RECOLLECTIONS
50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 2 No. 39 Thursday, Sept. 28, 1967
Owen Wood of Pea Ridge brought home a wide array of ribbons won for him by his registered Jerseys in the Senior Jersey Division at the Benton County Fair. The 15 blue ribbon winners announced included the following for Wood: Champion Bull, Junior Heifer Calf, Junior Yearling Heifer, Junior Get-of-Sire, Two-year old Cow, Four-year old Cow, Aged Cow, Senior Champion Female, Best Three Females and Cow Any Age. Nancy won the Grand Championship again this year, even though she was sick at the beginning of the fair from an infection and had to have a veterinarian visit her on the fairgrounds.
Pea Ridge’s newest business, Dottie’s Cafe, opened last Saturday in the newly redecorated building formerly operated at the west end of the Pickens Road business section by another cafe. Operated by Mr. and Mrs. Vogal Harrison of Rt. 1, Washburn, Mo. (six miles north of Pea Ridge), the cafe will be open to the public six days a week and on Sunday afternoons from noon until 7 p.m. The cafe will feature lunches.
40 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic-Scene Vol. 12 No. 39 Wednesday, Sept. 28, 1977
Pea Ridge area parents have an opportunity to learn an effective technique for teaching children with reading difficulties in a special workshop scheduled for October. A Laubach Reading Program workshop will be held each Tuesday night in October, beginning Oct. 4, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Hungry Farmer Restaurant in Pea Ridge. Those who attend all four sessions will receive a diploma certifying that they are qualified to teach the Laubach reading technique. Elementary principal Doug Albertson, who is organizing the workshop, said the goal is to make the technique available to parents who might at some time need to tutor children who have trouble learning to read.
Rick Buck, president of the Bank of Pea Ridge, was among those attending the 33rd annual session of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin — Madison Aug. 14-27. The school is sponsored by the Central States Conference of Bankers Associations from 16 midwestern states. About 1,500 bankers were enrolled this year from 45 states and Puerto Rico.
30 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 22 No. 39 Wednesday, Sept. 30, 1987
William K. Shockley, about 35 years old, of Powell, Mo., was arrested Monday night by Pea Ridge Marshal Kelly Wallace and charged with auto theft after he allegedly took a 1982 Plymouth Reliant K belonging to Charles Hardy, Pea Ridge, and wrecked it along Missouri Hwy. 90 east of its intersection with Missouri Hwy. E. Wallace said the care was stolen from the parking lost at Montgomery’s IGA in Pea Ridge at 3:15 Monday afternoon. Several hours later Schockley appeared at a residence with minor injuries suffered in a car wreck. The residents called Bella vista Ambulance Service, which transported him to Bates Memorial Hospital, Bentonville. The car was totalled in the accident, and Shockley is being held without bail, according to Wallace, because there is also a warrant out for his arrest on charges of violating probation.
The number of auto deaths on rural Arkansas roads is alarming when compared to urban roads, according to the president of a national traffic-safety organization who says safety belt use could alter the disparity. An Arkansas safety belt authority, Lydia Robertson, director of Arkansas Needs Seatbelts used that 70 percent for the 603 fatalities in the state last year, “If 70 percent of our motorists had been wearing safety belts last year, we could have saved 211 lives.” Statistics show the only way for Arkansas to increase its use of safety belts is through a safety belt use law.
20 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 32 No. 39 Thursday, Sept. 25, 1997
The City of Pea Ridge has a new fire chief. At the City Council meeting on Sept. 16, former fire chief Jerry Collins addressed the council about his resignation and his recommendation of David Bass as the new fire chief. Collins, who has served the department for 22 years, said that he would keep volunteering as a fire fighter but no longer has the time needed to be the chief. Bass told the council of his qualifications for fire chief and said that his job as service manager of Bell International frees him up to serve whenever needed. The council voted unanimously to accept Bass as the new chief and he was sworn in.
The City of Pea Ridge has received word of a $2,141,200 loan from the Arkansas Soil and Conservation Commission to finance what is known as the Summit Water Association. The loan will allow construction of a water system to serve up to 400 rural customers north and west of Pea Ridge. Pea Ridge Mayor Jackie Crabtree said that the city is now awaiting a letter of condition from the commission. That letter will establish rates he said. Crabtree estimated that the monthly bills to customers would be between $40 and $44 based on 4,000 gallons of consumption.
10 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 42 No. 39 Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007
“We’re very, very happy — we’re ecstatic,” said Mike Van Dyke, Pea Ridge school superintendent, about the voters’ approval of the millage request which approved Tuesday, Sept. 18, in Benton County’s annual school election. The district sought and received a 2.2 mil increase to fund the construction of a building to house elementary students. “It goes back to what we’ve said all along — the Pea Ridge people like and support their schools,” he said.The vote was 201 in favor of the increase and 158 opposed.
Several residents of Hazelton Road attended this month’s City Council meeting and questioned the council about what would happen to large oak trees along the south side of the road just east of It’ll Do Road once a new subdivision is built. The council was considering a rezoning request by subdivision developer Jim Sellers which had been approved by the Planning Commission. The council members tied on the vote and Mayor Crabtree voted in favor, breaking the tied vote.