Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

On Track with John Ragsdale

Getting Started

It was good to see crews working over the weekend, beginning the clean-up of the city's streets from trees and limbs that fell during the recent ice storm. As everyone locally knows, not a block that had trees growing in yards escaped damage. It saddened hearts to someone used to seeing stately oaks and majestic pines along the streets. Now progress is being made to clean up the area.

Many people outside of the affected area would probably not believe the damage done to trees. They have never witnessed freezing rain. Let's hope they never do.

Trying to determine how much monetary loss there is to tree farmers is no easy task. One may never know the full extinct of such destruction, especially to those who have pine plantations. I know it has to be a large amount. All a person has to do is drive down highway to see the damage. Fortunately, most young trees that are bent over will straighten up and, hopefully, grow up to make good logs. The Arkansas Forestry Commission is warning already that a major fire hazard is now lying on the ground of our state's forests. Everyone must be extremely careful this summer.

The Public Should Check

Allegations have been made lately against a former school superintendent in one of Arkansas's school district.

It seems while he was administrator of the district many of the patrons accused him of mis-using public funds. Upon their persistence, he finally resigned. Now the Arkansas State Police says charges may be brought against him.

He allegedly paid a family member several thousand dollars for work that was or was not done and he let contracts that had not been bid or had not been bid properly.

Concerned citizens questioned the school board about an extremely high cellular telephone bill one month, but apparently the board never questioned the superintendent enough to get the facts why such a bill would be around $1,500. The board, it appears, failed its job and many patrons did too.

This is why each of us should attend more meetings of the school boards, city councils and of the quorum court  and any other public body. Ask questions; check the details to see if they make sense; and keep asking questions until you are satisfied nothing is wrong. After all it is your money. We certainly don't want our public officials and governmental bodies spending money foolishly.