Jeff Pistole, a local business owner who currently serves as a Van Buren County Justice of the Peace, is seeking election to the office of Van Buren County Judge, on the principles of independence, as an Independent candidate.

Pistole, a sixth generation resident of Van Buren County, is married to Maria Pistole his wife of 16 years. Together they have four children: Julia, Zackery, Shelby, and Samuel. All four children attend Clinton Public Schools. Pistole and his wife Maria are both 1991 graduates of Clinton High School.

Pistole graduated from UACCM with an AA degree in general education. While attending UACCM he remained on the Chancellor’s Scholars list from 2005-2007.  In 2006 he was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa an international honor society for college students with high academic achievements. In 2007 he was awarded the title of Academic All-Star an award given to one student per academic year. He was listed on the Who’s Who Among Students for three years running.  In 2008 he received the UACCM English department award. Pistole also attended UCA.

Pistole is an active member in the community. He is a member of the Clinton Rotary Club, the Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Van Buren County TEA Coalition. Other organizations he belongs to include the National Right to Life and the NRA. He is also an active member in his church where he has served as an advisor on the Pastoral Council, taught religious education, and recently held the position of Director of Religious Education.

In March of 2010 Pistole became NIMS certified. NIMS (National Instant Management System) is now required for elected officials who serve in an executive position i.e. County Judge.

In order to become NIMS certified he had to complete four courses which represent approximately 33.5 hours of training 29.5 of those were classroom hours.

In his position as Van Buren County JP Pistole has worked hard to represent the citizens in his district while also being sensitive to the needs of all the citizens of Van Buren County. Recently, he has been working closely with the animal shelter and the Library board. A new library is one of the many goals he envisions for Van Buren County. He also wants to work with Solid Waste Management in order to promote awareness about the recycling center. Pistole said that “recycling is not only good for the environment but it is also a good way to save the citizen’s tax dollars.” In 2009 he sponsored the Van Buren County Social Host Ordinance.  The passage of this ordinance made it illegal for individuals to host parties with the intent to serve alcohol to minors.

The Pistole Campaign officially started in February with the circulation of a petition to get his name on the November 2nd ballot.  The petition was certified by the Van Buren County Clerk’s office in April.  Now that the primaries are over the Pistole Campaign is underway.  Pistole says “my decision to run as an Independent was an easy one because it required only 166 signatures to get my name on the ballot and it saved me a $1,300 filing fee. That is money I can spend on other crucial areas in my campaign. According to the Van Buren County voter registration list less than 600 people claim political party affiliation. Those 600 people represent roughly 7 percent of the 8,400 registered voters in Van Buren County meaning that 93 percent of Van Buren County voters consider themselves Independent. The people of Van Buren County are Independent because they vote for the candidate, not the party. I find nothing wrong with being an Independent. After all, this country was founded on independence.”

As an investor, you often may have to digest a great deal of information, some positive and some negative. And right now, you can find both the good and the bad — but most importantly, you can find investment opportunities.

Unfortunately, many people are focusing on the gloomy headlines: the possibility of a double-dip recession, European debt concerns, slowing growth in China and other factors. And when investors get jittery, they tend to flee the stock market, which leads to the declines we’ve seen in recent days.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that there really is some good news out there. Consider the following:

Sustainable economic recovery — The economic recovery is already a year old. In fact, the economy grew by about 3 percent in the first half of this year — one of the largest turnarounds in 50 years. We’re now entering a more sustainable recovery pace. And although there may be some bumps in the road, there’s probably little chance of a double-dip recession, an event that, historically, is quite rare.

Low inflation, interest rates — Inflation is currently running at a manageable 2 percent per year, while interest rates remain at near all-time lows. The ability to borrow inexpensively during periods of low inflation historically leads to stronger economic demand.

Strong corporate earnings — Following the end of the recession, corporate profits have improved dramatically — and companies are using their strong profits and growing cash balances to boost their dividends. This is also good news, because companies typically don’t raise dividends unless they’re somewhat confident about the future.

