RECOLLECTIONS

50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 4 No. 20 Thursday, May 15, 1969

C. W. Chadwick was named new fire chief last week by the Pea Ridge City Council. Rodger Hickman, who had resigned as fire chief of the volunteer fire department, was named assistant chief by the council. Chadwick and his wife moved to Pea Ridge two years ago from Des Moines, Iowa. He is a retired employee of the Crown Concrete Co. The Chadwicks are the parents of three sons and they have five grandchildren. Describing himself as “fire conscious,” Chadwick explained that his own family once had a small fire in their home, and that since the, he has been more conscious of the seriousness of fires and want to help extinguish other fires. Since coming here, he has only missed answering the call on three fires — one of which he failed to hear and two of which found him out of town at the time the siren was sounded. Chadwick outlines the needs to be met by the department in its effort to get the insurance rates in Pea Ridge lowered from Class 10 to Class 9.

Mayor Jack Musteen announced this week that a concentrated effort has been begun here to upgrade the Pea Ridge Volunteer Fire Department to meet requirements of the Arkansas Inspection and Rating Bureau to qualify local residents for a lower insurance rating class. Upon request of the mayor, a representative of the Inspection and Rating Bureau paid a visit to Pea Ridge to examine needs of the fire department. His study has resulted in the preparation of a letter outlining needs of the community to reduce the rating class. Local residents are now paying the highest insurance rates — those established for Class 10. If the city is able to meet requirements to reduce this rating from Class 10 down to Class 9 and eventually down to Class 8, the individual family insurance rates would be reduced considerable.

The Pea Ridge City Council, at its regular monthly meeting Thursday night, named a fire chief, voted to invite the state fire instructor here for special training of local firemen, voted to close a street with approval of the county judge, studied bids received on street improvement projects, approved the paying of city bills, and furthered its effort at having city funds audited. The council agreed on a special session this week to further study the street bids and to study the proposed bond issue to further plans of obtaining a local industry.

40 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Scene Vol. 14 No. 20 Wednesday, May 16, 1979

“I’ve been on it about 17 years and the financial condition of the City of Pea Ridge looks bleaker than ever before,” exclaimed councilman Daryle Greene after the council had voted to purchase $9,000 of equipment. Before the vote, Green and councilman Charles Colton raised questions about the condition of the city’s various funds and the increasing monthly costs and loose control of spending. Colton called for budgets be prepared by each department and then a city-wide budget to be prepared and used as a guide in spending. “I hate to be sitting on this council and see us spending this money without a budget control or guide,” he told members of the council. Concern for the city’s finances was expressed by Green and Colton early in the meeting last Thursday evening when reviewed the monthly financial statements and the April bills to be paid in May. Getting special attention from the councilmen was the increased, “greatly increased and going to get high,” cost of vehicle maintenance and operation by the city. The rapid increase in gasoline prices was decried by all the councilmen and several noted that there’s no offsetting increase in city revenues.

New locks have been installed on the newlyconstructed restrooms at Pea Ridge City Park that should eliminate a problem encountered earlier this spring that often cause park visitors to find the restroom doors locked. The original locks could be locked manually before closing the door. As a result, this was sometimes done by children or pranksters, leaving the restrooms locked to others coming later. The new school-type locks installed last week can be locked by the use of a key only. The keys are carried by local police, who will unlock the restrooms at daylight each day and lock them up at 10 p.m. each night, the official park closing time set by the City Council.

Possibly trying to avoid the high cost of gasoline, someone, or more than one, collected some gas without paying Saturday night. When caught, they’ll find this gas far more expensive that at the pump. Local police received a report Monday morning that all of the Pea Ridge district school buses had been drained of gas over the weekend, probably Saturday night. Police are investigating.

