Hi everyone! We had a great trip to Petit Jean Mountain in Morrilton, Arkansas. We went to the swap meet/car show but didn’t get many pictures of the cars this year. The highlight was actually going up to the Mather House and walking the Cedar Falls Trail. OMG! I thought I was going to die from exhaustion, but it was so worth it once we got to the falls. The first pictures were taken from the veranda of the restaurant at the Mather house.

While we were waiting for our food, we got to watch about 4 or 5 hummingbirds out the big windows in the restaurant. Mike got a video and picture of the one that was brave enough to come back after he walked out the door.

Here is a little video for you too

Hummingbird at Mather House

Then after eating we took a trip down to Cedar Falls and survived it LOL! Here is a picture of the reward we got at the end of the trip.

When you get to the falls, you see this wonderful waterfall, but you are surrounded by mountains. This was the view directly above my head and beside the falls:

As you can see, it was absolute beautiful. The trail down there was about a mile and a half. It was strenuous, mountain terrain. I don’t think I have ever sweat so much in my entire life or did that much walking and exercise! HA! Three miles of mountains, rocks, and critters…I got a picture of a neat little dragonfly that had landed on a leaf on the trail. We also saw a tarantula on the way back up, but I didn’t get a chance to get a picture since I had mike scare it back into its little crevice.

Look for the black wings on the leaf. It was really unique looking, and I wish the pic would have came out better.

The path down to the falls was so amazing. Here are a few pictures of the view on the way down….mostly river views

The next picture is a funny story LOL. I am severely out of shape, and we wished we would have left the stroller back at the car. We wanted Daniel to have a secure spot if we took a break, so we went ahead and took the darn thing. I tried to carry the stroller most of the way, but Mike had to carry it a few times for me so I didn’t wipe out on the big rocks on the way down. So the next picture is where we crossed over another little falls with Mike carrying Daniel and the stroller LOL. He is so strong.

I love this pictures coming up…this was taken at the bend right before we got to the falls:

If you are visiting the area around the Petit Jean Mountain, you should really go and see this beautiful place.

Note:  Please do not use these images without my written permission.

Mammoth Spring

June 14, 2008 9 am - 9:45 am Bluebirds Are Back Mammoth Spring State Park Meet at the Depot Museum. Accessibility Have you ever looked inside a bluebird box? Park Interpreter Glynda will be waiting at the Depot ready to peek into a few bluebird boxes and see what she finds. Join her in these discoveries! Admission: Free mammothspring@arkansas.com

Mammoth Spring

June 14, 2008 1 pm - 2 pm Songs of the Rail Mammoth Spring State Park Meet at the Depot Museum. Accessibility Escape the heat and enjoy a few minutes of music and songs heard along the rails in days gone by. Learn a song and sing along! Admission: Free mammothspring@arkansas.com

50th Annual Swap Meet & Auto Fair
JUN 10-14, 2008: Museum of Automobiles

This annual antique car show is co-hosted by the Mid-American Old Time Automobile Association and the Museum of Automobiles on Petit Jean Mountain. Classic and vintage vehicles from all over the region will be on display. Call the museum at (501) 727-5427 for more information.
Admission: Free

Contact: (501) 727-5427, petitjean@arkansas.com
www.petitjeanstatepark.com

 

Tornado and Flood Relief in Sharp County, Arkansas

In the past three months, my community has been hit very hard by natural disasters. In February, EF3 and EF4 tornadoes ripped through this area like someone on a rampage. It wiped out most of our commercial district in Highland, Arkansas. In March, the Spring River flooded out of its banks about 400 yards to put our Loberg Park in Hardy, Arkansas and many houses and businesses nearly under water. The river crested at 22 ft. on the flood stage scale, and Hardy was just getting cleaned up from the this flood when another one hit on April 10th.

The devastation in this community has driven me to do something better for my community, and I need you help!

?

By Chris Murphy
Staff Writer for Villager Online

After two months of not knowing, Highland finally has figures from the federal government for estimated damage to city property caused by the Feb. 5 tornado.

At the April 8 city council meeting, Mayor Jerome Norwood said the city has $415,065.98 in damages. The estimated replacement cost for the fire station is $224,416. Of that figure, the city’s insurance will pay for $35,000 leaving the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management to pay for $189,416. In addition, the contents of the fire station to be replaced is valued at $81,512.90. The remainder of the figure is for labor.

The figures were arrived at by using a standard formula for disaster assistance, Norwood said. FEMA pays 75 percent, the state pays 12.5 percent and the city pays 12.5 percent; however, labor can be deducted from the city’s portion.

