Friends,

Every year on the first Tuesday in October, we join our neighbors in a spirit of community and positivity to celebrate National Night Out.

These neighborhood gatherings for National Night Out are important ways for the Little Rock Police Department, our Housing and Neighborhood Programs Department and all of us at the City of Little Rock to meet and engage with residents.

We're excited about the 2024 National Night Out events on Tuesday, Oct. 1, because this year we have new plans we hope will enhance and energize our communities and bring diverse neighborhoods closer together. For the first time, the City of Little Rock is joining with our neighborhood associations to consolidate what had been more than a dozen events into four celebrations at the parks and community centers that serve as great connection points within the fabric of our City.

Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., join us at MacArthur Park, War Memorial Park, Southwest Community Center, or West Central Community Center for food, fellowship, games and more. Residents will be able to visit with neighbors as well as police officers, firefighters and City team members from almost every department. 

In addition to the city-sponsored events, the City will also have a presence at other neighborhood or homeowner-association National Night Out celebrations, like the one in Pleasant Valley. We are supportive of all groups planning National Night Out activities, whether they join our City events or have their own. That's because the most important aspect of National Night Out is to strengthen bonds within this community, as well as between residents and city leaders.

And, as city leaders, we believe our parks and community centers are ideal for these community meetups. These locations are intentionally designed as gathering places open to all. They are vital to a growing, thriving community, and we must do our best to make sure they are accessible and well-maintained.

Our Results For The Rock plan dedicates long-term funding for Little Rock's 63 parks. This penny investment will allow us to maintain, protect and improve these valuable assets for generations to come. In addition, the proposal funds brand-new opportunities for our children and families, such as an indoor sports complex Downtown and an outdoor sports complex west of Interstate 430.

One of our National Night Out sites - the historic War Memorial Park - would be re-imagined as a "Central Park" in the middle of the City featuring abundant green space, trails, water features and an amphitheater. On Nov. 5, voters will decide on whether to make these strategic long-term investments in quality of life and place. Learn more about the proposal here.

I plan to make stops at every National Night Out site on Tuesday, so I hope to see you and answer any questions you may have about the Results For The Rock penny investment proposal.

Again, the new sites for National Night Out are:

• MacArthur Park, 1000 McMath Ave.
• War Memorial Park (near the roundabout at Fair Park and Zoo Drive)
• Southwest Community Center, 6401 Baseline Road
• West Central Community Center, 8616 Colonel Glenn Road

After an extensive renovation that included replacement of heating and cooling equipment, we celebrated the reopening of the indoor pool at the Jim Dailey Fitness and Aquatic Center last week. The significant upgrades at one of our most popular recreational facilities will absolutely enhance the experience for members and guests at the Center, located in historic War Memorial Park.

The pool was closed in 2023 following a catastrophic failure of the HVAC system. The City utilized funding from voter-approved bonds to complete the renovations and rebuild of the system. We appreciate the Parks and Recreation Department, under the leadership of Director Leland Couch, for making the improvements to the pool, part of our ongoing commitment to enhance our parks and the quality of life of our residents and visitors. We also appreciate the center's advisory board, led by Layne Brett, who helped us through the process and will continue to provide support and leadership during expected upgrades if voters approve the Results For The Rock penny investment proposal.

The proposal sets aside new funding for the Jim Dailey Fitness and Aquatic Center as part of a larger comprehensive plan for a re-imagined War Memorial Park. 

For more information about the Jim Dailey Fitness and Aquatic Center, or to join, visit the Parks and Recreation Department's webpage.

On Friday, Oct. 4, Little Rock electric vehicle drivers, e-bike owners and enthusiasts will showcase an array of electric mobility options to allow residents to explore what driving and owning an electric vehicle or e-bike is really like at "Charged Up!" at the Rebsamen Park Golf Course, 3400 Rebsamen Park Road.

At "Charged Up!," residents can see a variety of electric vehicles and electric bicycles, talk with EV owners about their experience, and find out what we are doing to electrify our city fleet and install EV charging stations and other sustainable infrastructure. We have dedicated $1 million to sustainable infrastructure, like EV chargers, in the Results For The Rock penny investment proposal.

The event goes from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. Among activities available is the opportunity to test drive an electric bicycle. "Charged Up!" is a collaborative educational opportunity, brought to you by the City of Little Rock Sustainability Office, and the Parks and Recreation and Fleet departments.

The event is part of the 13th annual National Drive Electric Week, a coast-to-coast celebration of electric vehicles.

For more information, visit our Sustainability Office's webpage.

• This week's meeting of the Little Rock Board of Directors has been moved from Tuesday to Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 6 p.m. at the City Hall Board Room, 500 W. Markham St. The meeting was pushed back one day because of National Night Out activities set for Tuesday. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock's Facebook and YouTube pages.
• The City's Public Works Department will host an open forum public meeting today (Monday, Sept. 30) at 5:30 p.m. at West Central Community Center, 8616 Colonel Glenn Road. At the meeting, residents can learn more and provide their feedback on a traffic signal project located at the intersection of Kanis Road and Cooper Orbit Road. The project is in Ward 6.
• As a component of the City of Little Rock's Disparity Study, a public meeting is being held virtually on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at noon. This study will assess barriers that exist for small businesses, veteran-owned businesses, disabled-owned businesses, person of color-owned businesses, or woman-owned businesses when they participate in the City’s contracting processes. Consultants conducting the study are asking business owners to share their experiences working with the City of Little Rock, while at the same time learning more about the study and asking questions they may have. To participate in the virtual session on Zoom, go to https://bit.ly/4g2K6Qy. Anyone can provide written comments by clicking here to submit them by email.
• The Community Development Division of the City's Housing and Neighborhood Programs Department has scheduled a public meeting for Thursday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m. at Southwest Community Center, 6401 Baseline Road. At this meeting, the division will take input from residents about community needs and priorities as part of the City's plans for seeking and allocating federal grant dollars.
• Logan's Run, a unique, non-competitive event for those ages 5 to 25 with intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities is Saturday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. at Murray Park, 5900 Rebsamen Park Road. The event incudes a 2K race and fun zone, and it is named in memory of Logan Bussard, a therapeutic recreation specialist with the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department who passed away earlier this year. He had a passion for encouraging individuals of all abilities to reach their full potential.