RECOLLECTIONS

— 40 years ago

Mitchell Webb was pictured on his tractor at his farm with Don and Boyd Cockrill, as they worked on the second cutting of orchard grass for the year.

The McCulloch Company, following a large press conference, was about to become famous for the establishment of a 5,000-acre multi-million dollar resort community known as Holiday Island, within an hour’s drive of Pea Ridge.

Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller spread mortar at Holiday Island to set a piece of granite from the London Bridge.

The governor traded the piece of granite for a slab of Arkansas limestone, which McCulloch Recreational Properties, Inc., will put into the London Bridge.

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30 years ago

During a heat wave, the Pea Ridge First Baptist Church began turning on its air conditioners during week days and invited elderly residents in need of cooling to come, rest and relax. Northwest Arkansas was experiencing 100-plus degree temperatures forweeks.

Draft registration was slow in Pea Ridge country, according to postmasters in the area. Six registered in Pea Ridge, seven in Garfield and three in Avoca. Young men born in 1960 were to register that week and those born in 1961 the next.

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20 years ago

Members of Volunteer Ambulance Service of Northeast Benton County kicked off a fundraiser to raise $12,000 to operate the ambulance service through the end of 1990. However, the fundraiser fell short of its goal by $7,201. VAS sent out a mailing asking for donations.

The Pea Ridge Water and Sewer Department sewage treatment facility had plentyof room for growth, said superintendent Ronnie David.

He said the city enjoys a position unlike that of other area towns currently under fire in federal courts, as the discharge from the plant did not go into the Illinois River basin.

Pea Ridge’s street resurfacing project was to be completed the following Monday at a cost of approximately $50,000. The project included Davis Street and sections of Lee Town Road and Greene Street. The Benton County Road Department was doing the work.

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10 years ago

The Times of Northeast Benton County brought home two awards from the annual Arkansas Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. Editor Beckie Tyson took home second place for her feature story about Max Walker receiving a medal from France and a fourth place award for a photographer’s portfolio.

Fire chief David Bass announced his intent to resign the following month at the regular city council meeting, and urged the council to accept Paul Simpkins as the new chief. Bass was still a member of the fire department.

The Benton and Washington county water association approved a 10.6 million expansion of the Two-Ton water system. The expansion increased the capacity of the system from 12 million gallons per day to 24 million gallons.

Church, Pages 2 on 07/21/2010