January 2000

Coon Supper tickets sell out fast at Gillett Date: 1/6/2000 Category: News Page: B2 GILLETT -- A11750 tickets have been sold for the 57th annual Coon Supper and fund-raiser sponsored by the Farmers and Businessmen Club of Gillett in the small east Arkansas town. The supper will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Gillett High School gym, where diners will feast on raccoon and the famous barbecue ribs of Jennings Osborne. Joe Hackney, club member and "ticketmaster," credits the quick sale of the $15 tickets to Osborne's barbecue and this year's coming political elections. The supper will be attended by many of the state's political leaders and hopefuls. Money raised from the sale of tickets will support the Gillett High School athletic program.

Carriage phone poll in LR set for Sunday Date: 1/8/2000 Category: News Page: B2 ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Little Rock philanthropist Jennings Osborne's "Question of the Day" generated plenty of questions itself Thursday. Osborne pays to run an advertisement each Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and the advertisement lists a telephone number to answer "yes" and another to answer "no." Thursday's question was "Should Horse & Carriage Rides Be Allowed In the River Market District?" For reasons still unknown, callers trying to render their "yes" or "no" vote to Thursday's question were met with a disconnected message when they dialed the toll-free numbers. David Bazzel, a spokesman for the Osborne family, speculated that the question may have garnered so many responses that the line became overloaded. Bazel said the question will run again in Sunday's paper, which is when he said he expects the independent polling service that tallies the results to be online again. Meanwhile, he urges anyone who wants to respond to the question to log on to the Osborne Web site to cast a vote at: www.JenningsOsborneFamily.com

Politicians gather to feast on raccoon 54th annual supper in Gillett draws crowd Date: 1/8/2000 Category: News Page: B1 MICHAEL ROWETT ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE GILLETT -- Barbecued raccoon was the main course in the Gillett High School Gymnasium on Friday night with politics as the side dish. The 54th Annual Gillett Coon Supper attracted political hopefuls and officeholders from across the state. U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., attended, along with three of the state's four congressmen -- Democrats Marion Berry and Vic Snyder and Republican Jay Dickey. "If you're a politician, the Coon Supper is a command performance," said State Rep. Jim Jeffress, D-Prescott, who is running for state Senate. Most of the state's constitutional of ficers, numerous state legislators and a slew of congressional candidates packed into the gym along with hundreds of Gillett residents and Arkansans from across the southern part of the state. Informality was the rule. Everybody just reached in, grabbed some raccoon and poured barbecue sauce on top. Reviews of the cooked varmints varied: Some said it reminded them of chicken, others of lamb, and some of roast beef. The Coon Supper is an Arkansas political tradition that began when Harry S Truman was president. The event began in 1947, when the Gillett's Farmers and Businessmen Club decided to stage a fund-raiser for the high school. More than half a century later, everybody who's anybody in Arkansas politics still makes the trek to Gillett, a town of 883, to feast and swap political stories. Berry, who lives in Gillett, held a fund-raiser for his 2000 re-election campaign at the Gillett Bar & Grill hours before the Coon Supper. About 100 stalwart Democrats packed the building, where they sipped beers and munched cheese and crackers. Gillett's population nearly doubled overnight. A total of 750 tickets was sold to the event, which benefits the Gillett High School's athletic program. At $15 a ticket, Friday's supper raised $11,250. The supper also honors the school's football players. Organizers like to consider the event nonpolitical, so only officeholders are allowed to speak. Candidates for office must settle for tasting raccoon and enjoying political camaraderie. Gov. Mike Huckabee was out of state Friday night, so Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller filled in, reading a proclamation from Huckabee that declared Friday "Coon Supper Day in Arkansas." Several of the Democrats vying to unseat Dickey in November attended the Coon Supper, including former state Rep. Judy Smith of Camden, state Sen. Mike Ross of Prescott, Bruce Harris of Pine Bluff, former chief of staff for Berry, and Dewayne Graham of Pine Bluff, a former reporter for a Little Rock television station. The Democratic nominee will be chosen in the May primary to oppose Dickey in November. Little Rock philanthropist Jennings Osborne cooked and donated hundreds of pounds of barbecued pork ribs and also served at the dinner. School offcials presented Osborne and his wife, Mitzi, with a giant orange and black banner depicting the school's wolf mascot. The http://library.ardemgaz.com/LibrarySearch.asp 2/22/00 Politicians gather to feast on raccoon 54th annual supper in Gillett draws cro Page 2 of 2 Osbornes, who also donated money to the school, received the loudest and longest round of applause during the event.

