By CRYSTAL HOLLIS
T-H Staff Writer
Caldwell Elementary School students and faculty have spent the past week trying to cope with the loss of two of their students. Christeen Elliott, 7, and her brother, Jeffery Elliott, 5, died on Saturday, Jan. 13, when their mobile home in Colt exploded.
"Christeen was in the first grade and Jeffery was in kindergarten here at the school," said Principal Susan Berry. To honor the students, children at the school participated in a balloon release ceremony on Friday.
"We have been trying to deal with it all week, and we decided to have a balloon release ceremony so the kids can have some closure for this tragedy," said Berry. "Notes to Christeen and Jeffery were attached to the end of the strings of the balloons so the children could feel like they were really saying goodbye."
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
National Job Shadowing Day is coming up, and right now there are more kids wanting to participate than there are takers.
Held on Feb. 2 for another famous shadow -- the Groundhog's -- it gives kids an opportunity to learn things they can learn in no other way.
"So far we've got about 40 students signed up," said Brent Ponder, executive director for Community in Schools, which is sponsoring Job Shadowing Day locally. "And right now we have about 20 businesses."
He said some businesses have signed up for more than one student, but there are still several students who haven't been matched to a business person.
"It's an important program because it gives children an opportunity to actually visualize and get hands-on experiences, before they get into the workforce. It gives them an idea of what it's like to work."
The participants will be from Forrest City Junior High, and are 13-14 years of age.
Chaney J. Murray, Community In Schools coordinator at the junior high, echoed Ponder in her assessment of Job Shadowing Day.
"It gives them a chance to get out in the business world," she said. "They can see and get some hands-on experience. It helps them with their decision as to what they might want to do in the future."
Although Community in Schools has been in Forrest City for some time, last year was the first time Job Shadowing Day was tried. Weston Lewey, publisher of the Times-Herald, took part last year.
"I had a really positive experience, and I'm hoping other businesses will jump in and do this," Lewey said. "There are about 40 kids who are going to participate and who need to go to businesses and shadow people."
She said there weren't enough businesses last year, so not all the kids who had signed up got to participate.
"I don't think that's right," she said. "As many positions as there are in this town, you'd think we wouldn't have any problem getting 40 people to say, 'Yeah, I'll take a kid with me today.'"
Lewey said some potential sponsors may have misapprehensions about what Job Shadowing Day is like.
"It's not scary. It's not hard to do. I can understand there may be instances where kid's can't go, like in areas of confidentiality. But there are other jobs at those firms that kids can shadow, like a secretary or a receptionist."
Doctors' offices are popular. So are lawyers. Last year, the county judge, mayor and chief of police participated.
"The kids want to go to the high-profile, glamor jobs," said Lewey. "What they don't know, and what they find out, is that often it's not the high-profile person who has the most fun job.
"For instance, last year, my job shadower didn't really follow me around much at all. But she worked a little bit in the news room, a little bit in the ad room and a little bit up front, and she liked every place she worked. This year, a kid will also be shadowing in the press room."
She encouraged business people to volunteer.
"I promise you, if you put a little into it you'll get a lot out of it," she said. "The kids are so responsive. And they come away with a really positive attitude. I've heard it from everyone who's done it. Even from some businesses -- the kids didn't want to go there at first and ended up just loving it, having a blast."
She said a report needs to be made to the Communities in Schools state office in Little Rock, "And we'd like to have our volunteers lined up.
"As a business person, I'd like to say this: We need to show young people in our schools that Forrest City does have good jobs and is a nice place to come back to from college, or even if you don't go to college. You don't have to leave here to find good jobs. That's really important."
Anyone who wants to volunteer can call Ponder at 633-1495, Murray at 633-0451 or Lewey at 633-3130.
By CRYSTAL HOLLIS
T-H Staff Writer
The East Arkansas Regional Solid Waste Management Board, made up of county judges and mayors from six counties, has once again stalled construction of a transfer station to be built in Cross County on the site of an existing landfill.
Discussions at times appeared heated as Glen Eaton, president/CEO of Eaton Moery Environmental Services, was again denied a certificate of need, which he has applied for on three different occasions since Oct. 26. The board said that Eaton was required to submit two more letters, and therefore, the board could not vote on a motion to grant the certificate of need.
The letters in question are surveys from the Corps of Engineers and the Archeological Society.
