By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Olympic legend Bob Mathias this morning encouraged young people to try new things. He also spoke on patriotism, during the annual Veterans Day Program held in Mustang Arena on the Forrest City High School campus.
He told the story about how he was intrigued when his high school track coach suggested he try something new, called the decathlon. He went on to win two gold medals in the event, setting a world record with his second win.
Mathias said standing on the platform and hearing the National Anthem play was something he will never forget.
There were a lot of students in the audience, and Mathias addressed them.
"If your teacher, your coach or your parents come up to you and say, 'we have something new, something we want you to try,' my advice is, give it a try. Because you never know where it might lead you," he said.
On the patriotic side, Mathias, who is also a veteran of the Marine Corps, said he has taken several trips abroad for the state department.
"In traveling to these places, I saw how people live in just about every country in the world," he said. "And all it proved to me was, I was very happy to be born and raised here in America."
He also said the Olympic spirit and politics do not belong together.
"On one of the trips I went to Iraq. On these trips I would meet with the local schools. And in the case of Iraq, I met with the military and I demonstrated various track and field events. And the people I met in Iraq were great people -- the athletes. I think athletes throughout the world have something in common, and that's the spirit of competition. One regret I have is that sometimes countries get involved politically in the Olympic games. I think that's absolutely wrong. I think the games should go on regardless of what the political convictions of Russia or the United States are. It's the only forum I know of where people from around the world can come together and become friends. It's the only place in the world where you can do that. So I hope it goes on and on."
At the same time, he said the war on terrorism must be fought and won.
"We are in a war, a war against terror," he said. "Many of our young men and women will not be coming home. Many will come home, and they'll all become veterans. I think all these people who go are patriotic. It's a terrible war, but I certainly support it. Having terrorists in the world is not right. It's not good.
"I can imagine what could happen five or 10 years from now or 50 years from now if we don't stop it. The world will be in chaos. So I think the United States is doing the right thing in doing everything it can to stop terrorism, as are lot of other countries, too."
Mathias, who is related to several local people, received a standing ovation.
Four men were added to the Wall Of Honor at the arena. They are Winston Brown, Charles McGowan, Woodie Waldrep and Robert Smalley. Robert Smalley's wife, Dorine, accepted his award posthumously.
Several diplomas were also awarded to Forrest City veterans. These included (an asterisk denotes the diploma was received postumously): *Clifford T.Cobb, Sr., *Isaac Wamble, *Jimmie Lee Wamble, Andrew Wamble, *Herman Lee Smith, Burl H. Downey, Newell Grady Smith, *Moses Dawson Sr., Clyde McKinney and Joe Hill.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The East Arkansas Regional Airport Commission discussed a preliminary report, called a forecast, on the feasibility study being made to determine whether a regional airport is needed between Forrest City and Wynne.
The commission also discussed the possible removal of a commission member who has not attended any meetings.
Mike Stengel of Garver Engineers presented the report. He said the preliminary work combined the planes based at both the Forrest City and Wynne airports, and then predicted how many that would grow to. One example he gave was that it is estimated that by the year 2023, there will be 35 aircraft based at the airports.
It is also estimated in the report that if a regional airport were opened today, it would experience some 20,000 operations a year.
According to Stengel, the preliminary report is to be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration. If the report is accepted, the feasibility study will go from there.
Most of the discussion centered on the wording of a sentence in the report's introduction. The sentence states that the purpose of the study is to determine the feasibility of a regional airport to "replace" the airports at Forrest City and Wynne.
Commission members Bill Hays and Shirley Harvell objected to the wording.
"It would be more appropriate to put a period after 'airport,'" said Hays.
Commission Chairman Dr. John Kerr said he thought it has been understood since the beginning that if a regional airport is built, the two municipal airports would be closed.
Dr. Robert Cole said he understood that, "But the goal is not set out to replace the airports."
"I disagree," said Kerr. "It goes back to square one, when we first did our resolution, that the idea behind this whole...concept is to replace the existing airports with one major, regional airport to serve both communities...We wouldn't be having this dialogue if we weren't thinking about replacing the two airports."
Hays and Harvell continued to say they thought the wording was troubling. A motion was made to change the wording.
The motion failed on a 4-4 tie, with Hays, Harvell, Joe Williams and Cole voting yes. Voting no were Kerr, Gene Boeckmann, Al Ashcraft and Shannon Hobbs.
Stengel said he had no time frame on how long it would take the FAA to review the report.
