The Caldwell Community Park, located on Highway 1 North, next to the Caldwell City Hall, will be the location of an event to increase public understanding of the L'Anguille River Watershed.
Officially called the L'Anguille River Watershed Awareness Day, it will be held Thursday, July 29, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.
The event will feature numerous displays and activities for youth and adults. The scheduled displays include the Arkansas Game and Fish Mobile Aquarium, bird walks, global positioning systems (GPS), aquatic life identification, an interactive watershed model, a groundwater simulator, virtual fishing and other events related to water quality and conservation.
Participants will be able to visit with state and federal agency representatives and organizations working within the L'Anguille Watershed, which includes portions of Lee, Cross, St. Francis, Woodruff, Craighead and Poinsett counties.
Sponsors include the L'Anguille River Watershed Coalition, Ducks Unlimited, Cross County Conservation District, St. Francis County Conservation District and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, through a grant from The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. There is no charge for attending.
There will be a free catfish dinner served at 5:30 p.m.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Restaurants in the city of Colt will now have to install and maintain grease traps to help protect the water system after members of the Colt City Council approved an ordinance last week.
City council members voted unanimously Thursday to approve the measure, which calls for the installation of grease traps at each of the city's restaurants. The ordinance also gave the city the authority to disconnect water and sewer services to any restaurant which fails to come into compliance. In October of last year, council members asked city attorney Steve Routon, to draw up an ordinance at the request of Colt City Manager Bobby Clarkson.
"We've had to call Forrest City (Forrest City Water Utility) out a couple of times to clean the grease out of the sewer from one of the restaurants, and they've been really good about it and not charged us, but eventually they may. I've told the owner of the restaurant that when we do get charged, then he would be handed that bill, but we haven't been able to get anything done on it. An ordinance would give us something to fall back on to get everything enforced," Clarkson said at the October meeting.
In other business, council members heard the second reading of an ordinance to allow a portion of property owned by Roger Davidson to be rezoned as commercial property. Davidson first approached the council with his request in February, at which time he was asked for a legal description of the property. In April, council members agreed to have Routon compile an ordinance authorizing the rezoning.
Council members also took the first steps on Thursday to limit the sale of goods by transient merchants. The council heard first reading of an ordinance to establish a fee along with a three-consecutive-day limit during a 90-day period for any transient merchants. The ordinance would exclude people selling produce, hay, farm equipment or vehicles. The ordinance also established a fine of between $25 and $500 for violators of the ordinance.
The council also authorized Clarkson to spend up to $3,500 for the purchase of a portable generator for the city's water utility.
A team of inspectors has been in Forrest City since June 1, as part of a study being made of all school facilities in the state.
"They have already completed their studies at the high school, the junior high and the middle school," said Superintendent Lee Vent, who was in Little Rock last week. "To my knowledge, that's about as far as they've gotten."
He said he has not seen them today, "but I'm sure they are into the buildings throughout the district. I understand there are about 5,800 public school buildings in Arkansas, and they (the inspectors) must report back to the state some time in August. So they're in kind of a rush."
He said it is their goal to go through every building in every district that is used for teaching purposes.
Vent also said he has gotten no feedback so far on the findings of the team. "It will probably be August before we hear anything officially," he said.
The study of school facilities was mandated by the legislature as part of a program to reform public education in Arkansas, following the Lake View decision.
A proposal which could see the city of Forrest City purchasing property on Scott Street and the second reading of an amendment to a pair of city ordinances will highlight Tuesday's meeting of the Forrest City City Council.
Council members will hear the second reading of an ordinance which will amend ordinances 1471 and 1499, adding wrecked, dilapidated, inoperable motor vehicles and parts thereof to the list of articles to be kept clear from residential property during Tuesday's 7 p.m. meeting of the city council. The council is also scheduled to hear from businessmen Terry Vienna and Martin Snyder on the matter of selling Snyder's company and 501 Logistics to the city.
Also under new business council members will hear an ordinance which will adopt the city zoning code and repeal ordinance 1650. The council will also hear from City Attorney Alan Cline on the single transaction limit on the local sales tax.
Also on Tuesday, the St. Francis County Quorum Court will meet at 6 p.m. in the quorum court room at the St. Francis County Courthouse. At 5 p.m. the Forrest City Water Commission will meet and at 5:30 p.m. the St. Francis County Museum Board will hold its monthly meeting.
Tonight, the Forrest City School Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. while the Forrest City Civic Center Committee will meet at 5 p.m. and the Madison and Hughes city councils will meet at 7 p.m.