Out with the old, in with the new Date: 1/10/2000 Category: Editorial Page: B5 MEREDITH OAKLEY What was true in the 1 900s is true in the 2000s: You can take the gal out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the gal. As I stood in the shadow of Big Ben on New Year's surrounded by 3 million or so of my closest friends and watched what CNN would later dub the most spectacular fireworks display of the new millennium, one thought recurred with each colorful pyrotechnic explosion: Jennings Osborne, eat your heart out! Never mind that it wasn't the new millennium at all, or that I suspect that the most spectacular fireworks display of the new year could have been made even grander under Osborne's auspices; it was a singular celebratory event made even more remarkable than imagined by the civility and goodwill that permeated it. From what I've since heard, it was a scenario repeated in many capitals throughout the world: Frightening large crowds well primed with drink and various other elements good cheer and crammed together like so many sardines with hardly an inch in which to squirm, and yet mischief was virtually nonexistent. The director of New Scotland Yard reported in the early hours of the new year that a paltry 11 individuals had been taken into custody, mostly for their own well-being after having consumed a little more drink and good cheer than was good for them. The statistics were said to be equally impressive in other venues: 11 arrests in Sidney out of a crowd of 1.5 million, for example; 14 out of 2 million plus in New York City. Of course, not every celebration was without some darker moments. Reportedly, outdoor festivities in Rome turned chaotic as more than a million people converged on the city to attend open-air concerns in St. Peter's Square, the Piazza del Popolo and Quirinal Palace. Temporary toilets proved woefully inadequate, public transportation gave up the ghost at 9 p.m., two ancient statues were busted up by vandals and a piece of Trajan's Column was damaged by fireworks. Speaking of darker moments, the Berlin light show that was to have been visible from 40 miles away could hardly be seen because of fog, but CNN got close enough to capture it on videotape (now on sale at 21 st-century prices worldwide). I won't say there weren't a couple of heart-stopping moments from my bone-crushing space in London, times when the crowds were at such directional odds that all one could focus on was keeping a head up in the general direction of the oxygen that had been squeezed out of the mix. Truth be told, however, there was no real danger of being trampled, because there was no room in which to fall. The only time I faltered was when following the crowd put me up against a road barracade that was taller than my legs were long, and there was no other exit in sight. A handsome fellow half my age took pity on me and helped me up and over. I'll say this for the English: They're considerate to the elderly. My greatest fear was that at 5-feet-2, I would have a tad less chance at breathing fresh air than those who towered over me. The fellow up climbed up the statue of Winston Churchill to a vantage point atop the old fellow's head had the right idea, although I didn't stick around to see how he fared coming down. All right, probably, since neither he nor the people who probably broke his fall were feeling any pain. I don't know about Times Square, which was reported to have attracted a few hundred thousand fewer celebrants than the banks of the River Thames, but London hadn't seen anything like it since VE Day. The turnout exceeded that of both the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. I couldn't help but wonder how the older folks in the throng who'd witnessed and survived the London Blitz felt about the whistles and pops and bursts of fire that pummeled the atmosphere above the Thames for more than a quarter-hour after midnight, although the wizened faces I observed seemed to reflect only happy excitement and wonder. Not having been around at the end of World War II, I've never experienced anything like it, and doubt I ever will again. Unless, of course, I celebrate the advent of the year 2001 in the same place. The word out of 10 Downing St. is that they've suddenly discovered that the new millennium doesn't arrive until then, which, if they'd checked with John R. Starr, they would have known last year. Associate Editor Meredith Oakley's column appears every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

