By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Work on the new Forrest City Junior High building is about 12 percent finished, the school board was told last night.
Gary Kennedy of Kenco Construction, the contractor, said rainy weather had slowed down work somewhat, but that work had picked up since the weather had cleared.
"We're not that far behind," said Kennedy, "if we can keep good weather."
Architect Bob Beavers told the board members that there would be a lot of concrete work done soon.
"Don't plan any other concrete projects," Beavers said jokingly, saying the junior high project would be taking a large percentage of the local concrete for a while.
On another matter, the board approved the hiring of Michael Bender as athletic director, and also approved a recommendation that he begin work May 1.
Attorney Brad Beavers was at the meeting to speak for the high school's state champion mock trial team. The Forrest City graduation will take place May 10, which Beavers said is right in the middle of the national competition the team will be attending in St. Paul, Minn. It was agreed that the seniors on the team would be allowed to graduate on May 18.
Beavers said the seniors could have stayed home from the competition.
"But you try to go with the people who brought you, and they got us there" to the national competition, according to Beavers.
It was also mentioned that some senior track members may also be out of pocket at the state track championships during graduation, and they may also graduate May 18.
On another matter, Superintendent Lee Vent recommended that there be no raises for the coming school year. He said there has already been one round of state funding cuts, and another one is expected to cost the school district about $136,000.
"We've received word that we'll probably get another cut in state aid before June 30, of about of $34-$28 per child. That would be a $136,000 cut for us," said Vent.
The board went into executive session briefly. Upon coming out, the board agreed to several recommendations. Several resignations were accepted, including April Gilbert, a middle school teacher; Susie Landrum, Gifted and Talented facilitator; Connie Cochran, teacher at Stewart Elementary; Steven Adamson, high school French teacher; and Food Services employees Willie Mae Moore, Lilly Cowan and Judy Wesner.
The board also honored Caronica Randle, who as a member of the FCHS women's basketball team was named to the Future Arkansas Team and was also a Channel 7 Player of the week.
A live call-in show will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. on Mustang 17 to discuss a book featured in a community read-along held this month.
Families in the community have been asked to join in reading a book, entitled "Roll of Thunder: Hear My Cry," by Mildred Taylor. The book is free and is available at the Forrest City Public Library, all Forrest City School District libraries and the superintendent's office.
"It's not a real long book," said Dr. Alice Barnes, deputy superintendent of the school district. "If people haven't read it yet, I hope they will, then join us in the discussion Thursday night."
The program is a cooperative effort of the school district, the Forrest City Junior Auxiliary and the Forrest City Public Library, of which Dr. Barnes is a board member.
While Mustang 17 has had a number of live presentations, Thursday's panel discussion will include a new addition -- people calling in will be heard on TV.
"We are tying our telephone lines into the program," said Dee Murray, production specialist for Mustang 17. "With four phone lines and eight panelists, we may have some difficulty getting the sound just right, but we're making a huge effort to get everyone who wants to talk about the book on the air."
"Homework Hotline," a regular feature on Mustang 17, will be presented as usual from 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, followed 30 minutes later with the book discussion. It will be taped for later broadcasts.
Phone numbers for the phone-in are 261-1859, 261-1896 and 261-1897.
The book selected for this first "read-along" was recommended by Vicky Smith, reading specialist at Stewart Elementary School. It focuses upon Cassie Logan, a 10-year-old-girl who sees the world as a place full of opportunity. However, over the course of a year she experiences many things that teach her that the world doesn't necessarily work the way it should.
The events that take place during the lives of Cassie and her family have a big impact on their lives. Even though in the novel we may not see or hear about the events that were taking place around the country in 1933, their importance to the Logan family is immeasurable.
The book's author, Mildred Taylor, was born in 1943 in Jackson, Mississippi, and grew up in Toledo, Ohio. After graduating from the University of Toledo, Taylor joined the Peace Corps and worked for two years in Ethiopia, teaching English and history. After returning home, she earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Colorado.
Taylor moved to Los Angeles in 1971, where she took an editing job and devoted her evenings to writing. Among the books she wrote, "Roll of Thunder: Hear My Cry" won the 1977 Newberry Medal and was a nominee for the 1977 National Book Award. It was a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book in 1977 and named a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies by a joint committee of the National Council for the Social Studies and the Children's Book Council in 1976.
