NEWSLETTER

Arkansas Municipal and City Court Clerks Association

November 2000

 

From  The  President's  Desk

Welcome to the Fall Certification Program. It is wonderful that each of you participate in our ongoing training sessions. I hope that each of us can take something from this program that will give us new insight into our jobs. Please contact the folks with the green ribbons; the members of the Certification Committee (Sandy Easley, Regina Yates, Rose Kettler, Ken Harris or Ruth Calloway), and tell them you appreciate them. They really listen to your suggestions. The committee cannot guarantee that everyone will find the subject or the speaker interesting, but they know that this is a subject that you have asked for. So, let them know you noticed their efforts.

Please be specific when you request a subject. Several have asked for more information about end-of-the-month reports. That is a very large subject, and would probably take half a day to cover thoroughly. Is it one particular report, money totals, disbursement, restitution or cut-off dates? Do we need to start at A and find Z?

I am very excited about a new web site that has been designed to provide information concerning Arkansas courts, judges and clerks. The name of this site is www.arkansascourtnet.com. There are several items on the site to help the clerks, such as a calendar of events, a listing of all the upcoming meetings, an Arkansas courts database search which allows you to look up any information you need about any court, judge or clerk in the state (court addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, judicial district, county, etc.). It also provides a bulletin board to allow clerks to communicate with each other by posting questions for other clerks and judges to respond to, or you can respond to someone else’s question if you have an answer or opinion. Post anything from work questions, personal questions, serious stuff and fun stuff. Want a new apple pie recipe....post it on the bulletin board and see how many you get! Need help with end-of-the-month reports...post it on the bulletin board!

The best part of this site is the new section especially for us. Under the section entitled A.M.C.C.C.A., you can find a list of the current association officers and how to contact them, a copy of the most recent newsletter, a list of certification eligibility requirements and last but definitely not least, you can look up your certification hours that you have accumulated in the certification program. Bookmark this site and check it often, you will find it very helpful.

I would also like to have a list of all the e-mail addresses of our members. Please contact me at fcmunct@ipa.net and give me your e-mail address.

There are several clerks who will be retiring at the end of this year. To those of you who are leaving us, let me say, "Happy Days!"

Thanksgiving and Christmas are quickly approaching and I would like to wish each of you a very Happy and Joyous Holly Daze!

Geneva Vance

President

 

 

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Do You Need Internet Access?

Is your police department rural? Do you wish they had Internet access, but the cost has been prohibitive? Well, small departments have an option available to them if they meet the qualifications.

The Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) has Internet access available with the following qualifications and requirements. (Note: this is not available to courts, only police departments and sheriff’s offices.)

QUALIFICATIONS:

Internet access, as a result of this project, is only available to rural law enforcement agencies and must be used for criminal justice purposes only. A rural law enforcement agency is defined as:

A. Police Department: Any city serving a population of 25,000 or less.

B. Sheriff’s Office: Any county serving a population of 50,000 or less.

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Have compatible computer equipment and software. Minimum hardware requirements include: 50 MHZ computer, internal or external 14.4 modem Hayes compatible, Super VGA video card, 20 megabytes of available hard drive space, and a 3.5" floppy drive. Minimum software requirements include: Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT.

2. Have access to a dedicated phone line, (can be shared with a fax line.)

REQUEST PROCEDURES:

Requests for Internet access should be made by phone, mail, e-mail, or fax to Mr. Jimmy Nobles, National Center for Rural Law Enforcement, 7723 Asher Avenue, Suite B., Little Rock, AR 72204-7503. His phone number is 1-888-411-1713, his fax number is 1-501-570-0100 and his e-mail address is jwnobles@cji.net.

Upon approval, the requesting Sheriff or Chief of Police will be required to sign an Internet access agreement form and provide agency data to the NCRLE for administrative purposes. An agency is then placed on a waiting list until activation is possible.

 

Certification Committee

The Certification Committee is excited about the Chief Clerks and Deputy Clerks sessions for the November program. The Chief Clerks two sessions relating on management of an office includes delegation and employee relations. And we are always glad to welcome back Dr. Bo Thomas who will lead the Deputy Clerks session on determining individual social styles and how to use that knowledge in the workplace. All clerks will be together for the afternoon sessions on Street Talk and Customer Service.

The Certification Committee would like to express appreciation to Kay Palmer, Judicial Education Coordinator, for her expertise and knowledge in helping us plan our programs - we couldn’t do it without her!

As the end of the year draws near, it is very important that we have all the information necessary for certifications and updates, i.e. hire dates, hours, attendance of new clerks orientations. If you have any questions concerning your certification records, please contact me at (501) 451-1101 or Ruth Calloway at (870) 479-3904.

Sandy Easley

AMCCCA Certification Committee

 

We're Asking For Your News!

Do you have news to share with the other clerks? If so, then you can send your news anytime to the editor: Marla Wallace, P. O. Box 506, Gillett, AR 72055. Or you can fax it to (870) 548-3121, e-mail it to her at gillettpd@cji.net, or call her at (870) 548-2541.

We want to know what is happening in your life, both personally and professionally. If you have good news to share, such as a birth of a child or grandchild, a graduation or a wedding send us the news. Likewise, even if you have bad news, share it with us. Clerks are compassionate people who will share in your sorrows as well as your joys.

 

"Happy Thanksgiving"

 

 

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Everyone's News!

