Your Electric Department at work behind the Baker House.

Be first to comment this article

Somehow I managed to delete this after posting it, so here's the re-post:

Next Monday, July 28, a portion of Fifth Street, between Main and Maple streets, will be closed while work is being done along the alley; crews will be digging trenches to work on underground utilities.

One lane at a time will be closed, so you'll still be able to get through that block, but you might want to plan to go around for the sake of convenience.

The release, which came from Main Street Argenta, did not stipulate a time frame for the work, but it did note that all inquiries should be directed to the Police Department.

Thanks, Scott, for forwarding that notice!

Comments (1)

Just got a press release from one of our senators in D.C. about federal money being handed out for "transportation and economic priorities." The closest to Argenta any of the money will be spent is in west Little Rock: $5 million for upgrades to the I-630/I-430 interchange "to eliminate severe congestion during peak travel periods."

How, exactly, that will impact Argenta folk who commute to the far reaches of WLR is yet to be seen. But are there any improvement projects you can think of in, or near, our neighborhood that could stand some federal money being applied to them? If so, it's never to early to start lobbying (oh, how I hate that word) your members of Congress to get us on the list.

Be first to comment this article

Tomorrow morning is the Certified Arkansas Farmers Market on Main Street. I don't have a specific list of what's going to be on tap, but here's a rundown of what's in season from CAFM guru Jody Hardin's latest newsletter, sent on Sunday. Grab a bag and head for Main Street tomorrow a.m. if any of this appeals to you!

What’s in season?
Peaches:  Peaches are in prime season, and just a few weeks before the highly anticipated White County white nectar peach hits the market.  Lorens and Red Globe are due to hit this next week.  The Elberta peach (not sure of spelling) is supposed to hit this week.  Prices should run 1.5 to 3.00 per lb. depending on the size of your order. 

Tomatoes are in prime season, perhaps peaking in the southern part of Arkansas. Some heirloom plants are just beginning to come off, while some are just beginning to bloom.  This has been a widespread conversation among tomato farmers this year. We are getting a late bloom, and prices have remained pretty firm. 

Sweet Corn just peaked this past weekend from Hardin Farms in Grady. However, it is possible that we may find another grower with corn come into the market unexpectedly.  Some small crops of corn will likely find their way to CAFM over the next few weeks, and then there is a chance in the fall that we may have another small harvest of sweet corn.

Watermelons and canteloupes have come into full season, with an abundant supply of good quality melons until late morning both Tuesday and Saturday.

Okra is coming off pretty steady, and more should hit the market next week. 

Purple hull peas are coming in steadily, already shelled and packed in one pound packages.  You can also buy bushels if you can place an order ahead of time with your farmers.

The beefalo lady is working on the next batch of pastured beefalo to be ready this weekend.  From this point, she expects to have a steady supply on Tuesday and Saturday market days.

Blackberries and raspberries are nearly over.

Honey: Hopefully, some of our new beekeepers are going to call CAFM home.  Local honey is one of the top items on my list of local necessities that should be in any fresh market.  Fresh local honey, bought from the person who collected it, is one of the most important dietary health measures one can take, in my opinion. This is something that is coming together well, as we have recently met some members of the local beekeepers association who want to join CAFM.  Help us welcome them to the market and try several different kinds if you get the opportunity.  Word is that this years’ honey is the best in several years.  So far, I agree. 

Farm raised catfish is one of the most requested products, and we are having a hard time finding the right farmer.  We’ll keep looking.
 

Be first to comment this article

For those who may have missed the weekend news coverage, here's a report on steps taken Saturday by the Democratic Party of Arkansas to keep Dwayne Dobbins off the ballot for District 39 of the House of Representatives, which includes Argenta. I'm having trouble gettingit to link, so you may have to cut and paste.

http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/07/20/News/347093.html

I've also written a op-ed piece about this topic for the Dogtown Wire. It's posted on the jump here for those who are interested.

Comments (5)

Monty Richard has a pair of orchestra seat tickets available for tonight's Beatles tribute show 1964 at Robinson Auditorium. It's currently 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8. She's asking $20 for the pair, which is more than 50% off the face value. If you're interested, call her at 753-4115. It's first-come, first-served.

Be first to comment this article

This from Nick Dudley. Sounds like a great idea!

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) will be exchanging gas cans for FREE this Saturday, from 7 a.m. to noon, at the North Little Rock Public Works Compound, behind the North Little Rock Boys and Girls Club on Main Street, just across the viaduct from Argenta. Anyone can bring two gas cans and get them exchanged for environmentally friendly ones. No matter what size you trade in you will receive a two gallon can. Also, for those who miss it tomorrow, there is another exchange Aug. 2 at the Sherwood Public Works Facility, 6500 North Hills Blvd.

According to the flyer Nick sent (and which I'll post as soon as I can figure out again how to attach it), old gas cans can leak fumes that contribute to ground-level ozone, a major cause of smog (and its attendant respiratory problems for many people); not to mention leaky gas fumes don't play well with heat sources and can result in fires, leading to property loss and, in the worst possible scenario, loss of life.

Be first to comment this article

A Vigilant Reader alerted me to work being done at 805 N. Maple Street, apparently without a building permit or certificate of appropriateness.

Okay, so I got the alert last week and didn't get around to following up on it today -- sorry! But I talked to City Historian Sandra Taylor Smith today and she informs me that she has spoken to te homeowner, who is doing repair work, and everything is now hunky-dory as far as the History Commission is concerned.

I'd have a pic of the house to post, but the battery on the camera was dead when I went by a few minutes ago. Seriously, I'll usually do better than this, folks.

If you see work going on at a property in the neighborhood and no building permit is in evidence, please let me know and I'll check out what's happening. As we are in a local ordinance historic district, there are additional steps that must be taken for any exterior changes to a building, and vigilance by residents is one way to help ensure nothing monstrous happens to one of the many lovely historic houses in Argenta.

Be first to comment this article

 From Argenital Jerry Colburn, who's also a fine artist and a musician, for those who don't know him. His new band is performing this weekend:

 Stella Fancy's first public outing will be this Saturday evening at Gallery 26 on Kavanaugh in Little Rock. The first set is acoustic and begins around 8:30 PM, followed by an electric set around 9:15....times are approximate but close.....also featured is excellent new artwork by Robert Bean and Holly Moore Reding....see you there!

Comments (2)

Comments (2)