Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Chamber Has Good Year

It was a good year for the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce.

At the annual Chamber meeting, held Wednesday, Oct. 28, director Mary Godwin said Chamber events brought in 462,104.18, while expenses ran $43,935.11, leaving a net profit of $18,171.07 for the fiscal year.

Godwin said this is about double the profit the Chamber made last year. This is after purchasing a television, videocassette recorder and tent. The tent, she said, is used at various Chamber and other activities.

Outgoing President Faith Beavert told the board there are 105 members in the Chamber at this time, with the membership drive to kick off after Jan. 1, 1999.

Godwin said final beautification plans are ready for the old Sterlings lot. The wall for the project will have to be erected before the rest of the work can be done.

Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor informed the group '98 was a good year for the city as well.

There are several projects underway, he said, with the site of the industrial park being cleared at this time. Engineering plans are being made for the park entrance, with Mike Burkes making the plans.

Bids for this project, he said, could be let sometime in early November.

On the down side, Taylor said, the city was written up twice because the water was discolored. This, though, doesn't mean there was anything wrong with the water, it was simply not clear.

The city spent about $160,000 on new equipment to correct the situation, Taylor said. But, the equipment will also help the city meet future needs as new laws go into effect next year concerning water purity. Though clear, he added, the water still tastes the same.

Signs are up proclaiming the coming of a Rip Griffin Truck and Travel Center at Exit 44, along with Loves Country Store at Exit 46. In fact, Taylor said, the site for Loves is being now cleared. According to Taylor, Rip Griffins is expected to begin clearing its site sometime after the first of the year.

Red River Knitting, he said, produced 600 dozen sweaters last year, and will soon be shutting down for the season. Last year when this happened, there were rumors and speculation about the plant being permanently closed. This, Taylor said, is not the case. It's nothing more than a seasons shutdown for cleaning and repair purposes and to give the management a chance to plan for the coming season.

In fact, he said, expectations are for the plant to make even more sweaters next year than this.

Walt Denton, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, said with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission restructuring the requirements for the Arkansas Community of Excellence (ACE) program, more emphasis is being placed on planning, vision and community development oriented.

Prescott, he said, will start the recertification process after the first of the year, and the new requirements will help the city establish a game plan for its and the county's future.

This, he said, will let the state know Prescott and Nevada County are ready for new business and industry to locate here, while also giving the area the means to accomplish its goals.

Turning to the topic of downtown revitalization, Denton said the downtown area is the heart of a community and needs to be vibrant and active.

The downtown area, he said, is how a city is perceived by others.

Denton has contacted representatives with the Main Street Arkansas program, asking them to meet with community leaders today (Wednesday) at 5:30 p.m. at the Bank of Prescott.

Being certified by Main Street Arkansas, he said, will be as hard as getting an ACE certification.