Oaklawn opens on January 16th this year. Oaklawn is Hot Spring's horse racing track.

I love going to Oaklawn, mostly just to watch the horses. I'm not much of a gambler. Opening day always has great deals on Oaklawn's famous corned beef too.

Gates will open at 11:00 on opening day.

Picking out the perfect date restaurant can be a tough task. Here are 10 great places to go on a special date. These would be perfect for Valentine's day. Don't forget to make your reservations now for the big night!

Feel free to comment with your favorite place to visit for a romantic evening.

Photo copyright Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

A new play written by Spirit Trickey-Rowan, daughter of Minnijean Brown Trickey - one the Little Rock Nine, is making its way across the state in January and February, with support from the Arkansas Rep.

The play tells Minnijean Brown's story from the perspective of a "regular teenager." The play incorporates the sites and sounds of the 50s and gives an insider's look at the desegregation of Central High.

At each of the 10 tour stops, local students will be recruited to fill chorus parts.

Most of the schools have a private performance for students and then a public performance. The public performances are free and open to anyone. No tickets required, but seating is limited by the venue. The performances are followed by a "community conversation" about the play, the crisis and ongoing cultural tensions.

The schedule is as follows:

• Jan. 6-8: North Pulaski High School, Jacksonville
  Public Performance January 10 at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 9-10: Southside High School, Ft. Smith
  Public Performance January 10 at 2:30 p.m
• Jan. 12-13: Clarksville High School, Clarksville
  Public Performance January 12 at 7:00 p.m.
• Jan. 15-17: Dumas High School, Dumas
  
• Jan. 19-21: IBM Theatre, Mc-Gehee
  
• Jan. 22-24: Hope High School, Hope
  Public Performance January 24 at 6:00 p.m.
• Jan. 26-28: Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff
  
• Jan. 29-31: Osceola High School, Osceola, under the auspices of the Arts Council of Mississippi County
  Public Performance January 31 at 2:00 p.m.
• Feb. 2-4: Arkansas State University, Newport
  Public Performance February 3 at 7:00 p.m.
• Feb. 5-7: The Ritz Civic Center, Blytheville
  Public Performance February 7 at 7:00 p.m.
• Feb. 9-11: Little Rock Central High School
  Public Performance February 11 at 7:00 p.m.

[Central High Resources: Photo Gallery | History | About the Nine | Museum | Books & Resources ]

It sounds like Arkansas Senate President, Bob Johnson, hates a major part of our city. He was quoted as saying, "Nobody wants to take away a zoo, but if we’re going to have one, how about this novel idea. How about one that we’re proud of," and "All these pro park people, when is the last time they had a picnic out there? When is the last time some of these greenies have caught fish out there on the game and fish stock pond. The fact of the matter is this is an economic opportunity." because he thinks that the area in midtown should be a research corridor. KARK has his conference.

This is part of the ongoing debate about Ray Winder Field.

I do have to agree with him, maybe we should be proud of our zoos and parks. But pride doesn't come from the location. To have something you're proud of, you have to invest in it. Maybe our zoo and parks need to be supported more by the city. Most great zoos have great financial support from either private firms, the city or the state, and they didn't become great overnight. Our zoo does not have that kind of financial support. The improvements they've made with what they do have should make the city proud.

In Johnson's defense, he did say that if there is to be a quality zoo in Arkansas, maybe the state should make a commitment to running one. However, I don't think he gives our current zoo enough credit. Most zoos are "landlocked," to a certain extent.

War Memorial Park is a great park too. I don't see why people don't fish or picnic there. Actually, in the spring the park is always full when I pass by it. It's a fun, free way to spend the day in the city. This "pro park" person went there about a dozen times this spring and volunteers the zoo about twice a week.

The biggest tourist attraction in most major cities is their zoo. In my opinion it's ridiculous that ours is treated with such disdain by our lawmakers. The zoo could be the "economic opportunity" he speaks of. Just look at Memphis. They have a wonderful zoo that people actually travel to see. Just a few decades ago, it wasn't much better than ours. They had to get private funding to make theirs better, but many city or state funded zoos are great tourist attractions too (Saint Louis, for example).

We have to appreciate our parks in order for them to improve. It does not sound like Mr. Johnson appreciates our parks at all.