By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A long-standing disagreement between some Forrest City Civic Center Commissioners and the center's caterer came to a head Monday with an angry exchange, after which the caterer left the meeting.
Jim Hitchcock, who has the catering contract with the Civic Center, attended the meeting, but left angrily after being questioned about information the commission has requested from him.
At a February meeting, Hitchcock had agreed to allow commissioners to inspect the facility's kitchen and provide them with his civic center records and a schedule of menu prices for events held at the civic center.
According to Hitchcock, all of the information regarding the civic center was provided at the April meeting. Hitchcock said an inventory of items owned by the city was presented to Delores Morelon, commission chairperson, prior to that meeting.
Commissioner Shirley Harvell disagreed.
"An inventory is everything that is in the kitchen, and we wanted it separated into what is yours and what belongs to the city."
Hitchcock replied, "My contract does not require me to give you an inventory of what is mine in that kitchen, and you're not going to have one. I don't see the need of it. It has no bearing on what the city does at the civic center."
Hitchcock also said that a more detailed presentation of his records and a schedule of detailed menu prices were not forthcoming because he feels the commission is "nitpicking."
At last month's meeting commissioners requested a list of events that Hitchcock had catered at the civic center during the year.
"I'm not going to do that, and I've told you all that I'm not going to do that. I'll see ya'll. My contract calls for me to give you records that are pertinent to the Civic Center. So, how are my invoices pertinent to the operation of this city? Now I'm going, Ms. Morelon, because I'm tired of doing this every month," Hitchcock said.
He also questioned commission members on what exactly is needed from him.
Harvell told Hitchcock his contract says, "We have a right to see any and all records associated with the kitchen, receipts and everything else. Therefore, if you have an event, we have the right to see the records from the event."
Hitchcock replied, "I told you the number of events and sales. What else could you need? I don't keep an invoice for all of my clubs, and I've told you that. We can stand here and argue all day. It's not going to change. You will have to change your ways because I'm not going to change mine. And, Ms. Harvell you can beat that contract all to death. I'm not going to change, and you can take me to court. I am through with you all. I'm not going to do this every month with you people. I gave you a menu, and I've given you prices. What do you want from me?" Hitchcock said.
After Hitchcock left, commission members touredthe kitchen facilities.
In other business, commissioners were updated on the status of the crack in the south interior wall of the civic center.
Commissioner Ted Parker told the group that he had spoken with civic center architect Bob Beavers.
"I spoke with Bob Beavers and he told me that the contractor who remodeled the civic center is not in business anymore. We do have some leeway because we still owe the contractor $6,500. We can hold some of that money back until the problem is fixed," said Parker.
Parker explained to commissioners that the $6,500 was a portion of the contract agreement held back by the A and P Commission when the facility was remodeled.
Also during the meeting, Commissioner Margaret Campbell's resignation was submitted.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Widener City Council on Monday night discussed water deposits and street improvements.
The council also heard a presentation on the upcoming school millage election, and heard from the county assessor on delinquent taxes and Amendment 79.
The council at one time had voted to require $100 water deposits for renters, with $60 water deposits for homeowners. The reason is that many renters are leaving without paying their water bills. Mayor Dot Halford said that in the past month, two families had moved in and then moved away without paying their water bills.
After discussion Monday, City Attorney Bill Snowden recommended that water deposits be the same for everyone. That way the city could not be charged with unfairly targeting any one group.
Halford said she understood that, but also said it is a problem to have people skipping out on their water bills.
"I know it (the higher fee) creates a handicap to renters," she said. "But so does walking off without paying bills."
Snowden was instructed to draw up an ordinance requiring a $100 deposit for everyone. This will not affect those who have already paid a water deposit.
The council agreed to seek bids on street work. Halford said there are two streets she would like to see widened. One is East Kiethly and the other is Tyler Street.
The council also gave Halbert permission to price some used pickup trucks for the city.
County Assessor Craig Jones attended the meeting, and gave the council members a list of delinquent taxpayers in Widener. He said it was a small list. He also talked some about Amendment 79, which allows a real property tax credit of $300 for every home owner.
