IN YOUR VIEW | Downtown Development: What's your opinion about the future of Twin Cities' historic core?

Anyone who has been downtown on weekend evenings recently has seen some big changes.

There are now several restaurants, bars and entertainment venues and they are drawing crowds. Texarkana, Texas, has joined the Arkansas side in authorizing a downtown entertainment district. A new frozen drink place has opened. The Grim is on the way to completion and occupancy.

For years, many have declared the historic core of the Twin Cities all but dead. But big things seem to be happening.

We want to know what you think. What is your opinion about downtown's future? Has your opinion about it changed? Are you more optimistic than before?

Send your response (50 words maximum) to [email protected] by Wednesday, July 14. You can also mail your response to the Texarkana Gazette Friday Poll, at P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX 75504 or drop it off at our office, 101 E. Broad St, Texarkana, Ark. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will print as many responses as we can in next Friday's paper.

Question of the Week: Fireworks?

Last week's question was about fireworks in the city limits. Should the cities allow fireworks for special holidays like July 4 and New Year's Eve? Should they remain illegal inside city limits? Should police enforce the ban more stringently or penalties be increased?

In 1973 a bottle rocket landed on my house and set the shingles on fire. My family could have lost everything we owned. Making fireworks legal in the city is too dangerous. How selfish you are to imperil your neighbors by playing with fire and launching your noisemakers at us. -J.M.D., Texarkana, Texas

From facebook.com/texarkanagazette

Ban should be stricter and should be enforced. Too often the police don't issue citations. Pet-owners and combat veterans with PTSD need more respect.

No, but it's all over my neighborhood in the city anyway. Large fireworks until 2:00 in the morning sometimes while my dogs stay terrified.

People are going to pop them anyway. Be more strict about the citations.

They are all over the place giving citations. So that's fine but keep to routine police work. Does not need to anymore strict. Just silent fireworks as an option for shows and for sale would be excellent. It's possible as well.

Allow them! There is only 2 holidays out of the year to pop them. People need to get over it!!

I say allow them for certain hours! I understand why people don't like them but if they had to be done by a certain time that would help!

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