By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
Ground zero for the Minton family farm is on Tar Bottom Road, about three miles from England and backing up to the Department of Correction farms in Jefferson County.
But the 5,000 acres upon which Brooks Minton Sr. and his family grow rice, corn and soybeans stretch 26 miles from Altheimer
to near Lonoke.
The Mintons are the 2010 Lonoke County Farm Family of the Year.
They will join 74 other county farm families in vying for district and state recognition as the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year.
The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year will be announced Dec. 10 at a banquet at the Wyndham Riverfront in North Little Rock.
Minton, his two sons—Brooks Jr. and Greg—and his grandson Bart, with the aid of six full-time hands, keep busy year round.
This year, they’ve planted 1,500 acres of rice, 1,100 acres of corn and 2,400 acres of soybeans.
Starting with Brooks Senior’s grandfather, the family moved its farming from Tennessee to Lonoke County just about the time of the Great Depression, meaning five generations have farmed in the county.
But Brooks Senior’s grandson Bart has two daughters, neither of whom is interested in carrying on in the family business, and Bart says he’s not having any more children, meaning 31-year-old Bart may be the last of the Mintons to farm the land.
“The thing about farming—you’ve got to like it and love the land to stay with it,” the senior Minton said. “There’s not much reward in it and there’s a lot of hard work. It’s a great lifestyle that helps keep families together, and as hard as it is, it supports four families, three of them with brick homes in the big city.”
Of course, like farm families across the country now, the wives have jobs in the city to help cover expenses.
And by the big city, the Mintons mean England.
Johnnie Minton, Brooks senior’s wife, had a city job and still took care of the house on her day off, cooked and cleaned. “I fed nine men every day for two years,” at the family table she remembers.
“Now I have help,” she added.
Greg Minton says he’d have rather been a baseball player, but like so many promising young ball players, “I couldn’t hit a curve ball.”
Brooks Junior’s son Bart was just the opposite. He was sent to college and had other options, but at the end of his first semester, he says he knew he only wanted to farm.
He did get educated on the John Deere computerized GPS automated-tractor navigation system, which is crucial to their farming operation today.
Greg Minton, Brooks Minton’s younger son, says he runs through a tank of diesel in his pickup truck about every day and a half, checking on the crops and the irrigation wells.
Right now, they are pumping from 42 wells, Greg Minton said, but that’s just a part of what they have drilled.
You can’t talk about farming in Lonoke County without talking about water and weather.
“This time last year, we had to pump water off these fields,” Books Junior said.
When Brooks Senior started farming on his own in 1945, an irrigation well might be 11 feet deep, he said. Today, the wells are usually 75 to 120 feet deep, and all their crops depend on irrigation—the rice especially.
Sen. Blanche Lincoln recently announced that she had obtained $37 million of stimulus funds through the Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction on giant pumps to siphon water out of the Arkansas River and irrigate nearly 300,000 acres of farmland, most of it in Lonoke County.
The elder Minton said he looks forward to the day when they irrigate with the help of water pumped from the Arkansas River near Scott, the so-called Bayou Meto Water District project.
‘The water will come right through here,” Brooks Senior said. “Bart may see it, I won’t.”
Farming’s “a lot different than it used to be,” said Brooks Minton Jr. “The tractors are steered by satellite—John Deere and the GreenStar System.
“Set it up right and you could drive from here to Little Rock and stay within an inch of the straight line,” Greg Minton said.
With the satellite at the control and a human in the cab, the tractor will turn automatically and precisely at the end of each row, eliminating overlapping furrows and saving diesel, seed and chemicals.
Wrasslin’ a huge tractor into a turn is not an easy job, even with power steering, so the automatic satellite turns have taken most of the fatigue out of tractor operation, Greg Minton said.
“
I used to go through a dozen Tylenols a day,” he said.
The GPS-controlled tractors can also lay off perfect rows in the middle of the darkest night, he said.
“We used to grow cotton,” said Minton Senior, “but lately the price has been bad compared to the input.”
Minton says he’s seen great strides in the modernization of farming—not just irrigation, but herbicides and technical advances in equipment.
“I first irrigated in 1955 for cotton,” he said.
He started with a one-row combine. Now he has three 16-row combines. His first combine cost $6,500. The most recent one cost about $300,000—the cost of a west Little Rock home.
“We have gone to 350 acres of zero-grade rice fields,” said Greg Minton. That means water can be used more efficiently to keep weeds down. “We couldn’t farm the number of acres if not for Roundup technology,” he said.
When rice came here, it opened up a new life, he said: Rice and soybeans.
The family owns a share of a cotton gin in Gould, and they own cotton-farming equipment, which is of now used for other crops, so if the price-to-cost ratio gets better, the Mintons say they’ll be back in the business.
Meanwhile, they are building a 216,000-bushel grain dryer, which will give them a total storage and drying capacity of about 280,000 bushels, and a competitive edge.
“We can dry it cheaper than they can,” he said of the commercial storage places.
Including 81-year-old Brooks Senior, who says he can still drive a tractor or his D-6 bulldozer, three generations of Mintons get dust—or gumbo-like mud—on their boots on a daily basis, and his father and grandfather also farmed the same piece of land—well, a smaller piece—here in central Arkansas.
Tar Bottom Road is a dusty tan road—the unpaved portions—this time of year, so how was it named?
“You stick with the dirt when it’s dry, and it’ll darn sure stick with you when it’s wet,” Brooks says with relish.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
SPORTS>>Nuisances horning in on Majors, World Cup
By Todd Traub
Leader sports editor
I would be remiss as a sports editor if I did not sooner or later mention one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
The World Cup.
There, it’s mentioned. Can we get back to baseball now?
Okay, I admit to not being a big follower of soccer, but there is something about international competition that appeals to my patriotism, so I turned on the second half of the United States’ World Cup match against England televised from South Africa.
It was already tied 1-1 and almost immediately the English sportscaster dared to say England indisputably had the superior players. That got my red, white and blue blood boiling, and I began talking back to the TV from the back of my bandwagon.
“I thought you didn’t care about soccer,” my son said from behind his computer.
“I want to beat THESE guys,” I said, jabbing my finger at England.
Then I noticed this horrible buzzing sound coming from — but not caused by — my TV, and that was my introduction to the vuvuzela, South Africa’s soccer noisemaker of choice.
There is a heated, ongoing debate in this country over soccer and its entertainment value.
On the one hand, it is an internationally popular sport played with skill and endurance and full of close outcomes. On the other hand, soccer allows games to end in ties, and now it has the vuvuzela, a cheap plastic horn rooted in South African tradition
that debuted as a stadium noisemaker in 1992.
Think cicadas on too much coffee and you come close to understanding the annoyance factor of these things.
You want me to sit through a 90-minute scoreless tie? You gotta get rid of the vuvuzela, dog.
Even soccer players don’t like these things. Even South Africans don’t like these things.
I found an article about the vuvuzela, titled “Satan’s Instrument,” with the following quote from South African writer Jon Qwelane: “Nowadays, there is an instrument from hell, called the vuvuzela, which has largely formed my decision to abandon all live games and rather watch on TV, with the sound totally muted.”
The Florida Marlins should have read that article before they handed out vuvuzelas to fans for Saturday’s baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Many players complained about the constant buzzing, some wore earplugs and two older fans had to change seats because of the noise.
“That was the worst handout or giveaway I’ve ever been a part of in baseball,” Rays second baseman Dan Uggla said.
“They’re annoying,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “There’s cool things and there’s very non-cool things. That’s a non-cool thing.”
The vuvuzelas were even blamed for a lineup card mishap that might have cost the Marlins a chance to win.
With the scored tied 5-5 in the fifth, the Marlins’ Brian Barden drew a leadoff walk but home plate umpire Lance Barksdale called him out for batting out of order. Barksdale’s lineup card showed Wes Helms hitting in Barden’s spot, but Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez, who was ejected from the game, said he had explained the switch to Barksdale.
Crew chief Tom Hallion wouldn’t rule out noise from the vuvuzelas as a cause of the confusion.
“It was the most uncomfortable baseball game I’ve been a part of in a long time because of that,” Hallion said. “Whether that had anything to do with it, I don’t know but it could have.”
Maybe the vuvuzelas were responsible for soccer referee Koman Coulibaly’s blown call that cost the U.S. a victory in Friday’s match with Slovenia that ended in a 2-2 draw. The U.S. was bidding to become the first team in World Cup history to rally from a 2-0 deficit and win, and appeared to have done just that when Landon Donovan scored on a free kick, only to have the goal erased when Coulibaly said he was offsides.
So it seems soccer is plagued by bad calls as much as baseball, which is still getting over Jim Joyce’s inexplicable safe call that cost Detroit’s Armando Galarraga a perfect game earlier this month.
And it seems baseball, for better or for much, much worse, now has the vuvuzela.
The difference?
The two U.S. soccer matches I’ve paid any attention to so far both ended in ties while the Rays won 9-8 in 11 innings.
If I have to endure bad officiating and bad noisemakers, at least give me a game where someone wins in the end.
Leader sports editor
I would be remiss as a sports editor if I did not sooner or later mention one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
The World Cup.
There, it’s mentioned. Can we get back to baseball now?
Okay, I admit to not being a big follower of soccer, but there is something about international competition that appeals to my patriotism, so I turned on the second half of the United States’ World Cup match against England televised from South Africa.
It was already tied 1-1 and almost immediately the English sportscaster dared to say England indisputably had the superior players. That got my red, white and blue blood boiling, and I began talking back to the TV from the back of my bandwagon.
“I thought you didn’t care about soccer,” my son said from behind his computer.
“I want to beat THESE guys,” I said, jabbing my finger at England.
Then I noticed this horrible buzzing sound coming from — but not caused by — my TV, and that was my introduction to the vuvuzela, South Africa’s soccer noisemaker of choice.
There is a heated, ongoing debate in this country over soccer and its entertainment value.
On the one hand, it is an internationally popular sport played with skill and endurance and full of close outcomes. On the other hand, soccer allows games to end in ties, and now it has the vuvuzela, a cheap plastic horn rooted in South African tradition
that debuted as a stadium noisemaker in 1992.
Think cicadas on too much coffee and you come close to understanding the annoyance factor of these things.
You want me to sit through a 90-minute scoreless tie? You gotta get rid of the vuvuzela, dog.
Even soccer players don’t like these things. Even South Africans don’t like these things.
I found an article about the vuvuzela, titled “Satan’s Instrument,” with the following quote from South African writer Jon Qwelane: “Nowadays, there is an instrument from hell, called the vuvuzela, which has largely formed my decision to abandon all live games and rather watch on TV, with the sound totally muted.”
The Florida Marlins should have read that article before they handed out vuvuzelas to fans for Saturday’s baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Many players complained about the constant buzzing, some wore earplugs and two older fans had to change seats because of the noise.
“That was the worst handout or giveaway I’ve ever been a part of in baseball,” Rays second baseman Dan Uggla said.
“They’re annoying,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “There’s cool things and there’s very non-cool things. That’s a non-cool thing.”
The vuvuzelas were even blamed for a lineup card mishap that might have cost the Marlins a chance to win.
With the scored tied 5-5 in the fifth, the Marlins’ Brian Barden drew a leadoff walk but home plate umpire Lance Barksdale called him out for batting out of order. Barksdale’s lineup card showed Wes Helms hitting in Barden’s spot, but Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez, who was ejected from the game, said he had explained the switch to Barksdale.
Crew chief Tom Hallion wouldn’t rule out noise from the vuvuzelas as a cause of the confusion.
“It was the most uncomfortable baseball game I’ve been a part of in a long time because of that,” Hallion said. “Whether that had anything to do with it, I don’t know but it could have.”
Maybe the vuvuzelas were responsible for soccer referee Koman Coulibaly’s blown call that cost the U.S. a victory in Friday’s match with Slovenia that ended in a 2-2 draw. The U.S. was bidding to become the first team in World Cup history to rally from a 2-0 deficit and win, and appeared to have done just that when Landon Donovan scored on a free kick, only to have the goal erased when Coulibaly said he was offsides.
So it seems soccer is plagued by bad calls as much as baseball, which is still getting over Jim Joyce’s inexplicable safe call that cost Detroit’s Armando Galarraga a perfect game earlier this month.
And it seems baseball, for better or for much, much worse, now has the vuvuzela.
The difference?
The two U.S. soccer matches I’ve paid any attention to so far both ended in ties while the Rays won 9-8 in 11 innings.
If I have to endure bad officiating and bad noisemakers, at least give me a game where someone wins in the end.
SPORTS>>MSRA set for return to Beebe after rain
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The Mid South Racing Association will make another stop at Beebe Speedway on Friday.
It will be the second of three shows for the year at Beebe, a quarter-mile, sandy clay oval just off Highway 167. Batesville’s Billy Moyer, Jr., won the first MSRA race at Beebe in April over Dane Dacus of Memphis and Gary Christian.
The MSRA was in action two weeks ago with races at Malden Speedway in Missouri and Northeast Arkansas Speedway in Harrisburg.
The doubleheader put the grand total for MSRA races this year to six after rain washed out five events in the spring.
“We finally got in two shows,” MSRA series director Chris Ellis said. “They were really good races too, it was a good weekend.
The weather really got us in the spring.
“At one point, we had four races and five rainouts, but hopefully that’s behind us and we can get some more consistency.”
Dacus won at Malden while Trumann’s Kyle Beard claimed his first victory of the season at NEA Speedway. The 24-year-old known as “The Silent Assassin” also took the season points lead after that weekend.
Moyer was the early points leader after winning the first two events at Beebe and Riverside in early April. But while the MSRA weekend was under way two weeks ago, Moyer opted to race in the famed Dream 100 super late-model race at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
Moyer is beginning to make a name for himself on the national circuit after a pair of third-place finishes in the Lucas Oil series, including at the Show-Me 100. Moyer, known as “Kid Smooth”, is currently taking part in the UMP Summernationals
Hell Tour, which has 27 late-model races across the country in 30 days.
“He was ready to do that,” Ellis said. “He will come back and run some of our shows with us, but he was ready to go to the next level.”
Moyer tentatively plans to compete in the MSRA doubleheader at USA Speedway at Sterlington, La., and I-30 Speedway in Benton on Aug. 6-7.
Moyer’s absence has put Beard in position to capture his first series season-points title. Beard rose to regional prominence in 2007 when he won rookie of the year and was the points runner-up in the defunct AMP late-model series. Beard also won the
MSRA-sanctioned Mid South Dirt Track Championships held in Harrisburg that year.
Beard, who grew up racing at the Harrisburg track, also put his years of experience to good use when he claimed the most recent MSRA event in dominant fashion.
“He was in a different area code,” Ellis said. “He’s made 10 million circles around that place because his dad used to own it.
Dacus finished second there, he’s won a couple of our shows there, so he can get around that place. Bill Frye was third, and he’s good there, but Kyle just knows that place.”
The number of events on the MSRA season schedule will remain the same, but two races have changed locations.
Saturday’s race will be at Crawford County Speedway in Van Buren because of a cancellation at Southwest Arkansas Super Speedway in Nashville. Boothill Speedway in Shreveport, La., has picked up the open July 9 date originally scheduled for the recently closed track in Paris, Texas.
The Boothill date will be the first race in which the restart process is tweaked. The MSRA runs a regional double-file restart, which means the first-place car restarts out front with second and third behind in the next row, followed by fourth and fifth in the next row and so on throughout the field.
To this point, the second-place car has always been forced to restart on the inside, but will now have the choice between restarting inside or outside beginning with the Boothill race.
“They can get that strategy going now,” Ellis said. “You might have a guy out front who wants to run the outside, so you can restart on the top and force him to stay lower where he doesn’t want to race. It should make for an interesting race, and that’s all we’re really trying to do is put on the best show we can.”
Leader sportswriter
The Mid South Racing Association will make another stop at Beebe Speedway on Friday.
It will be the second of three shows for the year at Beebe, a quarter-mile, sandy clay oval just off Highway 167. Batesville’s Billy Moyer, Jr., won the first MSRA race at Beebe in April over Dane Dacus of Memphis and Gary Christian.
The MSRA was in action two weeks ago with races at Malden Speedway in Missouri and Northeast Arkansas Speedway in Harrisburg.
The doubleheader put the grand total for MSRA races this year to six after rain washed out five events in the spring.
“We finally got in two shows,” MSRA series director Chris Ellis said. “They were really good races too, it was a good weekend.
The weather really got us in the spring.
“At one point, we had four races and five rainouts, but hopefully that’s behind us and we can get some more consistency.”
