RECOLLECTIONS
50 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic Vol. 5 No. 34 Thursday, Aug. 20, 1970
The Pea Ridge schools will open for the 1970-71 term at 8:30 a.m. next Monday, Aug. 24. Andrew Widener, superintendent of schools, said only a half day of school will be held the opening day with regular school hours to begin Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Meeting in regular monthly session Thursday night, the Pea Ridge City Council approved the paying of city bills, heard local residents complain about a nuisance created by neighborhood dogs, peeked at the possibility of establishing a pubic park for the city, took a long hard look — again — at the possibility of obtaining fire phones here and was faced with what could be a major expense for the city that had not been foreseen.
Mrs. Don King, Pea Ridge kindergarten teacher, announced that all kindergarten-age children should be at Pea Ridge First Baptist Church at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 31, for registration. Classes will begin at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 1 and will be held in the basement of the First Baptist Church.
40 Years Ago Pea Ridge Graphic-Scene Vol. 15 No. 34 Wednesday, Aug. 20, 1980
The debate continued over the water-sewer rate rasie at the Pea Ridge City Council meeting Thursday night and ended in the same fashion it did the month before — no one was happy and no one felt victorious. Some 40 minutes after the meeting started and routine business of the council had been conducted, Mayor Lester Hall opened the meeting to comments from the audience.
Pea Ridge’s mayor, Lester Hall, has two more years to go on his term, but all of the rest of the City Council members’ positions are up for election at the fall general election. The term of clerk/recorder Fred McKinney is up and the position will be up for grabs at the next election. McKinney told The TIMES he will not file for re-election.
The Pea Ridge Police Department, in cooperation with Benton County Sheriff’s Office, arrested two juveniles Aug. 15 for making the threatening bomb calls reported in last week’s TIMES. The two youngsters, brothers 11 and 15, were left alone all day, bored and wanted something interesting to do, Police Chief Loyd Pifer told the TIMES.
30 Years Ago Pea Ridge Country Times
Vol. 25 No. 34 Thursday, Aug. 23, 1990
Pea Ridge Mayor Mary Rogers told City Council members that Police Chief Sam Holcomb will supervise the Pea Ridge Ambulance Department. The council agreed to have City Attorney Howard Slinkard draft an ordinance that would replace the current ordinance that puts operation of the ambulance under the Fire Department’s administration.
Members of the City Park Commission have been doing some improvements to the park and have reestablished the city park’s hours. According to Bob Harp, the hours of the park are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.
Thousands of dollars in damage were done to the home of Louise A. Smith after a pickup truck went through her bedroom wall Saturday afternoon. A red 1978 Ford 3/4-ton truck driven by Jo A. Miser, 41, of Pea Ridge, went through
the bedroom wall at Smith’s house on Arkansas Highway 72 west.
Pea Ridge City Council members answered questions for more than an hour last Thursday night from approximately 35 residents opposed to the proposed 1,600-acre annexation slated to go on the Nov. 6 ballot. The consensus of those opposing the annexation was of a desire not to be in the city limits, the availability of city services and the city’s ability to financially support the annexation and the services that would accompany being in the city.
20 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 35 No. 34 Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2000
First day enrollment totals at Pea Ridge schools showed a slight increase over last year, according to school superintendent Roy Norvell. First day total enrollment in 1999 was 1,139 compared to Monday’s total of 1,156. High School principal Gary Wayman said students were eager to get into the new school and had been very receptive to instructions.
Community Publishers Inc. and WEHCO Media Inc., announced a new venture to combine their newspaper publishing operations in Benton and Washington counties, including The Benton County Daily Record, the Northwest Arkansas Times, and the northwest Arkansas edition of the Arkansas DemocratGazette. CPI’s weekly newspapers, including The TIMES of Northeast Benton County, will also be included in the new enterprise.
Benton County Circuit Judge Tom Keith scheduled a December trial date Monday for a former English teachers at Pea Ridge High School who is accused of having an improper relationship with a female student. The jury trial of Matthew Scantling will be Dec. 12.
The seventh annual Arkansas Emu Association meeting was held Saturday at the Pea Ridge City Park. The meeting was hosted by the Northwest Arkansas Emu Breeders Association, according to president Chuck Jones.
10 Years Ago The TIMES of Northeast Benton County Vol. 45 No. 34 Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010
Shared work is always more fun. At least that’s the idea behind a city-wide garage sale being promoted by Gina Easterling and Courtney Hurst. The two ladies are encouraging their neighbors to join them with garage sales from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11.
Throwing his hat into the ring, Boyd McNiel has filed to run for mayor, McNiel, 47, has been in Pea Ridge for 21 years. He is a native of Cassville, Mo., and has been an iron worker for 25 years, but is currently unemployed. He ran for, but was not elected, City Council during the last election.
Too old, yet too young — that’s how some people describe pre-teen children between the ages of 10 and 12 who feel they’re too old to go to daycare but may be too young to be left home alone. Several day care businesses in town offer after-school day care. The Hangout at Mrs. Neecy’s Children’s Center is designed for this age group.
A new air conditioner unit has been installed at the Pea Ridge Historical Museum thanks to a donation from Arvest Bank, Pea Ridge, according to Historical Society president Mary Durand and Mayor Jackie Crabtree.