2004 - Celebrating Cotter's Centennial and the Renovation of the R. M. Ruthven Bridge Cotter, Arkansas Good things are happening in Cotter; it's a great time to be here!

Number 45                          Published by the City of Cotter, Arkansas                      June 2004

Cotter Museum and Picnic in the Park Highlight Cotter Centennial Celebration                  On July 7th at 4:00 p.m., the 100th anniversary of the official date of incorporation of the city of Cotter will be celebrated with a Birthday Party, sponsored by the Saturday Club, at the Spring House in Big Spring Park. The event will include a special preview of the Cotter Museum.      Exhibits will include a variety of items of Cotter memorabilia, a special collection of Native American artifacts from the area, and photocopies of early issues of The Cotter Courier and The Cotter Record. A book of historic photos and other Cotter history prepared by the Saturday Club will be available for sale. The museum will also be open on Thursday and Friday from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.      The City of Cotter’s official Centennial Celebration will be a Picnic in the Park on Saturday, July 10. Games for kids, music by The Monkey Run Boys, and lots of good food will highlight the day.      If you have items to lend for the museum or historic photos that can be copied, please contact Wanda Fielding, 435-6371. Remember, history, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, so photos of Cotter from the 70s and 80s are also needed. AGFC to Present Spring Creek Proposal      At the North Arkansas Youth Center on June 14th at 6:30 p.m., representatives of the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission plan to present a proposal to create a handicapped fishing area along Spring Creek between the swimming area and the river. The proposal is contained within a draft of the first ever "Trout Management Plan" for Arkansas scheduled for approval later this year. The proposal allows fishing by youth, ages 15 and under, when accompanied by an adult and includes improvements of trout habitat in the creek and limitations such as single barbless hooks and catch-and-release.      The plan is part of the state Trout Management Plan which is being developed because of to the continued increase in popularity of trout fishing in Arkansas. Spring Creek is being included due to the successful fishing derbies there over the past few years. These have included the Special Olympics and the 15 and under "Kids Fishing Hole" as part of the Great Cotter Trout Festival.      Concerns were raised by adjoining property owners at a public comment meeting May 11th at ASU-Mountain Home. Concerns centered on liability and trespass due to people fishing adjacent to their property, safety due to rapidly rising high water, enforcement, littering and ecological harm.      To further clarify, AGFC personnel conducted a follow up meeting with the property owners at Cotter City Hall on May 24th. To meet public concerns the AGFC personnel planned to revise the draft and incorporate changes that were discussed. However, further concerns have surfaced and the third meeting at the youth center has been scheduled.   Cotter VFW, Boy Scouts Add Flags to Cemetery, City Renews Gates      Cotter’s historic Walnut Hill Cemetery is even more beautiful than ever now, thanks to the local VFW lodge, the Boy Scouts, the City of Cotter and. the Cotter Saturday Club.      On Saturday, May 29, the VFW and the Boy Scouts raised new flags on 18 new flagpoles, purchased by the VFW at a cost of $2,000. The flag poles line both sides of the main drive through the center of the cemetery. New flags and flagpoles were also placed at the upper and lower gates.      The Cotter Saturday Club, a federated women’s club, has been active in work at the cemetery since the club’s founding in 1911. In the earliest years, the women did the actual work of keeping the cemetery grounds in good repair. In later years, a trust fund was established by the Saturday Club to provide perpetual care for the cemetery grounds.  The maintenance is performed by the city.      The fund consists of donations made in memory of those who are buried there, as well as gifts and bequests in the wills of those who wish to help maintain the cemetery. Interest from the trust fund is given by the Saturday Club to the City of Cotter for maintenance.          “The city did a wonderful job,” said Saturday Club President Judi Sharp, “in rebuilding the brick piers on the upper gate. They also painted both arches and a tool shed.  It just looks beautiful!” Cotter Chamber to Host OMR Picnic, Awards Scholarship, Donates $2,000 to Cotter High School Band       At the May 18th meeting of the Cotter Area Chamber of Commerce, Kelly Linck, Executive Director, Ozark Mountain Region Regional Tourist Bureau, announced the OMR annual picnic will be held September 21, 2004, at Cotter’s Big Spring Park. He pointed out that Cotter’s community spirit, new businesses, and unique restorations made Cotter an easy choice for the event. The selection of Cotter will provide over 100 tourism personnel from a five county area an opportunity to become familiar with the remarkable improvements going on in Cotter and the attractions for tourists.      The event will convene at 10 a.m. and visitors will have approximately 3 hours to visit Cotter before music, food and other programs begin at 1 p.m. Arrangements for a trolley are being made and preliminary plans are being made for tours of Cotter between 10-1.    