Dacus won at Malden while Trumann’s Kyle Beard claimed his first victory of the season at NEA Speedway. The 24-year-old known as “The Silent Assassin” also took the season points lead after that weekend.
Moyer was the early points leader after winning the first two events at Beebe and Riverside in early April. But while the MSRA weekend was under way two weeks ago, Moyer opted to race in the famed Dream 100 super late-model race at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
Moyer is beginning to make a name for himself on the national circuit after a pair of third-place finishes in the Lucas Oil series, including at the Show-Me 100. Moyer, known as “Kid Smooth”, is currently taking part in the UMP Summernationals
Hell Tour, which has 27 late-model races across the country in 30 days.
“He was ready to do that,” Ellis said. “He will come back and run some of our shows with us, but he was ready to go to the next level.”
Moyer tentatively plans to compete in the MSRA doubleheader at USA Speedway at Sterlington, La., and I-30 Speedway in Benton on Aug. 6-7.
Moyer’s absence has put Beard in position to capture his first series season-points title. Beard rose to regional prominence in 2007 when he won rookie of the year and was the points runner-up in the defunct AMP late-model series. Beard also won the
MSRA-sanctioned Mid South Dirt Track Championships held in Harrisburg that year.
Beard, who grew up racing at the Harrisburg track, also put his years of experience to good use when he claimed the most recent MSRA event in dominant fashion.
“He was in a different area code,” Ellis said. “He’s made 10 million circles around that place because his dad used to own it.
Dacus finished second there, he’s won a couple of our shows there, so he can get around that place. Bill Frye was third, and he’s good there, but Kyle just knows that place.”
The number of events on the MSRA season schedule will remain the same, but two races have changed locations.
Saturday’s race will be at Crawford County Speedway in Van Buren because of a cancellation at Southwest Arkansas Super Speedway in Nashville. Boothill Speedway in Shreveport, La., has picked up the open July 9 date originally scheduled for the recently closed track in Paris, Texas.
The Boothill date will be the first race in which the restart process is tweaked. The MSRA runs a regional double-file restart, which means the first-place car restarts out front with second and third behind in the next row, followed by fourth and fifth in the next row and so on throughout the field.
To this point, the second-place car has always been forced to restart on the inside, but will now have the choice between restarting inside or outside beginning with the Boothill race.
“They can get that strategy going now,” Ellis said. “You might have a guy out front who wants to run the outside, so you can restart on the top and force him to stay lower where he doesn’t want to race. It should make for an interesting race, and that’s all we’re really trying to do is put on the best show we can.”
SPORTS>>Greer is family man on track
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Drivers often talk about the thrill of weekend racing — the rush of showing up at the local short track with the family, trying to conquer the dirt and win a race.
But for veteran driver Todd Greer, his family is a big part of the thrill.
Greer, who lives in Romance and bases his operation in Beebe, has raced for 22 years, mostly at Beebe Speedway.
He won track championships in the mini-stock and street-stock divisions before moving up to the modified class eight years ago.
His family-based race team consists of his brothers and 20-year-old son Justin, who also serves as crew chief.
“They get more tickled about it than I do,” Greer said. “Just watching them about to crawl the fence with excitement while I’m racing — you don’t even have to win — it means a lot.”
The Greer family has had several opportunities to get excited in the first half of the season. In six starts Greer has four top-six finishes, including a pair of third-place runs.
His best shot at a victory ended in his worst finish of the year May 28. Greer won his heat race and earned the outside pole, but his car broke down while he was lining up for the feature.
“It’s such a high and such a low at the same time,” Greer said. “You start on the pole, you break before the race ever starts. So there you go.”
The track may have its ups and downs for Greer but his personal life is stable. He and his wife Jean have been married 28 years, since Todd was 18, and while Justin is the couple’s only child, Todd’s brothers helpfill out the racing operation.
“If it wasn’t for my son and my brothers, I wouldn’t race,” Greer said. “Because they come to the shop. We spend so many hours on the old car to make it run — you can’t do it by yourself.”
As for the car, Greer’s No. 77 modified is black with yellow numbers and a red border. His paint schemes over previous years have featured more blue, but the current graphics give the car a more classic look.
Also giving the car a classic look is its age. Greer drives one of the oldest modified chassis in the central Arkansas area, older than even many of the economy-modified chassis on the local circuit.
Greer has had the chassis for six seasons and confessed to not knowing the car’s actual age.
But Greer and his family still find a way to be competitive in what can be an expensive world of open-wheel modified racing.
“We’re steadily working with it, working with it,” Greer said. “Changing shocks — if they go to modern shocks, we try to put on modern shocks, modern four bars, keep good tires on it, and that seems to get us up in the hunt a little bit.”
Greer runs a paintless, dent-repair business for his full-time job while Justin operates his own lawn-care business. Greer, who has lived in the Beebe area all his life, rides motorcycles as a hobby.
Greer and his family plan to continue racing at Beebe on Friday nights for the foreseeable future, though he has made some appearances this year at Conway County Super Speedway in Plumerville in the Butch Kee owned K1 car.
Greer admitted he sometimes gets tired of the weekly racing grind, but has ridden out those slumps for his family. He said his family is the one thing that makes it all worthwhile, but a good run certainly doesn’t hurt.
“It kind of happens in between weeks, when it’s real hot,” Greer said. “You crash the car, things don’t go too good. I could step out — just a long time doing it kind of wears on you. Then you do good, and you forget all about the burnout.”
Leader sportswriter
Drivers often talk about the thrill of weekend racing — the rush of showing up at the local short track with the family, trying to conquer the dirt and win a race.
But for veteran driver Todd Greer, his family is a big part of the thrill.
Greer, who lives in Romance and bases his operation in Beebe, has raced for 22 years, mostly at Beebe Speedway.
He won track championships in the mini-stock and street-stock divisions before moving up to the modified class eight years ago.
His family-based race team consists of his brothers and 20-year-old son Justin, who also serves as crew chief.
“They get more tickled about it than I do,” Greer said. “Just watching them about to crawl the fence with excitement while I’m racing — you don’t even have to win — it means a lot.”
The Greer family has had several opportunities to get excited in the first half of the season. In six starts Greer has four top-six finishes, including a pair of third-place runs.
His best shot at a victory ended in his worst finish of the year May 28. Greer won his heat race and earned the outside pole, but his car broke down while he was lining up for the feature.
“It’s such a high and such a low at the same time,” Greer said. “You start on the pole, you break before the race ever starts. So there you go.”
The track may have its ups and downs for Greer but his personal life is stable. He and his wife Jean have been married 28 years, since Todd was 18, and while Justin is the couple’s only child, Todd’s brothers helpfill out the racing operation.
“If it wasn’t for my son and my brothers, I wouldn’t race,” Greer said. “Because they come to the shop. We spend so many hours on the old car to make it run — you can’t do it by yourself.”
As for the car, Greer’s No. 77 modified is black with yellow numbers and a red border. His paint schemes over previous years have featured more blue, but the current graphics give the car a more classic look.
Also giving the car a classic look is its age. Greer drives one of the oldest modified chassis in the central Arkansas area, older than even many of the economy-modified chassis on the local circuit.
Greer has had the chassis for six seasons and confessed to not knowing the car’s actual age.
But Greer and his family still find a way to be competitive in what can be an expensive world of open-wheel modified racing.
“We’re steadily working with it, working with it,” Greer said. “Changing shocks — if they go to modern shocks, we try to put on modern shocks, modern four bars, keep good tires on it, and that seems to get us up in the hunt a little bit.”
Greer runs a paintless, dent-repair business for his full-time job while Justin operates his own lawn-care business. Greer, who has lived in the Beebe area all his life, rides motorcycles as a hobby.
Greer and his family plan to continue racing at Beebe on Friday nights for the foreseeable future, though he has made some appearances this year at Conway County Super Speedway in Plumerville in the Butch Kee owned K1 car.
Greer admitted he sometimes gets tired of the weekly racing grind, but has ridden out those slumps for his family. He said his family is the one thing that makes it all worthwhile, but a good run certainly doesn’t hurt.
“It kind of happens in between weeks, when it’s real hot,” Greer said. “You crash the car, things don’t go too good. I could step out — just a long time doing it kind of wears on you. Then you do good, and you forget all about the burnout.”
SPORTS>>Greer is family man on track
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Drivers often talk about the thrill of weekend racing — the rush of showing up at the local short track with the family, trying to conquer the dirt and win a race.
But for veteran driver Todd Greer, his family is a big part of the thrill.
Greer, who lives in Romance and bases his operation in Beebe, has raced for 22 years, mostly at Beebe Speedway.
He won track championships in the mini-stock and street-stock divisions before moving up to the modified class eight years ago.
His family-based race team consists of his brothers and 20-year-old son Justin, who also serves as crew chief.
“They get more tickled about it than I do,” Greer said. “Just watching them about to crawl the fence with excitement while I’m racing — you don’t even have to win — it means a lot.”
The Greer family has had several opportunities to get excited in the first half of the season. In six starts Greer has four top-six finishes, including a pair of third-place runs.
His best shot at a victory ended in his worst finish of the year May 28. Greer won his heat race and earned the outside pole, but his car broke down while he was lining up for the feature.
“It’s such a high and such a low at the same time,” Greer said. “You start on the pole, you break before the race ever starts. So there you go.”
The track may have its ups and downs for Greer but his personal life is stable. He and his wife Jean have been married 28 years, since Todd was 18, and while Justin is the couple’s only child, Todd’s brothers helpfill out the racing operation.
“If it wasn’t for my son and my brothers, I wouldn’t race,” Greer said. “Because they come to the shop. We spend so many hours on the old car to make it run — you can’t do it by yourself.”
As for the car, Greer’s No. 77 modified is black with yellow numbers and a red border. His paint schemes over previous years have featured more blue, but the current graphics give the car a more classic look.
Also giving the car a classic look is its age. Greer drives one of the oldest modified chassis in the central Arkansas area, older than even many of the economy-modified chassis on the local circuit.
Greer has had the chassis for six seasons and confessed to not knowing the car’s actual age.
But Greer and his family still find a way to be competitive in what can be an expensive world of open-wheel modified racing.
“We’re steadily working with it, working with it,” Greer said. “Changing shocks — if they go to modern shocks, we try to put on modern shocks, modern four bars, keep good tires on it, and that seems to get us up in the hunt a little bit.”
Greer runs a paintless, dent-repair business for his full-time job while Justin operates his own lawn-care business. Greer, who has lived in the Beebe area all his life, rides motorcycles as a hobby.
Greer and his family plan to continue racing at Beebe on Friday nights for the foreseeable future, though he has made some appearances this year at Conway County Super Speedway in Plumerville in the Butch Kee owned K1 car.
Greer admitted he sometimes gets tired of the weekly racing grind, but has ridden out those slumps for his family. He said his family is the one thing that makes it all worthwhile, but a good run certainly doesn’t hurt.
“It kind of happens in between weeks, when it’s real hot,” Greer said. “You crash the car, things don’t go too good. I could step out — just a long time doing it kind of wears on you. Then you do good, and you forget all about the burnout.”
Leader sportswriter
Drivers often talk about the thrill of weekend racing — the rush of showing up at the local short track with the family, trying to conquer the dirt and win a race.
But for veteran driver Todd Greer, his family is a big part of the thrill.
Greer, who lives in Romance and bases his operation in Beebe, has raced for 22 years, mostly at Beebe Speedway.
He won track championships in the mini-stock and street-stock divisions before moving up to the modified class eight years ago.
His family-based race team consists of his brothers and 20-year-old son Justin, who also serves as crew chief.
“They get more tickled about it than I do,” Greer said. “Just watching them about to crawl the fence with excitement while I’m racing — you don’t even have to win — it means a lot.”
The Greer family has had several opportunities to get excited in the first half of the season. In six starts Greer has four top-six finishes, including a pair of third-place runs.
His best shot at a victory ended in his worst finish of the year May 28. Greer won his heat race and earned the outside pole, but his car broke down while he was lining up for the feature.
“It’s such a high and such a low at the same time,” Greer said. “You start on the pole, you break before the race ever starts. So there you go.”
The track may have its ups and downs for Greer but his personal life is stable. He and his wife Jean have been married 28 years, since Todd was 18, and while Justin is the couple’s only child, Todd’s brothers helpfill out the racing operation.
“If it wasn’t for my son and my brothers, I wouldn’t race,” Greer said. “Because they come to the shop. We spend so many hours on the old car to make it run — you can’t do it by yourself.”
As for the car, Greer’s No. 77 modified is black with yellow numbers and a red border. His paint schemes over previous years have featured more blue, but the current graphics give the car a more classic look.
Also giving the car a classic look is its age. Greer drives one of the oldest modified chassis in the central Arkansas area, older than even many of the economy-modified chassis on the local circuit.
Greer has had the chassis for six seasons and confessed to not knowing the car’s actual age.
But Greer and his family still find a way to be competitive in what can be an expensive world of open-wheel modified racing.
“We’re steadily working with it, working with it,” Greer said. “Changing shocks — if they go to modern shocks, we try to put on modern shocks, modern four bars, keep good tires on it, and that seems to get us up in the hunt a little bit.”
Greer runs a paintless, dent-repair business for his full-time job while Justin operates his own lawn-care business. Greer, who has lived in the Beebe area all his life, rides motorcycles as a hobby.
Greer and his family plan to continue racing at Beebe on Friday nights for the foreseeable future, though he has made some appearances this year at Conway County Super Speedway in Plumerville in the Butch Kee owned K1 car.
Greer admitted he sometimes gets tired of the weekly racing grind, but has ridden out those slumps for his family. He said his family is the one thing that makes it all worthwhile, but a good run certainly doesn’t hurt.
“It kind of happens in between weeks, when it’s real hot,” Greer said. “You crash the car, things don’t go too good. I could step out — just a long time doing it kind of wears on you. Then you do good, and you forget all about the burnout.”
SPORTS>>Local shines in shootout
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Local drivers dominated the racing card at Beebe Speedway on Friday night.
The factory-stock A-main feature came down to a trio of hometown drivers, while Cabot’s Mike Millwood took his third straight victory in the mini-stock feature.
Another Beebe driver came up big in the E-mod feature when Tommy Burkhead, one of few drivers able to keep his nose clean, won his first feature race of the year. Searcy’s Gage Raines won the hobby feature.
E-mods and turns one and two added up to disaster, as the economy feature came down to a one-lap shootout after six failed attempts to start the race.
Beebe’s Blake Jones and Searcy’s Lane Cullum started on the front row after winning the first and second heats. Jones had a lot to gain from his starting spot after points leader Robert Woodard broke down in the heats and was a no-show for the feature.
There were three attempts at an initial start, but the drivers couldn’t complete a full lap without a wreck. That made the next restart single-file, which ended with another caution on lap two.
Jones jumped out to the lead on the initial start, but a caution when Kyle Russell’s car stalled to bring out the yellow caution flag and force another double-file start. Cullum took the advantage on the first complete restart, but that was negated whenTodd Joslin’s No. 81 car stopped on the backstretch.
The complexion of the race changed completely on the next complete restart when Jones and Cullum made contact and spun in turn one. Both cars were able to continue but went to the back of the line on the single-file restart.
That moved Jay Jenkins to the point with Burkhead behind him in second. Burkhead was able to execute a pass for the lead on the first lap of the restart before the yellow flag waved again on the next circuit, this time for a three-car incident involving Kelton Sanders, Jerry McIntire and Doyle Ainsworth.
Burkhead drove conservatively once he took the lead, as Beebe driver Ryan Redmond worked past Jenkins for second on the next restart. The sixth caution came out on the third lap when fourth-place runner Chris Dollarhide spun in turn three.
Instead of waving a green-white-checkered flag to finish, flagman Gary Stephens showed his disgust with the field by waving the white flag to begin the final restart, reducing the race to a one-lap shootout.
Redman challenged Burkhead on the final lap, but Burkhead kept his black 2B machine in the middle of the track to hold his line and prevent Redman from building momentum. Cullum worked his way through the mess to a thirdplace finish, while
Jones’ night went from bad to worse when his F3 car came to a stop on the backstretch on the final lap.
Jenkins fell to fourth in the final rundown while Joey Gee completed the top five.
Curtis “Hollywood” Cook won the modified feature after starting seventh in the nine-car field.
Veteran Mike Bowers started from the pole but shut down entering turn one on lap two to bring out the caution flag. Bowers went to the pits and came back on, but pulled into the infield mid-way through the race as the only retiree.
Robert Baker assumed the lead for the restart, but soon faced a challenge from Beebe’s Jody Jackson. Jackson made his way around Donnie Stingfellow on the restart and took the lead from Baker on lap four.
