LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Vet program was good To the editor: The Veterans Day ceremony at Pea Ridge High School was a great tribute to our military veterans. - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Lynch Pen : Subjectivity of tax appraisal prohibits fair process

LEO LYNCH Former JP,Benton County

This topic may be of no interest to many of you, but as I continue to look at the appraisal system used by the Benton County Assessor’s office, the subjectivity of it leaves me wondering if it can ever be fair to every taxpayer. The problem, as I see it, is in the system starting with the 1995 cost estimator data and expecting each appraiser to interpret it the same way. As I noted in previous articles, the starting point is to assign a GRADE for all residential dwellings. A grade of D-1 (Dwelling, Grade 1) would be assigned to a structure of “excellent quality and with many extra features.” In this grade the standard number of bathrooms is five full baths. When you move to a grade D-2, the number of bathrooms is reduced to three (?) for a standard home. A D-2 home is a structure of “very high quality, with many extra features, very good quality of materials and workmanship.” I don’t know too many people who have a 4,000-square-foot masonry home, so I am guessing a little that a home of that size could have t - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Library Notes : Books on hand for Thanksgiving reading

LINDA WHITAKER Pea Ridge Librarian

I hope everyone is doing well since the weather started getting cooler. The leaves were beautiful this year; I have them stuck all over my house and here at the library also. I would like to remind everyone that the library will be closed Thursday, Nov. 27, for Thanksgiving. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am going to church then to my sister’s, where we will all overeat and spend the rest of the day complaining about how miserable we are from eating too much. I do hope we have time to play some games and that everyone brings at least one new dish! I wish all of you much happiness and thankfulness that day. Just a quick review of a few new books we have here at the library: “The Brass Verdict” by Michael Connelly: things are finally looking up for defense attorney Mickey Haller. After two years of wrong turns, he is back in the courtroom. But when his famed former colleague Jerry Vincent is murdered, Haller inherits the biggest case he’s ever had: defending Walter Elliot, a prominent Hollywood produ - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Out of My Mind : Many things for which to be thankful

ANNETTE BEARD Editor

As we approach Thanksgiving, I think of all the reasons I have to be thankful. It’s really much easier to complain, isn’t it? But, there are so very many reasons to give thanks. If you’re reading this, be thankful you are drawing breath and that your eyes work (as I’ve aged, I find that isn’t always as dependable as I once thought). We have friends and relatives in other parts of the world. My first cousin and his family live in Singapore. A friend lives in India. Other friends take regular mission trips to Haiti and Mexico. In those lands, poverty is rampant. Our poverty pales in comparison. Despite our economic woes and financial problems, America is still an incredibly blessed land. Here in northwest Arkansas, we’re blessed with all four seasons and haven’t had devastating storms to ravage the entire area. Autumn is quickly fleeing — colorful leaves have turned brown and fallen from the trees. We’ve experienced our first frost. Winter is quickly approaching. Thankfully, I have firewood to help heat the hou - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Babe's Pumpkin Pie

from the kitchen of Spring Street Grill Restaurant recipes of the Ozarks Cookbook

3 eggs 1 can pumpkin 1 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. salt 2/3 c. sugar 1 1/2 c. milk 1 tsp. cinnamon Lightly warm milk and set aside. On low speed mixer combine all ingredients then add warm milk. Pour into unbaked 9” pie crust and bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. S u b s c r i b e r s — The TIMES would like to share your recipes. Recipes may be dropped off at our office at 981 N. Curtis Ave., faxed to 451-9456, mailed to P.O. Box 25, Pea Ridge, AR, 72751 or e-mailed to prtnews@nwanews.com. - Wednesday, November 19, 2008