RECOLLECTIONS

50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 4 No. 35 Thursday, Aug. 28, 1969

The new Pea Ridge School band director, C.A. Hartley, and superintendent of schools, Andrew Widener, met with the local Chamber of Commerce Thursday night at City Hall to synchronize efforts at establishing the new school band. Hartley outlined briefly for the group his own music career, and then discussed at length his ambitions for the band to be established here. He emphasized the fact that he would not be able to ascertain many of the needs of the band until after he has seen how many students registered for band on the opening day of school. Widener said that the band will use the white frame building north of the high school that was last year used to house a classroom. Completion of the new addition to the elementary school makes this oneroom structure available for use by the band.

The most fertile soil in Pea Ridge, says Clint Mount, may be the courtyard in the exact center of the downtown business section. Having noticed that tomatoes in his garden seemed inclined to get a blight each year, Mount discussed with Pea Ridge Furniture Store operator George Wells the prospect of planting three tomato plants outside the backdoor of the store. Hearn Oliver took to the idea, too, so he planted four plants nearby, just outside the former home of the Bank of Pea Ridge. the seven plants have grown far taller than a man’s head and loaded with fine tomatoes. Mount points out that the spot has been used for business buildings since the town began more than a century ago, and that this crop of tomatoes could be the first crop ever grown on the soil at that location.

Superintendent Lionel Bienvenu, Pea Ridge National Military Park, expressed his growing concern over individuals dumping refuse on park land. The dumping is taking place along a section of the Old Wire Road bordering the park detached area. This area is southwest of the Park Visitor Center on Little Sugar Creek. Any individual engaged in this activity is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of no more than one year in jail and/or $1,000.

40 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Scene Vol. 14 No. 35 Wednesday, Aug. 29, 1979

Officials of the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Dept., Benton County Highway Department, City of Pea Ridge and Sen. Kim Hendren met in Pea Ridge Tuesday to discuss and make plans for the construction of Arkansas Highway

265 to the Missouri state line from Pea Ridge. Pea Ridge Mayor Lester Hall reports that the state assured him that it is ready to complete planning for constructions as soon as right-of-way is acquired and ready and the utilities re-location has been completed.

30 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 24 No. 35 Thursday, Aug. 31, 1989

The Pea Ridge School Board approved last week a $1,664,920 budget for the 1989-90 school year and settled lawsuits that were filed in July by Ray Neeley and Joann Chupp. The budget, which was cut $43,900 from the 198890, will leave the school with a $24,181 surplus at the end of the 1990 school year.

20 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 34 No. 35 Wednesday, Sept. 1, 1999

A crowd gathered in an empty field in Pea Ridge Thursday for the ground breaking of Dave Montgomery’s new, larger IGA store. The new store, which will be built next to his old store, will increase his area from 13,500 square feet to 21,000, employ more people and increase revenue. He is planning for a March 1 grand opening. Once the business moves, the old building will be rented to a retail business. He has remodeled the old store three times since buying it.

10 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 44 No. 35 Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009

As Pea Ridge School District considers Hall Pass security software system, few other Benton County schools have also taken the same action to protect the area’s children against sex offenders and violence. Of seven school districts in the county, only one has installed software security system comparable to Hall Pass. All 16 campuses in the Bentonville School District have used a software called Raptor since the fall of 2008.