The council unanimously agreed to waive the $500 spending limit of the mayor in order to get the fire department settled and back on its feet as soon as possible. The department has been continuing to respond to calls by utilizing the help of others. Trucks and equipment have been donated or loaned to the department since the tornado by many other departments across the region and the state. Norwood announced that the blue firetruck is back in service.

Norwood said with the $130,000 in grants the city has applied for on behalf of the fire department, an engineer and an architect are required.

Norwood spoke to an engineer from Jonesboro who actually filed one of the grants for him, he said. The engineer has agreed to work for the city, if it receives the grants, for 10 percent of the total cost.

A local architect also submitted a bid for the work for the city. The base price was $22,000 with additional costs.

The council voted to move forward with the engineer and let him take the lead on the project if the city is approved.

In other business, the council approved an ordinance that calls for the mayor or his representative to order a resident or property owner to take care of unsightly or unsanitary conditions on their property.

The ordinance replaces another ordinance that has been on the books since 2001. The new ordinance has updated information from the state, Norwood said.

Alderman Larry Allen said the council doesn’t need to give the mayor permission to make the call. Instead, the code enforcement officer should be given the permission. Alderman Woody Pardue said it doesn’t matter whether it is in the ordinance or not. The mayor has the authority over the code enforcement officer.

In addition, in some instances the situation may not be black and white, Allen said. Many of the situations will require a judgement call from the officer. Allen said because of that reason, he would like to give residents an opportunity to appeal. The ordinance was changed to include an appeal period of 30 days.

The ordinance passed 7-1 with an emergency clause. Alderman Mary Jo Clark voted against all three readings of the ordinance.

In addition, the council also approved an ordinance that authorizes the city to raze or remove unsafe buildings in the city.

Allen said he would like for a professional to verify that a building is unsafe before it is destroyed.

Alderman David Harris said the ordinance is needed now because of existing trash and portions of buildings left standing from the tornado.

He said he and Norwood have both heard of property owners who have no plans to clean up their property.

The ordinance was approved unanimously. The ordinances requires the council to act on the matter, not just the mayor.

The council unanimously voted to table an ordinance that would allow the city to collect franchise fees from Charter Communications.

The ordinance would be non-exclusive meaning another provider could come into town and offer cable service to city residents. Charter would pay five percent in franchise fees to the city on a quarterly basis. The agreement would expire Feb. 1, 2013

Resident and business owner Max Hill said by approving the fee, the added cost will be passed on to customers including those who don’t have much money to begin with. Alderman Jack Kimbrell suggested the city look at a lower fee such as three percent.

Allen suggested the city go online and look at the agreement the company has with West Plains, Mo. He said the more lengthy ordinance is more specific than the one presented to the council. In addition, he said the city should make sure the company abides by all city ordinances.

Allen asked that the ordinance be tabled in order for the council to have an opportunity to research the possibility more thoroughly and look at the West Plains ordinance.

Alderman Shawn Reed said a similar agreement was brought up years ago. At that time, the council rejected the agreement. Norwood said the rejection was because the agreement was exclusive.

Recorder/treasurer Mary Ruth Wiles said the sales tax check the city receives from the state this month will reflect the loss of sales tax caused by the tornado. Those findings will be presented to the council at the May 13 meeting.

By Chris Murphy
Staff Writer for Villager Online

Last week’s flooding caused another $70,000 to $100,000 worth of damage to city property in hard hit Hardy.

“It’s just tore up so much,” Mayor Nina Thornton said.

The city had roughly $2 million in damage from the March flood. With the damage from this flood, the estimate has increased by $70,000 to $100,000.

Although the Hardy area didn’t see as much debris in the flood this time, there was additional damage to property

The walls to the bathrooms in Loberg Park were busted out, the large playground equipment at the park also received additional damage, more asphalt was washed away from Loberg Drive and the $9,000 worth of gravel the city used to temporarily fix areas where pavement had washed away on Wilburn Brothers Boulevard and Loberg Drive was also washed away in the flood.

Thornton said she estimates it will cost the city $15,000 to repair the bathrooms at Loberg Park, $9,000 to replace the gravel that was washed away and another $30,000 to repair the roads in addition to the cost of other repairs needed throughout the city.

Of the city’s seven sewer pump stations, three require repair from the severe flooding. The motors became too wet. The city is now looking at ways to reduce the damage caused by flooding. So far, it is estimated to cost $50,000 per pump station.

Thornton said she attributes the damage from the recent flood to the heavy rains further north.

“It came up faster and was swifter this time,” she said. “It didn’t get quite as high here but it got higher elsewhere. We counted nine refrigerators/freezers that came down the river.”

In addition, two small storage buildings in town were also swept away in the flood, she said. Pillars that were erected to replace those washed away in the March flood were washed away again at some homes. The railroad tracks in town were also damaged again by the flooding.

