Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Mayor permits horse solution

Gasoline prices reached nearly $2.58 a gallon for regular unleaded at the Redi-Mart pumps in Gurdon on Thursday.

National and state news reports continue to assure the American public gasoline will get more and more expensive.

Most people interviewed about the situation believe it is connected to the war on terrorism, "as these prices will put terror in just about anybody's heart."

According to statistics shown on a Little Rock televison station, gasoline prices in France are now nearly $5 a gallon.

One worker, at a local convenience store, said the $5 a gallon in France comparison scares her customers even worse.

"We have quite a few people who just barely make more than that per hour," she said. "I am not sure how our president should finance this war but continued gasoline hikes may not produce what he wants. A lot of people will just have to park the cars instead of buying it."

Bob Atkinson, 77, of Front Street, said the horse and buggy days might have to come back.

"It may be cheaper for getting around town," he said. "Of course, a horse requires a little more care in some ways than a car."

Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin said, "There is nothing wrong with using a horse and buggy in Gurdon. To my knowledge, we have no law that says you can't."

The mayor said the increase in oil demand from countries like China are pushing the prices up in our nation.

"Our own sources on the main land and in Alaska are already being used to capacity," Franklin said.

"I heard on the news there may be more oil in Alaska, but it could take three years to get it to us."

Franklin said the gasoline hike could mean natural gas for heating houses might go up this winter.

"Our city budget is being affected. We will have to join the county and state police departments in implementing a mileage quota for our officers to save fuel," he said. "If there is a murder or burglary or such, we will let them respond, but not until it happens."

According to Franklin, the current annual budget calls for $13,000 to be used by Gurdon Police Department. He said, with 58 percent of the year gone, nearly 73 percent of that budget has already been used. This means $9,500 has been spent already, leaving $3,500 budgeted for GPD to get by until Dec. 31.

Gurdon Street Superintendent Jim Caldwell said the news reported Wednesday a $3 per barrel crude oil reduction in price.

"All I know is Bush and Cheney own some oil wells," he said.

The mayor said high demand for oil would probably mean there was no noticeable reduction at the pumps for a gallon of gasoline.

He said alternatives to using cars, such as bicycles, scooters or walking, may become the normal way of getting around.

"Europe has historically had higher fuel costs than Americans, and they have adjusted their thinking as far as using bicycles etc.," Franklin said. "Certainly there are many ways of getting around while using less gasoline than an SUV or large pick-up truck. This gasoline price crisis will force Americans to become inventive."

Lesa Simpson, a Gurdon resident and worker at Great Beginnings Childcare here, said, "I will just pray the Lord keeps blessing me."

Bobby Smithson, superintendent of Gurdon School District, said, "The rising cost of fuel is a big budget concern of ours. Since we have no idea just how high the gasoline will really go, it makes it impossible to plan for it.

"The hard truth is we will have to deny several teachers their trips with the kids this year because this fuel cost will just stop us from being able to send them.

"And I hate that because to me a teacher's field trip with a class is just as important as a sporting event away game."

Gurdon High School senior Rex Potter said people should quit buying gasoline all together for about two months to force the prices down to where they are more in line with a realistic allotment in the average budget.

"We could get along walking, or riding bicycles, or using public transportation," Potter said.

"We could call it the 2005 gasoline walk-out and if Americans would all stand together maybe Mr. Bush would be convinced that other people besides him and Mr. Cheney have families to take care of too."

Mary Benson, of Gurdon, said Monday she has heard reports that several smaller towns in Arkansas are having to close gas stations because the wholesale price is so high the dealers can not afford to buy it for the public to repurchase.

"The trend I see seems to be that those of us in rural areas may be faced with going to the larger towns to buy fuel," she said.

"In our case, if the local stations close, we would all have to go to Arkadelphia or maybe Prescott."

As of this writing, local gas stations have not announced any plans to close.

There were reports of price gouging in Little Rock to the tune of $4 per gallon because of the panic.

It would stand to reason, at $2.60 per gallon, those who can store the gasoline will be doing so, said Atkinson.

"Better to pay $2.60 and fill up all of your storages now, then wait until it gets to $5 a gallon and try to find the money then."

Marshal Don Childres said, "I am glad those gasoline storages are mostly out in the country, rather than here in town  because of the fire hazard large amounts of stored gas could create.

"As far as over at the police department, the officers realize we will have to cut down on our riding."

Franklin said, in addition to a horse and buggy or a bicycle, there are now automobiles running part of the time off of an electric battery and partly from gasoline.

"I know a fellow in town who has one," he said. "If they are as fuel efficient as people say, that might be a good solution."

Franklin said the city paid $2.14 a gallon at the beginning of July for gasoline, and receipts show that by the end of July the city was paying $2.40 a gallon.