NORTH LITTLE ROCK BOOKCASE PROJECT This unique literacy project is designed to provide quality, personalized, oak bookcases and a starter set of ‘gently used’ children’s books for 4 and 5 year-old children enrolled in our local Head Start programs. The aim of the project is for volunteers to read to the children each week and have an annual “Awards Ceremony” to present the bookcases to the children and their parents. In North Little Rock, we compete for each one of our children, and one way we compete is by offering them hope by teaching them there is a world that is wide open to them through reading.

Gently used books and monetary donations are accepted at the following locations: City Hall, City Services Building, Hays Senior Citizens Center, NLR Times and Twin City Bank and Bank of the Ozarks branch locations.  

My 10 yr old daughter gathered up her old books a couple of weeks ago and together we took them down to City Hall and donated them for Project Bookcase.  It taught her a valuable lesson in giving and was an opportunity to do something for others together.   

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 This was sent to me by an Argenta resident

Every year, the Salvation Army sponsors the Angel Tree project to provide Christmas gifts for over 3,000 children in need. You can adopt an Angel by visiting the Angel Tree booth in McCain Mall between November 16 and December 15. You'll receive a ticket that lists the child's age, sex, clothing sizes, and favorite toys. Then, you can purchase gifts  or the child and return them to the Angel Tree booth. The Salvation Army will distribute the gifts to the appropriate children during the week before Christmas.

Volunteers are needed to staff the Angel Tree booth throughout theChristmas season. Volunteers work four-hour shifts signing up people who want to adopt Angels and helping process gifts that have been purchased for children.

This year, the Angel Tree booth is being coordinated by The Heritage Company. If you'd like to volunteer, contact Tracy Land at 1-800-643-8822 x. 1133 to sign up for a shift.

 So how is this related to Argenta?  Several people in the neighborhood volunteer fro this very woirthy cause and the women at the Junior League also work on this.  The Junior League meets at the historic Manees Hose on 4th Street in Argenta.  Help a child in need and think of that child's smile when both of you wake up on Christmas Day.  It WILL be the best part of both your days

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Make sure you welcome Kay Quinn to Argenta.  Kay purchaed this beautifully restored home at 306 West 7th from Robin Murphy.  This neighborhood is blessed to have someone like Robin who does such wonderful work and works with the Historic District Commission and neighborhood.   Thank you Robin for setting such a great example.  

If you see Kay working in the yard or sitting on her porch, yell at her (in a good way) and welcome her to the neighborhood 

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Just when you think Main Street Argenta is beginning to get it, it blows up in a mess.  Whether it is the Traffic Box Art  project, Big Dam Bridge Coordination, Argenta Magazine, Bike Racks, Argenta Master Plan among others and most recenlty the 2008 Argenta Street Beat Concert Series, MSA just doesn't get it.  IT'S ABOUT THE PROCESS, STUPID!., to paraphrase James Carville from Clinton's first campaign for President. 

So why was the special Board Meeting for Friday night postponed just hours before the meeting?  Could it be that several businesses and property owners were planning on attending to object to the plans?  Could it be that the press was asking questions about the coordination with others?  Or could it be that MSA just didn't coordinate the fundraising, dates and street closings with most of the property owners and businesses downtown, before announcing a special Board meeting for the Board to commit to the plans.  Shouldn't MSA have worked with the Main Street businesses and property owners and obtained their approval before deciding to proceed?  Didn't something similar happen with the Traffic Box Art project, bike racks, master plan and Big Dam Bridge bike race street closings?

When will MSA learn?  IT'S ABOUT THE PROCESS STUPD! MSA has the potential to be a great group and a leader in Argenta. However, no matter how good the idea or project, if MSA doesn't coordinate with, plan with, and cooperate with the business owners, property owners and other stakeholders and groups in Argenta it cannot succeed. 

IT'S ABOUT THE PROCESS, STUPID.  GET THE PROCESS RIGHT AND THE REST WILL FOLLOW 

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This just in from Main Street Argenta Executive Director Michael Drake

The Special Called Meeting of the Board of Directors has been postponed until further notice.  Board Member John Crow has “pulled” the Agenda Items for this evenings meeting until further notice.  Please take note of this action.

I hope to see you all at the Volunteer Appreciation Party at 5:30 at the Cornerstone Deli and Pub, 314 Main Street.

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This is a picture of the dumpster enclosure recently completed behind Argenta Seafood.  Dumpster enclosures are required in the Main Street Overlay District and Historic District, which includes the businesses along Main Street.  The overlay and historic district requirements have been in place for years so why was an enclosure not built behind Ristorante Capeo for their dumpster shown below? 

