There is not a lot to “love” in our dear Hot Springs today.
I don’t recall just what happy little column I was thinking about writing today, but that’s all up in smoke now.
A historic building in the middle of Main Street is, as I write this at 9 a.m. Wednesday, ablaze in fire. It looks awful. It looks devastating.
The building next to Snead’s Tavern, which served for decades as our drug store, and is now a delicious, upscale restaurant, Les Cochons d’Or, is surrounded in flames. It also houses the delightful little Jackson River Café. And there are apartments upstairs, where the bulk of the flames seem to be located. I do not know if anyone still lives up there. I hope not. I’ve heard the apartments are now part of Airbnb. Thankfully, not many tourists visit on a Tuesday in the middle of March. I hope for the best.
No one can get through Hot Springs in a vehicle. And, if one calls a business located there, a recording comes on that “no one is available right now.”
Gad! This is just awful. Our little town has not experienced a big fire in my memory. This is going to leave a gaping, ugly hole in our streetscape. It’s so sad.
From what I hear, the first fire call went out at about 4:30 a.m. Firefighters from Hot Springs, Millboro, Falling Spring, Covington – you name a town with a fire department, and they showed up to help.
That’s one thing that amazes me around here. The people are generous helpers, always ready to lend a hand, or in this case, a fire hose.
I am sure that, after the fire is out – and at 9:40 a.m., that was nowhere near happening – there will be a parade of vehicles driving by to look at the damages. Some will probably shed a tear.
I feel especially sorry for Kyle and Crystal, who own the restaurants. They are stars at what they do, and they put their all into it. Those restaurants are their lifeblood. Knowing them casually, as I do, they will roll up their sleeves and try to put things to right, if that’s even possible. A local realtor and businessman owns the building, Pat Haynes. He is no doubt heavily insured, but still, this is a big blow. He has put a lot of renovation work into that place. It was one of our “little jewels” in Hot Springs.
And, we all have our memories of the great old-fashioned drug store when it operated there. Many a date and a dance and a nut sundae were enjoyed at the Hot Springs Drug Store.
Today, the only thing any of us can do is pray for the brave firefighters, the owners of the restaurants, and the building owner.
Life … sometimes it’s impossible to love what’s happening.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.