ANNOUNCEMENTS
THE LEADER'S CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT will take ads by phone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 982-9421, or you may mail your ad to The Leader Classifieds, P.O. Box 766, Jacksonville AR, 72078. Deadline to advertise in Wednesday issue is 5pm Friday: and 5 p.m. Thursday for the Weekend issue.
NEED MORE SPACE? Let Courtesy Consignments sell your better clothes, housewars and furniture. 123 S. Bailey, Jackonville. 10-4 Mon.-Sat. 241-0970.
ATTENTION MEMBERS and guests: Steak dinner at the VFW in Jacksonville April 28 at 7p.m.Come experience the new climate under our new management.
SERVICES
RODNEY SILER AND SON CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION. Slabs, driveways, sidewalks, porches, patios. 25 years experience, dependable, reasonable rates. 501-728-4614.
PROFESSIONAL TREE SERVICE pruning, topping, removal. Call James Arnette 501-960-0926.
PROFESSIONAL CHRISTIAN child care provided for ages 2-12. Brockwood area. School bus stops at drive, perfect for school-age kids. Summer activities. Credentials available. 730-3676.
IN-HOME CHILD care, flexible hours, meals dependable with over 35 years experience. 501-985-3678.
YARD SALES
3-family yard sale: Friday & Saturday, 8 a.m. til ? Some furniture, clothing for adults and kids all sizes. Nic-nacs. 7623 McKenzie Rd., off of Maddox Rd. in Jacksonville.
CARPORT SALE: Sat., April 30th, 32 Bell Aire Drive, Cabot. 7:30-1 p.m.
MOVING SALE: May 6-7 13 Country Village Circle, Cabot. 12 in. miter saw, other tools, microwave, decorator items, king comforter set, pictures, glassware. 843-7924.
MULTI-FAMILYyard sale. Sat., April 30, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. 33 Azalea Dr., Bloomingridge Subdivision off Campground Rd.
Garage sale: Cabot, #6 Beachwood, off Campground Rd. Saturday, April 30, 7 am.
yard sale: 21 BelAir Dr., Cabot. Down-sizing, large yard sale. Some of everything. Friday & Saturday, April 29 & 30. Cancel if rain.
group rummage sale: Saturday, April 30, 600 W. Main St., Jacksonville, between McDonald’s & First AR Bank, by Jacksonville Lions Club. Free Diabetes Blood Sugar Testing.
JACKSONVILLE: Sat., April 30, 7 a.m.-? 707 Nottingham Cove in Stonewall subdivision. Cancel if rain.
ESTATE/YARD sale. Friday and Saturday 8-4 234 Hill Top Road. 1 mile north of Greystone. Antique Furniture and lots of other stuff.
SAT., APRIL 30, 1/2 mile east 38/31 intersection, Butlerville. Furniture and lots of bargains!
MOVING SALE April 29 and 30, 18 Reno Cove, Cabot. Something for all!
YARD SALE Sat., April 30, 7 a.m.Shiloh North, Cabot. Furniture, TV, home decor, kid’s clothes, toys, misc. and lots more!.
TWO FAMILY garage sale, 106 Seneca, Jacksonville. Sat., 6 am to noon.
LOTS OF items for sale at 202 Conway St., Lonoke. 941-3922.
MULTI -FAMILY carport sale. Friday and Saturday. Furniture, name brand clothes, home decor. Household items. 4610 Sandhill, Cabot.
HELP WANTED
Food service worker and dishwasher needed for Jacksonville Hospital. Must be able to work different day shifts and do some heavy lifting. Must pass background and drug test. Call 501-372-5400 or come to 1924 Fendly Dr. in North Little Rock.
Life Skills Instructor needed to provide daily living skills training for developmentally disabled adults in a residential setting in Jacksonville. Hours are 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday. High school diploma/equivalent, AR drivers license/liability insurance required. Must pass drug screen and background check. Experience preferred. Apply in person at Pathfinder, Inc., 2520 West Main, Jacksonville. EO/AA employer. Closing date: /05.
Well established company in Cabot, now accepting resumes for individual capable of managing the day to day operations, involving all aspects of residential construction & development, including schedules, budgeting, planning, projecting, job starts, construction loans, closing documents, etc. Preferably an individual with construction knowledge and background with the ability to work closely with Job Superintendents, sub-contractors & clients. Must be well organized, multi task capable and efficient in accounting, Quickbooks, Excel, Outlook and Word. Salary commensurate to experience. Fax resume to 501.843.6552. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.
secretary wanted! Must be able to type 55 words per min., need to be computer literate. $10 per hr. plus bonus. M-F: 8:45 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Vacation plus holidays paid. Fax resume to 501-882-9901.
janitorial! Dow Building Services has several part-time (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Mon thru Fri) postitions available in the Jadksonville area. Top pay and medical insurance. Background check will be required. Call 1-800-791-2902, for appointment. Mon - Fri: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
WANTED: HEDGE trimmer. Some experience required. 982-5388.
NEED YARD/handyman art to full time. 416-4783.
janitorial! Dow Building Services has several part-time (5:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Mon thru Fri) postitions available in the Cabot area. Top pay and medical insurance. Background check will be required. Call 1-800-791-2902, for appointment. Mon - Fri: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
NEED YARD/Handyman part time to full time. 416-4783.
COMPUTER/PRINTING repair tech. Some lifting. Send resume: Fax 501-985-2495. Mail 1816 S. Highway 161, Jacksonville.
HELP WANTED as a customer service representative. Fax resume to 501-605-1204.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT center looking for loveing caregivers who will promote a learning environment for young children. If you are a team player, hardworker, patient, loveing, dependable and enjoy working with children in a fun environment, please call 501-985-2715.
Immediate full time position available.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT center looking for loveing caregivers who will promote a learning environment for young children. If you are a team player, hardworker, patient, loveing, dependable and enjoy working with children in a fun environment, please call 501-605-9228. Immediate full time position available.
LICENSED RESIDENTIAL electrician, paid BOE. Call 941-5758 or 690-4490.
SEARCY AR. area. Class ACDL truck drivers needed. Pay weekly, weekends off, and dedicated route. FT or PT. Call 501-279-0114.
LAWN CARE/ASSISTANT CREW LEADER Dow Building Services has an opening for a Lawn Care/Assistant Crew Leader with experience in mowing, edging and weedeating. Some weekend work required. Must have good driving record. background check required. We offer medical insurance, vacation, sick leave, and retirement plan. Apply at 4320 E. 43rd, NLR. Mon-Fri 10:am-6:00 pm.
Janitorial! Dow Building Services has several part-time (evening hours ) postitions available in the Little Rock area. Top pay and medical insurance. Background check will be required. Apply at 4320 E. 43rd, NLR. Mon-Fri 10:am-6:00 pm.
Janitorial! Dow Full -time postitions (evening hours ) available in the Conway area. Top pay and medical insurance. Background check will be required. Dow Building Services Call 1-800-791-2902 or 501-791-2900. Mon-Fri 10:00 AM 6 PM.
janitorial! Several part-time postitions (after 5:00 PM ) in the Conway, Vilonia, Jacksonville and Carlisle areas. Top pay and medical insurance. Background check will be required. Dow Building Services Call 1-800-791-2902 or 501-791-2900. Mon-Fri 10:00 AM 6 PM.
Janitorial FLOORmAN Dow Building Services has immediate openings for floormen experienced in stripping, waxing, & buffing. Company truck and equipment provided. Full time evenings. Health insurance and vacation. Must have a valid driver’s license. Background check will be required. Apply at 4320 E. 43rd, NLR. Mon-Fri 10:am-6:00 pm.
CHILDCARE-COOK/driver needed: Must have GED and be 25 yrs. or older with clean driving recoed. Apply in person at Cabot Patch Kids 1273 Campground Rd., Cabot, or call 501-941-5010 for directions.
27 year old man with cerebral palsy is lookoing for supportive living companion for alternating weekends. Schedule is 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. Pay starts at $8 hour. Call Terrell Wade (Toll Free) at Easter Seals at 877-533-3600, extension 3689. EOE.
CARPET TECHNICIAN needed, rotating on all shifts. Must have clean MUR, must lift 75 lbs. consistently. Apply in person, Mann’s Clean Care, 13-D Nalley Rd. Cabot.
VETERINARY ASSISTANT needed for emergency clinic, experience helpful but not required. Hours are night, weekends and holidays only. Serious inquiries only. Call 501-224-3784 after 6 p.m. for directions to come by and fill out application.
GREAT OPPORTUNITY to helppeople purchase pre-need and at-need funeral arrangements and cemetery property. Sales experience preferred but not required. For confidential interview, call Mr. Janssen at 501-982-2136. Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home & Cemetery.
FURNITURE & APPLIANCES
sears-o-pedic extra firm support full size box spring and mattress, $100. Call 843-0101 after 1 pm, weekdays.
sofa & loveseat almost new, $675 OBO. 982-7087 or 231-4723.
cherry wood dresser, solid wood, 9 drawers w/mirror, excel. cond. $175. 941-1055.
trundle bed with twin pull-out. Both mattresses in exce. cond. Converts into king-sized bed. solid wood fram, painted brown, very sturdy, $200. 941-1055.
whirlpool washer good cond., $80; Kenmore upright deep freezer, $100, good working cond. 983-0645 during noon or after 4 pm.
SUPER TWIN waterbed, solid pine, excellent condition. $225. 843-1078.
washer/dryer $100 each, very good cond. 882-2420, Beebe.
27" color tv $65 or will trade for working good conditon washer Must be able to deliver it. 985-9959.
Dining room table w/6 chairs oak/antique white, farmhouse style, 14mo.old, $500. 8X11 area rug in exc. condition,price new $399 will take $150. 605-3613.
Sofa, loveseat, 2 oak Queen Anne tables, 7ft round area rug. Very good condition, 2yrs old. $650 605-3613.
FRIGIDAIRE GAS dryer, looks good, works. $25. 882-2142.
RCA COLOR Track Plus 22” on swivel console. Great picture, too heavy to move. $150 firm. Cabot. 605-1130.
Sofa, good condition, extra long, dark green chenille, 4 yrs. old, paid $700, asking $175. Cabot. 605-0707.
Daybed wood w/mattress $100 Sofa & loveseat blues/browns $150. 676-2020.
SOLID OAK crib with mattress. $80. Nice toddler bed with mattress. $40. Johnny Jump Up $10. Infant car seat, $15. 605-2157
for sale: computer desk, corner, assembled w/storage, exc. cond. $125. 605-9129.
Beautiful Antique Chocolate Table! Excellent Condition..$550 OBO. Antique Dinette w/4 chairs..."The Watertown Slide"very nice Hellrung & Grimm chairs $325 OBO. 501-676-2081.
for sale: love seat, 1 cream color leather, good cond., $45; 1 wood trim & fabric, very good cond., $85. Entertainment cetner, good cond. $55. 605-9129.
LOST & FOUND
IF YOU’VE LOST YOUR PET and don’t find it in this column, contact the Jacksonville Animal Shelter at 982-2916.
LOST 4/17/05: West Lewisburg towardds Indian Lake, male mini Doberman, short tail, but ears not docked. Has collar. Reward offered. 501-843-3870.
FOUND: Mt. Springs Rd. (Near James Street, Cabot) Chocolate lab puppy, app. 3-6 months old. 501-941-5156.
Lost in area of Eastern Ave and Linda Lane, Small long hair Siamese mix cat. She is declawed and spayed, no tag. Child's pet.
$20.00 reward. 843-2438 or 412-8430.
FOUND: Jacksonville, large sized chihuahua brown with white markings on chest. Call 988-0250.
MISCELLANEOUS
child’s stroller like new, $35. 983-1445.
stuffed animals; assorted sizes, 50¢ & $1 each. 983-1445.
porcelain dolls: your choice, $8 each. 1 Large doll, $50. 983-1445.
racoon hunting lights: w/chargers, accessories, night and wheat light chargers, exc. 983-1445.
radial gt tires: Cooper Cobra P21565R15 mud & snow, $175; motorized scroll saw, $25; 2 parking lot light units, $100. 941-2916 after 6 pm.
craftsman 12” band saw $200; Craftsman contractor series 20” scroll saw w/stand, $200. 843-0615 after 4:30 pm.
for sale: Trap drum set, electric guitar w/case. 941-3741.
silent auction! Now in progress, 1212 So. 2nd, Cabot, AAA Mini Storage. 4 full mini storage units, bidding closes April 29, 4:00 pm.
FOR SALE Ten clean boxes of letover yard sale items. Including household nic-nacs and more, all for $10. 941-3922.
boys clothes size 14 pants, size 7 shoes, large tops. $3 & up. 407-0815 after 5:30 pm.
plants for sale: Amaryliss, Aloe Vera, Airplane plants, Christmas Cactus, Swedish Ivy, Night Bloomin Cereus, Iris, Surprise Lily, Spider Lily, 50¢ - $2. 843-6093.
wedding dress: Size 22, ivory color, short sleeves made of lace, dress has pearls, lace & satin, tea lingth in front, swoops to floor length in back. Slip included, $100. 827-3015.
Dell computer 550 mghz complete with keyboard, mouse, speakers, and photo quality printer good condition $225 OBO 985-9959 or 563-2306.
for sale: Large Ficus tree/pot. Bought at Pier 1, pampass grass and peacock feathers make-up table bench, palm tree picture, misc. decorative items. 501-941-3839.
KIRBY G4 Vacuum cleaner. Upright, with all attachments. 4300 OBO. 796-8112.
fertility monitor Paid $200, brand new, never used. Selling for $100. 501-985-5680.
Moving and need to sell.Beer making kit, includes several cases of bottles. Almost $200 invested, make offer. Also 4 patio chairs with table, umbrella. Missing table top, but have frame. Will let go cheap. Kids kit car(pedal go cart) Please call (816)797-5118.
Reversible pool/air hockey table with accessories,$100 Adjustable basketball goal,great condition, $60. Call 247-3400/3401.
Hp photo smart printer good condition asking $40. 985-9959.
Nextel cell phone with charger good condition asking $40. 985-9959.
CB Base George Washington 40Ch SB Peaked/Tuned/Straped/Extras. $250 w/Golden Eagle, $200 w/stock mike. Rick 501-626-6321.
Rose Of Sharon shrubs. $1.00 and up depending on size. 501-726-3110.
Electronic treadmill. Weslo Cadence. Like new. $120. OBO Weslo Air Stride $ 50. 501-726-3110.
Fender for pickup. From 1984 Chevy Blazer butwill fit other models. Best offer takes it. 501-726-3110.
Large black bird cage. $60. OBO 501-726-3110.
Power scooter $700. Very fast. 36 volt/High watt.,300Lb. capacity. Used one time, just like new, must sell. Retail $1750, can deliver. Rick. 501-626-6321.
Playstation 2 with 1 controller,4 games,10 demo discs with lots of games to play 1 dvd and steering wheel with peddals all in good condition. $175 OBO 985-9959 or 563-2306.
Three Acoustic Research Bookshelf speakers 18” L x 7" W x 6" D, wall mounts included, black. Excellent sound quality. $50. 843-5322.
medical supplies 2 adult potty chairs, new cond., $25 ea. 2 walkers, 1 walking cane, very good cond. $15. ea. 605-9129
Building supplies marble bathroom sink w/brass Delta brass faucett, very good cond., $45. 605-9129.
jewelry men’s size 12, 14 ct. gold, 1/3 kt. VSI quaily, very nice, $325. 605-9129.
BEGINNER’S GUITAR new, never been used. $110 in box. Several air conditioning units. 843-7223.
for sale: beautiful new 8’ ficus tree, full branches, great for office, church or any tall ceilings, $95. 605-9129.
antiques old framed windows, approx. 60 yrs. old, size 36:x40”, $30 ea. 605-9129.
Nokia cell phone services through alltel good condition asking $45. 985-9959.
Clothing 4, 2-piece suits, name brand, very nice, size 6-8; 1 shirt size 8, $10-$20. 605-9129.
king size bedspread & shams, like new, $75. 837-1554.
Campting tent: air mattress, sleeping bags, stove, lantern, chairs, used 1 time, $250. 983-1445.
clown collection $35, baby stroller, $30; baby swing, $20. 983-1445.
free fruit jars, all sizes. 676-3704
air hockey table, $40, futon, $60. 941-7976.
satellite system complete with two receivers, $400. 988-5838.
for sale: Girls black tap shoes with taps, size 3-D, never been worn, $5. 941-3922.
GRACO CRIB with sheets, $70. Computer, basic, good for business has Word, Internet ready, $75. Portrait gallery frames, worth $1,000, sell for $500, with tripods. Web TV, $30. Bissell Steam cleaning machine, carpets and floors, $35. 12x3ft swimming pool, 2 yrs old, good condition, $85. 7-1/2 foot Christmas tree, $15. Infant car seat, $35. Infant swing, like new, $60. Nordic track sequoia, $30. Baby girls clothes 6-18 mo., womens jeans size 10, boys tops and pants 6-8 yrs., shoes, $2 each. Fall ornaments, baskets, $2 each. 843-1460.
THREE LARGE water toys, perfect for lake, $100 or will sell separately. 982-7307.
FOR SALE: Computer, Win 95, $125, also have monitor, 14 inch, $35. 501-726-3788.
PINT FRUIT jars, $1.50 per dozen; antique large round top trunk, over 100 years old, $125. 501-676-2151.
LAWN EQUIPMENT AND FARM
WANTED NON-running push or riding mowers. 843-5376.
TORO PUSH mower. Top end quality 21" with bagger, side discharge chute and blade brake. $100 (Nights) 501-241-2362.
TRAILER, GOOD for 4-wheelers or riding mower, extra set of metal sides, worth $1,000, asking $350. 843-5376.
8N ford tractor $2000. 843-2543.
Murray riding mower 12 1/2 hp, perfect cond. $475 cash. Farm tractor, 2840, 70 hp, .ooks great, $14,500. 726-3788.
8n ford tractor starts & runs good, new tires, $1500. 982-1295 or 590-3115.
riding mower: 11 hp, 5 speed trans axle, $200. 843-4488.
riding mower 19 hp, runs good, $700. 983-1445.
tiller: 5 hp, selling for parts, good motor, $100. 1959 Ford PU, needs brakes & radiator, $2200. 983-1445.
22” sears mowing deck, brand new, still in box, no motor, $40. 843-4659.
600 FORD Tractor. New paint, Good tires, runs good. $3,000 cash. 882-6097.
2002 Toro Proline mower with a 15HP Kohler engine, 37" recycler cutting unit, electric start, bagging unit, Toro tru trak sulky, spare blades, lightly used. $3,500 843-1600.
riding mower; 14 HP. 5 speed yard tractor, $250. 982-8053.
craftsman riding lawn mower, 38” cut, 15 hp Briggs & Stratton, 5 speed, new battery, recenty serviced.. 982-4384.
JOHN DEERE TRACTOR 750 with John Deere 261. 5 ft. finish mower, 3 cyl. diesel, 18 hp, turf tires, 940 hours, good condition, $5,700. Call 501-268-7761 or 501-940-5530.
FOR SALE; Tractor, bush hog disk, $1,200 OBO. 676-0087.
Wanted: Metal T-post, barb wire or field fencing. 501-882-3109.
ANIMALS, PETS, & SUPPLIES
free to good home: 2 cats. 982-0471 or 314-397-2114.
2 free 3 month old lab mix puppies in need of good home. 501-843-2961.
2 boxer/pit bull puppies, males, free to good home. 231-4461.
wanted: Pegeons any color, no fantails. 843-5381.
new zealand whites & mini laps for sale. 606-6162.
for sale: 13 year old Mustang Gelding, bay tone but not broken, $300. 988-2124.
laying hen one year old and baby chics for sale. 676-6240.
free kittens: 6 weeks old, litter trained. 241-1146.
pair white faced cockatiels with large cage and accessories, ages 3 & 4, $200. 941-3493.
free to good home: 7 year old half Cocker Spaniel, half German Shepherd, female, spayed, good w/children, very loving & sweet natured. 882-5356.
free to good home puppies, will be small, Benji type dogs. 983-1210.
beautiful paint pony with blue eyes, $800. 993-2596 or 843-1337.
8 year old mare: bridal & saddle broke, good riding horse, amber color w/black mane, $2500. 993-2596 or 843-1337.
RAT TERRIER puppies - Black and white with tan. Parents on premises. Ready for you 4/29. Bred to tree, born to love. Call (nights) 501-241-2362.
free to good home: German Shepherd, spayed female, 1 year old, black labs, 1 male 1 female. 612-2685, leave message.
geese for sale: 988-1126.
part rotweiler: good with kids & other pets, great watch dog. Free to good home. 672-0477.
pit bull puppies: $150, ready now. 658-2872.
chow mix, 7 months old female, great w/kids, free to good home. 988-9003.
2 nany goats for sale, $45 each. 843-8992.
free to good home female chocolate Lab, 7 mos. old, good with children. 983-8817.
FREE TO good home: Part La pups. Wormed and 1st shots, 8 wks old as of the 26th. 988-2194.
free: Mixed breed puppies from 2 different litters, small to medium size dogs. 982-4085.
DOG FEED - Tops Premium 27/15, Tops Hi Pro 25/10, Tops 21/8, Caliber Sport 24/20. Below Wholesale Prices! Trailerload sale. After 4:30 p.m. 501-941-0454.
SAVANNA MONITOR lizard and 55 gal. tank for sale. Also, a wte dragon with 30 gal. tank. best offer. 501-412-0541.
One year old Dun Quarter Phiily, blaze stockings, line back, $800. 643-4956 or 743-6840.