Cook was right in Jackson’s tracks until he looked inside of the leader on the eighth circuit. Jackson’s line prevented Cook from making a move inside, so the driver of the No. 601 car moved up top and took the lead on the next lap.
Points leader Randy Weaver made his way up to second with four to go when he gave Jackson a nudge out of turn four, but Cook had already pulled out to a straightaway lead by that time.
Jackson held on for third while early leader Baker had to settle for fourth. Romance’s Todd Greer completed the top five.
Gage Raines dominated the hobby feature to take a flag-to-flag victory ahead of Jacksonville’s Todd Sherrill and Dan Blanchard, while Beebe’s Ricky Wilhite won the factory feature when early frontrunners Larry Wise and Jacob Kurtz, also of
Beebe, made contact entering turn one and spun out.
Danny Garringer had a quiet second-place run while Wise recovered and finished third.
Mike Millwood has gone from sentimental favorite to class dominator in the mini-stocks. Millwood earned fast qualifier in the heats and never looked back from his top starting spot in the feature. Beebe’s Jim Atcheson briefly challenged for the lead, but Millwood pulled away for his third-straight victory ahead of Atcheson and Paul Shackleford. Millwood also won in Plumerville on Saturday.
Lynn McDonald won Friday’s powder-puff race.
Leader sportswriter
Local drivers dominated the racing card at Beebe Speedway on Friday night.
The factory-stock A-main feature came down to a trio of hometown drivers, while Cabot’s Mike Millwood took his third straight victory in the mini-stock feature.
Another Beebe driver came up big in the E-mod feature when Tommy Burkhead, one of few drivers able to keep his nose clean, won his first feature race of the year. Searcy’s Gage Raines won the hobby feature.
E-mods and turns one and two added up to disaster, as the economy feature came down to a one-lap shootout after six failed attempts to start the race.
Beebe’s Blake Jones and Searcy’s Lane Cullum started on the front row after winning the first and second heats. Jones had a lot to gain from his starting spot after points leader Robert Woodard broke down in the heats and was a no-show for the feature.
There were three attempts at an initial start, but the drivers couldn’t complete a full lap without a wreck. That made the next restart single-file, which ended with another caution on lap two.
Jones jumped out to the lead on the initial start, but a caution when Kyle Russell’s car stalled to bring out the yellow caution flag and force another double-file start. Cullum took the advantage on the first complete restart, but that was negated whenTodd Joslin’s No. 81 car stopped on the backstretch.
The complexion of the race changed completely on the next complete restart when Jones and Cullum made contact and spun in turn one. Both cars were able to continue but went to the back of the line on the single-file restart.
That moved Jay Jenkins to the point with Burkhead behind him in second. Burkhead was able to execute a pass for the lead on the first lap of the restart before the yellow flag waved again on the next circuit, this time for a three-car incident involving Kelton Sanders, Jerry McIntire and Doyle Ainsworth.
Burkhead drove conservatively once he took the lead, as Beebe driver Ryan Redmond worked past Jenkins for second on the next restart. The sixth caution came out on the third lap when fourth-place runner Chris Dollarhide spun in turn three.
Instead of waving a green-white-checkered flag to finish, flagman Gary Stephens showed his disgust with the field by waving the white flag to begin the final restart, reducing the race to a one-lap shootout.
Redman challenged Burkhead on the final lap, but Burkhead kept his black 2B machine in the middle of the track to hold his line and prevent Redman from building momentum. Cullum worked his way through the mess to a thirdplace finish, while
Jones’ night went from bad to worse when his F3 car came to a stop on the backstretch on the final lap.
Jenkins fell to fourth in the final rundown while Joey Gee completed the top five.
Curtis “Hollywood” Cook won the modified feature after starting seventh in the nine-car field.
Veteran Mike Bowers started from the pole but shut down entering turn one on lap two to bring out the caution flag. Bowers went to the pits and came back on, but pulled into the infield mid-way through the race as the only retiree.
Robert Baker assumed the lead for the restart, but soon faced a challenge from Beebe’s Jody Jackson. Jackson made his way around Donnie Stingfellow on the restart and took the lead from Baker on lap four.
Cook was right in Jackson’s tracks until he looked inside of the leader on the eighth circuit. Jackson’s line prevented Cook from making a move inside, so the driver of the No. 601 car moved up top and took the lead on the next lap.
Points leader Randy Weaver made his way up to second with four to go when he gave Jackson a nudge out of turn four, but Cook had already pulled out to a straightaway lead by that time.
Jackson held on for third while early leader Baker had to settle for fourth. Romance’s Todd Greer completed the top five.
Gage Raines dominated the hobby feature to take a flag-to-flag victory ahead of Jacksonville’s Todd Sherrill and Dan Blanchard, while Beebe’s Ricky Wilhite won the factory feature when early frontrunners Larry Wise and Jacob Kurtz, also of
Beebe, made contact entering turn one and spun out.
Danny Garringer had a quiet second-place run while Wise recovered and finished third.
Mike Millwood has gone from sentimental favorite to class dominator in the mini-stocks. Millwood earned fast qualifier in the heats and never looked back from his top starting spot in the feature. Beebe’s Jim Atcheson briefly challenged for the lead, but Millwood pulled away for his third-straight victory ahead of Atcheson and Paul Shackleford. Millwood also won in Plumerville on Saturday.
Lynn McDonald won Friday’s powder-puff race.
SPORTS>>Whatley departs Devils for Bulldogs
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Mark Whatley is stepping down as head football coach at Jacksonville High School.
Whatley announced this week he is leaving the Red Devils to sign on as offensive coordinator at Springdale High School under new head coach Shane Patrick.
Whatley’s departure adds to a list of coaching vacancies at Jacksonville, but he is the only boys coach in the group.
Whatley is leaving more than just a coaching job. Jacksonville High School is also Whatley’s alma mater, where he was a part of the Red Devils’ most recent state championship football team in 1981.
“The toughest thing is to leave your home town, and young people that you care about,” Whatley said. “There are a lot of kids I’m going to miss, but I had an opportunity to make a move to a place that’s special in athletics and special in academics. It’s tough to do, but sometimes you have to do what’s best for your family, and I feel like this is what’s best.”
Whatley, who took over for longtime Jacksonville coach Johnny Watson following the 2004 season, led the Red Devils to three state playoff appearances in 2005, 2006 — when they won a share of the 6A-East Conference championship — and 2008.
Whatley is 23-31 in five years at Jacksonville and 114-105-2 overall.
“He gave me the courtesy and respect to let me know what was going on,” Jacksonville athletic director Jerry Wilson said. “I respect him for that. It’s obviously a loss for us and a gain for them.”
At Springdale, Whatley will join Patrick, who was head coach at 6A-East member Mountain Home for seven years. Patrick, who led the Bombers to a state championship in 2006, got the job at Springdale in January after former coach Kevin Johnson stepped down because of health issues.
Whatley spoke with Patrick last week and met with the Springdale administration before accepting the offer.
Patrick and Whatley will attempt to return tradition to a Springdale program that was dominant in the first half of the decade.
The Bulldogs captured national attention in 2005 with quarterback Mitch Mustain and coach Gus Malzahn, now offensive coordinator at Auburn.
The Bulldogs mercy ruled every opponent that season and went 14-0 on their way to a AAAAA state championship.
But the Johnson regime was not as successful. In four seasons, Johnson coached Springdale to a 19-22 record with first-round playoff exits in 2008 and 2009.
With just over a month before football practice begins in August, Wilson said Jacksonville will have to move quickly to find Whatley’s replacement, but said it was good timing on Whatley’s part to announce his departure at the start of a two-week athletic dead period.
“He sort of helped me out and gave me the heads up,” Wilson said. “He was very up front about the whole process. He was real professional, and I appreciate that.
“I don’t want to say it will be a quick process with a 10-day posting period, but I will say it won’t be drawn out but won’t be overnight either.”
Once Whatley hands over an official letter of resignation, the Pulaski County Special School District will post the vacancy and give those interested 10 days to apply. Wilson said none of the current members of the football staff had so far expressed interest in being promoted, but also said he expected to hear from some of them.
“I’ve given Jacksonville everything I had,” Whatley said. “I tried to do what was best for the kids and the program. I tried to be fair with the way I dealt with the situation, and I hope they feel the same way.”
Leader sportswriter
Mark Whatley is stepping down as head football coach at Jacksonville High School.
Whatley announced this week he is leaving the Red Devils to sign on as offensive coordinator at Springdale High School under new head coach Shane Patrick.
Whatley’s departure adds to a list of coaching vacancies at Jacksonville, but he is the only boys coach in the group.
Whatley is leaving more than just a coaching job. Jacksonville High School is also Whatley’s alma mater, where he was a part of the Red Devils’ most recent state championship football team in 1981.
“The toughest thing is to leave your home town, and young people that you care about,” Whatley said. “There are a lot of kids I’m going to miss, but I had an opportunity to make a move to a place that’s special in athletics and special in academics. It’s tough to do, but sometimes you have to do what’s best for your family, and I feel like this is what’s best.”
Whatley, who took over for longtime Jacksonville coach Johnny Watson following the 2004 season, led the Red Devils to three state playoff appearances in 2005, 2006 — when they won a share of the 6A-East Conference championship — and 2008.
Whatley is 23-31 in five years at Jacksonville and 114-105-2 overall.
“He gave me the courtesy and respect to let me know what was going on,” Jacksonville athletic director Jerry Wilson said. “I respect him for that. It’s obviously a loss for us and a gain for them.”
At Springdale, Whatley will join Patrick, who was head coach at 6A-East member Mountain Home for seven years. Patrick, who led the Bombers to a state championship in 2006, got the job at Springdale in January after former coach Kevin Johnson stepped down because of health issues.
Whatley spoke with Patrick last week and met with the Springdale administration before accepting the offer.
Patrick and Whatley will attempt to return tradition to a Springdale program that was dominant in the first half of the decade.
The Bulldogs captured national attention in 2005 with quarterback Mitch Mustain and coach Gus Malzahn, now offensive coordinator at Auburn.
The Bulldogs mercy ruled every opponent that season and went 14-0 on their way to a AAAAA state championship.
But the Johnson regime was not as successful. In four seasons, Johnson coached Springdale to a 19-22 record with first-round playoff exits in 2008 and 2009.
With just over a month before football practice begins in August, Wilson said Jacksonville will have to move quickly to find Whatley’s replacement, but said it was good timing on Whatley’s part to announce his departure at the start of a two-week athletic dead period.
“He sort of helped me out and gave me the heads up,” Wilson said. “He was very up front about the whole process. He was real professional, and I appreciate that.
“I don’t want to say it will be a quick process with a 10-day posting period, but I will say it won’t be drawn out but won’t be overnight either.”
Once Whatley hands over an official letter of resignation, the Pulaski County Special School District will post the vacancy and give those interested 10 days to apply. Wilson said none of the current members of the football staff had so far expressed interest in being promoted, but also said he expected to hear from some of them.
“I’ve given Jacksonville everything I had,” Whatley said. “I tried to do what was best for the kids and the program. I tried to be fair with the way I dealt with the situation, and I hope they feel the same way.”
Friday, June 18, 2010
SPORTS>>Barron developing game, leadership for upcoming year
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The adjustment process at North Pulaski is ongoing.
The Falcons had to adjust to a new head coach in former Jacksonville High School defensive coordinator Rick Russell before the 2009 season, and now, in Russell’s second year, they will be adjusting to a new offense.
North Pulaski is moving from the run-based Wing-T to a full-blown passing offense in the Spread.
That puts quarterback Shyheim Barron in the eye of the storm, but the 6-0, 175-pound junior says he is up to the task, and his coach agrees.
“Last year we had a running philosophy,” Russell said. “This season, we’re going to go to the spread offense and throwing. And he can run it and he can throw it. I’m pleased with where he’s at right now.”
Barron earned the starting job last year and quickly established himself as a dual threat.
“I like to pass and run, and we have some good receivers, so I’ll try to get them the ball,” Barron said. “We do a lot of running.
Our passing, if I don’t have it, I’ll run.”
Barron and the Falcons began the switch to a more pass-based style in the spring, and are now part of an informal, four-team, 7-on-7 summer league played on selected Wednesdays at Cabot’s Panther Stadium.
The league, which concludes play in July, gives North Pulaski four weeks to face different defenses. The Falcons are also keeping fit in the weight room as August two-a-days draw near.
“It’s been going good,” Barron said. “We’ve been getting a lot of practice in and getting in shape, getting stronger. Coach has us on the weights every day.
“We’ve got some new linemen in, so we might have a chance to get some wins and get to the playoffs.”
Barron reeled off a number of accurate passes in the Falcons’ opening 7-on-7 game against Hazen at Panther Stadium on Wednesday. But most of those well-placed spirals were dropped, and the productivity of North Pulaski’s offense deteriorated as the night went on.
“Shyheim threw some good balls early,” Russell said. “He got a little frustrated when they didn’t catch them, and then he started forcing some things. We’re going to the spread, and this summer was for him to learn coverages. He’s developing each and every week.”
Barron performed well in his sophomore season, but his youth was a disadvantage when it came to providing leadership on the field. Now that he has spent a year as a starter and has improved confidence, Barron’s leadership should be significantly improved, Russell said.
Wednesday was a test of Barron’s resolve and composure after a number of early passes for potentially good yardage were bobbled.
“His performance tonight was based on the missed balls early,” Russell said. “A lot of them should have been caught. If they had been caught, it would probably have been a totally different attitude after the night was done.”
Although 7-on-7 is regarded as mostly a practice-type situation, Russell said lessons could be learned just as easily as when the high school season starts.
“If that happens on a Friday night, you’ve got to be able to go to the next play,” Russell said. “You’ve got to have a short memory. And that’s what he got out of tonight. There’s going to be games where those receivers make him look like a superstar. Then there’s going to be those games where early, it’s not going to be there. Tonight was a real good thing for him.”
The Falcons will play at Cabot two more times in early July before daily fall practices begin in August. But the process of adjustment and improvement for Barron will be non-stop.
“I’m going to work out and get my arm stronger,” Barron said. “I work out every day, and I play basketball during the summer too.”
Leader sportswriter
The adjustment process at North Pulaski is ongoing.
The Falcons had to adjust to a new head coach in former Jacksonville High School defensive coordinator Rick Russell before the 2009 season, and now, in Russell’s second year, they will be adjusting to a new offense.
North Pulaski is moving from the run-based Wing-T to a full-blown passing offense in the Spread.
That puts quarterback Shyheim Barron in the eye of the storm, but the 6-0, 175-pound junior says he is up to the task, and his coach agrees.
“Last year we had a running philosophy,” Russell said. “This season, we’re going to go to the spread offense and throwing. And he can run it and he can throw it. I’m pleased with where he’s at right now.”
Barron earned the starting job last year and quickly established himself as a dual threat.
“I like to pass and run, and we have some good receivers, so I’ll try to get them the ball,” Barron said. “We do a lot of running.
Our passing, if I don’t have it, I’ll run.”
Barron and the Falcons began the switch to a more pass-based style in the spring, and are now part of an informal, four-team, 7-on-7 summer league played on selected Wednesdays at Cabot’s Panther Stadium.
The league, which concludes play in July, gives North Pulaski four weeks to face different defenses. The Falcons are also keeping fit in the weight room as August two-a-days draw near.
“It’s been going good,” Barron said. “We’ve been getting a lot of practice in and getting in shape, getting stronger. Coach has us on the weights every day.
“We’ve got some new linemen in, so we might have a chance to get some wins and get to the playoffs.”
Barron reeled off a number of accurate passes in the Falcons’ opening 7-on-7 game against Hazen at Panther Stadium on Wednesday. But most of those well-placed spirals were dropped, and the productivity of North Pulaski’s offense deteriorated as the night went on.
“Shyheim threw some good balls early,” Russell said. “He got a little frustrated when they didn’t catch them, and then he started forcing some things. We’re going to the spread, and this summer was for him to learn coverages. He’s developing each and every week.”
Barron performed well in his sophomore season, but his youth was a disadvantage when it came to providing leadership on the field. Now that he has spent a year as a starter and has improved confidence, Barron’s leadership should be significantly improved, Russell said.
Wednesday was a test of Barron’s resolve and composure after a number of early passes for potentially good yardage were bobbled.
“His performance tonight was based on the missed balls early,” Russell said. “A lot of them should have been caught. If they had been caught, it would probably have been a totally different attitude after the night was done.”
Although 7-on-7 is regarded as mostly a practice-type situation, Russell said lessons could be learned just as easily as when the high school season starts.
