By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The local coordinator of a special event to impart the philosophies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is hoping to send as many local kids as possible to the assembly in Little Rock July 9-11.
The 2004 I Have a Dream National Youth Assembly will be hosted by the Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr., Commission in Little Rock next month.
André Stephens is the the local coordinator of the AMLKJC.
"The King Commission was established to communicate to the younger generation the philosophy of social justice and community participation so that the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. can continue," said Stephens. "In one of his (King's) last pieces of work, 'Community Or Chaos: Where Do We Go From Here?' The book raised the question of our values and our willingness to care for each other in society. One of the greatest benefits of the assembly is to help establish values. When you have values in a community, the community is stronger.
"The assembly also helps develop ideas in the children," continued Stephens. "Those ideas will lead to positive consequences in the future. The assembly helps develop leadership within the children and teaches the importance of helping their neighbor and raise their political involvement."
According to information provided by the King Commission, there will be several activities at the assembly. A career expo will be held, featuring booths from colleges throughout the nation. In addition, there is a program is called "King University," where the participants can chose from five courses ranging from the Right to Vote to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. A talent show will be held. Five youth will be inducted into the Youth Hall of Fame.
Another event is designed to get the children interested in the upcoming election.
"The children will elect a Youth Assembly President," added Stephens. "Candidates will be selected and participants will have an opportunity to vote for the National Youth Assembly President. This gives them power to elect their own leaders. Hopefully with the election for President of the United States this year, this will teach them about the electoral process and get them more interested in the election."
Stephens then commented that he feels there is a "great need" for young people in the area to get the type of experience that the National Youth Assembly provides.
"In my opinion, outside of the schools, St. Francis County doesn't do much to invest in its youth," added Stephens. "Investing in our children helps them grow and get a better understanding of what leadership is. To me, the assembly is much more beneficial that a pair of $200 shoes. They need this more."
But having a need does not always mean that it is easily met. "The Workforce Alliance (which Stephens serves as executive director) is trying to send as many children from St. Francis County as we can to the assembly. Most of the children in the county that would benefit from the program just can't afford to go." According to the AMLKJC information, registration per person is $90, and that does not include hotel rooms for the three-day event in Little Rock.
"We are trying to raise money," said Stephens. "Beatrice McEwen (a local artist) is decorating chairs with a patriotic theme for us to auction. We are also seeking donations from people and businesses in the community. If you can help us, please get in contact with me here at the Alliance."
The event will be held from Friday, July 9, until Sunday, July 11. Children ages 12 to 19 are eligible to attend the assembly. The deadline for applying is Wednesday, July 7. For more information or to make a donation, contact Stephens at the St. Francis County Workforce Alliance, 630-9131, between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Healthcare in Arkansas was the primary topic of a visit to Forrest City Tuesday by state Health Department Director Dr. Fay Boozman as he spoke to a joint meeting of local civic clubs at the Forrest City Country Club.
Members of the Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions clubs met at noon to hear Boozman discuss issues such as heart disease, cancer, and lung disease. The main focus of his speech dealt with the issue of obesity facing the nation.
"In the past 12 years, we've seen the Body Mass Index grow across the nation. When you have something go across the country in the way that obesity has, there is a deeper message there than 'just eat healthy.' This problem is systemic and we need to work at fixing the problem," Boozman said.
Boozman also discussed the increased rate of adult-onset or Type II diabetes. "The problem of adult-onset diabetes in children really bothers me because as a pediatrician in 1976, I never saw cases of this in children. There is a reason that it was originally called adult-onset diabetes, and that's because it didn't affect children. Now, the name has been changed to Type II, and that's because of the increased number of children that are stricken with it," Boozman said.
"What this means is that we'll now have children that are insulin dependent by the age of 20, having lasers shot in their eyes and amputations by 30, and then on dialysis by the age of 40. The children in our schools today are the first generation of children that we can honestly say cannot expect to live longer lives than their grandparents," he added.
According to Boozman, healthcare issues created by tobacco usage, physical inactivity and poor diet are creating a potential "healthcare perfect storm" which could see the cost of healthcare advancing beyond the government's ability to assist the people.
