Signs of the times

School elections were Tuesday. At left, Russell Walker, 93, a 1937 graduate of Pea Ridge High School, cast his vote.
School elections were Tuesday. At left, Russell Walker, 93, a 1937 graduate of Pea Ridge High School, cast his vote.

— Every weekend the two main intersections in town on Curtis Avenue are deluged with signs - yard and garage sale signs usually.

Along the road sides throughout town, campaign signs have been placed.

There is no city ordinance prohibiting signs in the city’s rights of way, but it is illegal to place signs in the state highway rights of way. Both four-way stop sign intersections are state highway rights of way.

Having a political sign in a yard may indicate that the property owner endorses the candidate.

But, then again, it may not.

One of the four mayoral candidates admitted he did not ask permission of the property owner before placing his sign.

Boyd McNiel, while hammering his campaign sign in the ground along the highway right of way on Benton County 40 at the end of It’ll Do Road, said he had been placing signs throughout town and one, placed on Weston Street, had disappeared. When asked if he was asking permission of property owners, he said he had not but would in the future.

A vacant piece of property on the southeast corner of the intersection of Weston and Pickens streets sports signs for both Mc-Niel and Mayor Jackie Crabtree.

Crabtree said he did ask permission of the property owner who lives out of town.

Signs for Rick Webb adorn yards in Standing Oaks, one of two subdivisions in town which has covenants established by the property owners associations.

Webb said his signs are placed either because he has asked permission or a supporter has asked for a sign.

The covenants of both Standing Oaks and Maple Glen are on file in City Hall. Both covenants prohibit signs in yards, except for sale signs for a prescribed period of time. Both state: “No other advertising signs shall be permitted.”

Candidate Joe Hart said he has asked permission to place signs.

Scott Mentz, the property owner of a vacant piece of property (the former landscape business) on Pickens Street, said his grandmother gave permission for Joe Hart to place a sign there.

Two state highways pass through town - Arkansas Highway 94 and Arkansas Highway 72.The Arkansas Highway Department does not allow signs to be placed on state right of way, or attached to highway department road signs. State Highway 94 runs concurrent with Curtis Avenue and West Pickens Street. State Highway 72 is Slack Street, North Curtis Avenue and East Pickens Street.

“They (citizens) know we work a four-day week,” Steve Lawrence, district maintenance engineer, said. “So, on Friday, the signs magically appear. It’s tough for us to police it. We spend a lot of time trying to keep our rights of way clear.”

“The rights-of-way provided for all state highways shall be held inviolate for state highway purposes, except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section. No physical or functional encroachments, installations, signs other than traffic signs or signals, posters, billboards, roadside stands, gasoline pumps or other structures or uses shall be permitted within the right-of-way limits of state highways,” according to the state code.

News, Pages 1 on 09/22/2010