Stories from Wednesday, October 3, 2001

The Rector City Council meeting was packed Monday night as citizens gathered to voice opinions about the city's ongoing cleanup efforts. Virtually all the comments were favorable to the efforts of the council to keep buildings and lots in the city clean and in good repair...

In definitely the most publicized and anticipated comeback in sports history, Mr. Basketball, Michael Jordan himself, announced last Tuesday that he is ruturning to the hardcourt "for the love of the game." In an unprecedented move, Jordan is giving up his share of ownership of the Washington Wizards to don a jersey and get back on the court with with a group of much younger players...

The future of Rector football looks very bright with the recent success of the peewee program. Rector's fifth grade peewee team was undefeated with a record of 3-0 prior to last Thursday night's 20-6 loss to Trumann. The team bounced back and defeated Westside Monday night 14-6 to set their season record at 4-1...

The Rector Jr. High Cougars defeated Cross County last week 24-22. It was their first win of the season. The Jr. Cougars played really hard and had a good offensive effort, said Coach Lance. Cross County took an early16-0 in the first period. The Cougars fought back and scored at the end of the first quarter on a twenty-five yard run by Bryan Arnold. In the second quarter, Arnold found Jeff Lester with a seven-yard TD pass...

PARKIN The Rector Cougars got their first win of the season Friday night with a 38-16 triumph over the Parkin Tigers. Both teams came into the match-up looking for their first win. The Cougars won the coin toss and took the first possession of the ball. ...

Danny Joe Archer, 27, of Marmaduke died Thursday, Sept. 27, 2001, at his home. Born March 28, 1974, in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., he was employed by Anchor Packaging in Marmaduke and was a graduate of Southland High School. Survivors include his parents, Daniel and Shelia Archer of Arbyrd, Mo., and a brother, Brian Archer of Arbyrd...

Robert Franklin Milburn, 91, of Rector, died Saturday, Sept. 29, 2001, at Arkansas Methodist Hospital in Paragould. He was born Dec. 31, 1909, in Greenway. He was retired from General Motors and was a member of the Church of Christ. He was preceded in death by his parents...

Erma Geraldine Presson, 86, of Rector, died Friday, Sept. 28, 2001, in Rector. She was born July 13, 1915, at Piggott to the late Walter Wimberley and Geneva Boyd Wimberley. She was a homemaker, a member of the First Baptist Church of Rector and a member of the Eastern Star...

Interest is building over the opening of the new Flash Market located at the corner of Main Street and Highway 49 in Rector. Old gasoline tanks were dug out of the ground last week, and remodeling of the inside of the former Fina station has caused much speculation...

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have brought back a renewed patriotic enthusiasm in the country. Everywhere American citizens are proudly displaying and flying the nation's flag. There are a few etiquette rules for displaying and flying Old Glory. "The union is always on the left," said Lily Hoggard of the Piggott VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post 4517. "This is not a flag law, this is a rule."...

Rector celebrated Wednesday, Sept. 26, the completion of a grant program which over the last several months has funded major improvements at Memorial Park, including a new playground, a beautiful new pavilion, paving of streets, lights and poles for three ball fields, fencing for the city's baseball/softball complex and underground wiring to stands in the park...

In a special ceremony Wednesday morning, Sept. 26, Alan McVey, deputy director of the Arkansas Department of Economic Development, presented a recertification award to the City of Marmaduke as an Arkansas Community of Excellence (ACE). State and community leaders gathered at Marmaduke High School to honor the city as McVey presented the award to Mayor Robert Dowler...

Some might deem Zak Clark's performance against Georgia a coming out party. A "Garden Party" would be more appropriate. Rick Nelson's "Garden Party" is the song Ozzie and Harriett's son wrote late in his career after he was booed off the Madison Square Garden stage. Rick Nelson was booed for not singing songs that made him teen idol Ricky Nelson back in the 1950s and early 60s...