"A lot of people out there have misconceptions," he said. One misconception is that only people who have property taxes of more than $300 are eligible for the credit. He said everyone is eligible, as long as they live on their property.
He did say that this year is the last year that the homestead tax credit will be granted to those 65 years of age and older.
On another matter, Rev. Uzziah Duncan and Tammy Mills attended the meeting. They are members of a committee for the proposed school millage increase. They said the junior high school is in bad shape and a new one is needed badly. They gave out campaign buttons supporting the millage in the June 5 election.
On another matter, the council agreed to write off several uncollectable water bills.
Halbert also told the council that she plans on challenging the 2000 census figures.
"I feel like we got a raw deal out of it," she said, adding that the city would lose more than $1,000 a month in total turnback because the census said Widener's population declined from 381 in 1990 to 335 in 2000.
She said her personal count was more like 420.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Replacing revenues which would have been lost by ABC schools around the state did more than simply keep the schools in operation, a representative of the local ABC school said recently.
"The children would not have been prepared for kindergarten," said Vivian Ryan. "Their abilities would not have been challenged. They would have been deprived of social interaction. You may eventually have had a decrease in test scores."
ABC stands for Arkansas Better Chance, and is a pre-school preparation for children considered at risk.
Ryan said because of deprived backgrounds, often these children are not prepared for kindergarten.
"They are at-risk children," she said. "If they're not prepared, they would spend their kindergarten year doing what they would have done with us. We would have seen a lowering of self-esteem. But, after they come here for a year, they are well prepared to enter kindergarten. Someone was telling me about two children in the community. One came to ABC and the other didn't, and how much better prepared the child was who came to ABC."
To the community, it would have been the loss of some jobs, and vacant classrooms.
"And you'd have expensive playground equipment and furniture not in use. There is too much invested," she said.
Ryan said it also would have been a disappointment to parents who are anticipating having their children attend ABC school.
There are 90 pre-schoolers in the local ABC program.
The ABC schools were hurt when state revenue forecasts were revised downward sharply near the end of the legislative session. Lawmakers made up for the loss with a tax on beer.
Although the beer tax is expected to make up for the amount lost, the state Board of Education is considering using any extra money raised by the beer tax in other education areas.
St. Francis County's unemployment in March fell more than one percentage point.
The March unemployment rate of 8.2 percent, reported by the Arkansas Employment Security Department, was lower than the 9.5 percent reported in February.
According to the report, in March, the county had 12,000 people eligible for employment with 11,025 of those working, leaving 975 people looking for jobs.
There were 1,125 people unemployed in February of this year.
The March rate this year is significantly lower than the March 2000 unemployment rate. In March last year, the county had an 11.4 percent unemployment rate. During that month, the county's labor force was at 12,275 with 10,875 of those working, leaving 1,400 people seeking employment.
Unemployment rates in surrounding counties for March was: Cross, 6.7 percent; Crittenden, 4.7 percent; Lee, 9.3 percent; Phillips, 8.9 percent; Monroe, 5.9 percent and Woodruff, 7.4 percent.
SFC had the 11th highest unemployment rate for the state in March. Mississippi County, with 12.6 percent unemployed, had the highest unemployment rate at 12.6 percent, and Benton County had the lowest rate at 1.7 percent.
The Tobacco Superstore on North Washington was robbed at gunpoint at closing Monday night.
The Forrest City Police Department reported today that a lone gunman entered the business about 9:20 p.m. and forced a clerk to take money from each register before walking her to the rear of the store.
Once there, the suspect allegedly took money from two of three money bags on the table and fled through a rear door at the business. Police reported a large amount of money was taken during the robbery.
The suspect is described as a black male, five feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. He was wearing blue jeans, a black jacket and a red bandana around his face.
According to police, the suspect also destroyed a monitor and VCR in the office and took two VCR tapes as he was leaving the business.
Anyone with information regarding this robbery is asked to contact the FCPD at 633-3434.