Hydrologist Steve Bays with the National Weather Service in Little Rock notified the mayor of the anticipated flood Wednesday morning.

From 7 a.m. Thursday morning to 7 a.m. Friday morning Hardy received 1.08 inches of rain; however, areas upstream saw much more. Mammoth Spring received 3.20 inches during the same period, according to the National Weather Service. All of the rain from the northern tributaries made its way into both the Spring and South Fork rivers causing widespread flooding … again.

The weather service thought the river would crest around 25 feet, exceeding the crest during the March flood by more than two- and one-half feet. Luckily that never happened. The river crested at 20.81 feet around 4 p.m. April 10, according to the NWS.

At 4 a.m. Thursday the river at Hardy was at five feet; however, with heavy rain up north, the river rose five feet, to 10.2 feet, by 6 a.m. and exceeded the flood stage. Evacuations began an hour later. At 7:45 a.m., the river had reached 12.26 feet, Thornton said.

By 10 a.m. the city was notifying all properties effected in the 1982 flood of the situation in case the river exceeded its estimations.

“They listen. When the cop car pulls up or the phone rings and they find out it’s City Hall, they pack a suitcase and take off,” she said.

About a dozen homes received water damage in the recent flood. In the March flood 112 campers and other structures were damaged.

River Bend Park Manager Clifton Johnson said park occupants began packing up and leaving Wednesday night. Luckily, there were few occupants due to the sheer number of floods the area has suffered in recent weeks.

Riverbend, which lies right on the banks of the Spring River on Bluffs Road just outside the city limits, suffered severe damage in the March flood. In fact, the power hasn’t been restored since last month’s flood because many of the electrical meters in the park were washed downstream with other debris, Johnson said. In this flood the guard shack was swept away.

Hardy wasn’t the only location in Sharp County that was hit hard again by flooding. In fact, the entire county was damaged in the flood, according to Judge Larry Brown.

“We’ve got a tremendous amount of damage,” Brown said. “I think it did more damage this time.”

The recent heavy rain storms have caused some roads to wash out three times now, he said. With each flood, more debris is washed into road culverts. With so much rain in such a short period of time, the culverts weren’t cleaned out causing the flood water to wash over the roads even more than usual during last week’s flood.

Because of the damage, several roads have been temporarily closed. Closing the roads will give the roads a chance to dry out and for crews to make the necessary repairs. The closed roads are Shaw’s Cemetery Road in the southwest part of the county, Banks Road in the north, Corinth Road near Ash Flat and Puckett Road in the southeast.

“It’s bad all over the county,” Brown said. “It’s not just one area. We’ve had big rains everywhere. It’s going to take a while to get over.”

Cherokee Village fared better in this flood than the March flood, Mayor Lloyd Hefley said.

“We’ve just got a lot of debris, and we’re cleaning up,” he said.

In addition to the new debris, a new problem was discovered on the bridge at the North Golf Course. Hefley said there is now a small split in the bridge that must be addressed. The bridge, which has remained closed since the March flood, is still closed and will be for some time.

Judge Brown didn’t issue another declaration specifying the county as a disaster area after last week’s flood. The old declaration issued March 19 still stands because it is a continuing problem.

Brown said he is unsure how much money the county will receive from governmental sources for damage sustained in the floods; however, he said the county does qualify for federal relief just from the damage caused by the March flood.

Federal pays 75 percent of the cost of replacement while the state pays 12.5 percent. The county is responsible for the remaining 12.5 percent. Luckily, labor can be included in the match.

“It’s going to be a tremendous cost,” he said.

FEMA was scheduled to have a disaster recovery center set up in the former Arkansas Power and Light Building in Hardy from Tuesday through Friday in order for residents to register for assistance, Thornton said. They may also register by phone.

Thornton said she anticipates more floods this year.

“There is a good possibility this will happen again. Spring isn’t over yet,” she said.

Fragrance List

Fragrance list does not include lamp fuels & Wickless

The Following are available in 3.oz 7.5oz and 12.5oz Jar Candles & Scoopables Only.

Visit My Diamond Creek Candles Website

Angel Wings A light airy fragrance for those who don’t like the pine and spicy kinds!

Banana/Coconut A crisp tropical pleasure. Makes you think of laying on a beach getting the perfect Island tan!

Berry Blast A scrumptious mix of mulberry, cranberry, and orange for a Blast of Berries.

Blueberry Muffins Very tart, buttery blueberry. You’d swear its straight from the oven!

Buttercream A very rich buttery, vanilla scent! Just like the buttercream frosting on a cake!

Candy Cane A classic peppermint with a sweet twist. You’ll sure want to hang this one on the Christmas tree.

Caramel Apple Fruit and Candy unite to create this favorite of young and old.

Cherry Very Very Cherry! This one will make you thirsty for Kool-Aid!

