By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Members of the Forrest City Advertising and Promotions Commission on Tuesday attempted to clarify whether or not city council members who serve on the commission should be allowed to vote.
At the January meeting, there was some confusion over whether Chris Oswalt, who had been replaced on the city council by Steve Hollowell, would be the only A&P Commissioner to be replaced, or if Louise Fields, also a new council member, would replace A&P Commissioner Cecil Twillie. The confusion followed Mayor Larry Bryant's committee assignments which placed Hollowell and Twillie on the commission.
The group also questioned if city council appointed members had the authority to vote on commission matters. Fields said she did not believe they had the authority to vote. However, A&P Chairman Kem Merrill reminded commissioners that both Twillie and Oswalt had always voted on commission matters.
Merrill said he had spoken with city officials about the matter. "After our meeting last month, the issue was discussed by the city council," said Merrill. "The official word is that Cecil will remain on the commission, and Steve Hollowell will replace Chris. They will both serve as voting members."
Next on the agenda, attorney Brad Beavers presented an update on a museum grant.
"I have good news and neutral news," began Beavers. "The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department has approved the contract. But, now we have a hold up on the federal level.
"At the beginning of each calendar year, the United States Congress reappropriates funds. They have told us that as far as they know, there is no problem, and that the money is still there. We have to wait until Congress approves the reappropriations, but as soon as they do that, we can move ahead."
The commission also discussed the Mightymite Triathlon and its director, Wyndell Robertson.
"We have started to receive applications for the 2003 Mightymite already," said Merrill. "I am very happy with that, but we've heard from some of the groups that helped volunteer in 2002, and they have not received the $50 that he pledged to pay them for their help. I've also heard that the county sheriff's office has still not received the T-shirts for their help at the event.
"I feel that if we want these people to help with this year's event, we need to clear up these stiuations," added Merrill. The council agreed to ask Robertson to attend the March meeting.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Caldwell City Council heard Tuesday night that efforts are under way to find a new city attorney, to replace Knox Kinney, who died last year.
"I am looking for a city attorney," said Mayor Gary Hughes, adding that he believes he can find one fairly quickly. "I've talked with a couple, and I've talked to a couple other small towns in this area. And, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. These attorneys are willing to work with small towns."
Also, at the beginning of the meeting, the aldermen and city clerk were sworn in, because Caldwell did not have a January meeting.
It's time once more to don your swim suit -- or wet suit as the case may be -- and take the plunge to benefit Special Olympics Arkansas.
The fourth annual Polar Bear Plunge will take place this Saturday, Feb. 15.
The event will be at the Lake Dunn swim area, with registration at 12 noon and the Plunge at 1 p.m.
All proceeds will go to Special Olympics Arkansas.
To participate, one needs to secure pledges. A minimum pledge of $30 gives a participant the right to plunge, a commemorative T-shirt, a ticket for a drawing and admission to the Post Plunge Party immediately after the game. Participants can also form teams of up to six plungers (at a $30 minimum per member).
A pledge of $150 gets a participant -- besides the things already mentioned -- an embroidered beach towel and two more drawing tickets. A $250 plunge will also receive an "I Survived" wind jacket and a total of five drawing tickets.
A $500 minimum pledge will net the participant a fleece vest to go with the other prizes, plus a total of seven drawing tickets.
The Post Plunge Party will be held at Cabin #8 at Village Creek, catered by Oscar's.
For more information, contact Anita Vandiver at 870-633-6887.
Special Olympics Arkansas was incorporated as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization in 1974. Its mission is to provide year round sports training and Olympic-type competition for citizens with mental retardation in Arkansas. Currently, more than 13,000 athletes participate in training and compete in a year round program of 18 different sports.
The athletes are trained and compete in aquatics, track and field, gymnastics, soccer, basketball, tennis, golf, powerlifting and other sports at the local, regional, state and international levels.
A statement in a Special Olympics brochure reads, "Our goal is to bring people with mental disabilities into the mainstream of society in Arkansas under conditions where they are accepted, respected and given the opportunity to become positive citizens."
Sales tax receipts for December have been published by City and Town, the official publication of the Arkansas Municipal League.
On the county sales tax, St. Francis County government received $122,757.82. Towns within the county also received the following: Hughes, $24,330.02; Forrest City, $192,529.10; Wheatley, $4,847.76; Palestine, $9,656.42; Madison, $12,862.20; Caldwell, $6,059.70; Colt, $4,795.64 and Widener, $4,365.61.
Towns in St. Francis County with their own sales taxes also collected the following: Forrest City, $145,814.80; Hughes, $7,714.06; Madison, $1,836.43; Palestine, $5,748.97 and Wheatley, $3,085.52.
The search for a new insurance carrier for city employees in Palestine continued Tuesday night despite the situation being seemingly resolved at last month's council meeting.
Mayor Willetta Carroll told the members that Metropolitan Life representative Jeff Cagle, who presented a plan in January to the council, had contacted her with a problem.
"Mr. Cagle called and said that the proposal that he drew up for the city could not be passed," said Carroll. "Now, we need to start looking again for a new company."
Councilmen agreed to table the issue.
Council member Carolyn Burdett told the council of a contact that she had made for possible fundraisers in the future.
"I recently spoke to Jimmy Jameson of Northwestern University," said Burdett. "He holds charity basketball games all over the country, and said that he is willing to come here. I was thinking that maybe we could raise money for the police and fire departments. He is also a former wrestler and said that maybe he can get a charity wrestling show together for us."
No action was taken on the matter.