“If that happens on a Friday night, you’ve got to be able to go to the next play,” Russell said. “You’ve got to have a short memory. And that’s what he got out of tonight. There’s going to be games where those receivers make him look like a superstar. Then there’s going to be those games where early, it’s not going to be there. Tonight was a real good thing for him.”
The Falcons will play at Cabot two more times in early July before daily fall practices begin in August. But the process of adjustment and improvement for Barron will be non-stop.
“I’m going to work out and get my arm stronger,” Barron said. “I work out every day, and I play basketball during the summer too.”
SPORTS>>Veteran pro played Hogan, still active
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
When his all-expenses-paid government vacation ended, Tom Hanson had just about had his fill of the great outdoors.
Just about.
Hanson, 81, is still helping out at the revamped Greens of North Hills Golf Course in Sherwood, where he was head pro from 1962-1985. Hanson is as happy on a golf course as the day he left the U.S. Army and 21 miserable months in the field in the early 1950s.
“After that, the only outdoors I liked were on a golf course,” Hanson said. “They talk about camping and fishing and hunting and I was like ‘No thanks, I’ve been through that.’ ”
Hanson assists his one-time apprentice Dawn Darter, who hasreturned to the now-public North Hills as head pro. It’s a way for Hanson to stay connected to the game he has loved since his amateur success in pre-WWII Kansas.
Hanson was born in Emporia, Kan., and began caddying in Wichita in 1940.
He said a golfer’s education came primarily through caddy training programs, which allowed the young men to play on Mondays but also taught them the rules and etiquette they would need when working for their 75-cent fees the rest of the week.
“If you knocked yourself out and didn’t lose a ball you might get a dime tip,” said Hanson who worked his way up through a pool of 60 or so “boys,” many of them grown family men and veteran, first-list caddies.
The war soon siphoned off the military-aged men and gave Hanson a chance to earn money.
He also recalled a 1944 exhibition by the legendary Byron Nelson, who paid a princely $50 for a dozen pre-war Spalding Dot balls, whose production had been suspended for the war effort.
For perspective, the suggested retail price of a dozen of today’s Titleist Pro V1 balls is approximately $50.
Hanson won the Kansas high school championship in 1945, played in the men’s state amateur in Salinas in 1946 and won the state caddy tournament that year. He played a year at Wichita State and then embraced the life of a club pro when he began assisting head pro Gene O’Brien at Wichita’s Rolling Hills Country Club in the spring of 1948.
Hanson remembers O’Brien for his teaching ability and people skills.
“One of the best club professionals there ever was,” Hanson said.
Hanson’s stay at Rolling Hills ended in November 1950 thanks to the U.S. government.
“I worked with Gene for about two years and then Uncle Sam invited me to spend two years with them and I graciously consented,” Hanson said.
The Korean War had been under way since June, but Hanson took his chances in the draft in November and two years in the Army rather than volunteering for three years in the Air Force.
The Army assigned him to a topographic engineer battalion and Hanson spent 21 of his 24 months outdoors dealing with map-plotting problems and, for one summer, Alaska’s Jeep-swallowing mud and clouds of mosquitoes.
Yet Hanson knew he was lucky not to be in Korea. A bout with the measles put him in an Army hospital in San Francisco in 1951, and Hanson saw hundreds of war casualties, many of them frostbite victims.
“These boys had all lost either one or both feet to frostbite,” Hanson said. “It was a very sobering experience there and again I was extremely lucky to get by like I did.”
Hanson returned to Rolling Hills after the service and on July 13, 1954, he teamed with O’Brien in an exhibition to play PGA legend Ben Hogan and Roland Harper, one of Hanson’s former high school opponents and an assistant pro.
The four teed off in 114-degree heat before a crowd of 1,500, and 18 holes later Hanson and O’Brien finished 8 under, two strokes better than Hogan and Harper.
“We tried for a month to get a bet and they just laughed at us,” Hanson said.
However, Hogan — coming off his Masters, U.S. and British Open victories of 1953 — didn’t disappoint as he shot an individual 5-under 67 to flirt with the course record.
Hanson thought about becoming a touring pro but didn’t think he could find the financial backing. After working at or operating courses in Oklahoma, he arrived in Arkansas in 1962 as head pro at North Hills Country Club.
He started a popular pro-am, then became head pro at Pleasant Valley in Little Rock from 1985-92. Hanson has since bounced around teaching and giving lessons, and he was happy to return to North Hills to do whatever he can to help out Darter.
“I’m in awe of that girl. I just stay out of her way,” Hanson said.
Hanson gives lessons, supervises the volunteer starters and still tries to provide the quality care he learned from O’Brien.
“You give them a little service, you take care of them and give them a smile,” Hanson said.
Leader sports editor
When his all-expenses-paid government vacation ended, Tom Hanson had just about had his fill of the great outdoors.
Just about.
Hanson, 81, is still helping out at the revamped Greens of North Hills Golf Course in Sherwood, where he was head pro from 1962-1985. Hanson is as happy on a golf course as the day he left the U.S. Army and 21 miserable months in the field in the early 1950s.
“After that, the only outdoors I liked were on a golf course,” Hanson said. “They talk about camping and fishing and hunting and I was like ‘No thanks, I’ve been through that.’ ”
Hanson assists his one-time apprentice Dawn Darter, who hasreturned to the now-public North Hills as head pro. It’s a way for Hanson to stay connected to the game he has loved since his amateur success in pre-WWII Kansas.
Hanson was born in Emporia, Kan., and began caddying in Wichita in 1940.
He said a golfer’s education came primarily through caddy training programs, which allowed the young men to play on Mondays but also taught them the rules and etiquette they would need when working for their 75-cent fees the rest of the week.
“If you knocked yourself out and didn’t lose a ball you might get a dime tip,” said Hanson who worked his way up through a pool of 60 or so “boys,” many of them grown family men and veteran, first-list caddies.
The war soon siphoned off the military-aged men and gave Hanson a chance to earn money.
He also recalled a 1944 exhibition by the legendary Byron Nelson, who paid a princely $50 for a dozen pre-war Spalding Dot balls, whose production had been suspended for the war effort.
For perspective, the suggested retail price of a dozen of today’s Titleist Pro V1 balls is approximately $50.
Hanson won the Kansas high school championship in 1945, played in the men’s state amateur in Salinas in 1946 and won the state caddy tournament that year. He played a year at Wichita State and then embraced the life of a club pro when he began assisting head pro Gene O’Brien at Wichita’s Rolling Hills Country Club in the spring of 1948.
Hanson remembers O’Brien for his teaching ability and people skills.
“One of the best club professionals there ever was,” Hanson said.
Hanson’s stay at Rolling Hills ended in November 1950 thanks to the U.S. government.
“I worked with Gene for about two years and then Uncle Sam invited me to spend two years with them and I graciously consented,” Hanson said.
The Korean War had been under way since June, but Hanson took his chances in the draft in November and two years in the Army rather than volunteering for three years in the Air Force.
The Army assigned him to a topographic engineer battalion and Hanson spent 21 of his 24 months outdoors dealing with map-plotting problems and, for one summer, Alaska’s Jeep-swallowing mud and clouds of mosquitoes.
Yet Hanson knew he was lucky not to be in Korea. A bout with the measles put him in an Army hospital in San Francisco in 1951, and Hanson saw hundreds of war casualties, many of them frostbite victims.
“These boys had all lost either one or both feet to frostbite,” Hanson said. “It was a very sobering experience there and again I was extremely lucky to get by like I did.”
Hanson returned to Rolling Hills after the service and on July 13, 1954, he teamed with O’Brien in an exhibition to play PGA legend Ben Hogan and Roland Harper, one of Hanson’s former high school opponents and an assistant pro.
The four teed off in 114-degree heat before a crowd of 1,500, and 18 holes later Hanson and O’Brien finished 8 under, two strokes better than Hogan and Harper.
“We tried for a month to get a bet and they just laughed at us,” Hanson said.
However, Hogan — coming off his Masters, U.S. and British Open victories of 1953 — didn’t disappoint as he shot an individual 5-under 67 to flirt with the course record.
Hanson thought about becoming a touring pro but didn’t think he could find the financial backing. After working at or operating courses in Oklahoma, he arrived in Arkansas in 1962 as head pro at North Hills Country Club.
He started a popular pro-am, then became head pro at Pleasant Valley in Little Rock from 1985-92. Hanson has since bounced around teaching and giving lessons, and he was happy to return to North Hills to do whatever he can to help out Darter.
“I’m in awe of that girl. I just stay out of her way,” Hanson said.
Hanson gives lessons, supervises the volunteer starters and still tries to provide the quality care he learned from O’Brien.
“You give them a little service, you take care of them and give them a smile,” Hanson said.
SPORTS>>Darter back at North Hills
By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
Dawn Darter isn’t just at home on the golf course. The course is her childhood home.
Darter, 50, has returned to the course where she grew up, Sherwood’s newly renovated The Greens at North Hills, to serve as the course pro.
Darter’s childhood home, where her parents Dawn and Gene Barlow still live, is on hole No. 6, and the former country club, which officially reopened as a public course May 29, is where Darter developed her game and apprenticed as a club pro under veteran Tom Hanson in the early 1980s.
“I just played every day,” said Darter, a 1977 graduate of Mount St. Mary, in Little Rock, and a three-time Arkansas high school state champion.
Darter’s warm feelings toward The Greens at North Hills stem not only from her upbringing on the course but from the warm reception she got from the mostly male golfers around her.
“They all embraced me as one of their own,” Darter said. “It was very nice. To this day they’re all my good friends.”
Darter was a medalist in the state women’s amateur at age 15-16 and earned a golf scholarship to the University of Oklahoma
as the school’s first out-of-state athlete to participate under Title IX.
As part of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Title IX banned sex discrimination in athletics and academics at schools receiving federal funds.
“I saw opportunities as a golfer,” Darter said. “If I wanted to play sports for a living, I had an avenue.”
Darter worked at being a touring pro after college, until she was 21.
“There wasn’t enough money out there to chase and I didn’t want to wake up later and see that I wasted 20 years of my life,” Darter said.
So Darter married her love of golf with the life of the club pro and apprenticed under Hanson, a one-time standout junior golfer in Kansas and a veteran of North Hills himself.
“Tommy was a great role model,” Darter said.
Darter learned aspects of course management that included operation of the pro shop, merchandising, assigning carts, giving lessons and the oh-so-important scheduling of tee times that keeps play from bogging down.
Darter left North Hills to become head pro at Jacksonville’s Foxwood Country Club from 1982-85, then she moved on to Blytheville before taking the pro job at Black Mountain Golf and Country Club in Henderson, Nev.
From 2004 until February, Darter was the director of golf at Wild Horse Golf Club, which she opened as Henderson’s first municipal course on which players averaged between 60and 65,000 rounds a year.
But Darter had always been interested in her old home course in Sherwood, even when the facility was closed for three years.
Darter said she tried to let people in Sherwood know she was interested in North Hills and didn’t want to see the place fall into decay and disrepair.
So when plans were set in motion to renovate and reopen the 106-acre North Hills Country Club at a cost of $7 million, which included overcoming several legal hurdles, Darter left the dry heat of Nevada for the humidity of her native Arkansas.
“This property holds a lot of sentimental value to me,” Darter said. “This is the only property I would have left Nevada for.”
Darter isn’t the only person enjoying a homecoming at The Greens at North Hills.
Hanson, who at 81 assists Darter any way he can, is the former club pro and Mandel Brockington, who worked there as a teenager, is the golf superintendent.
“We’re not just looking for money,” Darter said. “We’re not just looking for paid greens fees. We’re looking for people to play golf.”
With the course opening in late spring during peak golfing weather, The Greens at North Hills had some catching up to do.
Darter initially spent 15-hour days on her duties and staff training.
Darter said the course is averaging 100 golfers a day and she would be happy if, with the late start, it could finish the year with 28,000 rounds played.
“This is where we set our trends,” Darter said.
The Greens at North Hills is a public course, like the one Darter left in Nevada, and while it offers rental space for receptions and meetings, there is no longer a pool or tennis courts. However. the objective is to enhance the public-course, golf experience with certain country club-style amenities.
Golfers are met in the parking lot and have their bags carried to the cart area, a full-service bar and restaurant sit next to the pro shop and the course requires tee times seven days a week and allows no individual play.
Darter said the tee times are especially important in maintaining the PGA-rated course’s pace of play at four hours and 15 minutes for 18 holes. Also, Darter’s staff pairs lone golfers with twosomes or threesomes to avoid slow play.
“You’ve got to look at a golf course as a highway,” Darter said.
“Traffic backs up. The car- pool lane moves because there are more people in the car,” she added.
There is another benefit to pairing off stray golfers, Darter said.
It’s one of the reasons she has loved the game since she took it up at age 5.
“It’s a social game,” she said. “It’s a game for all ages. You can pair the youngest guy with the oldest guy and they’ll have a great time.”
Leader sports editor
Dawn Darter isn’t just at home on the golf course. The course is her childhood home.
Darter, 50, has returned to the course where she grew up, Sherwood’s newly renovated The Greens at North Hills, to serve as the course pro.
Darter’s childhood home, where her parents Dawn and Gene Barlow still live, is on hole No. 6, and the former country club, which officially reopened as a public course May 29, is where Darter developed her game and apprenticed as a club pro under veteran Tom Hanson in the early 1980s.
“I just played every day,” said Darter, a 1977 graduate of Mount St. Mary, in Little Rock, and a three-time Arkansas high school state champion.
Darter’s warm feelings toward The Greens at North Hills stem not only from her upbringing on the course but from the warm reception she got from the mostly male golfers around her.
“They all embraced me as one of their own,” Darter said. “It was very nice. To this day they’re all my good friends.”
Darter was a medalist in the state women’s amateur at age 15-16 and earned a golf scholarship to the University of Oklahoma
as the school’s first out-of-state athlete to participate under Title IX.
As part of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Title IX banned sex discrimination in athletics and academics at schools receiving federal funds.
“I saw opportunities as a golfer,” Darter said. “If I wanted to play sports for a living, I had an avenue.”
Darter worked at being a touring pro after college, until she was 21.
“There wasn’t enough money out there to chase and I didn’t want to wake up later and see that I wasted 20 years of my life,” Darter said.
So Darter married her love of golf with the life of the club pro and apprenticed under Hanson, a one-time standout junior golfer in Kansas and a veteran of North Hills himself.
“Tommy was a great role model,” Darter said.
Darter learned aspects of course management that included operation of the pro shop, merchandising, assigning carts, giving lessons and the oh-so-important scheduling of tee times that keeps play from bogging down.
Darter left North Hills to become head pro at Jacksonville’s Foxwood Country Club from 1982-85, then she moved on to Blytheville before taking the pro job at Black Mountain Golf and Country Club in Henderson, Nev.
From 2004 until February, Darter was the director of golf at Wild Horse Golf Club, which she opened as Henderson’s first municipal course on which players averaged between 60and 65,000 rounds a year.
But Darter had always been interested in her old home course in Sherwood, even when the facility was closed for three years.
Darter said she tried to let people in Sherwood know she was interested in North Hills and didn’t want to see the place fall into decay and disrepair.
So when plans were set in motion to renovate and reopen the 106-acre North Hills Country Club at a cost of $7 million, which included overcoming several legal hurdles, Darter left the dry heat of Nevada for the humidity of her native Arkansas.
“This property holds a lot of sentimental value to me,” Darter said. “This is the only property I would have left Nevada for.”
Darter isn’t the only person enjoying a homecoming at The Greens at North Hills.
Hanson, who at 81 assists Darter any way he can, is the former club pro and Mandel Brockington, who worked there as a teenager, is the golf superintendent.
“We’re not just looking for money,” Darter said. “We’re not just looking for paid greens fees. We’re looking for people to play golf.”
With the course opening in late spring during peak golfing weather, The Greens at North Hills had some catching up to do.
Darter initially spent 15-hour days on her duties and staff training.
Darter said the course is averaging 100 golfers a day and she would be happy if, with the late start, it could finish the year with 28,000 rounds played.
“This is where we set our trends,” Darter said.
The Greens at North Hills is a public course, like the one Darter left in Nevada, and while it offers rental space for receptions and meetings, there is no longer a pool or tennis courts. However. the objective is to enhance the public-course, golf experience with certain country club-style amenities.
Golfers are met in the parking lot and have their bags carried to the cart area, a full-service bar and restaurant sit next to the pro shop and the course requires tee times seven days a week and allows no individual play.
Darter said the tee times are especially important in maintaining the PGA-rated course’s pace of play at four hours and 15 minutes for 18 holes. Also, Darter’s staff pairs lone golfers with twosomes or threesomes to avoid slow play.
“You’ve got to look at a golf course as a highway,” Darter said.
