Special Section The Voice salutes the Class of 2016
Of the people, By the people, For the people
TUESDAY, May 31, 2016 / Vol. 2 Issue 22 / 75 cents
Mayors hear from firemen
Heading for boot camp -- Dozens turned out to say goodbye and show their support for some local youth who are headed for military basic training camps this summer. The event was held at Clinton City Park on Sunday afternoon. (Photo by Sam Tucker / for The Voice)
New site for Shirley Homecoming draws fire Even as final preparations are made to parade floats and tickets are being sold for the Lucky Ducky Regatta, some Shirley residents are upset about a change of location for the 49th annual Homecoming celebration. A petition is being circulated objecting to moving many of the events to the lower baseball field and adjoining parking area. Mayor Johnny Sowell said the location near the river is more level and a better place for the celebration. He said if all goes well this year, the stage will be
moved to the new location, too. The petition noted that the change was approved by a 3-2 vote of the City Council. (Councilors Margaret Earnhart and Lisa Hackett voted against changing the location.) The petition states, “Homecoming is a long-standing tradition in this town and the ‘town’ center is where we like to congregate. The front porch of Privitt’s Store, the sidewalks, the community center, the rodeo grounds, the grassy knoll for kids’ games and the museum are
all within walking distance and makes for a very cozy atmosphere and one which both young and old can walk to. … This historic aspect of town is an important part of our heritage and it should remain so.” The petition further states that some older visitors will not be able to walk on wet grass or gravel to see the children’s games. It concludes that the city has spent a lot of money on a dance area, bandstand, walkways and landscaping. “Why fix something that isn’t
broken – leave the traditions as they are and let us enjoy our get-togethers and our history.” The 49th annual celebration, which draws people with ties to the historic town from near and far, begins June 3 and ends with a Dance at the Depot featuring the Highway 9 East Band at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 4. In between there will be a Pee Wee Rodeo Friday, a Big Rodeo each night at 7 p.m., an archery shoot, color run, lunch at the Senior Center, parade, duck races and more.
South Side School District signs pact with UACCM
UACCM and South Side sign a deal on May 4. Pictured are (from left) Jessica Rohlman, Diana Arn, Billy Jackson, Tim Smith and Tawnia Hoelzeman The South SideBee Branch School District signed an agreement earlier this month with the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton that addresses the enrollment in and payment of concurrent technical classes. This agreement
ensures that students taking advantage of the concurrent enrollment classes will be attending UACCM as full-time college students while meeting state requirements for high school graduation. These classes will be at little cost to the student, as a portion of the tuition is
being paid by South Side High School and UACCM is waiving mandatory fees. “This program will allow many of our students an early start to determine if a college degree or a vocational program is something they are interested in,” said South Side Superintendent
Billy Jackson. UACCM is currently enrolling high school juniors and seniors for the fall 2016 semester in technical programs on campus. For questions about UACCM’s concurrent classes, contact Jessica Rohlman at 501-977-2004.
Mayors of the county’s incorporated towns and the Van Buren County judge heard a proposal from firemen for a more equitable distribution of state funds from Act 833 last week. Joey Weaver and Ken Brown of the Choctaw Volunteer Fire Department presented facts and figures they discussed the week before with the fire chiefs’ association to the intergovernmental meeting held Friday, May 27, at the Shirley Community Center. Weaver noted that the cost to fight a fire is the same everywhere when everything is figured in, such as manpower, training, equipment and trucks. The Clinton Fire Department receives 15.8 percent of the Act 833 funds that come into the county; Fairfield Bay receives 13.89 percent; and the other 16 fire departments each receive 4.39 percent. That breaks down to $23,462 for Clinton, $20,760 for Fairfield Bay, and $6,517 for each of 16 county departments. Weaver says that is too high of a return for two departments and that county taxpayers are footing most of the bill. He suggests splitting the pie into 18 equal pieces that would give everyone about $8,250. Fairfield Bay Mayor Paul Wellenberger questioned the math used to come up with the amount taxpayers get on their return. He also said his department has purchased three new pumper trucks and can’t afford to lose $12,000 of Act 833 money that will make those payments. “How am I supposed to pay for pumpers in Damascus?” Mayor L.B. Pavatt asked. He said Damascus does not get any Act 833 funds from Faulkner County, and added to that, Twin Groves, which is in Faulkner County, is in Damascus’ fire district. Wellenberger said he would be open to the idea of having a “bucket fund” in which a percentage of the money was held to be distributed to the departments that respond to the most mutual aid calls. Clinton Mayor Richard McCormac asked if it automatic mutual aid is practical. The Clinton Fire Department is not part of the automatic response pact.
Wellenberger said it is practical in that it builds community relations, ensures plenty of water at the fire scene and gives firefighters practice. Brown asked for a workshop at which time the mayors and county judge can present any proposals they may come up with for distributing the funds. No date was set. Next up, each mayor shared news about what’s going on in their towns. McCormac noted that Archey Fest is coming up in June; the Highway 65 lighting project is waiting for the lights, which should arrive soon; and that there is talk that a couple of new restaurants will be coming to Clinton. We l l e n b e rg e r said Fairfield Bay has signed a $142,000 contract to extend sewer lines to Highway 16; several recent festivals and events were a success and more are on the way on Father’s Day weekend; and said the town’s website had 3.9 million hits last year, which apparently has led the Donald Trump campaign to ask to advertise on it (that, he said, is up to the Community Club, not the city). Shirley Mayor Johnny Sowell reminded everyone that the town’s 49th annual Homecoming is this weekend, June 3-4, and the site has been moved to the riverside of town. He said the city has made an offer to buy some old buildings and would like to move City Hall, the museum and the water department there. He also said grant requests are being prepared to extend the hiking trail. In Damascus, Pavatt noted there had been a “couple of whammies,” with Walmart closing its market and Southwestern Energy laying off workers. But, he said, there is “gossip” about a couple of stores planning to move in, and he notes that the town has “the best Mexican restaurant in the state.” He said the new municipal building is 99.9 percent done, and the offices, including the library, will be relocated soon. “We appreciate you moving to Van Buren County,” county Judge Roger Hooper told him. Hooper finished up the meeting with his report that can be found on Page 3A.