i ¸
SJ
Kecora ng the History around Perkins and Payne County for 113 Years"
Wednesday-Thursday Edition March 26-27, 2003 Volume I 13 No. 25 50¢
.ent takes life
Sheets
north of Ripley
llwater man
Monday
1.
occurred at the
ion of SH 108 and
at approximately
24.
to the investigat-
ghway
1 Clark, a
pickup, driven
of Glencoe,
on its passenger-
by another pickup,
Glen Bates, 45, of
man
Clark said it appeared that
Bates, who was eastbound on
Mehan Road, failed to stop at the
intersection and struck Frank's
pickup, which was towing a
trailer stacked with approxi-
mately 200 bales of hay.
The trooper said Bates' 1995
Ford pickup, owned by Kerns
Construction Co. of Stillwater,
apparently struck the Chevro-
let truck and then was thrust
south along the highway, finally
coming to rest in the west ditch
of SH 108. Clark said he mea-
sured approximately 120 feet
of skid marks on Mehan Road,
See ACCIDENT on 9
ay running
ity
e commission
City
like to
for
and children.
officer for a
m Perkins,
seen these
and would
to Start now
the city
administra-
as a pur-
allowed him
about the
finances.
e.mployed in a
with two
for eight
as a
years.
Water, and
a COncern of
has been
Charles Ottaway
studied and studied and has a
case of the "going to do's," yet,
he says, nothing seems to really
be taking place. He also thinks
action should begin now to pre-
vent the four-lane US 177 from
bypassing around Perkins.
Chuck Ottaway stated he is not
seeking this position because of
See OTTAWAY on 9
YOuth to assist
offered at
animal clinic
Way to deal
of COmpanion
will be
pet owners
Spay/neuter
area.
Animal
(CAAP)
Arkansans For
Brent Pitts,
rnarron Animal
Surgeries
29
and at
30.
Arkansans for
organizations
the cycle
>Verpopulation
of compan-
trkansans for
its mobile
clinic for the events in Stillwate r
and Ripley. The van is outfitted
to serve as a mobile spay/neuter
clinic where animals can be
safely and efficiently sterilized.
The First United Methodist
Church of Perkins Youth Group
will be helping on March 30 with
the mobile spay-neuter program
at the Expo Center.
"During our Sunday school
lessons this past Sunday we
were brainstorming on activi-
ties to be involved in," Youth
Director Deanie Jacob said. "I
threw this out to the kids to see
if they would like to help with
the program. They all were very
excited, so they will be involved
in being the caregivers after the
animals come out of surgery .''
"I believe that this is a pow-
See SPAY on 9
Stillwater Fire Department rescue personnel work to free Glen Bates from where he was pinned
under a hay trailer, following a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of SH 108 and Mehan
Road Monday afternoon.
Ripley Police Officer Wayne Snyder, Jr. (far right) was one of several men who cleared approxi-
mately 200 hay bales from the accident scene.
The pickup thatates was driving is pictured in photo at left.
Journal photos by Cindy Sheets
"Not a new tax or tax increase"
Voters asked to approve
change to sales tax ordinance
by Cindy Sheets
Journal Publisher
Registered voters in Perkins
will be asked to approve a
change regarding how rev-
enue from sales tax is spent
when they get to the polls next
Tuesday.
If approved, the question on
the ballot shmsn at right) will
The current sales tax has been
in effect since the early 1980's.
The revenue raised by it was first
used to complete several major
city infrastructure projects,
such as resurfacing of streets
and water projects involving
new water lines.
The original sales tax ordi-
nance allowed using funds to
pay t
Perkins Fire Departmem
facilities and equipment.
Perkins Fire Chief Rick Jarvis
wants voters to understand that
approving the question does not
mean a new tax, but rather it
allows the city to spend existing
sales tax revenue on items relat-
ing to the fire department.
"This is not a tax increase,"
Jarvis emphasized. "It's not an
additional tax in any way.
"We just need to change the
wording to allow the fire depart-
ment to spend the existing tax
dollars."
fands to be spt on subsequent
improvements to the fire station
or the purchase of firefighting
gear and equipment.
Jarvis explained that the fire
department does receive bud-
geted funds from the city, but
those funds are not adequate to
meet the needs of a growing,
well-equipped fire department.
Plus, most grants the depart-
ment could possibly acquire
would require a matching fund
commitment.
Jarvis said, for example, the
fire department is hoping to
Federal flood insurance
now available in Perkins
The City of Perkins has joined
more than 19,000 communities
nationwide that are allowed to
purchase Federally backed flood
insurance. This availability fol-
lows the community's adoption
and enforcement of ordinances
to reduce flood loses and accep-
tance by the National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP).