LETTERS Date: 1/1 1/2000 Category: Editorial Page: B7 Customers can't have everything Re "Unhappy store experience" (Voices, Jan 4): It would be a wonderful world if a consumer could walk into any retail business and get the kind of service and satisfaction of which Dorinda Cowan speaks. Unfortunately, in this day of fraud, it is no longer viable for retailers to give consumers everything they want. Granted, service in many, if not most, retail businesses could and should be improved, but there are simply too many people defrauding businesses for those businesses to turn a blind eye. The store in question gave no cash or credit refunds. Here's why: A consumer comes into the store and makes a large purchase using a check. He returns to the business the next day, receipt in hand, to return the purchase. Since the check has already been processed, a cash refund is the only alternative. The only problem is that the consumer knew when he wrote the check it was on a closed account. Now the consumer leaves the store with money he has essentially stolen from the business. If a business has a "no cash refund" policy in place, it deters a great many of these would-be thieves. Speaking from experience, I can say that consumer fraud can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars just in bad checks and this isn't including the unintentional returned checks by the honest customers. And one other thing: One satisfied customer makes one satisfied customer while one unhappy customer makes 10 unhappy customers. The good word is rarely passed while the bad word gets around in a hurry. RON BELL Russellville Ill-gotten message ill sent Four men from the Gloryland Baptist Church take turns beating a motherless, 3-foot-5, second-grade boy so severely that a chunk of skin was torn from his buttocks. The boy's grandmother says she is "sad" that the men are being "punished" for what they did; that the boy has "recovered." The senior pastor says nothing is wrong with the "mentoring" program that led to the beating. About 60 members of the church pack the courtroom to support the four defendants. What kind of message is being sent to this little boy? When he becomes a man, do you think he will think it's OK to beat his son? Will he think it's OK to beat his wife? Will he think it's OK to use whatever violence is necessary, in the name of God, to administer discipline? What a terrible, terrible, sad story. If there is a God, he must be crying his heart out. PHILLIP H. VANCE Quitman Status quo is much better Fayetteville spokesmen plug football games there. However, the Hogs are a state team, not a Northwest Arkansas one. Scholarship is very important, sure, but athletics are great for character, fitness, morale, pride, business, attracting students and financial support, and educating minorities. I am a big Hog supporter. Architect son Robert and Pi Phi daughter Marjorie, once of the University of Arkansas tennis team, graduated from there. I have attended every Little Rock game for 40 years, but Fayetteville games don't work for me, as with many others, especially fine South and East Arkansas fans. A veteran, I especially appreciate War Memorial, rich in tradition, where many loyal tailgaters and picnickers from South and East Arkansas have a big time attending and Alltel and Jennings Osborne have barbecues. Enthusiasm here is generally higher. Remember, stars Cedric Cobbs and Joe Johnson come from here. Millions in financial support and media coverage worth millions more originate here. Government, shopping, activities are here. The Hog program, teams and staff are indeed super; Frank Broyles and Houston Nutt (from Little Rock!) are the best. However, keeping the status quo in terms of games played here is much better. RD. MUNGER Little Rock Still waiting for that reply Bravo on your Jan. 4 editorial, "Football as identity." I was raised in Arkansas but left the state in 1957; moved back in 1996. I have two degrees from the University of Arkansas and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. I agree with everything you wrote. I guess you have to get out of the state awhile to make a good comparison with the rest of the world. Before the Citrus Bowl game last year, a Democrat-Gazette article reported Frank Broyles saying that not all of the receipts from the game would be available because at least $800,000 would be spent on sending various people to the game. About a month later, I received a request from some big shot at the university for a donation to the endowment fund or something. I wrote on the request that I didn't go to the bowl game, so they could just transfer my share from the proceeds of the bowl game to their fund. Would you believe that I didn't hear from them? I am waiting with bated breath for their request this year. J.C. NOGGLE Vilonia Considering a relocation I'm an East Arkansas redneck who bleeds Razorback red. My name isn't Ford or Stephens, and I don't own a big business. I have to work for a living and can't drive to Fayetteville for ballgames. If the University