By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
In a meeting with the Forrest City Lion's Club Monday, Forrest City Mayor Larry S. Bryant spoke of the city's potential as well as what he referred to as continuing problems with race relations.
Bryant spoke on several issues yesterday, but focused on the potential of the city to become a great city.
"Forrest City has great potential. We have Sanyo employing over 600, and Boars Head employing 600, and the Federal Prison soon to be employing over 550. We have a good employment base. We have a quality workforce and a well trained workforce. We have an excellent educational base with our school system and the Vo-Tech and the college. We have I-40 and the people that come off of the interstate and spend their money. Forrest City has potential. We have a regional hospital that is continuing to make advancements and improvements. We have a top-notch street department that works to keep our city clean, even though we have our naysayers who only come up with negatives on everything," Bryant said.
"We are truly blessed with our public works division that comes out and cleans up after ice storms and tornados and everything else that happens. They do the grunt work that's never really appreciated," Bryant said.
The mayor also talked about upcoming improvements to the Forrest City Municipal Sports Complex and Civic Center.
"We have a great facility in the Civic Center, and one of the best sports complexes in the state. We're constantly improving on those resources," he said.
According to Bryant, the city is in good financial standing due in large part to the sales tax and traffic from I-40. Bryant also said that while industrial recruitment is important, he felt that retail sales recruitment is just as vital to the city's success.
"When others talk about industrial recruitment and its importance, you may hear me talk about retail sales and its importance. Almost two-thirds of our city's tax revenue is generated from the interstate, and we need to tap into that more. The job's may not be as high paying, but they are jobs for the area," he said.
The tone of Bryant's speech changed, however, as he discussed some of the problems that he sees in the city.
"All of that potential isn't worth a plug nickel unless we tap into it. In Forrest City we have a lot of talents, but we also have some problems. We like to deny that we have a race problem," he said.
"A lot of days, I feel I'm not treated with the respect due to me by some people because I'm seen as the black mayor of Forrest City. I'm the mayor of Forrest City and that goes for the people in Washington Heights as well as the people in Sunrise," Bryant said.
"The city gives $30,000 a year to the Chamber of Commerce and the mayor is neither an honorary member or a member of the organization. That is just not right. The enemy of this city is you, and it's me if we continue to deny that we have a problem with race in this city. I ask you for help in making this city better, and I will help in any way I can to expand on this city's potential," he said.
Following his comments, Joey Astin, a Lion's Club member and a member of the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors, extended Bryant a permanent invitation to attend chamber board meetings.
Bryant also said that the citizens and organizations in Forrest City should look to make Forrest City number one and stop looking to expand to Wynne.
"We must be positive about our city and about Forrest
City being number one. We looked to expand on our potential recently
when the city council approved a multi-purpose building for our
city. At first the citizens voted against the idea, but after
some changes, it passed. Every time I look people in Forrest City
are wanting to expand to Wynne. The College (East Arkansas Community
College) is always looking for a way to expand northward, and
I don't understand that. We have a perfectly good facility in
the Yale building which could be used to house an expansion, but
they always look north first. We must put Forrest City on the
front burner."
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
An asbestos re-inspection and the approval of a school choice policy were some of the issues discussed on Monday night as the Palestine-Wheatley School Board held its September meeting.
Superintendent John Manning told board members that the district is due for an asbestos re-inspection. "We are inspected every three years," stated Manning. "We do have asbestos in each of our schools. When buildings are 35 years old you will. But it is under control, and we are due for re-inspection. The AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act) states that since we have asbestos, we have to be re-inspected." Manning also added that Dell Tech, Inc. of Hot Springs would be doing the inspection.
"After the inspection, they will conduct in-service training for our maintenance staff to help them identify asbestos hazards. But, what I am asking the board, is that you approve that the report be in the main office for review. It is imperative that our minutes reflect that the report will be there for anyone interested." The members agreed with Manning and unanimously approved the suggestion.
Manning addressed what he felt is a growing problem with the school choice policy. "We have condensed the school choice policy law so that lay people can better understand it. Also so that we can better explain to parents who have questions about what the policy is. The law itself is three pages and you have to be a lawyer for it to make sense. I recommend that the board vote to approve our new written policy and that we make this available in the office for any parent or anyone who wants to view it." A unanimous vote approved the issue.
In other news, Manning offered an update on the ABC playground. "Stephanie Davis with the Arkansas Department of Human Services looked at our ABC playground after our improvements and sent a letter telling us that we are in compliance now." According to Manning, the district was told that a fence needed to be moved from 10 feet away from the equipment to 14 feet, and the fence was moved for re-inspection.
Before adjourning, the 2001-2002 audit report was approved by the members and a tuition agreement was picked up again this year with the Adolescent Treatment Center. The center accepts troubled students from the district. According to Manning, no students are currently enrolled in the center.
A teacher might normally expect to encounter any number of problems during a school day. Being stuck in an elevator, however, probably isn't near the top of the list.
Be that as it may, that's what happened this morning to a teacher at Forrest City High School.
Abbie Robinson, principal of FCHS, identified the teacher only as "a member of the science department," saying that the faculty member would be in for enough teasing as it was. "She would die," Robinson said, laughing.
Although no one was hurt, and the incident was handled in a fairly lighthearted manner, it was hardly a routine matter, Robinson said.
"It got stuck, and we couldn't get it unstuck, so we had to call the Fire Department to get her unstuck," she said. "She was fine. The staff rallied behind her until the Fire Department got it open."
She said the problem with the elevator has been reported, and any needed repairs will be made.
"There is a problem somewhere," she said. "We're just glad it was a teacher and not one of our handicapped students. Some of them have access to the elevator."
It didn't take long for the 2003 Professor Pigskin Contest to heat up.
Two Times-Herald readers recorded perfect scores in week two of the Pigskin contest.
Joyce Pounders of Colt and Karen Burnett of Forrest City did not miss a single game of the 20 selected games. But Pounders will get the $50 cash prize for picking Arkansas over Texas in the "tie-breaker" game. Burnett picked Texas to win. Arkansas, on Saturday, defeated Texas 38-28.
This week's Professor Pigskin's list of games can be found inside today's Times-Herald.
A Texas man was locked inside a local convenience store for almost four hours this morning before calling police to help him get out.
Christopher Eastep, 31, of Amarillo, Texas, reported to the Forrest City Police Department that he had stopped at the B.P. convenience store at 3300 N. Washington, about midnight, and when he exited the restroom, found the employees had left and the doors were locked.
Eastep finally called the FCPD about 3:30 a.m., and by 4 a.m., firemen with the Forrest City Fire Department had removed a lock on the business' door so Eastep could exit the building. The store's owner was also called to the business, but arrived after Eastep had been freed.
According to Eastep, the store clerk did not check the restrooms before closing or locking the doors.
A spokesperson for the FCFD said Eastep waited to call police because he thought a store employee would be coming back to the business. "He was thinking someone would be right back, and he just didn't really know what to do," said Fireman Jimmy Sandage.
Village Creek State Park will take part in the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase this week.
The Arkansas and the Louisiana Purchase Traveling Exhibit, which is sponsored by the Department of Arkansas Heritage, will be at the park through Monday, Sept. 22. According to a press release, the exhibit focuses on the political issues that led to the purchase. It will also feature information and images related to the French and Spanish ownership of the colony of Louisiana prior to the purchase in 1803 and explores important events resulting from the purchase that affected Arkansas.
Other programs will be held on Friday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 20 . They will highlight the various aspects of colonial Arkansas, and the people and events that helped shape the area and nation.