Eaton said he had sent the letters to the board already. Michael Cone, attorney for the board, said that he was sure the statute of limitations had already expired on the surveys, and Eaton would have to start all over again.
According to Eaton, he was told by board member Charlie Wood that he had 150 days, after submitting the request in October, to submit all the necessary paper work to the board.
Wood denied that he had ever told Eaton the time frame would begin in October.
However, Cone said the 150-day period doesn't start until the application process is completed, and then there is a 60-day waiting period after all paperwork has been submitted regarding the transfer station.
"We have it written into our procedures for the public to receive a 60-day notice," said Cone. "The public would have to be notified with classified ads, after the certification."
According to Eaton, he has been trying to obtain this certificate and the board comes up with an excuse every time he has gone before them. "They have written their own procedures which I have followed down to the letter," said Eaton. "What is so bad, is that this is a landfill that has already met all of the state and federal requirements, so submitting these letters is redundant."
Wood agreed with Eaton on that matter, but said, "Things sometimes change, and we want to look out for the public's well being."
"I just want to make it cheaper for the town of Wynne to dispose of its solid waste," said Eaton.
Eaton said that if he is allowed to build the transfer station, he would charge a $7.50 gate fee, as opposed to the $11 gate fee Wynne is being charged now with Waste Corporation of Ft. Worth, Texas. Eaton said that the reason behind the board's apprehension in granting the certificate, is because they are concerned it would circumvent the flow control of the services. "They are afraid that I'll charge such a cheap gate rate, that the Craighead county's landfill would lose business."
St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco made a motion to go ahead and start the 60-day waiting period, and the board will try to obtain the needed letters from the federal government themselves.
Eaton said that he was pleased, but felt weary about it at the same time. "The federal government is very slow about these things. I don't feel they will get the letters within 60 days."
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
While action has been slow in the beginning, some things have begun happening in the state legislative session, according to State Rep. Danny Ferguson.
Calling from Little Rock, he said the House has passed several bills which will go to the Senate. One which may cause some controversy is House Bill 1074, which passed the House 79-16. It requires that certain information must be made available to women seeking abortions.
"It says a woman's personal physician or abortion provider must make the information available, at least 24 hours in advance of the procedure," said Ferguson.
Also, House Bill 124, which if adopted would amend the state's concealed weapon law, passed 71-21 in the House.
This bill would allow people with concealed weapon permits to carry the weapons into public parks or into certain restaurants.
"Restaurants can still put a sign on their doors telling people not to bring guns," said Ferguson. "And other bans remain, such as churches, school property, government buildings and athletic events. And even if a person can carry a gun into a restaurant, it is still illegal to consume alcohol while carrying a concealed weapon."
Another bill which passed the House, HB1070, decriminalizes child abandonment if: 1) It occurs if the child is 30 days old or younger; and 2) if the child is dropped off at a medical care provider such as a hospital.
The House has also passed a measure that insures owners of mobile homes will be entitled to the $300 property tax credit provided for in Amendment 2 which was voted in last year.
Ferguson said he was also pleased that when President Clinton addressed the Legislature earlier in the week, he mentioned the Federal Correctional Institution at Forrest City twice.
A new business, O'Reilly Auto Parts, has opened at 901 W. Broadway in Forrest City, formerly the site of Devasier Auto and Tractor Supply.
The store is owned by O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., which is traded on NASDAQ under ticker symbol ORLY.
With headquarters in Springfield, Mo., the company operates more than 670 stores in nine states, and is in its 44th year of operation.
According to a company spokesperson, the typical O'Reilly store employs 12 to 15 people. The building is about 7,000 square feet. The store will carry new and remanufactured automotive parts such as alternators, starters, fuel pumps, water pumps, etc. and maintenance items such oil, antifreeze, additives, appearance products and accessories. There is also a complete line of paint and related materials. Hours of operation will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
"We look forward to being a good corporate citizen of Forrest City by involvement in the community," said a statement from the company. "Customers will find our parts people to be knowledgeable and courteous."
Only a few meetings are scheduled this week in St. Francis County.
Members of the Forrest City City Council will meet with Civic Center Caterer Jim Hitchcock at city hall at 4 today. Civic Center Commissioners may also attend the meeting.
The Widener City Council will meet in special session at 6 tonight at city hall.
On Tuesday, the St. Francis County Quorum Court's personnel committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the courthouse.