City, Chamber at work on numerous projects

Plans are in the works for a multi-city garage sale on the west side of Benton County

— Plans are under way for Gentry’s Freedom Festival, with enough fireworks ordered to make the show almost 100 percent bigger than last year, according to Gentry Chamber of Commerce director Bev Saunders.

Earl's Garage will be playing as the featured band, and a softball tournament is being planned, she said in a recent update on Chamber activities.

A grant for the city of $80,340 to convert cityowned land along Flint Creek into a nature area with fishing ponds was received. The grant requires no matching city funds. Work is expected to begin as soon as engineering work is complete. The area is expected to draw more visitors to the city.

The Chamber is working with the city's Economic Development Committee to create a citywide website, with a $7,000 grant received to offset that work. The website work, too, is getting under way.

The Chamber has been working with the city to plant new trees in the park with a $5,000 Walmart grant and a $1,000 Cargill grant for that purpose. The new trees are more than 20 feet tall and will provide a lot more shade in the summer and color in the fall, Saunders said.

The Gentry Fall Festival is scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 14.

The Chamber is cooperating with the Centerton Chamber, Gravette Chamber and Siloam Springs Chamber for a "Pickin’ Time on 59" garage sale and antique/collectiblesale for that weekend.

Plans for the special event are being finalized at joint meetings of the participating chambers. It is hoped the west-side garage sales will draw many to the area.

News, Pages 1 on 05/16/2012