OUR TOWN

Little Rock notebook

Water utility boardseeking applicants

The Central Arkansas Water Board of Commissioners will begin accepting resumes today to fill a vacancy on the board.

Applicants must be city residents and must submit letters of interest and resumes to the board by noon Dec. 28.

The board has seven members who serve seven-year terms. Four are city residents and three are North Little Rock residents. A seat is vacant after the resignation of John Braune.

The appointee will fulfill the remaining 2½ years of Braune's seven-year term beginning with the Feb. 15 meeting and ending in June 2020.

The utility is the largest water supplier in the state, providing water to about 400,000 people in central Arkansas.

Applications should be mailed to Board of Commissioners, Central Arkansas Water, c/o Becky Linker, chief administrative officer at P.O. Box 1789, Little Rock, Ark. 72203.

Yard-waste crewstrying to catch up

Yard-waste pickup is behind schedule, and there is no need to contact 311 to report missed yard-waste requests, a city spokesman said.

"As long as the yard waste is placed curbside it will be collected as quickly as possible," spokesman Lamor Williams said.

This time of year when the leaves fall, residents have more yard debris than normal, and the pickup crews typically fall a few days behind schedule, Williams said.

"During this time of year, our Public Works crews go from picking up 350 tons of yard waste per week to more than 800 tons per week," Public Works Director Jon Honeywell said. "It will be January before crews can get caught up, but they are working hard to serve our citizens."

Firemen collectingtoys for foster kids

The Fire Department is asking for toy donations through Thursday to benefit foster children.

The Fire Department has partnered with the Department of Human Services for more than 15 years on the annual toy drive. Toys can be dropped off at any fire station.

The Fire Department, along with Santa, will deliver the toys to the Human Services Department on Friday at 2:30 p.m. There will be a parade from Central Fire Station at Seventh and Chester to the agency's office at Seventh and Main. Department workers will greet the firefighters with caroling.

The foster children are in need of clothes and toys for all ages.

The Fire Department also is starting its annual "Keep the Wreath Green" public-awareness campaign. Wreaths with green bulbs are displayed outside firehouses, and each time there is a residential fire that makes the house uninhabitable a green bulb is replaced with a red bulb.

The wreaths also can be seen on Twitter at @littlerockfire or Facebook at facebook.com/littlerockfire.

Class on genealogyto aid beginners

A beginner's genealogy class called Finding Family Facts will take place Monday at the Arkansas Studies Institute building.

The 3:30 p.m. event will be taught by Rhonda Stewart, the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies' history and genealogy expert. It will be in Room 204 at the institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.

The class takes place every second Monday of the month. Stewart introduces participants to databases and materials held at the Butler Center to get them started or help deepen their research.

More information is available by emailing Stewart at [email protected] or calling her at (501) 320-5720.

Arts Center to hostlecture on design

Members of StudioMAIN, a nonprofit aimed at engaging partners on design and construction projects, will give a lecture Tuesday at the Arkansas Arts Center.

The lecture will focus on the group's mission. A reception will precede the 6 p.m. discussion, put on by the Architecture and Design Network.

"Now in its 6th year, studioMAIN's impact in the local community and region continues to expand," a news release about the event said. "Through partnerships with educational institutions, municipalities, the private sector and other non-profits, studioMAIN is working to provide visioning and advocacy for a better future for the region."

'Cat room' going inat Animal Village

A "communal cat room" will be added to the Animal Village.

The hope is that the additional display area will increase the adoption rate for adult cats. It also gives cats that are in the facility for a longer time a more comfortable area as they wait to be adopted.

The shelter adopted out 937 cats and kittens last year.

The $125,000 price tag of the addition is being completely funded by donations raised by the city and Friends of the Animal Village. They have been raising money for the project for more than four years.

American Structure Inc. won a bid for the project and will be doing the work.

Lawmakers to talkabout bridging gap

Members of the Millennial Action Project will join state representatives on Thursday to talk about bridging the partisan divide with millennial leadership.

The 6 p.m. event is at the Clinton School of Public Service's Sturgis Hall, 1200 President Clinton Ave.

The Millennial Action Project's mission is to "re-establish political cooperation across parties and defeat the polarization and gridlock that is holding back government and the country."

The project's founder and president, Steven Olikara, will moderate a panel that includes Rep. Eddie Armstrong, D-North Little Rock; Rep. Sarah Capp, R-Ozark; Rep. Warwick Sabin, D-Little Rock; and Rep. James Sturch, R-Batesville.

Theater hosts partyfor ship ceremony

There will be a live-stream watch party Saturday at the Ron Robinson Theater to view the commissioning of the USS Little Rock Littoral Combat Ship in Buffalo, N.Y.

The viewing starts at 10 a.m. Doors will open at 9 a.m. Seating is limited to the first 300 attendees. Refreshments will be served.

Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and other state and local officials are expected to attend. Mayor Mark Stodola and North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith will be two of about 30 Arkansans attending the event live in New York. Ticketing is closed for the live event after more than the anticipated 5,000 registrations were met.

Members of the U.S. Navy and the USS Little Rock Namesake Committee will attend the watch party.

Special commemorative mementos will be available to attendees.

This will be the first time in the 242-year history of the Navy that a ship is commissioned alongside the vessel for which it is named.

The original USS Little Rock was in service from August 1944 until being decommissioned in November 1976. It is on display at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park at Canalside.

Metro on 12/10/2017

Upcoming Events