By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Curriculum, teaching basic skills including reading, less dependence on standardized tests and increased parental involvement were some of the suggestions made in Forrest City by a group of people who met Thursday night to discuss the overhauling of education in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Education hosted ''Speak Up, Arkansas!'' education forums in all 75 counties. In St. Francis County, the site was the Forrest City High School cafeteria. Martha Lucas, the site coordinator for the event, said the concept was exciting.
"Right now at this very same time, at 88 other sites across the state, people are doing exactly the same thing that we're doing," said Lucas.
Tom Machen and Florine Bingham were the facilitators of the meeting.
"We have a good educational system, but you can never have too many good ideas," said Machen. "And so we want everybody here who has any ideas that are for the betterment of our school system to speak out."
After viewing a video on education in Arkansas, those attending were divided into work groups. Each group worked to come up with its own suggestions for improving education, and then the entire group convened and the groups presented their suggestions.
Many of the suggestions overlapped. For instance, a suggestion for a "holistic approach" to education was mirrored by separate suggestions that things like character and ethics be taught along with the basics.
Several people from different groups expressed a distaste for standardized testing, claiming that teachers feel pressured to "teach the test" rather than trying to give kids a good education.
The suggestions made at the meeting are supposed to be combined with suggestions made around the state to form a picture of what Arkansans think is important for education.
About 30 people participated. There was some disappointment expressed that more people didn't show up, but another meeting (St. Francis County Community Foundation) which included a banquet, was taking place at the same time.
Machen and Bingham were still upbeat.
"You always want as much participation as you can get," said Machen. "We thought going in that we might have two people, we might have 200, you never know. And of course, with the other meeting at the civic center -- and they're feeding people over there -- you're going to get a lot of people over there...And let's face it, this is a work session."
Bingham said she believed the meeting was successful, "First of all, because we did get participation. We have a cross-section. We have parents here, we have the mayor here, we have teachers here, we have retired people, we have ministers. I think we got a cross section of people and that means we got some good diversity."
Lucas said she would have liked to have seen more people from outside Forrest City at the meeting, but said it was still a good meeting.
The Blue Ribbon Commission planned the meetings to get ideas from Arkansans on what the commission should recommend to the Legislature to improve educational opportunities for the state's 450,000 public school students.
A judge last year declared the state's method of funding public schools unfair and inadequate. The state has appealed the ruling to the Arkansas Supreme Court.
Next week, Gov. Mike Huckabee plans to wrap up his visits to all 75 counties promoting his proposals for improving public education. Called ''Next Step,'' the governor's plan focuses on tougher courses and testing for students, tying pay raises for educators to student performance and developing a uniform statewide accounting system to better measure the flow of education dollars to classrooms.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Florida State University Football Coach Bobby Bowden is one of the NCAA's winningest coaches.
At the age of 72, Bowden is beginning his 27th season at Florida State.
On Monday (April 8), Bowden is scheduled to be in Forrest City as the keynote speaker at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes-sponsored "Evening of Influence" rally which will be held inside Mustang Arena.
The rally, the first of its kind in this area, will begin promptly at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available and are $10 each and will be sold at the gate on the night of the rally. Proceeds from the rally will help off-set the upcoming Day Camp" set for June 10-13 at Mustang Arena. The doors to Mustang Arena will open at 6 p.m.
The response to the rally has been almost overwhelming, according to organizers.
"The best guess right now is that somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,500 tickets have been sold already," said Bill Baxter, who is working closely with David Parker, director of development for the North Central, Northeast and East Central Arkansas areas of FCA.
During the past several weeks, Parker, who lives in Batesville, has come close to making Forrest City his second home. He has been doing much of the pre-rally leg work. It has paid off.
"I want the people of Forrest City to know how much FCA appreciates the contributions they have made toward making this event a success," Parker said. "Their enthusiasm about the rally and FCA exceeds my wildest dreams. This event has truly been accepted by the community with open arms."
Speaking at FCA-sponsored events is something Bowden does with regularity. Since Feb. 28, Bowden has taken his message to groups in Georgia, West Virginia, Iowa and Florida, to list just a few.
New Arkansas State University Indian football coach Steve Roberts is also scheduled to speak at the rally and will introduce Bowden.
Roberts' assistant coach David Gunn will share his Christian testimony. Others appearing at the rally will be former Miss Arkansas Sara Harris, Amber Bennett of Carlisle, the reigning Miss Teen Arkansas and HiStrung, a musical group from Bellevue Baptist in Memphis, who will perform from 6:30 p.m. until 7 p.m.