Parakeet with cage, $15; 3 gray Cockatiels w/cage, $50 each; extra cages available, $10 each. 563-4038.
TENNESSEE WALKER registered horse, 4 years old, excellent trail horse, asking $1,400, call 501-843-3370 or 501-351-3329.
ONE PAIR Toulouse Geese, 1 pair White Emden Geese, $35 a pair, call 988-1126.
VEHICLES & ACCESSORIES
1995 FORD F150, super cab, 4x4 off road, automatic w/5.0 Liter, short wheel base, $7,000 OBO. 501-454-0101.
Toyota 20R motor. Selling for parts, $50. 983-1445.
jaguar 1982, XJ6, 4.2L 6 cyl. 4 door, 55,000 miles. Extra clean, won’t start, $1,350. 982-1097.
2005 ford F150 4 door reg. cab, 300 miles, red, bedliner & bug shield. 605-9110.
1976 dodge 4wd pickup, 318 auto, 7816LT tires, runs good, $1000 OBO. 516-7255.
1970 Jeepster Commando, 3 spd, V-6, heavy duty wench, $2500. 676-7165.
1985 gmc S-15 V-6, auto, 4x4, $1500. 983-1445.
1983 ford 1 ton flatbed truck, 36 ft. gooseneck trailer, 6 ft. bush hog. 454-7398.
1997 grand am SE, 2 door, auto, AC, CD, 104,000 miles, good cond., $1750. 985-2349.
2003 CHEVY EXTENDED CAB, white with Boise stereo, 64K miles, $15,800, call after 7 p.m. at 501-827-5811.
2002 JEEP LIBERTY Sport, leather seats, DVD, Game Cube, and satellite radio, 60K miles, excellent condition, $13,500, call 501-912-6062.
Cargo Trailer - Bonanza 16', dual axles, electric brakes, aluminum wheels, excellent condition, metallic grey, bar n doors in back, side door, inside lights, new tires/spare. $3900. after 4:30pm. 501-941-0454.
1981 FORD COURIER, orange, low miles, needs battery, $350 OBO. 501-563-5288.
1991 BRITISH STERLING, 4-door, leather interior, heated seats, sun roof, all electric, $5,000 OBO, 501-605-1514.
1990 CHEVY Caprice station wagon, first $500 gets it. Beebe. 882-2762.
1973 FORD F100 LWB. 390 engine. Standard transmission, PS, AC. 92K actual miles, excellent condition. Very clean inside and out. Good paint, new rubber. $2,300 OBO. 982-1052.
1984 CROWN Victoria LTD. Runs, looks good, new battery, alternator , tires. Hat but no AC. $1,050 OBO. 843-4890.
1991 Buick Century: For parts, good motor and transmission, $100. 843-0101 after 1 pm weekdays.
1983 CHEVY SILVERADO with shell and running boards. V6, auto, runs/drives good. $1,500 OBO. 941-5033.
1995 ford windstar van, green with tan leatehr interior, all power. 982-3468.
1994 buick Lesabre Limited, leather seats, 70,000 miles, lots of extras, $2000. 593-1050.
1992 Chevy Cavalier possible blown head gasket. Make offer! 988-1361.
1983 honda civic does not run, make offer. 988-1361.
1993 ford F150, $4000. 1993 Corsica, $500. 843-2543.
2003 Ford Mustang with 42,000 miles. This car car hasbeen well taken care of. Asking price is under blue book vale. $12,500. Ward. 870-613-5333.
1998 Camaro red, T-Tops, CD, V-6, 25 mpg. good cond., $5950. 982-8396.
1989 ford F150 real good shape, can be seen at 1603 W. Iowa, Beebe. Real bargain at $2350. 882-3415.
1983 FORD F-150 4x4, engine Straight 6 cylinder, 78,000 miles (1 owner), Mechanically--Great condtion, Cosmetically--not too good, Searcy.
$2,495 501-279-3602.
car parts: 1988 Bonneville, 1986 Crown Victoria, 1979 T-Bird. Too many to list. 563-5568.
2003 S-10 LS green, 16,800 miles, extended warranty, 5 speed. 605-1488.
1994 Lincoln Town Car exc. cond., leather int. like new, $4000. 843-3727.
1999 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer, 3rd seat, leather, 56K miles, excellent condition $12,600 or take over payments of $351.06. 501-882-3109.
1990 Ford Ranger P/U, new tires, good interior & paint, straight body, weak motor but will run $700 OBO. Ask for Jessie. 501-726-3502 or 501-288-0547.
1980 ford fairmont 2 door, V-8, not running, needs work, $200 as is. 529-0913.
Billet polished aluminum fuel door (aircraft style). Fits new Dodge p/u. Factory new over $100. Exc cond .$60. 605-3613.
1981 ford fairmont 4 door, V-8, runs and drives but smokes, $250 as is. 529-0913.
ford f150 1989. Very rough condition. Could be used as a parts vehichle. engine runs, transmission shifts. Tires are decent. Long wheel base. Never wrecked. Paint is bad body parts are decent. Can drive home. $550 cash. Truck is on the corner of Tippitt and New Hope Road off 31 between Lonoke and Beebe. 501-680-4735.
2002 Ford Ranger reg. cab, V6 Auto, CD, bedliner, etc. original owner, non-smoker, white, Only 41k miles! Asking $8,500. 501-454-0584.
2003 FORD Explorer Limited V-8,sunroof, loaded, 37K miles $19,950. 920-5203.
FORD TRANSMISSION out of 1988 Lincoln $200. 501-985-2726.
1995 kawaski ZX6 Ninja, full yoshi pipe, excellent condition, always garaged $3200. 501-838-7322.
2002 Ford Ranger with V6 Auto, 41k miles, and a 2004 Honda Rancher ES 4x2 ATV with 400 miles both for $11,900. Mike @ 501-454-0584.
1991 CIVIC Wagon, great family car, $1,500. 279-6435. Call anytime.
1991 buick century, 501-960-1009.
RECREATIONAL
1993 Wilderness 5th wheel, 28 ft., hitch included, never been used, $6000. 834-2895.
CHROME EXHAUST mufflers. factory. Fits. 2000-01 100 Honda Spirit. Both for $150. 882-2142.
1989 imperial ASI, 20 ft., inboard outboard, 140 Mercruiser, $3500. 519-4758.
1995 prowler RV 29 ft., pull type trailer. 1993 F250 diesel super caba with camper shell. Both in exc. cond. Road ready, $13,500 for both. 843-1209.
bass boat: trailer, live well, troling motor, depth finder, 40 hp Mercury motor, power trim, oil injected, electric start, $3500. 519-1079.
1996 founder RV low miles, lots of upgrades, $37,000. 941-2589.
camper for sale: 1988 Hiliday Rambler, 31 ft. long, makes 3 beds, new electric refrigerator, everything works. $5500. 941-7606 or 920-7692.
go-kart frame no tires. 843-0101 after 1 pm weekdays.
road runner scooter good cond. 982-3468.
2005 yamaha Blaster, brand new, ridden 5 hours, carries 2 year warranty. Want a bigger 4-wheeler, $3500. 690-4143.
1994 lowe boat with trailer, 70 hp Evinrude motor, 2 live wells, 2 depth finders, foot controlled trolling motor, very nice, exc. cond. $4000. 843-9055.
91 Class A Winnebago Warrior Excellent Condition Low miles $9500 501-941-7522.
2001 yamaha SUV Jet Ski, hardley used, $7,000. 501-985-5680.
2005 cardinal 5th wheel 29 LE, aluminum frame, very new cond. $23,500. 676-2159 or 412-8537.
1988 cheetah. Runs great, like new, $4000. 501-985-5680.
1977 DODGE Coachman Classic motorhome. Can see at 24 Pond St., Cabot. $4,250. 425-3231.
1999 LARSON 186SEI fish or ski boat with a 130-horse Johnson. Less than 40 hours. $10,300. 843-3033.
2003 SUZUKI LT-2 400. Low hours, $3,300 OBO or will trade for fishing boat or camptrailer of equal value. 843-3033.
2002 Honda VTX 1800 Retro. 8500.00 obo 15500 miles, excellent condition, and pefectly maintained. Black, lots of extras. Leave message. 501-882-6416.
14 ft. duracraft boat, flat bottom, deep sides, 2 new seats, 25 hp electric start Evinrude motor, heavy-duty home made trailer, standard wheels, $2000 for all. 843-3312.
houseboat 43 ft. $15,000 or trade. 982-3219.
go kart, race ready, enforcer chassis, rebuilt Briggs & Stratton motor with racing cam. Enclosed trailer, extra parts and tires. 882-5669.
1997 sportsman v-bottom double deck, 17 ft. with trailer adn cover, 60 Johnson motor, $4000. 765-2203.
2004 Honda Rancher ES350 4x2, electric shift w/ optional manual. ONLY 400 miles! Never in mud. Garaged. Mint condition. Asking only $3,600. Cabot. 501-454-0584.
1997 Harley Davidson FatBoy, Immaculate, Violet, Custom Harley Chrome, 10,000 miles, pampered. Vance/Hines Pipes, Yost Power Tube, New Tires. $13,500. 501-606-6672.
14 FOOT CANOE, 551-1793. .
2004 YAMAHA V-Star Classic 1100; 2 tone silver Cobra pipes, windshield saddle bags, back rest, may options. 3,600 miles. $7,000. 501-516-8285.
WANTED
TOY JOHN Deere Gator 12 volt, 2 ,speed, made by perego. Running or not, for parts. 843-5376.
NEED TWO twin mattress sets free or cheaply priced. Also, any girls clothes size 6-10. 726-3347.
WANTED: used "Freak Plus" 26-oz. softball bat. Also, a DeMarini or Worth brand 100 mph plus 26 or 27 oz. bat. 501-726-1700 or 501-827-0957.
Yards to cut during the summer for college student. 501-605-3148.
WANTED: ANY size utility trailer for free. Leave message for Billy 501-941-3507.
DIABETIC who lives with WWII veteran in desperate need of a shed. Such as a 10x40 or 10x50 trailer. IF you can help please call 882-2142.
REAL ESTATE
why rent? No bank qualifying loan application. 10% down MOVES YOU IN 1600 square foot 2 BR, 2 1/2 BA townhouse on North Hills CC. Full tax deductions of homeownership. Only $659/mo. + association dues. CALL (214) 837-6188.
FSBO BEAUTIFUL home w/view. Austin/Cabot area near town, 2,800 sq. ft. located on 3 wooded acres. Attached garage. 3BR, 3FB, FP. 3 decks, 1 covered. $249,500. For appointment, call 843-5902.
2 CEMETERY plots for sale. Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens, West Dewitt Henry Drive in Beebe, AR. Write 2912 La Estrella Circle, Colorado Springs, CO. 80917. Paid $840, will accept $700.
CABOT FSBO -121 N. Windwood Hts., 2,700 sq. ft. 1.5 ac., exec. brick home, in-ground pool, $283,000, 501-941-2342 or 605-2301,
www.infotube.net/107107.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
MOBILE HOME park Cabot/Ward - built 1996. 36 acres 97 lots w/31 rental mh's $1,650,000 $152,000 NOI unbelievable 9.2% return w/ 42 vac. Tucker Properties 501- 786-0140.
3 attached commercial buildings for sale on Hwy. 161 North. Building are approx. 5,300 sq. ft. with 5 restrooms, 3 sep. heating and cooling systems. Recently renovated and presently rented to long term renters. Excellent investment property. Parkin on 3 sides of buildings with private parking lot. $120,000. Call The Beckie Brooks Co. at 985-2370 or 580-3179.
3 ATTACHED commercial building for sale on Hwy 161 North. Buildings are Approx. 5,300 SF, with 5 restrooms, 3 separate heating and cooling system, recently renovated and presently rented to long term renters. Excellent investment property. Parking on 3 sides of buildings with private parking lot. $120,000. The Beckie Brooks Company, 985-2370 or 580-3179.
RENTALS
2 BDRM., 1 bath mobile home, HUD approved, $450 month, elderly encourage to apply. 743-0003.
FOR RENT: 2 BDRM, 1 bath home. Near Furlow. Clean with big yard. 982-6647.
CABOT SCHOOLS 4 bedroom, 3 bath, spacious home on 2-1/2 acres. In quiet neighborhood. 259-0547.
for rent ward: New duplexes, 2 BR, 1 BA. Washer, dryer, refrigerator, dishwasher & range furnished. HUD accepted. $485 per mo. rent plus $350 deposit. Call 501-804-2304.
JACKSONVILLE – 2 BR mobile homes for rent, $350 to $375, $300 deposit, $20 application fee. Leave mesage 843-9175.
E
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
SPORTS>> Falcons are on a roll
BY RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
NP routes Jacksonville and Hall in consecutive
North Pulaski baseball is on a two-game winning streak. The Falcons dominated their last two opponents, beating crosstown rival Jacksonville 7-1 Friday, then disposing of Little Rock Hall 12-2 Monday afternoon in five innings.
The win over the Warriors was highlighted by a play everyone was excited about, but no one as much as NP senior Steven Hinton. Hinton blasted a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left field and nearly over the batting cages behind the fence in the fourth inning. It was the big senior’s first career home run.
The round-tripper came the first pitch after Hall’s infield visited the mound to talk with the Warrior coach. NP head coach Robbie Walker, assistant Travis Lyda and Hinton also huddled, and Walker said Hinton was simply following his instructions.
“The sad thing is Lyda told him to do that right before he did it,” Walker said.
“I told him I wanted to see him hit one,” Lyda added.
“It was actually Hinton’s second base hit of the game. He was one of three Falcons to get multiple hits in the win, joining fellow seniors Mitchell Regnas and Brandon Clements, who all went 2 for 3.
North Pulaski took the lead in the bottom of the first inning with a single run in the first inning, and took command of the game in the third with a six-run explosion.
Senior pitcher Jeremy Mogish kept Hall of balance until a hit and an error allowed one run to score for Hall in the top of the fourth.
The Falcons kept hitting the ball hard in the bottom of the fourth, and Hall muffled two relay throws that should have been double play balls to keep the rally going.
Hinton then stepped to the plate with Brandon Clements on third base. A wild pitch allowed Clements to score easily, bringing the Hall coach and infield to the mound. That’s when Hinton unleashed the power and put NP up by the run-rule margin.
Hall added a run in the top of the fifth and put a runner on third with one out, but could bring it in to keep the game going.
Mogish gave up just three hits and one earned run in the game.
On Friday, the Falcons beat the Red Devils in the first meeting between the two teams in two seasons.
North Pulaski out-hit Jacksonville 11-4 and all but one Falcon got a base hit in the game. Mogish went 2 for 4 with a triple, Junior catcher Tyler Uptergrove went 2 for 3 with a double and Regnas went 2 for 2 with three runs scored and three stolen bases.
Clements went 1 for 3, but had a sacrifice fly and two RBIs in the game. Zach James, Scott Bolen, Shane Graham and Josh Mansfield all got base hits as well.
Graham got the win on the mound and the Falcons improved to 15-7 on the season.
They play a conference doubleheader against Stuttgart Thursday, which will also be senior night at Dupree. The games mean little to North Pulaski, who will finish in fourth place regardless of the outcome.
A sweep by either team or a split will make no difference regarding where the Falcons seed into the state playoffs.
Leader sports editor
NP routes Jacksonville and Hall in consecutive
North Pulaski baseball is on a two-game winning streak. The Falcons dominated their last two opponents, beating crosstown rival Jacksonville 7-1 Friday, then disposing of Little Rock Hall 12-2 Monday afternoon in five innings.
The win over the Warriors was highlighted by a play everyone was excited about, but no one as much as NP senior Steven Hinton. Hinton blasted a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left field and nearly over the batting cages behind the fence in the fourth inning. It was the big senior’s first career home run.
The round-tripper came the first pitch after Hall’s infield visited the mound to talk with the Warrior coach. NP head coach Robbie Walker, assistant Travis Lyda and Hinton also huddled, and Walker said Hinton was simply following his instructions.
“The sad thing is Lyda told him to do that right before he did it,” Walker said.
“I told him I wanted to see him hit one,” Lyda added.
“It was actually Hinton’s second base hit of the game. He was one of three Falcons to get multiple hits in the win, joining fellow seniors Mitchell Regnas and Brandon Clements, who all went 2 for 3.
North Pulaski took the lead in the bottom of the first inning with a single run in the first inning, and took command of the game in the third with a six-run explosion.
Senior pitcher Jeremy Mogish kept Hall of balance until a hit and an error allowed one run to score for Hall in the top of the fourth.
The Falcons kept hitting the ball hard in the bottom of the fourth, and Hall muffled two relay throws that should have been double play balls to keep the rally going.
Hinton then stepped to the plate with Brandon Clements on third base. A wild pitch allowed Clements to score easily, bringing the Hall coach and infield to the mound. That’s when Hinton unleashed the power and put NP up by the run-rule margin.
Hall added a run in the top of the fifth and put a runner on third with one out, but could bring it in to keep the game going.
Mogish gave up just three hits and one earned run in the game.
On Friday, the Falcons beat the Red Devils in the first meeting between the two teams in two seasons.
North Pulaski out-hit Jacksonville 11-4 and all but one Falcon got a base hit in the game. Mogish went 2 for 4 with a triple, Junior catcher Tyler Uptergrove went 2 for 3 with a double and Regnas went 2 for 2 with three runs scored and three stolen bases.
Clements went 1 for 3, but had a sacrifice fly and two RBIs in the game. Zach James, Scott Bolen, Shane Graham and Josh Mansfield all got base hits as well.
Graham got the win on the mound and the Falcons improved to 15-7 on the season.
They play a conference doubleheader against Stuttgart Thursday, which will also be senior night at Dupree. The games mean little to North Pulaski, who will finish in fourth place regardless of the outcome.
A sweep by either team or a split will make no difference regarding where the Falcons seed into the state playoffs.
SPORTS>> Search for football coach underway
IN SHORT: JHS head coaching position was officially posted Friday and several people have already expressed interest in the job.
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The opening for the head football coaching position at Jacksonville High School has generated much interest from several coaches. The opening was left when Johnny Watson, head Devil for 23 years, stepped down to take the head coaching position at Little Rock Christian Academy.
Although the position wasn’t officially posted by the Pulaski County Special School District until last Friday, many coaches had already contacted JHS principal Kenneth Clark about the job.
A spokesperson from the district office says no one has officially applied as of Monday morning, and that the district office would only handle applications from outside the district. Clark would handle all applications from people already employed by PCSSD. Clark mentioned several potential applicants that he’s been in contact with.
Among the 10 applicant mentioned by Clark, five are already employed in the Jacksonville district.
All four paid assistants on the current JHS staff applied. Jerry Wilson, who is also the head basketball coach, defensive coordinator Rick Russell and offensive coordinator Marvin Lindley applied almost immediately upon Watson’s resignation. Last week, fellow assistant George Belew added his name to the list.
“He (Belew) came to see me late last week and said he wanted to throw his hat in the ring, which I encourage.” Clark said. “We’ve already got a very strong list of candidates and it’s probably just going to get stronger. I think this will be one of the top football jobs available.”
The other district applicant is Eric Redmon, who just completed his first year as head coach at Jacksonville Junior High after two seasons as an assistant at Pulaski Robinson Junior High.
Clark said North Pulaski assistant Rich Rodgers gave notice weeks ago that he would apply if the position came open, but hasn’t done so as of yet.
One interested party from outside the district has already enjoyed much success as a head football coach.
Mark Whatley, who is currently coaching at Newport, is a former Red Devil who helped lead the Rison Wildcats to the class AA state title before stepping up to class AAA Newport.
Pine Bluff Dollarway head coach George Shelton has also contacted Clark. Shelton led Dollarway to the class AAA state championship game last year, before losing to CAC. Shelton’s Cardinals were the only team to beat class AAAA state champion Wynne last season.
There were also two applicants from Texas, including another former Red Devil in Howard McMahan. McMahan is currently the defensive coordinator at Copperas Cove, Texas, which went 10-2 last season in class 5A, won the district 13 championship and the bi-district championship against the district 15 champion.
The other Texas coach showing interest in the position is Marshall defensive coordinator Ed Hula. Marshall competes in class 4A, and was ranked as highly as sixth in the state last season.
Clark is excited about the strength of the list of applicants, and hopes to be able to make a decision soon. The opening has to be posted for 10 working days before the position can be filled. May 6 is the final day the job must be posted, and Clark wants to have a coach hired by May 16, the first day of spring practice. He isn’t however, making that date a hard deadline.
“I would really like to have someone in there by the start of spring practice,” Clark said. “And that’s what we’ll do if we can. Most important is doing what’s best for the kids and the program, and we’ll take the necessary time to make the right decision.”
Clark is now in the process of putting a committee together to help make that decision. He doesn’t yet know who will be part of the committee, but says it will likely be made up of two teachers, two members of the community, his administration staff and PCSSD athletic director Jerry Welch.
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The opening for the head football coaching position at Jacksonville High School has generated much interest from several coaches. The opening was left when Johnny Watson, head Devil for 23 years, stepped down to take the head coaching position at Little Rock Christian Academy.
Although the position wasn’t officially posted by the Pulaski County Special School District until last Friday, many coaches had already contacted JHS principal Kenneth Clark about the job.
A spokesperson from the district office says no one has officially applied as of Monday morning, and that the district office would only handle applications from outside the district. Clark would handle all applications from people already employed by PCSSD. Clark mentioned several potential applicants that he’s been in contact with.
Among the 10 applicant mentioned by Clark, five are already employed in the Jacksonville district.