The City of Perkins is eli-
gible to participate in the NFIP
effective February 13, 200.
Residents of the City of Per-
kins will be able to purchase
flood insurance up to the limits
under the Emergency Phase of
the program. However, there is
a 30-day waiting period before
the coverage goes into effect.
For single family homes, this
limit is $35,000 and $10,000
for the contents. Renters can
also protect their belongings
through the contents coverage.
For commercial properties,
this limit is $100,000. After
the initial Emergency Phase,
higher limits of coverage will
be available.
apply for a $100,000 grant from
FEMA this year. Ten percent of
that total, or $10,000, must be
matched by the fire department
to qualify for the grant.
"If we have to use our existing
budgeted money to do that, we
would not be able to apply for
ma% grants." larvis said.
larvis said the firc department
laOl to om¢ of the capital
improvement sales tax funds to
keep the department on top of
new technology that will enable
them to better protect the Per-
kins community.
"Right now it costs about
$1,000 to supply each man
with basic bunker equipment,"
Jarvis said.
The Perkins Fire Department
currently has 21 firefighters.
"We are also trying right now
to renovate our fleet," he added,
explaining that some of the
trucks have specific tasks that
only allow them to be used for
specific types of activities.
For example, the pumper truck
is not used to fight grass fires
and the tanker is not used for
urban environments.
"If nothing else, the funds will
help to upgrade our existing
equipment, "Jarvis said, point-
ing out that one of the trucks is
more than 40 years old.
Jarvis also noted that keeping
the fire department equipment
and facility well-maintained
and up-to-date is imperative for
a community that is growing as
fast as Perkins.
He said he feels it is important
that the fire department is soon
equipped so that it can handle
more than one fire at a time.
Jarvis also pointed out the
obvious - a better equipped fire
department will help to lower
insurance rates for property
owners in the entire Perkins
See FLOOD on 9 area.
Busy intersection site of another accident
A two-vehicle accident at occurred Sunday afternoon, March 23, at the intersection of SH
33 and Fairgrounds Road just east of Perkins.
The Ford pickup driven by Tryon resident Claud Gazaway was attempting to cross the
intersection when it was struck by the 1988 Mustang, driven by Gary Rice of Drumright.
Gazaway was northbound and Rice was driving east. There were no injuries.
Photo by David Holbrook
?eck_ia5 ,
OLlal,,c0000
Flc)wle c). c"
lZ_,O t4 i l l e
Community Calendar
• March 27, 3:15-7 p.m.
- Parent-Teacher Conference,
P-T Elementary
• March 27, 4-8 p.m. - Parent-
Teacher Conference, P-T
Middle School
• March 27, 4-8 p.m. - P-T High
School enrollment night
• March 28, 8-11:45 a.m.
- Parent-Teacher Conference,
Elementary
• March 28, 8:30-11:30-Parent-
Teacher Conference at all
sites.
• March 29, 7 a.m.-? - POSSE
garage sale at Evans Ag Barn.
• March 29, 7:30 p.m. - Lost
Creek's Annual Quilt Auction
& Supper at 6:30 p.m.
• March 31,7 p.m. - Public meet-
ing regarding zoning regulations
at Perkins Fire Station.
• April I - April Fool's Day
• April 1 - Election day
Exercise your right
Get Out and VOTE!
• April 3, noon - Perkins Cham-
ber of Commerce meeting at
Lions Den.
• April 3, 7:30 p.m. - PT AG
Boosters Meeting, at the Evans
Ag Farm.
• April 3, 7 p.m. -Tay!orsville
Gospel Opry
• April 5, 2 p.m. - Glenwood
Cemetery Association annual
meeting at High Prairie Com-
munity Center.
• April 6 - Daylight Savings
Time begins
A look at April 1
?
P&kins voters will be con-
sidering two items on the ballot
(below) for next week's munici-
pal election - a race between
Mark Anderson and Charles L.
Ottaway for City Commission
Ward 1 seat and a proposition
asking for approval of changes
to the Perkins City Code regard-
ing how sales tax can be spent.
See related stories at left.
Thankyou for your
subscription!
Your subscription is impor-
tant to us. Thank you's go to
the following people who have
renewed, or are newsubscribers,
to The Perkins Journal:
Perkins-Tryon: Vic & Lisa
Roubidoux ° Carol Robinson •
Max & Diann Rudd
In State: Garvin & Alene
Cruse, Stillwater ° Jean Hel-
dreth, Ripley ° Judie Vierling,
Stillwater
Out of State: Harry & Nadine
Downey, Melrose, NM
You've got a friend!
Want to buy a friend a subscrip-
tion and save $4? See form on
page two...
To: Mildred Mercer
From: Garvin & Alene Cruse