"Right now, we have the potential for a perfect storm in health care. That's because the poor choices we've made in our health and because of the aging population in Arkansas and America, we're seeing a decreased ability for the government to pay for services. That's compounded by the inability of many people, working people, to afford healthcare," he said.
Boozman did praise the recent efforts of area leaders in St. Francis County in making healthcare a priority.
"There are few communities in this state that are attacking healthcare with the aggressiveness that you are here in St. Francis County. Your leaders have made health a priority and that's great. Many times economic development is the only priority of a community, but if you don't have people that can do the jobs because they're sick, than you can't have that economic development," he said.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
With the Fourth of July holiday weekend approaching, the Forrest City Police and Fire departments want to make sure that everyone in Forrest City has a safe and pleasant holiday.
FCPD Chief Clarence McNeary said that while fireworks are legal in the county, in Forrest City, it is illegal to discharge fireworks inside the city limits. "It is not only illegal to discharge fireworks in the city limits, it is illegal to sell or possess them in Forrest City," said McNeary. "There will be zero tolerance regarding fireworks here.
"If there are people in your neighborhood who are shooting off fireworks, please contact the department," added McNeary, who did add that it could take some time for an officer to respond to the report.
"We prioritize our calls, and fireworks charges are misdemeanors," commented McNeary. "The officers will be out trying to protect people during the weekend, and fireworks calls are low priority, but if we know that fireworks are there, we will get around to getting an officer there. We will also be actively confiscating all fireworks that we find."
What type of punishment will those caught violating the ordinance receive?
"The charges are misdemeanor and carry a fine between $10 and $100," said McNeary. "The fine amount is determined in court. But say that we catch a kid in the street setting off fireworks, we will charge the child has a juvenile. But, we will also charge the guardians of the child. If the child has fireworks and is firing them, then apparently the guardian must know they have them and are allowing them to do it.
"I want to extend an enjoyable holiday to everyone, not just the citizens of Forrest City, but those that are visiting here as well," McNeary added.
FCFD Chief Dan Curtner offered some safety tips for this holiday weekend.
"With fireworks, the number one thing for children to know is that they should never shoot them without adult supervision," said Curtner. "They can read the directions, but they should never set them off without an adult around. You should never light a firework in your hand. It is very dangerous to do that. Many people are injured each year around the country holding lit fireworks. It is just common sense, but people still do it.
"Another thing that falls into the category of common sense is where you light your fireworks," continued Curtner. "Do not light fireworks in tall grass, dead grass or in bushes. That can cause a fire that can spread quickly. If you can, light fireworks on concrete and not near leaves or paper."
Another annual favorite activity on the Fourth of July is barbecuing. Curtner stated that many people make a common mistake in barbecuing that lands them in the hospital.
"When you are barbecuing, please be very careful when you light the grill," said Curtner. "When you are placing lighter fluid on the charcoal to get it started, do not light the grill immediately. Let the fluid soak in for a while and then light the grill using a piece of paper. Lighting a grill too quickly after putting on lighter fluid can cause an explosion. Also, be sure that you don't have any of the fluid on you when you light a grill. Flames can jump up and catch that fluid on fire."
Curtner offered more grilling and barbecuing safety advice. "Make sure that the grill is balanced and does not wobble. Do not let children run around playing near a grill. Children like to get into things, watch them closely around a grill. The last thing you want is a curious child to reach into a hot grill. Tell them not to do it, but please watch them. We hear stories each year about children having to make trips to the hospital or worse from grill accidents. If at all possible, have a water source, like a garden hose, nearby so that if a fire occurs that you can put it out quickly.
"I hope that everyone has a good, safe Fourth of July holiday," added Curtner. "Just be safe and use some common sense."
A public hearing on possible uses of an Arkansas Outdoor Parks Grant was held this week at the Forrest City City Hall.
It is required as part of the application process that the meeting be held in order to get an idea of how citizens want the money spent. Some of the things mentioned include more pavilions at the Municipal Sports Complex, continued improvements at South Side Park and more basketball goals at Stewart Springs Park.