June 2009
'Best of' Faulkner County
Published in the Sun., June 28 Log Cabin Democrat was its annual readers' choice awards for the 'Best of Faulkner'. Over 22,000 votes were cast in dozens of categories.
Some winners were no surprise...best new car dealer: Smith Ford. Best heating and cooling service: Freyaldenhoven.
But some responses cause controversy and are just incorrect. For example, Log Cabin readers voted Sports Clips as the winner for the best barbershop. Come to find out, Sports Clips isn't really a barber shop. Who knew? The readers chose their winner, but is the newspaper obligated to run it, regardless of whether or not it actually 'fits' into a category?
Education becomes fast growing industry
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 10:32am — adminLarry and Liz Rogers own EM Jeans-Express Male, a downtown Conway clothing retailer. With back-to-school time just around the corner, the couple are eyeing one particular market segment — students.
Q:How significant is the educational “industry” to the area’s overall economy?
A: Having so many high schools and colleges in the Faulkner county shopping area causes a tremendous surge in shopping during the back-to-school period.
Q:What student age group is most important to retail clothing businesses?
A: Teenagers and young adults impact retail activity the most, particularly in our industry, because they are always looking to be “trend correct.”
Q:What type of business does the educational system affect most?
Building for the future at Hendrix to benefit city
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 10:28am — adminScott Schallhorn is a vice president and the chief legal counsel for Hendrix College. He also serves as the CEO of The Village at Hendrix, an example of a cutting-edge development that mixes residential and commercial projects, New Urbanism.
Q:How did the concept for The Village originate?
A: The idea of a walkable neighborhood adjacent to the Hendrix campus was first introduced during a 1995 charrette led by Andres Duany of Duany Plater-Zyberk and Co., an internationally recognized urban planning group that developed the Hendrix master plan. Duany proposed that Hendrix develop land it owned on the east side of Harkrider Street into a neighborhood that combined a mix of residential and commercial spaces.
What the county has done to help the industry grow
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 10:24am — adminPreston Scroggin is Faulkner County judge. A former state representative and longtime member of the area’s agriculture community, Scroggin has worked closely with residents and industry as the Fayetteville Shale play has grown.
Q:How has the natural gas industry affected county government?
A: I think the gas field has affected us in this way: We have had to learn about new technologies, new equipment, new ways to respond to any mishaps and the wear and tear on our road system.
Q:How have county officials worked to share road maintenance and other costs with industrial partners?
A: So far the companies have worked with us to help on the costs. It is a undertaking for us to keep the roads up. It is nearly impossible to fix them completely until they are done drilling.
Financial benefits of natural gas in Faulkner County
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 10:21am — adminTodd M. Ryals is a loan officer at Centennial Bank in Greenbrier.
Q: How significant is the financial spending and income of the natural gas play in the region? There certainly is income, from royalties, but how much investment in equipment and personnel has taken place?
Fayetteville Shale Play: Making big impact on Faulkner County
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 10:14am — adminThe Fayetteville Shale Play is an unconventional source of natural gas located in north central Arkansas. Gas companies and their providers have been settling in Conway and the surrounding areas for the past few years to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the play.
It has been estimated that the Fayetteville Shale Play will produce an economic impact of almost $18 billion over a five-year period that began last year. The three major movers in the play in central Arkansas are Southwestern Energy, Chesapeake Energy and XTO Energy.
Southwestern Energy
How economic stimulus funds will benefit Faulkner County
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 10:06am — adminDan Flowers has served as director of the state Highway and Transportation Department for many years.
This year, in addition to normal funding levels from state and federal coffers, the department is receiving a jolt of federal stimulus dollars.
Q:How much economic stimulus money will Central Arkansas receive for road/highway/bridge projects?
A: The state as a whole has been apportioned $351,544,468 in economic stimulus funds. A map and detailed list of projects funded with the economic stimulus funds is available online at www.arkansashighways.com.
Q:When will that money be available?
A: The economic stimulus money is currently available to the AHTD. We have already awarded contracts for 58 stimulus projects at a cost of approximately $104 million.
The ‘greening’ of Faulkner County
Mon, 06/15/2009 - 9:56am — adminDebbie Plopper serves as the special projects coordinator for the Conway Sanitation Department.
Q:How significant are the economic impacts of recycling and “green” projects in and around Conway? Are these types of developments making a real difference?
