By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
With one set of signatures in place, and the second set expected any day, a golf course that's been close to 20 years in the making will soon highlight Village Creek State Park.
The only uncertainty with state officials at this point is just how the golf course and lodging will be designed.
Original plans for the $25 million golf course and lodge called for a 27-hole regulation golf course with a clubhouse/control center and adjacent lodging/conference facility with approximately 124 units along with a restaurant.
While the number of rooms at the facility may remain the same, the exact location of those rooms may be changing. According to Greg Butts, Arkansas Parks and Tourism Director, new plans for the facility call for a 40-room lodge with a conference center, and restaurant with several multi-room villas or cabins along the golf course.
"As we've moved further along on this project, the plans have changed a little as far as the lodging. Officials with Wellington are still anticipating the same number of units overall, it's just how those units will be dispersed. On many golf courses, it's popular to have villas where corporations can come in and rent out the building and have a private setting there on the course with all of the amenities and still have easy access to the course," Butts said.
"That's where the idea has basically changed. Now, we're looking at about 10, eight-to-10-room villas with a full kitchen and meeting room that can house a business retreat or a family reunion while still allowing visitors easy access to the course as well as all of the benefits of the lodge and park, which will house the restaurant and major conference room and many other things," he added.
Officials with the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Department and the Arkansas Attorney General's Office have signed the contracts which allowed the facility to move into the design stage last week. State officials are waiting for the contracts to be returned from the Wellington Group, which is contracted to manage the facility.
Construction on the facility could begin later this summer with completion of the lodging and course expected in 2006.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
When the catering contract ended on May 31 at the Forrest City Civic Center, full usage of the facility's kitchen ended as well.
According to Donna Manning, who handles booking for the facility, while catering is allowed at the facility, the kitchen is currently only being used to allow access to water and ice and set up for events.
"Right now, caterers are allowed to go into the kitchen and do their set up for events and use water and ice for events. No one is to use the oven or stove under any circumstance until the catering issue has been handled," Manning said.
The use of the kitchen by any caterer, other than Colby's Custom Catering, had been prohibited under the contract which expired at the beginning of the month. In March, members of the Forrest City Civic Center Commission voted by a 3-to-2 margin to recommend a one-year plan to the Forrest City City Council which would open the kitchen on a first come, first served basis. The plan, which includes rental rates for the kitchen along with a waiver clearing the commission and the city of liability, also has a provision which states that any catered event must provide a certificate of insurance, and the caterer must be chosen from a list of certified caterers.
In April, Forrest City Mayor Larry Bryant told council members that he was working to develop a proposal which would incorporate both an in-house caterer for the facility while also allowing the use of outside caterers. In a letter dated May 10 to members of the Civic Center Commission, Bryant said, "Over the past few weeks, I have concluded that we must combine the best of the old catering contract, with the new approach of having outside caterers, as passed in your meeting... There should be an advertised bidding process for an in-house caterer, with stipulations. The stipulations should include the use of the kitchen by outside caterers, a fee schedule for both the in-house and outside caterer, clean-up procedures, who is responsible and the priority of catering events at the facility," Bryant said in his letter.
At the May 5, meeting of the city council, several area civic groups met with the council voicing their concerns regarding the catering issue. Since that time, the Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions clubs have each moved their meeting locations temporarily.
The catering issue is not listed on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting of the city council. The Forrest City Civic Center Commission is scheduled to met on Monday at the Forrest City Civic Center.
A telephone call to Bryant for comments was not returned.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A Forrest City man who accused Forrest City Police Officers of allowing another man to attack him may now face charges of filing a false report after recanting his statement in court this week.
In April, Charles Howard of Forrest City filed a complaint against officers Brandon Neilson and Morris McNutt claiming the two officers allowed Prentiss Wright, 31, of Forrest City, to throw him to the ground where he hit him several times and beat him in a ditch. According to Forrest City Police Chief Clarence McNeary, Howard said in court Wednesday that the incident did not happen and that the allegations against Wright and the officers were false.
"This all went to court Wednesday, and Mr. Howard retracted all of the things that he said, both about the alleged assault by Mr. Wright and the things he said about the officers," McNeary said.
While the department did not file charges on Wednesday, McNeary did not say that Howard had been cleared of any wrongdoing in connection with the complaint and incident reports from April.
"At this particular point in time, we have not decided to file charges of filing a false report. We're still deciding on what we're going to do, and we're also going to consider a second charge in connection with the complaint against the officers, which was also a false report," McNeary said.
Wright was arrested on April 29, and charged with third-degree battery. According to McNeary, Wright was cleared of all charges in connection with the incident. While Wright was cleared, disciplinary action against the officers was taken following the incident.
"We investigated this matter and determined that there were some procedural actions which were not followed in this matter. Any disciplinary actions taken were handled internally," McNeary said.
"We take these things (complaints against officers) very seriously, and we will investigate any complaint to the fullest," McNeary added.
The City Pride Program, sponsored by the City of Forrest City, began this week at Christ Church School.
The program, which is for children ages six to 18, is a tradition of sorts in the city, and provides free activities for area youth at the church on Ophelia Street.
Program co-directors Stan Johnson and Mae Ella Taylor talked about the beginnings of the program and what it will offer this year.
"We have been operating the program since 1998," said Johnson. "The program was established by the late T.R. Delaney about 20 years ago. He wanted to provide a youth program for the children that would give them fun activities to do over the summer. But it has always been a city program."
Taylor spoke about the goals of the program. "Our main goal is to enhance the recreation of the children of Forrest City and give them an option to utilize their time in a positive manner. We want to build their self esteem and give them something to do so they will stay out of trouble."
One of the ways they build self esteem is through sports. During the six-week program, instruction in baseball, track and field, martial arts, basketball, tennis and golf will all be offered. Taylor stated that there will be other projects that will go on each week.
"We will have activities throughout the program including arts and crafts and guest speakers," added Taylor. "We will have some of the prisoners from the federal prison speak to the children. We will also have a young lady come in to teach them etiquette. We want them to have fun, but we want to teach them something as well."
Johnson also added that all children are invited to attend the program. "This is a free program," he said. "Breakfast and lunch will be provided each day at the J.H. King Center. Parents must accompany their children for sign-up. "We encourage any child interested in the program to come by with their parents and sign-up," Johnson said.
The activities will be held Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.
to 1 p.m., at the Christ Church School, located at 1120 South
Ophelia. All children ages six to 18 can attend free of charge.
The six-week program will end on Friday, July 16. For more information,
contact the Forrest City Mayor's office at 633-1315.
A full schedule of meetings are on tap for next week throughout St. Francis County.
On Monday, the Forrest City School Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the administration building. Board members will review changes to the student handbooks and proposed changes to personnel policies.
Under new business, the board will take care of annual housekeeping items such as allowing Superintendent Lee Vent to sign applications for funds, and to appoint building principals as co-custodians of their school activity funds.
Also on Monday, the Forrest City Public Library Board is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. at the library, and the Forrest City Civic Center Commission is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. at the civic center.
The Madison and Hughes city councils will each meet at 7 p.m. Monday with those meetings being held at each city's city hall.
On Tuesday, the Forrest City Water Commission is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. at the water department, and the St. Francis County Museum Board has a meeting set for 5:30 p.m. at the museum.
The St. Francis County Quorum Court will hold its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the courthouse, and the Forrest City City Council will meet at 7 p.m. at city hall.
A 911 committee meeting is planned for 5 p.m. on Thursday in the quorum court meeting room at the courthouse.