Cinnamon Bun Wow head to the nearest mall and get a fresh warm sticky bun drizzled with frosting!

Country Berry Hotcakes TM This is what everyone dreams of smelling in the morning. Buttery hotcakes right of the griddle, layered in berries and syrup!

Crème Brulee Rich vanilla custard with just the right touch of caramelized sugar on top!

Crushed Ginger Warm, sweet and pungent, just like real fresh ginger! Smells very similar to the Origins Ginger Essence fragrance.

Cucumber Melon A splash of watermelon and cucumber makes for this fun summer fragrance.

DreamweaverTM This enchanting fragrance will take your breath away. A truly unique scent with a sensual earthy musky type with a smooth powdery overtone.

Eucalyptus The soothing cool refreshing smell of the eucalyptus plant. Like breathing fresh green air!

Freesia A Spring floral scent. Very Nice!

Frost Bite A cool refreshing blast of Wintergreen that will chill you to your toes.

Fun in The Sun An upbeat of peach, orange, and a hint of cranberry’s.

Gardenia The sweet, pure fragrance of this Island flower will intoxicate your senses.

Gingerbread A perfect holiday treat! A richly spiced gingerbread with just the right hint of sweetness.

Grape Specially formulated for the grape lovers Very sweet with a splash of tart!

Graham Cracker Old fashioned crispy graham crackers made with honey & wheat flour, with just a touch of cinnamon & brown sugar!

Harvest Throw a few logs on the fire and grab some Apple Cider and let the warm spices fill the air.

Hawaiian Paradise - A tropical blend that’s sure to make you want to take a vacation. It’s raining pineapple.

Hearts N Flowers A very feminine floral blend that’s sure to make you think pink!

Hot Apple Pie Just the right blend of warm apples, spices and that home baked pie crust smell.

Jasmine These small, white, night blooming flowers produce a wonderful romantic fragrance with sweet notes and a rich blend.

Juniper Breeze Very smooth and fresh not a perfumy floral! Very Pleasant!

Kiwi - This is a very strong fruity tropical scent sure to please.

Lavender A nice smooth relaxing floral.

Lilac - The sweet smell of Lilac bushes blooming is a pleasant scent!

Lily of the Valley - This English Wildflower leads to the woods of a sweet magical fragrance.

Lemon Chiffon Smooth creamy lemon blended with vanilla tocreate this wonderful pie.

Lemon Pucker Tart zingy lemon that will make your lips pucker when you smell it!

Mango/Papaya Very sweet picked from the tree if you like Mango this is it!

Mountain air Love that clean laundry smell, well this is it!

Mulberry Incredibly strong scent throw. Very pronounced mouth watering Mulberry.

Mulled Cider Just the right thing to warm a fall day. Smell the Orange rind and mulling spices in this Apple Cider delight.

Nutty Taffy Apples Sweet, crunchy, and fruity! Like the one’s you get at the carnival. All the good stuff wrapped up in one!

Ocean Mist A brisk ocean scent clean and refreshing!

Oh Christmas Tree An evergreen blend of the winter forest.

Orchid This wonderful floral scent can be found growing on mountainsides, fields, and the rainforest. This is a intriguing scent.

Passion Fruit - A sweet tropical fruit, the name says it all!

Peachy Ripe juicy peaches perfect for those peach jars!

Pina Coloda Just like the drink. A tropical blend of pineapples and coconuts!

Pineapple Blossom - The sweet aroma of this elusive blossom is transformed it into a dreamy tropical fragrance! Truly a smooth tropical fragrance like no other!

Pine Plantation A very traditional Fragrance of the pine trees.

Plumeria A Hawaiian flower very strong, but sweet perfumery scent.

Pumpkin Pie A rich Pumpkin Pie with Just the right touch of spice Get the whip cream out!

Raspberry Yum is all we can say about this great raspberry!

Sleighbells A upbeat berry scent with a hint of sweet vanilla.

Spring Rain A fresh light rain scent with a touch of floral.

Storm Watch TM Like cold rain! This brisk scent will take your mind to a cool rainy day!

Strawberry Fresh from the strawberry patch it gets no sweeter than this!

Sugar Cookie The sweetest of vanilla. Sure to make you want to bake.

Sugar Plum A Very sweet pleasantly plum this one has the perfect unique touch.

Sweet Pepper Tang What a fusion! This much requested scent starts with top notes of tree ripened sweet oranges mixed with a splash of fiery red chili peppers that reminds us of the original drink tang!

Tidal Wave TM Let the waves roll in with this crisp, fresh aquatic fragrance. One of the cleanest salty oceans scents ever.

Very Vanilla Very warm, rich, and sweet. A high powered vanilla.