All four paid assistants on the current JHS staff applied. Jerry Wilson, who is also the head basketball coach, defensive coordinator Rick Russell and offensive coordinator Marvin Lindley applied almost immediately upon Watson’s resignation. Last week, fellow assistant George Belew added his name to the list.
“He (Belew) came to see me late last week and said he wanted to throw his hat in the ring, which I encourage.” Clark said. “We’ve already got a very strong list of candidates and it’s probably just going to get stronger. I think this will be one of the top football jobs available.”
The other district applicant is Eric Redmon, who just completed his first year as head coach at Jacksonville Junior High after two seasons as an assistant at Pulaski Robinson Junior High.
Clark said North Pulaski assistant Rich Rodgers gave notice weeks ago that he would apply if the position came open, but hasn’t done so as of yet.
One interested party from outside the district has already enjoyed much success as a head football coach.
Mark Whatley, who is currently coaching at Newport, is a former Red Devil who helped lead the Rison Wildcats to the class AA state title before stepping up to class AAA Newport.
Pine Bluff Dollarway head coach George Shelton has also contacted Clark. Shelton led Dollarway to the class AAA state championship game last year, before losing to CAC. Shelton’s Cardinals were the only team to beat class AAAA state champion Wynne last season.
There were also two applicants from Texas, including another former Red Devil in Howard McMahan. McMahan is currently the defensive coordinator at Copperas Cove, Texas, which went 10-2 last season in class 5A, won the district 13 championship and the bi-district championship against the district 15 champion.
The other Texas coach showing interest in the position is Marshall defensive coordinator Ed Hula. Marshall competes in class 4A, and was ranked as highly as sixth in the state last season.
Clark is excited about the strength of the list of applicants, and hopes to be able to make a decision soon. The opening has to be posted for 10 working days before the position can be filled. May 6 is the final day the job must be posted, and Clark wants to have a coach hired by May 16, the first day of spring practice. He isn’t however, making that date a hard deadline.
“I would really like to have someone in there by the start of spring practice,” Clark said. “And that’s what we’ll do if we can. Most important is doing what’s best for the kids and the program, and we’ll take the necessary time to make the right decision.”
Clark is now in the process of putting a committee together to help make that decision. He doesn’t yet know who will be part of the committee, but says it will likely be made up of two teachers, two members of the community, his administration staff and PCSSD athletic director Jerry Welch.
NEIGHBORS>> Roasted and Toasted
IN SHORT: Tenth annual Cabot Scholarship Foundation Roast and Toast has record attendance
BY SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
You might be Jane Balgavy if you’re the guest of honor at the 10th annual Cabot Scholarship Foundation Roast and Toast.
Don Elliot, chairman of the Cabot Scholarship Foundation, said there was between 250-300 people at the dinner featuring good-natured fun-poking at Balgavy, director of forensics, theatre and debate at Cabot Public Schools.
The Roast and Toast is the premiere fund-raising event for the Cabot Scholarship Foundation, aside from endowments throughout the year from businesses and individuals. Elliot said it would be next week before the foundation knows how much it raised at the event.
Brooks Nash, Balgavy’s former principal, donned a rubber chicken themed tie for the event and called Balgavy a “living legend.”
Armed with his “Balgavy Mess Up Book” Nash took a cue from Jeff Foxworthy’s “You Might be a Redneck” comedy routine and had the crowd roaring with “You Might be Jane Balgavy.”
“You might be Jane Balgavy if you’ve ever passed out in front of your class from low blood sugar and they didn’t report it because they thought you were doing a solo dramatic presentation,” Nash said.
“You might be Jane Balgavy, if you take three teachers to Sonic Drive Inn and claim it as teacher in-service.”
He also zinged Balgavy for having a pizza delivered to her during a faculty meeting and bringing her son Hayden to school without shoes.
Cabot drama teacher Ashley McMahan joked that Balgavy was going to be a fashion designer until she realized she just had one outfit, holding up a denim shirt and jeans, Balgavy’s signature look.
McMahan’s voice cracked with emotion as she read a letter from former student, Heath Hanson, who is currently in Thailand working for Greenpeace.
“At the end of the day, you regret the things you didn’t do much more than the things you did do. You were the only adult who never let me down,” Hanson wrote about Balgavy.
Another former student, Joy Sims Brown, who now works for Sony Music in New York, praised her teacher for years of support and retold the account of her passing out from low-blood sugar during forensics. Balgavy’s husband, John, joked about his wife going into a trance whenever two or more numbers are mentioned in the same sentence and her lack of time-management skills.
“There’s two time zones, Central Standard Time and Jane Time. Growing up, I was taught being on time meant being 15 minutes early. Jane runs 15 minutes to three hours late. You’re lucky if she shows up at all” he said.
“But if she’s late, chances are she’s helping a friend or a student. She draws out the good in people and if the school made her work twice as hard for half as much, she would.”
Balgavy said she was honored to be the roastee for the event and paraphrased a sign in her home.
“I have the perfect cast, I just don’t understand the plot sometimes. Teaching is the best job ever because everyday I get to work with children and it’s rewarding to watch them grow throughout the years,” she said.
Past roastees have included Miss Arkansas 2003 Whitney Kirk, J. M. Park, Jack Carrington, Mike Malham Jr., Del Medlin, Dewey Faught, Joe Allman, Joe Trusty and William Kehler.
Balgavy began teaching at Cabot in 1991. She has a BSE and a double major in Speech/Theatre and English from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. She has a MSE in gifted and talented education. She has directed Cabot musical productions such as “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Oklahoma,” “Grease,” “Guys and Dolls,” “West Side Story,” and currently, “The Wiz.” The Balgavys live in Cabot and have a son Hayden, 14.
BY SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
You might be Jane Balgavy if you’re the guest of honor at the 10th annual Cabot Scholarship Foundation Roast and Toast.
Don Elliot, chairman of the Cabot Scholarship Foundation, said there was between 250-300 people at the dinner featuring good-natured fun-poking at Balgavy, director of forensics, theatre and debate at Cabot Public Schools.
The Roast and Toast is the premiere fund-raising event for the Cabot Scholarship Foundation, aside from endowments throughout the year from businesses and individuals. Elliot said it would be next week before the foundation knows how much it raised at the event.
Brooks Nash, Balgavy’s former principal, donned a rubber chicken themed tie for the event and called Balgavy a “living legend.”
Armed with his “Balgavy Mess Up Book” Nash took a cue from Jeff Foxworthy’s “You Might be a Redneck” comedy routine and had the crowd roaring with “You Might be Jane Balgavy.”
“You might be Jane Balgavy if you’ve ever passed out in front of your class from low blood sugar and they didn’t report it because they thought you were doing a solo dramatic presentation,” Nash said.
“You might be Jane Balgavy, if you take three teachers to Sonic Drive Inn and claim it as teacher in-service.”
He also zinged Balgavy for having a pizza delivered to her during a faculty meeting and bringing her son Hayden to school without shoes.
Cabot drama teacher Ashley McMahan joked that Balgavy was going to be a fashion designer until she realized she just had one outfit, holding up a denim shirt and jeans, Balgavy’s signature look.
McMahan’s voice cracked with emotion as she read a letter from former student, Heath Hanson, who is currently in Thailand working for Greenpeace.
“At the end of the day, you regret the things you didn’t do much more than the things you did do. You were the only adult who never let me down,” Hanson wrote about Balgavy.
Another former student, Joy Sims Brown, who now works for Sony Music in New York, praised her teacher for years of support and retold the account of her passing out from low-blood sugar during forensics. Balgavy’s husband, John, joked about his wife going into a trance whenever two or more numbers are mentioned in the same sentence and her lack of time-management skills.
“There’s two time zones, Central Standard Time and Jane Time. Growing up, I was taught being on time meant being 15 minutes early. Jane runs 15 minutes to three hours late. You’re lucky if she shows up at all” he said.
“But if she’s late, chances are she’s helping a friend or a student. She draws out the good in people and if the school made her work twice as hard for half as much, she would.”
Balgavy said she was honored to be the roastee for the event and paraphrased a sign in her home.
“I have the perfect cast, I just don’t understand the plot sometimes. Teaching is the best job ever because everyday I get to work with children and it’s rewarding to watch them grow throughout the years,” she said.
Past roastees have included Miss Arkansas 2003 Whitney Kirk, J. M. Park, Jack Carrington, Mike Malham Jr., Del Medlin, Dewey Faught, Joe Allman, Joe Trusty and William Kehler.
Balgavy began teaching at Cabot in 1991. She has a BSE and a double major in Speech/Theatre and English from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. She has a MSE in gifted and talented education. She has directed Cabot musical productions such as “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Oklahoma,” “Grease,” “Guys and Dolls,” “West Side Story,” and currently, “The Wiz.” The Balgavys live in Cabot and have a son Hayden, 14.
EDITORIAL>> O’Brien gives voters hope
Could Pulaski County be headed for an honest, reliable and trouble-free election in 2006, the first in memory for most of us?
The county’s new circuit and county clerk and vote commissar, Pat O’Brien, gives us some hope.
A random telephone poll by O’Brien’s office suggests that the voter records of only 12 percent of the clearly active voters are fouled up. That sounds awful, but it really is an improvement, especially from the 2000 election, when it seemed that half the voters who went to the polls had trouble.
The larger problem has been with voters of questionable status, nearly a fourth of the 265,000 names in the county’s official voter lists.
They are “inactive,” which means they seem not to have voted in several years (or maybe they did), but nobody knows why. O’Brien is trying to reach them, first by mail, to see what their status is.
Chances are high in this mobile society that you’re on the list for one reason or another. If you get a letter, respond. Don’t wait. Those who don’t or else don’t vote will be purged from the rolls in 2006.
It may have taken a federal consent order and, we like to think, an efficient new public officer, but something is being done, finally. There is hope for democracy in Pulaski County after all.
The county’s new circuit and county clerk and vote commissar, Pat O’Brien, gives us some hope.
A random telephone poll by O’Brien’s office suggests that the voter records of only 12 percent of the clearly active voters are fouled up. That sounds awful, but it really is an improvement, especially from the 2000 election, when it seemed that half the voters who went to the polls had trouble.
The larger problem has been with voters of questionable status, nearly a fourth of the 265,000 names in the county’s official voter lists.
They are “inactive,” which means they seem not to have voted in several years (or maybe they did), but nobody knows why. O’Brien is trying to reach them, first by mail, to see what their status is.
Chances are high in this mobile society that you’re on the list for one reason or another. If you get a letter, respond. Don’t wait. Those who don’t or else don’t vote will be purged from the rolls in 2006.
It may have taken a federal consent order and, we like to think, an efficient new public officer, but something is being done, finally. There is hope for democracy in Pulaski County after all.
EDITORIAL>> A telling roll call
Every now and then a legislative body takes a roll call that identifies for voters the real constituency of their lawmakers. The vote on permanent repeal of the federal estate tax provided such a roll call.
The U. S. House of Representatives voted to permanently end the tax, which under current law is set to expire in 2010 and then go back on the books in 2011. Arkansas Representatives Marion Berry, John Boozman and Mike Ross voted to kill the tax; Representative Vic Snyder voted to continue it. As we have come to expect, Snyder cast the lonely vote that was certain to be unpopular, politically unsalable and absolutely correct.
If the Senate follows suit, hundreds of billions of dollars of profits collected by the nation’s wealthiest people in the next 20 years will go untaxed. That’s right: untaxed altogether. President Bush and the Republican leaders of Congress never acknowledge that little fact of life. Congressman Ross joined the Republicans in saying that he was ending the double taxation of inherited wealth by killing the estate tax. It simply is not true.
The other side of the coin is that elimination of the nearly century-old tax will sink the country far more deeply into debt – by another trillion dollars over the 10 years after it ends. If you can believe President Bush that the growing deficit could cause the United States at some point to repudiate its debt, it could even speed the collapse of Social Security. We don’t hold to that notion, but it was the president who raised it, though not in conjunction with the repeal of the estate tax. He’s for that.
Ross and Berry disappointingly referred to it as the “death tax,” the name that a Republican public-relations man came up with a dozen years ago to change public attitudes about the estate tax. The estate tax is collected on the inheritances of fewer than 2 percent of Arkansans who die each year and the tax on nearly all of them is small. The average tax on estates larger than $20 million last year was 16.5 percent, less than you pay in income and payroll taxes on your wages. For the next tax year, the tax will apply only to estates larger than $2 million for individuals and $4 million for couples.
But the Republican PR campaign persuaded Americans that the government was about to take away the widow’s mite (taxes aren’t collected at all on estates passed to widows). The tax gradually became unpopular and Bush was able to push its repeal through Congress in 2001, although with a provision that reinstated the tax one year after it was phased out in 2010. That was done so that long-range projections of deficits and the national debt did not look so frightening.
Arkansas took a fiscal beating from the act as well. The law phased out the credit for state-based inheritance taxes effective this year. Since the Arkansas estate tax was fixed at the amount of the federal credit it effectively ended the Arkansas tax, which averages more than $20 million a year. That’s $20 million that won’t be available for schools, colleges, prisons and health care.
Sooner or later, after a respectable period, your taxes will be raised at both the federal and state levels to make up for the loss.
Congressman Ross, explaining his vote, said it was unfair to tax income when a person earned it and then tax it again when it was passed on to heirs. But most of the assets in large taxable estates are appreciated assets — unrealized long-term capital gains such as appreciated stock. It has never been taxed and never will be taxed if there is no estate tax.
So here is the equation: You pay some 20 percent of your salary or wage in federal and state income and payroll taxes. But Paris Hilton will not pay a dime of taxes, state or federal, on the vast inherited assets that will be her stake in life.
Berry said farm families would no longer be threatened with losing the family farm to pay the inheritance taxes. But no one has yet found a case where a farm had to be sold to satisfy an estate tax.
Thank you, Congressman Snyder, for voting for the interests of working folks. The dividends will be small at election time.
The U. S. House of Representatives voted to permanently end the tax, which under current law is set to expire in 2010 and then go back on the books in 2011. Arkansas Representatives Marion Berry, John Boozman and Mike Ross voted to kill the tax; Representative Vic Snyder voted to continue it. As we have come to expect, Snyder cast the lonely vote that was certain to be unpopular, politically unsalable and absolutely correct.
If the Senate follows suit, hundreds of billions of dollars of profits collected by the nation’s wealthiest people in the next 20 years will go untaxed. That’s right: untaxed altogether. President Bush and the Republican leaders of Congress never acknowledge that little fact of life. Congressman Ross joined the Republicans in saying that he was ending the double taxation of inherited wealth by killing the estate tax. It simply is not true.
The other side of the coin is that elimination of the nearly century-old tax will sink the country far more deeply into debt – by another trillion dollars over the 10 years after it ends. If you can believe President Bush that the growing deficit could cause the United States at some point to repudiate its debt, it could even speed the collapse of Social Security. We don’t hold to that notion, but it was the president who raised it, though not in conjunction with the repeal of the estate tax. He’s for that.
Ross and Berry disappointingly referred to it as the “death tax,” the name that a Republican public-relations man came up with a dozen years ago to change public attitudes about the estate tax. The estate tax is collected on the inheritances of fewer than 2 percent of Arkansans who die each year and the tax on nearly all of them is small. The average tax on estates larger than $20 million last year was 16.5 percent, less than you pay in income and payroll taxes on your wages. For the next tax year, the tax will apply only to estates larger than $2 million for individuals and $4 million for couples.
But the Republican PR campaign persuaded Americans that the government was about to take away the widow’s mite (taxes aren’t collected at all on estates passed to widows). The tax gradually became unpopular and Bush was able to push its repeal through Congress in 2001, although with a provision that reinstated the tax one year after it was phased out in 2010. That was done so that long-range projections of deficits and the national debt did not look so frightening.
Arkansas took a fiscal beating from the act as well. The law phased out the credit for state-based inheritance taxes effective this year. Since the Arkansas estate tax was fixed at the amount of the federal credit it effectively ended the Arkansas tax, which averages more than $20 million a year. That’s $20 million that won’t be available for schools, colleges, prisons and health care.
Sooner or later, after a respectable period, your taxes will be raised at both the federal and state levels to make up for the loss.
Congressman Ross, explaining his vote, said it was unfair to tax income when a person earned it and then tax it again when it was passed on to heirs. But most of the assets in large taxable estates are appreciated assets — unrealized long-term capital gains such as appreciated stock. It has never been taxed and never will be taxed if there is no estate tax.
So here is the equation: You pay some 20 percent of your salary or wage in federal and state income and payroll taxes. But Paris Hilton will not pay a dime of taxes, state or federal, on the vast inherited assets that will be her stake in life.
Berry said farm families would no longer be threatened with losing the family farm to pay the inheritance taxes. But no one has yet found a case where a farm had to be sold to satisfy an estate tax.
Thank you, Congressman Snyder, for voting for the interests of working folks. The dividends will be small at election time.
OBITUARIES>> April 27, 2005
Emmett Reeves
After a long and prosperous life, Emmett Clayton Reeves of Jack-sonville went home to be with the Lord he dearly loved on April 23.
He was born Sept. 23, 1929, in Lonoke to John Emmett and Hazel Leona Reeves. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Barbara Reeves.
For several summers before his 1949 graduation from Lonoke High School, he worked in the construction industry with his father.
In the early and mid-1950’s, Reeves worked on projects such as the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion during Gov. Orval Faubus’ term, housing at Little Rock Air Force Base, the Pine Bluff Arsenal and the Pine Bluff Pulp Mill.
He built many homes in the central Arkansas area and was a self-employed contractor for much of his career.
He ventured to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1968 to work on the Alaskan Airline terminal. In 1980, he and wife JoAnn semi-retired to manage their rental properties, but took on special projects occasionally. Reeves attended Bethel Chapel in Little Rock for eight years, where he built the church’s youth building, worshipped at Indian Hills Baptist Church for a decade, then moved to MacArthur Assembly of God Church where he had assisted with the construction of the original church building.
Through a long battle with cancer, he maintained his cheerfulness and was an inspiration to the people around him.
He leaves behind his loving wife of 38 years whom he married on Jan. 12, 1967, in Lonoke, JoAnn Treat MacDonald Reeves; four children, Leta Haggard and her husband John of Gravel Ridge, Bonita Rownd of Jacksonville, Vicki Reeves of Jacksonville, David Reeves and his wife Robbie of Gravel Ridge; three stepchildren, Fred MacDon-ald and his wife Sally of Higden, John MacDonald and his wife Joy of Jacksonville, and Randy MacDonald and his wife Karen of Hot Springs; four sisters, Marcia Parker of Dallas, Texas, Patsy Bounds of San Antonio, Texas, Hazel Wirt and Betty Meloon, both of North Little Rock; two brothers, Dr. John R. Reeves of California and Tommy Reeves of North Little Rock; 12 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and many well-loved friends.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at MacArthur Assembly of God Church with Rev. Larry Burton officiating.
Entombment will follow at Chapel Hill Mausoleum. Funeral arrangements are by Moore’s Jack-sonville Funeral Home.
John Coleman
John David Coleman, 44, of Alexander died April 21 at his home. He was born Oct. 17, 1960, in San Antonio to Billy and Rosemary Wright Coleman.
He graduated from Duncan High School in Duncan, Okla. He served in the Navy and attended UALR, where he was majoring in history and French.
He is survived by a son, Ian Coleman of Arlington, Texas; parents, Billy and Rosemary Coleman of Alexander; three brothers, Glenn Coleman of Van Buren, Steve Coleman of Little Rock, Michael Coleman of Bryant.
Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock with Pastor Jack Diers officiating. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Jackson-ville Funeral Home.
Tolbert Balding
Tolbert G. Balding, 97, of Ward, died April 24. He was a retired farmer and worked at the Ward Co-op.
He was an avid hunter and a member of the Beebe Church of Christ. He is survived by four sons, Gerald Balding of Michigan, George Balding, Mack Balding and Carrol Balding, all of Ward; seven grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Evielea Balding, and one grandchild. Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe with burial in Apple Hill Cemetery.
Elizabeth Petty
Elizabeth M. Petty, 40, of Cabot died Monday.
She is the daughter of Erwin Stanley and the late Mary Ann Wilson Stanley. Petty is survived by her husband Mark Petty, one son, Matthew Petty and one daughter Kayla Petty. A brother, Austin Stanley and a sister, Shirley Gregory, also survive her.
She is a graduate of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a field compliance officer for the IRS. She is a member of the National Federal Employees Union and of the Episcopal faith.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Chapel of Cabot Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 3822, Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or the charity of the donor’s choice.
Ralph Hanner
Ralph Allen Hanner, 51, of McRae, passed away April 24 in Searcy.
Born March 8, 1954, to Oscar and Ola Weldon Hanner in Downey, Calif. Survivors include three sisters: Joe Staley of Austin, Hazel Thomas (Nelson Walls) of Beebe, Linda and Bob Britton of McRae; one brother Butch Hanner of McRae and numerous nieces, nephews friends and loved ones. Memorial services will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday at Thomas Funeral Service.
Theodore Snellenberger
Theodore Snellenberger, 70, of Cabot, passed away April 24 at Arkansas Hospice, Fort Roots in North Little Rock.
He was born March 19, 1935 in Elkhardt, Ind., to Charles and Veronica Carlin Snellenberger. Mr. Snellenberger was a retired police officer, owner/operator of Corral CB Center and past president of the Moose Lodge in Cahokia, Ill.
He is preceded in death by his parents; wife Helen; three daughters, Margie Parker, Carolyn and Jean Snellenberger; one sister and four brothers.