At the 20th Annual Awards Program on May 11th the Cotter Chamber scholarship of $500 was awarded to Jay Kaple. He plans to first attend ASU-Mountain Home and then study for the ministry at College of the Ozarks.      At the final Cotter High School band concert of the year, Beverly Pence, Chamber president, presents a $2,000 donation from the Chamber, through an anonymous donor, to the high school band. (See picture.) Mayor's Minute      The special session of the state legislature was charged with financing the court ordered education reform, tried to broaden the sales tax base by adding some goods and services that previously were exempt from taxation. One of those services was municipal trash pickup.  Effective July 1, 2004, the City will be obligated to collect sales tax on our trash pickup fees, increasing your total monthly cost of services by 68 cents.  Sales tax has always been collected on the amount of water used, but not on the sewer fees or trash pickup.  So on the “water bill” you receive on August 1, the item listed: Sales Tax, will increase 68 cents.  It is a sad commentary when our legislators are influenced by very costly lobbies to leave large sources of tax dollars exempt and take the easy way out by tacking an additional one cent on the existing tax base.        Jere Reagan, our Park Superintendent, was stricken with a very painful heart problem in my office Tuesday, June 1st.  He has now had by-pass surgery and will be home soon. You are in our prayers, Jere.     I received a first hand look at what a great service we have in our town.  I doubt if five minutes elapsed from the time I called 911 and our Fire Chief Whit Whittington and Fireman Marty Haligan hurried in carrying the equipment to stabilize Jere until the hospital ambulance arrived.  They worked with him while waiting, and I could tell he was relieved of a lot of pain and breathing much easier. I repeat, what a great service to have available, with trained and dedicated men to help insure that a person will have the advantage when illness strikes. Thanks men!      Since the big rainstorm, I have been able to travel to other areas along our river. Believe me, we were very fortunate that we didn’t suffer more damage.  Some of the damage caused by land sliding into the river will never be repaired and other repairs will be very costly.  There are a couple slides on the bluff side of the White Hole that took part of Denton Ferry Road and it will be a long and expensive repair to keep the road intact.  It has changed my thinking about the strength of our rocky soil.      Our 100 year birthday celebration is getting closer.  Don’t forget to save the dates of July 7 to 10th. and come to the park to enjoy the history and the party on the 10th.  There are some surprises in store. Cotter Fire Department Report By Chief Jim Whittington       The Cotter Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary received a grant of $1,000 from the Mountain Home Wal-Mart as matching funds for money raised at our annual Chili Supper & Baked Goods Auction held in March. This is the third year that Wal-Mart has supported our fire department. Many thanks to Wal-Mart and to all the individuals and area businesses who made donations.      In May, members of the Cotter/Gassville Rural Fire District along with members from the Cotter VFD broke ground and poured footers for an additional bay on the fire station on Wildcat Shoals Road. The addition will be funded by a grant awarded to the rural district and will house a pumper truck. In-kind labor will be donated to help fulfill the matching funds portion of the grant. The original building was completed two years ago.      The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has donated a stocking raft and motor to the Cotter VFD. It will be modified and used as part of our river rescue program. Cotter Care Crew Plans Reception for Charter Members Cotter is losing two of the founders of the Cotter Care Crew. Clyde and Tommye Collins will be moving to Perry, Georgia, to be near family.             On Sunday, June 13, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., a reception honoring Clyde and Tommye will be held at the Spring House. The Cotter Care Crew, sponsors of the reception, invite all friends of Clyde and Tommye to come and make this a festive occasion – something they’ll remember for a long time.             The next meeting of the Care Crew will be June 10, 8:30 a.m., at the White Sands. All residents and friends of Cotter are invited. This photo of the White River Booster Club Band is from the collection of Clyde Collins. A large print, with identifiable faces, will be on display at the Cotter Museum during the centennial celebration July 7 – 10. Come see if you can help identify the members.   Display Ads and Classifieds to Start in July Issue of Trout Capital News             Beginning with the July issue of the Trout Capital News, display ads, 1/6 page in size, will be available to Cotter businesses at a cost of $10.00. At the same time, free classified ads will be offered to all Cotter residents.             If you have items to sell or trade, you can drop your classified ad copy at the Cotter City Hall by the 25th of the month preceding publication or e-mail to troutcapitalnews@cotterarkansas.com. For business ads, please contact Judi Sharp, 492-4483.

This newsletter is published monthly by the City of Cotter and focuses on organized activities. It is compiled by Sonny Sharp, and published electronically at http://www.troutcapitalnews.com/. Please e-mail material to troutcapitalnews@cotterarkansas.com or mail to Box 128, Cotter, AR 72626.  ©2002-2004. City of Cotter, Cotter Area Chamber of Commerce.