“Traffic backs up. The car- pool lane moves because there are more people in the car,” she added.
There is another benefit to pairing off stray golfers, Darter said.
It’s one of the reasons she has loved the game since she took it up at age 5.
“It’s a social game,” she said. “It’s a game for all ages. You can pair the youngest guy with the oldest guy and they’ll have a great time.”
SPORTS>>Panthers partition coverage program
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Cabot’s run-based Dead-T offense is not very 7-on-7 friendly.
But there’s plenty of practical experience for the Panthers to gain on the defensive side.
That was the plan for the Panthers as they hosted the second week of summer football at Panther Stadium on Wednesday. Bald Knob, Hazen and nearby North Pulaski make up the other teams in the small league, which will meet two more times in July.
While Wednesday was another opportunity for Cabot to size up competing quarterbacks Zach Craig and Bryson Morris, most of the focus centered on the two defensive units.
“That’s the one reason why we do it,” Cabot defensive coordinator Randy Black said. “We do it for defensive purposes. As a matter of fact, we’re just now working on throwing the ball. In the spring, we didn’t throw a pass. That’s the reason we started.”
The Panthers began the evening with a 30-minute scrimmage against Bald Knob before facing Hazen and then North Pulaski.
All of the teams then convened at the south end zone, and each defense made a nine-play stand as opponents rotated out after every play.
The Bulldogs were the most productive team offensively, scoring three times against the Panthers. But Cabot was able to limit
Hazen in the second scrimmage, and held North Pulaski scoreless in the final head-to-head battle.
“We did a great job of communicating, and it seemed like we were a little bit smarter,” Black said. “At this point, I was pleased with our calls and our rotations. We need to do a better job of breaking on the ball.”
Bald Knob threw two more touchdowns against Cabot in the goal-line finale, but the Panthers shut out Hazen and North Pulaski.
“The goal-line period — I thought that was our highlight,” Black said. “We had a pretty good goal-line period. Out of nine plays, we only had two busts. Seven out of nine is not bad for this early.”
Offensively, it wasn’t completions that meant as much to Cabot as the center-quarterback exchange.
Morris and Craig both bobbled snaps, with Black roaring, “He’s down, he’s down,” each time. The two also had to make an undignified bear crawl to the sidelines as punishment after each mishap.
“We’re looking at a lot of people,” Black said. “We went two complete groups, and that first group, we rotated in three more kids. So basically, we looked at 11 kids in that first group.
“In the second group, we rotated in the whole time. Offense wise, we went with two huddles. So we looked at two different quarterbacks, and we had five different receivers in each group.”
The matchup between Cabot and North Pulaski began with both teams throwing interceptions early in a drive. The Falcons had several incompletions but came up big with a 25-yard pass play on fourth and 10 that put them on the 5-yard line.
But the Panther defense was strong deep in the red zone and forced the Falcons to squander their first down on a no-throw time limit, then Cabot batted away the second-down pass before North Pulaski receivers dropped the next two attempts.
Black, head coach Mike Malham and the rest of the staff have a pretty good idea of who is capable of what at this point, but Black said there are still roles on the team to be filled with improvement over the summer.
“We did that in spring ball,” Black said. “So basically, we’re looking for the next three or four, somebody to really step up. And that could change, even in August. Spring ball helps us size up, but with 7-on-7, we’re looking for people to get the job done.”
Leader sportswriter
Cabot’s run-based Dead-T offense is not very 7-on-7 friendly.
But there’s plenty of practical experience for the Panthers to gain on the defensive side.
That was the plan for the Panthers as they hosted the second week of summer football at Panther Stadium on Wednesday. Bald Knob, Hazen and nearby North Pulaski make up the other teams in the small league, which will meet two more times in July.
While Wednesday was another opportunity for Cabot to size up competing quarterbacks Zach Craig and Bryson Morris, most of the focus centered on the two defensive units.
“That’s the one reason why we do it,” Cabot defensive coordinator Randy Black said. “We do it for defensive purposes. As a matter of fact, we’re just now working on throwing the ball. In the spring, we didn’t throw a pass. That’s the reason we started.”
The Panthers began the evening with a 30-minute scrimmage against Bald Knob before facing Hazen and then North Pulaski.
All of the teams then convened at the south end zone, and each defense made a nine-play stand as opponents rotated out after every play.
The Bulldogs were the most productive team offensively, scoring three times against the Panthers. But Cabot was able to limit
Hazen in the second scrimmage, and held North Pulaski scoreless in the final head-to-head battle.
“We did a great job of communicating, and it seemed like we were a little bit smarter,” Black said. “At this point, I was pleased with our calls and our rotations. We need to do a better job of breaking on the ball.”
Bald Knob threw two more touchdowns against Cabot in the goal-line finale, but the Panthers shut out Hazen and North Pulaski.
“The goal-line period — I thought that was our highlight,” Black said. “We had a pretty good goal-line period. Out of nine plays, we only had two busts. Seven out of nine is not bad for this early.”
Offensively, it wasn’t completions that meant as much to Cabot as the center-quarterback exchange.
Morris and Craig both bobbled snaps, with Black roaring, “He’s down, he’s down,” each time. The two also had to make an undignified bear crawl to the sidelines as punishment after each mishap.
“We’re looking at a lot of people,” Black said. “We went two complete groups, and that first group, we rotated in three more kids. So basically, we looked at 11 kids in that first group.
“In the second group, we rotated in the whole time. Offense wise, we went with two huddles. So we looked at two different quarterbacks, and we had five different receivers in each group.”
The matchup between Cabot and North Pulaski began with both teams throwing interceptions early in a drive. The Falcons had several incompletions but came up big with a 25-yard pass play on fourth and 10 that put them on the 5-yard line.
But the Panther defense was strong deep in the red zone and forced the Falcons to squander their first down on a no-throw time limit, then Cabot batted away the second-down pass before North Pulaski receivers dropped the next two attempts.
Black, head coach Mike Malham and the rest of the staff have a pretty good idea of who is capable of what at this point, but Black said there are still roles on the team to be filled with improvement over the summer.
“We did that in spring ball,” Black said. “So basically, we’re looking for the next three or four, somebody to really step up. And that could change, even in August. Spring ball helps us size up, but with 7-on-7, we’re looking for people to get the job done.”
EDITORIAL>>How Snyder won
Far from winning only Pulaski County, Rep. Vic Snyder won an average of seven of the eight counties during his career in the House of Representatives.
There is an urban legend that Snyder, elected seven times to represent Arkansas’ Second Congressional District, won by carrying the heavily populated Pulaski County, but lost all the other counties in his district.
In reality, that has never happened.
Not once.
Since his first race in 1996 for the seat vacated by Cong. Ray Thornton, Snyder’s never won fewer than half the eight counties in his district, he said this week, and a check of election records at the secretary of state’s website proved him correct.
“It’s such a common error, it’s got its own mythology,” Snyder said earlier this week when he called to correct just such a story in an article I wrote.
Snyder has been elected to the office seven times, never winning less than 52 percent of the vote, never winning fewer than four of the eight counties in the district—and three times winning all eight counties.
In addition to Pulaski County, the district includes Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Saline, Van Buren, White and Yell counties.
In the primary runoff earlier this month, Joyce Elliott defeated Robbie Wills to run as the Democrat for the Second Congressional District seat in November again Tim Griffin, the Republican nominee.
Elliott defeated Wills by winning big in Pulaski County, while losing big in the other seven, and I repeated without attribution the widely accepted myth—that Snyder usually won big in Pulaski County and lost the others.
Here’s what I found when I checked:
In the five years that Snyder had Republican opposition in the general election, he won an average of six of the eight counties.
His closest race was the first year, when he defeated Republican Bud Cummins with 52 percent of the vote and won four counties.
Add in 2008, when he was opposed only by a Green Party candidate, and in 2002, when he was opposed only by a write-in candidate, Snyder won an average of seven counties in seven November general elections—a far cry from winning only Pulaski County.
Here’s a recap, starting with the most recent general election and working back:
In 2008, Snyder won with 77 percent of the vote against Deb McFarland of the Green Party. The Republicans did not field a candidate.
Snyder won all eight counties.
In 2006, Snyder beat Republican Andy Mayberry 60.5 percent to 39 percent, with Mayberry winning only his home county—Saline—and that by less than 500 votes.
In 2004, Snyder won 58 percent of the vote, beating Republican Marvin Parks in five counties: Conway, Perry, Pulaski, Van Buren and Yell.
In 2002, Snyder ran without Republican opposition in November, winning all eight counties with 93 percent of the vote against write-in candidate Ed Garner.
In 2000, Snyder won seven of eight counties against Republican Bob Thomas, who won White County by 20 votes out of 17,718. Snyder won the congressional seat with 58 percent of the vote.
In 1998, Snyder garnered 58 percent of the vote, defeating Republican candidate Phil Wyrick in all eight counties.
In 1996, running for his first term, Snyder beat Republican Bud Cummins with 52 percent of the vote, winning four of the eight counties.
Just so you know.
—John Hofheimer
There is an urban legend that Snyder, elected seven times to represent Arkansas’ Second Congressional District, won by carrying the heavily populated Pulaski County, but lost all the other counties in his district.
In reality, that has never happened.
Not once.
Since his first race in 1996 for the seat vacated by Cong. Ray Thornton, Snyder’s never won fewer than half the eight counties in his district, he said this week, and a check of election records at the secretary of state’s website proved him correct.
“It’s such a common error, it’s got its own mythology,” Snyder said earlier this week when he called to correct just such a story in an article I wrote.
Snyder has been elected to the office seven times, never winning less than 52 percent of the vote, never winning fewer than four of the eight counties in the district—and three times winning all eight counties.
In addition to Pulaski County, the district includes Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Saline, Van Buren, White and Yell counties.
In the primary runoff earlier this month, Joyce Elliott defeated Robbie Wills to run as the Democrat for the Second Congressional District seat in November again Tim Griffin, the Republican nominee.
Elliott defeated Wills by winning big in Pulaski County, while losing big in the other seven, and I repeated without attribution the widely accepted myth—that Snyder usually won big in Pulaski County and lost the others.
Here’s what I found when I checked:
In the five years that Snyder had Republican opposition in the general election, he won an average of six of the eight counties.
His closest race was the first year, when he defeated Republican Bud Cummins with 52 percent of the vote and won four counties.
Add in 2008, when he was opposed only by a Green Party candidate, and in 2002, when he was opposed only by a write-in candidate, Snyder won an average of seven counties in seven November general elections—a far cry from winning only Pulaski County.
Here’s a recap, starting with the most recent general election and working back:
In 2008, Snyder won with 77 percent of the vote against Deb McFarland of the Green Party. The Republicans did not field a candidate.
Snyder won all eight counties.
In 2006, Snyder beat Republican Andy Mayberry 60.5 percent to 39 percent, with Mayberry winning only his home county—Saline—and that by less than 500 votes.
In 2004, Snyder won 58 percent of the vote, beating Republican Marvin Parks in five counties: Conway, Perry, Pulaski, Van Buren and Yell.
In 2002, Snyder ran without Republican opposition in November, winning all eight counties with 93 percent of the vote against write-in candidate Ed Garner.
In 2000, Snyder won seven of eight counties against Republican Bob Thomas, who won White County by 20 votes out of 17,718. Snyder won the congressional seat with 58 percent of the vote.
In 1998, Snyder garnered 58 percent of the vote, defeating Republican candidate Phil Wyrick in all eight counties.
In 1996, running for his first term, Snyder beat Republican Bud Cummins with 52 percent of the vote, winning four of the eight counties.
Just so you know.
—John Hofheimer
EDITORIAL>>The eagle has landed
The conference center at Little Rock Air Force Base was filled with community leaders on Tuesday, when Gov. Mike Beebe presented the prestigious Abilene Trophy to Jacksonville and its neighbors for being Air Mobility Command’s most supportive community.
Representatives from the Abilene, Texas, Chamber of Commerce brought the sculpted eagle to the conference center after selecting our area for the award and receiving final approval from AMC, which is an honor indeed.
Members of the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council gave a standing ovation when the governor handed the trophy to Col. Gregory S. Otey, the wing commander, and to area mayors, who beamed with pride, and rightly so: There’s not another military community in the world that supports its base with more fervor than this area.
Just ask the folks at Air Mobility Command or Air Education and Training Command, which make up the main components at the base. The Air Force has watched the base grow going back 55 years, when the community raised $1.2 million and donated 6,600 acres that made the base possible, and right up to today, with Jacksonville paying $5 million toward a new joint-education center in front of the air base.
There’s so much more: Airpower Arkansas, a subset of the community council, raised funds for the base’s 2010 air show, collecting more than $50,000 from local businesses and individuals.
Community members also donated more than $22,000 in support of the LRAFB rodeo teams and accompanied the teams to the air competition.
In return, the base generates about $500 million a year in goods and services in local communities. It’s a pretty decent trade-off.
The Abilene Trophy is well deserved and much appreciated. The only question is: What took so long for the eagle to finally land here?
Representatives from the Abilene, Texas, Chamber of Commerce brought the sculpted eagle to the conference center after selecting our area for the award and receiving final approval from AMC, which is an honor indeed.
Members of the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council gave a standing ovation when the governor handed the trophy to Col. Gregory S. Otey, the wing commander, and to area mayors, who beamed with pride, and rightly so: There’s not another military community in the world that supports its base with more fervor than this area.
Just ask the folks at Air Mobility Command or Air Education and Training Command, which make up the main components at the base. The Air Force has watched the base grow going back 55 years, when the community raised $1.2 million and donated 6,600 acres that made the base possible, and right up to today, with Jacksonville paying $5 million toward a new joint-education center in front of the air base.
There’s so much more: Airpower Arkansas, a subset of the community council, raised funds for the base’s 2010 air show, collecting more than $50,000 from local businesses and individuals.
Community members also donated more than $22,000 in support of the LRAFB rodeo teams and accompanied the teams to the air competition.
In return, the base generates about $500 million a year in goods and services in local communities. It’s a pretty decent trade-off.
The Abilene Trophy is well deserved and much appreciated. The only question is: What took so long for the eagle to finally land here?
EDITORIAL>>Don’t let BP off the hook
While governments and industry wrestle with the insoluble problems created by the cataclysmic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the politics of the worst man-made environmental disaster in history is proving equally insoluble. Thursday, when BP’s chief executive made his dramatic appearance before a congressional committee, was the worst day since the company’s deep-water well exploded, at least for the Republican Party, which has struggled to find a way to make hay with the catastrophe.
Wednesday, President Obama had jawboned BP executives into setting aside $20 billion to pay for the cleanup and for the ruin to the hundreds of thousands of businesses and people whose lives and careers lie in the path of the spreading destruction.
While the president has been castigated in many quarters for being too nice to the multinational giant and its drilling partners, Republican leaders have criticized him for placing so much blame on the company that its profits and viability may be jeopardized.
Before Tony Hayward, the BP CEO, could make his opening excuses, Rep. Joe L. Barton of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, apologized to him for the conduct of the president of the United States. Barton, who has benefited handsomely from political gifts from BP and its subsidiaries and from the oil and gas industry generally ($1.4 million), described President Obama’s negotiations with the company as a “shakedown” and he said he did not want to live in a country where the president would do such a terrible thing to a good business.
Other Republican leaders had been making essentially the same point though less colorfully. Barton’s comments, watched on national TV and instantly blogged around the world, seemed to be a terrible political miscalculation. The House’s Republican leaders, John Boehner and Eric Cantor, summoned Barton and told him that he had to rescind his apology or else they would have to give in to demands that he be removed from his leadership of the energy committee. Barton went back to the hearing room and said that in case anyone misconstrued his remarks, he did not mean that BP shouldn’t pay for the cleanup and for reparations.
But Barton’s problem was that he was too clear and too colorful. The Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative Republicans that includes our own Rep. John Boozman — the Republican nominee for the U. S. Senate in Arkansas — had issued a statement the day that Obama met with the oil executives bashing the president for demanding that the corporation create the escrow fund. Barton had even copied the group’s language. Boozman’s committee said the president had exerted “Chicago-style shakedown politics” and that BP shouldn’t give in. Rush Limbaugh, the broadcaster who is the acknowledged avatar of the Republican Party, said BP shouldn’t create the fund or else it should pass out the money itself rather than let an independent arbiter pay the claims. Limbaugh predicted that Acorn would get the $20 billion. Then Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, the hottest Republican on the circuit next to Sarah Palin, said she didn’t like the idea of making BP pay for all the damage because it needed all its cash to drill more wells.