of Arkansas moves all the ballgames to Fayetteville, it will lose out on a lot of its down-state recruits, not to mention its down-state redneck fans who pay hard cash for their tickets. I remember back in the Danny Ford days when he came to all the down-state rednecks begging us to support the Hogs. Now that times are better and they've got the attendance up, they are ready to bail out on us. To some folks, Little Rock means seeing a game live or listening to it on the radio. The last time I checked, the University of Arkansas was state-owned and was paid for with state revenue. It didn't belong to Fayetteville or Frank Broyles. If the university insists on moving all the games to Fayetteville, I guess all of us down-state rednecks will have to move up to Northwest Arkansas and become upstate hillbillies. MICHAEL GAHR Wynne Some nagging questions Now we see why Benton County Prosecutor Brad Butler [initially] didn't want the report by Special Prosecutor John Everett released to the public. What we don't understand is (1) why he wouldn't resign after it was made clear he had inappropriate relations with two women who were subject to investigation by his office and (2) why Sheriff Andy Lee would steadfastly defend Butler when Lee had to know the truth. JOHNIE WOOD Bentonville Tears over Charlie Brown The only tears that I have ever cried as a result of a newspaper's comics pages have been tears of humor. That is, until today. So long, Charlie Brown. Thank you, Mr. Schulz. JACK WALTER WINOVER Little Rock Not panicking over 'bug' The Y2K computer date issues were known since their inception nearly 50 years ago. It was only used as an effcient, cost-saving technique for the purposes of reducing the investment in computer memory and minimizing data entry inconsistencies. A 25 percent reduction in memory offered a substantial savings. Twenty-five years ago, 3 megabytes of memory cost nearly $10,000, the same price as a luxury automobile in 1974. Today the automobile would cost at least $30,000, and the memory would cost less than the postage stamp used to place the order. Viable businesses have made prudent Y2K adjustments well in advance due to the cost savings. Loan amortizations, as well as other software that successfully extended into the next millennium, have been run for years. The laggards have been the monopolies and government agencies. They have gotten the media to buy into their definition of the Y2K problem as a "bug." A bug or unexpected problem implies that the public should subsidize the solution. As far as foreign countries, I have found most are leapfrogging the U.S. in technologies. They aren't inhibited by legacy software and legislation. I've seen ranchers in Uruguay going from a crank phone to wireless in the past two years; cable companies in Guangzhou, China, handling 500,000 subscribers on Y2K-compliant desktop computers, Hong Kong--well, it's in a class by itself. No U.S. city compares as far as technology. Most of our problems are from 1960 and 1970 software that should have been replaced years ago. While the business world is moving at Internet speed, the media continue to think at the speed of an hourglass--apparently on the same narrow bandwidth as our government and monopoles. HERB LAIR Harrison Safety program is needed Arkansas is one of three states that do not have an active motorcycle safety program. There should be an active program encouraging riders to educate themselves as much as possible about riding a motorcycle. This program also should actively educate and make the general public aware that motorcycles share the road with other vehicles. The plain truth is that a helmet is possibly useful after the accident has occurred. The whole point is to avoid the accident in the first place. Remember the slogan, "drive defensively"? Well, a motorcyclist should ride defensively. The general public can be made aware of the special conditions and considerations that a motorcyclist has made to ride on the public highway. Drivers education classes in high schools should teach young people to be aware of the motorcyclist. The motoring public should be reminded in public service announcements that motorcycles share the road with other vehicles. The state should take an active interest in preserving the health and welfare of all its citizens. The Arkansas Highway Safety Program once funded a motorcycle rider education program, but it was discontinued due to a lack of funding. Arkansas is a mecca for motorcyclists from all over the United States. It has some of the best scenic byways in the nation. Some motorcycle clubs and organizations have had annual meetings in this state for many years. One of the largest motorcycle associations in the nation is headquartered here. Arkansas should be known far and wide as a motorcycle-friendly state. Those who care should contact the governor and their legislators requesting that the state implement a safety program. ROBERT BASHAW Van Buren