Autographed pictures of Bowden will be on sale for $10 each and following his talk, Bowden will autograph copies of his book, which will also be on sale at the rally for $25 each. A silent auction, that will include many sports memorabilia items, will be held and 10 autographed footballs will be auctioned away at the rally.
Forrest City High School began it's FCA chapter this season with the help of coaches Lewis Etheridge and Sue Jayroe.
"We want to spread the word and news about FCA throughout the nine counties -- St. Francis, Cross, Crittenden, Arkansas, Woodruff, Prairie, Monroe, Lee and Phillips -- making them more aware of the influence of FCA and the impact it has in the local schools," Parker added. "And we feel by having a rally of this type will help generate that enthusiasm."
Frederick H. Freeman, a local businessman, has announced his candidacy for the office of Mayor of Forrest City.
Freeman, who categorizes himself as a community economic development specialist, is married to the former Junette Mills of Forrest City, and they have two children, Frederick "Charles" and Charnette. The Freemans are members of Beth Salem Baptist Church where he serves as Trustee and church treasurer.
Freeman, a 1976 graduate of Forrest City High School, also graduated from North Carolina A&T State University in 1981 with a degree in business management.
Freeman was employed by Entergy for approximately 11 years. There, he held positions as an assistant business manager in Helena and consumer service supervisor, supplier development coordinator and business manager in Little Rock.
He was elected as a delegate to the 1984 and 2000 Democratic National Conventions. He has received numerous awards, including the State of Arkansas 1998 Martin Luther King Community Service Award.
Freeman said he is no stranger to community service. He has numerous positions on several boards and commissions, such as chairman of the St. Francis County Workforce Alliance, president of the Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus, a member of the Arkansas Aviation and Aerospace Commission, Arkansas Community Foundation and the East Arkansas Community College Foundation Board. He currently serves as vice chairman of the St. Francis County Democratic Central Committee and serves on the East Arkansas Workforce Investment Board, Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce, St. Francis County Workforce Alliance board, St. Francis County TEA Coalition, Communities In Schools and Forrest City Crimestoppers. He is newly appointed to the Arkansas Delta Development Commission.
Freeman is currently employed as interim coordinator for the St. Francis County Transportation Mall. He is also president of Freeman Group Inc. and Freeman Resource Inc.
Freeman said his vision is "Looking Beyond Where Forrest City is Today and Securing the Prosperity the City Deserves."
"By working together, we can improve the quality of life for all citizens though numerous collaborative /partnership arrangements with various entities that currently exist in our city and new sources of support that we will recruit to enhance our efforts," Freeman said. "By listening to the citizens and city council and learning from each other, we can leverage our resources to truly make Forrest City the Mecca of the Arkansas Delta. With this type of participation and involvement, the citizens of Forrest City will begin to prosper in all areas.
"I appreciate the opportunities afforded me to work on several successful community economic development projects in the county that have enhanced the quality of life for citizens in Forrest City and surrounding area. I will work hard to bring more positive economic experiences and future leveraging opportunities to all areas of Forrest City," Freeman said.
"I am seeking the support and vote of the citizens of Forrest City in this important endeavor to pursue our new vision and lead our city to prosperity in the 21st Century," he concluded.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
More than 250 Forrest Citians were onhand at the Forrest City Civic Center Thursday as the St. Francis County Community Foundation held its first banquet.
The Foundation is a philanthropic group dedicated to providing grants and other charitable gifts through local efforts, and last night's banquet was a forum for community leaders and citizens to receive information on the efforts made by the foundation during its first year. According to Pat Lile, president of the Arkansas Community Foundation, local foundations are becoming the means for building a community.
"Statewide, there may be only a handful of grant organizations that really have the funding to make a difference in local communities. We're finding that the real way to impact a community is through the local communities efforts to build within themselves. The community foundation gives communities the opportunity to build a charitable agency that doesn't just focus on one area, but works to help the community as a whole.
Lile, of Pine Bluff, has served as president of the ACF since 1996. The ACF is in its 26th year in operation, and currently has close to $30 million in funds provided through endowments and grants.
Also speaking during last night's event was Haley Vaccaro, a student at Forrest City High School. Vaccaro serves on the Arkansas Youth Advisory Council. According to Vaccaro, her year on the board has allowed her the opportunity to experience the inner workings of charitable groups as well as an opportunity to build friendships.