By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
A representative of a company hired to direct this year's Mightymite answered questions regarding the lack of promotion for the event during Tuesday afternoon's Forrest City Advertising and Promotions Commission meeting.
Wyndell Robertson, President of May Memphis, Inc., faced a series of questions from commissioners about the lack of work his company has done on this year's event. The 19th annual Mightymite is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 20. The race begins at Village Creek State Park and ends at the Forrest City High School campus.
"I'm concerned that in most years at this time we have 50 to 60 percent of the runners and volunteers in place for the race, and this year we have no one signed up," said Commission Chairman Kem Merrell.
"The lack of applicants is due to no applications having been mailed yet," Robertson responded, and explained, "We have been over committed with the Memphis in May race, and we haven't had time for the Mightymite until now. This (the applications) should have been done Dec. 15 last year. It's our fault.
"We are going to be mailing applications to local runners from past years and runners in Memphis." Robertson stated. "Also, we are going to mail 5,000 to 7,000 applications out-of-state, focusing on Texas and Louisiana, to people who have participated in races sponsored by my company and those who are listed on national registries for this type of event.
"We are also getting in touch with local media to promote the event, and I plan on hiring a public relations person for this event," Robertson added. "We will have the website up and running on Friday so volunteers and runners can apply online. With our mailings and our online applicants, I hope to have 400 runners commit."
When asked by Merrell how that many runners would be at the event on a single month's notice, Robertson said, "Most runners in this area will already be training for other events this summer, so if we get the word out, they will come."
Volunteers, however, are a different story, Robertson admitted.
"I'm not too concerned about the lack of applicants, but I'm very concerned about the lack of volunteers," Robertson added. "We need at least 50 volunteers to pull this off, but ideally we would like 200 or 300. If we can't find enough volunteers from Forrest City, we can find them in Memphis, but local people are best."
Robertson said he also has a plan to get local organizations involved by donating their time and efforts to the race.
"For any organization, such as Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, which sends five people to help with the race, my company will donate $50 to their organization. If they send 10, we will give $100 to that organization," Robertson said. "We need volunteers, so if you have volunteered before or would like to, please let us know."
Robertson agreed to a request by commissioners that he report to them every week until the July meeting so that he can provide them with a schedule of his meetings in Forrest City.
Merrell added, "If this (the race) doesn't go through, I'm looking at you and your company directly."
"If it doesn't, my company will be ruined," Robertson added.
The commission has not yet paid Robertson for his services.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Members of the St. Francis County Quorum Court last night began the process of hammering out a budget for the months of July and August, continuing a two-month budgeting process the county has implemented for 2002.
According to St. Francis County Treasurer Ann Harbin, justices are going to have to calculate revenue figures from July and August revenues of 2001 to accurately budget for the next two months. According to figures provided by Harbin, in July 2001, revenues were $231,552.45 and in August, revenues were $218,307.29, giving justices $449,859.74 to work with over the next two months.
"Again, this is going to be tight for everyone, but these are the figures that we have to work with. I know that there are some who would like to project revenues that we might get, but we can only work with the revenues that we received at this time last year. If we over project and then don't receive those anticipated funds, then we're really going to be in trouble. Right now, we've been working with these types of budgets all year, and the elected officials will be able to continue working with them," Harbin said.
County general stood at $220,349.11 as of June 1. According to Harbin, county general stands at close to $202,000 today.
In other business, St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco told committee members that damages done to county roads during the winter and spring were necessitating a change in the tax formula from the 50/50 split that justices changed earlier this year, back to a 60/40 split. According to Cisco, the need for the change is based on a need to rebuild reserves in the road department.
"As you all know, the rains this year have really hit many of the county roads hard. We've been taking care of them, and it's now getting expensive. We changed the formula back in January when there was no way of knowing that we would have this type of damage, and our reserves are starting to feel the pressure," Cisco said.
Committee chairman O.J. Gandy Jr. told Cisco to put the request in the form of an ordinance and to approach the full court with it next week.
Another proposal that justices may see next week would close the Courthouse on July 5 and keep the doors open on Columbus Day in October. According to Justice Earline Smith, she has received several telephone calls regarding the possibility of exchanging July 5, which falls on a Friday, for the Columbus Day holiday. In March, justices voted to give county employees a holiday schedule that called for them to work on the fifth, striking that date from the holiday calendar.
Justice Evans Seawood, who was against giving the employees July 5, again voiced his opposition last night.
"I voted against it before, and I'm going to vote against it this time and any other time it comes before this court. I don't see why the employees need that day off. There are some employees up here at this courthouse who will always want something else. There are those who won't be happy until we climb up to the top of the courthouse and give them the steeple, and I for one won't be climbing up there to get it for them," Seawood said.
Fewer than 3 percent of the registered voters in St. Francis County turned out in Tuesday's Democratic Primary Runoff.
In the only local runoff, for constable of Madison Township, Billy Gene Ray won over Robert Smith by a vote of 242 to 120.
In the only state-wide runoff, St. Francis County went with Mark Wilcox over George R. French for Commissioner of State Lands.
County Clerk Elizabeth Smith said the state race did not generate a lot of local interest, and the constable race had no interest outside of Madison Township.
"I expected maybe 1,000 people to vote," she said. Instead, the total number of voters was 477. "About 3 percent voted. Actually, a little less than 3 percent."
Voting boxes were consolidated in anticipation of a low turnout.
Village Creek State Park will offer three programs for children this summer to teach them about history and the world around them.
The programs that will be offered are on the topics of pioneers, Native Americans and the natural world, according to a press release from Vicki Trimble, Village Creek State Park Interpreter.
The camps will be three-day events and will consist of educational programs, crafts, games, storytelling and horseback riding among other activities. The camps will be held June 26-28, July 24-26 for ages 10 to 12 and July 10-12 for ages 7 to 9. Parents may take their children to the Visitor Center at 8 a.m. and pick them up at 4 p.m. each day of the program.
A fee of $65 for one three-day event includes all meals, snacks, instructors, materials and use of equipment. Pre-registration must be done by the Friday before each camp is scheduled to begin. For more information, call Village Creek State Park at 870-238-9406.