NEWSLETTER

Arkansas District & City Court Clerks Association

August 19 & 20, 2004

Hello everyone,

I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome all of you to the Chief Clerk’s meeting here in West Memphis. The Certification committee has put together a good program and I appreciate the hard work they have put into the planning of this program.

I would also like to thank the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration for the grant we received to help offset the cost of this program. I would also like to express how excited and honored I is to be your new President for this next year. Thank you for this honor.

I hope everyone will leave this meeting having learned at least one new thing. If there is anything or anyway with which I can help you, please don’t hesitate to look me up at the meeting, or contact me at my office.

I hope all of you have time to visit the Hospitality room Thursday night to visit with old friends and make new ones.

Dena Titsworth, President ARDCCCA

Earnest Nash, Jr. Earnest is Chief Clerk for Gould City Court in Lincoln County. He is married to Marsha and they have 4 children, Jazzman, Julia, Jhansia, and Jeremiah. When he became clerk for the city of Gould it was in debt, but due to the job they have done in the court in the collecting of old fines, the City is out of debt. Gould is the first and only court in the state to use Western Union Quick Collect to collect fines. It is also the only City Court to use Ele. Check, credit and debt cards to collect fines. These are just two ways they have helped the City with its debt problem. Earnest will graduate in December with a Masters Degree in Christian Education and in May of 2004 he graduated Dr. of Christian Education. Happy Anniversary August 20th.

  • Don’t be irreplaceable. If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.

Linda Bearden, Linda is Chief Clerk for Jonesboro in Craighead County. She is married to Chris and they have one cat. They got married February 6, 2004, and took a cruise to Grand Cayman, Cozumel for their honeymoon. She states, it was so nice to be there instead of cold Jonesboro. CONGRADULATIONS on your wedding and may your life together be as happy as the day you married.

  • Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

Rebecca (Becky) Sue Hopper, Becky is Deputy Clerk for the District Court of Cleburne County. She has a son Travis and they moved to Heber Springs in 2002 from Oklahoma where she worked at Jane Brooks School for the deaf for 10 years. Being from a high crime city she says she needed a good environment and school for Travis. They love Heber Springs and the lakes and hopes to retire there.

  • A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Terry Pendergras Powell, Terry just got married to Kenny on April 17th, 2004. CONGRADULATIONS. She is Deputy Clerk for Lake City in Craighead County, has 2 stepsons Matt and Brandon. Brandon is in college and Matt plays baseball. She loves being with her husband and kids and her 10-year-old cat.

Regina Saffell, Regina is Deputy Clerk for Craighead County District Court and prior to that she worked for Jonesboro Police Dept. in the Records Department as Deputy Clerk. She is married to Winred and they have 4 children, Christopher, Jacob, Jordan, Bridget, and 1 granddaughter Anna 11/2 years old. Regina enjoys horses and her children. Christopher is in the army in Alaska and she is very grateful that he is not in Iraq. Jacob shows horses in the NEAHSA horse show and rides in Western Pleasure Jr. Horse and Youth Horsemanship. Last year he made it to the State Horse Show in the top 5, and it was the first time he had shown in a show. Bridget is not her biological daughter, however she is just as proud of her as all the other children. She is studying to be a Registered Nurse, and when she is not in school or working, she is spending her time with her daughter, Anna. Regina’s youngest daughter is just like her. She is always on A. B. honor roll, loves to read, write and sing. She wants to get into horse riding as a barrel horseman. Winred is the Lake City Chief of Police and yes he let’s her know every day. Although he is sometimes difficult, he always understands and is the only person she has ever truly trusted and loved.

Diane Taylor, Diane is Chief Clerk for Lepanto, in Poinsett County. Before becoming a clerk she was dispatcher for the Lepanto Police Dept. She is divorced with 2 children, Stacy, and Leela.

Debbie Drake, Debbie is Chief District Clerk of Jefferson Co-Division in Jefferson County. She just got remarried on August 4th, 2003 to Shannon and they have 2 children, Jamie, and Tyler. Jamie graduated from Watson Chapel High School in Pine Bluff on May 5th, 2004.

