rd Ave by the old New Horizons Building had some installed with the intention to put them all over downtown.  Can someone enlighten Bubba as to what has happened?
 
NEW BUSINESS CLOSINGS AND MOVEMENTS
Rumor has it that we will be getting a New Coffee Shop in Downtown Conway on the corner of 3rd and Laurel.  This was the building occupied by Bernie’s Café before they moved out by the Conway Hospital.  Hopefully, they will be open soon as any and all new retail businesses are always welcome downtown. After almost 2 years of super slow renovations, The Blackwater Market should have a new restaurant. Solano’s Trattoria will soon be opening.  What soon means, I will not venture to ascertain but they have a sign on the door advertising for help so this must mean SOON. Most everyone already knows this but I will alert you here also that the will be moving to downtown Conway in the old Booksmith Building on the corner of 3rd and Laurel.  Not sure when they will open but I am betting on mid July based on the activity I have seen.
 
Fostering Hope, located on 2nd Avenue below the Conway Bridge, is said to be moving to a new location. Work has begun on renovating the old Hamp’s Hardware building on Kingston Street.  I have not obtained an exact movement date but it should be this summer.  Fresh Cut Flowers on Normans Alley is no longer there.  There is no sign on the door and just an empty building where a nice store once sat.  Maybe someone can fill us in on what happened. Rumor has it that PCRX will be moving their store into that vacant spot. The Gentle Cycle Consignment Store at 325 Main Street recently closed and a new store called Little Treasures has opened in its place. They offer much of the same type of merchandise.  The New Horizons service that was in the building on 3rd avenue across the street from Skips Grill has recently vacated. This is another fantastic opportunity for someone to get a great location in downtown Conway.
 
 
Well, I will digress for now cause my pot of fish-head stew is just about ready and I need to pour some warm buttermilk to go along with it.  I will hopefully be writing to you again shortly about any new and exciting happenings going on in our downtown.