He is survived by his daughter, Patsy and son-in-law Dennis Halverson of Cabot; three brothers, Don and Richard Snellenberger both of Illinois and Jim Snellen-berger of Indiana; sister-in-law Mildred and husband Donnie Hasty of Beebe; three grandchildren, Nikki Halverson of Cabot, Lisa and husband John Franklin Hice of Judsonia and Scott Robin-son of Cabot; five great-grandchildren, Stephen, Jamie, Kylah, Cody and Annalise.
Memorial services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Lenny Brewer officiating.
Arrangements by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
Jean Bissell
Jean Leslie Bissell, 80, of Cabot, passed away April 25. She was born in Little Rock. She attended school in Little Rock, North Little Rock and Draughin’s Business School.
She was a housewife, a Baptist and the mother of four sons and one daughter; Robert of Chester, Conn., Rick of Guilford, Conn., Eugene of Walkerton, Ind., Michael of Bowling Green, Ky., Kathleen of Jacksonville. Also surviving her is one adopted son, Dan; 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at noon Thursday in the Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.
She will be cremated. Memorials may be made to Aplastic Anemia Foundation.
Arrangements are by Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home.
After a long and prosperous life, Emmett Clayton Reeves of Jack-sonville went home to be with the Lord he dearly loved on April 23.
He was born Sept. 23, 1929, in Lonoke to John Emmett and Hazel Leona Reeves. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Barbara Reeves.
For several summers before his 1949 graduation from Lonoke High School, he worked in the construction industry with his father.
In the early and mid-1950’s, Reeves worked on projects such as the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion during Gov. Orval Faubus’ term, housing at Little Rock Air Force Base, the Pine Bluff Arsenal and the Pine Bluff Pulp Mill.
He built many homes in the central Arkansas area and was a self-employed contractor for much of his career.
He ventured to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1968 to work on the Alaskan Airline terminal. In 1980, he and wife JoAnn semi-retired to manage their rental properties, but took on special projects occasionally. Reeves attended Bethel Chapel in Little Rock for eight years, where he built the church’s youth building, worshipped at Indian Hills Baptist Church for a decade, then moved to MacArthur Assembly of God Church where he had assisted with the construction of the original church building.
Through a long battle with cancer, he maintained his cheerfulness and was an inspiration to the people around him.
He leaves behind his loving wife of 38 years whom he married on Jan. 12, 1967, in Lonoke, JoAnn Treat MacDonald Reeves; four children, Leta Haggard and her husband John of Gravel Ridge, Bonita Rownd of Jacksonville, Vicki Reeves of Jacksonville, David Reeves and his wife Robbie of Gravel Ridge; three stepchildren, Fred MacDon-ald and his wife Sally of Higden, John MacDonald and his wife Joy of Jacksonville, and Randy MacDonald and his wife Karen of Hot Springs; four sisters, Marcia Parker of Dallas, Texas, Patsy Bounds of San Antonio, Texas, Hazel Wirt and Betty Meloon, both of North Little Rock; two brothers, Dr. John R. Reeves of California and Tommy Reeves of North Little Rock; 12 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and many well-loved friends.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at MacArthur Assembly of God Church with Rev. Larry Burton officiating.
Entombment will follow at Chapel Hill Mausoleum. Funeral arrangements are by Moore’s Jack-sonville Funeral Home.
John Coleman
John David Coleman, 44, of Alexander died April 21 at his home. He was born Oct. 17, 1960, in San Antonio to Billy and Rosemary Wright Coleman.
He graduated from Duncan High School in Duncan, Okla. He served in the Navy and attended UALR, where he was majoring in history and French.
He is survived by a son, Ian Coleman of Arlington, Texas; parents, Billy and Rosemary Coleman of Alexander; three brothers, Glenn Coleman of Van Buren, Steve Coleman of Little Rock, Michael Coleman of Bryant.
Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at State Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock with Pastor Jack Diers officiating. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Moore’s Jackson-ville Funeral Home.
Tolbert Balding
Tolbert G. Balding, 97, of Ward, died April 24. He was a retired farmer and worked at the Ward Co-op.
He was an avid hunter and a member of the Beebe Church of Christ. He is survived by four sons, Gerald Balding of Michigan, George Balding, Mack Balding and Carrol Balding, all of Ward; seven grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Evielea Balding, and one grandchild. Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Westbrook Funeral Home in Beebe with burial in Apple Hill Cemetery.
Elizabeth Petty
Elizabeth M. Petty, 40, of Cabot died Monday.
She is the daughter of Erwin Stanley and the late Mary Ann Wilson Stanley. Petty is survived by her husband Mark Petty, one son, Matthew Petty and one daughter Kayla Petty. A brother, Austin Stanley and a sister, Shirley Gregory, also survive her.
She is a graduate of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a field compliance officer for the IRS. She is a member of the National Federal Employees Union and of the Episcopal faith.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Chapel of Cabot Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 3822, Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or the charity of the donor’s choice.
Ralph Hanner
Ralph Allen Hanner, 51, of McRae, passed away April 24 in Searcy.
Born March 8, 1954, to Oscar and Ola Weldon Hanner in Downey, Calif. Survivors include three sisters: Joe Staley of Austin, Hazel Thomas (Nelson Walls) of Beebe, Linda and Bob Britton of McRae; one brother Butch Hanner of McRae and numerous nieces, nephews friends and loved ones. Memorial services will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday at Thomas Funeral Service.
Theodore Snellenberger
Theodore Snellenberger, 70, of Cabot, passed away April 24 at Arkansas Hospice, Fort Roots in North Little Rock.
He was born March 19, 1935 in Elkhardt, Ind., to Charles and Veronica Carlin Snellenberger. Mr. Snellenberger was a retired police officer, owner/operator of Corral CB Center and past president of the Moose Lodge in Cahokia, Ill.
He is preceded in death by his parents; wife Helen; three daughters, Margie Parker, Carolyn and Jean Snellenberger; one sister and four brothers.
He is survived by his daughter, Patsy and son-in-law Dennis Halverson of Cabot; three brothers, Don and Richard Snellenberger both of Illinois and Jim Snellen-berger of Indiana; sister-in-law Mildred and husband Donnie Hasty of Beebe; three grandchildren, Nikki Halverson of Cabot, Lisa and husband John Franklin Hice of Judsonia and Scott Robin-son of Cabot; five great-grandchildren, Stephen, Jamie, Kylah, Cody and Annalise.
Memorial services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Lenny Brewer officiating.
Arrangements by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home.
Jean Bissell
Jean Leslie Bissell, 80, of Cabot, passed away April 25. She was born in Little Rock. She attended school in Little Rock, North Little Rock and Draughin’s Business School.
She was a housewife, a Baptist and the mother of four sons and one daughter; Robert of Chester, Conn., Rick of Guilford, Conn., Eugene of Walkerton, Ind., Michael of Bowling Green, Ky., Kathleen of Jacksonville. Also surviving her is one adopted son, Dan; 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at noon Thursday in the Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.
She will be cremated. Memorials may be made to Aplastic Anemia Foundation.
Arrangements are by Moore’s Cabot Funeral Home.
FROM THE PUBLISHER>> Reactions to series on predators
We’re getting plenty of comments about our series on sexual predators. Many readers are sending their comments to our Web site, www.arkansasleader.com.
Not all the comments are favorable. Here’s one reader who thinks we could have done better:
“As a retired journalist and grandparent, I was both disappointed and shocked by your story, ‘Predators in Our Midst’” (April 13). “My disappointment with The Leader starts with the writer focusing on the 1997 Jack Walls case; that’s hardly news, and certainly not above-the-fold, front-page news.
“Walls is locked up, people are dead, and space that could have been more constructively used with current information was wasted.
“...the narrative contained no comments from public officials, and no information citizens can use to protect themselves against sexual predators who may be lurking just around the corner, possibly near my grandchildren.
“Rehashing the Walls case and jumping from it back and forth between current cases was confusing and useless. That’s not to mention one of the weakest leads I’ve ever read:
“This area has had several high-profile sexual-abuse cases in recent years.”
“Not everyone has access to the Internet to check the whereabouts of these creeps within our communities.
“If The Leader is attempting a public service by providing any real information, it would NAME the offenders, their crimes, and their addresses.
“It’s a shame your otherwise wonderful newspaper dropped the ball with this amateurish, useless story. Do your readers a favor and let a more competent writer handle the big issues. Was the editor off this week?”
Here’s more e-mail:
“As the mother of two of Jack Walls’ victims, I think his name should be published in the paper every day for the rest of his life. I think every sex offender in Lonoke County should be listed in the paper at least once a year, so the public will know who they are and where they live, including the level ones and twos that they won’t list on the internet. Even though they may have only been caught once doesn’t mean that your child may not be the next.
“My family suffers every day of our lives because of the abuse of our boys, and I just pray that the ones that don’t want to hear or read the stories never have to go through the pain and sadness that we have had to live with for the past twenty years of our lives.”
Here’s another e-mail:
“Readers should realize that there are many, many men out there that wish they could erase, lock up or kill all memory of Jack Walls III and what he did to them. Rehashing this case useless? Wasted news space?
“Try telling that to those that have suffered. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Never, ever forget how easily a pedophile infiltrated a community and raped the minds of the adults ‘in control.’”
We’ll keep you informed about upcoming trials of accused sexual predators.
Unfortunately, there are many, many more on the courts dockets.
Not all the comments are favorable. Here’s one reader who thinks we could have done better:
“As a retired journalist and grandparent, I was both disappointed and shocked by your story, ‘Predators in Our Midst’” (April 13). “My disappointment with The Leader starts with the writer focusing on the 1997 Jack Walls case; that’s hardly news, and certainly not above-the-fold, front-page news.
“Walls is locked up, people are dead, and space that could have been more constructively used with current information was wasted.
“...the narrative contained no comments from public officials, and no information citizens can use to protect themselves against sexual predators who may be lurking just around the corner, possibly near my grandchildren.
“Rehashing the Walls case and jumping from it back and forth between current cases was confusing and useless. That’s not to mention one of the weakest leads I’ve ever read:
“This area has had several high-profile sexual-abuse cases in recent years.”
“Not everyone has access to the Internet to check the whereabouts of these creeps within our communities.
“If The Leader is attempting a public service by providing any real information, it would NAME the offenders, their crimes, and their addresses.
“It’s a shame your otherwise wonderful newspaper dropped the ball with this amateurish, useless story. Do your readers a favor and let a more competent writer handle the big issues. Was the editor off this week?”
Here’s more e-mail:
“As the mother of two of Jack Walls’ victims, I think his name should be published in the paper every day for the rest of his life. I think every sex offender in Lonoke County should be listed in the paper at least once a year, so the public will know who they are and where they live, including the level ones and twos that they won’t list on the internet. Even though they may have only been caught once doesn’t mean that your child may not be the next.
“My family suffers every day of our lives because of the abuse of our boys, and I just pray that the ones that don’t want to hear or read the stories never have to go through the pain and sadness that we have had to live with for the past twenty years of our lives.”
Here’s another e-mail:
“Readers should realize that there are many, many men out there that wish they could erase, lock up or kill all memory of Jack Walls III and what he did to them. Rehashing this case useless? Wasted news space?
“Try telling that to those that have suffered. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Never, ever forget how easily a pedophile infiltrated a community and raped the minds of the adults ‘in control.’”
We’ll keep you informed about upcoming trials of accused sexual predators.
Unfortunately, there are many, many more on the courts dockets.
TOP STORY>> CAW buys land, protects source
IN SHORT: Central Arkansas Water gathers steam in its move to protect the area’s drinking water with victories in the state legislature and in Pulaski County court.
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Central Arkansas Water has both the existing authority to condemn the land Deltic Timber planned to develop on the Lake Maumelle drinking-water reservoir and the money with which to pay for it, according to Jim Harvey, chief executive officer of the utility.
That authority was reaffirmed this month, letting CAW condemn about 300 acres owner Rick Ferguson had hoped to develop as Waterview Estates.
Right now, the water utility is getting a formal appraisal of Ferguson’s land and will establish a value and make him an offer before letting a jury decide on its value, according to Dale Russom, CAW’s chief operating officer.
The utility believes his land is worth about $750,000—Ferguson reportedly believes it’s worth about $16 million or more.
There’s been speculation that North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Hays feared that buying the land would require a water rate increase and was lobbying CAW board members against condemnation.
Harvey said he was unaware of any such action on Hays’ part. Hays denied he was helping CAW.
“I am talking to the commissioners,” Hays said Friday, “but it doesn’t have to do with suggesting how they protect the watershed. I’m staying consistent with the resolution the city council passed. If there are alternatives, pick the least costly, whether it’s monitoring and pretreatment, or acquisition of land or perhaps some other way.”
Hays said that when the issue first came up, he asked Harvey if condemnation could cost ratepayers and he was told it could.
“I’m on the ratepayers’ side,” the mayor said.
The Pulaski County Quorum Court last week approved a resolution supporting CAW and its efforts to keep the area’s drinking water at the highest possible quality.
County Judge Floyd (Buddy) Villines said Hays’ real concern was the cost to ratepayers, while his own perspective was first to determine what’s necessary to protect the watershed, then worry about the cost.
“I’ve been directed to condemn and purchase the land,” Villines said, citing a September 2003 resolution by the board and an April, 2004 board vote to condemn the land.
“I have not heard of anything in the works to overturn that,” Harvey said.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” he added.
The land in question is 1,000 acres, most of it owned by Deltic Timber, the balance by Ferguson.
A jury will decide what that land is worth in September, according to CAW’s Russom.
As for the cost of purchasing the condemned land, Harvey said the utility had budgeted and set aside about $5 million for this year and Russom said the total was $9 million over two years.
“That would not require a rate increase,” Harvey said. “That’s part of the last bond issue. It’s covered in the existing rate structure.”
CAW will meet again Thursday to review plans for the watershed.
Hays and Little Rock Mayor Jim Daily showed up and spoke in favor of protecting the water, but didn’t directly address the condemnation issue, said Russom. “They wanted us to explore all options.”
CAW commissioners will be interviewing three finalists Thurs-day in the process of selecting a firm to plan Lake Maumelle watershed management, Russom said.
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Central Arkansas Water has both the existing authority to condemn the land Deltic Timber planned to develop on the Lake Maumelle drinking-water reservoir and the money with which to pay for it, according to Jim Harvey, chief executive officer of the utility.
That authority was reaffirmed this month, letting CAW condemn about 300 acres owner Rick Ferguson had hoped to develop as Waterview Estates.
Right now, the water utility is getting a formal appraisal of Ferguson’s land and will establish a value and make him an offer before letting a jury decide on its value, according to Dale Russom, CAW’s chief operating officer.
The utility believes his land is worth about $750,000—Ferguson reportedly believes it’s worth about $16 million or more.
There’s been speculation that North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Hays feared that buying the land would require a water rate increase and was lobbying CAW board members against condemnation.
Harvey said he was unaware of any such action on Hays’ part. Hays denied he was helping CAW.
“I am talking to the commissioners,” Hays said Friday, “but it doesn’t have to do with suggesting how they protect the watershed. I’m staying consistent with the resolution the city council passed. If there are alternatives, pick the least costly, whether it’s monitoring and pretreatment, or acquisition of land or perhaps some other way.”
Hays said that when the issue first came up, he asked Harvey if condemnation could cost ratepayers and he was told it could.
“I’m on the ratepayers’ side,” the mayor said.
The Pulaski County Quorum Court last week approved a resolution supporting CAW and its efforts to keep the area’s drinking water at the highest possible quality.
County Judge Floyd (Buddy) Villines said Hays’ real concern was the cost to ratepayers, while his own perspective was first to determine what’s necessary to protect the watershed, then worry about the cost.
“I’ve been directed to condemn and purchase the land,” Villines said, citing a September 2003 resolution by the board and an April, 2004 board vote to condemn the land.
“I have not heard of anything in the works to overturn that,” Harvey said.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” he added.
The land in question is 1,000 acres, most of it owned by Deltic Timber, the balance by Ferguson.
A jury will decide what that land is worth in September, according to CAW’s Russom.
As for the cost of purchasing the condemned land, Harvey said the utility had budgeted and set aside about $5 million for this year and Russom said the total was $9 million over two years.
“That would not require a rate increase,” Harvey said. “That’s part of the last bond issue. It’s covered in the existing rate structure.”
CAW will meet again Thursday to review plans for the watershed.
Hays and Little Rock Mayor Jim Daily showed up and spoke in favor of protecting the water, but didn’t directly address the condemnation issue, said Russom. “They wanted us to explore all options.”
CAW commissioners will be interviewing three finalists Thurs-day in the process of selecting a firm to plan Lake Maumelle watershed management, Russom said.
TOP STORY>> Cabot to pay for fee study
IN SHORT: But the city council’s finance committee still doesn’t know how to pay for a study that recommends putting levies on construction.
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
The finance committee of the Cabot City Council met briefly Monday even-ing to discuss paying for the second phase of an impact fee study that will eventually be used to determine how much to add to the cost of new homes and other construction to offset the cost the city incurs because of growth.
The impact study bill from Duncan Associates of Austin, Texas, was for $51,000. The city council voted last week to pay the bill, then called for the committee meeting to determine how.
Most of that money will have to come from the general fund.
The study has determined so far that wastewater, streets, parks and the fire department should benefit from any fee that the city approves.
So those departments are re-sponsible for paying for the study. But of that group, only the fire department has funds available to pay its part of the study, $7,460.
Wastewater, streets and parks, which owe $15,040, $15,550 and $9,950 respectively, don’t have enough in the budget to pay the bill.
The committee also discussed the city budget to allow Peggy Moss, personnel director, to pay the members of the planning commission.
The 2005 budget includes enough to pay the commissioners $100 a month to cover their expenses.
But Alderman David Polantz, the committee chairman, said Moss lacks information to actually cut the checks, so they haven’t been paid.
The committee discussed adding the commissioners’ names and the amount they are to be paid to the budget as a remedy to Moss’ problem, but city attorney Ken Williams advised against it saying the commissioners are not city employees and he didn’t want to turn them into city employees.
“Cut them a check. You’ve already put them in the budget,” Williams said.
Finance director Dale Walker said he believed the problem is that the salaries are included in the budget as an operating expense and the solution is to move them to payroll. The quandary was left unresolved with the commissioners still not paid the $400 they are now owed. Walker said he would talk to Moss to determine what information she needs and the committee agreed to take the matter up when the full council meets.
The 2005 budget is the first to contain salaries for the members of the planning commission.
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
The finance committee of the Cabot City Council met briefly Monday even-ing to discuss paying for the second phase of an impact fee study that will eventually be used to determine how much to add to the cost of new homes and other construction to offset the cost the city incurs because of growth.
The impact study bill from Duncan Associates of Austin, Texas, was for $51,000. The city council voted last week to pay the bill, then called for the committee meeting to determine how.
Most of that money will have to come from the general fund.
The study has determined so far that wastewater, streets, parks and the fire department should benefit from any fee that the city approves.
So those departments are re-sponsible for paying for the study. But of that group, only the fire department has funds available to pay its part of the study, $7,460.
Wastewater, streets and parks, which owe $15,040, $15,550 and $9,950 respectively, don’t have enough in the budget to pay the bill.
The committee also discussed the city budget to allow Peggy Moss, personnel director, to pay the members of the planning commission.
The 2005 budget includes enough to pay the commissioners $100 a month to cover their expenses.
But Alderman David Polantz, the committee chairman, said Moss lacks information to actually cut the checks, so they haven’t been paid.
The committee discussed adding the commissioners’ names and the amount they are to be paid to the budget as a remedy to Moss’ problem, but city attorney Ken Williams advised against it saying the commissioners are not city employees and he didn’t want to turn them into city employees.
“Cut them a check. You’ve already put them in the budget,” Williams said.
Finance director Dale Walker said he believed the problem is that the salaries are included in the budget as an operating expense and the solution is to move them to payroll. The quandary was left unresolved with the commissioners still not paid the $400 they are now owed. Walker said he would talk to Moss to determine what information she needs and the committee agreed to take the matter up when the full council meets.
The 2005 budget is the first to contain salaries for the members of the planning commission.
TOP STORY>> Zoning causes concern in Beebe
IN SHORT: Underdeveloped property in proposed annexation area will be zoned commercial if voters approve idea in August.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Although Beebe residents were told in previous public meetings that proposed annexation areas would be zoned residential, the city council decided Monday night that all undeveloped property along Highway 64 and 31 and DeWitt Henry Drive will be zoned commercial.
The exception will be land that has been previously zoned industrial. The council agreed to add Davidson Road to the annexation area.
“If it’s along a highway right-of-way, rightfully it should be commercial property,” Alderman Mike Robertson said.
“Living beside commercial property is not all that bad. I live beside Beebe Trailer Sales, and it’s quiet at night. It’s not all bad.”
The city council was poised to pass the ordinance and put it before voters in a July 12 special election. The changes propose Monday night will likely cause the special election’s date be moved to August.
“How do we object to this? If we have property that’s not developed but we don’t want it commercial?” asked a distraught Beebe resident.
“My sisters own property on each side of me and plan to use it as residential.”
Scheel said any resident can petition the council to have property rezoned at any time but doubted residential rezoning would be approved.
“If you decided to rezone it, unless there was a convincing argument, it would be directly opposed to what the council is deciding tonight,” Scheel said.
Robertson added the city’s land-use plan is bound to change some.
The council will add Davidson Road to the annexation area in response to a request by Kelton Keathley. He said he owns about 60 usable acres on Davidson Road. He described the city’s annexation proposal as ‘piecemeal.’
“Let’s face it, the city is looking for area and the city is looking for revenue. You’re not getting 26 homes in your annexation out there,” Keathley said. He supported the council’s decision to zone undeveloped property as commercial.