Bridget Davidson, Bridget is Deputy Clerk for Craighead County District Court and was Civil, Small Claims, and Docket Clerk prior to becoming Deputy Clerk. She has been married to Brad for almost 12 years; he is a Police officer/K-9 division for the City of Paragould. They have 1 daughter, Ashlyn who is in 2nd grade at Greene County Tech. They have 3 dogs, a lizard, 2 birds, 2 hamsters, and a rabbit. Happy Anniversary August 8th.

Tonya Blanchard, Tonya is Deputy Clerk for Craighead District Court in Craighead County. She is married to Shawn and they have 4 children, Heather, Tyler, Kyle, and Terran. Just 6 months after having her first child she and Shawn gained custody of her two stepsons as well as adopted they’re half sister. She only had a high school diploma, but realized she was going to need a good job to help support their large family, so she went back to school and got her Associates Degree in business and started work for a law office. Shortly after, her boss was appointed to take over the District Judgeship in Craighead County, so she lost her job. She spoke with her former boss and told him if he needed help at his clerk’s office she was interested. She applied, got hired, and has been a Deputy Clerk ever since. Tonya likes her job, but is beginning to realize how difficult it is being a mother of 4 and both she and Shawn work full time jobs. She feels like she is a juggler most of the time, between band concerts, ball games, bills and laundry, it can feel a little overwhelming at times. But she says she enjoys working and likes her job, as they need the income. So she will continue to juggle.

  • Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.

Editorial

To those of you who haven’t heard yet, after over 3 years as Chief Court Clerk of Menifee, I have relocated to Morrilton as Deputy Court Clerk. I consider this a great opportunity, since I am working under the supervision of Doris Coulter, "Chief Court Clerk of Morrilton." Doris is a remarkable lady who has seen it all, with over 22 years of dedicated service logged. We Court Clerks are a valuable and integral part of our legal system. I feel sure that you are all as proud to be Clerks as I am. We can honestly hold our heads high.

I also want to say how delighted I am, to be the Newsletter Editor and Secretary for the Association. At each meeting I make so many new friends.

Ponder This:

The greatest leader is not the one who does the greatest things---he is the one who gets the people to do the greatest things!

Ronald Reagan

A guy walks into a bar with a pair of jumper cables hanging around his neck. The bartender gives him a look and says gruffly, "All right, pal, I’ll let you stay, but don’t start anything."

A suspect was arrested for beating a guy in a rice field with a small ceramic figurine. It’s the first case on record of a knick knack paddy whack.

An alarm clock is a small devise used to wake up people who have no children.

There are two ways to argue with a woman, and neither one of them works.

Every town has gossip. If you don’t hear it, you’re it.

A Few More Giggles

Late one night, a mugger wearing a ski mask jumped into the path of a well-dressed man and stuck a gun in his ribs. "Give me your money,"  he demanded. Indignant, the affluent man responded, "You can’t do this I’m a United States Congressman!" "In that case," replied the mugger "give me my money."

These two green beans are crossing the freeway when one of them is hit by a 18-wheeler. His friend scrapes him up and rushes him to the hospital. After hours of surgery, the doctor says, "I have good news and bad news." The healthy green bean says, "Okay, give me the good news first." "Well, he’s going to live." "So, what’s the bad news?" "The bad news is he’ll always be a vegetable."

Q: Why did the cowboy buy a dachshund?

A: Someone told him to get a long little doggy.

At a nudist colony for communists, two old men are sitting on the front porch. One turns to the other and says, "I say, old boy, have you read Marx?" And the other says, "Yes, I believe it’s these wicker chairs."

A man is in the hospital after getting drunk and swallowing 120 coins on a bet. Doctors monitoring his situation say, so far, no change.

I Would Like to Hear From You!

If you have something to say, or some witty or clever saying, let me put it in writing for you. You can fax it to (501) 354-9633, call me at (501) 354-9615, E-mail it to princesstish_51@yahoo.com, or mail it to P. O. Box 127, Morrilton, Arkansas 72110. Please fill out the A.M.C.C.C.A. Information Sheet & mail it to me or give it to me at the meeting.

Some people think that pets are angels with fur, when you fill at your form, besides all the important news about your world, tell us about your critters, their names and how they got them.

Parting Shots

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. An onion a day keeps everyone away.

Betty Campregher

Deputy Court Clerk, Morrilton

Newsletter Editor / Secretary