Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Last year good for Chamber

Last year was a good one for the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce, according to Executive Director Mary Godwin.

At the annual Chamber meeting, Thursday, Oct. 24, Godwin said the banquet continues to grow and has reached a point where it is making more money than the Chicken and Egg Festival.

The festival, she said, is also growing and is one of the most successful around.

In fact, Godwin said, the Chamber has grown to a point where the office space is inadequate to hold its supplies for the various events. To alleviate the problem, a storage building was rented.

The Chamber, she continued, has also received several grants and other funding. The grants include two from Entergy for $10,000 each, a grant to help with the Business Expo in November for $5,000, another $20,000 from the Arkansas Department of Economic Development Energy Office, $500 from Entergy to help purchase smoke alarms for senior citizens, and $1 million from Entergy and the Arkansas Fund Commission to help recruit a specific industrial prospect. There was also $120,000 from the state with Rep. Sandra Rodgers spearheading this effort.

The Chamber, Godwin said, also has been approved $25,000 from the state for new playground equipment for the park, but because of budget shortfalls, when these funds will arrive is not known.

In all, the Chamber and Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office helped Nevada County bring in almost $1.8 million in grants and other funding during 2000-2001.

Three of the grants, Godwin said, were used to purchase certificates of deposit until matching funds are raised. The interest from these grants will be placed in the Chamber's budget when the money is used for its specified projects. Last year, the interest amounted to almost $1,000.

This is the fourth year for the Chamber's Halloween Costume Contest, she said. This contest has proven to be one of the most popular among businesses as the employees have fun dressing up for the holiday.

The first event in November will be the Chamber's fall fashion show, with the theme this year being "Fall Fashion Review" and will be held in the Potlatch Building at the Nevada County Fairgrounds.

The fashion show will be held Saturday, Nov. 10, the first day of modern gun deer season, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Christmas on the Square, she said, will be held Dec. 11, starting with the Christmas parade. The theme this year will be "An American Christmas."

A ribbon cutting will be held Dec. 13 for the new Senior Adult Center.

A special treat during the Christmas season, she said, will be a live nativity, held at the fairgrounds Dec. 14-15. Those visiting the scene, will drive through and see the story of Christmas.

State Sen. Percy Malone was on hand to congratulate the Chamber on its success.

"I enjoy working with you," he said. "Sandra Rodgers and I worked closely during the session and got capital improvement money for the area. We also helped get money for the fire departments and fair buildings.

"There's more good news for Prescott coming."

Nevada County Judge James Roy Brown told the gathering Boughton Road should be paved soon.

"This was done with money raised through the Economic Development Office," he said. "I never thought I'd see that road paved."

The Bodcaw-Waterloo Water Project has been completed, with the residents getting their water from the Hope system.

Dale Booker, the county's 9-1-1 coordinator, said work on getting a 9-1-1 emergency telephone system in the county is ahead of schedule and under budget at this time.

The entire county, he said, has been measured, with new addresses assigned. New addresses are being used in the south part of the county, with a delay in the north part of the county because some road numbers have to be changed.

Work is also being done on new county maps. They should be ready sometime next month, he said.

Jon Chadwell, EDO executive director, said soil samples are being taken at the new library site, and a conceptual drawing of the facility has been done.

This project, he said, should be ready to go to bid next spring, and be completed by this time next year.

The EDO also helped get a grant to resurface the runway and taxi-way at Kizer Field. Chadwell said it's important to have a good airport to help attract business and industry to the area.

Chadwell has worked with 12 prospects, taking them around Prescott and Nevada County, showing them possible site locations for their businesses. These prospects, he said, were given creative project names.

Of the 12, he said, six are still active.

The rural water project has slowed down because of delays in getting property easements. Once the easements are obtained, he said, the project will be let for bid.

Entergy, he said, gave the EDO $1,500 to help with the Leadership Nevada County project, as Prescott is a TEAM city with the energy company, one of 22 in the state.

Chadwell pointed out Prescott is not the 22nd largest city in the state, so being a TEAM city is prestigious.

Because of this, he said, Entergy brought in a site consultant for a prospect, and helps out when prospects visit.

There's a new director of movies with the Arkansas Department of Economic Development, he said. "I tossed Prescott's name in the hat, so we could have movies shot here."

Prescott, he continued, has been recertified as an Arkansas Community of Excellence (ACE) under the new guidelines, and is only one of four cities in the state to be so certified.