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By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A pair of city tennis courts could see improvements if the city is selected to receive close to $70,000 in grant funding from the same governmental agency that approved money for improvements at Southside Park.
According to a news release from the East Arkansas Planning and Development District, the city has applied for an Outdoor Recreation Grant from the United States Department of the Interior National Park Service for $69,300. The grant could fund improvements to the Southside Park and Civic Center tennis courts.
Work on the swimming pool at Southside Park is close to completion, according to Glynis Lewis with the mayor's office. Lewis said Thursday that the only remaining work at the facility is in the pool area.
Perry Carr with the engineering firm in charge of the pool project echoed Lewis' statements and said that the pool would include new additions. "The bath house area is pretty much completed. We went in and redid everything in the building and also added an office along with a changing area and breakroom for the lifeguards. Another new addition at the pool will be a water walk which will be replacing the kiddie pool. It doesn't require as much maintenance as a kiddie pool, and a lot of public pools are replacing the kiddie pools because the health department requires an entirely separate system if you have a kiddie pool," said Carr.
Carr said that the water walk will be a series of spouts set into concrete which will act as a fountain in which children may play. Another new addition at the pool, a water slide, is not under construction yet, but Carr said Forrest Citians would be impressed once it is finished. Those brave enough to take a leap from the pool's diving boards can still look forward to enjoying them after city officials decided to keep them. Carr said that budgetary reasons also helped in the decision to keep the two boards.
"Keeping the diving boards was really something that the city wanted to do, and we try to meet our client's specifications. We did suggest that they remove them, but that was one thing at the pool they didn't want to change. One of the reasons ultimately came down to the budget. The pool currently has a 12-foot depth on the deep end, which is there because of the use of the diving boards. If those were gone, then you wouldn't need that deep of a pool, which would have been an additional cost to change," said Carr.
According to Carr, much of the work on the actual pool was in areas that people wouldn't see.
"We went through a renovation of the entire mechanical system and did a lot of the stuff that people visiting the pool won't see. The pool surface is being replaced and surrounding the pool itself, the entire gutter system is being replaced," Carr said.
The aforementioned diving boards will also receive a facelift with new surfaces along with a new paint job.
According to Lewis, other upgrades at Southside Park are still in the works as specifications for the new walking trail are being prepared and new playground equipment for the park is being rebid.
Plans are well under way for this year's Forrest City Community Christmas Parade, with the theme of "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year."
The parade will be held Friday, Dec. 3. Participants will form up in the Forrest City Junior High parking lot and judging of floats will take place at 6 p.m., with the parade starting at 7 p.m.
First, second and third place trophies will be awarded to floats in the church, civic group, novelty and school categories. First, second and third place trophies will also be awarded to floats in the industrial/commercial category, in both large and small divisions.
Today was to be the deadline for entrants, but according to Mary Beth Doler of the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce, people who get entry forms in by Wednesday will be allowed to enter.
Lula Clay, long-time volunteer at the St. Francis County Food Pantry, is this year's parade marshal. People are being urged to bring canned goods to donate during the parade. However, parade organizers want to make sure that the hand-over of canned goods is done safely.
"We've had a rule that no one can throw candy, because we don't want people running into the street," said Doler, explaining that people should not run out into the street in order to deliver food for the Pantry.
"For anyone who is bringing canned foods in honor of Mrs. Clay, there will be someone who will pick up the food." She said someone, probably in a decorated vehicle, will come to the sides of the street to pick up the gifts of food.
The parade will leave the FCJH parking lot on the Victoria Street side. For that reason, all participants are being asked to enter the parking lot from the Graham Street side, to prevent a traffic jam.
After exiting the parking lot onto Victoria, the parade will make a right turn onto Division, and then a left turn onto Arkansas.
The parade will then make a right turn onto Washington (Ark. Highway 1), and proceed down Washington to Hill Street, where it will turn right, and then make another right onto Rosser. The parade will then proceed up Rosser, to disperse at the Union Planters parking lot.
The parade will roll, regardless of the weather," Doler said.
"If it rains, bring an umbrella," she said.
Several area groups have meetings planned for this week in St. Francis County.
At 5:30 this evening, the St. Francis County Transportation Commission will meet at in the Quorum Court room at the St. Francis County Courthouse.
On Tuesday, Nov. 23, the the Forrest City Housing Authority Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the board room located at 805 Mann Street.
At 5 p.m., the SFC Quorum Court will meet to finish its monthly meeting. Last week, the court recessed its meeting without an adjournment on the advice of county attorney Fletcher Long. Long told justices they should recess the meeting until tax figures in the Hughes School District could be adjusted so that the court could accurately levy taxes. The court will also discuss the 2005 budget at its meeting tomorrow.
A pair of teenagers were robbed at gunpoint outside a local car wash Saturday night.
Derrick Cooper, 17, of Palestine, and Andrew Morlock, 17, of Forrest City, told officers with the Forrest City Police Department they were sitting near the vacuum cleaning area of the Super Splash Car Wash when a black male got into the rear seat of their car about 11:30 p.m.
Both men said the suspect was wearing a white hockey mask when he pointed a pistol at them and demanded their money. After taking about $10 and two cell phones from the victims, the suspect fled west on foot toward the Pecan Grove apartment complex.
The suspect is described as about five feet, nine inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds. In addition to the mask, he was also wearing a blue hooded pullover and jeans.
The Forrest City Junior Auxiliary will sponsor its annual Angel Tree project this year, to help provide some toys for needy kids.
According to Linda Hall, who is chairing this year's Angel Tree effort, the tree will again be located at the St. Francis County Museum.
"People can start coming in on the 29th of November through Dec. 3," she said.
The hours will be 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. for people to come in, get an angel and provide Christmas presents for a child in need.