If you're reading this, perhaps you also read the article in Thursday's Courier about a group forming a non-profit organization to serve children and their families with the visual and performing arts. The organization has the working name of Saline County Arts Project, led by Sarah Etters of Benton. If you frequent the Royal Theater productions, you may have seen Sarah in a play or twelve. She also led a group of kids in a theater troupe called "Theater Soup."

Right now, some folks might think Sarah's a little crazy because she's eyeballing the building in downtown Benton, on South Street, that most recently housed the public library. I believe she's going after her dream like so many of us wish to do.

This building originated as The Palace theater and has a long history. It was built in 1919. It was home to variety and burlesque shows. I also hear they showed what can only be called "films" in this family-themed column.

Finally, I had heard a story about the place being haunted. I searched and found a short blurb on the Internet about it, which quoted a librarian. The article was at www.britannica.com in a blog by George Eberhart. It said among other things, that people heard the sounds of doors slamming and a manual typewriter typing after the library had gotten rid of all their typewriters. It was also reported that books would fall from shelves and the paperback carousel would turn on its own. Spooky... But you're beginning to get an idea of why Sarah Etters thinks this is a special building and wants to use it for a special purpose.

I was looking at my tattered sunset-pink fingernail polish on the way to a social gathering with my friend Victoria. Okay, it was a Twitter.com users meetup. Yes, I am a complete geek and also a big dork, so laugh or whatever, but you're the one reading the column. Anyway, I showed Victoria my nails and smirked. She fanned hers at me and they were just as tattered, but at least she had the foresight to use a pale pink. I suggested to her that there is a psychology in your fingernail polish, and I wondered what ours said about us.

The arts come from a deep place inside people. It's the part of a person that's his or her expression alone. Painting your nails is not art. It's just applying paint. (Wow, it took me a while to get to that point.) It doesn't take skill to paint, but it takes a love of the medium to be able to express yourself clearly that way. I suppose one day, there could be a robot built to play the guitar and make it sound like the blues, but I would much rather see the gut-wrenching wince and the sweat on Stevie Ray Vaughan's face as he connects his soul to his instrument.

Sarah Etters envisions an arts district in downtown Benton, working not in competition with, but in conjunction with The Royal Theater. When children are given the opportunity to express themselves, they feel noticed. Not only that, but validated. When you see what children are made of - forget sugar, spice or puppy dog tails - you're seeing an angel of God. Are you peeping over the newspaper at your children right now and thinking that you do not see an angel? Go ask them what they would do if they could do anything at all. Every kid has a dream. Why wouldn't a child raised in Saline County, who had received theater instruction time after time at The Palace on South Street, and had performed for and with his or her family and friends there, grow up to be a person confident they could accomplish whatever their dream?

I fell in love with this project the first time Sarah mentioned it to me. The next time we talked, I ended up on the board of directors. All she had to do was ask. I was compelled to support the project in a recent meeting of the Benton Community Development Committee. Sarah spoke during most of the meeting, as this arts project was the only thing on the agenda. We were there to discuss the possibility of the City of Benton leasing The Palace for this project. Sarah told of her plans for classes, performances and gallery showings. Then about funding and renovations. Renovations - that is the hard part. A recent study put the renovation cost at about $1.5 million. Sarah has preliminary plans to have materials and labor donated, but it's still a high number to overcome. Still we push forward.

Toward the end of the meeting, City Alderman Charles Cunningham, who was presiding, kept asking if anyone had anything else to say. I finally stood and took the microphone at the front. As my first time addressing the council, it quickly occurred to me that if I had some theatrical training, the right words might come easier to me. What I do remember saying was that if you knew there was a live showing in town with kindergartners doing Shakespeare, you'd definitely want to be there to see it. A day or so later, I thought a bit about what that might sound like.

KINDERGARTNER BOY: Fair maiden, wither dost thou make tinkle?

KINDERGARTNER GIRL: Tarry not, my liege! 'Tis e'er a food fight, er, fortnight to thine potty!"