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Benton to postpone annex election |
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Tuesday, 15 July 2008 |
There will not be a special annexation election Aug. 12 in Benton after all.
Aldermen on Monday night approved an ordinance that repeals the earlier ordinance calling for the election.
Benton officials now plan to revamp their annexation plans and focus strictly on a small area of land that also is being sought by the city of Bryant.
Bryant’s annexation election still is scheduled Sept. 9, but Benton now plans to hold another election concerning a much smaller parcel of land. The new election is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 14.
Eliminated from the targeted area is the Salem community, where residents have registered strong opposition and organized an anti-annexation campaign.
Alderman Doug Stracener said in an agenda meeting preceding Monday night’s council session that the city of Benton, for the past 10 years, has done “only friendly annexations” except for one island annexation where there was little population.
“Benton’s track record is annexation-friendly,” he told Bob Huie, a Salem resident who has led opposition to Benton’s annexation proposal.
Stracener said backing off on the more extensive annexation proposal is a wise move.
Huie indicated that he appreciates the decision to change the annexation proposal.
“I like this plan if you call this off,” Huie said. “I think there is a lot of ambiguity ... a great deal of confusion about this. I think people are misinformed ... .”
Huie said there needs to be better communication between city leaders and Salem residents who possibly could be interested in being annexed into Benton at some time in the future, but not now.
Huie pointed out that he is “not a politician.”
“I’m a preacher,” he said. “This fell on me just because I put a sign [opposing the annexation] in my yard.”
Alderman Joe Lee Richards noted that he and other Benton officials have shown by this action that they are sympathetic to the feelings of the Salem residents.
Richards openly criticized Bryant officials for being especially aggressive in annexation proposals.
“Bryant has their sights set on being the largest land-grab area city ... They want to go all the way to Paron.
“I’ve never seen such greed and disrespect that their City Council is showing,” he said.
Mayor Rick Holland, who pointed out the changed area on a map, said he supports the annexation proposal changes and asked Huie to “go back and tell your people that we listened to you.”
Huie asked Holland to “come out and speak to the Salem community residents” and Holland said he would “be happy to do so.”
City Attorney Brent Houston explained that even if the Bryant annexation proposal is approved in September, Benton still has the opportunity to annex the disputed area by holding its election within 30 days. If both cities’ plans are approved, then the residents of the area will vote in a third election within three weeks to determine which city they will join.
“It will no longer be whether to be annexed, but rather which city they will become part of,” Houston said.
Previously, the annexation area included “from the city boundaries northward approximately to the intersection of Northlake Road and Prange Road over to the city’s most northeastern boundary, which included the Salem area.”
Houston said he believes that Benton officials have made a wise decision.”The residents of the Salem area have shown a great deal of opposition, and eliminating them at this point seems wise,” he said.
Houston explained that the October annexation proposal will involve the “area around Northlake Road and Zuber Road, which would eliminate by and large the Salem area.”
“If we had this election in August and we lost, then Bryant is proposing to take the overlap area between the two annexations,” he said. “Benton is concerned because this particular area has strategic placement for a water tower planned by the utility department. Long-term planning has placed the tower in that area.”
Losing the annexation issue in August “could have harmed Benton’s growth to the north in the future,” Houston said.
The changed annexation area “greatly reduces the amount of land we’re seeking to take,” Houston said.
“If Bryant is successful in getting the Northlake area, this would essentially put Benton inside a doughnut,” Houston said. “It’s time for Benton to take a stand and say we’re going to protect our own borders.”
Frank Large, who was a member of the Benton Planning and Zoning Commission in 2005, said the chairs of both Benton and Bryant’s planning commissions signed an agreement in 2005 that targeted the Northlake Road area for Benton’s development.
The city of Benton has abided by that agreement, he said, but Bryant immediately violated it regarding other areas, he said.
Bryant leaders say Benton changed its planning map, but Benton leaders say this is not so. |
 |  |  |  |  | Just being with family and eating good food is the best part!!- Liz McGee Quantz (Haskell, AR)
The Mabelvale United Methodist Church in Mabelvale, AR will
be hosting a fall carnival on Sunday evening October 26th from 5 to 7pm in the
Fellowship Hall. Kids will love it, parents will too! - Roger Poole (Bryant, AR)
I make an awesome Pina Colda Cake. You buy a boxed yellow
cake mix and mix it and bake it per the instructions on the box. After you bake the
cake allow it to cool for about 15 minutes. Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke
medium size holes all in the cake. Take a can of Eagle Brand Milk and Cream of
Coconut and alternate pouring them into the holes. Place the cake in the fridge for
about one hour, remove and put Cool Whip on top, as much or as little as you like.
