Archive - 2012 - News Article
August 28th
Benton Mayor David Mattingly has been given a 25 percent change order threshold for the Lower Military Road construction project.
The City Council approved an ordinance to this effect in a meeting Monday night.
The ordinance notes that the council previously had passed an ordinance giving the mayor a 15 percent contingency for change orders for this extensive project.
The original contract the city awarded to McGeorge Construction for the project was $7,837,272.
Bryant residents who were disappointed by the absence of fireworks on the Fourth of July will be excited to know the city plans to set off the fireworks display originally planned for Independence day at Bryant’s Annual Fall Fest.
The festival will be held Oct. 6 at Bishop Park. The schedule of events includes a pancake breakfast at the Bryant Senior Activity Center at 9:30 a.m. The parade and festival start at 10 a.m.
A duct tape boat race is scheduled for 11 a.m., and the fireworks display will begin at 8 p.m.
Finding the perfect purse is no easy task.
It's a project the faint of heart should avoid at all costs because the quest is fraught with frustration and aggravation.
Whenever I find one I really like, it's a foregone conclusion it will wear out almost by the time I get all my stuff inside.
If it's really tacky, it will last till the proverbial cows come home.
I've found that most purses are either too big, too little, too plain, too fancy, too something.
KEEPING MARITAL PEACE ON THE HOME FRONT
Maybe this isn't the ideal time in life for me to be giving marital advice since, as most people know, I'm now a widow.
It's hard to write those words and even harder to say them, but truth is truth and facts are facts and that's my status.
However, in spite of the fact that I'm no longer a wife, I was asked recently to share some advice on how to have a happy marriage, which I enjoyed for 36, nearly 37, years.
Probably a bona fide, certified "expert" would disagree with what I shall say here, but I'm a subscriber to the "proof is in the pudding" school of thought. The years Ed and I had together were as good as life gets, so here goes.
I've observed that in articles on marriage, three-fourths of the time the alleged authority will advise a couple to make sure everything is 50-50 in the arrangement.
"Be willing to give over to his/her side at least half the time," Expert says.
"And always tell him when you're wrong."
Uh-huh.
Those words are easy-come, easy-go.
For those of you about to enter the blissful bonds of matrimony, I'd like to point out that there's another point of view.
Marriage is a two-way street and the scales don't always balance evenly.
Also, consider this comment from my longtime friend Freddy Burton who some time back was categorizing his life with wife Brenda: "I can be right or I can be happy."
Then he added: "And I choose to be happy."
The Burtons have been married for 47 years. I'd call Freddy a smart man.
Freddy and my late spouse had similar philosophies on how to keep the happy home fires burning.
Someone once asked Ed how the two of us managed to get along so well.
"Oh, that's easy," he said. "She likes to have her own way and I let her."
I don't remember the author's name, but someone wrote a book along this line that was titled "If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy."
You don't have to think about that much to get the message.
Every time I read a so-called authority's "wisdom" regarding marriage, I always wonder what kind of mate (if any) he/she left at home.
On a similar vein, it reminds me of the time, as a young mother, I heard my pediatrician say I should begin potty-training my daughter.
I thought I had misunderstood. "What did you say?"
He repeated the instruction.
"Are you kidding?" I replied.
"Of course not," the esteemed physician replied. "It's time.
"Dr. -----," I said, "have you forgotten she's only six months old?"
"Oh, you can begin training babies at that age," he insisted.
"It's the best time," he added.
I hesitated only briefly before picking up my purse, diaper bag and child and politely made my departure.
Later, I found out the man was childless. He had never even been married.
To cut to the chase, we switched to a REAL doctor who had had experience with REAL children.
I heard this story about a group of men who had just arrived in heaven. They were given this instruction:
"Now those of you who were henpecked should stand on the left side and those who weren't should stand on the right."
When the group took their places, one man found himself standing all alone on the right side.
"Why are you over here?" he was asked.
"Because this is where my wife told me to stand," he answered.
Who could add anything to that.
Lynda Hollenbeck is senior editor of The Saline Courier.
lyndahol@yahoo.com.
August 27th
Area residents are continuing to voice concern about a proposed high-voltage transmission line to be installed by Entergy Arkansas in Benton.
The route for the line includes property that runs alongside Bernard Holland Park, where youngsters play ball many days of the year.
Many residents are concerned about the potential health risks to children because of the location of the line, but city officials contend there is no cause for alarm.
Mayor David Mattingly said Wednesday that he had been informed that the location of the line does not pose any health hazards.
August 25th
Brenda Haney has joined the contenders seeking a position on the Bauxite City Council.
She is campaigning for Position 3, which will soon be vacated by Alderman Guy Hendrix. Former Alderman Mae Clark also is a candidate for the seat.
August 24th
Benton and Bryant area chamber of commerce members are invited to set up booths for a tailgate party to be held in conjunction with the 2012 Salt Bowl game between the two competing schools.
The Salt Bowl game between Benton and Bryant will be taking place Friday, Sept. 21, at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Attendance at this game is traditionally the highest at any high school game in the state, according to a Benton Area Chamber of Commerce spokesperson.
Vendors are asked to register with the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce.Â
Area residents who were disappointed that no fireworks displays were presented locally during the Fourth of July holiday can look forward to a special Labor Day event in Benton.
A fireworks extravaganza is planned Sunday, Sept. 2, at the old Saline County Airport site, city officials have announced.
The Independence Day fireworks shows in Saline County were canceled because of drought conditions and fire danger. The county was under a burn ban, as were most counties in the state during the holiday period.
Wade Permenter is one of two candidates vying for Position 2 in Ward 1 of the Bryant City Council in the general election Nov. 6. The other is Alan Keys.
"I recently got involved in council meetings and find it interesting to serve the public by hearing people's needs and communicating them to the council," Permenter said.
Permenter cited his values as assets he would bring to the position
"Love of God, love of family, love of community. Each of these is very important to me," Permenter wrote in a press release.
"He was standing next to his car in the commuter parking lot in Bryant. He had put the T-tops on his car. It's where he was supposed to meet Don. I remember seeing him brushing his hair as I drove past the parking lot."
This was the last time Linda Ives saw her son, Kevin, alive. Don Henry, 16, the son of Curtis Henry, and Kevin, 17, had made plans to spend the night doing some rabbit hunting in the woods of Alexander.
