PRESCOTT – Area residents may have noticed something odd going on in Prescott Monday morning.
This isn’t surprising as a crew from Flux Video out of Little Rock to shoot a video of Prescott to be entered in HGTV’s Hometown Takeover contest. The winner of the contest will have the entire town made over by HGTV.
The rules are simple. Only towns with populations below 40,000 can enter. HGTV is looking for towns with homes with great architecture needing to be revealed or renovated, and a Main Street that needs a facelift. While photos are acceptable, HGTV prefers videos. The problem – the deadline for submitting an application is Feb. 7.
A committee was formed to come up with ideas for Prescott. Karen Ward wrote the narrative focusing on Prescott’s relationship with the railroad, as Judy Duke suggested the community’s history with trains be included. There are four main “whistle stops” for the video. The first is the DeAnn Cemetery, primarily the resting place of Old Mike. The second is the Broadway Hotel/Restaurant, while the third is RoRo’s She Shed. The final stop is the Depot Museum and caboose. Meredith DeWoody and Rob Hill were selected to provide the narration at all these stops.
Duke pointed out the depot was scheduled to be demolished until John Teeter and a former Prescott mayor met with officials with Union Pacific Railroad and worked out a deal allowing Prescott to purchase the building for a dollar.
James Duke built a “heart” for part of the video, while Charlene Koger helped with the painting. Dee Clark with Southern Graphics made t-shorts for the committee.
Along with the whistle stops, the narrative includes items Prescott can be proud of, including: Gov. Thomas McRae and his donating lane for a school for minority children; Gov. CC Hamby, who was an interim governor and had a law office in Prescott; Old Mike, who made a monologue on the Tonight Show in 1975 after he was buried; being home to published authors and a songwriter; the Pointer Sisters having roots in Prescott, along with NBA basketball star Sidney Moncrief; the success of the Curley Wolves; being home to the 2001 Miss Arkansas, who was also a top 10 Miss America finalist; having a top 20 finalist on American Idol in 2012; being home to El Spotro, a primitive artist; the home of Flywheel Pies; and Firestone, the world’s largest producer of rolled rubber roofing.
The video is being sponsored by the City of Prescott. Mary Godwin, EDO director, said it will cost $2,000 to have the video shot and cut, but the idea is not just to win the contest and get a makeover for Prescott, but to get business and homeowners to take a look at their businesses and homes and make changes to help the community grow and prosper.
The committee consists of: Judy Duke, curator of the Nevada County Depot and Museum, Ward, Godwin, Tammie Rose, Jamie Hillery, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce and Prescott Mayor Terry Oliver.
At noon, roughly 100 people gathered at the depot and lined up in the shape of a heart. Those gathered included students from the Prescott School District, city employees, officers with the Prescott Police Department, firefighters with the Prescott Fire Department, and other community leaders.
