Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Complaints About DeAnn Cemetery Aired

Citizens concerned about the upkeep of the DeAnn Cemetery let the Prescott City Council know how they felt about it.

Rebecca Daniels, who acted as a spokesman for a group, told the council, during its regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 20, the conditions at the cemetery are unbearable.

She said people who come to visit the cemetery don't like how it's been neglected. The cemetery, Daniels said, is full of weeds and tall grass needing to be cut.

The council was informed a bid had been obtained from William Albert, who said he could maintain the cemetery grounds for $1,000 every two weeks. This price would get the grounds of both of the city's cemeteries mowed and weedeated.

Councilman Dick Bright agreed the conditions are woeful, saying the city does need a better system than it currently has. But, should the city decide to contract the labor it would have to be for a year at a time, and not just seasonal when the grass needs mowing.

When asked if the city has money budgeted for the upkeep of the cemetery, Carl Dalrymple, the city's accountant, aid there is $43,000 in the budget for the cemetery.

Larry Stockton, the office manager at City Hall, said the mayor is in charge of how this money is spent and is who would have to be contacted about it.

He said caring for the cemeteries is more than just common labor. Along with mowing there is the keeping up with grave sites and equipment maintenance.

At this time, he continued, the council has no cemetery committee, but one could be formed with interested citizens, members of the council and city crews.

Karen Ward, acting in place of Mayor Howard Taylor, who was out of town at the time, agreed, saying the condition of the cemetery reflects on the city as a whole.

Stockton said the city owns the cemetery and is solely responsible for its upkeep. The money in the cemetery budget comes from the city's general fund, he continued, adding, the only revenue generated from the cemetery is from the sale of lots.

The issue of creating a cemetery commission will be brought to Taylor's attention and addressed before the council at a later date.

From there, a resolution was read concerning the purchase of 19.4 acres along Highway 371 for the industrial park.

The property is owned by Allen and Betty Erskine, with an asking price of $65,000.

Walt Denton, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, said it is property the city should purchase as it connects to the main access route of the industrial park.

There has been talk, he said, about turning this piece of land into a trailer park, and this could be detrimental to the development of the industrial park.

John Brannon Jr., president of the Bank of Prescott, told the board there is about 200 feet of highway frontage, and the land could be used as a swing road to connect between Ron Harrod Road and Hwy. 371.

He said such a road could be developed as a county road.

The land itself, Brannon said, is flat. Industries, he continued, don't like locating near residential areas, and this would be a wise investment.

Dalrymple said the money to buy the property would come from the one-cent sales tax.

The council agreed to buy the land.

The panel also approved amending the budget for $46,900, for the recent purchase of a truck for the street department.

Dalrymple said more budget amending would be done in December, but this is a common occurrence.

David Stedman, pastor of the Pentecostal Church, voiced a complaint about the quality of water at the church.

He said the water has stained the commodes and baptismal tank, even though two filters were put in to prevent this.

Stedman told the council he had called the mayor three times, but never got a response and has yet to speak with Taylor about this.

Perry Nelson, superintendent of the water department, said he first became aware of the problem when the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) came to Prescott on another matter.

The water lines near the church, Nelson said, are flushed regularly now to try and help alleviate the problem. However, it will take the lines being replaced to correct it.

Part of the problem, he said, is the church is located near the end of the water line. The actual end of the line was the former Prescott Motor Company. When the dealership closed, Nelson said, less water has been going through the lines and residue has built up.

This residue comes out when the church has to use water for any reason. Stedman said he has dropped 15 chlorine tablets into the baptismal to no avail.

Nelson said the city will replace the existing lines with smaller ones, but it will take time, as the city has to figure the best way to do this. One problem is fiber optic lines are involved and must be dealt with.

Once the battle plan has been formulated, the city will replace the lines.

In other business, Denton said a website for Prescott is in the developmental stages, and is being done through the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

A grant for $6,000 has been written to GTE to help pay for the site.

He went on to say Marlar Engineering said the city may want to begin holding public meetings for the rural water project and start getting people signed up so the scope of the project can be determined.

Then Denton threw the council a curve by announcing his resignation as the EDO, saying his last day will be Oct. 8.

He said it was a difficult decision to make, but something he needed to do.

"I'm proud of the accomplishments of the office, but I'm just one small part of it. The board has done excellent work, and I feel I have accomplished the goals I set."

Denton will be taking advantage of opportunities in Hattiesburg, Miss.

George Odom asked for and received $2,000 to buy equipment for the flag football program.

Odom said this is the largest group ever for flag football with 118 children participating in grades two through six.