"Once the forecast is accepted by the FAA, the next thing we will do is to determine the preliminary facility requirements," he said.
Hays asked Stengel if his company had ever recommended against building an airport.
Stengel answered, "It's not our place to recommend or not recommend. It's the FAA that's going to recommend whether or not you build a regional airport. All we're doing is feeding them facts...From a professional point, we want you to build. It's good for us and it's good for you. But we can't make an airport happen. All we can do is feed the FAA facts."
On another matter, Harvell commented on the absence of commission member Phil Hickey. Hicky was appointed to replace Buzz Haven. According to the discussion, there have been two meetings since Hicky was appointed, and he hasn't been to either of them. According to the bylaws, three consecutive absences warrant, at least, a consideration of removing the person from the commission.
The board voted unanimously to consider such action. Kerr said he would try to contact Hicky personally in the meantime.
During the discussion, Hobbs had asked if Harvell could make a motion to remove a commission member, when she in fact had not signed the by-laws. Harvell answered that she had a state attorney general's opinion which said she could.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
A 3 percent across-the-board pay raise for all employees in the Forrest City School District was approved by the district's board Monday night, despite two proposals from teachers asking for more.
Superintendent Lee Vent recommended in October that the board consider the 3 percent increase to the base pay for all district personnel. However, after reviewing Vent's proposal, the district's personnel policy committee last night recommended the board consider alternate proposals of 5 percent and 7.5 percent increases to the base pay.
"We had projected a 3 percent increase in the budget, and that's all I am in the position to recommend to the board," Vent said. "The increase will actually be 3.62 percent after you figure in the fringe benefits.
"Over the past eight years, the board has always given increases around this time of year. Sometimes they're greater, sometimes lesser. While you may not agree, I think the 3 percent increase at this time is very liberal," Vent said.
The board unanimously approved Vent's recommendation.
In other business, the board approved resolutions presented by Jack Truemper with Stephens Inc., regarding the sale of bonds. The district's debt service mills are being restructured in order to bring the district into compliance with Amendment 74 which requires all districts to have 25 mills dedicated to maintenance and operation.
Architect Dave Hodges and Gary Kennedy of Kenco Construction told board members the junior high school project stands at 98 percent complete. The remaining work is being done in the auditorium, the band hall and the choral room.
"There's still some outside work left, and we're dressing things up. We're going to be around until about the middle of December," Kennedy said. "The use of the facilities is about two weeks out."
Before adjourning, board members approved two resolutions that will allow for a temporary replacement to be named for board member Gordon McCoy. McCoy has been deployed with the National Guard to Ft. Hood. The position is expected to be filled at the December board meeting. McCoy will resume his duties when he returns, if it is before his term expires.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Raises for county employees were the hot topic Monday night as members of the county's personnel committee began talks to determine how large and what type of raises would best benefit the employees of St. Francis County.
Committee chairperson Earline Smith gave committee member choices between an across-the-board pay raise or raises based on a percentage. According to Smith, the across-the-board raises would be the fairest way to give pay increases due to disparities among salaries of employees.
"When deciding on this, we need to determine whether the across-the-board raise is better than the percentage raise. If we use the percentage formula, then if you have an employee making $40,000 per year and an employee making $20,000 per year, then the employee with the higher salary is actually going to be getting a much higher raise than the employee with the lower salary, and that doesn't really seem fair," Smith said.
Justice Sam Armstrong suggested allowing the budget committee to fund an amount that could be allocated to pay raises and then use the percentage formula to increase employee pay.
"If you've got that man making $40,000, then he probably started out at $20,000 and worked his way up to his salary by earning it, and the person starting out at $20,000 will have that same opportunity," Armstrong said.
According to St. Francis County Treasurer Ann Harbin, pay raises in the county have predominantly been based on raises which increase employee income on a percentage basis.
Committee members also discussed amending the county personnel policy handbook to state that payroll will be distributed on the Friday following the ending of the pay period. County Clerk Elizabeth Smith questioned whether that would be a good practice when considering holidays.
"If we do that, then we might have to come up here on a Friday when the building is closed for a holiday. If you're going to do that, then you need an exception in there for holidays because there are people out there who would use that type of terminology against you," Smith said.
St. Francis County Judge Carl Cisco suggested that the amendment
be to insure payroll is issued no later than the Friday following
the pay period.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Members of the St. Francis County Quorum Court budget committee began budget talks for the 2004 year Monday at the St. Francis County Courthouse.
