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Trout Capital News |
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| Number 1 |
Published by the City of Cotter, Arkansas |
June 2000 |
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| Two major
gifts received
Cotter is grateful for the generosity of others. You may have noticed that the old building at the corner of Second and Harding is being torn down. After some discussion between Mayor Pratt and Cecelia Ray, a descendant of the Ray family in New York, the building and six lots were recently donated to the city of Cotter. Her father-in-law was O.H. Ray, who, for many years, operated several stores in Baxter County. The one many remember was a small store at the corner of College Street and Highway 62 East in Mountain Home. The store was a reference point to many and often mentioned in directions given to one place or another. The generosity of the Ray family is sincerely appreciated. The property may play a role in the long term development plan for Cotter prepared by the University of Arkansas group that was here last summer. Final decisions are pending. At the May city council meeting, the council approved a detailed proposal by the Cotter Care Crew for development of Big Spring Park. This was made possible by a $100,000 gift from the estate of Gwen Tinnon Derouin The plans have five stages that include a gazebo in the center of the field east of the well house; a railroad memorial area at the southeast corner of the field; railroad cars for display near the memorial area, if they can be obtained by donation or purchase; old-fashioned light poles with underground wiring in the area; and sidewalks to connect it all. Plans for the memorial include a platform with a bronze statue of a railroad worker in the center. The names and railroad nicknames of railroad workers from the Cotter area will be included on bricks which will be sold for a nominal amount. Relatively minor support would be necessary by the city of Cotter. Alderman and parks chairman Wanda Fielding made the motion and the council approved. Estimated time for completion of the project is two years. We are thankful for this wonderful gift. Festival planned for Labor Day weekend At their May meeting, the Cotter Chamber of Commerce voted to sponsor a community festival in down town Cotter in conjunction with the Cotter Alumni Association's 23rd annual reunion to be held at the North Arkansas Youth Center (old Cotter school gym). Tentative dates will be Friday and Saturday, Sept. 1 - 2, 2000. Preliminary plans include participation by arts and antique vendors, clubs and organizations, entertainment, and an open house for some of the historic downtown buildings currently offered for sale. Committees will be formed in the near future to address the following areas: publicity; festival layout; invitations (to vendors, clubs and organizations); entertainment; food; parking/security. If you would like to participate in this festival as an exhibitor or an event volunteer, please call Sonny Sharp at 492-4483 (home) or 435-6757 (store), send e-mail to sonny@thehistorybook.com or come by The History Book at 114 McLean Avenue (across the street from City Hall) between 10 and 5, Wednesday through Saturday. Ruthven Bridge repair costs still high Major decisions are still pending by the Arkansas Highway Department regarding the renovation of the 1930 Cotter bridge. The most recent bids were still too high for available funding. There were three bidders, two from central Arkansas and one from out of state, and all three bids were rejected. The fact that the bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places has been an important consideration. Federal enhancement funds, as are being used now to restore the Wolf House at Norfork, may be utilized at some point. More information is expected in the near future. White River part of minimum flow study It's hard to remember when the flow from the dams has been this low for this long. A press release by the Corps of Engineers dated April 4, 2000, describes conditions in the upper White River basin as "consistent with a Level 1 mild drought." Plans are being made by a variety of water supply users in case lake levels continue to worsen. The release goes on to say: "At Bull Shoals Lake the top of the conservation pool is elevation 654. On April 4 Bull Shoals was 10 feet below that at elevation 644. The historic low level for Bull Shoals was elevation 587.4 in 1954. The maximum probable drawdown elevation during extreme conditions is 588." The Corps of Engineers will host a workshop in Branson next month concerning the lake. An excerpt from their press release dated May 22, 2000, states: "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host a public workshop from 7 PM to 9 PM June 13 at the Dewey Short Visitor Center at 4600 State Hwy 165, Suite B, in Branson, Missouri, as part of the White River Minimum Flow Study. Interested persons are invited to stop by during those hours to get information or submit comments. At the workshop Corps officials will present some details of the study, as well as benefits and impacts that that might result from establishing minimum flows." The idea behind the study is that trout fishing would be improved by a minimum flow of water from the dams. The study is considering the White, North Fork and Little Red Rivers and is examining such impacts as flood control, power generation, water supply, in both lakes and corresponding rivers. The current study considers reducing Bull Shoals Lake by 5 feet. Those who cannot attend in person can send comments by mail to Brenda Puloma, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 867, Little Rock, Ark. 72203-0867or by e-mail to minimum.flow.project@usace.army.mil. Cotter on the Internet The City of Cotter is becoming more prominent on the Internet. There are now two Web sites that feature our city. The first was done by the South Shore Foundation at no cost to the city. That address is www.cotterweb.com. The second was contracted by the Chamber of Commerce. Its address is www.cotterarkansas.com. Others are also being developed that focus on Cotter. If you have Internet access, check them out. From the North Arkansas Youth Center Summer Hours
Special summer activities include:
July 10 - 14, 1 to 4 p.m. - grades 4 & 5 VFW Presents Check to NAYC for Scoreboard
May 30 June 12 June 15 June 19 City Council Meeting Planning & Zoning Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary Cotter Care Crew Chamber of Commerce Cotter VFW, Post 5742 Cotter VFW Auxiliary Heart of the Hills Chorus Cotter Saturday Club Tennie Craig Community Guild This newsletter is published monthly and presented as a public service by the City of Cotter. It will focus on organized events and activities. It is edited by Sonny Sharp. Input on any potential articles is actively solicited. Please e-mail material to sonny@thehistorybook.com or drop it by The History Book at 114 McLean, right across from City Hall. You may also use regular mail to Trout Capital News, PO Box 128, Cotter, AR 72626. For further information, call 492-4483 or 435-6757. |
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The VFW Ladies Auxiliary recently presented the youth
center a check for $200.00 for purchase of an electronic scoreboard
game. Pictured (L to R), are Jean LaPoint, Senior Vice President, Evelyn
Denton, NAYC Director, Shirley Plott, Auxiliary President, and Fran
Bounds, Treasurer.