RECOLLECTIONS
50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 1 No. 35 Thursday, Sept. 1, 1966
Anyone desiring to file for the office of mayor, councilman or city clerk of Pea Ridge must file their petition of nomination with the county clerk at the courthouse in Bentonville by Sept. 24, according to Mayor John Easley.
The Pea Ridge Blackhawks will meet the Gentry Pioneers in the season’s opening football game on the home field Friday, Sept. 2, according to Coach Joe Dorman. Captains were Fred DeAngelo and Mike Adams.
The Pea Ridge Chamber of Commerce elected members to the board of directors — George Wells, Jesse Dempsey, Caroll Henbest, Shirley Goode, Ernest Hileman, Billy Sisco, Fred Calvin, Finis Wood, Bill Powell and Ralph Bolain.
40 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic-Scene Vol. 11 No. 35 Wednesday, Sept. 1, 1976
City Marshal Loyd Pifer and Deputy Marshal Johnny Demaree show the new city police headquarters which were recently completed on the second floor of City Hall. The space includes an office, interrogation room and restroom. The project was done with a $4,497 federal grant from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration matched by $250 from the state and $250 from the city. Much of the work was done voluntarily by Pifer.
Members of the Pea Ridge Park Commission have been advised that an application for a matching fund grant to be used to develop a Pea Ridge City Park has been approved by the U.S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation and will soon be formally announced by the office of Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt. The grant will be combined with $5,000 allocated by the city. To date, the fund drive has raised $598.41.
Work on a metal building and elementary classroom addition continued this week as students completed registration and started classes.
30 Years Ago Pea Ridge Country Times Vol. 21 No. 35 Wednesday, Aug. 27, 1986
With the Sept. 5 filing deadline drawing near, two candidates have filed for the position of mayor of Pea Ridge to succeed Mayor Lester Hall (D), who is seeking the seat of State Rep. Tim Hutchinson (R.). Alvin Greene and Mary Rogers have filed as of Aug. 26 with former mayor Carl “Cotton” Carter withdrawing for health reasons.
Chairmen for the second annual Pea Ridge Chamber of Commercesponsored Battlefield Day, Oct. 18, have been announced by general chairman Mary Rogers.
Fred McKinney received a plaque honoring his 19 years of continuous service at the Aug. 21 meeting in Springdale of the combined PCA and Federal Land Bank. The two organizations are now known as the Farm Credit Services of Northwest Arkansas.
Bus transportation changes and high elementary school enrollment claimed the attention of Pea Ridge School Board members Aug. 21 when they met in special session. School superintendent Bill Alvarez said students living in the areas bounded by Lee Town Road and Weston Street and Arkansas Highway 72 west and Patterson Road will no longer be picked up. The change is necessary, Alvarez explained, near the campus and local funds for such a route are not now available.
20 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 31 No. 35 Thursday, Aug. 29, 1996
Kim Thornhill of Pea Ridge was named librarian of the Pea Ridge Community Library. She replaced Donna McGuire, who resigned. The library contains more than 10,000 volumes.
A Pea Ridge man, Pete Kellenbarger, 43, was arrested outside of City Hall on Aug. 20. He said he will fight the charges of interfering with a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.
Johnny Shockley is sold on fire alarms. Shockley’s mobile home on Patterson was gutted by fire in the early morning Aug. 21. He and his wife, Annette, and two children escaped the flames but lost most of their possessions.
A number of residents attended the Pea Ridge city Council meeting Aug. 20 to express their concerns about the quality and regulation of Given’s Place, a proposed housing development north of Pea Ridge, outside the city limits. Residents also inquired about the process of annexation.
10 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 41 No. 35 Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006
Boyd McNiel is one of four candidates seeking one of two openings on the Pea Ridge City council. The seat currently held by Jerry Burton is being vacated by Burton who is running for mayor. Others seeking the seat are Martin Marler, Guary Morgan and Robert Mardis.
Work began on drilling for an elevator shaft for the new Community First Bank building under construction on Slack Street.
A proposal to close Ross Salvage Road in order to allocate funds for paving it to a complete paving of Dove Road drew several area residents to a public hearing by the Pea Ridge Planning Commission.