By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Forrest City has been awarded a little more than half the funding the city was seeking to make improvements to South Side Pool.
Mayor Larry Bryant recently received a letter from the office of Gov. Mike Huckabee, informing him that the money had been granted. The letter stated that the Department of Parks and Tourism's Outdoor Recreation Grants advisory Committee had recommended that the city's grant be funded.
The city will receive $150,000. The request had been for $250,000. Bryant said that while not all the improvements that have been envisioned at the pool can be made, there was still a lot that can be done with the money that is coming.
"We'll probably be able to do about three-fourths of it," he said. "We should be able to renovate the swimming pool and make some changes there, and probably have the kiddie sprinkler system. We won't be able to do some fencing and other things."
He said the city would reapply next year, hoping to get funding for the remainder of the work.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program is seeking information on schools built for rural African Americans in St. Francis County during the early part of the 20th Century.
The general name of the schools was Rosenwald Schools. According to the AHPP, 338 such schools were built, a number of them in St. Francis County.
The schools were built through the philanthropy of Julius Rosenwald, CEO of Sears, Roebuck and Co., and a high school dropout. He became interested in Booker T. Washington's efforts to improve the education of rural African Americans. In 1913, Rosenwald teamed with Washington's Tuskegee Institute to design and construct schools in 15 Southern and Southwestern states.
According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, many of the schools built through the Rosenwald Fund were closed after school systems were integrated, with many being demolished or simply abandoned. Most of the surviving schools are now 75 to 80 years old and in poor condition. In 2002, the National Trust named Rosenwald Schools as being among "America's Most Endangered Historic Places."
According to AHPP Director Ken Grunewald, "We are seeking information on the Rosenwald Schools that were built in St. Francis County. We are trying to account for all of them, even those that are no longer standing."
According to a press release, the Rosenwald Schools in St. Francis County were as follows:
*Bolden, Darrow and Madison, built between 1917 and 1920.
*Cross Roads, Hawkins and Madison Teacher's Home, built in 1920-21.
*Ashworth, DeRossitt and Round Pond, built in 1921-22.
*Caldwell, Heth, St. John, Stump City and Wolfe, built in 1922-23.
*Browns, Davis, Lincoln High School, McNeil and Shell Lake, built in 1923-24.
*District 15 and Shiloh, built in 1924-25.
*Hughes and Scott Bond, built in 1925-26.
*Lincoln and Wheatley, built in 1926-27.
Anyone with information on any of these schools is asked to contact the AHPP at 1500 Tower Building, 323 Center Street, Little Rock, AR 72201.
San Antonio officials are expressing confidence that Toyota Motor Corp. will choose their city for a large vehicle manufacturing plant.
San Antonio is a finalist for the $750 million plant, along with a site near Marion.
According to a story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, an unnamed San Antonio official said, "It's my understanding that high-level Toyota officials are coming to San Antonio the week of Feb. 10."
The same official was also quoted as saying that the official decision will be made within two weeks.
Toyota has not confirmed that it will build another plant, or where that plant will be.
Gov. Mike Huckabee announced in November that he would go to Tokyo, but the trip never happened. Toyota officials did come to Arkansas in December.
The story also reported that Andy Mayberry, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Economic Development and Kay Brockwell, director of economic development in Marion, said they did not know of a meeting in San Antonio.
Another unnamed source in Arkansas, according to the story indicated that the situation appears gloomy for the state to land the plant.
Toyota President Fujio Cho will be among the executives visiting San Antonio, according to the report. In August, it was Cho who announced that the firm may build another North American plant.
Daniel Sieger, a Toyota spokesman, was quoted as saying, "There is nothing we can announce at this point," concerning a decision by the company.
However, San Antonio officials said in the article that they were not getting overconfident. They recalled the effort last year to bring the 2007 Pan American Games to San Antonio.
"When (San Antonio officials) went to the selection meeting, there was positive anticipation that we'd get the games," T.J. Liljenwall, a director of the recently organized Bexar County Rural Rail Transportation District, was quoted as saying. "We thought we had it in the bag, in our hip pocket. But at the last minute, Brazil was picked...I've learned it's never final until the check's in the bank and it's cleared."
A Caldwell man is the fifth suspect arrested on charges stemming from a drug raid last weekend on a residence in the Newcastle community.
Larry E. Henley Jr., 35, of Caldwell, was arrested Thursday on charges of manufacturing a controlled substance, meth; possession of a controlled substance, meth; possession of ephedrine with intent to manufacture meth and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He is scheduled to appear in St. Francis County District Court Monday afternoon.
The Forrest City City Council is scheduled to hear from several residents regarding a regional airport during its regular meeting Tuesday at city hall. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.
Councilmen are also expected to open bids for six self-contained breathing apparatuses for the fire department, and will hear second reading of an ordinance to accept a land donation near Ophelia Street.
Under new business, Kevin Thomas, owner of Jackson Used Cars at 204 Deaderick Road, will request the council approve a variance for a landscape buffer.
The St. Francis County Literacy Council's Chili Day was successful. So successful, in fact, that the group ran out of chili during the lunch period before everyone who had a ticket could be served.
Literacy Council Chairman Craig Jones said those people who did not receive a meal may use their unused tickets to get a full refund.
"You can bring your ticket to Ann Harbin at the SFC Courthouse or call Ann at 261-1706 if you have any questions," said Jones. "We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused, and we are very appreciative of all of the support we received from the community for our fundraiser."