“I’m going to be honest with you. You bring my land in as residential, I’m going to put in a subdivision. It’s the last piece of good industrial property around Beebe. You know it and I know it,” he said.
Jason Scheel, a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, told the council they have a one-year window to address zoning after the ordinance passes to have the areas match the city’s land-use plan.
In the Economic Development Commission report, Marjorie Armstrong discussed a meeting with Stuart Dalrymple, developer of the southeast corner of the new Pecan Street exit. He would like to develop about two acres of the property into multi-family housing.
“I asked him to get me more information on what they would look like and what the rental price would be. I don’t think any of us want to see low-rent apartment buildings right there in view of the interstate. But if it’s a good development, it might be in Beebe’s best interest,” Armstrong said.
Robertson begged to differ.
“I disagree with any multi-family housing out next to the exits. Retail outlets is the route we need to help our tax base,” Robertson said.
By SARA GREENE
Leader staff writer
Although Beebe residents were told in previous public meetings that proposed annexation areas would be zoned residential, the city council decided Monday night that all undeveloped property along Highway 64 and 31 and DeWitt Henry Drive will be zoned commercial.
The exception will be land that has been previously zoned industrial. The council agreed to add Davidson Road to the annexation area.
“If it’s along a highway right-of-way, rightfully it should be commercial property,” Alderman Mike Robertson said.
“Living beside commercial property is not all that bad. I live beside Beebe Trailer Sales, and it’s quiet at night. It’s not all bad.”
The city council was poised to pass the ordinance and put it before voters in a July 12 special election. The changes propose Monday night will likely cause the special election’s date be moved to August.
“How do we object to this? If we have property that’s not developed but we don’t want it commercial?” asked a distraught Beebe resident.
“My sisters own property on each side of me and plan to use it as residential.”
Scheel said any resident can petition the council to have property rezoned at any time but doubted residential rezoning would be approved.
“If you decided to rezone it, unless there was a convincing argument, it would be directly opposed to what the council is deciding tonight,” Scheel said.
Robertson added the city’s land-use plan is bound to change some.
The council will add Davidson Road to the annexation area in response to a request by Kelton Keathley. He said he owns about 60 usable acres on Davidson Road. He described the city’s annexation proposal as ‘piecemeal.’
“Let’s face it, the city is looking for area and the city is looking for revenue. You’re not getting 26 homes in your annexation out there,” Keathley said. He supported the council’s decision to zone undeveloped property as commercial.
“I’m going to be honest with you. You bring my land in as residential, I’m going to put in a subdivision. It’s the last piece of good industrial property around Beebe. You know it and I know it,” he said.
Jason Scheel, a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, told the council they have a one-year window to address zoning after the ordinance passes to have the areas match the city’s land-use plan.
In the Economic Development Commission report, Marjorie Armstrong discussed a meeting with Stuart Dalrymple, developer of the southeast corner of the new Pecan Street exit. He would like to develop about two acres of the property into multi-family housing.
“I asked him to get me more information on what they would look like and what the rental price would be. I don’t think any of us want to see low-rent apartment buildings right there in view of the interstate. But if it’s a good development, it might be in Beebe’s best interest,” Armstrong said.
Robertson begged to differ.
“I disagree with any multi-family housing out next to the exits. Retail outlets is the route we need to help our tax base,” Robertson said.
TOP STORY>> Governor offers reward in fires
IN SHORT: The reward would come from Huckabee's emergency fund for information on fires at Sherwood Elementary School and Hope High School.
By BRIAN RODRIGUEZ
Leader staff writer
Gov. Mike Huckabee an-nounced Tuesday he is offering two rewards of $10,000 each from his emergency fund for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people responsible for setting fires at Sher-wood Elementary School and at Hope High School.
“We’re doing everything in our power to solve these crimes, which are truly crimes against children of Arkansas,” he said at a press conference at the Governor’s Mansion.
“The public schools are among the most important places in any Arkan-sas community.”
Besides the property damage they caused, the fires interfered with classroom instruction and robbed both communities of an important symbol in their communities.
“We know someone out there knows something,” he said. “Holding information in, if they have any, doesn’t do anyone any good.”
Huckabee also has a personal interest in the matter: Huckabee, his wife and his parents had all attended Hope High School.
The first fire was set in the Sherwood Elementary School cafeteria on April 9.
Investigators said the fire was started in three different places in the cafeteria and caused about $500,000 to the school. The cafeteria, kitchen and stage were damaged in the blaze, and smoke filled the entire first and second floors of the school during the fire.
Sherwood Elementary students went to First Assembly of God in North Little Rock for eight days while the school was cleaned up.
“I want to publicly thank the First Assembly of God for helping house our students,” said Don Henderson, superintendent of Pulaski County Special School District. “Otherwise, those students would have had to stay home and miss out on their education.”
Huckabee, along with the Sherwood and Hope police chiefs, seemed hopeful that the reward would bring results.
“I hope that we can make an announcement soon that the award money will be awarded,” Huckabee said.
“Our school is vital to our community,” said Sherwood Police Chief Kelvin Nicholson. “As the investigation goes on, I hope that every day we’re closer to making an arrest.”
“I’m an optimistic person and I hope we bring this case to an end in an expedient manner,” said Hope Police Chief J.R. Wilson.
The second fire was started in the old cafeteria of Hope High School on April 17.
The fire spread upward to the library on the second floor and to the book room on the third floor, destroying numerous books and a new computer lab. The school had just finished a $2.6 million renovation.
“We were proud to finally have something new, and they just took it,” said Hope assistant principal Juneanne Brown.
Cleanup efforts alone are estimated at $1 million. School officials expect the total damage to exceed $2 million.
Anyone with information about either fire should contact:
Arkansas State Police Crime Tip Hotline at 800-553-3820.
Sherwood Police Department at 835-1425.
Hope Police Department at 755-2552.
By BRIAN RODRIGUEZ
Leader staff writer
Gov. Mike Huckabee an-nounced Tuesday he is offering two rewards of $10,000 each from his emergency fund for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people responsible for setting fires at Sher-wood Elementary School and at Hope High School.
“We’re doing everything in our power to solve these crimes, which are truly crimes against children of Arkansas,” he said at a press conference at the Governor’s Mansion.
“The public schools are among the most important places in any Arkan-sas community.”
Besides the property damage they caused, the fires interfered with classroom instruction and robbed both communities of an important symbol in their communities.
“We know someone out there knows something,” he said. “Holding information in, if they have any, doesn’t do anyone any good.”
Huckabee also has a personal interest in the matter: Huckabee, his wife and his parents had all attended Hope High School.
The first fire was set in the Sherwood Elementary School cafeteria on April 9.
Investigators said the fire was started in three different places in the cafeteria and caused about $500,000 to the school. The cafeteria, kitchen and stage were damaged in the blaze, and smoke filled the entire first and second floors of the school during the fire.
Sherwood Elementary students went to First Assembly of God in North Little Rock for eight days while the school was cleaned up.
“I want to publicly thank the First Assembly of God for helping house our students,” said Don Henderson, superintendent of Pulaski County Special School District. “Otherwise, those students would have had to stay home and miss out on their education.”
Huckabee, along with the Sherwood and Hope police chiefs, seemed hopeful that the reward would bring results.
“I hope that we can make an announcement soon that the award money will be awarded,” Huckabee said.
“Our school is vital to our community,” said Sherwood Police Chief Kelvin Nicholson. “As the investigation goes on, I hope that every day we’re closer to making an arrest.”
“I’m an optimistic person and I hope we bring this case to an end in an expedient manner,” said Hope Police Chief J.R. Wilson.
The second fire was started in the old cafeteria of Hope High School on April 17.
The fire spread upward to the library on the second floor and to the book room on the third floor, destroying numerous books and a new computer lab. The school had just finished a $2.6 million renovation.
“We were proud to finally have something new, and they just took it,” said Hope assistant principal Juneanne Brown.
Cleanup efforts alone are estimated at $1 million. School officials expect the total damage to exceed $2 million.
Anyone with information about either fire should contact:
Arkansas State Police Crime Tip Hotline at 800-553-3820.
Sherwood Police Department at 835-1425.
Hope Police Department at 755-2552.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
OPINION>> School prayer falters
BY ERNIE DUMAS
Adjournment of the 2005 General Assembly was a blessed event, coming as it did not a moment too soon. The legislature gets us into the worst trouble when it tries to transform religious doctrine into civil law and adjournment, or what we hope will be adjournment sine die, saved us from one more such folly.
Whether it simply ran out of time or it found the bill unacceptable, the Education Committee of the Senate let this session’s school prayer bill die at its last hasty meeting before adjournment. Sen. Jim Argue observed that the bill seemed to go too far, and no senator made a motion that it be endorsed.
The House of Representatives had approved the bill and rushed it to the Senate eight days ago.
Thus the state averts a certain lawsuit and a decision just as certainly unfavorable.
The bill purported to authorize voluntary student-led prayer at public school functions. Now, the U. S. Supreme Court, a court dominated by Republican-appointed justices, as recently as 2000 ruled that student-led prayer at school-sponsored assemblies and functions violated the Constitution as surely as did prayer officially sponsored by the government.
Students already may pray singly or in groups anywhere on school grounds any time as long as other students are not coerced into participating, the court said in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe. But where students are assembled for school-sponsored functions, student-led prayer to a captive student audience is still de facto a government-enforced prayer.
The sponsor and backers of the bill said it got around that problem by saying that school officials were forbidden to prevent a student from leading a prayer over the public-address system at a football game or graduation. The premise was that since the hands of the principal, superintendent or school board would be tied, it would be clear that it was not a government prayer and was wholly initiated by a student, even though students of a different faith would be forced to listen or else get up and leave the stadium or the assembly.
But Rep. Bill Pritchard, the sponsor, gave it away in the House debate. He said: “This just gives those principals and administrators the cover they need to say, ‘I can’t interfere and I can’t stop this.”
It would be, in other words, just a ruse, “cover” for administrators who want to have a prayer to mollify the local Baptists, or Catholics, or whatever sect is dominant in any community. That seemed to mollify lawmakers who were worried about the state having to defend against another costly lawsuit.
Rep. Steve Harrelson of Texarkana, a lawyer, got to the heart of the problem. He said he had concluded that the bill might evade the church-state separation problem by staying the hands of administrators, but he was bothered nonetheless.
He pondered what would happen if a satan-worshiping student wanted to take over the public-address system at graduation or the homecoming football game to call upon the devil for dispensation.
Or someone who wanted to espouse another alien faith?
What about an atheist, a nature worshiper, who demanded province at every game, every function, to enlist followers?
Under Pritchard’s bill, the student would have to be given the mike. But, of course, you know that school officials would not let it happen. Only prayer and homilies meeting the standards of permissible religious views would be acceptable.
Let the kids continue to pray around the flagpole, as Rep. Buddy Blair said students did at the school in his town each day, or in private precincts where the Bible says they should pray but don’t make a federal case out of it.
And thanks, senators, for saving us from the cost and embarrassment of another suit.
Adjournment of the 2005 General Assembly was a blessed event, coming as it did not a moment too soon. The legislature gets us into the worst trouble when it tries to transform religious doctrine into civil law and adjournment, or what we hope will be adjournment sine die, saved us from one more such folly.
Whether it simply ran out of time or it found the bill unacceptable, the Education Committee of the Senate let this session’s school prayer bill die at its last hasty meeting before adjournment. Sen. Jim Argue observed that the bill seemed to go too far, and no senator made a motion that it be endorsed.
The House of Representatives had approved the bill and rushed it to the Senate eight days ago.
Thus the state averts a certain lawsuit and a decision just as certainly unfavorable.
The bill purported to authorize voluntary student-led prayer at public school functions. Now, the U. S. Supreme Court, a court dominated by Republican-appointed justices, as recently as 2000 ruled that student-led prayer at school-sponsored assemblies and functions violated the Constitution as surely as did prayer officially sponsored by the government.
Students already may pray singly or in groups anywhere on school grounds any time as long as other students are not coerced into participating, the court said in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe. But where students are assembled for school-sponsored functions, student-led prayer to a captive student audience is still de facto a government-enforced prayer.
The sponsor and backers of the bill said it got around that problem by saying that school officials were forbidden to prevent a student from leading a prayer over the public-address system at a football game or graduation. The premise was that since the hands of the principal, superintendent or school board would be tied, it would be clear that it was not a government prayer and was wholly initiated by a student, even though students of a different faith would be forced to listen or else get up and leave the stadium or the assembly.
But Rep. Bill Pritchard, the sponsor, gave it away in the House debate. He said: “This just gives those principals and administrators the cover they need to say, ‘I can’t interfere and I can’t stop this.”
It would be, in other words, just a ruse, “cover” for administrators who want to have a prayer to mollify the local Baptists, or Catholics, or whatever sect is dominant in any community. That seemed to mollify lawmakers who were worried about the state having to defend against another costly lawsuit.
Rep. Steve Harrelson of Texarkana, a lawyer, got to the heart of the problem. He said he had concluded that the bill might evade the church-state separation problem by staying the hands of administrators, but he was bothered nonetheless.
He pondered what would happen if a satan-worshiping student wanted to take over the public-address system at graduation or the homecoming football game to call upon the devil for dispensation.
Or someone who wanted to espouse another alien faith?
What about an atheist, a nature worshiper, who demanded province at every game, every function, to enlist followers?
Under Pritchard’s bill, the student would have to be given the mike. But, of course, you know that school officials would not let it happen. Only prayer and homilies meeting the standards of permissible religious views would be acceptable.
Let the kids continue to pray around the flagpole, as Rep. Buddy Blair said students did at the school in his town each day, or in private precincts where the Bible says they should pray but don’t make a federal case out of it.
And thanks, senators, for saving us from the cost and embarrassment of another suit.
EDITORIAL>> Schools left floundering
However briefly, Arkansas is again a defendant in its courts, where we are expected to explain why, through the medium of our elected lawmakers, we have not provided our children the education that our Constitution promises them.
The attorney for the Rogers School District asked the Supreme Court to reopen the Lake View school case, which the court had closed last year. Rogers says it can’t progress toward a suitable school program with the money and the tools that the legislature gave it in the recently disbanded session. If Rogers, with all its wealth, can’t do it, the rest of the state is in real trouble.
We say “briefly” because the Supreme Court is not apt to give Rogers much of a hearing, not right away. The court — or at least the four-member majority in the last Lake View decision — put itself in an intolerable bind. It issued a mandate in the case and said further litigation would need to be a fresh case. That means a lawsuit will need to be filed in Pulaski Chancery Court, where the Lake View case began many years ago. Three dissenting justices wanted to hold the mandate in abeyance until the legislature had actually fulfilled their oaths and met their constitutional duty. Those justices were frank about the need to keep the pressure on while the goal of an adequate educational program for all was in sight.
Lest state officials be encouraged to think they could slack off because the case was being closed, the court’s majority inserted some tough language in its decision, which Rogers attorney David Matthews seized upon in his petition to the court Thursday to withdraw the mandate and order new review of the legislature’s work.
This is what the court said: “Make no mistake, this court will exercise the power and authority of the judiciary at any time to assure that the students of our state will not fall short of the goal set forth by this court. We will assure its attainment.”
What does that mean? Unless one of the four prevailing justices joins the dissenters it apparently means the court will be very tough, but only when a fresh lawsuit reaches it in three or four years.
We shall see.
The court has already reversed itself once, when it withdrew its mandate in January 2004 and ordered a review of the legislature’s inaction. The lawmakers promptly shaped up and enacted some sweeping educational reform.
If the court reverses itself again and appoints masters to evaluate this legislature’s work, they can hardly miss the failings. Per-pupil spending from basic operating aid allocated by the legislature will not increase a dime next year, and given rising energy costs and new students that amounts to a reduction.
Of some $2 billion in needed capital costs to bring school facilities up to par, which the court had ordered, only about $104 million will be forthcoming. The bond-issue financing that was bruited about as the permanent remedy for school facilities never materialized.
In its 2002 order holding the public education system to be unconstitutional, the Supreme Court said the legislature could no longer allocate money to the schools by simply dividing the pie among the state’s many needs.
Since education was a constitutional mandate and most other services were not, the legislature was expected to determine the schools’ needs first, provide for them and then divide the remainder of the state’s resources among the various government services. The legislature in 2004, under the court’s watchful eye, did that.
But no legislator will argue that it did that this spring. Assembly leaders concluded that taxes could not be raised and, moreover, the legislature sharply lowered available revenues by enacting numerous special tax exemptions and repealing a surcharge on income taxes. Then lawmakers concluded that schools would have to take a hit in the budget next year so that Medicaid, prisons, higher education and the State Police could be funded adequately.
Even state Sen. Jim Argue of Little Rock, the legislature’s fiercest advocate for education, argued that under hard circumstances the lawmakers had done about the best that they could for education, except for facilities. Over his objections, legislators ran away with much of the state’s general improvement fund to spend on local pork projects to help their re-elections.
With any luck, Argue won’t suffer the embarrassment of having his defense tested in a court of law anytime soon.
For the children, there’s always 2007.
The attorney for the Rogers School District asked the Supreme Court to reopen the Lake View school case, which the court had closed last year. Rogers says it can’t progress toward a suitable school program with the money and the tools that the legislature gave it in the recently disbanded session. If Rogers, with all its wealth, can’t do it, the rest of the state is in real trouble.
We say “briefly” because the Supreme Court is not apt to give Rogers much of a hearing, not right away. The court — or at least the four-member majority in the last Lake View decision — put itself in an intolerable bind. It issued a mandate in the case and said further litigation would need to be a fresh case. That means a lawsuit will need to be filed in Pulaski Chancery Court, where the Lake View case began many years ago. Three dissenting justices wanted to hold the mandate in abeyance until the legislature had actually fulfilled their oaths and met their constitutional duty. Those justices were frank about the need to keep the pressure on while the goal of an adequate educational program for all was in sight.
Lest state officials be encouraged to think they could slack off because the case was being closed, the court’s majority inserted some tough language in its decision, which Rogers attorney David Matthews seized upon in his petition to the court Thursday to withdraw the mandate and order new review of the legislature’s work.
This is what the court said: “Make no mistake, this court will exercise the power and authority of the judiciary at any time to assure that the students of our state will not fall short of the goal set forth by this court. We will assure its attainment.”
What does that mean? Unless one of the four prevailing justices joins the dissenters it apparently means the court will be very tough, but only when a fresh lawsuit reaches it in three or four years.
We shall see.
The court has already reversed itself once, when it withdrew its mandate in January 2004 and ordered a review of the legislature’s inaction. The lawmakers promptly shaped up and enacted some sweeping educational reform.
If the court reverses itself again and appoints masters to evaluate this legislature’s work, they can hardly miss the failings. Per-pupil spending from basic operating aid allocated by the legislature will not increase a dime next year, and given rising energy costs and new students that amounts to a reduction.
Of some $2 billion in needed capital costs to bring school facilities up to par, which the court had ordered, only about $104 million will be forthcoming. The bond-issue financing that was bruited about as the permanent remedy for school facilities never materialized.
In its 2002 order holding the public education system to be unconstitutional, the Supreme Court said the legislature could no longer allocate money to the schools by simply dividing the pie among the state’s many needs.
Since education was a constitutional mandate and most other services were not, the legislature was expected to determine the schools’ needs first, provide for them and then divide the remainder of the state’s resources among the various government services. The legislature in 2004, under the court’s watchful eye, did that.
But no legislator will argue that it did that this spring. Assembly leaders concluded that taxes could not be raised and, moreover, the legislature sharply lowered available revenues by enacting numerous special tax exemptions and repealing a surcharge on income taxes. Then lawmakers concluded that schools would have to take a hit in the budget next year so that Medicaid, prisons, higher education and the State Police could be funded adequately.
Even state Sen. Jim Argue of Little Rock, the legislature’s fiercest advocate for education, argued that under hard circumstances the lawmakers had done about the best that they could for education, except for facilities. Over his objections, legislators ran away with much of the state’s general improvement fund to spend on local pork projects to help their re-elections.
With any luck, Argue won’t suffer the embarrassment of having his defense tested in a court of law anytime soon.
For the children, there’s always 2007.
EDITORIAL>> Schools left floundering
However briefly, Arkansas is again a defendant in its courts, where we are expected to explain why, through the medium of our elected lawmakers, we have not provided our children the education that our Constitution promises them.
The attorney for the Rogers School District asked the Supreme Court to reopen the Lake View school case, which the court had closed last year. Rogers says it can’t progress toward a suitable school program with the money and the tools that the legislature gave it in the recently disbanded session. If Rogers, with all its wealth, can’t do it, the rest of the state is in real trouble.
We say “briefly” because the Supreme Court is not apt to give Rogers much of a hearing, not right away. The court — or at least the four-member majority in the last Lake View decision — put itself in an intolerable bind. It issued a mandate in the case and said further litigation would need to be a fresh case. That means a lawsuit will need to be filed in Pulaski Chancery Court, where the Lake View case began many years ago. Three dissenting justices wanted to hold the mandate in abeyance until the legislature had actually fulfilled their oaths and met their constitutional duty. Those justices were frank about the need to keep the pressure on while the goal of an adequate educational program for all was in sight.
Lest state officials be encouraged to think they could slack off because the case was being closed, the court’s majority inserted some tough language in its decision, which Rogers attorney David Matthews seized upon in his petition to the court Thursday to withdraw the mandate and order new review of the legislature’s work.
This is what the court said: “Make no mistake, this court will exercise the power and authority of the judiciary at any time to assure that the students of our state will not fall short of the goal set forth by this court. We will assure its attainment.”
