RECOLLECTIONS
50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 3 No. 31 Thursday, Aug. 1, 1968
For the second time in less than four months, the downtown business section of Pea Ridge was threatened by fire Monday. Monday’s fire was reported to have been started when an employee of the drug store burned trash in a barrel at the rear of the store. Apparently, the fire caught a large pile of cardboard furniture packing case in the alley. When discovered, a utility pole near the corner adjoining buildings on both sides was afire, as was the roof above the drug store.
Wide publicity as been given for nine years to the fact that the streets of Pea Ridge are named for officers who fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge. That fact has been noted both in a detailed feature and in numerous short mentions in the local paper, and features about the matter have appeared in many metropolitan papers of the Midwest. This week some question has arisen about the street naming. One school of thought is that the project was not officially authorized by the city. The city secretary said she knows of nothing in the records to so indicate. Does the city have the right to request those establishing developments near the city to adhere to our street naming policies the same way the city has a right to require that water lines meet certain specifications even though the addition being developed is outside of city limits? Undoubtedly, whatever is deemed best for the city will be the way the Council will settle the matter.
40 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic-Scene Vol. 13 No. 31 Wednesday, Aug. 2, 1978
William A. (Bill) Putman has joined the staff of the Graphic-Scene as an advertising representative serving businesses in the Rogers, Bentonville and Springdale area. Putman is a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas at
Fayetteville with a degree in art. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Putman of Little Flock and is the great-nephew of the W.T. Putmans of Pea Ridge. Leaving the Graphic-Scene staff after nearly two years as associate editor is Tim Swanson.
A new engineering report has been prepared on a proposed regional airport for Northwest Arkansas. Construction of a regional airport that could accommodate jet airliners has been an issue for the past 10 years or more. Proposals to build an airport have twice been rejected by voters in Benton and Washington counties.
30 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 23 No. 31 Thursday, Aug. 4, 1988
The plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Pea Ridge School Board and several former administrators has asked that the lawsuit be dropped. The action was taken by Andy Buck, a former member of the Pea Ridge School Board. In the suite, Buck claimed that the defendants (the district, former superintendents James C. Carlton and Bill Alvarez, former high school principal Bruce Norwood, former elementary school principal Russell Davidson, former school board president Kenneth Patterson, school board president Ronald Foster and school board members Kent Webb, Tony Fletcher and Douglas McKinney), individually and in their official capacities “did and still are performing their duties and powers in a negligent and reckless manner” and “did actively and with gross negligence participate in the decision making processes and implementation of the mismanagement of school monies for the school years of 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986.” Buck’s motion for voluntary non-suit states “that since the filing of this lawsuit, certain defendants have repaid the school district monies owed, and some of the teachers have been compensated because of underpayment.
Sisters Barbara Patton and Connie Robbins are once again managing the Ridgerunner restaurant in downtown Pea Ridge after a two-year absence. Not only has the management changed, so has the appearance of the restaurant. The building, nearly 30 years old, was originally a Dairy Queen and has changed hands several times over the years. The sisters managed it for a couple of years and then leased the operation. The sisters, now co-owners, held the grand opening Monday. Mrs. Robbins said that the restaurant will seat 32 people, “and we want it filled three times daily.”
Two Pea Ridge aldermen said this week that they will see re-election, and two said that they will not. Incumbents Delores Hall and Gary Immel said Monday that their names will be on the ballot Nov. 8 when voters go to the polls to select those who will serve as city aldermen for the next two years. The names of Mike Yarberry and Charles Stewart will not be on the ballot for re-election, the two said Monday. City Recorder Sandy Easley said that she will seek re-election to a four-year term and that she has filed her qualifying petition.
20 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 33 No. 31 Thursday, Aug. 6, 1998
The Pea Ridge School campus is active now, despite the fact that the first day of school will be Aug. 19. Middle School principal Anita Frevert said, “It’s mass chaos here.” She said that teachers are unloading their boxes from summer storage.
The Pea Ridge Blackhawks are no longer in the 1-A West Conference. It’s 2-A for the time being. Head football coach Rob Bray said, “They’ve done away with the B classification and moved everybody up one notch.” Bray said, “We’ll still play the same teams. “Our entire conference moved up, with the exception of Cedarville moving down a class and Johnson, moving to the conference south of us.” The Blackhawks will play two out-of-state teams this year, Eldorado Springs, Mo., is away and Warner, Okla., is at home. Bray said, “These were the closest we could find this year. “Travel won’t be a problem this year, but next year we have two three-and-a-half hour away games.”
National Park Service director Robert Stanton was impressed Friday with Pea Ridge National Military Park. He complimented superintendent Steve Adams and his staff during his remarks to guests in the park’s auditorium and again complimented them in private after posing in a photograph with them. Friday’s visit was hosted by Friends of Pea Ridge National Military Park, a volunteer organization which has promoted the park since 1994.
10 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 43 No. 31 Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008
A student transfer will be considered at this month’s Pea Ridge School Board meeting. An item added to the school board agenda is “consideration of extenuating circumstance created by petition to transfer policy change.” Other items on the agenda include: consent agenda; old business; and new business.
The Pea Ridge Junior High cheer squad went to camp at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville July 26-29. The squad won first place Camp Champs in the cheer; received second place for Home Pom dance where they dressed up in ’80s clothes and danced to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”; won the banana the first night for having the most spirit out of the entire camp; won a superior trophy for being advanced all week long; and perhaps the highest honor was only one squad received a plaque where the staff members voted on a superior Leadership award and they received that on the last day. Four out of six members made All-stars, which was more than any other squad at the camp.