Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Groundbreaking ceremony held for area's new library

Ground has finally been broken for the new Nevada County Library, and construction will soon begin.

The groundbreaking ceremony began with Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor explaining the symbolism of the ceremony itself.

The turning of the soil, he said, shows the hope of new enterprise, and it should be remembered the ceremony signals the start of work.

"We will see results," he said.

However, the ceremony would not have happened had it not been for Rep. Mike Ross. During his final year as a member of the Arkansas Senate, Ross obtained $1 million to build the library.

"As I was finishing my 10 years in the Senate," he said, "I wanted to do something special for my home town. I wanted to do something lasting the children would enjoy."

There was an economic development office in Prescott and Nevada County, he said, which played a major roll in the decision to build a new library

He and Walt Denton, the former executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, were sitting around one day, discussing what the area needed. Denton suggested Prescott and the county could use a new library because the existing one is in poor condition and needs massive repairs.

"He came up with the vision for a library and I liked it," Ross said. "The one we have needs a lot of work.

"The key to life is education," Ross continued, "and only in America can a child grow up in Hope, Emmet and Prescott and be elected to Congress."

We live in a society, he said, where a child can get and education, work hard and become what it wants to be.

A new library, he said, will show industrial prospects the community's commitment to education. "When prospects drive into town, they'll see the park and library, and it'll send a message that this community is where they'd like to hang their hat."

Prescott, Ross said, is where his family and friends are. He pointed out many members of Congress move their families to Washington, D.C., but he and Holly, his wife, decided to continue living in Prescott and send their children to local schools.

"This is where our friends are," he said. "It's where our business is, and it's a better way to stay in touch with the value of everyday people and be among them.

"When I got the $1 million, I thought I'd come home, run the business and do more deer hunting. Instead I ran for Congress and won. In my first year I got $480 million for the 29 counties in the district and will continue to fight for funds."

Ross told how he managed to get about $400,000 for drug courts in Nevada and Hempstead counties. These courts will be ran by Judge Duncan Culpepper in Nevada County and Judge Jim Gunter in Hempstead County.

Jon Chadwell, executive director of the EDO, said he was proud of this effort and those who worked hard to make this day possible.

The library, he said, will benefit the area's children and be an economic boon as well.

"The key issue in recruiting industry," he said, "is the education of the workforce available for the jobs of today."

The library, he said, is another step to provide the resources to educate the area's young people and attract new industry so they won't have to leave to get good jobs.

"We have a bright future," Chadwell said.

The library was designed by Jerry Hollinsworth, of the architectural firm Trull and Hollinsworth of Magnolia.

The contractor will be Doyle Howard Construction, Inc., of Delight. This company turned in the low bid of $990,000.

A reception was held in the existing Nevada County Library after the groundbreaking ceremony ended.