Sandy Easley and her son, Bradley, will be spending Christmas this year in Hawaii with her other son, Brian.....Tamara Garringer’s daughter, Letita Poe will be getting married in May of 2001. She will also be getting her Bachelors Degree in Accounting..... Congratulations to Fever McElyea who was married on July 15, 2000 and also got a step-daughter, Megan.....Mary Strickland is celebrating the fact that she has been able to lose 25 lbs.....Gay Reynolds’ son, Dawson got married July 1, 2000 and she’s now an "official" mother-in-law.....Stephanie Hall is expecting her second child in December. Her first child, Hayden recently graduated from the 3 year old pre-school. Her husband, Mark just opened a new business, Gellco Clothing & Shoes.....Holly Sharp became Mrs. Archie Pate on September 29th. They honeymooned in Eureka Springs.....Kay Ingram got married on November 11th to her "best friend" Hoyt.....Pamela Loan’s son, Raul graduated from high school in May of this year and became a student at N.W. Arkansas Community College studying architecture.....Cindy Lemon’s daughter, Marley competed in the America’s Cover Miss State Pageant and was the overall winner and will represent the state of Arkansas. She will make appearances in other pageants to crown the winners of the preliminary pageants in Arkansas. Marley was also a National Finalist in July, where she went to Daytona Beach, Florida and was in America’s Cover Miss National Finals Pageant. It was a great experience for her and lots of fun.....Pat Harris and husband Lester celebrated their wedding anniversary on August 12 in Denton, Texas. Their son, Carlo graduated from North Texas State University in Denton on. he same day. He was an Honor Graduate (Cum Laude) and his major was Philosophy. Both parents are very proud of Carlo who is now teaching English to 4 & 5 year olds in Taipei, Taiwan.

 

Upcoming Meetings

2001

March 16:        Clerk’s Certification

                         Holiday Inn Select, Little Rock

 

May 17-19:      Clerk’s Certification and Judges Spring College

                         Northwest Arkansas Holiday Inn, Springdale

 

Sept. 21:           Clerk’s Certification

                          Inn of the Ozarks, Eureka Springs

 

Nov. 16:            Clerk’s Certification

                          Holiday Inn Select, Little Rock

 

2002

March 15:         Clerk’s Certification

                          Holiday Inn Select, Little Rock

 

May 16-18:       Clerk’s Certification and Judges Spring College

                          Arlington Hotel, Hot Springs

 

Sept. 20:           Clerk’s Certification

                          Holiday Inn Select, Little Rock

 

Nov. 15:            Clerk’s Certification

                          Majestic Hotel, Hot Springs

 

 

Wishing you and yours a very

Happy Thanksgiving,

a Blessed Christmas,

and a Happy New Year!

 

 

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Clerk’s Spotlight

 

Tamara Garringer

Tamara is the chief clerk of Ward Municipal Court. She also fills in when the dispatcher for the Police Department is out to lunch. Tamara is single and has two children, Brandon and Letita. This is the first time Tamara has worked in the court system and she is really enjoying her job. She has met a lot of interesting people and looks forward to many years at Ward Municipal Court.

Fever McElyea

Fever is the chief clerk for Carlisle Municipal Court. She just got married in July to Cortney and also gained a step-daughter, Megan. She says Megan is the reason she took the job in Carlisle so she could be around her as she grows up and to have an active part in raising her.

Patty Jackson

Patty has recently been promoted to chief clerk after their former chief clerk quit work. Patty says she is looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead. She is thankful for all the other court clerks that she knows she can count on if she has any questions or concerns about her new job. Patty is single and has one daughter, Emily.

Shara Davis

Shara is the chief clerk at Bauxite. She also serves as the Recorder/Treasurer for her city. Shara is married to John and they have five children, Dustin, Candace, Mitchell, Melonie and Angie and one grandson, Damion. When Shara is not busy at work she likes to work in her yard, go fishing and spend time with her children, husband, and grandfather. She also has three dogs and a raccoon as pets.

Kristy Schneider 

Kristy is a deputy clerk for Fort Smith Municipal Court. She says her only "child" is her cat, Nikki. Kristy attends Westark College part-time and is working on her Associates Degree and paralegal Certification.

Juanita Kline

Juanita is the chief clerk at Centerton City Court. She is also the administrative assistant in her city. She is married to Stacy and they have three children, J.R., Jacob and John. They are very busy with sports, mainly with football. Her husband is self-employed as a tile setter. Both of them grew up in Centerton and they love water sports. They are also working on building a new home.

Vicki Humphrey

Vicki is a deputy clerk at North Little Rock Municipal Court, 2nd Division. Vicki has worked for 25 years as the payroll clerk within the NLR Police Department. She says this experience has really helped her by making it easier to learn her job in the court system. However, she’s still learning something new every day. Vicki enjoys playing the piano and the organ, and doing crafts. Her new hobby is riding with her husband on their Gold Wing motorcycle.

Mary Strickland

Mary is a deputy clerk for Jacksonville. She is married to Randy and they have two sons, James and John. She is a new court clerk and loves her job and has great co-workers. Mary loves to sing, play piano and enjoy time with the family.

Gay Reynolds

Gay is a deputy for Fayetteville. She is the mother of two children, Dawson and Yolanda. She worked for the court for 8 years, then resigned for 3 years and returned in September of 1992. Gay enjoys flower gardening, garage sales and her three cats, Phoebe, Molly and Sahara.

Dena Titsworth

Dena is the chief clerk for Mena Municipal Court. She was first hired as a deputy in 1994 and then took over as chief. Dena has two children, Nichole and Kyle. Dena also serves as one of our At-large District Representatives.