By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The 2002 Olympic Torch Relay will head into Forrest City Friday morning, with a Forrest Citian carrying the torch on the first leg of its trip through the city.
Jim McInturff, an instructor at East Arkansas Community College and an avid runner, will be the first to take the torch in Forrest City.
McInturff is scheduled to begin his journey at 10:53 a.m. He will carry the torch two-tenths of a mile south from the corner of North Division and Graham Streets to 831 N. Division Street.
Carried by numerous other torchbearers, the torch will then turn left on Buford Street and travel to Washington Street where the route will travel south to Cross Street, turning left on Cross and then left on Izard. The route will then carry runners back to East Broadway where it will exit the city heading toward Madison.
There are other local ties in one way or another to the Torch Run. For instance, McInturff's wife Debbie will also be running a segment of the relay, although she will be in Memphis. Her run is set to begin at 5:17 p.m., and will cover a two-tenths of a mile segment from the intersection of North Evergreen and Poplar to Angelus.
In a story similar to that of the McInturff's, Forrest City native Antoinette Pelt, formerly Antoinette Robinson, saw an opportunity to honor her husband, Donell, by nominating him for the Olympic Torch Relay, but little did she know that he would actually be selected, thanks to her essay to Coca-Cola in April. Chevrolet and Coca-Cola sponsored a nationwide search for torchbearers earlier this year.
According to Pelt, an employee of AI Signal Research, a contractor for NASA, the July announcement that Donell had been chosen to run a leg of the Relay in Nashville, came as a surprise, even though she had nominated him.
"I was sitting at home one day and saw a commercial for the Relay and decided that I would nominate Donell because he has been such an inspiration to me. I wrote the essay and mailed it, but I didn't even save a copy of the letter for myself. When he called me at work and told me that he had received an e-mail naming him as a torch runner, I was even surprised. I had never told him about the nomination and in fact I had forgotten about it myself," Pelt said.
According to Pelt, her essay on Donell, who is a manufacturing manager with Lockheed Martin, centered around the support, friendship and inspiration that he has given her.
"In my letter I just told them how he has been my best friend for 19 years and told them of the support that he has given me. He is a real inspiration as far as I'm concerned, and I was happy to tell them about him," she said.
Donell, who is a veteran of the Gulf War and a member of the Alabama Army National Guard, may not be able to participate in the Torch Relay, if ground fighting breaks out in Afghanistan, according to Pelt.
"Donell is a member of Alabama's only Patriot unit, and if a ground offensive begins and guard members are called up, he will have to go. When we received the announcement back in July we of course had no idea that he might not be able to participate, but he will be more then happy to serve again, and he will be the first to volunteer," said Pelt.
According to Antoinette, members of Donell's family, including his parents, will make the trip to Nashville. She is also currently making arrangements for members of her Arkansas family to join them for the event. Antoinette will be joined by family members, Emily Holley, Brandi McCoy, Chris Chatters and Calandra Chatters Henderson and family friend, Phyllis Suggs, all of Forrest City.
This year's torch run will have another Forrest City tie in which is Paul Dunn of Maumelle. Dunn is the son of Danny Smith of Colt and Rhonda McGuirt Dunn of Cabot. He is the grandson of Delman and Margaret Campbell of Forrest City.
According to Dunn's Aunt, Patty Holub of Forrest City, Dunn suffers from ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease, and although he won't be able to run in the torch relay, he is proud to be able to participate.
"This will be one of his proudest moments. He has always been very patriotic and very athletic, and there isn't a greater honor for him," she said.
According to Holub, over 100 nominations from friends, family and fraternity brothers were sent in supporting Paul.
"Paul has always been inspiring to all of us. We all started sending in our nominations and when it was all said and done he had over 100 people that had nominated him. We were still surprised when it was announced," said Holub.
Paul will carry the torch from Van Buren Avenue in Little Rock, two-tenths of a mile, to Lee Avenue.
Local residents are encouraged to line the streets of the torch relay through Forrest City to cheer on the participants.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Discussion of the 2002 budget got heated at times during a meeting this week of the Madison City Council.
