By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The Forrest City Civic Center was alive Sunday night with gospel singing and a Democratic call to get out and vote as former President Bill Clinton highlighted a group of candidates that kept the crowd of close to 1,000 buzzing.
The packed house waited for close to an hour for the first speaker, but that just gave the Democratic supporters time to get charged up, listening to soloists and a choir from an area church.
According to Democratic Central Committee chairperson, Bettye Proctor, Clinton was pleased with both the crowd and the enthusiasm shown by the Delta contingent.
"The president just loved everything tonight. We had the delay, and everybody thought it was because of him, but he was actually backstage for the whole show. He told me that he just loved Forrest City, and he was glad to be back in St. Francis County because we have always supported him," Procter said.
During his speech, Clinton, in his ninth state in five days on the campaign trail to support Democrats, commented on a meeting held in Forrest City over 20 years ago
"There was that fateful night 20 years ago at Crumbley's barbecue joint in Forrest City when African-Americans in the Delta decided to support me, even though I was the designated loser. It changed my whole life, so I'm very grateful to be here. I tried to organize it so that I could be here on this day, because it's 10 years to the day when I was elected to my first term as President of the United States. If Eastern Arkansas hadn't stuck with me during that campaign in 1982 when there was no historical reason to do it then I wouldn't be standing up here today. If a lot of the people in this room, 20 years ago, hadn't decided to defy the historical odds and go upon their consciences and their hearts, then I wouldn't be standing up here, and I would never have been governor again, much less President," Clinton said.
Clinton was part of a contingent which was primarily campaigning for gubernatorial candidate Jimmie Lou Fisher. Fisher, in a tight race against incumbent Mike Huckabee, captivated the crowd as she discussed Huckabee's record as governor. Following the rally, Fisher commented briefly on the last few days of the campaign before Tuesday's general election.
"The next two days are going to be a very important time for the people of Arkansas because the decisions that they make are going to be important to the people of this state for the next 20 years. Because the decisions they make for the chief executive officer for our state will effect the young people that we see in this audience tonight, the very future of our state depends upon who will be at the helm. If Mike Huckabee was the CEO of any corporation he would be fired for the job he's done, and that's what I want us to do on Nov. 5. The next two days are about casting a very important ballot, and remember that one vote can make a difference." Fisher said.
Academy Award winning actress Mary Steenburgen was also at Sunday night's event, supporting the Democratic ticket.
"I'm happy to be back in Arkansas and to be working to get a woman like Jimmie Lou Fisher into office. I'm just a girl who was born in Newport and grew up in North Little Rock. I just think that the group of people that we're looking at are a group of people that really work. Jimmie Lou has been working hard for the people of Arkansas for most of my voting life, and I want to see that work continue. Unlike some of the celebrities that the other party is bringing in, I have ties to this state because this is my home. They won't be back here next month or the month after that, but I will because I have a definite interest in what happens here," Steenburgen said.
Polls open in the general election Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Early voting will close this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in the St. Francis County Clerk's office.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Voters in St. Francis County will decide the makeup of several city governments when they go to the polls Tuesday.
They will also vote on three proposed amendments to the Arkansas Constitution and one initiated act. There will also be elections for governor and state constitutional offices, the U.S. Senate and a U.S. Congressman.
Polling locations will open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. There are items for voters to mark on both sides of the ballot.
In Forrest City, the following candidates will compete: Mayor, Chris Oswalt, Bill Baxter, Larry Bryant, Frederick Freeman and Carroll Bishop.
Forrest City alderman races are as follows:Ward 1, Position 1, Henry Peacock and Roy Hancock; Ward 2, Position 2, Louise Fields and Glenn Ford; Ward 3, Position 1, Steve Hollowell and Danny Capps; Ward 3, Position 2, A.L. Harris and Brent Ponder; Ward 4, Position 1, Frank Shaw III and Roger Breeding.
In Hughes, the mayors race will be between Donnie Mooney, Greg Gardner and Edward Watt.
Hughes Aldermen races will be as follows: Ward 1, Position 1, Malcolm Curne and Joe Cox; Ward 1, Position 2, Rudolph Robinson and Thomas Meurrier; Ward 2, Position 2 , Jesse White and Robert Joshaway; Ward 3, Position 2, At Large -- Ray Robinson, Edward Gardner and Jon Tate.
