RECOLLECTIONS
50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 2 No. 18 Thursday, May 4, 1967
A petition circulated in the Pea Ridge school district in March changed the school picture. No longer is Pea Ridge a part of Benton County School District No. 1. It is now an independent school district, No. 109. As an independent school district, Pea Ridge will have its first superintendent of schools. Scheduled to assume his new position on July 1, the new superintendent is Andrew Widener of St. Paul.
Charles Hardy of Pea Ridge will assume his new duties Monday as the water superintendent. Hardy replaces Paul Chase, who submitted his resignation to the City Council several weeks ago. Mr. Chase had continued to serve in the position, while the city officials determined a successor for him, until April 25, when he was incapacitated by injuries sustained in a traffic accident.
40 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic-Scene Vol. 12 No. 18 Wednesday, May 4, 1977
Benton County Judge Railey Steele will be the speaker at dedication ceremonies for the new Pea Ridge City Park. The dedication and community picnic will be held on Monday, May 30, (Memorial Day) at the park. Pea Ridge Mayor Carl J. Carter will proclaim the park officially open with the firing of a cannon to mark the event. The old-fashioned cooperative picnic is to be held at 1 p.m., followed by the dedication ceremony at 2:30 p.m.
Two houses now under construction on Davis Street in Pea Ridge are to be the beginning of a new subdivision which may eventually include up 35 new homes, according to developers Franklin Miller and Bill Smith. Current plans call for 10 homes on Davis Street, and five on Lee Town Road. Future plans include construction of a new street parallel to and east of Davis Street, with some 20 lots on either side of the new street. The houses are being built by Pea Ridge Contractor C.B. Hall. They are to be all brick with large lots of about 1¾ acres.
30 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 22 No. 18 Wednesday, May 6, 1987
The Pea Ridge High School Academic Awards Banquet Monday night brought out a large crowd of parents, students and teachers, welcomed by school superintendent Bill Alarez and School Board members. The invocation was given by the Rev. Charles Womack. Over 30 categories of awards were presented, recognizing both scholastic and service achievement. Donna Gaston coordinated the event, and departmental heads and teachers made the presentations.
Pea Ridge School superintendent Bill Alvarez told the Times Tuesday that he has suspended trades and industries teacher Scott Leachman with pay. The suspension comes at a time when some T& I students and their parents are protesting the school board’s decision in April not to renew Leachman’s contract because of a need to reduce the staff. Some of Leachman’s former students, distressed at the board’s earlier decision not to renew his contract, have signed a petition asking that the decision be reversed.
20 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 32 No. 18 Thursday, May 1, 1997
Jackie and Jerry Collins of Pea Ridge opened a craft and antique shop in downtown Pea Ridge April 14. The shop is called Jackie’s Antiques & Gifts at 1328 N. Curtis Ave. Mrs. Collins said, “In the back of my mind, I’ve always dreamed of having a store like this with decorative accessories and crafts.” She said, “I love antiques because they remind me of things my mother and grandmother had. There’s a lot of history to it.”
Pea Ridge High School senior Daryld Pottorff qualified last week to run the 400 meter dash in the state track meet. He qualified by running the 400 meter dash in 52.2 seconds. Qualifying time was 52.3 seconds. Other Blackhawk track members were expected to qualify after participating in the regional track meet on Wednesday.
Pea Ridge police officer Cerilla Doyle will hold a bike rodeo this Saturday at Pea Ridge Elementary School. She said that the rodeo will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and end with free hot dogs for participants. Doyle said that there will be a written test, a skills test and a bike inspection and prizes will be given away. The only things children need to bring, she said, are bicycles and helmets, if they have helmets.
The Pea Ridge Blackhawk baseball team ended the regular season as 1-A West Conference champions. They host the regional tournament May 5 and 6 at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Babe Ruth Field on North Ark. Hwy. 94.
10 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 42 No. 18 Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Subdivisions are replacing pastures and the once green fields are platted with houses. Building has increased 1,000 percent in the past 10 years, according to city building permit records. There were 30 building permits sold in 1995, 57 in 2000 and 306 in 2005. Area builders, working hand in hand with local businesses and the Regional Chamber of Commerce of Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri, are sponsoring a tour of homes to show off some of the new houses in the area. The Pea Ridge Tour of Homes will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 5, and Sunday, May 6.
The Pea Ridge High School Concert Band recently performed in the Region I Concert Assessment at Siloam Springs High School and received an overall excellent rating in concert and sight-reading performance. This marks the fourth year in a row that the band has received such high marks. The band earned a superior and two excellent ratings and an excellent in sight-reading.
Little more than a year after it burned, White Oak Station is open for business — bigger and better. Manager Martin Sloan said the business is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offers fresh doughnuts daily, a full-line deli, rotisserie chicken and ribs, salads, wraps and a coffee bar. Gasoline, diesel and off-road diesel are also available. They also have Western Union money grams, prepaid telephone cards and a variety of other products.