week of 4/3/02
 
 
 

Remembering the value of a nickel
By Jeff Minick
On a recent bookselling trip to Covington, La., my wife, two of our sons, and I spent a pleasant afternoon walking through Covington’s old downtown. The iron grillwork and doubledecker verandas of many of the buildings reflect Covington’s French past. There was the courthouse with the usual war memorials gracing the lawn under live oak trees. Across the street adjacent to the courthouse were several buildings that had clearly once served the town as stores, but which now bore the names of various courts and government offices.

Although this transformation of shop into courtroom initially struck me as strange, I soon realized what had happened. Covington, which lies directly across Lake Pontchatrain from New Orleans and which seemed at least twice the size of Waynesville, had outgrown its courthouse. Recognizing the need for more room and yet unwilling to transform their charming town by adding tall, modern buildings, the city had clearly opted to use available buildings to house records and provide additional space for its courts.

On my return to Waynesville, I happened to drive on Depot Street past the courthouse. It struck me then that the several empty buildings on Depot Street might serve as repositories for court records, clerks, attorneys, judges, and shoulderclappers. Let us look at three of these buildings and see whether our county and town might not purchase them rather than build a justice center for the tens of millions of dollars now under discussion.

First, there is the former restaurant located near the comer of Main and Depot. The design of the exterior of this restaurant brings to mind the Alamo; the pinkish color brings to mind buildings in Miami and should be maintained so that miscreants from Florida will feel at home during their trials. Such a building will make an excellent courtroom, for the tropical colors and Southwest look will lend a cosmopolitan look to our legal affairs. The windows in the front as well as the outdoor sound system should be maintained so that spectators may enjoy the wailings of the accused and the stentorophonic sermocinations of their attorneys. Approximate floor space of this building: 1,500 square feet. Approximate cost: far less than tens of millions of dollars. (I would call a realtor and find out these statistics, but officials will probably pay someone $1,000 for this work, and I hate to deprive someone of a livelihood.)

Building number two is just around the comer on Depot Street and was most recently the site of The Glass Giraffe. With its block windows, this two-story building has a 1930s look to it that may allow the county to declare it an historic site. This building may also have a basement. Here is a building ideal for secretaries, clerks, documents, and computers. Estimated floor space: 3,000 square feet (Again, I didn’t measure the place; I’m sitting here thinking about it.) Cost: $400,000?

Less than 50 yards down Depot Street is another empty building, the former pancake house. Here is the place for another courtroom plus a storage area beneath the building. Those lawyers who once downed coffee and eggs on these premises will feel at home here. Estimated floor space: 1,500 square feet. Cost: Already owned by the county.

Need more space? Down Main Street toward the police station is a the large building that used to belong to Dollar General. Paint the walls, carpet the floors, put up some cubicles, buy some filing cabinets and desks, and stick all the tax and real estate people in here. Estimated floor space: Call the realtor, but it’s got to be over 8,000 square feet if the basement comes with the place. Estimated cost: Well under the tens of millions of dollars proposed for the new justice center.

Although the pancake house comes with a parking lot, parking might still be a problem. We might build a parking deck or we might instead try hiring a parking lot attendant for courthouse parking. Those on court business would have their ticket stamped before leaving the courthouse and thus receive free parking. Those who simply wish to use the court parking would have to pay and would be inclined to go elsewhere.

Doubtless our planners for the new “justice center” have thought of these ideas. I certainly hope so. In this article I have used several $10 words — stentorophonic, sermocinations, and the Shakespearean shoulderclappers — when nickel words would have done just as well. I trust that our planners are looking at the nickel plans as well as the $10 ones.

(Jeff Minick lives in Waynesville and can be reached at saintsbookco@aol.com)