Stocks priced favorably — Many quality stocks are attractively valued today, based on their price-to-earnings ratio, or P/E. Typically, the lower the P/E, the better the value. Currently, the P/E of the stocks in the Standard & Poors 500 is about 12; over the past 22 years, the average P/E was 18.5.

Historical precedent — The past decade has not been a good one for stocks. But during the past 80 years, whenever stocks have done poorly over a decade (average annualized 10-year returns of less than 4 percent), the returns over the next 10 years have been strong (annualized average returns of 12.5 percent per year). While past performance can’t guarantee future results, history is still on the side of the optimistic investor.

Given these factors, what should you do now? For starters, don’t panic. Don’t rush into ultra-conservative investments because you’re worried about stock market declines; with today’s low interest rates, these vehicles may not help you much in achieving your long-term financial goals. Instead, balance your portfolio with an appropriate mix of short-term investments, such as cash and certificates of deposit (CDs), and long-term investments, such as stocks and bonds. Your ideal balance should be based on your individual risk tolerance, time horizon and specific objectives.

And as you balance your portfolio, look for the best opportunities available today. It takes discipline and confidence to ignore the “bad news” of today and invest for tomorrow. But in the long run, it’s worth the effort.

In an effort to bring additional rooftops and dollars to Van Buren County, the Van Buren County Economic Development Committee headed by Paul Govannini  is using the aid of Ancil Lea and John Lowe of The Ridge Group from Conway to help change the image of the county and the communities within.

During a luncheon on Friday, August 20 at Indian Hills Country Club an informative discussion was held with representatives from local businesses, the Fairfield Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, Clinton Chamber of Commerce and representatives from the Fairfield Bay Community Club.

Ancil and John asked everyone what makes Van Buren County so special? What are the things that can be used to attract visitors to come for a short stay or a lifetime? Some of the obvious responses related to the beauty of the area and the attraction of the lake.

Faye’s Diamond Mine swept four of the top design awards at the annual Arkansas Jewelers Association meeting in Little Rock this past weekend.

Lori Blagg won the CARAT Award in her category as well as the  Convention Choice Award for 2010 which is voted on by jewelers from around the state.   She won with a stained glass look design using amethysts and peridots and set in 14k yellow gold.  Lori also won the 2009 Convention Choice Award last year.

Sandy Seastrom won the Craftsmanship Award which is voted on by fellow jewelers and is judged on difficult goldsmithing techniques demonstrated in assembling the necklace that Lori designed.

Logan Blagg won runner-up in her category with a white gold sapphire and diamond necklace at the convention.

The CARAT Awards are given by the Arkansas Jewelers Association and is the acronymn for Creative Achievement Recognizing Arkansas Talent.

The Greers Ferry Area Chamber of Commerce will recognize the September Business of the Month next week, Thursday, Sept  2.

September’s business is CAN, Inc, formerly F & B Construction, 7400 Edgemont Rd, Higden.

The Chamber will be on site to serve drinks and hot dogs and the  public is invited to come by 7400 Edgemont Rd. for refreshments on Thursday, 11:30-1p.m.

The first day of each month the Chamber will provide and display a flag and sign for the month with the designation of Business of the Month.

Business of the Month is selected by drawing from the active members list of the Chamber.

For additional information, call the Chamber (501) 825-7188.

Clara Huie moved to Little Rock, Arkansas in 1965 and started her own Cosmetic business in 1986, while working as a clerk in the Resident Engineer’s office in Conway. She became a Sales Director in 1989, earning cars and gifts from Mary Kay Cosmetics. Clara and her husband built their home seven years ago on Greers Ferry Lake at Choctaw.

The Huie family lived in Conway for over 20 years and while there Clara worked with Bethlehem House and the Women’s Shelter. She was instrumental in helping the Women’s Shelter attain a $5,000 grant from Mary Kay Cosmetics to thelp with the prescriptions for the women at the shelter and also a $10,000 grant for the Women’s Shelter in Morrilton.

After moving to this area Clara wanted to be involved in the community, so she joined the “Pink Team” and became a volunteer with the Ozark Health Auxiliary and she currently serves on the Ozark Health Foundation Board.

