Stopping in Corsicana? Here are Jerry Watkins's Hints for Two Must-See Spots

Just south of the Dallas/Fort Worth area is Corsicana, Texas – a little town where there is plenty to do.  Here are two of the many must-see places to visit if you find yourself in Corsicana.

The Pioneer Village Historical Museum

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The Pioneer Village has 20 buildings for you to tour, including the Frontier House, the home of the town doctor that was built in the mid-1800s.  There is also a general store, blacksmith shops, a trading post, and a recreation of an old gas station.  There are many historical artifacts to look at throughout the village – early furniture, family heirlooms, the Harmon Hoodloom Wagon, and antique toys.  

 

Image Source: www.rootsweb.ancestry.com

There are also museums honoring peace officers, Native Americans, and country star Lefty Frizzell, who was born in Corsicana.  In the Peace Officer's Museum, there's even an old jail cell, as well as photos of well-known criminals who passed through the town, such as Bonnie and Clyde.

Russell Stover Store

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After you visit the Pioneer Village, make your way back to the present and enjoy some delicious treats courtesy of the Russell Stover Store.  This world-famous candy company's store sells goodies like fresh baked cookies, handmade fudge, frozen custard, coffee and espresso, and 32 flavors of Blue Bell ice cream.   

And, of course, there's candy, including hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries, gourmet caramel apples, nut clusters, and exclusive candies that you can't find anywhere else.  If you are looking for the perfect souvenir to take home you can pick out your favorite chocolates and build your own candy box.

There are many ways to spend your time in Corsicana, but if you are passing through town and only have a couple of hours to spare, visit the Pioneer Village and get some treats at the Russell Stover Store.

For more information on Corsicana, visit Jerry Watkins’s homepage.

REPOST: PPPs could bridge the gap for efficient water infrastructure roll-out

Particularly in areas with arid climatic conditions and insufficient funds for infrastructure projects, support from both the public and private sectors will prove crucial to the construction of high-quality water facilities. Read the basis for this argument below:

Image source: engineeringnews.co.za

The role of the private sector was becoming increasingly essential in the roll-out of water infrastructure and in enabling access to water, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Southern Africa senior country manager Saleem Karimjee said on Monday.

He urged governments to promote and harness private sector involvement in the water sector to enable Africa to “up its game” in supplying water to its communities.

Governments could build on the private sector’s successes and experiences and package potential water projects into public–private partnerships (PPPs), mobilising private-sector capital and skills to speed up the roll-out of infrastructure in innovative ways and sharing the risk.

Karimjee was speaking at a Water Works conference in Midrand hosted by the IFC, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to promote private-sector participation in the water sector and encourage Japanese private-sector involvement.

“PPPs play an important role in providing access to safe water and sanitation in Africa and we are ready to support Japanese firms in investing in infrastructure on the continent. Our activities in this regard are an important part of Japan’s efforts on private-sector participation in development,” Minister at the Embassy of Japan to the Republic of South Africa, Shinichi Asazuma, said.

DBSA projects preparation unit civil infrastructure specialist Mike Marler said that, while many service delivery backlogs had been dealt with, the maintenance of infrastructure, institutional capacity, lagging infrastructure development technology and deteriorating water quality remained inhibitors.

Globally, about 2.5-billion people lacked access to sanitation and at least 780-million people had no access to safe drinking water, resulting in global economic losses reaching $260-billion a year.

Africa had the “lowest rates in the world”, with only 62% of the population having access to safe drinking water and 60% access to adequate sanitation.

It was estimated that the roll-out of sufficient water infrastructure in Africa would cost about $670-billion over the next 10 to 15 years – half of which could potentially be sourced from governments’ collective fiscus.

Further, as water consumption rises, it was expected that by 2030, there would be a global water shortage of close to 40%, making it critical to fast-track water projects and bring the private sector on board.

South Africa already boasted a “highly successful” PPP team under the National Treasury, which had completed 24 PPP projects and had another 60 potential PPP projects in the pipeline, spread among a range of industries including ecotourism, municipal water services and healthcare, said National Treasury senior project adviser James Aiello.

He noted that key to successful PPP projects was capacitated, enthusiastic government officials, complemented by demonstrated, capable private-sector interest, a functional legal system and an enabling PPP framework.

IFC senior water industry specialist Jamie Jamieson and Bigen African Services divisional manager principal for water and sanitation Dr Mias van der Walt cited successful small and large-scale PPP water projects in Egypt, Uganda and South Africa.

Jamieson added that a benefit of PPP projects was that they would not be derailed during civil unrest, which usually halted government projects, as the funding was not reliant on the public purse.

Further, PPPs ensured financial discipline, enabled the appropriate tariff structure and effective billing and collection systems, as well as opening low financing and investment opportunities to the public sector through the enhanced security of partnerships and reduced risk.

Visit Watkins Construction Co., LLC.’s official website for the latest updates in the construction industry.

REPOST: Construction grows, first time in 3 years

The construction industry seems to be building up a strong foundation as they expand for the first time in the last 3 years.  The full report in this article from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Recovery in the housing market has seen the construction sector expand for the first time in more than three years.

The Australian Industry Group/Housing Industry Association Australian Performance of Construction Index (PCI) rose 6.8 points to 54.4 in October, rising above the 50-point level which separates expansion from contraction.

The construction industry has been in contraction since 2010.

Construction employment grew for the first time in 40 months in October, with businesses that raised employment indicating that the move reflected their increased workloads and expectation of sustained improvement in demand, the report said.

The return to expansion was driven by residential construction.

Apartments recorded the strongest growth, up 8.5 points to 66.2 while house building rose 3.8 points to 65.3 - the highest activity reading for those sectors in the survey’s eight-year history.

Image Source: www.smh.com.au

The report said businesses attributed the improved activity to strong levels of demand and increased tender opportunities, while house and apartment builders said owner-occupier enquiries and buyer confidence were strengthening.

‘‘The sharp lift... is a very welcome indication that we could be on the cusp of the long-awaited recovery in the construction sector,’’ Australian Industry Group public policy director Peter Burn said.

‘‘Consolidation over the next few months will show whether a sustained recovery will be built on the combination of renewed confidence and low interest rates during the first half of 2014.’’

The expansion is a milestone moment and heartening news for the construction industry, Housing Industry Association chief economist Harley Dale said.

‘‘What appears a sustained improvement in house and apartment activity and new orders is consistent with a broader recovery evident for leading indicators of new home building,’’ Dr Dale said.

‘‘Activity and new orders for houses indicate further upward momentum ahead for detached house building approvals, itself a further tick in the box for a sustained new home building recovery.’’

Located in Corsicana, Texas, Watkins Construction Co., LLC is a general contracting company specializing in various construction services. Follow this Twitter page for more details.