Work space of governor due to get fresh look Date: 1/13/2000 Category: News Page: B1 RACHEL O'NEAL ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Some parts of the suite of of fices collectively known as the governor's of fice are about to undergo a $250,000 taxpayer-funded face lift. The plan also calls for seeking $100,000 in private donations to buy furniture and decorations and to pay architectural fees for the improvements. The improvements will be made not to the office that Huckabee occupies when he's at the state Capitol but to offices used by governor's office employees. The changes will include the moving of walls and creation of four private of fices. The use of private funds for governor's office furniture isn't new under Huckabee. After he became governor in July 1996, his office at the Capitol was redecorated and new furniture was provided by Jennings Osborne of Little Rock, a philanthropist and business owner. Huckabee said Wednesday that he's embarrassed that people who visit him at the Capitol have to walk through a "maze of outdated facilities that are not very presentable and do not really project the kind of image we want Arkansas to have." The governor's of fice staff occupies several suites at the Capitol. The one due for renovation is the one in the northeast corner of the Capitol's second floor. Those of fices are "a jumbled-up group" meant for senior staff, said Huckabee spokesman Gary Underwood. None of the furniture matches, and many pieces are old and worn, Underwood said. The $250,000 will cover structural work, which includes some minor changes to the waiting room, creation of an open work area for secretaries and aides, and construction of four of fices for senior employees: Brenda Turner, who is chief of staff; Rebekah Lee, who is assistant chief of staff; Ted Thomas, who is budget director; and Carolyn Pollan, who is legislative director. Those top employees now have offices that are cramped and lack individual ceilings, so privacy is impaired, Underwood said. Dick Barclay, director of the state Department of Finance and Administration, said the $250,0000 is coming from the deferred maintenance appropriation in the state's General Improvement Fund. Donations amounting to $30,000 from citizens and companies have paid for architectural drawings to renovate the office space, Barclay said. Turner is heading the effort to collect donations for the work, Underwood said. Companies and people that have contributed are: Frank Fletcher and Associates of North Little Rock, a diversified business holding company, $2,500; Ronald Cameron of North Little Rock, chief executive offcer of Mountaire Corp., $2,500; Sheffield Nelson of Little Rock, a Republican National Committee member and lawyer, $2,500; John Allison of Conway, a banker and owner of mobile home companies, $2,500; Robert H. "Bunny" Adcock Jr. of Conway, a banker and former head of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority, $2,500; Jack Fleischauer of Little Rock, head of Arkansas operations for Regions Financial Corp., $5,000; Alltel Corp., $5,000; Arkla Arkansas Co., $5,000; and Alex Lieblong of Conway, a stockbroker and head of Lieblong and Associates Inc. of Little Rock, $2,500. Kenneth Ingram, an architect with Andersen Associates Inc. in Conway, has been hired with the private funds to draw up a plan for renovating the outer of fices, Underwood said. Georg Andersen of Conway supervised the previous renovations of the governor's offce. Andersen also oversaw the renovations of Huckabee's private living quarters at the stateowned Governor's Mansion. The work to the outer offces is expected to take up to four months and will begin in March. During that time, Huckabee and his senior employees will move to other offices. Huckabee said he plans to do most of his work from the Governor's Mansion. The other employees will move to Room 250 of the Capitol, which is controlled by the state Senate. The Senate Effciency Committee agreed Wednesday that the governor's employees could use the offce during the renovation work. Meanwhile, the Senate committee approved its own remodeling and renovation project Wednesday. Senate Chief of StaffBill Lancaster said preliminary estimates show the project will cost about $1.2 million. The plan calls for removing asbestos from the Senate offces on the third and fourth floors of the Capitol and repairs in the Senate chamber. The work inside the chamber includes repairing cracks in the dome, removing decorative drapes that hang from the dome that are rotting and falling down, and replacing the carpet.

