Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Pineview Owners In For Fight

Owners of the Pineview Nursing Home are in for a fight, according to Helen Tarpley.

Tarpley, a member of the Golden Age Club, said this organization will do everything possible to keep the nursing home in Gurdon.

Friday, April 12, 17 area residents took more than 1,000 signatures to a meeting of the Arkansas Health Services Commission in Little Rock, letting the commissioners know how they felt about the proposed move.

However, the commission granted owners of Pineview approval to make the move.

But, Tarpley said, this was just round one. The Rose Law Firm, represented in this case by Rick Donovan, will be appealing this decision.

"The people of Gurdon are mad," Tarpley said, "and Eddie Arnold (one of Pineview's owners) has a fight on his hands."

She said the Golden Age Club, along with others, will "fight tooth and nail" to keep Pineview in Gurdon.

Should the nursing home actually move, she said, it would be almost impossible for Gurdon to get another one.

And the loss of Pineview would translate into the loss of more than 50 jobs.

Those residents with loved ones in Pineview would also most likely leave Gurdon if their loved ones are moved to Arkadelphia, as Arnold et al. have requested.

Arnold was at the Gurdon City Council meeting Monday, April 8, and told the panel he didn't want to comment on whether or not the nursing home was moving.

Pineview is licensed for 63 beds. Should it move to Arkadelphia, under law, its owners can add up to another 12 beds.

Donovan said reasons for the move are purely economic, but will prove to be disastrous for all nursing homes in the long run as a "glut" of beds will be created in Arkadelphia.

Tarpley informed the commission the Golden Age Club and Gurdon Chamber of Commerce worked to raise money to buy the land where Pineview sits.

She said the effort was spearheaded by the late Elizabeth Fudge, as the groups purchased the property in 1969 for $8,000.

Tom McAllister and H.C. Niehuss represented the Chamber's workers on the '69 project.

The land was originally bought from Austin Capps, with the deed presented to Dr. Blake Crow, Tarpley said, for the expressed purpose of building a nursing home.

At the time, according to Tarpley, more than 50 area women took courses to become nurses aides so they could help work in the center.

"There'll be static," over the decision Tarpley said. "We'll make them sorry we ever heard about it (the plans to move Pineview)."

Residents learned of the moving plans at the council hearing April 8. Tarpley said the Golden Age Club, and others, "worked like maniacs" getting signatures on petitions to take before the commission.

"The purpose of getting the nursing home was for Gurdon people so they would be here," she said. "It will be hard on people if it moves.

"We're working hard to keep it here, and don't intend for it to leave."

Bro. Gib Cole, pastor of Gurdon's First Baptist Church, had asked Arnold what it would take to keep Pineview in Gurdon. He was reportedly told a doctor would be required.

Cole informed the commission St. Joseph's Regional Hospital, based in Hot Springs, had purchased the clinic in Gurdon and is currently working to place a physician in the city in May when the doctor graduates.

It has been said Donovan and the Rose Law Firm will appeal the decision, basing their arguments on the deed aspect for the second round.

Those area residents who went to Little Rock to argue against the move were: Tarpley, Cole, Nadine Logan, Estelle Bear, Ben and Florence VanCamp, Pauline Nelson, Lulumae Bailey, Bernice Freeman, Birdie Quarels, H.T. and Sister Annie B. Hubbard (associate pastor of Muldrew CME Church), Bro. and Mrs. Charles Sanderlin (of the Church of God), Harold and Geneva Everett and Ben and Jessie Medcalf.