What does that mean? Unless one of the four prevailing justices joins the dissenters it apparently means the court will be very tough, but only when a fresh lawsuit reaches it in three or four years.
We shall see.
The court has already reversed itself once, when it withdrew its mandate in January 2004 and ordered a review of the legislature’s inaction. The lawmakers promptly shaped up and enacted some sweeping educational reform.
If the court reverses itself again and appoints masters to evaluate this legislature’s work, they can hardly miss the failings. Per-pupil spending from basic operating aid allocated by the legislature will not increase a dime next year, and given rising energy costs and new students that amounts to a reduction.
Of some $2 billion in needed capital costs to bring school facilities up to par, which the court had ordered, only about $104 million will be forthcoming. The bond-issue financing that was bruited about as the permanent remedy for school facilities never materialized.
In its 2002 order holding the public education system to be unconstitutional, the Supreme Court said the legislature could no longer allocate money to the schools by simply dividing the pie among the state’s many needs.
Since education was a constitutional mandate and most other services were not, the legislature was expected to determine the schools’ needs first, provide for them and then divide the remainder of the state’s resources among the various government services. The legislature in 2004, under the court’s watchful eye, did that.
But no legislator will argue that it did that this spring. Assembly leaders concluded that taxes could not be raised and, moreover, the legislature sharply lowered available revenues by enacting numerous special tax exemptions and repealing a surcharge on income taxes. Then lawmakers concluded that schools would have to take a hit in the budget next year so that Medicaid, prisons, higher education and the State Police could be funded adequately.
Even state Sen. Jim Argue of Little Rock, the legislature’s fiercest advocate for education, argued that under hard circumstances the lawmakers had done about the best that they could for education, except for facilities. Over his objections, legislators ran away with much of the state’s general improvement fund to spend on local pork projects to help their re-elections.
With any luck, Argue won’t suffer the embarrassment of having his defense tested in a court of law anytime soon.
For the children, there’s always 2007.
The attorney for the Rogers School District asked the Supreme Court to reopen the Lake View school case, which the court had closed last year. Rogers says it can’t progress toward a suitable school program with the money and the tools that the legislature gave it in the recently disbanded session. If Rogers, with all its wealth, can’t do it, the rest of the state is in real trouble.
We say “briefly” because the Supreme Court is not apt to give Rogers much of a hearing, not right away. The court — or at least the four-member majority in the last Lake View decision — put itself in an intolerable bind. It issued a mandate in the case and said further litigation would need to be a fresh case. That means a lawsuit will need to be filed in Pulaski Chancery Court, where the Lake View case began many years ago. Three dissenting justices wanted to hold the mandate in abeyance until the legislature had actually fulfilled their oaths and met their constitutional duty. Those justices were frank about the need to keep the pressure on while the goal of an adequate educational program for all was in sight.
Lest state officials be encouraged to think they could slack off because the case was being closed, the court’s majority inserted some tough language in its decision, which Rogers attorney David Matthews seized upon in his petition to the court Thursday to withdraw the mandate and order new review of the legislature’s work.
This is what the court said: “Make no mistake, this court will exercise the power and authority of the judiciary at any time to assure that the students of our state will not fall short of the goal set forth by this court. We will assure its attainment.”
What does that mean? Unless one of the four prevailing justices joins the dissenters it apparently means the court will be very tough, but only when a fresh lawsuit reaches it in three or four years.
We shall see.
The court has already reversed itself once, when it withdrew its mandate in January 2004 and ordered a review of the legislature’s inaction. The lawmakers promptly shaped up and enacted some sweeping educational reform.
If the court reverses itself again and appoints masters to evaluate this legislature’s work, they can hardly miss the failings. Per-pupil spending from basic operating aid allocated by the legislature will not increase a dime next year, and given rising energy costs and new students that amounts to a reduction.
Of some $2 billion in needed capital costs to bring school facilities up to par, which the court had ordered, only about $104 million will be forthcoming. The bond-issue financing that was bruited about as the permanent remedy for school facilities never materialized.
In its 2002 order holding the public education system to be unconstitutional, the Supreme Court said the legislature could no longer allocate money to the schools by simply dividing the pie among the state’s many needs.
Since education was a constitutional mandate and most other services were not, the legislature was expected to determine the schools’ needs first, provide for them and then divide the remainder of the state’s resources among the various government services. The legislature in 2004, under the court’s watchful eye, did that.
But no legislator will argue that it did that this spring. Assembly leaders concluded that taxes could not be raised and, moreover, the legislature sharply lowered available revenues by enacting numerous special tax exemptions and repealing a surcharge on income taxes. Then lawmakers concluded that schools would have to take a hit in the budget next year so that Medicaid, prisons, higher education and the State Police could be funded adequately.
Even state Sen. Jim Argue of Little Rock, the legislature’s fiercest advocate for education, argued that under hard circumstances the lawmakers had done about the best that they could for education, except for facilities. Over his objections, legislators ran away with much of the state’s general improvement fund to spend on local pork projects to help their re-elections.
With any luck, Argue won’t suffer the embarrassment of having his defense tested in a court of law anytime soon.
For the children, there’s always 2007.
TOP STORY>> He's upbeat on C-130Js, Berry says
IN SHORT: Ignoring the White House, Congress is pushing for more transport planes to help fight wars, although Berry complains of rising deficits without saying how they could be cut.
By GARRICK FELDMAN
Leader editor
Cong. Marion Berry, D-Gillett, told a citizens group on Friday that Congress will provide funding to build more C-130Js, even though the Bush administration wants to kill the program to save money.
“We need more C-130Js,” Berry told members of the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council. “We’re in the middle of a war requiring more of them.”
He said that after members of the Arkansas congressional delegation had contacted the leadership of the appropriations and defense committees, “we were assured they’ll make more of them. We’ll get a fair share of them at Little Rock Air Force Base.”
The base has two C-130Js and five more will be assigned to the base this year. The third C-130J is scheduled to arrive here next month.
The updated cargo plane costs $66 million each, far higher than previous estimates of what the new planes would cost and nearly twice what the old Hercules cost.
The Bush administration is trying to eliminate the C-130J to control spending, Berry said, but there’s enough support for the plane in Congress to save the program.
“The White House wanted low numbers in the budget, but they knew we were going to put them back in,” the congressman said.
The military has bought about 50 C-130Js, and the Pentagon had planned on purchasing more than twice that many planes until the administration put the brakes on buying more planes besides those coming off the assembly line. According to recent reports, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has reconsidered his opposition to the program, at least partially.
Berry did complain about rising deficits, calling it “the greatest threat to our national security.”
He said the $424 billion deficit “doesn’t include money taken from the Social Security, Medicare and veterans trust funds,” and he accused the administration of “taking every dime out of” those trust funds. “If you did away with all government spending, except entitlements and cut military spending in half, you still couldn’t balance the budget,” Berry said.
“We’ll have an $8 trillion to $10 trillion national debt at the end of the decade,” he continued. “The next generation won’t be able to handle it.”
This is a problem that weighs heavily on Berry’s mind because he said, “I wake up at 2 o’clock in the morning worrying about it.”
He didn’t offer a solution on how to balance the budget, other than to say, “It will take an effort we made in the Second World War to fix our problems.”
On a brighter note, Berry predicted the air base would survive the latest round of base realignments and closures. Rumsfeld will have a list next month that will include bases that the Pentagon wants to eliminate. Congress will have to accept the list or reject it.
“We’ll do just fine regardless of what they do with BRAC because of the great job you’re doing here,” Berry said.
By GARRICK FELDMAN
Leader editor
Cong. Marion Berry, D-Gillett, told a citizens group on Friday that Congress will provide funding to build more C-130Js, even though the Bush administration wants to kill the program to save money.
“We need more C-130Js,” Berry told members of the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council. “We’re in the middle of a war requiring more of them.”
He said that after members of the Arkansas congressional delegation had contacted the leadership of the appropriations and defense committees, “we were assured they’ll make more of them. We’ll get a fair share of them at Little Rock Air Force Base.”
The base has two C-130Js and five more will be assigned to the base this year. The third C-130J is scheduled to arrive here next month.
The updated cargo plane costs $66 million each, far higher than previous estimates of what the new planes would cost and nearly twice what the old Hercules cost.
The Bush administration is trying to eliminate the C-130J to control spending, Berry said, but there’s enough support for the plane in Congress to save the program.
“The White House wanted low numbers in the budget, but they knew we were going to put them back in,” the congressman said.
The military has bought about 50 C-130Js, and the Pentagon had planned on purchasing more than twice that many planes until the administration put the brakes on buying more planes besides those coming off the assembly line. According to recent reports, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has reconsidered his opposition to the program, at least partially.
Berry did complain about rising deficits, calling it “the greatest threat to our national security.”
He said the $424 billion deficit “doesn’t include money taken from the Social Security, Medicare and veterans trust funds,” and he accused the administration of “taking every dime out of” those trust funds. “If you did away with all government spending, except entitlements and cut military spending in half, you still couldn’t balance the budget,” Berry said.
“We’ll have an $8 trillion to $10 trillion national debt at the end of the decade,” he continued. “The next generation won’t be able to handle it.”
This is a problem that weighs heavily on Berry’s mind because he said, “I wake up at 2 o’clock in the morning worrying about it.”
He didn’t offer a solution on how to balance the budget, other than to say, “It will take an effort we made in the Second World War to fix our problems.”
On a brighter note, Berry predicted the air base would survive the latest round of base realignments and closures. Rumsfeld will have a list next month that will include bases that the Pentagon wants to eliminate. Congress will have to accept the list or reject it.
“We’ll do just fine regardless of what they do with BRAC because of the great job you’re doing here,” Berry said.
SPORTS>> Falcons inch closer to state playoff berth
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The North Pulaski boys soccer team played itself to within one win of qualifying for the state tournament last week with a 3-1 win over Crowley’s Ridge Academy in Paragould.
Earlier in the week, the Falcons suffered a big loss to Mills 7-0, but rebounded with the win over CRA to move to 3-2 in league play.
The Fal-cons played their final conference match last night against Greene County Tech after Leader deadlines. They entered that match needing a win to qualify for the state tournament.
Against Crowley’s Ridge Academy, who is also known as the Falcons, North Pulaski fell behind early when CRA scored in the eighth minute of the game.
It didn’t last long, however, as NP’s Greg West scored just three minutes later.
The visiting Falcons took the lead for good late in the first half. Chris Tate scored the go-ahead goal after stealing the ball from a CRA player and getting loose into the open field. He went one-on-one with the CRA goalkeeper and beat him to tie the match.
The final goal of the match came early in the second half and featured one of North Pulaski’s most dramatic plays of the season.
Sergio Lopez’s first shot on goal was blocked by the CRA goalkeeper, but bounced back out into play. Lopez got another shot that the keeper partially deflec-ted. The ball rolled slowly past the keeper, but did not have enough momentum left to make it into the net. Lopez, still on the run following his own shot, hurdled the CRA goalkeeper and scored an uncontested goal to set the final margin.
“That was really an outstanding play,” North Pulaski coach Tony Buzzitta said. “He just stuck with it and never gave up on the play.”
The Falcons are just 3-10 overall, but their 3-2 conference mark leaves them within reach of the state tournament. If North Pulaski won last night, it guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, and could go in as high as the No. 3 seed from the AAAA-East, depending on how the rest of the league finishes out the season.
The Lady Falcons beat Mills 3-1 last week and have already qualified for the state tournament. They could go as high as No. 2, and there’s a slim chance of going in as the top seed from the East. For that to happen, however, NP must win out and Valley View must lose twice since the Lady Blazers are currently undefeated and own the tiebreaker against NP.
Buzzitta says his boys team has shown much better teamwork recently, and says that is the main reason for the recent success.
“Even in the Mills game we didn’t play that badly overall,” Buzzitta said. “The score looks terrible, but I don’t think we were dominated at all.
“We just took some bad shots, and when we got shots, we didn’t make them quality ones. We created lots of opportunities, we just didn’t capitalize on them.
“Against Crowley’s Ridge, we did a much better job of taking advantage of our opportunities. We’re playing better and with more unity. It’s been tough because we’ve been so inactive since spring break. But I feel like we’re starting to come around a little bit.”
Leader sports editor
The North Pulaski boys soccer team played itself to within one win of qualifying for the state tournament last week with a 3-1 win over Crowley’s Ridge Academy in Paragould.
Earlier in the week, the Falcons suffered a big loss to Mills 7-0, but rebounded with the win over CRA to move to 3-2 in league play.
The Fal-cons played their final conference match last night against Greene County Tech after Leader deadlines. They entered that match needing a win to qualify for the state tournament.
Against Crowley’s Ridge Academy, who is also known as the Falcons, North Pulaski fell behind early when CRA scored in the eighth minute of the game.
It didn’t last long, however, as NP’s Greg West scored just three minutes later.
The visiting Falcons took the lead for good late in the first half. Chris Tate scored the go-ahead goal after stealing the ball from a CRA player and getting loose into the open field. He went one-on-one with the CRA goalkeeper and beat him to tie the match.
The final goal of the match came early in the second half and featured one of North Pulaski’s most dramatic plays of the season.
Sergio Lopez’s first shot on goal was blocked by the CRA goalkeeper, but bounced back out into play. Lopez got another shot that the keeper partially deflec-ted. The ball rolled slowly past the keeper, but did not have enough momentum left to make it into the net. Lopez, still on the run following his own shot, hurdled the CRA goalkeeper and scored an uncontested goal to set the final margin.
“That was really an outstanding play,” North Pulaski coach Tony Buzzitta said. “He just stuck with it and never gave up on the play.”
The Falcons are just 3-10 overall, but their 3-2 conference mark leaves them within reach of the state tournament. If North Pulaski won last night, it guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, and could go in as high as the No. 3 seed from the AAAA-East, depending on how the rest of the league finishes out the season.
The Lady Falcons beat Mills 3-1 last week and have already qualified for the state tournament. They could go as high as No. 2, and there’s a slim chance of going in as the top seed from the East. For that to happen, however, NP must win out and Valley View must lose twice since the Lady Blazers are currently undefeated and own the tiebreaker against NP.
Buzzitta says his boys team has shown much better teamwork recently, and says that is the main reason for the recent success.
“Even in the Mills game we didn’t play that badly overall,” Buzzitta said. “The score looks terrible, but I don’t think we were dominated at all.
“We just took some bad shots, and when we got shots, we didn’t make them quality ones. We created lots of opportunities, we just didn’t capitalize on them.
“Against Crowley’s Ridge, we did a much better job of taking advantage of our opportunities. We’re playing better and with more unity. It’s been tough because we’ve been so inactive since spring break. But I feel like we’re starting to come around a little bit.”
SPORTS>> Lady Devils win twice in twin-bill
IN SHORT: Jacksonville handles Forrest City with two shutout wins Monday
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lady Red Devils stayed on pace as co-league leaders with Cabot in the AAAAA-East race Monday with a doubleheader sweep of Forrest City.
The Lady Devils won the opening game of the afternoon 9-0 in seven innings, and then run ruled the Lady Mustangs 11-0 in five in the nightcap.
Sophomore hurler Jessica Bock allowed just two hits in both games combined, both coming in game one.
The Lady Devils only committed one error in the evening too, something Jacksonville coach Phil Bradley was glad to see after his team’s error-filled performance in the Lady Devil Classic over the weekend.
“I’ve said all along that if we play defense, we’re pretty tough to beat,” Bradley said. “We’ve got the pitching and we’ve got the hitters, we just give too much away sometimes.”
Forrest City hung tough throughout the first half of game one. The Lady Mustangs trailed just 1-0 after four innings and made their most serious threat in the bottom of that frame.
Junior Rishondra Deans led off with a bunt single, then an error by Bock left Leigh Anna Taylor on first base. A groundout by pitcher Stacey Gracey moved both runners into scoring position with one out. Bock then thwarted the threat by fanning Ashley Shaw and Chari Agnew in order to end the inning.
Jacksonville’s bats finally started making some noise in the fifth. Bock singled to left field to lead off the frame, and freshman Taylor Norsworthy tripled to left-center to bring in Bock. Senior catcher Somer Grimes then laid down a bunt single that scored Norsworthy. Grimes stole second then advanced all the way home when Megan Peeples’ grounder was mishandled at first base. Freshman Monica Fletcher then hit a sacrifice grounder to second base to score Peeples and give Jacksonville a 5-0 lead.
The Lady Devils got five more in the sixth to set the final margin. Five of the first six batters reached base safely on four hits and a walk. Whitney Belew drew a walk to start things off and Bock singled to left field. Norsworthy popped out, but the next three batters, Grimes, Whitney Conrade and Peeples, hit consecutive singles to set the final margin.
Bock struck out 12 in the game.
Jacksonville grabbed the lead early in game two with a single run in the first inning. In the bottom of the second, Bock and Norsworthy led off with back-to-back triples to start a five-run rally.
The lead grew to 8-0 over the next two innings. The twinbill came to an end in the bottom of the fifth when senior Terrica Hinton hit a three-run, inside-the-park home run down the right-field line.
The two wins lift Jacksonville’s overall record to 11-5 and their conference record to 7-1.
Forrest City falls to 3-9 overall. The Lady Devils have a huge home matchup with Cabot (9-1 conference) on Thursday. The Lady Panthers’ only conference loss this season came at home to Jacksonville.
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Lady Red Devils stayed on pace as co-league leaders with Cabot in the AAAAA-East race Monday with a doubleheader sweep of Forrest City.
The Lady Devils won the opening game of the afternoon 9-0 in seven innings, and then run ruled the Lady Mustangs 11-0 in five in the nightcap.
Sophomore hurler Jessica Bock allowed just two hits in both games combined, both coming in game one.
The Lady Devils only committed one error in the evening too, something Jacksonville coach Phil Bradley was glad to see after his team’s error-filled performance in the Lady Devil Classic over the weekend.
“I’ve said all along that if we play defense, we’re pretty tough to beat,” Bradley said. “We’ve got the pitching and we’ve got the hitters, we just give too much away sometimes.”
Forrest City hung tough throughout the first half of game one. The Lady Mustangs trailed just 1-0 after four innings and made their most serious threat in the bottom of that frame.
Junior Rishondra Deans led off with a bunt single, then an error by Bock left Leigh Anna Taylor on first base. A groundout by pitcher Stacey Gracey moved both runners into scoring position with one out. Bock then thwarted the threat by fanning Ashley Shaw and Chari Agnew in order to end the inning.
Jacksonville’s bats finally started making some noise in the fifth. Bock singled to left field to lead off the frame, and freshman Taylor Norsworthy tripled to left-center to bring in Bock. Senior catcher Somer Grimes then laid down a bunt single that scored Norsworthy. Grimes stole second then advanced all the way home when Megan Peeples’ grounder was mishandled at first base. Freshman Monica Fletcher then hit a sacrifice grounder to second base to score Peeples and give Jacksonville a 5-0 lead.
The Lady Devils got five more in the sixth to set the final margin. Five of the first six batters reached base safely on four hits and a walk. Whitney Belew drew a walk to start things off and Bock singled to left field. Norsworthy popped out, but the next three batters, Grimes, Whitney Conrade and Peeples, hit consecutive singles to set the final margin.
Bock struck out 12 in the game.
Jacksonville grabbed the lead early in game two with a single run in the first inning. In the bottom of the second, Bock and Norsworthy led off with back-to-back triples to start a five-run rally.
The lead grew to 8-0 over the next two innings. The twinbill came to an end in the bottom of the fifth when senior Terrica Hinton hit a three-run, inside-the-park home run down the right-field line.
The two wins lift Jacksonville’s overall record to 11-5 and their conference record to 7-1.
Forrest City falls to 3-9 overall. The Lady Devils have a huge home matchup with Cabot (9-1 conference) on Thursday. The Lady Panthers’ only conference loss this season came at home to Jacksonville.
EDITORIAL>> More serious than bingo
Arkansas faces a single constitutional problem worthy of the voters’ ministrations, if you can believe the legislature. It is the prospect that Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley will raid a parish hall and arrest a priest and his parishioners for practicing bingo or engaging in a raffle.
A joint legislative committee wrestled with a raft of constitutional resolutions for 90 days, but the lawmakers could agree on only one to refer to voters in 2006. It would allow nonprofit organizations to have bingo and raffles provided that the money will not be used to compensate anyone affiliated with the organizations.
Bingo and raffles run afoul of the Constitution’s general prohibition of gambling. Many churches have been operating them anyway for years, but fears of arrests have lately shut a couple of the games down.
The legislature came to their rescue and so next year, no doubt, will voters. But bingo anxiety does not rank among the top 100 issues that engage our crazyquilt Constitution. Arkansas has real crises that constitutional reforms might help us solve. Every legislator was well aware of them, the Supreme Court having so often and recently reminded them. One is the virtual destruction of the ad-valorem tax system and local school support by a patchwork of amendments the past quarter-century.
House Speaker Bill Stovall, Rep. Jodie Mahony and Sen. Shane Broadway proposed three amendments to correct abuses of the property tax, any of which might improve the fairness and stability of real and personal property taxes, which are a mainstay of our unconstitutional public school system.
We particularly liked Mahony’s amendment to retroactively collect taxes on the current value of timber and agricultural land held for speculative purposes. The brouhaha over Deltic Timber Corp.’s effort to build a luxury subdivision on the slopes above Lake Maumelle, the central Arkansas water supply, should have made everyone keenly aware of the problem. Deltic and other developers have been paying a few bits an acre in taxes on land they sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars an acre.
Other states have corrected such practices. When land is sold for development, the land is assessed at the current value and taxes are collected backward for three to seven years on the land. Mahony proposed to tax the high-value real estate back three years at the market value.
