RECOLLECTIONS
50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 2 No. 50 Thursday, Dec. 14, 1967
With a full house of city officials on hand at last Thursday night’s regular monthly meeting, the Pea Ridge City Council wrestled with Fire Department problems, passed a motion to establish a service connection charge for new water meters, agreed to investigate the organizing of a city Planning Commission and the zoning of the city, heard requests from residents near the city for extensions of water lines to their property, and heard a report on city sewer tax from Finis Wood.
Two serious fires occurring within three days of each other last week wiped out a Pea Ridge business and left a family of nine homeless. The Wednesday morning blaze that destroyed the Pea Ridge Laundryette was the most costly fire. It burned the 20year old structure that once housed a processing plant, destroyed the entire laundry facilities, including 20 new washing machines, burned cars stored in the attached garage and damaged and destroyed personal property. The residential fire leveled the four-room tenant home at the intersection of Arkansas Hwy. 72 and U.S. Hwy. 62, destroying all the contents.
40 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic-Scene Vol. 12 No. 50 Wednesday, Dec. 14, 1977
Three Pea Ridge junior high students participated in the Regional Junior Bank Festival last weekend at Bentonville High School. Melissa King, Chris Patton and Robert Vanhoose were selected in tryouts the previous week at Elmwood Junior High in Rogers. The students competed with more than 700 band students from throughout the area for the honor of playing in one of two All-Region Bands which performed at the festival.
A letter from an attorney threatening to file suit against the Pea Ridge School District to stop a teacher from continuing her daily practice of reading the Bible in class was read at the Pea Ridge School Board meeting Monday night. School superintendent Roy Roe reported to the board that the teacher, who teaches fifth grade, had discontinued the practice. The board took no action on the matter. In other business the board discussed adoption of an attendance policy, agreed to give the old Twelve Corners School property to the community, approved the official tax rate for the March election, hired a secretary for the high school principal, heard a request from the junior class president to hold a dance off campus, and heard a report on an insurance settlement for damage to the elementary school caused when a bus crashed into the building.
30 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 22 No. 50 Wednesday, Dec. 16, 1987
There was no vote last Thursday night about asking the Pea Ridge Planning Commission to take a look at increasing the geographical size of the city, but brief discussion among Pea Ridge aldermen made the intent clear. Councilman Gary Immel said, “We’re going to have to move east or west; our tax base isn’t increasing that much. That’s the reason there hasn’t been any subdivision work in Pea Ridge in six or seven years,” he said. Council member Charles Steward spoke in favor of increasing the size of the city. He said, “By expanding boundaries, we might get some factories.”
Joyce Hale of Pea Ridge has been named a recipient of a Rockefeller Foundation rural economic development internship. Mrs. Hale, who applied for the internship earlier in the year, will undergo two weeks of training next month in Little Rock at the Rockefeller Foundation headquarters. She said, “The Rockefeller Foundation tries to encourage the things that are going well in a community.” Mrs. Hale said that the internship program “is much more open ended and specialized for the individual. They try to develop them further as leaders.”
20 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 32 No. 50 Thursday, Dec. 11, 1997
On Monday night, the Pea Ridge School Board heard how the county tax roll-back will affect the district financially. Superintendent Roy Norvell told the board that state Amendment 59, which prevents a county from raising taxes more than 10 percent above the previous year’s taxes, will mean that the district will not receive as much of a revenue increase as it expected before the roll-back. Because of an increase in property tax assessments, the district will receive an increase in revenue over last year. The board voted to accept the new calculations concerning the tax roll-back.
The Pea Ridge Instrumental Music Department will present its annual holiday concert at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, in the high school gymnasium. The high school, middle and beginning bands will be featured on the program which consists of holiday favorites and a special treat, a guest vocal soloist, Mary Durand, will perform with the high school band. Admission is free.
10 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 42 No. 50 Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007
Members of the Good News Club will be allowed to use school facilities for their club meetings after school hours following approval by the Pea Ridge School Board Monday night. Although no vote was taken. School superintendent Mike Van Dyke listed several conditions to the approval, including providing a roster of the children expected to attend. Gary Adkins, representing the club, said Church Mutual provides insurance which will cover any liability necessary. Board and club members discussed how to provide parents with permission slips to be signed and how to return those signed papers to both the school and the club directors. It was agreed a club representative could visit the classrooms to offer the opportunity to visit the club and hand out permission slips.
More families applied for Christmas aide than ever before in the community. There are more angels on the trees but fewer have been adopted, said John Gibson, president of the Pea Ridge Ministerial Alliance, which has sponsored the program since 1998. “This year there are 95 kids. We have a lot more families than ever before,” he said. “There are 40 children who have not been adopted. Those children may not receive any Christmas presents if no one steps up to adopt them,” Gibson said.