In Madison, several alderman positions will be contested: Ward 1, Position 1, Oscar Brown and Sandra Smith; Ward 2, Position 1, Christal Taylor and Thomas Davis Sr.; Ward 3, Position 1, Gail Patsy Graham and Annie Winfrey; Ward 3, Position 2, Janice Whitaker and Steve McDaniel.
In Palestine, Henry Kimble and Wiletta Carroll are running for mayor.
In the only Palestine alderman race, Rickey Plunket and Danny Parson are running for Ward 1, Position 1.
In Wheatley, mayoral candidates are Larry Nash and Timothy Sparks.
Wheatley alderman races are as follows: Position 1, Billy Darby and Robbie Horton; Position 2, Rodney Hicks and Enola Kersey; Position 4, David Lee and Ethel Watson; Alderman, Position 4, Woodrow Harris and Ellis Coleman.
Widener will see a mayor's race between Larry White and Dot Halford. There will also be a contested city clerk's race, between Lillian Williams and Terry Billingsley.
There are two challenged races for Widener alderman, including: Carl Winters and George Danner for Position 1, and Versie Pitts and Edward Busby for Position 4.
Voters will also decide the following races:
U.S. Senate, between Senator Tim Hutchenson and Attorney General Mark Pryor;
U.S. Congress, District 1, between Tommy F. Robinson and Congressman Marion Berry; the governor's race pits Jimmy Lou Fisher against Gov. Mike Huckabee; Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller and Ron Sheffield are running for Lt. Governor; State Land Commissioner Charlie Daniels and Janet Huckabee are running for Secretary of State; the race for State Treasurer includes Auditor Gus Wingfield and Randy Bynum; the Auditor of State will be either Representative Jim Wood or Mary Jane Rebick. In the race for Commissioner of State Lands, candidates are Dennis D. Wohlford and Mark Wilcox.
There are three proposed constitutional amendments, and one proposed initiated act.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment 1 would repeal the provision in the Arkansas Constitution for the numbering and recording of election ballots next to the name of the voter. Proposed Constitutional Amendment 2 is a state executive department amendment. Proposed Contitutional Amendment 3, if passed, will remove sales tax from food and over-the-counter medicine. Proposed Initiated Act 1 is the Arkansas Animal Cruelty Act.
The Times-Herald begins its 132nd year of continuous publication today.
The oldest established business in St. Francis County, the Times-Herald has been owned by the McCollum family for 59 years. The Times-Herald is printed Monday through Friday at its plant located on Izard Street in downtown Forrest City.
This year, the Times-Herald advertising and newsroom staffs received several first-place awards in the Arkansas Press Association's Better Newspaper contest and the Arkansas Press Managing Editor's contest. The news staff tied as Sweepstakes winner in the APME competition.
Also this year, the Times-Herald received its fourth consecutive citation from the Associated Press for its contributions to the AP news report.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Several area dignitaries, including Forrest City Mayor Larry Bryant, attended the 25th annual NAACP Lytha J. Wilburn Freedom Fund Banquet on Friday at the Salem M. B. Church Family Life Center.
Bryant, while greeting the crowd, recalled a perception of Forrest City that he said has changed.
"Forrest City has come a long way from the past," said Bryant. "I can remember that in Little Rock all they could talk about was how racist this city was. We have come a long way since then, but we still have some way to go. Forrest City and the NAACP will always work together."
The keynote speaker was Dr. C. Calvin Smith, a retired professor at Arkansas State University and a Marianna native.
According to an information packet, Smith is a former teacher and football coach at Strong High School in Marianna. Smith was the first African-American faculty member and first black professor at ASU. He also established the first black fraternity at ASU, the Alpha Zeta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi.
Smith spoke about the history of St. Francis County in regard to racial unity.
"In 1880, there was a group of white farmers called the Agricultural Wheel in St. Francis County that challenged the two parties," stated Smith. "These white farmers encouraged the blacks to join with them in voting and running for office. Some of them won some positions. This alliance between poor whites and blacks scared the two parties and they passed laws to eliminate black voting until the 1960's."
Smith also dispelled what he said is a common misconception about the NAACP.
"The NAACP has never been an all black organization, it has always been interracial. Without some people from other races, we wouldn't be where we are today," Smith said.
The evening ended with the presentation to the family of Odessa Bradley of the 2002 Civil Rights Award by Dale Charles, state president of the NAACP, and four lifetime memberships to Charlene Sikes, Frank Shaw Jr., Frank Shaw and Odessa Bradley.