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Benton Parkway to close temporarily E-mail
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
The Benton Parkway in the southern part of Benton will close to through traffic beginning Wednesday, according to Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department officials.
The closing will accommodate construction of the new Arkansas 35 railroad overpass and the roadway will be open to local traffic only between Arkansas 88 and Arkansas 35. Detours will divert traffic to 88, the same route used by motorists before the Benton Parkway was built.
M.J. Lee Construction Co. of Tulsa, Okla., was awarded the $15 million contract to build the two new railroad overpasses as part of major improvements to the intersection of 35 and 183 in Saline County where traffic regularly backs up because of trains.
One of the overpasses will be located on 35 just west of the existing intersection with 183. The second overpass will be built on a new location to the east and will connect 35 to the Benton Parkway.
According to Highway Department officials, the western 35 overpass will be built first with initial construction beginning in the next several weeks. Once this phase is completed, the Benton Parkway will be re-opened.
In a news release, Highway Department officials said that should be by the end of the year, but Mayor Rick Holland said Friday that he has been told the initial work will be completed within two-three months and the parkway can be reopened then.
Completion of the entire project is estimated to be in the spring of 2010, Highway Department officials said.
As always, motorists are urged to exercise caution when approaching and traveling through highway work zones, officials said.
“Before the job started, they told us they would have to close the parkway for the entire length of the project,” Holland said.
“We objected and they said they would recheck it. Then they said three months, but recently they said they were ahead of schedule with dry weather and it was ideal construction period.
“The last thing we heard, they said two months,” he said.
“Otherwise they would have to work on one little segment. Now they can concentrate more heavily on it.”
Holland pointed out that detours will be set up.
“We wanted to get this done next week before school starts the following Monday,” he said. “We didn’t want to do it the first week of schools. That’s a hard time because people have to figure out what they want to do to get their kids to schools.”
Holland said car traffic will be rerouted “down Algood and Hoover streets.”
“That will affect people coming south on the parkway and won’t have too much of an effect. Tractor-trailer rigs will be detoured at Highway 88 — Alcoa Road and the parkway.
“They will reroute them down to Military,” he said. “At least that’s what the Highway Department has been telling us.”
 
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  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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