Jim Dailey

Thank You Arkansas Park’s staffer, Richard Smith …

At 8:34 AM I pulled into the parking lot at Pinnacle Mountain State Park and decided to make a pit stop at the men’s room before hitting the trail.  Richard Smith, pictured above was cleaning the restrooms and emptying trash containers.  I acknowledged him, said “thanks for keeping the park and restrooms clean” and asked if I could take his picture to be highlighted in my blog as another of my Local Heroes. Permission granted I took the picture and headed for the trail.

Over the next 90 minutes of hiking, my mind bounced back and forth between enjoying the beauty of this iconic park to thinking about Richard and the important job he performs so we may have a pleasant visitor experience.  Upon returning to my car, I noticed Richard was still fastidiously going from picnic area to picnic area picking up trash, emptying containers and installing new plastic bags all in preparation for another full day of new visitors.

I write this in hopes each of us will think about, appreciate and say “thanks” to  the hundreds, maybe millions of Richard Smiths who make our world a better and more enjoyable place to live, work and play,

Richard Smith … You are my local Hero !!!!

Now a couple of shots from the hike …

I think Bigfoot roams the Pinnacle trails … with this beauty, one can certainly understand.

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An Arkansas Treasure … and my recent visit as a Parks Commissioner

Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only diamond producing place in the world where the public can actually dig for diamonds and keep those that are found. With a long history of private ownership and attempts in the past to do commercial diamond mining, the Crater of Diamonds is now owned by the state of Arkansas and is preserved for the enjoyment. education and hope of finding the most valued gem in the world … all this right here in Murfreesboro, Arkansas.

My first visit in about 40 years …

I was hoping to find a picture of a visit some forty years ago with my family and another family of friends.  What I most remember, other than finding no diamonds, was the heat.  It was a typical Arkansas July or August summer day … probably in the upper 90’s with 90% humidity.  In spite of the weather, this anxious group of four adults and six under ten children excitedly spread out with state of the art garden tools …  each person fully expecting to be the first to scream “I found one”.  Unfortunately it didn’t work that way … however, we did make a memory.  

My only other trip, until last week, was with my two sons.  We played it a little smarter in that we made the visit when it was not quite as hot, we spent less time in the sun and we opted to bring back a bucket of processed diamond gravel to be examined at our leisure.  Once again, no diamonds … once again, made a memory.  Incidentally each visitor is still allowed to take home up to a five gallon bucket of processed gravel.

Thank you Park Interpreter, Margi Jenks, for an informative tour:

Margi is just one of a number of friendly, helpful and hospitable staff I met … starting with the wonderful young ladies at the front desk.  Margi is a Geologist that moved here from Idaho and now spends her time with educational programs and bringing smiles to the faces of the thirty of so visitors per month who actually do find a real diamond.

I plan to go back … when the weather is a bit more pleasant.

I was so impressed with the park, the museum, the staff and the fact a Water Park has been added.  I was fascinated with the history of this place, the geology of this volcanic crater and the knowledge our Arkansas Crater of Diamonds is preserved, wonderfully staffed and maintained for our citizens and visitors from all over the world.

Let’s go dig for Diamonds !!!!

(above) The Museum and Visitor Center as seen from the mine fields

Above … an early washing pan from the first mining plant

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