By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
Just because the Forrest City Humane Society has disassociated itself from the city shelter, that does not mean that the city has stopped rounding up dogs.
A story which appeared in the Times-Herald earlier this week may have been misleading, giving the impression that when the Humane Society pulled out, the shelter would shut down.
This is not the case, according to Mayor Larry Bryant.
"We haven't stopped," said Bryant. "Dogs are still going to the dog shelter. We're still doing what we have done in the past. The Humane Society is just not coming out here helping."
Dogs are still picked up.
"They (the Humane Society) didn't pick up dogs anyway. We did that," said Bryant. "The shelter is owned by the city. We pay all the bills."
George Cochran, the animal control officer, confirmed what Bryant had said.
"We're still collecting dogs," she said. "We've probably got 31 or 32 in here right now."
The operation of the shelter is the same as it has been, according to Cochran.
"We keep a dog for about 10 days, for the owner to come get them," he said. "Then it goes up for adoption for 30 days."
After 30 days, the dogs are euthanized, although sometimes a dog might be spared that for longer. Cochran said no one was enthusiastic over killing dogs.
Cochran said efforts are made to keep dogs who appear to be sick separated from those who appear healthy.
The Humane Society sent a letter, dated Sept. 7, to the mayor and also to the Times-Herald and all the city council members, saying that society members would "no longer clean the shelter, provide weekend coverage, provide holiday coverage, be responsible for feeding the puppies and the dogs, provide medical care, provide pet adoption services, respond to pet abuse and pet neglect cases, provide back-up for the animal control officers, and will not longer provide free services of any type for the City of Forrest City."
Jeanne Guarr, president of the Humane Society, stated in an article that the shelter is unsafe, and in such condition that it cannot be disinfected to prevent the spread of distemper.
She stated, "until the new shelter is up and we can guarantee within reason the health and safety of the dogs in the city shelter, we're not doing anything with the (existing) shelter."
She said several dogs adopted out over the summer died quickly -- so quickly that it was plain to her they caught distemper at the shelter.
The city council has authorized $100,000 to build a new shelter. However, Bryant has said that what the Humane Society wants would cost more than $100,000. He as also said that even if a new shelter were built, some old problems would remain, such as adequate personnel.
"If a new shelter were built today, we would have the same basic personnel, unless someone is willing to step up to the plate," Bryant said.
Forrest City Postmaster Normal Gilchrest was recently named Arkansas Postal Ambassador in a competition held across the country.
He will compete with 79 other district winners in Chicago on Oct. 19, for the chance to be in a national television advertisement as part of the "Working For You" campaign. Nine national ambassador finalists will be chosen, and they will be announced Nov. 1.
The U.S. Postal Service is including employees in advertising and promotional campaigns.
Gilchrest began his postal career in 1977. Four years later he transferred to the Little Rock main office as a distribution window clerk. During this time he became an assistant supervisor. He has been the officer in charge at post offices in Sweet Home, Dewitt and Magnolia. He has served a postmaster to the DeValls Bluff, Hazen, England and Brinkley post offices. He has been postmaster in Forrest City since 2000.
While serving as the postal and military executive for the United Way campaign in 1993, he was voted Executive of the Year. He is a member of the Air National Guard with the rank of Command Chief Master Sergeant (E-9).
Gilchrest is a husband and father of four daughters. He is a steward at Browns Chapel CME. Since 1985, he has refereed high school and college basketball. He is on the Board of Directors for the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce, and is also a member of the Forrest City Rotary Club.
He recently participated in a dedication ceremony at Little Rock Air Force Base, during which an airplane was named for Forrest City.
By TAMARA JOHNSON
Managing Editor
Plans have been announced for the first new business to open along the recently completed Highway 1 bypass.
The bypass opened Thursday afternoon, and today, Forrest City native Ellis Bell, who is developing Bell's Travel Plaza, announced that ground will be broken on the first phase of his development later this month.
Bell's plans for the project include a truckstop, motels and restaurants, to be built on land located to the northwest of the Interstate 40 bypass interchange.
The first of the three-phase project will be the truckstop, which will span 10 acres and be able to handle about 240 trucks. This 24-hour facility will employ about 100 people when fully staffed.
Bell said the second phase will include possibly two motels, and the third phase will be the construction of restaurants.
"We'll get our basic structure in place and completed, and with that, we think the other things will follow," Bell said.
Construction on the truckstop is expected to begin early next year, with plans for that facility to be open by the end of 2005.
The groundbreaking is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 22, at 9:30 a.m. at Bell's property near the bypass.
The Forrest City High School Student Council and the Forrest City High School Pride Committee are planning a homecoming parade on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m. to support the Mustangs football team before they face Sylvan Hills on Friday, Oct. 15, at 7:30 p.m. at Sam Smith Stadium.
Marsha Cohn, a member of the FCHS Pride Committee, offered some details of the event which organizers say will be a fun way to show support for the Mustangs.
"This is going to be a lot of fun," Cohn said. "We are hoping to have all of the schools in the Forrest City School District decorate floats or decorate a car in the parade. We want to get our PAT (Parent and Teacher) organizations from each school involved as well. We will have the homecoming royalty, cheerleaders, flag teams and the football team all involved in the parade.
"One thing we want is to make sure of is that everyone is in some type of uniform," stated Cohn. "It can be that everyone wears the same color or the same shirt. We just want them all in uniforms for safety."
Homecoming 2004 T-shirts are also available to order. For more information on the T-shirts, contact the high school. Proceeds from the T-shirt sales will go to the student council.
According to Cohn, the parade route will begin in the FCHS front parking lot and turn onto Victoria Street. It will then travel east up Victoria and turn south onto Division Street. After that, the parade will turn west onto Graham Street and head to the back parking lot of the high school or end at the visitor's side of football stadium. Cohn stated that the location to end the parade had not yet been decided. A pep rally for the football team will follow the parade.
Those who are interested in participating in the parade should contact FCHS principal Abbie Robinson or Heather Allison, the FCHS Student Council Advisor. All participants in the parade must be approved through the high school.
"We want to have a good time with this, but we need support
from the community for the event. We want everyone to come out
and support our football team as they prepare to face Sylvan Hills
on Friday," Cohn said.
Several meetings are planned for next week throughout St. Francis County.
The Forrest City School Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the administration building.
Board members will elect new officers, discuss a board retreat, consider an addendum to the student handbook and review bids for new buses and a lock system at Lincoln Middle School. Under unfinished business, board members will again discuss the sale of the old Caldwell and Evans school buildings along with needs for school facilities.
Also on Monday, the Forrest City Civic Center Commission will meet. That meeting is set for 5 p.m. at the Civic Center.
Two city councils will meet at 7 p.m. Monday. The Madison City Council and the Hughes City Council each have meetings planned. Those meetings will be held in each city's city hall.
On Tuesday, the Forrest City Advertising and Promotions Commission will meet at 2 p.m. at the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce office.
At 5:30 p.m., the St. Francis County Quorum Court's courthouse building and improvement committee will meet, followed by a 6 p.m. meeting of the QC's budget committee. Both meetings will be held in the QC's meeting room.
The St. Francis County Indigent Care Board is scheduled to meet at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City.
On Thursday, the St. Francis County Transportation Commission is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. Also, the Colt City Council will meet at 6 p.m., and the Wheatley City Council will meet at 8 p.m.
Loretta Smith of Palestine has been reappointed by Gov. Mike Huckabee to the Advisory Board for Perinatal Health Services. A registered nurse, Smith will serve until Nov. 15, 2007.