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, who was in Little Rock early this week plumping for Jim Keet, the former Floridian who moved here last year to run for governor, objected to making BP set aside $20 billion in escrow to pay claims because the company needs the money to drill more offshore wells so that it can reap big profits, which in turn will allow it to pay claims later.
Barbour, the leader of the Republican governors, had compared the oil gushing from the ruptured well to the sheen that appears in the wake of speedboats that tow skiers around the Gulf’s resort beaches. It’s just no big deal. The real harm, Barbour said, is not from the oil leak but from all the publicity about it. It is scaring vacationers away from Mississippi’s beaches at Gulfport and Biloxi. Barbour noted that there have always been tarballs from leaky wells washing up on the shores.
The Republicans seek to make the president’s hardheaded negotiations with the British-based giant a Jeffersonian test of the proper role of a national executive. After all, Congress some years ago fixed a ceiling, $75 million, on an oil company’s liability for all the harm that it might cause. Republicans so far have blocked efforts to raise that ceiling. Did the founders anticipate a president using his office as a bully pulpit to force a corporation to change its behavior, even if it is in the national interest?
We know that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney would never do it. (It was Cheney’s company, Halliburton, that cemented the well just before it blew.)
Obama is acting like Harry Truman, both Roosevelts and John F. Kennedy, who used the prestige of the their office to force industries to act in the national interest. He is in rather better company.
Ernie Dumas writes editorials for The Leader.
Wednesday, President Obama had jawboned BP executives into setting aside $20 billion to pay for the cleanup and for the ruin to the hundreds of thousands of businesses and people whose lives and careers lie in the path of the spreading destruction.
While the president has been castigated in many quarters for being too nice to the multinational giant and its drilling partners, Republican leaders have criticized him for placing so much blame on the company that its profits and viability may be jeopardized.
Before Tony Hayward, the BP CEO, could make his opening excuses, Rep. Joe L. Barton of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, apologized to him for the conduct of the president of the United States. Barton, who has benefited handsomely from political gifts from BP and its subsidiaries and from the oil and gas industry generally ($1.4 million), described President Obama’s negotiations with the company as a “shakedown” and he said he did not want to live in a country where the president would do such a terrible thing to a good business.
Other Republican leaders had been making essentially the same point though less colorfully. Barton’s comments, watched on national TV and instantly blogged around the world, seemed to be a terrible political miscalculation. The House’s Republican leaders, John Boehner and Eric Cantor, summoned Barton and told him that he had to rescind his apology or else they would have to give in to demands that he be removed from his leadership of the energy committee. Barton went back to the hearing room and said that in case anyone misconstrued his remarks, he did not mean that BP shouldn’t pay for the cleanup and for reparations.
But Barton’s problem was that he was too clear and too colorful. The Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative Republicans that includes our own Rep. John Boozman — the Republican nominee for the U. S. Senate in Arkansas — had issued a statement the day that Obama met with the oil executives bashing the president for demanding that the corporation create the escrow fund. Barton had even copied the group’s language. Boozman’s committee said the president had exerted “Chicago-style shakedown politics” and that BP shouldn’t give in. Rush Limbaugh, the broadcaster who is the acknowledged avatar of the Republican Party, said BP shouldn’t create the fund or else it should pass out the money itself rather than let an independent arbiter pay the claims. Limbaugh predicted that Acorn would get the $20 billion. Then Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, the hottest Republican on the circuit next to Sarah Palin, said she didn’t like the idea of making BP pay for all the damage because it needed all its cash to drill more wells.
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, who was in Little Rock early this week plumping for Jim Keet, the former Floridian who moved here last year to run for governor, objected to making BP set aside $20 billion in escrow to pay claims because the company needs the money to drill more offshore wells so that it can reap big profits, which in turn will allow it to pay claims later.
Barbour, the leader of the Republican governors, had compared the oil gushing from the ruptured well to the sheen that appears in the wake of speedboats that tow skiers around the Gulf’s resort beaches. It’s just no big deal. The real harm, Barbour said, is not from the oil leak but from all the publicity about it. It is scaring vacationers away from Mississippi’s beaches at Gulfport and Biloxi. Barbour noted that there have always been tarballs from leaky wells washing up on the shores.
The Republicans seek to make the president’s hardheaded negotiations with the British-based giant a Jeffersonian test of the proper role of a national executive. After all, Congress some years ago fixed a ceiling, $75 million, on an oil company’s liability for all the harm that it might cause. Republicans so far have blocked efforts to raise that ceiling. Did the founders anticipate a president using his office as a bully pulpit to force a corporation to change its behavior, even if it is in the national interest?
We know that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney would never do it. (It was Cheney’s company, Halliburton, that cemented the well just before it blew.)
Obama is acting like Harry Truman, both Roosevelts and John F. Kennedy, who used the prestige of the their office to force industries to act in the national interest. He is in rather better company.
Ernie Dumas writes editorials for The Leader.
TOP STORY>>Thief gets just 18 months
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
A former Pulaski County Special School District employee was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison for stealing about $500,000 from the district to support his drug habit.
U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson also placed James Diemer, 49, the district’s ex-maintenance supervisor, on three-years
supervised probation after his prison term.
Saline County sheriff’s deputies arrested Diemer on May 15, 2009. He pleaded guilty in January to theft of property from a government entity that received federal funds.
Diemer, a PCSSD employee since 1999, admitted to investigators of defrauding the district “from day one” of becoming supervisor of mechanical systems “because he knew no one was looking.”
Diemer understood how the district system worked and he made it work for himself. The district allows blanket purchase orders for purchases under $2,500. He knew that excesses were allowed and that as his invoices passed up the chain of command to the superintendent, they were rubber-stamped without review.
A part of his scheme was to use one vendor to order items from another vendor so that excesses over monthly limits per vendor would go undetected.
Over five years, Diemer made purchases for equipment totaling $439,745. The items included 266 cordless toolkits, seven truck toolboxes, 28 radios, eight generators and 19 icemakers. Most he had sold; a few were found at Diemer’s residence.
Much of the money was supposedly used to support Diemer’s addiction to Hydrocodone or Oxycontin.
Leader staff writer
A former Pulaski County Special School District employee was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison for stealing about $500,000 from the district to support his drug habit.
U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson also placed James Diemer, 49, the district’s ex-maintenance supervisor, on three-years
supervised probation after his prison term.
Saline County sheriff’s deputies arrested Diemer on May 15, 2009. He pleaded guilty in January to theft of property from a government entity that received federal funds.
Diemer, a PCSSD employee since 1999, admitted to investigators of defrauding the district “from day one” of becoming supervisor of mechanical systems “because he knew no one was looking.”
Diemer understood how the district system worked and he made it work for himself. The district allows blanket purchase orders for purchases under $2,500. He knew that excesses were allowed and that as his invoices passed up the chain of command to the superintendent, they were rubber-stamped without review.
A part of his scheme was to use one vendor to order items from another vendor so that excesses over monthly limits per vendor would go undetected.
Over five years, Diemer made purchases for equipment totaling $439,745. The items included 266 cordless toolkits, seven truck toolboxes, 28 radios, eight generators and 19 icemakers. Most he had sold; a few were found at Diemer’s residence.
Much of the money was supposedly used to support Diemer’s addiction to Hydrocodone or Oxycontin.
TOP STORY>>Air base school is on schedule for ’11 opening
By NANCY DOCKTER
Leader staff writer
The joint-education center is ready for a 50 percent construction completion “walk-through” next week and is on schedule for occupancy in January 2011.
The 46,239-square-foot facility is being built adjacent to Little Rock Air Force Base with $9.9 million in federal funds. Another $5 million, raised through a sales tax approved by Jacksonville voters, will pay for other essentials to complete the center.
They include classroom desks, chairs and overheadprojectors; upgrades to parking lot security with lights, cameras and telephones; landscaping; construction of a frontage road off Vandenberg Drive, where the center is located, and lengthening of the turn lane coming from the base to ease traffic flow.
With the new facility’s capacity to simultaneously serve 800 students, “it is going to be a major traffic jam” at the entrance to the center off Vandenberg, said Nancy Shefflette, director of Arkansas State University-Beebe (ASU) at Little Rock Air Force Base.
The new facility will replace the existing joint-education center located on base, which became difficult to access after base security tightened following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The old center had other problems that made it less than ideal as a teaching facility. Housed in an old dormitory, its classrooms were long and narrow, and hallways were cramped. And because it has not been brought up to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, whenever a student enrolled who couldn’t walk the stairs, the class was moved to the ground floor.
Yet, the center has been serving 1,000 to 1,500 students at any one time, Shefflette said. Established to provide off-duty educational opportunities to active-duty airmen, the center’s priority is to them, but classes are also open to airmen’s spouses and dependents, retired military, civil servants who work on base and members of the community.
With 9/11, class enrollment dropped off considerably; ASU-Beebe lost two-thirds of its students, she said. With fewer students, course offerings have declined because of difficulties in meeting minimum-enrollment requirements.
Even though the new facility is going to be much smaller than the two dorms that comprise the existing center, Shefflette foresees enrollment increasing once it opens, because of ease of access as well as its better design. After all, she notes, it has been designed “from the ground up to be a higher -education facility, rather than re-purposed dorm rooms.”
The new center will have larger classrooms with proportions more fitting teaching than sleeping space so class sizes can almost double. There will be computer labs, as well as physical-science and life-science labs.
And, classes, now offered only on late afternoons, evenings and weekends, will expand to an all-day schedule if an adjunct faculty is available to teach during those hours, Shefflette said. “There will be more intensive use of the new facility.”
Because of the problems with the existing center, it was just a matter of time before there would have been a push to build a new one, but restricted base access after 9/11 “absolutely” is what jumpstarted the effort that led to Jacksonville voters deciding to tax themselves to raise money for construction of a new center off base, Shefflette said. It was the leadership of Gen. Paul Fletcher, former commander of the 314th Airlift Wing, and Tommy Swaim, former mayor of Jacksonville, that made that happen, she said.
“They put their heads together to build a facility to serve both types of students. Without their leadership, we would not be looking at this opportunity in 2010.”
The $5 million gift from the people of Jacksonville to the air base was unprecedented in the history of the Air Force. Because of the unique gift and other ways that the Jacksonville community supports Little Rock Air Force Base, the city was honored last week as a recipient to the prestigious Abilene Trophy from the Abilene (Texas) Chamber of Commerce. The award is made to recognize a community nationally that is most supportive of the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command.
“It was a new paradigm,” Shefflette said. “No community has made such a substantial donation to this type endeavor. It is because of the high value the people of Jacksonville place on education. This center is a really big deal for Jacksonville. People will be really happy with their investment.”
ASU-Beebe, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Park University, University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and Webster University will offer classes at the center.
Leader staff writer
The joint-education center is ready for a 50 percent construction completion “walk-through” next week and is on schedule for occupancy in January 2011.
The 46,239-square-foot facility is being built adjacent to Little Rock Air Force Base with $9.9 million in federal funds. Another $5 million, raised through a sales tax approved by Jacksonville voters, will pay for other essentials to complete the center.
They include classroom desks, chairs and overheadprojectors; upgrades to parking lot security with lights, cameras and telephones; landscaping; construction of a frontage road off Vandenberg Drive, where the center is located, and lengthening of the turn lane coming from the base to ease traffic flow.
With the new facility’s capacity to simultaneously serve 800 students, “it is going to be a major traffic jam” at the entrance to the center off Vandenberg, said Nancy Shefflette, director of Arkansas State University-Beebe (ASU) at Little Rock Air Force Base.
The new facility will replace the existing joint-education center located on base, which became difficult to access after base security tightened following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The old center had other problems that made it less than ideal as a teaching facility. Housed in an old dormitory, its classrooms were long and narrow, and hallways were cramped. And because it has not been brought up to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, whenever a student enrolled who couldn’t walk the stairs, the class was moved to the ground floor.
Yet, the center has been serving 1,000 to 1,500 students at any one time, Shefflette said. Established to provide off-duty educational opportunities to active-duty airmen, the center’s priority is to them, but classes are also open to airmen’s spouses and dependents, retired military, civil servants who work on base and members of the community.
With 9/11, class enrollment dropped off considerably; ASU-Beebe lost two-thirds of its students, she said. With fewer students, course offerings have declined because of difficulties in meeting minimum-enrollment requirements.
Even though the new facility is going to be much smaller than the two dorms that comprise the existing center, Shefflette foresees enrollment increasing once it opens, because of ease of access as well as its better design. After all, she notes, it has been designed “from the ground up to be a higher -education facility, rather than re-purposed dorm rooms.”
The new center will have larger classrooms with proportions more fitting teaching than sleeping space so class sizes can almost double. There will be computer labs, as well as physical-science and life-science labs.
And, classes, now offered only on late afternoons, evenings and weekends, will expand to an all-day schedule if an adjunct faculty is available to teach during those hours, Shefflette said. “There will be more intensive use of the new facility.”
Because of the problems with the existing center, it was just a matter of time before there would have been a push to build a new one, but restricted base access after 9/11 “absolutely” is what jumpstarted the effort that led to Jacksonville voters deciding to tax themselves to raise money for construction of a new center off base, Shefflette said. It was the leadership of Gen. Paul Fletcher, former commander of the 314th Airlift Wing, and Tommy Swaim, former mayor of Jacksonville, that made that happen, she said.
“They put their heads together to build a facility to serve both types of students. Without their leadership, we would not be looking at this opportunity in 2010.”
The $5 million gift from the people of Jacksonville to the air base was unprecedented in the history of the Air Force. Because of the unique gift and other ways that the Jacksonville community supports Little Rock Air Force Base, the city was honored last week as a recipient to the prestigious Abilene Trophy from the Abilene (Texas) Chamber of Commerce. The award is made to recognize a community nationally that is most supportive of the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command.
“It was a new paradigm,” Shefflette said. “No community has made such a substantial donation to this type endeavor. It is because of the high value the people of Jacksonville place on education. This center is a really big deal for Jacksonville. People will be really happy with their investment.”
ASU-Beebe, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Park University, University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and Webster University will offer classes at the center.
TOP STORY>>Charter school’s principal resigns
By NANCY DOCKTER
Leader staff writer
It is more than a week since the public schools let out for the summer, but school is still in full swing at Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School.
Tuesday will mark the end of the first year for the school, which has drawn students not only from the immediate area but also Sherwood, Cabot, Ward and Beebe.
The school will have a new principal before the start of the next academic year.
On Thursday, it was evident the school year is drawing to a close. Promotion from kindergarten to first grade was being celebrated, and front-office workers were sorting through a pile of backpacks, coats and other items that had accumulated in the lost-and-found closet.
As names on identification labels were announced over the intercom, children neatly clad in blue uniforms came into the office to claim their things.
A poster of an architect’s drawing of the school with the inscription, “NothingLess Than Excellence,” hangs on the office wall.
Eight months after opening late due to weather-related construction setbacks, the building still faintly smells of new paint and varnish.
Jacksonville Lighthouse Char-ter School is one of 10 schools in five states founded and managed with the assistance of Lighthouse Academies, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to prepare students for college through a rigorous, arts-infused curriculum. Lighthouse charter schools serve historically under-served areas; 88 percent of its students nationally qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch. Regardless, all children are expected to excel in the program that emphasizes not only academics but good character and social skills.
The school has 344 students, kindergarten through sixth grade. Every year, a new grade is to be added through 12th grade.
Nigena Livingston, who has a track record with Lighthouse Academies and was brought in as principal to open the new school, will soon be saying her good-byes to its teachers and 344 students. Livingston, who has plans to marry, is moving back to her hometown, where her fiancé resides, Cleveland, Ohio.
PRINCIPAL WILL BE MISSED
Keri Urquhart, president of the school’s board of directors and whose daughter attended second grade at Lighthouse this year, says Livingston will be greatly missed.
“It truly has been a great year at the school, and Ms. Livingston obviously has been a huge part of that; she is top of the line,” Urquhart said. “As a mother I could not be more pleased. My daughter learned so much and had so much fun.”
The school year had not begun easily. With the building not ready for occupancy until late October, thankfully Second Baptist Church opened its doors to the school, and classes comprised mainly of students and staff, who were strangers to one another, crowded in.
“We’ve had some bumps in the road, having to transfer over from the church, but we got the school built in a year, and got 344 students from 20 schools all under one roof – that’s a huge undertaking,” Urquhart said.
Looking back over the first year at the school – and reflecting on state achievement test scores that were not as high as had been hoped, Livingston said that a lot of effort went into “learning logistics, putting processes in place, building relationships with families and learning to work together as a team.”
Next year, Livingston predicts, the focus will be “more on the mission of the school, differentiating instruction to meet the needs of the individual students and focusing on data to get every child to grow.”
