By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A demolition project at the Turner Circle Housing Complex received a boost Thursday, after Forrest City Housing Authority director Janet Duncan announced a $450,000 grant for the development.
According to Duncan, the Authority received the Hope 6 Grant to help with only the demolition of the complex.
"We've got funds for remodeling the buildings, and we really needed to get the funding for demolition. This grant will complete the funding we needed for the demolition phase in the construction," Duncan said.
A second resolution from the Housing Authority Board was needed and approved by the board to accept this grant and specify the use of funds for demolition only. Duncan told the group that there is a five-year period in which the funding must be spent.
"When we applied for the funding, the deadline for spending the funds was three years, but when we received it, the deadline was September of 2008. It's nice that we've got that much time, but it won't take us that long to use the financing," Duncan said.
According to Duncan, the work at the complex has been accepted well by residents of Turner Circle.
"Before we began this work, we had a steady turnover in residents at Turner Circle, but that has really changed since we began work on the first unit. Over the past three months, we have not had anyone move out, and they are actually looking forward to the new units. The new apartments will be larger, instead of having 100 families, there will only be 50 in the complex, and you won't have anyone living above you. They see all of those things as a plus. Everything in the new units will be brand new, and the fact is, the complex will really be a new complex," Duncan told board members.
The demolition and remodeling in Turner Circle began earlier this year and will be done in phases according to Duncan. One unit in the complex has already had the upper level removed and the roof replaced.
The next meeting of the FCHA board is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 25, at 5:30 p.m.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Palestine residents took part in an unofficial scientific poll last night to gauge where Americans stand on the war against terror, the war in Iraq and the events of 9-11.
A news crew from New York City stopped in the city Thursday evening to visit with residents.
The Chat the Planet project, a documentary that will air on the World Link Network (available on satellite), is an attempt by the NYC television crew to record how Americans from large cities to small, rural communities feel about these national and international topics by showing footage taken by the crew in New York, Afghanistan and Iraq.
"The members of our small crew live in NYC and wanted to know how people in the country feel about these issues," said Kate Hillis, an editor for the project. "We want to find out about how 9-11 has affected people outside of New York; have they become more activists for or against the war on terror, how do they feel about the war in Iraq? These are some of the questions that we are asking.
"We have done similar interviews in Afghanistan and in Iraq to gauge their reactions. We want an overall picture of how the issues have affected the lives of those involved," added Hillis.
She then talked about how cities were selected for the project. "We are picking cities at random for the project. The crew looks at the map and just kind of points and says 'That's our next stop.' We gave Mayor (Willetta) Carroll a call and asked if Palestine would like to participate in the project. She said that we were in for a real treat when we came here, and she was right. The people here are very nice and have been very helpful.
"We will end our trip on Sept. 11 of this year at Ground Zero in New York and will complete our interviews there. We hope to air the program in October on our network," Hillis said.
Carroll stated that she felt the Palestine stop was a good step for the project. "I thought the whole thing went well. Earlier in the day Jon Alpert (director of the project) went into the fields and got some comments from farmers. He even rode a tractor. I feel the turn out was good here, and I'm glad that the people got to express how they felt on national television."
The Education Committee of the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce recently completed its part of a city-wide effort to be included in the Arkansas Community of Excellence program.
The city's application will be made to the Arkansas Department of Economic Development.
The Education committee is the second out of 10 Forrest City ACE groups to submit a completed component.
The Education component includes an educational institution inventory, accreditation documentation, a needs analysis, plans for community and career education programs, public and private partnerships, and a strategic action plan.
The Arkansas Community of Excellence (ACE) process was initiated in Forrest City on Jan. 23 at a special community forum held at the Civic Center. The community was invited to share their thoughts on the city's strengths and weaknesses.
The community forum also gave attendees the opportunity to vote on what ACE components they valued as most important to Forrest City's future success. Healthcare was one of the components voted in as a priority. Following the forum, committees were set up to begin developing plans for each component.
Requirements for ACE certification are a letter of commitment by the mayor, a three-year strategic plan of action for each component, a marketing plan and annual documentation and project updates.
The ACE program is the cornerstone of the state's economic development partnerships with local communities. It is used by communities in self-analysis, organization and goal setting. The program aims to help communities of all sizes prepare for economic growth and community development in order to improve the area's overall quality of life.
Anyone wanting more information may call City Hall at 633-1315
or Tiffany Billingsley at 261-0408.
Due to the Labor Day Holiday, the garbage schedule for both St. Francis County and Forrest City residents will be adjusted for next week.
According to officials with King Disposal, the garbage contractor for both Forrest City and St. Francis County, county residents whose garbage is normally collected on Monday will need to put their carts out on Tuesday. The company will collect the trash for both Monday's customers and Tuesday's customers on Tuesday. The Wednesday through Friday schedule is expected to be run on the normal days.
In Forrest City, collections will run one day later than normal with Friday being used as a make-up date.
In addition to the change in garbage schedules, most government offices, including Forrest City City Hall and the St. Francis County Courthouse, will be closed on Monday.
Also banks and schools, including East Arkansas Community College and Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute, will be closed.
The St. Francis County Ruritan Club and Forrest City Community Voices, Inc. will present the annual Labor Day weekend Youth Fishing Rodeo on Saturday, Aug. 30, at the Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City south pond.
The event is for children ages five to 15 and the registration will be that morning from 7:30 to 8 a.m. The actual rodeo will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. The weigh-in and prizes will be held from 10 to 10:30 a.m.
The Forrest City Police Department has identified a Texas woman who shot herself Thursday morning on the parking lot of a local convenience store.
FCPD Criminal Investigation Division Lt. Dwight Duch said Cindy Schnack, 45, of Mansfield, Texas, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest about 8 a.m. at the Phillips 66 station at 100 Holiday Drive in Forrest City.
According to Duch, Schnack was traveling to Pittsburgh, Pa., to visit friends when she called a family member about 6:30 a.m. to say she had decided to turn around and return to Texas.