Voters, we believe, would approve the amendment. Texas, California, Oregon and Utah have adopted more far-reaching provisions to correct similar abuses.
It would mean a significant amount of new revenue for schools, cities and counties but more than that, it would introduce a measure of fairness to a tax system that unjustly burdens homeowners.
But the legislature has recessed, not to consider any more of the people’s business before its formal adjournment, unless, as Speaker Stovall said, the joint committee can get together and agree on something more than the sanctity of bingo.
Exhausted by the trivia of its labors, the lawmakers seem in no mood to think about anything so serious.
A joint legislative committee wrestled with a raft of constitutional resolutions for 90 days, but the lawmakers could agree on only one to refer to voters in 2006. It would allow nonprofit organizations to have bingo and raffles provided that the money will not be used to compensate anyone affiliated with the organizations.
Bingo and raffles run afoul of the Constitution’s general prohibition of gambling. Many churches have been operating them anyway for years, but fears of arrests have lately shut a couple of the games down.
The legislature came to their rescue and so next year, no doubt, will voters. But bingo anxiety does not rank among the top 100 issues that engage our crazyquilt Constitution. Arkansas has real crises that constitutional reforms might help us solve. Every legislator was well aware of them, the Supreme Court having so often and recently reminded them. One is the virtual destruction of the ad-valorem tax system and local school support by a patchwork of amendments the past quarter-century.
House Speaker Bill Stovall, Rep. Jodie Mahony and Sen. Shane Broadway proposed three amendments to correct abuses of the property tax, any of which might improve the fairness and stability of real and personal property taxes, which are a mainstay of our unconstitutional public school system.
We particularly liked Mahony’s amendment to retroactively collect taxes on the current value of timber and agricultural land held for speculative purposes. The brouhaha over Deltic Timber Corp.’s effort to build a luxury subdivision on the slopes above Lake Maumelle, the central Arkansas water supply, should have made everyone keenly aware of the problem. Deltic and other developers have been paying a few bits an acre in taxes on land they sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars an acre.
Other states have corrected such practices. When land is sold for development, the land is assessed at the current value and taxes are collected backward for three to seven years on the land. Mahony proposed to tax the high-value real estate back three years at the market value.
Voters, we believe, would approve the amendment. Texas, California, Oregon and Utah have adopted more far-reaching provisions to correct similar abuses.
It would mean a significant amount of new revenue for schools, cities and counties but more than that, it would introduce a measure of fairness to a tax system that unjustly burdens homeowners.
But the legislature has recessed, not to consider any more of the people’s business before its formal adjournment, unless, as Speaker Stovall said, the joint committee can get together and agree on something more than the sanctity of bingo.
Exhausted by the trivia of its labors, the lawmakers seem in no mood to think about anything so serious.
TOP STORY>> City council wont' settle with official
IN SHORT: Clerk-treasurer’s discrimination lawsuit against Cabot goes to trial in July.
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
A federal lawsuit filed by the clerk-treasurer against the city of Cabot and the mayor more than a year ago will continue for trial in July as scheduled. The council voted Monday night to turn down an offer to settle out of court.
Clerk-Treasurer Marva Verkler claims in her suit that she was discriminated against because she is a woman and because she supported former Mayor Joe Allman in the last mayoral race.
She wants the court to return the duties taken from her at the urging of Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh, including her bookkeeping and check writing duties.
Those duties and most of Verkler’s staff were reassigned to Dale Walker, who was hired as the city’s first finance director after Stumbaugh took office in 2003.
Alderman David Polantz, who chairs the city’s finance committee and keeps a close eye on the budget, sponsored the resolution to settle the suit with the provision that the city admit no wrongdoing.
Polantz told the council he wanted to settle for financial reasons. Verkler is suing for an unspecified amount, but she was willing to settle for $25,000 and the promise that she will retire at the end of 2006.
The 2005 budget contains $10,000 to cover the cost of depositions in the case and that amount might not be enough he said. So $25,000, split into two payments of $12,500, would almost certainly be in the city’s best interest.
Alderman Patrick Hutton spoke against the resolution saying the suit implied that he (as well as the other council members) is guilty of wrongdoing and he would rather be vindicated in court than settle.
He didn’t want to be held at fault when he did nothing wrong, Hutton told Polantz.
“The problem is, Patrick, we always lose,” Polantz said.
“This one, we just might win,” Hutton countered.
The resolution was voted down 4-3, with one abstention. Polantz, Alderman Bob Duke and Alder-man Tom Armstrong voted to settle. Aldermen Hutton, James Glenn, Eddie Cook and Jerry Stephens voted against the settlement.
Alderman Odis Waymack, who actually favored settling out of court, abstained, saying he did so because some city officials had implied that he was helping Verkler with the suit.
Contacted Tuesday, Verkler said she is ready for the suit to end and that she is disappointed with the council’s decision. She would not comment on whether she will seek re-election.
Although the council stripped her of most of her duties, her salary was not decreased, and she is paid more than Walker, $44,462 compared to his $38,422 salary.
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
A federal lawsuit filed by the clerk-treasurer against the city of Cabot and the mayor more than a year ago will continue for trial in July as scheduled. The council voted Monday night to turn down an offer to settle out of court.
Clerk-Treasurer Marva Verkler claims in her suit that she was discriminated against because she is a woman and because she supported former Mayor Joe Allman in the last mayoral race.
She wants the court to return the duties taken from her at the urging of Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh, including her bookkeeping and check writing duties.
Those duties and most of Verkler’s staff were reassigned to Dale Walker, who was hired as the city’s first finance director after Stumbaugh took office in 2003.
Alderman David Polantz, who chairs the city’s finance committee and keeps a close eye on the budget, sponsored the resolution to settle the suit with the provision that the city admit no wrongdoing.
Polantz told the council he wanted to settle for financial reasons. Verkler is suing for an unspecified amount, but she was willing to settle for $25,000 and the promise that she will retire at the end of 2006.
The 2005 budget contains $10,000 to cover the cost of depositions in the case and that amount might not be enough he said. So $25,000, split into two payments of $12,500, would almost certainly be in the city’s best interest.
Alderman Patrick Hutton spoke against the resolution saying the suit implied that he (as well as the other council members) is guilty of wrongdoing and he would rather be vindicated in court than settle.
He didn’t want to be held at fault when he did nothing wrong, Hutton told Polantz.
“The problem is, Patrick, we always lose,” Polantz said.
“This one, we just might win,” Hutton countered.
The resolution was voted down 4-3, with one abstention. Polantz, Alderman Bob Duke and Alder-man Tom Armstrong voted to settle. Aldermen Hutton, James Glenn, Eddie Cook and Jerry Stephens voted against the settlement.
Alderman Odis Waymack, who actually favored settling out of court, abstained, saying he did so because some city officials had implied that he was helping Verkler with the suit.
Contacted Tuesday, Verkler said she is ready for the suit to end and that she is disappointed with the council’s decision. She would not comment on whether she will seek re-election.
Although the council stripped her of most of her duties, her salary was not decreased, and she is paid more than Walker, $44,462 compared to his $38,422 salary.
TOP STORY>> PCSSD looking for big savings
IN SHORT: In preparation for a special Wednesday board meeting called to cut millions from the school board budget, the financial officer sees real savings from each proposed cut.
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Pulaski County Special School District administrators and the board will meet in special session at 6 p.m. Wednesday in an effort to lop $9 million from the 2005-2006 budget, expected to run about $143 million otherwise.
The cuts are necessary because the district—the second largest in the state—has been placed on the financial distress list by the state Board of Education.
That designation can have dire consequences, in-cluding forced consolidation, replacement of the superintendent or the board and even a state takeover of the district.
The district is one of 11 designated as in financial distress.
The administration wants to cut $9 million from the budget to begin the process of getting the district off the financial distress list.
In response to an invitation to outgoing Superintendent Donald Henderson, three groups and one board member had submitted suggested cuts and prioritized the cuts in preparation for the meeting, according to John Archetko, interim assistant superintendent for business and chief financial officer.
In recent years, the district has spent millions more each year than it receives, depleting its savings to cover the difference. It even spends $10 million a year originally designated to retire school construction bonds and another $14 million dollars in desegregation money from the state.
Archetko said there was “nothing startling” in the proposals from the Pulaski Association of Classroom Teachers, the elementary school principals, an administrators group including secondary school principals or from Carol Burgett, a board member.
Archetko has projected the ending fund balance for the current fiscal year is $4.9 million, down from about $20 million three years ago, according to one board member.
Without carrying the fund balance over and without making cuts, the year-end fund balance next year is projected to be $5.3 million in the red.
Henderson and his cabinet have proposed cuts, most noticeably a $3.4 million savings from foregoing what has become an annual teachers’ raise in the 3 percent range.
At the regular April 12 board meeting, the teachers in turn suggested decimating the ranks of district principals, leaving just seven of 51, according to a proposal by Deen Minton, president of the Pulaski Association of Classroom Teachers.
Minton said that would reduce the principal-to-student ratio to the state minimum.
Either proposal would save roughly $3 million a year.
Antagonism between the teachers and principals has been a badly kept secret in recent years.
Although board member Pam Roberts warned various factions not to use the designation and the need for cuts as an excuse to promote their own agendas, it was clear at Tuesday’s meeting that the administration would freeze teacher salaries and the teachers would cut the number of principals in the district from 51 to 7.
At the Wednesday night meeting, the board will weigh its options as it struggles to not only balance budget, but to reverse its fortune by taking steps to graduate from the school financial distress list and the scrutiny that goes with that dubious distinction.
The easy cuts were made years ago. Proposed cuts this time around could affect the ability to attract and keep good teachers, security, counseling and the gifted and talented program.
Principals would be pressed into services as lunchroom monitors, and the central office would lose one custodian, the director of accountability, an accountant, director of student services and athletics, the director of support staff personnel and one secretary from the superintendent’s office.
Next to the salary freeze, the largest savings would be from finishing payments on the early retirement incentive program, $1 million; eliminating the buying of new textbooks, $1 million; eliminating nine home school counselors, $498,000; cutting eight secondary school counselors, $449,172; eminating lunchroom monitors, $500,000; cutting 4.4 elementary counselors, $230,403 and seven gifted and talented teachers, $325,513.
The teachers’ proposal to have only the number of principals required by the state would save about $3 million, they say.
“In three years, we’ve gone from $17 million down to zero,” said past board pre-sident Jeff Shaneyfelt, a certified public accountant. “Only way to explain it is our labor costs.”
He said the board has failed to understand the future impact of raises it granted in the past.
Even without annual cost-of-living raises, teachers receive raises for longevity and increased education, he said.
“That’s not to say employees aren’t valuable and worth what we play them, it’s just, like a household, we get a certain amount of revenue to run the school,” Shaneyfelt said.
“We have a lot of expenses we have to incur each year, transportation, utilities, textbooks and supplies. There’s only a certain amount left after that. We have to do the best we can.”
With payroll and benefits accounting for about three-quarters of the budget, there aren’t going to be any easy or painless ways to cut expenses, he said.
Payroll raises don’t go away, he said. Once you establish a certain rate, you live with that.
The district’s construction bond millage raises $14 million each year for capital improvements. In recent years, only $4 million a year has been used to service debt, with the other $10 million diverted used to pay salaries, gasoline and utility bills and any other expenses—which is legal, but not what the voters understood—Shaneyfelt said.
The other districts designated as in financial distress were Altheimer Unified School District, Dierks, Dollarway, Eudora, Flippin, Helena – West Helena, Lead Hill, Midland, Waldo and Western Yell County School District.
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader staff writer
Pulaski County Special School District administrators and the board will meet in special session at 6 p.m. Wednesday in an effort to lop $9 million from the 2005-2006 budget, expected to run about $143 million otherwise.
The cuts are necessary because the district—the second largest in the state—has been placed on the financial distress list by the state Board of Education.
That designation can have dire consequences, in-cluding forced consolidation, replacement of the superintendent or the board and even a state takeover of the district.
The district is one of 11 designated as in financial distress.
The administration wants to cut $9 million from the budget to begin the process of getting the district off the financial distress list.
In response to an invitation to outgoing Superintendent Donald Henderson, three groups and one board member had submitted suggested cuts and prioritized the cuts in preparation for the meeting, according to John Archetko, interim assistant superintendent for business and chief financial officer.
In recent years, the district has spent millions more each year than it receives, depleting its savings to cover the difference. It even spends $10 million a year originally designated to retire school construction bonds and another $14 million dollars in desegregation money from the state.
Archetko said there was “nothing startling” in the proposals from the Pulaski Association of Classroom Teachers, the elementary school principals, an administrators group including secondary school principals or from Carol Burgett, a board member.
Archetko has projected the ending fund balance for the current fiscal year is $4.9 million, down from about $20 million three years ago, according to one board member.
Without carrying the fund balance over and without making cuts, the year-end fund balance next year is projected to be $5.3 million in the red.
Henderson and his cabinet have proposed cuts, most noticeably a $3.4 million savings from foregoing what has become an annual teachers’ raise in the 3 percent range.
At the regular April 12 board meeting, the teachers in turn suggested decimating the ranks of district principals, leaving just seven of 51, according to a proposal by Deen Minton, president of the Pulaski Association of Classroom Teachers.
Minton said that would reduce the principal-to-student ratio to the state minimum.
Either proposal would save roughly $3 million a year.
Antagonism between the teachers and principals has been a badly kept secret in recent years.
Although board member Pam Roberts warned various factions not to use the designation and the need for cuts as an excuse to promote their own agendas, it was clear at Tuesday’s meeting that the administration would freeze teacher salaries and the teachers would cut the number of principals in the district from 51 to 7.
At the Wednesday night meeting, the board will weigh its options as it struggles to not only balance budget, but to reverse its fortune by taking steps to graduate from the school financial distress list and the scrutiny that goes with that dubious distinction.
The easy cuts were made years ago. Proposed cuts this time around could affect the ability to attract and keep good teachers, security, counseling and the gifted and talented program.
Principals would be pressed into services as lunchroom monitors, and the central office would lose one custodian, the director of accountability, an accountant, director of student services and athletics, the director of support staff personnel and one secretary from the superintendent’s office.
Next to the salary freeze, the largest savings would be from finishing payments on the early retirement incentive program, $1 million; eliminating the buying of new textbooks, $1 million; eliminating nine home school counselors, $498,000; cutting eight secondary school counselors, $449,172; eminating lunchroom monitors, $500,000; cutting 4.4 elementary counselors, $230,403 and seven gifted and talented teachers, $325,513.
The teachers’ proposal to have only the number of principals required by the state would save about $3 million, they say.
“In three years, we’ve gone from $17 million down to zero,” said past board pre-sident Jeff Shaneyfelt, a certified public accountant. “Only way to explain it is our labor costs.”
He said the board has failed to understand the future impact of raises it granted in the past.
Even without annual cost-of-living raises, teachers receive raises for longevity and increased education, he said.
“That’s not to say employees aren’t valuable and worth what we play them, it’s just, like a household, we get a certain amount of revenue to run the school,” Shaneyfelt said.
“We have a lot of expenses we have to incur each year, transportation, utilities, textbooks and supplies. There’s only a certain amount left after that. We have to do the best we can.”
With payroll and benefits accounting for about three-quarters of the budget, there aren’t going to be any easy or painless ways to cut expenses, he said.
Payroll raises don’t go away, he said. Once you establish a certain rate, you live with that.
The district’s construction bond millage raises $14 million each year for capital improvements. In recent years, only $4 million a year has been used to service debt, with the other $10 million diverted used to pay salaries, gasoline and utility bills and any other expenses—which is legal, but not what the voters understood—Shaneyfelt said.
The other districts designated as in financial distress were Altheimer Unified School District, Dierks, Dollarway, Eudora, Flippin, Helena – West Helena, Lead Hill, Midland, Waldo and Western Yell County School District.
TOP STORY>> Cabot will decide on funding for overpass and center
IN SHORT: Bridge would be built early if millage passes, but center in limbo if measure fails.
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
Just as they said they would earlier this month, the Cabot City Council approved an ordinance Monday night to ask voters on July 12 to increase their city property tax by one mill and ap-prove $2 million in bonds to help build the community center and a railroad overpass on Polk Street.
If voters turn down the millage increase, the overpass will still likely be built in 2008, the original construction date set by the Highway Department. But Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh says there is no plan B for building the under-funded community center.
Stumbaugh has looked for grants to help pay for the project and has promised to name the center for any benefactor willing to contribute the $1.2 million or more needed to add to the $3 million the city has set aside, all without success.
That is not the case in Carlisle, however, where state Sen. Bobby Glover has obtained $1 million from the state General Improvement Fund to pay for a community center.
So with no state or private help forthcoming, the council is left with no recourse except to ask city residents to tax themselves to build the 34,000 square-foot community center that has been planned for about two years and to help pay the city’s $1 million match on a $5 million overpass that has been planned for more than five years.
If Cabot voters decide to tax themselves to pay for the new center as well as the overpass, owners of homes costing $100,000 can expect to pay an additional $20 in taxes every year.
The council also voted to seek a general contractor as a project manager for the community center, which could cost about $4.4 million, according to Alderman David Polantz, who sponsored the ordinance calling for requests for qualifications for the job.
Polantz also asked for the millage election ordinance, which was cosponsored by the mayor and all the council members except Alderman Jerry Stephens who made good on his promise to not support any increase in taxes.
Stumbaugh said on Tuesday morning that since the low bid of $4.2 million for the community center was turned in late last fall, the project would have to be re-bid before construction could begin.
The center was expected to cost $3 million.
Since the low bid came in $1.2 million above the amount available to pay for it, the city has been getting advice from the school district on how to save money on construction.
Parks Director Carroll Astin told the council that one way the school saves money is by using a project manager who is paid to find subcontractors to do the work.
Increasing the city millage from 3.5 to 4.5 would bring in about $180,000 a year, said Dale Walker, city finance director, more than enough to pay back 20-yearbonds for $2 million.
Ordinance No. 16 of 2005, submitting the proposed millage increase and bond issue to the voters, sets a July 12 election date.
Voters will be asked to approve bond issues of $700,000 for the railroad overpass and $1.3 million for the community center.
Although it is still not certain whether $4 million in federal money for the overpass will be available this year, Stumbaugh said Monday that he believes it will be made available.
By JOAN MCCOY
Leader staff writer
Just as they said they would earlier this month, the Cabot City Council approved an ordinance Monday night to ask voters on July 12 to increase their city property tax by one mill and ap-prove $2 million in bonds to help build the community center and a railroad overpass on Polk Street.
If voters turn down the millage increase, the overpass will still likely be built in 2008, the original construction date set by the Highway Department. But Mayor Stubby Stumbaugh says there is no plan B for building the under-funded community center.
Stumbaugh has looked for grants to help pay for the project and has promised to name the center for any benefactor willing to contribute the $1.2 million or more needed to add to the $3 million the city has set aside, all without success.
That is not the case in Carlisle, however, where state Sen. Bobby Glover has obtained $1 million from the state General Improvement Fund to pay for a community center.
So with no state or private help forthcoming, the council is left with no recourse except to ask city residents to tax themselves to build the 34,000 square-foot community center that has been planned for about two years and to help pay the city’s $1 million match on a $5 million overpass that has been planned for more than five years.
If Cabot voters decide to tax themselves to pay for the new center as well as the overpass, owners of homes costing $100,000 can expect to pay an additional $20 in taxes every year.
The council also voted to seek a general contractor as a project manager for the community center, which could cost about $4.4 million, according to Alderman David Polantz, who sponsored the ordinance calling for requests for qualifications for the job.
Polantz also asked for the millage election ordinance, which was cosponsored by the mayor and all the council members except Alderman Jerry Stephens who made good on his promise to not support any increase in taxes.
Stumbaugh said on Tuesday morning that since the low bid of $4.2 million for the community center was turned in late last fall, the project would have to be re-bid before construction could begin.
The center was expected to cost $3 million.
Since the low bid came in $1.2 million above the amount available to pay for it, the city has been getting advice from the school district on how to save money on construction.
Parks Director Carroll Astin told the council that one way the school saves money is by using a project manager who is paid to find subcontractors to do the work.
Increasing the city millage from 3.5 to 4.5 would bring in about $180,000 a year, said Dale Walker, city finance director, more than enough to pay back 20-yearbonds for $2 million.
Ordinance No. 16 of 2005, submitting the proposed millage increase and bond issue to the voters, sets a July 12 election date.
Voters will be asked to approve bond issues of $700,000 for the railroad overpass and $1.3 million for the community center.
Although it is still not certain whether $4 million in federal money for the overpass will be available this year, Stumbaugh said Monday that he believes it will be made available.
TOP STORY>> Where money would go
Area legislators have secured millions of dollars from the General Improvement Fund for local projects.
