The Fairfield Bay Fire Department adds a 2009 Rescue Truck to their fleet. This was a showroom demo and is being purchased for $110,000 with $27,500 as the down payment and the balance financed through White River Planning at 4.5% for five years. The payments are made possible from turnback money through the State of Arkansas Act 833 Money Program for rural fire departments.
This truck replaces two vehicles and should service the city for the next 20 to 30 years. Of the equipment onboard is a new Jaws of Life which was funded by a generous donation from the Fairfield Bay Rescue Squad. This new system is able to cut through the newer metals used in todays vehicles.
Pictured to the right, Fire Chief John Cook and Assistant Chief Glen Spankuch, donate the old Jaws of Life to Botkinburg’s Fire Chief Tom Prout.
Pictured above are: Engineer Chris Province, Assistant Chief Glen Spankuch, Fire Chief John Cook, Mayor Tom Schueren, and Chaplain Freddie Huff.
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.”
Mom’s gonna be mad!! Local resident, Mary Alice Beer requested a bear trap be placed at her home on Holly Brook because a bear had been spotted around her home and had toppled a bird feeder in her front yard. With an irresistable treat placed in the trap this 200 lb. 2 year old bear could not resist and was captured. Jay Hagans, Wildlife Officer with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission picked up the trap and was heading to Gulf Mountain for the biologist to take a survey (which includes tatooing and tagging) and then the bear will be taken to Sylamore Mountain to be released. Wildlife officers are reminding all residents not to feed any wild animals, and again issued a plea for area residents to secure and protect their trash dumpsters and pet food. Photo by Dan Feuer
Aiden, Makala, Daniel, and Madison invite you to join them for Sunday School at Fairfield Bay United Methodist Church. Fall classes begin on Sunday, September 5. Classes will be held from 10:30 to 11 a.m. after the worship service. We will be offering a Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Youth (7th through 12th grade) classes. We also have two adult classes; one meets before church from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and the other from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Morning Worship remains at 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. It is carried live on KFFB 106.1FM and KFFB.com at 10 a.m. Please join us this Sunday for Worship and Sunday School.
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.
This year the 2010-2011 Community Club Board of Directors are seated at the Tennis Center complex in Fairfield Bay for the annual group photo. Pictured top left to right: Roy Baker, Jerry Short, Dwayne Miller, Vice President, Carlene Barra, Treasurer, bottom left to right: Francis Grillot, Secretary, Bob Berdine, President, and Robert McBride. Photo by: Dan Feuer
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