Lets review a few facts here 

1. Both locations are within the Historic District and the district rules require enclosures or screening
   
2. Both projects are located only one block apart (less than 300 ft) and on the same side of Main Street)
3. Both locations required a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Commission before getting a building permt
4. Both projects had plans approved showing enclosures or screening
   
5. Both locations are within the Main Street Overlay District which requires dumpster enclosures
6. Both projects had building permits issued
7. Both projects apparenlty were issued certificate of occupancies indicating they met plans and city requirements (I assume this has happened or will happen soon with Argenta Seafood)

So why the double standard?  The only thing different between the the two projects is the owner of the property (the owners of Argenta Seafood and Capeo only lease their space from the property owners).  I have asked questions about the Capeo dumpster for years with no satisfactory answers from either Codes or Community Planning Dept's.  It appears that no one wants to enforce the rules we have, despite the plans submitted showing screening.  So why does the owner of the Capeo property get a break no on else does?

In my opinion ignoring these kind of issues is kind of like global warming.  You ignore one or two small things, then others do the same and pretty soon other things like newspaper boxes and inappropriate building uses are ignored.  We keep saying to ourselves, we will take care of the next one or it is not a problem.  Without even realizing it, our rules and regulations become useless and like the rising sea level with global warming we wake up to find ourselves drowning in a downtown full of problems and issues. 

E-mal Robert Voyles at the NLR Dept of Community Planning at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with a simple message

ENFORCE THE LAWS WE HAVE NOW OR AMEND THEM SO THEY CAN BE ENFORCED!! 

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Thanks to the folks over at the Levy Project web site for bringing this to my attention.

Mayor Hays has proposed builidng an RV Park for visitors to our fair city along the river between the I-30 bridge and the Rock Island Bridge (bridge at the Clinton Library). Click here for the full story on Fox News.

I am a little confused though.  Isn't this the same space that Mayor Hays proposed just a few months ago for concerts too large to hold on the Riverwalk and to avoid conflicts with the hikers and bikers?.  I just can't imagine RV park patrons sharing the same space with Edgefest.  Seems like two different kinds of crowds.  What do you think?

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This from Main Street Argenta (MSA)

A Special Meeting of the Main Street Argenta (MSA) Board of Directors has been called to vote on the proposal of John Crow, Promotions Committee Chair regarding the 2008 Argenta Street Beat Free Concert Series.  The Special Meeting will be held Friday Evening, November 16th at 5:00 in the second floor party room of the Cornerstone Deli and Pub just before the Argenta Street Beat Volunteer Appreciation Party.         

Board members will be asked to vote on the following propositions:
 
1.     Shall the Board agree to immediately identify and commit, as a Board, to solicit local financial support for two, two-event concerts (April and October) in the amount of $20,000.00 per event totaling $80,000.00 for the 2008 Street Beat Free concert Series;

2.     Shall the Board authorize the preparation of an Event Budget for each series (April and October) and solicit public proposals for talent, sound/stage/lighting/security and electrical support and other line items required to stage each Event;

3.     Shall the Board Solicit financial support in the amount of $10,000.00 per Event (2 in April x $10,000.00 and 2 in October x $10,000.00) from Anheuser-Busch (St. Louis), through Budweiser-Golden Eagle of Arkansas; and

4.     Will each Board member commit to:

    a.      Meet with at least four (4) targeted fundraising sources and deliver a funding appeal with follow-up; and

    b.     Volunteer to participate, as an active participant, in each event by serving for a minimum of three (3) hours at                 each Event; and

    c.      Solicit and secure at least five (5) volunteers to assist in each Event (2 in April and 2 in October 2008).

Click here for a link here to the specific proposals being considered and financial committments required. The proposal is basically for street concerts on each of two consecutive weekends in April and October.  I don't know about  about the other busineses on Main  Street, but I  have real problem shutting down Main Street for two weekends in row in one month and the significant impact that will have on my business.  

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 Hicks, Dowty, McCauley & Schell Inc. (HDMS Inc). has finally finished remodelling their new space at 409 Main Street after many long nights and weekends of hard work.  In my opinion it was worth it.  The space is incredible.  But don't believe me, come to their open house tonight (Friday) from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  You need to come and see the details in this space. 

HDMS Inc. is a full service architecture and interiour design firm combining the extraordinary and unique talents of four very special professionals. Click here for a link to their new web site and the link will also be permanently listed under the business links to the right. The inside of the building is a gem and revealed several interior features that were incorporated into the interior design.  These include a beautiful tin ceiling and brick walls.

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This is a recent picture of the Argenta Drug Store wih the awnings removed for repainting.  Notice how stark the building looks and when walking on the sidewalk in front of the building, you get a sense of being overwhelmed with a large building on one side and busy street traffic on the other side.

 Now look at this recent picture from in front of Claytime Studios and Ristorante Capeo.

Which looks more inviting, more comfortable? The awnings ceate a sense of scale.  Kind of like a ceiling that makes you feel like you are in a smaller space than you actually are.  Fully developed street trees with developed canopies serve the same purpose.  What kind of Main Sreet do youe prefer?  With or without street trees and awnings?

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