Pro Bono (issued September 27, 2017)

What does “Pro Bono” mean?

Hello, I’m Dan Shaw. Thank you for electing me as Mayor of this wonderful City. I am doing my best to accomplish something each day that will make Bono a better place. “Pro Bono” is the name that I am giving the City’s newsletter which I plan to write and make available to you 4 times a year. This will allow me to communicate to you various things and plans which are of concern to the citizens of Bono. When we hear the words, “pro-bono”, we generally think of a lawyer doing free legal work. Actually, it is a Latin phrase which means, “for good”. So, that means that the word bono means good. How fitting! What we have to do, is, make sure we help our City live up to that name. How do we do that? Here’s some ideas. We can do our best to keep our properties and houses neat and clean and maintained, so passers by will say, “this is a place I would like to live”. We can heed the ordinances we have concerning dogs and keep our dogs up. We can stay out of the news, unless we have good news to share. We can, as citizens, start projecting a sense of pride in our City. If we begin doing these things, little by little, we will transform our City into, not only a place which we are more proud of, but a City that is more respected in the surrounding communities. Yours for a better Bono—Dan Shaw

Pro Bono
September 27, 2017

The calendar tells us that it’s Fall however, the temperature says differently.  This has been an interesting year weather wise, to say the lease.  We know that in a short time we will be enjoying some cooler days and really cool nights.  We are in the midst of harvest time, so be cautious for farm trucks and equipment, as they are out in full force.  Also, be alert for school children and school buses.

Code Officer

Bono has hired Trent Edwards as our full time Code Enforcement Officer.  Trent is at he Fire Chief for our city as well.  He is working toward getting all the necessary licenses to be able to perform inspections for all of our buildings, as they are built.  Trent will also be working toward making Bono a safer and cleaner place by enforcing things like grass and clean property ordinances.  He will be working with the power of a comprehensive ordinance, which was passed recently by a unanimous vote of the Bono City Council.  The ordinance covers everything from grass height requirements to animal and pet issues.  A copy of that ordinance is available at the Bono City Hall.

Bono Legacy Park

The new park is still in the works.  We are sorry that is has taken so long however, the $194,500.00 grant we received is full of red tape.  We are taking bids at this time and should see some noticeable progress soon.  There will be a paved 1/4 mile walking track in the trees behind the Methodist Church.  This will most likely be the first thing we see completed.  The Craighead County Road Department will be helping us with the paving, and we are waiting for them to fit us into the schedule.  Other attractions in the park will include a baseball field, basketball court, a very deluxe playground, and a pavilion, as well as some covered individual picnic areas and grills.

Garbage Pickup Price Increase

A bit of unhappy news; Disposal Solutions, our contracted garbage pickup company has increased the price.  Dumping fees have increased at the landfill several times.  Everything costs more, and they are having to pass those increases on to us.  We are lucky that the last increase we had from Disposal Solutions was in 2014.  You will notice the garbage fee on your water bill.  This will increase by $1.49 per trash cart, per month.  We are very sorry about this increase.

Senior Meals

On Monday and Friday each week, there are meals served at the Bono Senior Citizen’s Center.  They are supplied by St. Bernard’s Senior Life Center in Jonesboro.  The meals are very good and nutritious, and are $3.00 each.  Come out for the meal and fellowship, if you can.  If you are shut-in and need a meal delivered, call City Hall by 10:00 am on Monday or Friday and let them know.

Building and Growth

There will be a new sub-division starting soon behind the Pentecostal Church on College Street.  This will be about 53 nicer homes, built by Brian Ford, and will be called East Hill sub-division.  The old school property has been sold and will begin development soon.  This will be apartments, and although we have had some trouble with apartments in the past, we are trying to make some restrictions, which will help to minimize those problems in the future.  We are still looking for a grocery store, but you will see some exciting new businesses opening soon.

Yours for a Better Bono

Danny C. Shaw – Mayor

 

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