Clara is in the process of working with a Therapeutic Massage therapist to offer the most from the Mary Kay Spa products for your health, relaxation and fun. Healthy skin, Healthy Body. Our services are available in the Clinton and Fairfield Bay area.

For further information you may call: 800-617-6745,   pin  # 5460, email: chuie@marykay.com or web site: www.marykay.com/chuie.

You may reach a point at which you think you’re doing everything you should with your investments – and then you’ll find that things have changed. Maybe your family situation is now different. Or maybe you’ve discovered that your portfolio has somehow evolved into something other than it once was. In short, things don’t always stay the same. And that’s why you need to conduct a portfolio review at least once a year.

If you work with an investment professional, he or she will have a particular method of evaluating your holdings, but every good review should cover, at a minimum, the following questions:

Is your portfolio properly diversified? Over time, your portfolio may have become “unbalanced” – even if you didn’t do a thing to it. You may have started out with stocks making up, say, 60 percent of your investments. But during a strong bull market, your stocks could have gained so much value that they now make up 70 percent – which means you could be taking on more risk than you’d like. Conversely, during a long bear market, your fixed-income holdings, such as bonds, could take on an increasingly greater percentage of your portfolio’s value, so that you risk losing some of the growth potential you need. By reviewing your portfolio annually, you can see what adjustments you should make to achieve a suitable level of diversification.

Of course, your definition of “suitable” will change over time. When you’re young, you can afford to invest more aggressively. But, as you near retirement, you might want to become somewhat more conservative to protect the gains you may have achieved. Consequently, during your annual portfolio reviews, try to determine if your risk level still fits your time horizon.

Are your investments performing as they should for you to reach your long-term goals? If you put your portfolio together carefully, you planned on individual investments achieving rates of return strong enough to help you meet your long-term goals. So, if some of your investments are laggards over a course of a few years, you may need to replace them. o Are you paying too much in investment taxes? – As you look over your portfolio each year, try to spot opportunities to reduce your investment taxes, which can diminish your “real” rate of return. For example, as a result of recent tax law changes, taxes on most stock dividends have been reduced to 15 percent; previously, these dividends were taxed at your individual tax rate. You may now be be able to integrate more dividend-paying stocks into your portfolio, thereby achieving some tax benefits. Your tax adviser can help suggest other ways in which you could cut your investment taxes.

Have you recently experienced job or family changes? Your employment and family situations will clearly affect your investment strategies. If you’ve taken a different job, you may have a whole new 401(k) or other employer-sponsored plan to incorporate into your portfolio. And if you’ve just married, or had a child, you may need to adjust your investments to reflect some important new objectives, such saving for a house or building funds for college.

By exploring these and other questions during your portfolio review, you can help make sure you’re making progress toward your key financial goals – year after year.

The Community Water System Board of Directors has appointed Shelby Morton of Higden and Judy Wheeler of Fairfield Bay to fill the recently vacated positions on the Board. In late March of this year, Board Member Paul Dean Morton passed away and Board Member Barbara Sullivan moved out of state. With the 2010 Annual Meeting scheduled for May, there was no time for Board Member elections so it became necessary for the Board to appoint replacements.

Shelby Morton, the first Board appointee was the wife of Paul Dean Morton and a lifelong resident of the Higden / Greers Ferry area. Shelby and her late husband Paul Dean owned and operated Morton Grocery in Higden from 1957 to 1974. Shelby was also manager of the Heber Springs State Bank in Greers Ferry until she retired in 1999.

Judy Wheeler, the second Board appointee is a resident of Fairfield Bay where she currently lives with her husband, Richard Skip Wheeler. Born in Conway, Judy has extensive training in Microbiology, Chemistry and Psychology. Before retiring, she was a practicing Psychological Counselor dealing with family and marital issues. She had been in this field for 30 years.

Current Board Members feel these ladies will be excellent additions to the CWS Board and look forward to working with them. They bring an excellent knowledge of the area CWS serves as well as outstanding people skills.