As for the Benchmark exams, Livingston said the strong performance by the third-graders is proof of what can be accomplished. Eighty-percent scored proficient or above on the math and literacy tests, with only a “narrow gap” between white and black students. The school is about evenly divided between the two racial groups.
“They made huge growth,” Livingston said of the student body as a whole. “Obviously, we are not where we need to be, but we are pleased with the amount of success we’ve seen. The next step will be diving into the data with teachers and going forward.”
KEEPING KIDS ON TRACK
When a child misbehaves at Jacksonville Charter School, he or she may soon be in the office of Brad Burl, the director of school culture for a discussion about what went wrong and the conduct that is expected. A behavior plan is drawn up for the student, with teacher – and ideally the parents – providing direction in the follow-through.
A “student support team” of school administrators and teachers regularly meets to discuss individual students, hone in on problems and identify causes and solutions.
“They do fact-finding, make suggestions, draw up an action plan for the child and engage the parent and teacher,” Livingston said. “We keep parents involved, tell them ‘this behavior is unacceptable, your child can do better, we can help,’” Livingston said.
The kids at the beginning of the year who were chronically getting into trouble – dubbed “frequent flyers” – in time learned the error of their ways and “are not frequent flyers anymore,” Livingston said.
Indicators of the program’s effectiveness are the school’s 96 percent average daily attendance, a 5 percent suspension rate and zero expulsions are good indicators of the program.
“We don’t believe suspension fixes problems, but is only a punitive consequence,” Livingston said. “We are proactive, rather than reactive and are very deliberate and explicit about the behaviors we want to see. We don’t assume a child knows how to be polite or shoe respect.”
One such proactive move in the interest of civility was initiated by the fourth-grade teachers who saw a need for an upgrade in lunchroom etiquette among their charges. An etiquette coach was brought in, “we built it up and made a big deal out of it – and the kids loved it,” Livingston said.
NOT THE SCHOOL FOR EVERYONE
A high percentage of the school’s students will be returning in the fall. In February, 96 percent of the parents signed letters of intent saying to re-enroll their child. Yet, a “handful” of students, Livingston said, did leave during the school year for various reasons. Some moved away, for some the commute was too far, for some the school day – which ends at 5 p.m. – was too long.
For others, “the school was not a good fit,” Livingston said. “We ask a lot of our families and it was not what some expected.
We definitely want a partnership – if there are challenges, we expect them to problem-solve with us.”
Three of the 18-member teaching staff also departed during the school year.
“This is a very challenging environment,” Livingston said. “We put a lot on our teachers to come up with ways to help every child be successful.”
Several more teachers are not being invited back. Livingston declined to say how many, only that the majority of teachers will be returning.
The teachers not being re-hired were ones without state teaching credentials who failed to follow through on their promise to pursue them – or whose students did not make “significant” gains in learning this year.
“I am dedicated to finding the best teachers for our students,” Livingston said. “That is what our students deserve in the classroom.”
Educated in the public schools of Rochester, N.Y., Livingston said she had “phenomenal teachers.” But she still thinks about the ones who she feels let he down. “I still feel upset – I feel like they could have better prepared me. I think it is important to advocate for children having the best instructors. I am looking for teachers who are highly qualified and effective.”
EXCITED ABOUT NEXT YEAR
For teacher Nerinda Elliott, the school was a perfect fit. Fresh out of training at University of Arkansas at Ft. Smith, she was alerted to the prospect of teaching at the new charter school by her husband, Adam Elliott, also a teacher.
“The school is an example of everything we were taught in college,” she said. “This school actually does those things.”
Nerinda was hired to teach third grade, and Adam, kindergarten. Both will be back in the fall.
The arts-infused curriculum, one of the things that drew her to Lighthouse, really works, Elliott said. “The kids get a double dose of art and music compared to the public schools, and we have highly qualified specialists who come to the classroom.”
Multiplication tables were made easier put to song, and a geography lesson more meaningful with pictures drawn by the students.
“Students who usually sit back and don’t engage would step up and do their part,” Elliott said.
The school’s approach to discipline problems and building social skills is one of its strength, Elliott said. “It really builds a strong culture of positive relations – respect for one another, telling the truth.”
At the beginning of the school year, most of her students were strangers to one another. Now, Elliott watches with pride each morning, as students come into the classroom, “greet their neighbor, shake hands, look them in the eye and ask how they are and really mean it.”
Students are taught how to politely speak up for themselves or make a request when offended by a classmate. And when the tables are turned, and an apology is in order, students learn the difference between hollow and sincere words. A written apology that articulates how an action was hurtful is a common practice.
“This is to teach them how to carry through with a genuine apology,” Elliott said. “An apology letter is a very good way for the scholars to realize what they’ve done, when they put it in writing. We encourage stepping back and thinking, ‘how could you have acted,’ more than ‘don’t do that, stop that.’”
All teachers and students at Lighthouse will be together for another year. The practice, called “looping” provides continuity over two years. Elliott is excited about the prospect.
“I already know their names, what they are like, what they need to learn. The students are comfortable with me,” Elliott said.
“We won’t waste a month at the first of the school year. I love that.”
Leader staff writer
It is more than a week since the public schools let out for the summer, but school is still in full swing at Jacksonville Lighthouse Charter School.
Tuesday will mark the end of the first year for the school, which has drawn students not only from the immediate area but also Sherwood, Cabot, Ward and Beebe.
The school will have a new principal before the start of the next academic year.
On Thursday, it was evident the school year is drawing to a close. Promotion from kindergarten to first grade was being celebrated, and front-office workers were sorting through a pile of backpacks, coats and other items that had accumulated in the lost-and-found closet.
As names on identification labels were announced over the intercom, children neatly clad in blue uniforms came into the office to claim their things.
A poster of an architect’s drawing of the school with the inscription, “NothingLess Than Excellence,” hangs on the office wall.
Eight months after opening late due to weather-related construction setbacks, the building still faintly smells of new paint and varnish.
Jacksonville Lighthouse Char-ter School is one of 10 schools in five states founded and managed with the assistance of Lighthouse Academies, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to prepare students for college through a rigorous, arts-infused curriculum. Lighthouse charter schools serve historically under-served areas; 88 percent of its students nationally qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch. Regardless, all children are expected to excel in the program that emphasizes not only academics but good character and social skills.
The school has 344 students, kindergarten through sixth grade. Every year, a new grade is to be added through 12th grade.
Nigena Livingston, who has a track record with Lighthouse Academies and was brought in as principal to open the new school, will soon be saying her good-byes to its teachers and 344 students. Livingston, who has plans to marry, is moving back to her hometown, where her fiancé resides, Cleveland, Ohio.
PRINCIPAL WILL BE MISSED
Keri Urquhart, president of the school’s board of directors and whose daughter attended second grade at Lighthouse this year, says Livingston will be greatly missed.
“It truly has been a great year at the school, and Ms. Livingston obviously has been a huge part of that; she is top of the line,” Urquhart said. “As a mother I could not be more pleased. My daughter learned so much and had so much fun.”
The school year had not begun easily. With the building not ready for occupancy until late October, thankfully Second Baptist Church opened its doors to the school, and classes comprised mainly of students and staff, who were strangers to one another, crowded in.
“We’ve had some bumps in the road, having to transfer over from the church, but we got the school built in a year, and got 344 students from 20 schools all under one roof – that’s a huge undertaking,” Urquhart said.
Looking back over the first year at the school – and reflecting on state achievement test scores that were not as high as had been hoped, Livingston said that a lot of effort went into “learning logistics, putting processes in place, building relationships with families and learning to work together as a team.”
Next year, Livingston predicts, the focus will be “more on the mission of the school, differentiating instruction to meet the needs of the individual students and focusing on data to get every child to grow.”
As for the Benchmark exams, Livingston said the strong performance by the third-graders is proof of what can be accomplished. Eighty-percent scored proficient or above on the math and literacy tests, with only a “narrow gap” between white and black students. The school is about evenly divided between the two racial groups.
“They made huge growth,” Livingston said of the student body as a whole. “Obviously, we are not where we need to be, but we are pleased with the amount of success we’ve seen. The next step will be diving into the data with teachers and going forward.”
KEEPING KIDS ON TRACK
When a child misbehaves at Jacksonville Charter School, he or she may soon be in the office of Brad Burl, the director of school culture for a discussion about what went wrong and the conduct that is expected. A behavior plan is drawn up for the student, with teacher – and ideally the parents – providing direction in the follow-through.
A “student support team” of school administrators and teachers regularly meets to discuss individual students, hone in on problems and identify causes and solutions.
“They do fact-finding, make suggestions, draw up an action plan for the child and engage the parent and teacher,” Livingston said. “We keep parents involved, tell them ‘this behavior is unacceptable, your child can do better, we can help,’” Livingston said.
The kids at the beginning of the year who were chronically getting into trouble – dubbed “frequent flyers” – in time learned the error of their ways and “are not frequent flyers anymore,” Livingston said.
Indicators of the program’s effectiveness are the school’s 96 percent average daily attendance, a 5 percent suspension rate and zero expulsions are good indicators of the program.
“We don’t believe suspension fixes problems, but is only a punitive consequence,” Livingston said. “We are proactive, rather than reactive and are very deliberate and explicit about the behaviors we want to see. We don’t assume a child knows how to be polite or shoe respect.”
One such proactive move in the interest of civility was initiated by the fourth-grade teachers who saw a need for an upgrade in lunchroom etiquette among their charges. An etiquette coach was brought in, “we built it up and made a big deal out of it – and the kids loved it,” Livingston said.
NOT THE SCHOOL FOR EVERYONE
A high percentage of the school’s students will be returning in the fall. In February, 96 percent of the parents signed letters of intent saying to re-enroll their child. Yet, a “handful” of students, Livingston said, did leave during the school year for various reasons. Some moved away, for some the commute was too far, for some the school day – which ends at 5 p.m. – was too long.
For others, “the school was not a good fit,” Livingston said. “We ask a lot of our families and it was not what some expected.
We definitely want a partnership – if there are challenges, we expect them to problem-solve with us.”
Three of the 18-member teaching staff also departed during the school year.
“This is a very challenging environment,” Livingston said. “We put a lot on our teachers to come up with ways to help every child be successful.”
Several more teachers are not being invited back. Livingston declined to say how many, only that the majority of teachers will be returning.
The teachers not being re-hired were ones without state teaching credentials who failed to follow through on their promise to pursue them – or whose students did not make “significant” gains in learning this year.
“I am dedicated to finding the best teachers for our students,” Livingston said. “That is what our students deserve in the classroom.”
Educated in the public schools of Rochester, N.Y., Livingston said she had “phenomenal teachers.” But she still thinks about the ones who she feels let he down. “I still feel upset – I feel like they could have better prepared me. I think it is important to advocate for children having the best instructors. I am looking for teachers who are highly qualified and effective.”
EXCITED ABOUT NEXT YEAR
For teacher Nerinda Elliott, the school was a perfect fit. Fresh out of training at University of Arkansas at Ft. Smith, she was alerted to the prospect of teaching at the new charter school by her husband, Adam Elliott, also a teacher.
“The school is an example of everything we were taught in college,” she said. “This school actually does those things.”
Nerinda was hired to teach third grade, and Adam, kindergarten. Both will be back in the fall.
The arts-infused curriculum, one of the things that drew her to Lighthouse, really works, Elliott said. “The kids get a double dose of art and music compared to the public schools, and we have highly qualified specialists who come to the classroom.”
Multiplication tables were made easier put to song, and a geography lesson more meaningful with pictures drawn by the students.
“Students who usually sit back and don’t engage would step up and do their part,” Elliott said.
The school’s approach to discipline problems and building social skills is one of its strength, Elliott said. “It really builds a strong culture of positive relations – respect for one another, telling the truth.”
At the beginning of the school year, most of her students were strangers to one another. Now, Elliott watches with pride each morning, as students come into the classroom, “greet their neighbor, shake hands, look them in the eye and ask how they are and really mean it.”
Students are taught how to politely speak up for themselves or make a request when offended by a classmate. And when the tables are turned, and an apology is in order, students learn the difference between hollow and sincere words. A written apology that articulates how an action was hurtful is a common practice.
“This is to teach them how to carry through with a genuine apology,” Elliott said. “An apology letter is a very good way for the scholars to realize what they’ve done, when they put it in writing. We encourage stepping back and thinking, ‘how could you have acted,’ more than ‘don’t do that, stop that.’”
All teachers and students at Lighthouse will be together for another year. The practice, called “looping” provides continuity over two years. Elliott is excited about the prospect.
“I already know their names, what they are like, what they need to learn. The students are comfortable with me,” Elliott said.
“We won’t waste a month at the first of the school year. I love that.”
TOP STORY>>New school boosts Sherwood’s permits
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
A new $31 million middle school has jumped Sherwood’s permit values 900 percent over last year’s values.
Through May, Sherwood has issued 413 permits for a total value of $46.1 million compared to 235 permits for the first five months of 2009 worth just $5.6 million.
Ward and Austin are also seeing a good year so far. Jacksonville is treading water, falling slightly from last year’s figures and Cabot is down.
Asked this week about the state of the building industry in Cabot, public works Director Jerrel Maxwell had just one word to describe it – bad.
“We’ve got a lot of stuff on the drawing board, but nothing ready for permits,” Maxwell said.
Single-home permits are ahead of last year’s figures at this time, but commercial permits are down.
The assisted-living facility and nursing home that is supposed to be built across from Northside Elementary shouldbe ready for construction now that the plans for the storm-water retention pond are completed, Maxwell said.
The school district is getting ready to start a building for the ninth grade. And his office has the paperwork for a duplex and triplex on Cardinal Lane.
A dentist office and a dermatologist office are under construction, he said.
“But the housing industry is just about gone like everywhere else,” Maxwell said.
Karen Knebel, who keeps up with building permits at Cabot Public Works, said May wasn’t too bad with nine permits for new homes valued at $1,196,480 and three permits for finishing the inside of commercial buildings to the tenants’ specifications valued at $95,100.
But only three residential permits valued at $241,525, one of them a remodel, have been issued for June and the month is more than half-way through. For the year, 37 residential permits have been sold in Cabot.
Through May, Cabot has issued 37 single-family home permits with a total of $4.3 million. Through May of 2009, the city had also issued 37 permits worth $3.5 million. On the commercial side, the city has issued 13 permits for a total value of $4.7 million, compared to seven permits worth $6.6 million for the same time period in 2009.
Besides the single building permit issued in May valued at $31 million, Sherwood also issued five single-family home permits valued at a total of $1.13 million. The total value of the May permits was $32.9 million, compared to $2.13 million for May 2009.
In comparison to Cabot, Ward and Austin, which are both in the Cabot School District, are booming.
Records kept at Austin City Hall show no commercial permits this year, but 50 permits so far for residences. For May, five permits for houses valued at $800,000 were sold. So far in June, eight residential permits have been sold in Austin.
Records from Ward City Hall show 11 permits for houses valued at $793,500 were sold in May. No commercial permits were sold.
Jacksonville issued 23 building permits in May, valued at $946,000, down from the $1.18 million in May 2009. For the year, Jacksonville has issued $6.55 million in permits compared to $6.81 million issued for the same time period last year.
In Beebe, a total of five permits were sold in May. The largest was for Calvary Pentecostal Church, which is going up on the first big curve on Highway 64 at the very edge of the area annexed about three years ago. The church is valued at $300,000. The value of the four houses is $215,000.
Leader staff writer
A new $31 million middle school has jumped Sherwood’s permit values 900 percent over last year’s values.
Through May, Sherwood has issued 413 permits for a total value of $46.1 million compared to 235 permits for the first five months of 2009 worth just $5.6 million.
Ward and Austin are also seeing a good year so far. Jacksonville is treading water, falling slightly from last year’s figures and Cabot is down.
Asked this week about the state of the building industry in Cabot, public works Director Jerrel Maxwell had just one word to describe it – bad.
“We’ve got a lot of stuff on the drawing board, but nothing ready for permits,” Maxwell said.
Single-home permits are ahead of last year’s figures at this time, but commercial permits are down.
The assisted-living facility and nursing home that is supposed to be built across from Northside Elementary shouldbe ready for construction now that the plans for the storm-water retention pond are completed, Maxwell said.
The school district is getting ready to start a building for the ninth grade. And his office has the paperwork for a duplex and triplex on Cardinal Lane.
A dentist office and a dermatologist office are under construction, he said.
“But the housing industry is just about gone like everywhere else,” Maxwell said.
Karen Knebel, who keeps up with building permits at Cabot Public Works, said May wasn’t too bad with nine permits for new homes valued at $1,196,480 and three permits for finishing the inside of commercial buildings to the tenants’ specifications valued at $95,100.