Victorian Rose This is a very nice mellow Rose scent.

Water Blossom Ivy A white floral fantasy. Cascading waterfall of flowers! A soft musky background very strong and wonderful!

~~~~~~~~ OVAL SCENTS ~~~~~~~~

Available Only in the Classy Oval Collection & Scoopable Tarts

Blackberry Musk An awesome fragrance that combines sweetness of sun kissed blackberries and the sultry smell of musk–but lighter on the musk. So those of you who think you don’t like musk, give it a try. I’m betting you won’t be disappointed!

Blue Sugar Finally the “brother” fragrance to Pink Sugar! Our version of this dark, sophisticated men’s cologne begins with a blend of caramelized sugar and vanilla topped with heady notes of cedar and tonka bean. The soul of the fragrance combines rich notes of licorice, patchouli, lavender, heliotrope, and coriander, freshened with crisp bergamot and mandarin, then finished with soothing notes of star anise and ginger. A fabulously hip, sexy and masculine aroma that women could wear too! Envision the sweetness of Pink Sugar, but with a clean, spicy, woodsy flair… that’s Blue Sugar!

Brown Sugar Nutmeg Sweet brown sugar, the spicy warmth of nutmeg and accents of bourbon with sheer vanilla bean, amber and soft woods makes this fragrance a sweet surprise!

Buttermilk Pancakes Vanilla, Creamy Buttermilk, Sticky Maple Sweet Cream, Maple, White Cocoa Musk, Vanilla Bean and Golden Honey!

Butt Naked A fun, fruity blend of bananas and berries!

Clean Cotton Type The refreshing scent of just cleaned sheets dried in a gentle breeze. Who doesn’t love the smell of clean laundry? I love, love, love the smell of clean sheets that have been hanging on the clothesline on a warm summer day! While I don’t think any perfumer can duplicate that fragrance, this runs a close second. Smells a lot like Bounce fabric sheets in my opinion. Just like the name says, very CLEAN!

Cookie Jar Wow! This one is a winner. You can smell the icing, the cinnamon, and the molasses, the sweetness of raisins with a hint of brown sugar. We’re not sure what this cookie is exactly, but it’s definitely wonderful!! What are you waiting for? Ya gotta try this one!

Deep Fried Ice Cream Rich, creamy vanilla ice cream in a light, flakey crust sprinkled with cinnamon sugar & drizzled with honey! This delicious fragrance will make you want to run to the nearest Mexican restaurant!

Dreamsicle A mix of orange and vanilla cream, just like an orange creamsicle from the ice-cream man!

Fresh Squeezed Oranges A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice on a sunny Florida morning!

Lavender Basil Very true herbal Lavender, incredibly strong combined with Basil adds a refreshing blast of unique herbal fusion! From mother nature’s garden combine beautifully to make a surprisingly wonderful fragrance that’s sure to capture everyone’s attention! Scent throw is out of this world!

Lime Leaf & Lily The fragrant leaves of the Kaffir Lime from Tropical Thailand are often used to give Thai foods a unique and fresh flavor. Here we’ve blended this exquisite green fragrance with the delicate aroma of white Lilies to create a complex, fresh scent that’s bursting with spring!

Log Cabin A weekend retreat for the outdoorsman in everyone! A warm rustic blend of earthy woods and spices with a fresh burst of pine.

Macadamia Nut The unique aroma of this tropical nut, captured right off the slopes of Mauna Loa on the island of Hawaii. Truly a little taste of paradise!

Peppermint Fresh, clean, cool and minty. A true, sharp peppermint… perfect for foot scrubs, holiday candles or just everyday!

Pineapple Mangosteen Description on the way!

Pink Sugar Pink Sugar by Aquolina is a journey through the pleasures and flavors of childhood with a playful blend of vanilla and caramel. Notes include Bergamot, Sicilian Orange, Raspberry, Fig Leaves, Lily of the Valley, Licorice, Strawberry, Red Fruit, Cotton Candy, Tonka (Vanilla), Caramel, Musk, Sandalwood, Powder.

Sage, Sweetgrass & Cedar As of late, this has been one of our most requested fragrances. It seems a lot of you were searching for a nice sage, sweetgrass and cedar. Enhanced with bright citrus notes, the power of this fragrance is in the blend of grassy green notes, with hints of lavender sage and rosemary. Throw in some spicy clove, the warm outdoorsy scent of pine and oakmoss and you have a terrifically earthy fragrance!

Sugar Cane Ahh! The sweet aroma that wafts from the sugar cane fields of Brazil…intoxicatingly unique! Pure natural sugar cane blends harmoniously with notes of caramel and vanilla bean. Infused with alluring musk and white amber, and finished with gentle traces of palm leaves, apricot,heliotrope and wild hyacinth.

Toffee Maple Crunch A mouthwatering blend of rich maple and velvety vanilla with notes of sweet orange combining with cinnamon, clove and hints of coconut. Maple, vanilla, anise, coumarin and myrrh add to the richness of this fragrance. You can almost get a toothache smelling it! If you like sweets you will absolutely love this one!! Very strong and very unique!! Probably my favorite of the foodies!