By: Mayor Tom Schueren

In June, we placed an article in this publication explaining why and when building permits are required.  The article in last weeks paper regarding the Building Code/Code Enforcement Officer was very disturbing.  The BC/CEO is not attempting to gain any additional authority.  He already has that authority by virtue of Arkansas State Law. The Ordinance was written to correct and to bring the verbiage in the line with state law. The new verbiage proposed in the Ordinance mimics Section 104.6 of state law.  The old Ordinance has certain language that was repeated within a paragraph, therefore, it needs to be revised.

The 2007 Arkansas State Fire Code, which was adopted as state law on April 25, 2008 became effective August 1, 2008.  There are three (3) copies available for your review within the city.  They are located in the City Office, Fairfield Bay Fire Dept., and the CEO’s Office.  You are welcome to review them any weekday during office hours.

The Arkansas Fire Code, which includes the AR Building Code, has been adopted for your benefit, as stated in Paragraph 101.2 …“The purpose of this code is to provide minimum requirements to safeguard the public safety, health, and general welfare and ventilation, energy conservation, and safety to life and property from fire and other hazards attributed to the built environment”.  In addition, Paragraph 102.7 provides that legally occupied buildings existing on the date of adoption of the code shall be permitted to continue without change unless there are additions, alterations or repairs at which times those changes shall conform to the code in effect at the time.  The code states which areas are covered and things for which permits are not required.  These documents are comprised of six (6) volumes consisting of over 1500 pages, so it is impossible to reprint the entire state code as our municipal code.

The Building Official/Code Enforcement Officer has a mandate established by the Fairfield Bay City Council in 1995 and the state of Arkansas in 2008.  The right of entry clause was adopted as part of the City Code in Ordinance 96-34.  If the building official observes or has justifiable cause to believe there is an unsafe condition that exists, he/she not only has the right but the responsibility to investigate.   He/she must first contact the owner and make arrangements to inspect the situation.  If entry is refused, state law provides recourse to remedies as provided for by law.  The City of Fairfield Bay is not responsible for how other cities or municipalities interpret the law or when they update their ordinances.  We are responsible to you to ensure that we maintain our ordinances to meet state law as it changes from time to time as expeditiously as possible.  In addition, when city officials take office they take an oath to uphold state law.

Please do not allow unknowing persons to cause you anxiety.   If you have questions or concerns, please call or stop by the Fairfield Bay City Office, Building Official/Code Enforcement Office, and we will be more than happy to discuss any concerns you might be harboring.

Recently, I had the privilege of attending an informative public meeting about the impact gas drilling can have on a community. At the meeting the keynote speaker, Mayor Calvin Tillman of Dish, Texas, told the crowd of the perils that his small community has dealt with over the past several years. Mayor Tillman related stories about air, water, and noise pollution and how his community struggled to make the gas companies “do things right.”

After his presentation several Van Buren County citizens voiced their concerns about the drilling activities in our area.  Many expressed fear and asked the question “what are our elected officials doing to protect us?”  I vowed to make the first step and have something ready for our August Quorum Court meeting.

I spent the next day riding around in a van with Mayor Tillman and several other people.  We toured several areas of the county where gas drilling is currently happening.  Mayor Tillman informed me that “we haven’t seen anything yet” and that what we have now is just the beginning.  He told me that drilling in our area was in an early enough stage that we could still do some baseline testing. Baseline testing consists of doing water and air quality tests now, so that we will have something to compare it to in the future.

I have drafted an ordinance that will create an advisory board.  This board will be commissioned to go out and do research about air and water quality testing.  This board will find reputable companies that do testing and then the board will recommend to the Quorum Court and county judge what tests need to be done and what companies we should hire. A second ordinance will need to be passed to appropriate money for testing once the board completes its research.

I want to make it clear that I am not against the gas companies. I am glad they are here.  If we did not have them our local economy would be much worse than it currently is. I want the gas companies to continue their work here.  We just need to make sure that safe drilling practices are being observed and that our air and water is being protected.

I am asking for anyone who is interested in this issue to please attend this month’s Quorum Court meeting and voice your opinion.  This month’s Quorum Court meeting will be August 19   7 p.m. at the Van Buren County Courthouse Annex.