There s something happening in downtown Texarkana. You may not notice it immediately if you ve lived here long, but there s a certain energy brewing on the street corners. There are joggers each day cruising the sidewalks, and a crowd gathering on Broad each afternoon eager to greet friends at local eating and merriment establishments. There s new art popping up every day, storefronts are being refreshed and buildings being redeveloped. The once desolate and depressing Grim Hotel looming over the landscape is coming to life. Redbone, Crossties, the 1927 Banana Club, Arrow Bar, the Hideout, the Perot and the Regional Arts Building all have great live music and entertainment options most weekends, and there are even more food options to satisfy even the pickiest of patrons.
PHOTO DESCRIPTION: Terry Smith with the Texarkana, Texas, Streets Department sweeps soil off the top of a stone vault containing a time capsule Wednesday at Sheppard's Park in downtown Texarkana, Texas. Locals buried the capsule in 1973 to commemorate Texarkana's centennial anniversary, and it was excavated Wednesday as part of this year's sesquicentennial celebrations. Staff members of East Funeral Home, which prepared the vault 50 years ago, were on site to help guide the digging. The capsule will be left in the ground until 5:30 p.m. Friday, when Texarkana Museums Systems staff will open it in place and catalog its contents. (Staff photo by Karl Richter)