One of the goals of the read-along is to give everyone in the school district and community something in common to talk about, according to Barnes, who also said this is the first time a program like this has been conducted on a community-wide level.
The show will be moderated by Richard Benson. Members of the panel are Bessie Easley, Warren Faupel, Sharon Kennedy, Dexter Freeman, Shannon Nix, Austin Easley, Sydney Mitchell and Rich Jayroe.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
With the May primary approaching, local politicians have been putting signs out in force throughout the county. However, some signs are causing problems that have nothing to do with politics.
The problem with campaign signs aren't that they are out, but where they are located. Recently several signs were removed from property east of Forrest City by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Depart-ment. According to Ray Woodruff, with the AHTD, the placing of the signs can be confusing because of the differences in where the state rights of way are located.
"Our rights of way are highly variable in cities. We may have one foot behind the curb for a mile at a stretch, but then have 20 feet of right of way 100 feet down the road from where it's one foot," Woodruff said.
According to Woodruff, utility poles and telephone pedestals are general indications of where signs can be placed.
"There are several rules of thumb on this, but the one I always tell politicians is that if they are behind a utility pole or a telephone pedestal then they are pretty much safe. Now that's not always a guarantee, but for the most part, their signs are safe," he said.
If signs aren't compliant, Woodruff said that the material isn't destroyed. Instead, it's taken to the area AHTD headquarters and kept until someone representing the campaign picks them up.
"We won't do anything to signs that we pull at least until after the campaign is over. We take them to our headquarters, and they are kept there until someone comes and gets them. With larger signs, we try to work with everyone. We call them and let them know that they aren't in compliance, and then we give them an opportunity to get out there and move the sign or remove it. If they don't send someone out, then we take it down and bring it in," Woodruff said.
Campaign materials also can't be posted to utility poles, according to a press release from Woodruff Electric Corporation. According to the release, campaign material creates a safety hazard for linemen who climb the poles.
"If a lineman snags his equipment on a nail or staple on a pole, it could cause damage to the protective equipment. Also, a lineman's climbing equipment could come into contact with a nail and cause him to loose his footing," said Gary Voigt, CEO of the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.
Placing signs on utility poles is a violation of Arkansas state law and is punishable by a fine of $50 to $500. Each day a sign remains in an unlawful place constitutes a separate offense.
Bond was revoked for a triple-homicide suspect Tuesday night.
Steven Neal, one of three men charged with capital murder in the December deaths of three men in Crow Creek, was arrested during a routine traffic stop Tuesday night.
According to a report at the Forrest City Police Department, Neal was a passenger in a vehicle stopped on West Buford Street just before midnight. During a routine check, police found that Neal was wanted for two counts of failure to comply. The charges caused officials to revoke his $25,000 bond for capital murder. He is now being held in the county jail.
Neal turned himself in to police in March, and was transported from Gary, Ind. According to St. Francis County District Court officials, Neal was bound over to circuit court without bond on the capital murder charges on March 21. However, records show Neal's bond was set at $25,000 on March 22, and he was released from jail on bond a few days later.
Neal is charged with the Dec. 7 shooting deaths of Dylan A. Boyd, 31, and Carl Boyd, 21, both of Madison, and Dewayne Stewart, 27, of Forrest City. The murders occurred at the Boyds' residence. The three had been shot numerous times.
The other two suspects are Kevin Mosby, 30, and Jimmy Mills, 30, both of Forrest City. They were captured in January by the Hudson Police Department in Hudson, Wisc.
Village Creek State Park will hold its fifth annual "Pickin' in the Park" Thursday, May 2, through Saturday, May 4.
Musicians and spectators planning to attend should take their instruments and lawn chairs for the event. Favorites such as blue grass, gospel and old-time country music will be featured. Professional and non-professional musicians are welcome.
The music will be performed Thursday though Saturday night until 10 p.m. in the South Campground of the park.
Food vendors will be on hand on Saturday and campsites are available for those wanting to camp at the park. For more information, call Village Creek State Park at (870) 238-9406. The park is located about 15 miles north of Forrest City.