75¢
County Libraries host book signing. (See pictures on p. 6.)
Volume 120 Number 28 - USPS 225-680
Community Calendar of Events
Serving all of Prairie County and the Grand Prairie
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
White River Irrigation District Canal 1000 work begins
Tuesday July 13 Prairie County Master Gardeners Meeting Hazen Methodist Church Fellowhip Hall 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Hazen Library Jonathan May the Magician 6:00 p.m. Thursday July 15 Hazen City Council Meeting Hazen Community Center 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Monday July 19 Des Arc City Council Meeting City Hall 6:00 p.m. Tuesday July 20 Covid-19 Vaccination Meeting Hazen Community Center 6:00 p.m. Thursday July 22 Commoditie Distribution Hazen Methodist Church 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Monday July 26 Calvary Baptist Vacation Bible School Family Life Center ages 4 years to 6th grade 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Tuesday July 27 Hazen Library Story Time Wacky Animals 10:00 a.m.
Community events brought to you by Hazen Chamber of
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Please call F&M Bank (255-3042) or The Grand Prairie Herald (255-4538) to list events.
Contractors begin work near DeValls Bluff for the two-mile section of Canal 1000 for the White River Irrigation District. By Leigh Van Houten Contractors have moved in near DeValls Bluff and dirt work has begun on White River Irrigation District’s (WRID) Canal 1000, which is a two-mile section in Prairie County. This is the first dirt work for the canal construction. The work is a significant move to see the project gain momentum to its goal, which is supplying affordable water to farmers in portions of Prairie, Monroe, Lonoke, and Arkansas counties with much-needed water for crops. “We’ve been focused on getting the canal construction started since the completion of the reservoir that will feed
this canal. It has been a long three years, but the next three years will show that the effort was all worth it,” WRID Board President Dan Hooks said. “We have a lot to do, but it will be an
exciting time when water is flowing to the farms through this canal.” Prior work includes a pump station, 7,500 feet of twin 10-foot diameter pipelines and a 70-acre
regulating reservoir constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The prime contractor for Canal 1000 is Garrett Excavating, of Hot Springs, with local con-
tractors John Neukam, of DeWitt, and Dale Shook, of Casscoe/Stuttgart, doing most of the dirt work. The bids for this work ranged from $3.6 million to $5.2 million. Money was secured through a National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) grant along with loans from the Arkansas Agriculture Department. The WRID will administer the contract and NRCS will share construction inspection duties. “We have been working on this piece for a little over a year,” Tony Stevenson, WRID engineer, said in April. The contractor plans on having most of the earthwork completed this fall.
Des Arc City Council approves building of cemetery pavilion The Des Arc City Council called a special meeting on July 6th to discuss the cemetery pavilion. Mayor Jim Garth stated that Alderperson Gail King had asked for the meeting. Attending the meeting were Mayor Jim G a r t h , Treasurer/Recorder Chrisanna Knupp and Council Members Gary Burnett, Anna Beth Fisher, Nicole Fisher, Jodie Mayher, Gail King and Ray McVay. Mayor Garth gave the floor to Alderperson King to share her concerns. King said that this was a follow up to the previous council meeting where the building of the cemetery pavilion was approved. She said that she felt strange approving bid when the full amount of the bid was not yet in the account even though committee member Butch Calhoun assured the council that there that enough people had promised enough donations to cover the balance. King said that she feels like the city needs to have the money in the account before they move forward. She then said that she had been told on Friday that the scope of what had been approved had changed because someone wanted to give a donation with the stipulation that a plaque be placed on the pavilion with Harvey Joe Sanner’s name on it in honor of his work with the American Agriculture Movement. King went on to say that the letters sent out asking for donations for
the pavilion in memory of Jim West. Alderperson Gary Burnett stated that the pavilion would still be named the Jim West Pavilion. He also said that the plan was to allow people to donate money to buy benches in honor or memory of someone so there would be many plaques in the pavilion. King said “But those plaques won’t be on the structure. Butch Calhoun said that at the last council meeting neither he nor any of the Pavilion Committee members knew that this new donation would be offered. He said that Will Feland, the owner of Pinnacle Structures, wanted to help with the project and offered to give $12,700. Since he had worked with Sanner in Washington, DC, Feland wanted to donate the building materials as long as there was something small in the building that said “Pinnacle Structures donated the building materials in honor of Harvey Joe Sanner for his years of service to American Farmers”. Calhoun said it was up to the council to decide if they wanted to accept the donation. Alderperson Anna Beth Fisher asked if this donation would be enough to finish the project. Calhoun said he wasn’t exactly sure where they were on expenses, but the thought was that if there was any extra money they might add brick to the back, columns or benches. Fisher stated, “We have committees to do their jobs then bring their recommendations to
the council, and the council has already passed the Pavilion Committee’s recommendation to build the Jim West Pavilion.” Alderperson King said she didn’t feel like the council had all the information when they voted on it. Committee member Ann Guess said they had been working on this project for two years. Committee member Marilyn Burnett shared how the idea had started and how a group of people had formed a committee and opened a bank account for donations, so this was not an appointed committee. Alderperson King said “Just because we are asking questions doesn’t mean we are against it, but when this was approved it was going to be in Jim West’s name, and now it’s changing. Burnett asked “What has
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changed?” King said “Now another person’s name will be on the building as well as Jim West.” King suggested a flag pole or something else besides the building have Sanner’s name on it. Burnett said “There will be a big sign for Jim and a small sign for Harvey Joe. It’s such a small thing for such a large donation.” Alderperson Fisher said that if any other donors wanted a plaque placed in honor or memory of someone, they could. Mary Lou Brooks said “If someone wants to honor Harvey Joe why don’t they do it at the AG Building?” Alderperson Fisher said “The city doesn’t own it and the person wanting a place the plaque in honor of Harvey Joe didn’t donate money for the AG Building.” Brooks said
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the city doesn’t own the pavilion either and why wouldn’t her husband Bobby Joe be honored for being the 2011 Trucker of the year? Alderperson Fisher said if someone wanted to donate money to honor him they could. Terrell Sutton asked if the city could put a monument with all donor’s names on it. Mayor Garth said “There are a lot and someone’s name could be left off, and it has already been established that donors could buy benches in honor or memory of someone.” Alderperson Anna Beth Fisher made a motion to proceed as planned with the pavilion. Alderperson Jodie Mayher seconded the motion which was approved by a 6-0 vote with Alderperson King abstaining.
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