According to projected figures for the 2004 budget, the overall county budget could come with over $1 million in surpluses, with projected revenues of $8,063,720 and projected expenditures of $7,054,298. According to committee chairman Henry Wilkinson, those figures place the county in better financial position than in recent years. The figures also included a five-percent pay raise for all county elected officials and employees.
"Based upon the best estimates of the county treasurer and county clerk, we look to be a little bit better off than we have in recent memory. These figures are a bit conservative and include a five-percent pay raise for all county employees and they still place us with over $1 million in projected carryover from '04 to '05. I've served on this court for a number of years, and these are probably the best numbers we've looked at in awhile," said Wilkinson.
Wilkinson thanked the elected officials for their continued efforts to keep spending in check.
"Not only does the budget for next year look good, I don't think I've seen a better outlook for November and December in recent years," Wilkinson said.
While the overall budget figures painted a rosy picture with over $1 million in projected surplus, figures for the county general account show in excess of $1 million in shortfalls.
According to figures provided by St. Francis County Clerk Elizabeth Smith and St. Francis County Treasurer Ann Harbin, projected revenues for the general account stand at $2.5 million for next year. During the same time frame, projected expenditures stood at $3,410,800 with another $169,500 being added to the spending to fund $17,500 for additional life insurance for county employees; $78,000 to pay the city of Forrest City and $74,000 allocated for spending on 2004 elections.
Justice Regan Hill questioned how the projected shortfall would be erased.
According to Smith, the projected revenue figures did not include funding which would account for the difference in the general account. That funding included the remaining $400,000 in payments from the hospital and any transfers that could take place.
"Even with the hospital funding, there's still at $500,000 shortfall, and before I would want to vote on a budget, I would at least want to see where we're going to come up with the funding to cover that shortfall," Hill said.
According to Wilkinson, any adjustments to the budget would have to be made prior to Tuesday's regular meeting of the quorum court because the budget will be voted on at that time.
In other business, County Judge Carl Cisco told committee members that he had rejected all of the bids submitted to replace the roof at the courthouse and jail. According to Cisco, the bids are being rejected so that new specifications can be drawn up on what type of roof is needed by county architect, Bob Beavers.
"Right now, with winter about to set in, is not a good time to be starting roof work. I've talked with our architect and he told me that we could use a hot patch to seal the roof for six months to a year and that would give us time to draw up specifications that will keep all of the contractors on an even keel instead of what we have been going through," Cisco said. "Bob Beavers will put together the specifications by spring, and we will then rebid the project with those specs."
Justice Leodis Williams questioned whether the wait would cause the existing problems to worsen and what would keep the same issues from coming up in the spring.
"We've gone through this process over the past few months, and I really don't see what will keep this from happening again in the spring. Then, we're going to be facing another extended period of trying to get this done and all of a sudden we'll be right back at the wrong time of year to be replacing a roof, and nothing will still be done," Williams said.
Cisco also told justices of plans to allocate the next $200,000 payment from the Indigent Care Fund to the county road department with the first payment in 2004 going entirely to the trust account. The current formula pays $66,000 to the road department and $133,000 to the trust account.
Not too many Times-Herald readers were fooled last week by the selected list of Professor Pigskin football games.
Several entries missed just four of the 20 games, which saw the high school games roll on as expected but saw the college games rocked for the second straight week by several upsets. In the end it was Clifford Hill of Forrest City holding off the Pigskin field by missing just three of the games to pick up the $50 cash prize.
The Pigskin contest enters its 11th week of the season and this week begins the high school playoff games, where anything can usually happen.
This week's games can be found inside today's Times-Herald.
A Forrest City man was sentenced to 10 years in the Arkansas Department Corrections Monday in connection with two shootings earlier this year.
Tommy Barber, 19, of Forrest City received two 10-year sentences, which will run concurrently, for separate incidents in 1999.
Barber's parole was revoked in March when he was arrested by the Forrest City Police Department in connection with a shooting at 930 East Garland. Markita Williamson, 18, of 930 East Garland and Derick Humphrey, 23, of 105 Gregory, Forrest City, gave a description of the suspects and two men, Barber and Benson Buchanan, 401 W. Buford, were later taken into custody.
Barber was originally charged with two counts of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a certain person, but prosecutors agreed to nolle prosequi the two counts of attempted murder, and the possession of a firearm by a certain person was reduced to a Class D felony for which he was given a five-year suspended imposition of sentence.