~~~ COFFEE COLLECTION SCENTS ~~~

Available Only in the Coffee Collection and Scoopable Tarts

Cafe Vienna This sweet coffee scent starts with a nice strong bold coffee and then it is infused with vanilla, caramel and brown sugar.

Caramel Latte Nothing, but nothing smells better than the rich scent of caramel and coffee combined. Even the non-coffee drinkers will not be able to resist this one.

Caramel Macciato The ever popular trio of Caramel, Vanilla and Coffee.

Coffee Bean This could be the best part of waking up. Smells so strong who needs to drink coffee?

Hot Orange Danish What a heavenly combination. Spicy Orange and Fresh Baked Pastry. If you are looking for a unique scent, look no further.

Mocha Our own great mixture of our strong Coffee Bean and rich Chocolate.

Orange Vanilla Coffee This heavenly aroma of Rich Robust Coffee, Vanilla and Orange are must have.

Spicy Cup of Joe A wonderful blend of strong black coffee with a hint of Spicy Cinnamon.

Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee We have mixed up the perfect combination of our Coffee Beans and Vanilla Hazelnut to make this delightful aroma.

~~~~~~ JUICE BAR SCENTS ~~~~~~

Available Only in the Juice Bar Collection & Scoopable Tarts

Aloha Pineapple Slip on your lei and get ready for the tangy pineapple scent in this tropical smelling smoothie. Aloha pineapple is paradise that treats your body right, from the outside in!

Banana Berry Treat your self right with bananas and berries! That’s right—this deliciously creamy smoothie, smoothie scent of strawberry, bananas, raspberry and blueberries is good enough it could almost be healthy.

Carob Banana Smoothie Banana’s and Chocolate, a delicious combo that is sure to please the senses. Mmmm! I can see and smell it now.

Citrus Smoothie This unique scent has something for everyone. Sweet citrus, Pineapple and Bananas are just a few of the fruits that combine to make this sooooooo smooth.

Melonade One of summers biggest hits. Tart Lemonade combines with Sweet Watermelon for this sure fire combo.

Raspberry Rainbow Take an escape everyday with this refreshingly-familiar scent of raspberry, fresh squeezed oranges, strawberries and bananas. More rewarding than a pot of gold.

Strawberry Nirvana Seek heaven in this blend of fresh strawberries and bananas come together here with apple for a blissful scent.

Watermelon Kick Sounds just like its name sake. Sweet Watermelon with just a kick of Orange with some other sweet fruits to help out.

Chris Murphy
Staff Writer

As the Spring River crested Wednesday after rising more than 15 feet in two days sweeping homes, propane tanks, canoes, pieces of road and other items downstream, Hardy Director of Public Safety Ernie Rose knew the area residents were lucky despite their losses.

“I wouldn’t change anything because no one was hurt,” he said.

Sharp County Judge Larry Brown declared the county a disaster area Wednesday morning.

On March 20, Gov. Mike Beebe declared 26 counties disaster areas due to the recent flooding. Those counties include Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Crawford, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hot Spring, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Johnson, Lawrence, Logan, Madison, Marion, Nevada, Newton, Randolph, Scott, Searcy, Sharp, Stone and Washington counties.

Hardy Mayor Nina Thornton said 112 homes were effected by the flood. Approximately 55 to 60 homes were seriously damaged. Two were completely destroyed and swept down the river.

There was just one rescue required in town. Two residents were taken out of their home, but went back inside and became trapped by the rising flood waters, Rose said. Hardy Fire and Rescue used a boat to rescue the couple from their home just before dark. The department also assisted Mammoth Spring in rescuing three people from an area near Saddler Falls, he said.

Hydrologist Steve Bays with the National Weather Service in Little Rock notified Thornton Monday of the storm moving into the area and the anticipated heavy rains. Thornton learned that the storm could bring five to seven inches of rain.

“I just had a feeling this was going to be really bad,” she said. “When he called me we immediately jumped into action.”

Thornton and other city employees began calling residents along the river, including those in Riverbend, informing them of the news to allow them time to gather their belongings and get out before the flood came.

The next day Rose began evacuating properties along the river.

“On Tuesday we just went down and told them they had to go,” Thornton said, adding that approximately 300 people were forced to evacuate. “I kept telling them it was going to be worse than in ‘06. When I did that, they understood because it was still fresh in their minds. Everyone cooperated, and everyone got out.”

As the waterways throughout the county rose, Sharp County Road Superintendent Dan Melbourne had his road crews shut the flood gates throughout the county, which prevent traffic from traveling on dangerous low water bridges. All of the gates were closed by 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

According to the National Weather Service in Little Rock, 6.51 inches of rain fell in Hardy March 18-19. Coupled with the rain further north in Mammoth Spring (9.25 inches) and in Missouri, the Spring River traveled out of its banks.