But only three residential permits valued at $241,525, one of them a remodel, have been issued for June and the month is more than half-way through. For the year, 37 residential permits have been sold in Cabot.
Through May, Cabot has issued 37 single-family home permits with a total of $4.3 million. Through May of 2009, the city had also issued 37 permits worth $3.5 million. On the commercial side, the city has issued 13 permits for a total value of $4.7 million, compared to seven permits worth $6.6 million for the same time period in 2009.
Besides the single building permit issued in May valued at $31 million, Sherwood also issued five single-family home permits valued at a total of $1.13 million. The total value of the May permits was $32.9 million, compared to $2.13 million for May 2009.
In comparison to Cabot, Ward and Austin, which are both in the Cabot School District, are booming.
Records kept at Austin City Hall show no commercial permits this year, but 50 permits so far for residences. For May, five permits for houses valued at $800,000 were sold. So far in June, eight residential permits have been sold in Austin.
Records from Ward City Hall show 11 permits for houses valued at $793,500 were sold in May. No commercial permits were sold.
Jacksonville issued 23 building permits in May, valued at $946,000, down from the $1.18 million in May 2009. For the year, Jacksonville has issued $6.55 million in permits compared to $6.81 million issued for the same time period last year.
In Beebe, a total of five permits were sold in May. The largest was for Calvary Pentecostal Church, which is going up on the first big curve on Highway 64 at the very edge of the area annexed about three years ago. The church is valued at $300,000. The value of the four houses is $215,000.
TOP STORY>>Only half of PCSSD juniors read proficiently
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Only 50 percent of high school juniors in the Pulaski County Special School District can read and write proficiently based on the just released Grade 11 Literacy Exam.
It’s even worse at Jacksonville High School, where just 37 percent of the juniors scored proficient or better on the literacy test, meaning that almost two-thirds of juniors did not have the grade- level skills to pass the test.
The school’s principal, Ken Clark, will be reassigned to assistant director of facilities management.
The 37 percent proficient rate at Jacksonville High School is the worst in the district. The 61 percent proficient rate by North Pulaski juniors was the best in the district, but that still means four out of 10 students didn’t make the grade.
Cabot High School was not only the top school in the area but was in the top 20 in the state. The school had 73 percent of its juniors score proficient or ad-vanced. But that still left one-fourth of the students underperforming.
Statewide, the best high school was the Arkansas School for Math, Science and the Arts in Hot Springs where 99 percent of the juniors scored proficient or advanced. Next was Haas Hall Academy where 98 percent of the juniors made the grade.
The state 2010 average was 62 percent scoring proficient or better and is almost a threefold improvement from the first year the test was given in 2001 when just 22 percent of juniors showed they could read and write at the appropriate level.
Beebe, Cabot, Lonoke and Searcy all beat the state average.
BEEBE
In Beebe, 195 juniors took the literacy test and had an average- scaled score of 208. That calculates to 68 percent of the juniors scoring proficient or advanced.
CABOT
The school district had 644 juniors take the mandated test of reading and writing skills and had an average-scaled score of 211. Overall, 72 percent of the juniors scored proficient or advanced.
At the high school, 619 juniors took the test, had an average- scaled score of 212 and 73 percent were proficient or advanced.
At the district’s Academic Center for Excellence, 25 students took the literacy test, had an average-scaled score of 201 and 56 percent scored proficient or better.
ENGLAND
At England High School, 61 juniors took the literacy test and had an average-scaled score of 190. Just 34 percent of the students passed the test and about two-thirds failed to make the grade.
LONOKE
In Lonoke, 111 juniors took the literacy test and had an average-scaled score of 205. Of the 111 students, 64 percent scored proficient or advanced on the exam.
PCSSD
Overall, 989 students took the literacy exam. The county students had an average-scaled score of 197 and just 50 percent were proficient or advanced.
At Jacksonville High School, 228 students took the exam, averaged a scaled score of 191 and just 37 percent were proficient or advanced.
Sylvan Hills had 215 juniors take the test and they averaged a scaled score of 196. Among the Sylvan Hills juniors, 49 percent passed the test, meaning more than half failed to score proficient or better in reading and writing at grade level.
North Pulaski had 192 juniors take the test, averaged a scaled score of 203 and had 61 percent pass the test. This tied the school for best in the district with Oak Grove High School, which also had 61 percent.
SEARCY
At Searcy High School, 244 juniors took the test and averaged a scaled score of 209, meaning 69 percent of the students scored proficient or better on the exam.
Leader staff writer
Only 50 percent of high school juniors in the Pulaski County Special School District can read and write proficiently based on the just released Grade 11 Literacy Exam.
It’s even worse at Jacksonville High School, where just 37 percent of the juniors scored proficient or better on the literacy test, meaning that almost two-thirds of juniors did not have the grade- level skills to pass the test.
The school’s principal, Ken Clark, will be reassigned to assistant director of facilities management.
The 37 percent proficient rate at Jacksonville High School is the worst in the district. The 61 percent proficient rate by North Pulaski juniors was the best in the district, but that still means four out of 10 students didn’t make the grade.
Cabot High School was not only the top school in the area but was in the top 20 in the state. The school had 73 percent of its juniors score proficient or ad-vanced. But that still left one-fourth of the students underperforming.
Statewide, the best high school was the Arkansas School for Math, Science and the Arts in Hot Springs where 99 percent of the juniors scored proficient or advanced. Next was Haas Hall Academy where 98 percent of the juniors made the grade.
The state 2010 average was 62 percent scoring proficient or better and is almost a threefold improvement from the first year the test was given in 2001 when just 22 percent of juniors showed they could read and write at the appropriate level.
Beebe, Cabot, Lonoke and Searcy all beat the state average.
BEEBE
In Beebe, 195 juniors took the literacy test and had an average- scaled score of 208. That calculates to 68 percent of the juniors scoring proficient or advanced.
CABOT
The school district had 644 juniors take the mandated test of reading and writing skills and had an average-scaled score of 211. Overall, 72 percent of the juniors scored proficient or advanced.
At the high school, 619 juniors took the test, had an average- scaled score of 212 and 73 percent were proficient or advanced.
At the district’s Academic Center for Excellence, 25 students took the literacy test, had an average-scaled score of 201 and 56 percent scored proficient or better.
ENGLAND
At England High School, 61 juniors took the literacy test and had an average-scaled score of 190. Just 34 percent of the students passed the test and about two-thirds failed to make the grade.
LONOKE
In Lonoke, 111 juniors took the literacy test and had an average-scaled score of 205. Of the 111 students, 64 percent scored proficient or advanced on the exam.
PCSSD
Overall, 989 students took the literacy exam. The county students had an average-scaled score of 197 and just 50 percent were proficient or advanced.
At Jacksonville High School, 228 students took the exam, averaged a scaled score of 191 and just 37 percent were proficient or advanced.
Sylvan Hills had 215 juniors take the test and they averaged a scaled score of 196. Among the Sylvan Hills juniors, 49 percent passed the test, meaning more than half failed to score proficient or better in reading and writing at grade level.
North Pulaski had 192 juniors take the test, averaged a scaled score of 203 and had 61 percent pass the test. This tied the school for best in the district with Oak Grove High School, which also had 61 percent.
SEARCY
At Searcy High School, 244 juniors took the test and averaged a scaled score of 209, meaning 69 percent of the students scored proficient or better on the exam.
SPORTS STORY >> One-time Falcon Pflasterer to sign
IN SHORT: North Pulaski product set to wrestle for Central Baptist College.
By Todd Traub
Leader sports editor
Former North Pulaski Falcons wrestler Jared Pflasterer will sign a letter of intent to compete for the Central Baptist College Mustangs in Conway.
Pflasterer will sign at the college at 11 a.m. today.
This is the first year for collegiate wrestling in Arkansas and Pflasterer is the first from the area to sign to wrestle at the next level.
Pflasterer is a product of the Tony Mongno-coached North Pulaski program that was state runner-up in the 1A-5A classification in 2009 with Pflasterer’s help. Pflasterer reached the final of the 285-pound division and lost in a fall to Gentry’s Connor Willett.
Central Arkansas Christian edged out North Pulaski by 26 points for the 2009 team championship but the Falcons were only able to fill eight of the 14 weight divisions.
By Todd Traub
Leader sports editor
Former North Pulaski Falcons wrestler Jared Pflasterer will sign a letter of intent to compete for the Central Baptist College Mustangs in Conway.
Pflasterer will sign at the college at 11 a.m. today.
This is the first year for collegiate wrestling in Arkansas and Pflasterer is the first from the area to sign to wrestle at the next level.
Pflasterer is a product of the Tony Mongno-coached North Pulaski program that was state runner-up in the 1A-5A classification in 2009 with Pflasterer’s help. Pflasterer reached the final of the 285-pound division and lost in a fall to Gentry’s Connor Willett.
Central Arkansas Christian edged out North Pulaski by 26 points for the 2009 team championship but the Falcons were only able to fill eight of the 14 weight divisions.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
EDITORIAL >> Bill deserves senators’ vote
Arkansas’ senators are in the enviable position of voting on a hugely important bill in which their little state has less at stake than most other states. That means that they can vote on the “jobs and tax extenders bill,” as it is known, with little but the purest national interest at heart.
The national interest pleads for a vote for the bill, and we hope that’s what Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln do.
The bill continues several short-term tax breaks for businesses, extends some economic-stimulus aid to state and local governments and raises a little revenue to offset the business tax breaks by closing the unfairest tax loopholes for rich investment-fund managers and corporations that shift their profits offshore.
The intensely controversial part continues some fiscal relief to the states, which Republicans are opposing as a run on the federal treasury. It will, indeed, continue the enlarged federal deficit a while longer. But the major reason that the deficit has ballooned the past two years is the recession. The collapsed global demand for goods and services and accompanying unemployment shrank the nation’s revenues dramatically while increasing the demand for government assistance, which is the very definition of a recession.
Last year’s stimulus package and similar programs by developing nations kept the country from plunging into another depression. We know that it made a huge difference in Arkansas, which avoided the economic depths of most states. When the stimulus runs out, it will mean layoffs in education and other public services and reductions in medical and unemployment assistance because most states have not yet regained the ground lost since the recession began in 2007 and may not until well into the next fiscal year.
Arkansas, fortunately, is not in such bad shape. Its Medicaid budget, helped immensely by the 2009 stimulus act and some unexpected revenue relief, can survive without extended aid. But the extra relief would extend Medicaid’s health well into the future, until 2014, when the new national health-care reform law will bring even more relief.
That means only that Lincoln and Pryor can vote for the bill without the self-propelled urgency confronting their colleagues from, say, Alabama, Arizona and California, where the human wreckage will be real and immediate if the relief isn’t extended. We notice that Congressmen Vic Snyder, Mike Ross and Marion Berry did the right thing two weeks ago. Rep. John Boozman, of course, voted against it, as required by his party.
There are other good reasons to support the bill. It will make the tax system fairer, and that is good for Arkansas, too. It closes the carried-interest loophole, which allows many investment-fund managers to disguise part of their compensation as capital gains and enjoy a lower tax rate than everyone else pays on their income. It also would stop some corporations that have offshore income from using foreign tax credits to cleverly avoid taxes on their U. S. income.
Finally, it would close the “John Edwards loophole,” named for the philandering former senator and presidential candidate, which allows S corporations (those that subject earnings to personal income taxes instead of corporate income taxes) to avoid paying Social Security and Medicare taxes like other businesses and individuals. Edwards made the loophole famous by forming an S corporation for his law firm and claiming that the asset of his name rather than labor generated the law firm’s income, and thus he didn’t have to pay payroll taxes.
Our senators owe no obligations to John Edwards and we doubt that Walmart, Tyson Foods, Dillard’s, Murphy Corp. or the other titans that swing so much weight with Arkansas delegates have much at stake in the bill except their abiding interest in good government and the common good. Pryor and Lincoln can do the right thing.
The national interest pleads for a vote for the bill, and we hope that’s what Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln do.
The bill continues several short-term tax breaks for businesses, extends some economic-stimulus aid to state and local governments and raises a little revenue to offset the business tax breaks by closing the unfairest tax loopholes for rich investment-fund managers and corporations that shift their profits offshore.
The intensely controversial part continues some fiscal relief to the states, which Republicans are opposing as a run on the federal treasury. It will, indeed, continue the enlarged federal deficit a while longer. But the major reason that the deficit has ballooned the past two years is the recession. The collapsed global demand for goods and services and accompanying unemployment shrank the nation’s revenues dramatically while increasing the demand for government assistance, which is the very definition of a recession.
Last year’s stimulus package and similar programs by developing nations kept the country from plunging into another depression. We know that it made a huge difference in Arkansas, which avoided the economic depths of most states. When the stimulus runs out, it will mean layoffs in education and other public services and reductions in medical and unemployment assistance because most states have not yet regained the ground lost since the recession began in 2007 and may not until well into the next fiscal year.
Arkansas, fortunately, is not in such bad shape. Its Medicaid budget, helped immensely by the 2009 stimulus act and some unexpected revenue relief, can survive without extended aid. But the extra relief would extend Medicaid’s health well into the future, until 2014, when the new national health-care reform law will bring even more relief.
That means only that Lincoln and Pryor can vote for the bill without the self-propelled urgency confronting their colleagues from, say, Alabama, Arizona and California, where the human wreckage will be real and immediate if the relief isn’t extended. We notice that Congressmen Vic Snyder, Mike Ross and Marion Berry did the right thing two weeks ago. Rep. John Boozman, of course, voted against it, as required by his party.
There are other good reasons to support the bill. It will make the tax system fairer, and that is good for Arkansas, too. It closes the carried-interest loophole, which allows many investment-fund managers to disguise part of their compensation as capital gains and enjoy a lower tax rate than everyone else pays on their income. It also would stop some corporations that have offshore income from using foreign tax credits to cleverly avoid taxes on their U. S. income.
Finally, it would close the “John Edwards loophole,” named for the philandering former senator and presidential candidate, which allows S corporations (those that subject earnings to personal income taxes instead of corporate income taxes) to avoid paying Social Security and Medicare taxes like other businesses and individuals. Edwards made the loophole famous by forming an S corporation for his law firm and claiming that the asset of his name rather than labor generated the law firm’s income, and thus he didn’t have to pay payroll taxes.
Our senators owe no obligations to John Edwards and we doubt that Walmart, Tyson Foods, Dillard’s, Murphy Corp. or the other titans that swing so much weight with Arkansas delegates have much at stake in the bill except their abiding interest in good government and the common good. Pryor and Lincoln can do the right thing.
SPORTS EVENTS >>11-20-10
Coaches Call Us
The Arkansas Sabers are the newest team to join the semi-pro Alliance Football League, which has been in existence since 1999.
The Leader would like to hear from all coaches in all sports in our coverage area. Please e-mail results, statistics or information to leadersports.@arkansasleader.com or fax to
501-985-0026 or call 982-9421.
501-985-0026 or call 982-9421.
SEMI-PRO FOOTBALL TEAM FORMING FOR NEXT YEAR
The Arkansas Sabers are the newest team to join the semi-pro Alliance Football League, which has been in existence since 1999.
Owner/manager David Smith was previously with the disbanded Arkansas Rhinos and Central Arkansas Bonecrushers and many former players, with former members of the Arkansas Pirates, are joining the Sabers, who will open play next year.
Head coach Charles Reynolds has been with the semi-pro Abilene, Texas, Gladiators; Arena Football’s Abilene Ruff Riders and the Pirates. The Sabers are now interviewing for assistant coaches and volunteers for game-day operation, cheer coordinators and a public address, “voice of the Sabers” for all home games.
The Sabers are also seeking sponsors and donations to help with operational costs of the season. The team will hold an NFL-style tryout/combine in February for players 18 years and older. For information contact Smith at (501) 743-6326 or e-mail arkansassabers@yahoo.com.
Volleyball,basketball signups at jacksonville
Volleyball,basketball signups at jacksonville
Players can register for the men’s basketball and women’s volleyball leagues at the Jacksonville Community Center through Dec. 30.
The women’s volleyball league fees are $25 for members and $30 for non-members. The league is limited to the first 12 teams that sign up. Games will be played on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m., 7:15 p.m. and 8 p.m. Play begins Jan. 11.
Men’s basketball fees are $300 per team and the league is limited to the first 10 teams that sign up. Games will be played on Sundays from 2-6 p.m. Play begins Jan. 16.
The Jacksonville Community Center is located at #5 Municipal Drive, Jacksonville, AR, 72076. For information call (501) 982-4171.
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