Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Council hires new water office manager

After meeting with eight different applicants the personnel committee for the City of Gurdon decided to hire Virginia Childres as Office Manager of the Gurdon Water and Sewer Department.

Mayor Clayton Franklin said, "We decided on Virginia because she did well during her interview, her application was impressive and she has experience working in the water department."

Franklin told the council a water budget was in the works; however it would take a while to get everything in order. The water department's end of fiscal year was at the end of May and the city has already had theirs. Once the department is audited the budget will be ready to be set in motion.

The mayor asked Childres and Ben Williams if they new why the water department paid a certain amount of money to Colonial Life Insurance. Childres said it was for accidental insurance.

Franklin said he would like to know more about it before the next city council meeting to see if maybe it was something the city could offer to the other departments and employees.

The mayor asked City Marshall Don Childres is he had any new information from the Police Department.

Childres said everything was running smoothly and the department was glad to have officer Andy Williams back from the academy.

Jake McBride, fire chief, reported burning an abandoned house on 10th Street recently. McBride said he and the other firefighters used this as a training exercise.

Franklin asked McBride how he was able to burn these houses. McBride said if the owner shows him the deed to the property and requests it being burned, then he can do so.

McBride said the only problem is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requests a team be brought in to check the houses for asbestos and other harmful problems before it can be burned.

Franklin said he plans to blow up a city map and place a pin on each location where an abandoned house has been done away with in order to show the city's progress.

Jimmy Caldwell, with the Gurdon Street Department, reported cleaning out ditches and patching holes on several city streets. Caldwell also reported hauling off the remaining bricks and debris from the old Hoo-Hoo Theatre site.

Councilman Scott asked Caldwell if he could check into patching holes on Fourth Street. Caldwell apologized for overlooking the street and said the Street Department would do what it could.

"Teet" Newton, asked Franklin if he had ever heard anymore from Entergy selling some land to the Rose Hedge Cemetery because the land is beside the cemetery and the land is in bad condition.

Franklin said he had not heard anything in a while and apologized for not following up on the subject. He said he would work on it before the next council meeting.

Carroll Martin, Gurdon animal control officer and head over the Parks and Recreation Department, reported opening the bathrooms at the city park.

Martin said since the time of opening a urinal had been ripped off of the wall, toilets had been purposely stopped up and light bulbs had been broken out.

Franklin suggested locking the bathrooms at night. Everyone agreed this was probably the best thing to do since people didn't have enough respect for the city as to keep the park in good working order.

Martin also reported he had received a permit for the incinerator, and it had been ordered. He had reportedly poured a concrete slab for the incinerator. It is expected to be here soon.

Martin was told the council he had picked up 39 dogs, of which six had been picked up by their owners, who had to pay $25 to pick up the dogs. Martin said seven of the dogs were adopted and he had given out three tickets.

Wal-Mart in Arkadelphia had put the Gurdon pound on its waiting list for dog food. Wal-Mart saves bags of dog food that are damaged and then donates them to the next facility on its list. Martin said this has already saved the city money.