Council Member Annie Winfrey questioned several areas of the budget proposal offered by Madison Mayor James Brooks. Winfrey focused several of her questions on areas dealing with personnel matters. Winfrey requested, and was given, the names of all full-time employees. She questioned whether the Madison Chief of Police was paid on a full -time salary when he is listed in the budget as a part-time employee.
"He will be paid on the full-time salary scale. He will work eight hours a day, and be paid accordingly," Brooks said.
Brooks also answered questions regarding grant money that is paid to the city for additional police officers. According to Brooks, the grant money is paid based on the hours the officers work, and is not fully funded at the beginning of the year.
"We receive this money through electronic transfers. They send it to us based on the hours that we turn in so when there is a new officer they just transfer the money to our account," he said.
Winfrey said that she only wanted the full understanding of what the budget entailed so that she would have answers to any questions if employees approached her regarding raises. According to Brooks, no raises will be given.
Winfrey then questioned whether Brooks was giving himself a raise.
"You're getting something here mayor. I don't see the need for a full-time mayor," Winfrey said.
Brooks responded, "The council approved my salary, and you're just one person. There are other people here that vote on this issue, and that's just your opinion."
According to Brooks, funding cuts on the state level caused this year's city budget to be cut.
"There is funding being cut on all levels and being cut from the school so we're having to cut things back on this level too," said Brooks.
Council members will hear a second reading of the budget at the January meeting of the council.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Caldwell City Council on Tuesday adopted its budget for next year.
The general fund calls for anticipated revenues of $157,702, up from $152,200 this year. Mayor Gary Hughes explained that it actually could have been a bigger difference.
"With an almost 40 percent increase in our census, we are seeing a substantial increase in population-related revenue," he said, and explained why the expected revenue difference did not show up in the total general fund figures.
"(In 2001) we received park grant money of $40,000. Only about $13,000 of it is left. Without that, there would have been a difference of around $27,000," Hughes said.
Some increased revenue sources include county sales tax, where revenue is estimated to increase from $26,000 to $37,200; state turnback, expected to increase from $5,000 to $6,000; and solid waste sales tax, expected to increase from $28,000 to $34,000.
This year's budget includes funding for more park construction, including some swings.
"Everybody is asking, how can you have a park without swings?" said Hughes.
There are also two new line items, one for park maintenance ($2,500) and one for festival expenses ($3,000). Both the park and the festival are new to Caldwell.
The street fund will have estimated revenue of $21,400, up from $15,600 for this year. The biggest increase is from Arkansas street funds, from $15,000 to $20,400.
The water works will operate on about the same estimated revenue as this year, $26,600, up from $26,000 this year.
On another matter, Hughes updated the council on the water situation on Barrow Hill Road, where there have been complaints of low pressure.
"We plan to install another pump at Telico Trails," he said, explaining that the extra pump will insure that one pump is running all the time. He said if that does not work, there are still other things that can be tried. Also, he said there is a chance that they may "turn up the valve" to increase pressure.
Hughes also gave an update on a lawsuit filed over a pavilion in the new city park. The city claims the contractor did not build the pavilion in the bid. The contractor wants his money.
"We've had our court date," said Hughes. "It's history. We're just waiting to hear from the judge. We've been told it could be as late as January."
A child was shot in the leg Wednesday night by her father, according to a report on file at the Forrest City Police Department.
Police reported the shooting occurred about 8:40 p.m. at the Tammy Metcalf residence at 209 S. Powell Street while Metcalf and Lee Smith, father of three-year-old Briuna Smith, were arguing.
Metcalf told police she had pushed the father outside the door of her home when she heard a gunshot. She then heard the child start crying and found the bullet wound. The child was struck just below the knee by a bullet from a small-caliber weapon. She was treated and released at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City.
Police arrested Lee Smith, 31, 2103 Crawford Street on a charge of first-degree domestic battery. The weapon believed to have been used in the shooting has not yet been recovered.