“It came from up above us, Myatt and Warm Fork,” Thornton said.

According to the NWS Web site, by 3 p.m. Tuesday homes were evacuated along the river. At 3:09 p.m. a car was swept off the road at Williford, and the driver was rescued. At 9:14 p.m. that night the water was 2-3 feet over Highway 63 at some places. Downtown Hardy began being evacuated.

The city closed Highway 342 (Riverview Road), Wilburn Brothers Boulevard, Woodland Hills Road, Bobo Lane, Robinhood Lane, Slayton Road and parts of Highway 63 from Hardy toward Imboden.

With Sharp County OEM coordinator Gene Moore out of town for training, Melbourne, the chief deputy coordinator, set up shop at the command post at the Hardy Fire Station.

Melbourne said his assistance wasn’t needed a great deal, Rose already had the situation under control. Melbourne reported the damage as required to Little Rock.

“I did the reporting back to Little Rock, and Ernie did the rest,” he said. “Ernie did a great job. He did a great service by beginning the evacuations Monday afternoon. Everyone was prepared.”

The action stage for the river is 8 feet, flood stage is 10, moderate flood stage is 14 and the major flood stage is 16, according to the NWS. The river crested just before 7 a.m. at 22.29 feet Wednesday.

In the September 2006 flood, the river crested on Sept. 24 at 16.75 feet. There is no record of the stage of the Spring River in Hardy during the 1982 flood, but Rose said some have told him it crested in Hardy at 31 feet.

Downstream at Imboden, the river crested Wednesday at 29.15 feet. On Sept. 24, 2006, the river crested at 26.46 feet. On Dec. 3, 1982, it crested at 38.12 feet.

Rose said the flood monitoring system at the Wilburn Brothers bridge was extremely helpful during the flood.

“It helped us because we could determine how fast the water was going. It told us the water level, how fast the river was rising and let us know who we needed to notify if it kept rising like it was,” he said

The station was operational in 2006 – but only reported its information every few hours. Soon after the flood, the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey had the station upgraded to report more often. City officials and residents can even call the station to see the current level of the river.

“It was so nice,” Rose said. “It would be great if we had it at Myatt and up at Mammoth Spring.”

Rose said he thinks the 2006 flood caused the river to rise the fastest he’s ever seen. In 1982, he was in Colorado when the flood occurred.

The river used to flood yearly which kept many property owners from keeping a lot of items on the river, especially after the 1982 flood, Rose said. As years passed by with little flooding, people brought more belongings to the river.

Rose said the 2006 flood saw more campers floating downstream, but this flood brought it’s fair share of debris. He said he thinks it is that debris that caused the extensive damage.

Mayor Thornton said the city suffered approximately $2 million in damage to city property from the recent flood, including a section of Wilburn Brothers Boulevard which had large pieces of pavement swept off the road’s surface.

About $1 million is from the playground and walking trail at Loberg Park and the damages to the ballfield at Buford Beach.

The asphalt walking trail at the park was swept off the ground in some places. Some of the pieces were found downstream at Buford Beach.

At the city’s Hardy Camper Park, the office was swept away along with many brand new picnic tables in the park area.

When the river crested, eight inches of water had made its way into City Hall located next to White Oak Station on Woodland Hills Road.

Luckily, the city had thought ahead. Employees and volunteer firefighters moved out much of the city equipment including computers before the flood water made its way into the city building. Many other items that remained were moved three feet higher to avoid the water.

Church of the Wilderness on Woodland Hills Road suffered extensive damage along with Creekside Loft located nearby. Three other businesses also had major damage.

“We’re still finding stuff out on the islands,” Rose said, adding that many 4-wheelers, several camper trailers and even a couple of pickup trucks floated down the river.

Hardy wasn’t the only city to receive damage. Downtown Williford was completely submerged as the flood water from the Spring River made its way over the railroad tracks and onto Main Street. Several homes located nearby were also flooded making them uninhabitable.

Cherokee Village also flooded. In fact, the flooding was so severe in Town Center that gasoline tanks located underground behind Village Sinclair actually floated to the surface and created a gas leak. That leak caused the city to evacuate the town house area near City Hall and block all traffic near the area.

Several roads received substantial damage in the flooding in the Village. One of the most damaged areas was near the North Golf Course where the water caused pavement to sweep off the road.

In addition, the pump house of Cherokee Village Water Association was also flooded with four feet of water. Water got into the motors and the power had to be turned off. Manager Steve Rose put out a message on the radio for users to begin conserving water, but the system still lost pressure because of the usage. The loss in pressure prompted Rose to issue a precautionary boil order for all users of the system. The boil order was lifted over the weekend.

