McHuston Booksellers

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Tag: Featured (Page 24 of 43)

Where’s the Welcome Wagon?

October 11, 2013 /

Used to be a group (probably only in small towns) that knocked on the front door after the moving van or U-Haul pulled away. They were the Welcome Wagon. Smiling folks who delivered a howdy-do and a basket of muffins or some-such, along with some store coupons and special offers. Welcome to our town! (In small communities everyone knows when someone has moved in from places afar – and not from just across town.)

We need a Welcome Wagon for the Rose District.

The new neighbor has hung out his shingle (that’s what they said back in the day when a business painted their name on a board and displayed it outdoors…). I have to admit, I’m a tad envious. There’s nothing like exterior signage to bring attention to an area. Heck, I’ll be excited to see what it looks like when they throw the switch to light it up.

I rolled up Main this morning right after the cloud cover moved in overhead and spotted the outstretched crane from a half-mile away. They’ve been setting the new street lamps in the Rose District and I figured that was the crane-project.

Turns out, it was the Bruhouse Grill.

So far, I’m not aware of a projected opening date for them, but I know they’ve been busy across the street doing interior renovation. The curtains were pulled back the other evening when I was strolling down the sidewalk and I was able to glance in (would have poked my face up to the glass but there were folks working inside). Big changes to the floor plan from how it appeared as Dooley’s.

Impressive.

Things are truly shaping up here in the Rose District. While the construction is tough on business right now, at the rate the crews are moving it won’t be too long before the store-front parking is restored. They are close to completing the block from Commercial to Dallas; the east side in particular is very close and the installation of lighting may be enough to finish up the construction part. Landscaping is next – but that shouldn’t deter shoppers and diners.

I have an appreciation for tradespeople and who know their stuff. Sometimes it’s a little scary to watch. Saw a fellow using a very large commercial circular saw to cut a series of boards. He was using his thigh as a saw horse. I watched for a couple of minutes, thinking all the while, “Accidents happen.”

Then it occurred to me that accidents happen to people like me when we try to do something like that. My brother-in-law was an expert carpenter and as he was cutting wood for my backyard deck, he wielded his saw like a butter knife, completely comfortable with the power tools. Experience is easy to recognize.

This afternoon, bricklayers are working on the landscaping planter that is located directly in front of the book store. They allowed me a photo while they worked – I want to be able to remember what it looked like (as it is today) when the renovation is completed.

Cloud cover made the picture a little dark, but the Bruhouse sign images also show the new street lamps. There are two types and I imagine the reason for that will become apparent once it grows dark and they turn them on. (After such a length of time operating in the dark down here it will be exciting to have street lights again.)

The talk lately ‘round here is the pushing back of the completion date. I’m not sure the vote by the civic body will have any bearing on how long the construction actually takes. It might make it official, or give the contractor a target to shoot for. Personally, I’m shooting for As Soon As Possible. (Which is probably what everyone is after…)

They’re saying mid-November for the street part. December for the whole sha-bang. That doesn’t mean it will be that long for the primary shopping and parking areas. The work in front of the shop here should be wrapping up in a couple of weeks. That doesn’t mean we’re closed along this part of Main. We unlock our doors every morning, sweep the dust from the sidewalk (it returns quickly, but hey! There’s less of it when we start fresh each day!), we turn on the OPEN signs and keep an eye out for shoppers and guests.

Come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main Street, Broken Arrow OK!

The Great Race. Rose style.

October 7, 2013 /

I’m thinking about hiring sherpas. Getting to the front door of the shop has apparently taken on a difficulty factor equal to scaling Mt. Everest. Or that TV show where teams race from place to place while overcoming outlandish obstacles.

Since the construction began, I’ve mentioned a “Thanks for braving the construction,” on occasion. Normally, the response is something like “Ah, it was no trouble.” Or, “I found a parking spot right in front.” (Several times on that one.) Unfortunately, there are no more parking spaces in front.

There’s a big pit.

So, today, when I thanked the folks who came in for lunch and tackled the construction to get here, the replies were a lot more descriptive. Those hardy folks didn’t just pop in at lunchtime. They set out on a mission.

And it’s probably a good time for me to say “Thanks.”

Trying to keep upbeat about it, knowing that the Rose District is going to be a beautiful shopping area once it is all finished. I’m also trying to remember that there are just a few more weeks for the streetwork’s completion.