Rep. Will Bond
- Jacksonville Boys and Girls Club $50,000
- Jacksonville Senior Center $50,000
- Jacksonville Museum of Military History $10,000
- Reed’s Bridge Preservation Society, Inc. $10,000
- Jacksonville for construction, renovation and equipping of a library $300,000
- Camp Pfeiffer in Little Rock for operating and programmatic expenses $100,000
- Pathfinders, Inc. in Jacksonville, for a pilot jobs program for developmentally disabled adults, including the purchase of equipment program, construction and improvements $100,000
- Jacksonville, $20,000
Sen. John Paul Capps
- Institutional facilities ASU-Beebe $500,000
- Jacksonville Senior Center $20,000
- Jacksonville Museum of Military History $20,000
- North Pulaski Community Com-plex $20,000
- Arkansas Community Foundation (Three Cheerleaders Fund) $10,000
- North Pulaski Fire Department $10,000
- White County Aging Program (Lightle Senior Center) $50,000
- White County Regional Library System $50,000
- White County Fair $15,000
- White County United Way for any improvements or office lease rent or purchase costs $50,000
- Beebe for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $20,000
- Judsonia for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $20,000
- McRae for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $20,000
- Garner for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $15,000
- Higginson for construction and improvements to City Hall $25,000
- Kensett for costs associated with water, sewer, street repairs, new projects and or maintenance $40,000
- Little Red River Irrigation Water District $30,000
- Searcy Fire Department for operating expenses or building fund $50,000
- East Cypress Fire Department in Faulkner County, $5,000 Rep. Mark Pate (D-Bald Knob)
Rep. Lenville Evans
- Butlerville Volunteer Fire Department $5,000
- Carlisle Fire Department $5,000
- Coy Fire Department $5,000
- Crossroads Fire Department $5,000
- England Fire Depart-ment $5,000
- Hum-noke Fire Department $5,000
- Keo Fire Department $5,000
- Lonoke Fire Department $5,000
- Scott Fire Protection District #18 $5,000
- Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department $5,000
- South Bend Volunteer Fire Department $5,000
- East Pulaski Fire Department $5,000
- Lonoke County Council on Aging $10,000
- Lonoke Exceptional School $10,000
- Open Arms Shelter $10,000
- Bayou Meto Water District in Lonoke County, $113,000
- Martin Park in Lonoke County, purchase renovation of equipment $5,000
Sen. Bobby Glover
- Carlisle, for construction, equipping and associated costs of a civic center $1,000,000
- Stuttgart Chamber of Com-merce to build a stage for Wings Over the Prairie Festival $200,000
- Cabot Fire Department $5,000
- Austin Fire Department $5,000
- Ward Fire Department $5,000
- C & S Fire Department $5,000
- Mountain Springs Fire Department $5,000
- Lonoke County Jail Fund for construction and equipping $300,000
- Stuttgart for purchase, renovation and equipment for an administration building $20,000
- Arkansas County Radio Tower for fire departments in Arkansas County $25,000
Rep. Mark Pate (D-Bald Knob)
- Various improvements – ASU-Beebe $50,000
- White County Library System for maintenance and operation $20,000
- White County chapter of the American Red Cross purposes of obtaining a new or different facility either by lease or purchase and or purchase of a new or used vehicle or trailer for emergency disaster services $60,000
- North White County Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Georgetown Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Antioch Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Judsonia Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- West Point Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Rocky Point Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Floyd Romance Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Southeast White County Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- McRae Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- El Paso Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Bald Knob Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Beebe Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Gum Springs Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Joy Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $3,000
- Garner Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $10,000
- Center Hill Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Bald Knob, for water, sewer and street maintenance $25,000
- Beebe, for water, sewer and street maintenance $25,000
- Judsonia for water, sewer and street maintenance $20,000
- McRae for water, sewer and street maintenance $20,000
- Garner for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- Georgetown for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- Griffithville for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- West Point, for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- White County Fair Association for construction of or maintenance of new or existing facilities $20,000
- Little Red River Irrigation District $10,000
- Bald Knob Fine Arts Council promotion of Musical and Art programs Bald Knob Community $2,500
- White County Battered Women’s Shelter $2,500
- White County Senior Citizen Center $25,000
Rep. Sandra Prater (D-Jacksonville)
- Maumelle Police Department $20,000
- North Pulaski Fire Department $10,000
- Oak Grove Fire Department $10,000
- Maumelle Volunteer Fire Department for upgrades $10,000
- Highway 286 East Volunteer Fire De-partment $10,000
- Beaverfork Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Cato Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Liberty Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Mayflower Volunteer Fire De-partment $10,000
- Saltillo Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department Oak Grove Substation $10,000
- Arkansas Community Foundation3 Cheerleader Scholarship Fund $20,000
- Oak Grove Community Organization $30,000
- Our Club Program $10,000
- North Pulaski Community Complex $40,000
- Veterans Memorial in Maumelle, $25,000
- North Pulaski Recreation Ball Park for improvements $2,500
- Mayflower, Mayflower Parks Department $10,000
- Mayflower, $20,000
Rep. Susan Schulte
- Mt. Springs Fire Department $10,000
- Ward Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Austin Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- CSZ Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Arlene Cherry Library $5,000
- Ward Li-brary $5,000
- Cabot Senior Center $5,000
- Open Arms Shelter $5,000
Rep. Jeff Wood
- Grants for Certified Teachers – Arkansas National Guard and C-Step Programs $62,701
- Runyan Acres Property Owners Associa-tion in Pulaski County $20,000
- Runyan Acres Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Gravel Ridge Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Sherwood Fire Depart-ment in Sherwood $10,000
- Sherwood Rotary Club Veterans Memorial Centennial Project $40,000
- Jack Evans Senior Center $40,000
- Sylvan Hills Optimist Club $5,000
- Bill Harmon Recreation Center $15,000
- Sylvan Hills Volunteer Fire Department in Sherwood, $10,000
Rep. Will Bond
- Jacksonville Boys and Girls Club $50,000
- Jacksonville Senior Center $50,000
- Jacksonville Museum of Military History $10,000
- Reed’s Bridge Preservation Society, Inc. $10,000
- Jacksonville for construction, renovation and equipping of a library $300,000
- Camp Pfeiffer in Little Rock for operating and programmatic expenses $100,000
- Pathfinders, Inc. in Jacksonville, for a pilot jobs program for developmentally disabled adults, including the purchase of equipment program, construction and improvements $100,000
- Jacksonville, $20,000
Sen. John Paul Capps
- Institutional facilities ASU-Beebe $500,000
- Jacksonville Senior Center $20,000
- Jacksonville Museum of Military History $20,000
- North Pulaski Community Com-plex $20,000
- Arkansas Community Foundation (Three Cheerleaders Fund) $10,000
- North Pulaski Fire Department $10,000
- White County Aging Program (Lightle Senior Center) $50,000
- White County Regional Library System $50,000
- White County Fair $15,000
- White County United Way for any improvements or office lease rent or purchase costs $50,000
- Beebe for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $20,000
- Judsonia for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $20,000
- McRae for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $20,000
- Garner for improvements for city streets, water, sewer, new projects, improvements and maintenance $15,000
- Higginson for construction and improvements to City Hall $25,000
- Kensett for costs associated with water, sewer, street repairs, new projects and or maintenance $40,000
- Little Red River Irrigation Water District $30,000
- Searcy Fire Department for operating expenses or building fund $50,000
- East Cypress Fire Department in Faulkner County, $5,000 Rep. Mark Pate (D-Bald Knob)
Rep. Lenville Evans
- Butlerville Volunteer Fire Department $5,000
- Carlisle Fire Department $5,000
- Coy Fire Department $5,000
- Crossroads Fire Department $5,000
- England Fire Depart-ment $5,000
- Hum-noke Fire Department $5,000
- Keo Fire Department $5,000
- Lonoke Fire Department $5,000
- Scott Fire Protection District #18 $5,000
- Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department $5,000
- South Bend Volunteer Fire Department $5,000
- East Pulaski Fire Department $5,000
- Lonoke County Council on Aging $10,000
- Lonoke Exceptional School $10,000
- Open Arms Shelter $10,000
- Bayou Meto Water District in Lonoke County, $113,000
- Martin Park in Lonoke County, purchase renovation of equipment $5,000
Sen. Bobby Glover
- Carlisle, for construction, equipping and associated costs of a civic center $1,000,000
- Stuttgart Chamber of Com-merce to build a stage for Wings Over the Prairie Festival $200,000
- Cabot Fire Department $5,000
- Austin Fire Department $5,000
- Ward Fire Department $5,000
- C & S Fire Department $5,000
- Mountain Springs Fire Department $5,000
- Lonoke County Jail Fund for construction and equipping $300,000
- Stuttgart for purchase, renovation and equipment for an administration building $20,000
- Arkansas County Radio Tower for fire departments in Arkansas County $25,000
Rep. Mark Pate (D-Bald Knob)
- Various improvements – ASU-Beebe $50,000
- White County Library System for maintenance and operation $20,000
- White County chapter of the American Red Cross purposes of obtaining a new or different facility either by lease or purchase and or purchase of a new or used vehicle or trailer for emergency disaster services $60,000
- North White County Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Georgetown Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Antioch Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Judsonia Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- West Point Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Rocky Point Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Floyd Romance Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Southeast White County Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- McRae Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- El Paso Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Bald Knob Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Beebe Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Gum Springs Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Joy Volunteer Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $3,000
- Garner Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $10,000
- Center Hill Fire Department for purchase or maintenance of new or existing equipment or facilities $6,000
- Bald Knob, for water, sewer and street maintenance $25,000
- Beebe, for water, sewer and street maintenance $25,000
- Judsonia for water, sewer and street maintenance $20,000
- McRae for water, sewer and street maintenance $20,000
- Garner for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- Georgetown for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- Griffithville for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- West Point, for water, sewer and street maintenance $15,000
- White County Fair Association for construction of or maintenance of new or existing facilities $20,000
- Little Red River Irrigation District $10,000
- Bald Knob Fine Arts Council promotion of Musical and Art programs Bald Knob Community $2,500
- White County Battered Women’s Shelter $2,500
- White County Senior Citizen Center $25,000
Rep. Sandra Prater (D-Jacksonville)
- Maumelle Police Department $20,000
- North Pulaski Fire Department $10,000
- Oak Grove Fire Department $10,000
- Maumelle Volunteer Fire Department for upgrades $10,000
- Highway 286 East Volunteer Fire De-partment $10,000
- Beaverfork Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Cato Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Liberty Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Mayflower Volunteer Fire De-partment $10,000
- Saltillo Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department Oak Grove Substation $10,000
- Arkansas Community Foundation3 Cheerleader Scholarship Fund $20,000
- Oak Grove Community Organization $30,000
- Our Club Program $10,000
- North Pulaski Community Complex $40,000
- Veterans Memorial in Maumelle, $25,000
- North Pulaski Recreation Ball Park for improvements $2,500
- Mayflower, Mayflower Parks Department $10,000
- Mayflower, $20,000
Rep. Susan Schulte
- Mt. Springs Fire Department $10,000
- Ward Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Austin Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- CSZ Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Arlene Cherry Library $5,000
- Ward Li-brary $5,000
- Cabot Senior Center $5,000
- Open Arms Shelter $5,000
Rep. Jeff Wood
- Grants for Certified Teachers – Arkansas National Guard and C-Step Programs $62,701
- Runyan Acres Property Owners Associa-tion in Pulaski County $20,000
- Runyan Acres Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Gravel Ridge Volunteer Fire Department $10,000
- Sherwood Fire Depart-ment in Sherwood $10,000
- Sherwood Rotary Club Veterans Memorial Centennial Project $40,000
- Jack Evans Senior Center $40,000
- Sylvan Hills Optimist Club $5,000
- Bill Harmon Recreation Center $15,000
- Sylvan Hills Volunteer Fire Department in Sherwood, $10,000
TOP STORY>> Improvement fund helps area
I SHORT: Sen. Glover leads in lining up money for his pet projects, although Sen. Capps, Reps. Bond, Evans, Pate, Prater, Schulte and Wood also do well for their districts.
Leader staff report
Whether they love general improvement funds or hate them, local legislators lined up to bring tax money back to their homefolks at the end of the recently concluded 85th General Assembly.
Some, like state Rep. Will Bond, D-Jacksonville, say they would rather have seen much or all of the $231 million in the General Improvement Fund (GIF) earmarked instead for improving school facilities, but failing that, Bond said he wanted to support important local projects, such as improving the Jacksonville library.
Senators each were allotted $750,000.
Depending on their tenure, House members were allowed to earmark $104,000, $158,000 or $212,000.
The Associated Press released a list of GIF requests by primary sponsor, including the amount of the request, which is not generally the amount that will ultimately be funded.
For instance, state Sen. Bobby Glover, D-Carlisle, sponsored a bill asking for $1 million toward construction of a Carlisle Civic Center—an appropriation that will actually be about $350,000, he said Friday.
As a senator, he was entitled to fund $750,000 worth of projects requested in three of the four counties in his district.
Glover said that in more than 20 years in the General Assembly, the civic center appropriation would be the first time he’s brought money back to his hometown.
Glover said the amounts listed in the AP account were misleading. For instance, it says he got $300,000 for badly needed improvement of the Lonoke County Jail. Glover, state Rep. Susan Schulte, R-Cabot; and state Rep. Lenville Evans, D-Lonoke, each earmarked about $100,000 toward the jail, but as primary sponsor, it shows up in Glover’s list as $300,000 and makes it look like Schulte funded nothing but a handful of volunteer fire departments and community projects to the tune of $60,000.
In a breakdown, if all are fully funded, the fire departments at Mountain Springs, Ward, Austin, and CSZ will receive $10,000 each. The libraries in Cabot and Ward will each receive $5,000 and the remaining $10,000 will be divided equally between the Cabot Senior Center and the Open Arms Shelter in Lonoke.
Neither is Evans credited with his share of the jail money, but he gets full credit for the $113,000 earmarked for the Bayou Meto Water District—which Glover contributed to without credit on the AP list.
Evans, himself a farmer, said he was gratified to be able to contribute to the Bayou Meto irrigation project.
“It’s so important with our ground water and getting irrigation over here,” he said.
“We have to get out of this aquifer, need an alternative to the ground water. We can’t produce products without water.”
Of the list of GIF project sponsors and amounts, Bond said “It’s hard to look at those (amounts) and figure out who did what for whom.”
Bond noted that although he received credit for the $300,000 earmarked for construction, renovation and equipping of a library in Jacksonville, although other’s contributed and the project is only going to receive $190,000.
Bond’s share of the GIF money is about $160,000, so he’s not the only one kicking in for the library.
“I have never been a big fan of the fund, but that is the current way business is done with one time money and as representative of Jacksonville, it would not be in the best interest of the district to turn it down,” Bond said.
“We fought hard to hold the money down to about $19 million on a side. We were desperate to keep them from dipping into adequacy trust fund.”
State Rep. Sandra Prater, D-Jacksonville, was in on the appropriation for the Jacksonville Senior Center.
Prater said she asked for about $270,000 but got about $175,000. She and state Sen. Mary Ann Salmon together got $40,000 for a new North Pulaski community center complex slated for 15 donated acres on Republican Road.
General Improvement Fund requests were Rep. Jeff Wood’s favorite legislation although not the biggest challenge facing the 85th General Assembly, said the Sherwood Democrat.
“The biggest challenge facing us was balancing the budget. Meeting everyone’s needs as best we could without raising taxes. It took a lot of sacrifice,” Wood said.
“You really have to fight for your district to get its share.”
Wood sponsored $62,700 in grants for certified teachers, Arkansas National Guard and C-Step programs.
He requested $40,000 each for the Sherwood Rotary Club Veterans Memorial and the Jack Evans Senior Center. Additionally Wood requested $10,000 for the fire departments in Gravel Ridge, Sherwood, Runyan Acres and Sylvan Hills.
Rep. Mark Pate, D-Bald Knob, agreed in addition to the education facilities funding legislation, creating a balanced budget while meeting needs was the biggest challenge legislators faced as a whole.
The largest GIF requests he sponsored were for $50,000 for Arkansas State University-Beebe and $60,000 for the White County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
The White County Chapter requested the money to help them buy or lease a different facility and purchase an additional vehicle and possibly a trailer for emergency disaster services.
Pate sponsored requests for 16 volunteer fire departments in communities like Antioch, Floyd, Gum Springs and Center Hill. The requests ranged from $3,000 for the Joy Volunteer Fire Department to $10,000 for the Garner Fire Department.
“I represent an area with a lot of rural territory and that’s why I try hard to help volunteer fire departments because they’re so limited with their income. They can struggle by with pie auctions, barbecues and fish fries. They know how to stretch a dollar and this funding goes a long way with them,” Pate said.
In this session, Pate was able to get funding for water, sewer and street maintenance for several of the towns he serves.
He requested $15,000 for West Point, Griffithville, Georgetown and Garner, $20,000 for Judsonia and McRae and $25,000 for Bald Knob and Beebe.
Sen. John Paul Capps, D-Searcy, sponsored a request for $500,000 for Arkansas State University-Beebe and $50,000 each for the White County Aging Program/Lightle Senior Center, the White County Regional Library System and White County United Way.
He also sponsored requests for $20,000 for water, sewer and street improvements in Beebe, Judsonia and McRae.
Leader staff report
Whether they love general improvement funds or hate them, local legislators lined up to bring tax money back to their homefolks at the end of the recently concluded 85th General Assembly.
Some, like state Rep. Will Bond, D-Jacksonville, say they would rather have seen much or all of the $231 million in the General Improvement Fund (GIF) earmarked instead for improving school facilities, but failing that, Bond said he wanted to support important local projects, such as improving the Jacksonville library.
Senators each were allotted $750,000.
Depending on their tenure, House members were allowed to earmark $104,000, $158,000 or $212,000.
The Associated Press released a list of GIF requests by primary sponsor, including the amount of the request, which is not generally the amount that will ultimately be funded.
For instance, state Sen. Bobby Glover, D-Carlisle, sponsored a bill asking for $1 million toward construction of a Carlisle Civic Center—an appropriation that will actually be about $350,000, he said Friday.
As a senator, he was entitled to fund $750,000 worth of projects requested in three of the four counties in his district.
Glover said that in more than 20 years in the General Assembly, the civic center appropriation would be the first time he’s brought money back to his hometown.
Glover said the amounts listed in the AP account were misleading. For instance, it says he got $300,000 for badly needed improvement of the Lonoke County Jail. Glover, state Rep. Susan Schulte, R-Cabot; and state Rep. Lenville Evans, D-Lonoke, each earmarked about $100,000 toward the jail, but as primary sponsor, it shows up in Glover’s list as $300,000 and makes it look like Schulte funded nothing but a handful of volunteer fire departments and community projects to the tune of $60,000.
In a breakdown, if all are fully funded, the fire departments at Mountain Springs, Ward, Austin, and CSZ will receive $10,000 each. The libraries in Cabot and Ward will each receive $5,000 and the remaining $10,000 will be divided equally between the Cabot Senior Center and the Open Arms Shelter in Lonoke.
Neither is Evans credited with his share of the jail money, but he gets full credit for the $113,000 earmarked for the Bayou Meto Water District—which Glover contributed to without credit on the AP list.
Evans, himself a farmer, said he was gratified to be able to contribute to the Bayou Meto irrigation project.
“It’s so important with our ground water and getting irrigation over here,” he said.
“We have to get out of this aquifer, need an alternative to the ground water. We can’t produce products without water.”
Of the list of GIF project sponsors and amounts, Bond said “It’s hard to look at those (amounts) and figure out who did what for whom.”
Bond noted that although he received credit for the $300,000 earmarked for construction, renovation and equipping of a library in Jacksonville, although other’s contributed and the project is only going to receive $190,000.
Bond’s share of the GIF money is about $160,000, so he’s not the only one kicking in for the library.
“I have never been a big fan of the fund, but that is the current way business is done with one time money and as representative of Jacksonville, it would not be in the best interest of the district to turn it down,” Bond said.
“We fought hard to hold the money down to about $19 million on a side. We were desperate to keep them from dipping into adequacy trust fund.”
State Rep. Sandra Prater, D-Jacksonville, was in on the appropriation for the Jacksonville Senior Center.
Prater said she asked for about $270,000 but got about $175,000. She and state Sen. Mary Ann Salmon together got $40,000 for a new North Pulaski community center complex slated for 15 donated acres on Republican Road.
General Improvement Fund requests were Rep. Jeff Wood’s favorite legislation although not the biggest challenge facing the 85th General Assembly, said the Sherwood Democrat.
“The biggest challenge facing us was balancing the budget. Meeting everyone’s needs as best we could without raising taxes. It took a lot of sacrifice,” Wood said.
“You really have to fight for your district to get its share.”
Wood sponsored $62,700 in grants for certified teachers, Arkansas National Guard and C-Step programs.
He requested $40,000 each for the Sherwood Rotary Club Veterans Memorial and the Jack Evans Senior Center. Additionally Wood requested $10,000 for the fire departments in Gravel Ridge, Sherwood, Runyan Acres and Sylvan Hills.
Rep. Mark Pate, D-Bald Knob, agreed in addition to the education facilities funding legislation, creating a balanced budget while meeting needs was the biggest challenge legislators faced as a whole.
The largest GIF requests he sponsored were for $50,000 for Arkansas State University-Beebe and $60,000 for the White County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
The White County Chapter requested the money to help them buy or lease a different facility and purchase an additional vehicle and possibly a trailer for emergency disaster services.
Pate sponsored requests for 16 volunteer fire departments in communities like Antioch, Floyd, Gum Springs and Center Hill. The requests ranged from $3,000 for the Joy Volunteer Fire Department to $10,000 for the Garner Fire Department.
“I represent an area with a lot of rural territory and that’s why I try hard to help volunteer fire departments because they’re so limited with their income. They can struggle by with pie auctions, barbecues and fish fries. They know how to stretch a dollar and this funding goes a long way with them,” Pate said.
In this session, Pate was able to get funding for water, sewer and street maintenance for several of the towns he serves.
He requested $15,000 for West Point, Griffithville, Georgetown and Garner, $20,000 for Judsonia and McRae and $25,000 for Bald Knob and Beebe.
Sen. John Paul Capps, D-Searcy, sponsored a request for $500,000 for Arkansas State University-Beebe and $50,000 each for the White County Aging Program/Lightle Senior Center, the White County Regional Library System and White County United Way.
He also sponsored requests for $20,000 for water, sewer and street improvements in Beebe, Judsonia and McRae.
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