Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Chamber plans to beautify city

The Gurdon Chamber of Commerce met Tuesday, June 13, and formed a new city beautification committee with the hope of showing the Clark County Strategic Planning Committee how interested this city is in being included in the plans for improvement.

Mayor Clayton Franklin said, "They are saying the strategic committee is planning the future of Clark County for the next 15 years. "We as a city, and we as a Chamber of Commerce, need to make sure Gurdons voice is there to be a part of that plan."

Franklin said Arkadelphia has a 2025 Committee that the Clark County Quorum Court funds in the amount of $25,000 per year for city beautification in the downtown Arkadelphia area.

He said Gurdon should get at least $5,000 a year from the quorum court for the same purpose.

"We need to be sure and have our beautification committee in place so when the time comes we can ask the quorum court for a yearly financial allotment and show them Gurdons plan for the future."

The chamber of commerce voted to appoint Yolanda Calley as the chairperson of the Gurdon Beautification Committee.

"I intend to get with other members, such as Tommy Potter, who have already expressed an interest in being a part of a clean-up and beautification effort for our downtown," she said. "We can set up plants and trash containers, and we can decorate downtown windows. This city goes all out when it is Forest Festival time to make sure our downtown looks good. I would like to see the downtown area look that good all year long."

Calley complemented Delton Simpson and his operation clean-up children for getting rid of the trash on 10th Street.

"Deltons group has gotten rid of old beds and chairs, and just a whole bunch of other things," she said. "They might be interested in some of our maintenance work downtown. I would also like to approach Linda Calleys 4-Hers and see if we can get them to do some improvements to Gurdon as 4-H community projects."

Chamber member Anita Cabe said members of the Clark County Strategic Planning Committee have requested that the Cabe Foundation attend planning meetings.

"We will go to the meetings and let them know we believe Gurdon needs to be included in the plan," she said.

"If they are going to stress revitalizing Arkadelphia, as in the past, this time they need to also stress the revitalization of Gurdon."

Franklin said once the other members of the beautification committee are determined, that group needs to go to the county-wide planning meetings to give input for Gurdon.

"I am not sure at what point we need to show up," Franklin said. "But we do need to go over there."

Cabe said she felt like chamber members need to be thinking of what can help Gurdons future.

Franklin said he would like to have a town meeting so the general public could also have some input about plans for Gurdons growth.

"This strategic committee is a new deal for the county and I believe it is designed to give Gurdon a better chance to improve than previous efforts," Franklin said. "I know that Alan Wright, Charles Dunn and Bill Wright will all be involved. And those are some folks who want to see Gurdon prosper."

On another subject, Cabe told the group she was thinking ahead to the fall Chamber of Commerce auction and considering a Sept. 19 event, with Oct. 3 as a back-up date

In other business, Jason Ward, owner of Ravens Coffee Shop, offered to compile a Gurdon Historical Calendar. Cabe told Ward to work on the calendar and the Chamber of Commerce would look at it.

Autumn Pennington gave a progress report on the 150 coaster ornaments ordered for the Hoo Hoo convention and the 150 Presbyterian Church ornaments ordered for Christmas.

She said Keystone Specialties of Pennsylvania had promised that both orders will be in Gurdon by July.

"The 150 amount was the smallest we were allowed to order," she said. "I am fairly pleased with the designs."