The contractors are moving along at a quick pace and are trying to keep access open to the sidewalks. There’s a big yellow dino-bot right at the intersection this afternoon. The orange fence is blocking off the Commercial Street entry.

Hopefully, it won’t be required tomorrow.

So, to those of you who have already found your way in during this construction period, I want you to know it is sincerely appreciated. To those who have been thinking about coming down to see what it is all about – rest assured – there are offstreet parking spaces available in addition to the on-street parking between Commercial Street and Dallas.

The seventh-grade science teacher used to remind us that “Patience is a virtue.” I’m not trying for Sainthood or anything, but I’m certainly stocking up on that asset to get me through the next few weeks. Oh, and my other daily business proverb – that it only takes a couple of good sales to make the day – has proven true once again. What is likely my last sale of the evening has made up for the rest of the day!

It’s all good. Load up the backpack and climbing boots, then come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main Street, Broken Arrow OK!

Backhoes and Buggies.

October 2, 2013 /

We’ve come a long way in a hundred years. Back then, the District had dirt in the streets. But now – HEY! – there is STILL dirt in the streets!

The price of progress…

Lots of construction activity at the Rose today. Pouring a new sidewalk on the side of my neighbor, the Main Street Tavern. They’ve been hit doubly-hard, since the work was just wrapping up in the front. The gang is still welcoming folks inside, those who have successfully run the hardhat gauntlet.

Back in the days of the dirt street on Main, it was bank tellers doing the welcoming in that building instead of a hostess and servers. It was called First State Bank and was chartered in 1902. Recall, this was pre-statehood and Broken Arrow was in its infancy. (You can only imagine the wooden diapers.)

At that same time, the Katy railroad planned to run a spur from its north-south line and was granting town-sites where the tracks would run. The Arkansas Valley Town Site Company grabbed up three locations and company secretary William S. Fears picked the name Broken Arrow for an area he selected 18 miles southeast of Tulsa.

Oh, the festivities when that first brick was laid for the building that would become the Main Street Tavern only a short century later! “Up your nose with a rubber hose!” exclaimed Mr. Fears, as he raised his glass of stout and straightened his party hat. (Just kidding about that part. History should be fun, too.)

The rail line was finished in 1903, running right through Broken Arrow. Maybe you’ve stopped for it once or twice. The tracks are still there under the auspices of the Union Pacific railroad.

The bank was located north of the tracks and later changed its name to Citizens National Bank. At statehood, there were about fourteen-hundred hardy souls who called Broken Arrow home. Most worked their farms and came to Main Street to visit the mercantile and the bank. As it turned out, the little community didn’t need three banks at the time.

Citizens was sold to First National Bank and AVB (then called Arkansas Valley State Bank), with the two institutions guaranteeing the deposits of those folks who had entrusted their savings to the struggling bank. It was a time of public spirit, compromise, neighborly involvement, caring, and Rooster Day parades. (We still have the parade, at any rate.) No one lost a nickel.

Not even when First National was held up in 1934. Mr F.S. Hurd was standing at the teller counter when a couple of shifty-looking fellows burst in bearing pistols. One of them called out, “Take it easy boys! Here is where we get you!”

Mr. Hurd – a bank officer – reached down for his own firearm and addressed the overall-wearing-robbers (part of the Oshkosh b’ Gosh gang, I believe). “I don’t believe you will!” replied Mr. Hurd, just before blasting one of the bearded bad-guys.

The gunman fell to the ground. His companion – as well as Mr. Hurd – decided that was a pretty good place to be. They dropped to the floor, too. So, for a time the bank was quiet (except for the excited breathing of the wounded man), while each plotted a plan of action from the vantage point of the floor-tiles. Finally, the second robber helped the first man to his feet. They looked around the bank, shuffled out the door to a waiting car, and drove away.

“Up your nose with a rubber hose,” called Mr. Hurd after them. (Kidding again.)

You can see in the image that somebody made off with the pointy thing on top of the building, but the rest of the structure is rock-solid and revitalized, thanks to a civic-minded citizen and an investment in preservation.

The heavy equipment will be gone soon, just like the horse and buggies in the old-time image. Then, we’ll raise our glass of stout and call out the familiar toast…

(You didn’t think I would go there again, did you?)

Come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main, Broken Arrow, OK!

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