Governor's office work space due to get new look Date: 1/13/2000 Category: News Page: B1 RACHEL O'NEAL ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE **STATE EDITION** Some parts of the suite of of fices collectively known as the governor's of fice are about to undergo a $250,000 taxpayer-funded face lift. The plan also calls for seeking $100,000 in private donations to buy furniture and decorations and to pay architectural fees for the improvements. The improvements will be made not to the office that Huckabee occupies when he's at the state Capitol but to offices used by governor's office employees. The changes will include the moving of walls and creation of four private of fices. The use of private funds for governor's of fice furniture isn't new under Huckabee. After he became governor in July 1996, his offce at the Capitol was redecorated and new furniture was provided by Jennings Osborne of Little Rock, a philanthropist and business owner. Huckabee said Wednesday that he's embarrassed that people who visit him at the Capitol have to walk through a "maze of outdated facilities that are not very presentable and do not really project the kind of image we want Arkansas to have." The governor's offce staff occupies several suites at the Capitol. The one due for renovation is the one in the northeast corner of the Capitol's second floor. Those offces are "a jumbled-up group" meant for senior staff, said Huckabee spokesman Gary Underwood. None of the furniture matches, and many pieces are old and worn, Underwood said. The $250,000 will cover structural work, which includes some minor changes to the waiting room, creation of an open work area for secretaries and aides, and construction of four of fices for senior employees: Brenda Turner, who is chief of staff; Rebekah Lee, who is assistant chief of staff; Ted Thomas, who is budget director; and Carolyn Pollan, who is legislative director. Those top employees now have offices that are cramped and lack individual ceilings, so privacy is impaired, Underwood said. Dick Barclay, director of the state Department of Finance and Administration, said the $250,0000 is coming from the deferred maintenance appropriation in the state's General Improvement Fund. Donations amounting to $30,000 from citizens and companies have paid for architectural drawings to renovate the office space, Barclay said. Turner is heading the effort to collect donations for the work, Underwood said. Companies and people that have contributed are: Frank Fletcher and Associates of North Little Rock, a diversified business holding company, $2,500; Ronald Cameron of North Little Rock, chief executive of ficer of Mountaire Corp., $2,500; Sheffield Nelson of Little Rock, a Republican National Committee member and lawyer, $2,500; John Allison of Conway, a banker and owner of mobile home companies, $2,500; Robert H. "Bunny" Adcock Jr. of Conway, a banker and former head of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority, $2,500; Jack Fleischauer of Little Rock, head of Arkansas operations for Regions Financial Corp., $5,000; Alltel Corp., $5,000; Arkla Arkansas Co., $5,000; and Alex Lieblong of Conway, a stockbroker and head of Lieblong and Associates Inc. of Little Rock, $2,500. Kenneth Ingram, an architect with Andersen Associates Inc. in Conway, has been hired with the private funds to draw up a plan for renovating the outer offces, Underwood said. Georg Andersen of Conway supervised the previous renovations of the governor's offce. Andersen also oversaw the renovations of Huckabee's private living quarters at the stateowned Governor's Mansion. The work to the outer offces is expected to take up to four months and will begin in March. During that time, Huckabee and his senior employees will move to other offices. Huckabee said he plans to do most of his work from the Governor's Mansion. The other employees will move to Room 250 of the Capitol, which is controlled by the state Senate. The Senate Effciency Committee agreed Wednesday that the governor's employees could use the offce during the renovation work. Meanwhile, the Senate committee approved its own remodeling and renovation project Wednesday. Senate Chief of Staff Bill Lancaster said preliminary estimates show the project will cost about $1.2 million. The plan calls for removing asbestos from the Senate offices on the third and fourth floors of the Capitol and repairs in the Senate chamber. The work inside the chamber includes repairing cracks in the dome, removing decorative drapes that hang from the dome that are rotting and falling down, and replacing the carpet.

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