The March meeting of the Cotter City Council was filled with special programs and new ideas.

Mayor Pratt reported on the city’s purchase of an improved telephone system for Cotter City Hall. The system is used, but in excellent shape, and provides much better capabilities than the old one. The cost was $1,100 while the cost of a new system would have been $5,000. The old system was retained as a back up.

Sharon Peters, new owner of the old bank building at 2^nd and McLean, advised the Council that she is developing "Rainbow Bridge Treasures," a retail establishment offering antiques and new merchandise. She expressed great enthusiasm about further improvements in Cotter and hopes to provide local employment opportunities.

She also suggested that the City try to retain some of the concrete side rails from the bridge as it is being renovated. She had talked to the bridge construction foreman who was willing to try and remove the sections intact. She hopes that some can be placed in key areas in Cotter such as the park. The council was supportive and Mayor Pratt asked the public works department to look into the matter.

The Cotter Area Chamber of Commerce presented plans to add the "Great Cotter Trout Festival" in April (see bottom of page 1) to the fall festival, Arts, Antiques and Architecture - a Cotter Open House on September 28-29. This would provide another means to draw visitors to Cotter. The Chamber is researching sources of grant funds to help make improvements to better support the increased number of visitors. These include new sidewalks in the downtown area, and new signs off the highway and near the downtown area near Hopkins Overlook.

View Bridge Work From Safe Distance

Please honor the "No Trespassing" signs on and around the bridge. The work will create very real hazards even when visible work is not going on. Construction workers have already observed people venturing into posted areas beneath the bridge. Watch from a safe distance.

"The Last Dance" will be presented at Cotter High School at 9:15 a.m. The program is sponsored by the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention for the State of Arkansas and depicts the life altering consequences of driving while intoxicated. A two car collision will be staged on the field behind the High School and very realistic emergency rescue efforts will be performed for the public. A special assembly will be in the gymnasium following and everyone is invited to attend.

The Cotter Care Crew will have its first meeting of the year at the Spring House on April 11. The meeting will begin with one of the Crew’s famous potluck dinners at 6:00 p.m. followed by a discussion of activities planned for 2002. Everyone who loves Cotter and wants to participate in improvements is considered to be a member of the Cotter Care Crew – no dues are collected. and there are no other requirements for membership.

The Cotter Area Chamber of Commerce met for breakfast at the White Sands Restaurant on March 19, 2002. Principal business included a donation of $100 each to both the Cotter High School Band and High School Choir for their trips to Kansas City in April.

Both groups are also scheduled to perform at the Great Cotter Trout Festival at Big Spring Park on April 20, 2002, to raise additional funds.

Other business continued planning toward the trout festival. Members also approved creation of a new downtown sign to be paid for by Chamber members. New sidewalks in the downtown area were identified as a long term problem and both areas were scheduled for discussion at the March City Council meeting.

The flowers are beginning to sprout on Cotter Road, Big Spring Park, downstream walking trail, and the corner of the Ray property on US Highway 62B. We are hoping they will be more beautiful than last year.

The flowers were planted for all to enjoy. Please do not dig up any plants, as we are trying to get the beds started.

Work has started on the park at 2nd and McLean. One of the features will be a rainbow trout fountain in the center. What is more fitting, since Cotter is the Trout Capital of the USA.

Due to repairs on our rainbow bridge, no trespassing signs have been posted around the construction site. Please observe these areas. The park entrance to the rainbow walking trail has been temporarily closed.

We appreciate your help in keeping our parks clean and free of litter.

Wanda Fielding, Park Committee Chairman

IESI, contract trash service for the City of Cotter, has provided the following clean up information. These guidelines must be followed to ensure that everything is picked up satisfactorily.

     * Clean up is for residential customers only.

     * No yard waste, dead animals, car bodies, tires, rocks, concrete, oil, hazardous or medical waste will be accepted.

     * All items containing Freon must have all Freon removed by a certified technician and must have the company tag attached.

     * Liquid paint must be solidified or completely dry. Lids must be removed so that drivers can see that they are solidified.

     * Clean up items must be in bags or containers weighing no more than 50lbs. Per container or item, with the exception of furniture or appliances.

     * Large items, such as furniture, appliances, etc. may be left for a separate truck to pick up later that day.

     * This is a general household clean up. This does not include waste from building demolition, vacant house clean ups, move outs, or any type of construction waste. Please make sure nothing is placed near the clean up items that are NOT to be picked up. IESI will not accept responsibility for such items.

     * Items need to be at the curb by 7 a.m. to ensure pick up.

     Baseball: 1-5 PeeWee Tournament (Alpena), 1 Bergman (A), 4 Valley Springs (A), 8 Jasper (H), 9 Yellville (H), 11 Marshall (A), 15 Leslie (A), 18 Norfork (H), 19 Melbourne (A), 22- 23 District Tournament, 27-30 Region Tournament (Harrison).

     Music: 5-6 Band Regional Solo Ensemble Contest (West Fork), 5-7 Choir to "Festival of Choirs" (Kansas City), St James Place: April 13 Michael Johnson, 27-28 Band to "Festival of Bands" (Kansas City), 30 Band Spring Concert - 6:30 p.m.

     Elementary School Library: 14-20 National Library Week, 15-19 Book Fair-Volunteers needed 435-6655.

     Tennie Craig Guild: April 10
     Prom Café: April 12, 7:00 p.m.
     Olympics of the Mind (OM) Tournament: April 13
     Chamber of Commerce: April 16, 8:00 a.m., Breakfast at the White Sands
     City Council Meeting: April 18, 6:00 p.m.
     School Board Meeting: April 18, 7:00 p.m.
     Great Cotter Trout Festival: April 20, Big Spring Park
     Saturday Club of Cotter: April 27

Historical photographs

The top photograph is from the collection of Mr. Robert Fielding, who has loaned many of his historic photos to owners of buildings such as this which are in the proposed downtown historic district.

The photograph shows the five story hotel at the corner of 2^nd and South Streets. At the time of this photo, its name was the Hotel Royal. It also had other names - McDermitt and Merriman - the most well-known probably being the Tremain Hotel.

The most striking thing about the photo is undoubtedly the public pump in the street intersection.

This corner is now owned and occupied the Cook family. It was previously the home of the Cotter Lumber Company and is undergoing restoration.

The lower photograph is from a special edition of the Baxter Bulletin, published June 14, 1907. This issue was the first of several yearly special editions promoting the growth and boasting about the progress of Baxter County.

In the earliest Baxter County history by Frances Shiras, published in 1940, it is called "one of the first modern store buildings in Cotter."

This building, owned by the Lacefield family, is located on the northwest corner of 2^nd and McLean streets and is a part of the downtown historic district.