Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Whitten Honored By Council; Members Told of Future Plans

A moment of silence opened the January meeting of the Clark County Industrial Council, Thursday.

Those present said a silent prayer for the Dolphus Whitten family, as he passed away that morning.

Brown Hardman, CCIC president, said they are still "running scared" in Clark County, even though the unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the state. This, he said, is because no one wants things to return to how they were 10 years ago when the jobless rate was more than 10 percent.

Membership in the CCIC, he told the board, has not stalled, though members need to ask others to join. "We want to be the finest industrial council in the state," he said.

In 1997, the CCIC budget was about $85,000, and, Hardman said, should be about the same this year, if not less. The CCIC, he said, will be shifting gears to work more with existing industry, and not spend as much money trying to get new industry to locate in the area. "We want those here to expand," he said.

CCIC Executive Secretary Karen Jester said, there are 161 paid members for 1998, whereas there were 325 in '97. Notices, she said, have been sent out, with those receiving them needing to pay their annual dues.

Applications for new members are also available, Jester said, with the goal again being 500 members.

The second week of February will be CCIC week in Clark County, Jester told the board. Members will be touring the county, visiting with businesses and industries, along with individuals, recruiting them to join the council, or rejoin, depending on the situation.

Volunteers are needed to help with the various events and programs the CCIC holds, she said.

On a different topic, Jester told those present of the newly formed Human Resource Council. Its first organizational meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27, from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

Flave Carpenter, former CCIC executive director, told of the new board member nominations. Those six selected to be on the 18-member board were: Mike McFarland, Bill Fowler, John French, Wayne Kuhn, Ron Easley and Barbara Delamar. These new members will be on the board of directors for three year terms.

Hardman said the council will be nominating officers during the February meeting, set for Feb. 19.

He also told those on hand John Hall had joined the CCIC to assist Jester.

CONTEMPLATING A MASTERPIECE: Hannah Trout, age four, takes time out to reflect on her next work of art during the Children's Art Workshop at Southern Arkansas University. Hannah is the daughter of Mark Trout, a 1983 graduate of Gurdon High School. She is the granddaughter of Jim and Carolyn Trout of Gurdon.