In Ash Flat, the rain, coupled with a bust in a 12 inch main caused by a lightening strike, caused the city to issue a boil order. It, too, has been lifted.

Sharp County, as a whole suffered extensive damage, Melbourne said. He estimated that nearly 75 percent of the county’s roads were damaged in the flood. The rushing water swept away material and exposed a few culverts on county roads.

“We’re just trying to take care of the dangerous places and the hazards right now,” he said.

Melbourne said he contributes the increase in damage due to the flooding being more widespread this time around. The Strawberry River didn’t rise nearly as high in 2006.

“We had damage in the south end this time and didn’t in 2006,” he said. “We had damage in Evening Shade, too (this time).”

Melbourne said some of the county’s secondary roads are rough but remain open. As of March 21, there were still a few bridges that remained impassable due to high water. They included Bear Creek Road on the Piney Creek, Griffin Bridge on the South Fork River and Molly Barn Ford and Hewlett Road both on the Strawberry River, which all had the flood gates still locked. In addition, the bridge on Big Creek Road near Ash Flat was also closed. Judge Larry Brown expected those bridges to be opened by the end of the day March 24.

“We’re still assessing some of the damage,” Melbourne said. “We’ve got at least one lane of our roads back open.”

Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives were in Hardy Thursday to see the damage and help the city plan for the future. There were also representatives from Marion Berry’s office and other politicians in the state who pledged to help the area as much as they could with federal and state aid.

Representatives from FEMA and other state and federal agencies were expected in Hardy March 24.

“Everyone looked around and assessed and told me they would help us out whatever they could do,” Thornton said.

The damage assessment is vital in determining the type of aid the area may qualify for, whether state or federal.

The city is keeping track of everything lost and volunteer hours to help with the match required for funding.

The city is now doing business out of the city fire station but still can be reached at the same phone number: 856-3811.

“We’re up and running. We’ve taken over the fire station,” Thornton said.

The City Hall building is located in a flood zone between the Spring River and 40 Island Creek which empties into the river just feet from the city building.

Thornton said she would actually like to move City Hall to avoid further damage in floods that she knows will occur on down the line.

“It’s not if. It’s when,” she said.

Source:   Villager Journal Online

Congratulations to our February Vendor Spotlight Nominee, Susan Baird! The votes were unanimous, and what is so awesome was that Susan saved us with coming in on a last minute spot to fill in for someone! You always to a wonderful job, Susan, and you are a great asset to our website. Let’s learn more about Susan! (Her answers are in bold)

Where are you from? Southeast Ohio

Favorite things to do on your time off? I spend most of my time with my 5 year old son. I also enjoy reading and cooking.

What companies do you rep for? (please include your link) I am the proud owner of Letters By Design www.LettersByDesign.com

How long have you been in direct sales? I started in direct sales over 10 years ago and have been active in the online direct sales community for a few years now.

Have you won any awards for being in direct sales? If so, can you share with us? Not that i know of.

What is your most gratifying moment of being a WAHM? Opening my own company. This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time.

Congratulations, Susan! You deserve this recognition hon! I am so happy to have you a part of this site!

Check out this generous special from Susan!

Take 10% off your order by using Coupon Code TY10 at checkout at www.LettersByDesign.com

I have a few facts and result pictures to share with you all. Please let me know if you would like to host an Arbonne party with me. You may not be able to resist after reading all the information.

• What Makes Arbonne and RE9 Unique
• Be sure and read your label
• Toxic Awareness - You MUST read this!
• Make Up Products - READ THIS!
• Hostess Menu
• Clear Advantage Testimony
• Fizz Tab Information
• Virtual Illusion NEW products!
• NutriMinC RE9 Treatment Set
• Figure 8
• Arbonne Vanish
• FYI Hosting Rewards
• RE9 Line with RSVP (New Consultants!)
• Intelligence Line with RSVP (New Consultants!)

If you are interested in ordering Arbonne for you and your family or for your clients, please allow me to be the one that introduces you to Arbonne. My consultant ID is 17490853 to become my client. Go to http://www.arbonne.com and sign up for an account.

If you are interested in being an Arbonne consultant, drop me a line, and I will get back to you. You can get started with Arbonne for $29 + tax, and with the consultantship you get a 35% discount on all your products. After a year, you stay active for $15 a year. I would love to have you on my team We are very supportive and help new consultants launch their new business.