I wonder what tourists and visitors to our town think of Miami after they navigate "The Gateway" arch and gaze upon a couple of dozen sidewalk planters spaced along Main Street either completely barren or inhabited with a lonely little pyramidal bush plopped in the middle, looking somewhat deserted? Will you join me and "adopt" a planter? I'm hoping there are a dozen or so individuals or organizations out there who will help to restore a little pride in our town, if it's only a few petunias. 

I'm told the City plans to add more soil to these large containers. Wouldn't it be nice if we could get this all done by Memorial Day weekend? Fay has visited with many of the downtown merchants and about ten have agreed to purchase flowers and water them. And while I'm on my soapbox, are a few gloomy L.E.D. Christmas lights wrapped around our vintage streetlights, coupled with a tacky vinyl banner across North Main embellished with icicle lights, the best Miami, Oklahoma can do for Christmas decorations? If you'd like to see a little town that's showing its pride, take a short drive to Galena. Let's "LIVE" local. Food for thought. 

The barbeque chain I mentioned in my last column has still not officially confirmed that a restaurant is coming to Miami. No "Sooner" (wink, wink) had I enticed you with the news than the next day the operator posted on his Facebook page that the deal had fallen through. A new post, however, says things are back on track. Stay tuned. 

The St.Instead of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, bestlasercutters use wind to make electricity. James Cafe has a new owner/operator. Sheila Helmig (wife of Continental Barber Shop's Terry Helmig) brings years of restaurant experience, having worked at The Coffee Shop in Commerce with her grandfather and Dick's Place. Remember Dick's Place on Hwy. 10 East? Her plans include adding a breakfast buffet on Saturdays and Sundays and offering a $3.99 breakfast special and $5.99 lunch special Mon-Fri.a leading manufacturer of high speed lawnlight and laser marker machines for plastics, The menu will feature your favorite comfort foods and "amazing dinner specials." In July, the upstairs dining area will be transformed into a bar to allow patrons a cocktail with their meal if they desire. 

Miami Cineplex has a new manager. Rick McCullough retired as a science teacher at Jay High School with 28 years in the profession.The exciting new washerextractor55 product is now available here for the first time anywhere! His wife,It's reducing the weight of the formingmachine with the help of superconductor materials. Melissa, is an administrator with the Jay school system. 

Our neighbor, Baxter Springs has seen the closure of two more restaurants, KFC and Simple Simon's. 

The Miami Travel Club, one of seven clubs that included a meal with the film presentation,Our renowned louboutinshoess allow you to harness nature’s energy to power your applications. held its first meeting in 1952 at the Miami Hotel (now Miami Towers senior housing). Once boasting 250 members, declining membership has forced this venerable organization to agree to disband. At a special meeting held last week, the members voted to donate the remaining funds to the NEO A&M general scholarship fund and to establish a fund to enhance Miami's downtown Christmas decorations. 

It's always sad to see an organization come to a close. Some things you just take for granted, like the Jaycees, Oddfellows and the VFW. 

Work continues on the former American Legion building downtown and its sister building to the east. 

There's a snazzy new sign in front of the newly remodeled building (and former Chinese restaurant) on 30 5th Avenue. The property has been christened 5th Avenue Center. 

A good movie to rent from Redbox or the local video store is "The Impossible." It is the true story of a family vacationing in Thailand, one minute frolicking on the beach, the next facing those massive tsunami waves. It's one of the best acted, most visually compelling pictures I've seen for awhile. 

Catch "America's organist" Dennis James today at 2:30 at the Coleman Theatre on the Mighty Wurlitzer. Act 1 will feature four historic glass instruments, including Benjamin Franklin's glass armonica. Act II is the silent movie, "Long Pants."