Newsletter

Arkansas District & City Court Clerks Association

February 20, 2004,

Hello everyone,

Today we begin a new adventure. Unfortunately, we will miss seeing some of our friends, but hopefully the new certification program format will benefit our learning ability with smaller groups, tables for note-taking, and more accessibility to those presenting the topics. As our membership grows, the court cases increase, and our responsibilities seem to have quadrupled. Maybe our loads can be lightened through these programs and the chance to share mutual problems with other clerks. It is more than just a day away from court; it is a chance to make a difference.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have asked how my husband is doing. Your support and encouragement during the last 20 months have helped tremendously. Just to let you know the latest, Jim is now taking chemotherapy for a second form of cancer. The initial esophageal cancer is completely gone, which is a miracle in itself. Cat scans after the first surgery showed a form of lymphoma in a dormant stage. The doctor has been watching it very closely. The lymphoma activated in January and chemo was begun immediately. The doctor assures us this is one of the most easily treated lymphomas and has a high success rate for complete remission. However, the chemo treatments take its toll on my husband and our family. So please keep us in your prayers.

Our annual meeting is just around the corner. It may be that some of you will be receiving phone calls asking you to consider running for an office. I know your first thought would be to say no. I ask you to reconsider and think seriously about participating in our association by serving as an officer. Most offices really do not take much time and effort. Serving as an officer gives you a forum for any concerns or problems you want addressed. Being involved and working toward a goal is the only sure way to reach that goal.

Just a short update on the APERS situation, as of February 6, 2004, Governor Huckabee has not appointed the remaining two members of the Board of Trustees for the Judges and Clerks Retirement Board. Nothing can be done until this Board meets and establishes guidelines. One of the first things to be considered will be if the Clerks retirement will proceed as of January 5, 2005 or not. An Attorney Genernl's opinion has said at least one part of Act 1374, in his opinion, may be unconstitutional. Anyone wanting a copy of the opinion may see me today to obtain one.

See you in May in Springdale.

Judy West

President ARDCCCA

HELP! HELP! HELP!

I received only one A.M.C.C.C.A. last time and I really need your input to help make our spotlight more interesting. Are you planning a special vacation this year? Do you have children on the honor roll? What date is your birthday or anniversary? Do you have a son or a daughter who is proudly serving our country in the military?

Jennifer Bryant

Jennifer is from Lowell City Court, and is a Deputy Clerk. She is married to Eric and they have an 18-month-old daughter. She loves to read, watch movies and spend time with her family. When she is not working in the court, she is chasing her little girl. Jennifer worked as a probation officer in Jonesboro before moving to Washington County, her first major move, but she is getting used to it. Happy Birthday January 14th.

PONDER THIS!

How come when you mix water and flour together you get glue, and then you add eggs and sugar and you get cake?

Where did the glue go?

Remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.

That’s why it’s called the present!

Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don’t need money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like no one’s watching.

A LITTLE HUMOR

Driving to the lake this morning on the Interstate, I looked over to my left and there was a woman in a brand new Cadillac doing 75 mph with her face up next to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner.

 

I looked away for a couple of seconds and when I looked back she was halfway over in my lane, still working on that makeup. As a man, I don’t scare easily. But she scared me so much; I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the donut out of my other hand. In all the confusion of trying to straighten out the car using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my cell phone away from my ear, which fell into the coffee between my legs, splashed, and burned my legs, ruined the phone, soaked my trousers, and disconnected an important call.DARN WOMEN DRIVERS!

SOME FUN WITH PUNS!

A backward poet writes inverse.

A man’s home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.

Reading while sunbathing makes you well red.

When two egotists meet, it’s an I for an I.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

A midget fortune-teller who escapes from prison is a small medium at large.

Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

Baker’s trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.

Acupuncture is a jab well done.

WHAT MAKES A FACE?

A master rendition of a special personality, executed in a flawless technique that reveals the soul or essence of the person.

SO WHAT MAKES A FACE UNIQUE?

The images of that face which remains in your heart and stains your memory.

MORNING POEM

I woke early one morning

The earth lay cool and still

When suddenly a tiny bird

Perched on my window sill,

He sang a song so lovely

So carefree and so gay,

That slowly all my troubles

Began to slip away.

He sang of far off places

Of laughter and of fun,

It seemed his very trilling,

Brought up the morning sun.

I stirred beneath the covers

Crept slowly out of bed,

Then gently shut the window

And crushed his little head.I’m not a morning person!

HELPFUL HINTS

Make fluffy rice everytime.

Add a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to the water first thing, and your rice will never be sticky again.

TO CLEAN OUT YOUR MICROWAVE

If you’ve got hardened food on the inside of your microwave, don’t scratch the finish with harsh cleaners. Instead, mix three tablespoons of lemon juice into one and a half cups of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 10 minutes at the most. Then just wipes off the softened food with a dish cloth.

QUESTION?

Does the MPH on yellow road signs mean the same as those on the white ones?

ANSWER: No, they are only suggested safe speed limits.

There are many two-way mirrors sold every year and sometimes they turn up in places they shouldn’t be. I am sure you all know where those places are. To determine if a mirror is a 2-way or not, take this sure-fire test to find out. Simply place you fingernail against the reflective surface and if there is a SPACE between your fingernail and the image of the nail, then it is a GENUINE mirror. However, if your fingernail DIRECTLY TOUCHES the image of your nail then it is A 2-WAY MIRROR.

Remember, "No Space, Leave the Place".

Three proven rules for good, healthy teeth:

  1. Brush after every meal.
  2. See your dentist twice a year.
  3. Mind your own business.

Sorry if there are any lawyers in the family! For a laugh, read on.

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.Q: What is your date of birth?

A: July 15th

Q: What year?

A: Every year.Q: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?

A: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.Q: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?

A: Yes.

Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory?

A: I forget.

Q: You forget? Can you give us an example of something that you’ve forgotten?Q: How old is your son, the one living with you?

A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can’t remember which.

Q: How long has he lived with you?

A: Forty-five years.Q: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo or the occult?

A: We both do.

Q: Voodoo?

A: We Do.

Q: You do?

A: Yes, Voodoo.Q: Now doctor, isn’t it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn’t know about it until the next morning?

A: Did you actually pass the bar exam?Q: The youngest son, the twenty- year old, how old is he?Q: Were you present when your picture was taken?Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?

A: Yes.

Q: And what were you doing at that time?Q: She had three children, right?

A: Yes.

Q: How many were boys?

A: None

Q: Were there any girls?Q: How was your first marriage terminated?

A: By death.

Q: And by whose death was it terminated?Q: Can you describe the individual?

A: He was about medium height and had a beard.

Q: Was this a male, or a female?Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?

A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.Q: All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to?

A: OralQ: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?

A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.

Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?

A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.Q: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?

A: No.

Q: Did you check for breathing?

A: No.

Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?

A: No.

Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?

A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

Q: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?

A: Yes, it is possible that he could still be alive and practicing law somewhere.

Nowadays, there are a lot of coorporate merges, here are some to watch for in 2004:

  • 1. Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers join forces and become: Poly, Warner Cracker.
  • 2. 3M will merge with Goodyear and issue forth as: MMMGood
  • 3. Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco and Dakota Mining will merge and become: ZipAudiDoDa.
  • 4. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell

Computers will become: Fairwell Honeychild.

  • 5. Knotts Berry Farm and the National

Organization of Women will become: Knott NOW!

PARTING SHOTS

Please reread the first paragraph, and fill out the A.M.C.C.C.A. form.

Betty Campregher, Newsletter Editor