30 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 24 No. 20 Thursday, May 18, 1989

Construction is expected to begin soon on an independent care facility for the elderly, the developer said last week. Developer Larry Goins said that the Bank of Pea Ridge has approved a $300,000 loan to Goins to start building the facility. The facility will be located on Wade Lane and South Curtis Avenue and be developed by his corporation, L.D.J. Inc. Goins said that

he hopes to start construction within 30 days and is looking to have the project completed within four months.

The Pea Ridge School Board went along with the recommendation of superintend Marvin Higginbottom last week to hire Tom Chew as the new high school principal. Chew will replace Jon Hershberger whose resignation will be effective at the end of the school year. The Chews plan to move to Pea Ridge by the first of July.

Work on Arkansas Highway 265 is slightly behind schedule, but that hasn’t prevented Mayor Mary Rogers from thinking about a ceremony of sorts when the project is completed. The gravel highway is being straightened, widened and paved between Pea Ridge and the Missouri line, a distance of about three miles. State Highway Department spokesman Bill Stanton said from his Little Rock office that the project “is running a little behind with estimated completion in September 1989.”

20 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 34 No. 20 Wednesday, May 19, 1999

She was kidnapped by Indians when she was 2 years old, is a cousin of Queen Victoria and survived a robbery and betting at age 99. May Cowan is quite a lady. She celebrated her 100th birthday Sunday with an open house at her home in Garfield, which is full of her husband’s handmade baskets and raw materials, crafts she has made and sold over the years and flowers.

In a called meeting Monday night that only lasted 10 minutes, the Pea Ridge School Board accepted superintendent of School Roy Norvell’s recommendation and voted not to rehire coach Toby Tevebaugh and middle school teacher Nicolee Woodring. The contracts of Tevebaugh and Woodring had been tabled at the board’s meeting in April when other certified staff were hired. At the April meeting, a delegation of girl’s basketball players had asked the board to consider leaving Tevebaugh in his post as a senior girls’ basketball coach. Persons at that meeting had thought Tevebaugh was being moved to junior high football and basketball coach and would no longer be coaching senior high. All board members in attendance voted for the motion not to rehire.

Superintendent of schools Roy Norvell received notification this month that the Pea Ridge Elementary, Middle and High Schools have been accredited by the North Central Association for the 1989-99 school year. Letters to the elementary and middle schools cited no violations of standards and said the schools were to be commended for their efforts in providing for their students a quality program of education. A letter to the high school said the review of the school had “noted violations of standards which were not of sufficient magnitude to warrant a warning.” The school’s annual report next year should list the violations with a description of the steps that have been taken to remedy the situation.

10 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 44 No. 20 Wednesday, May 20, 2009

For more than 20 years, the Pea Ridge Mule Jump has been a community affair and a drawing card to this small community nestled in the Ozark hills just below Missouri. Now, its future is in jeopardy. “We appreciate everyone who has had a part in the Mule Jump in the past 20 years. It’s required a lot of work and energy. We hope to continue the tradition,” Mayor Jackie Crabtree said. Crabtree told city councilmen recently the event is not a money-maker every year, although in the past, it was profitable enough to purchase playground equipment now at the city park. From 1988 until 1999, the Lions Club, which disbanded, sponsored the event. In 1999 and 2000, the Friends of Pea Ridge sponsored the event as a fundraiser for the local United Fund. City officials are looking for help to sponsor the event. Crabtree and the Pea Ridge Optimist Club are jointly sponsoring a community meeting to investigate the possibilities to continue to popular event.

Drug testing for school students took one more step at the May School Board meeting. Representatives from eScreen, a drug testing company, presented information to board members. There are various drug-screening tests offered. Board members agreed the nine-panel test was most suited to their needs. “Just ask the kids which drugs are abused,” Lou Keen, with eScreen, said, adding that prescription drugs are some of the most abused drugs right now.

Two local fire departments will reap benefits from state General Improvement Funds. Both the Pea Ridge and Little Flock volunteer fire departments should receive several thousand dollars, according to State Representative Donna Hutchinson. Pea Ridge is scheduled to receive $5,938.46 over the next two years.