The cake is better if you let it sit all night in the fridge before eatting. It is
wonderful!!! - Kelly Chase (Alexander, AK)
My favorite memories of Thanksgiving were when we lived in
Tulsa, Ok. There were always folks that didn't have a place to go for the holiday-
so they wound up at our house along with most of my husband's family from Benton.
The house was packed. The Thanksgiving meal was wonderful. But the celebration
didn't end there. At night, all weekend, there were pallets spread throughout the
house and the good eats seemed to never end. And on Friday morning (after
Thanksgiving) all the females were up before dawn and Christmas shopping by 8:00
a.m. Those are memories that I will cherish forever. - Billie Loe (Texas)
I always get to make the turkey for our Thanksgiving. So
you can add more butter or flour for consistency. Wash your turkey, pat dry, take
another stick of butter and rub all over turkey. Then take with your hands and smear
the batter a little thick, all over the turkey. Once all of the turkey has the
batter on it, I will melt the another bar of butter and put it in the bottom of the
pan of my turkey. It will make a wonderful gravy to use on your turkey when done.
So, then get enough aluminum foil to make a "tent" over your turkey. Put in oven and
bake @ 375 all night. It will be so moist, the crispies are great and the gravy
makes it better. Now the flip side to this is, it will be so tender it will fall apart.
So, I do not serve as a whole turkey. I go ahead and slice up, pour some grave
over some of the sliced up turkey for those who like it and then slice up some
turkey without gravy. You will have many compliments on this. Happy Thanksgiving
and Enjoy! - Liz Johnson (Benton) We prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that morning.
Then we pack it all up and travel to deer camp in South Arkansas. We serve dinner to
all those who don't have family with which to share. We'll spend the afternoon
playin' dominos, pitchin' horseshoes and just visitin'. It's a wonderful time. - Pat Stuckey (Bismarck) We invite all the family in and cook the traditional feast.
Everyone gets silly when they get full. That is entertaining. - Jim Perry (Benton) Frozen pizza - Greg Marsh (Medicine Hat) The whole family gets together and we have dinner and noon
visit for a while then go home to take naps and get ready for black friday sales! - Terrie Schulz (Benton)
My childhood memories are of the sumptuous dinners my
grandfather, Byron Yarbrough, Sr. would prepare. Family members came from all over
Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas to our home of South East Street. It was a wondeful
time I really didn't learn to appreciate until he and my grandmother passed away.
Later, my cousin Eleen Murray brought the tradition back and family members gathered
at their home near Lake Norrell. Today, it's the memories of
Thanksgivings past that I treasure. It was because of these gatherings that I came
to realize the importance of family. - David Hughes (Herndon, VA)
My favorite time of remembering Thanksgiving is when all of
my family would get together and enjoy the most wonderful feast I have ever tasted.
My mom would make at least 2 to 3 different stuffings, actually her and my sister
Tammy Parker(Schultz) would make everything. I am not quite the chef my mom and
sister are. I live now and have lived for most of my life away from home in
different states so I have tasted many other dishes. None can compare to my
mom's(Pat Brumley). But most of all it is the family being altogether and just
laughing and having fun. My husband experienced this tradition for the first time in
1999 and still to this day can not stop talking about it. His traditions were not
the same. He couldn't believe the amount of food, fun, and family we had for the
holidays. I didn't understand it because I am used to it always being that way. I am
very lucky to have the family I have. My ex-step dad (David Hughes) still treats me
and my sister like his own so I have extended family to share the holidays with too. Even if it
is just a phone call, prayer, or written. I sure so miss Benton. I was raised
there and even though I am in Hoosier state since 2001 I let everybody know I am
proud to be a Razorback. I will never be anything else. God bless everyone in
Benton and someday I hope to see you soon. - Debbie Brooks (Schultz) (Columbus, IN) |
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Razorbacks
