Focus group to discuss plan for Beaver Lake

On Wednesday, March 25th, you are invited to a focus group meeting with Tetratech to discuss the status of the Beaver Lake Watershed Management Plan that they have been helping facilitate. This follow-up focus group meeting with conservation and environmental representatives will take place on Wednesday, March 25th at 3pm in the Chicago Room (room #220) at the Jones Center for Families in Springdale. They want to gather your feedback on some of the management options that they have been developing for the watershed.
I believe each of you participated in the first focus group meeting Tetratech convened a few months back. If you have suggestions for other folks who should be included in this focus group, please let me know or pass this invitation along to them.
Tetratech has put together a series of newsletters to update you and other focus group members on the status of the project. I will distribute some of the newsletters attached to this message and others attached to another message early next week.
Please let me know if you have any questions and whether you will be able to attend the meeting on Wednesday, March 25th at 3pm.
Thank you!
Mike Malone
387-5590 (cell)

Where have all the hen ducks gone? Long time passing

Please Enlarge view of the lonely drakes in the stream that flows downhill from N. Duncan Avenue and through the Beverly Manor apartment pond.
Joan Baez performs when will they ever learn, where have all the flowers gone
Mary Travers and the Kingston Trio perform WHERE have all the flowers gone

Mary Travers, Pete Seegers and the Kingston Trio perform WHERE have all the flowers gone

OmnI Center presenting at Goddess Festival at 6:30 p.m. today

Please click on images to view Goddess Festival sign and banner on March 7, 2009.



Omni Center's Gladys Tiffany announces presentation at Goddess Festival:
If you haven’t been to the First Annual Goddess Festival yet you’re missing something beautiful. Those women have done themselves proud in bringing the talents of many gifted women together, in a lovely space. The location is at the corner of Archibald Yell and South Streets, half way down the big hill.
Many Omni people are involved in producing and presenting. Please support your friends by attending their activities. You can find a calendar and complete listing of events at ‘goddessfestival.org’. You’ll have a lot of fun... both men and women.
By the kind request of the organizers, Omni Center will present a workshop on “The Place of Women in the Culture of Peace” on Sunday at 6:30. It’ll be a simple bit of history, philosophy and discussion. There’s a lot to say about women and peace. This is only a beginning. Hope you can join us tomorrow night.
Gladys Tiffany
Omni Center for Peace, Justice & Ecology
Fayetteville, Arkansas USA
479-973-9049 -- gladystiffany@yahoo.com

Butterflies showing up on World Peace Wetland Prairie on March 6, 2009, before time for wildflowers to bloom in northwest Arkansas

Please click on images to ENLARGE view from different angles of orange butterfly on World Peace Wetland Prairie on March 6,2008.

Caring for Creation Conference set for March 27-29 in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Anderson Dates

Ray Anderson will be speaking at 7:00 pm on March 27 in Bailey Center during the Caring for Creation Conference March 27-29 at Mount Sequoyah.

More details: www.mountsequoyah.org, programs@mountsequoyah.org or call 479-443-4531.

Walker Park Master Plan would actually require a lot more of the same dredging and filling that occurred as Aspen Ridge

If you have never actually studied the Walker Park Master Plan approved in 2008 by the City Council, you may be shocked by the content. If you happen to own some of the land in the area and enjoy living there, you may be horrified by the projections of ways to use your property.

Walker Park Master Plan as approved

Lowest wetland portion of Hill Place (former Aspen Ridge) property being dredged and filled for parking lot in former overflow area of Town Branch

Please click on images to ENLARGE photos of dredging and filling of Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River west of South Hill Avenue and north of 11th Street in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on February 26, 2009. Rich, absorbent soil being hauled away to make space for truckloads of non-absorbent, non-organic red dirt to provide parking spaces for Hill Place student apartments.

Don't let the contractors take all your brushpiles; the birds won't forgive you

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of mockingbird on brushpile at World Peace Wetland Prairie on February 25, 2009,


The more buds you spot on the ends of small limbs the more likely these limbs are the ones to keep on your property if you want plenty of song birds to be in your neighborhood when spring comes. You might also try to convince your neighbors to preserve some similar brushpiles on their property. And urging neighbors to preserve ice-damaged trees on their property also will help.
Many won't understand. But every property owner who keeps a brush pile or resists pressure to cut down a damaged tree can make a difference in the reproductive success of song birds in the coming spring.

Sierra Club to meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday Feb. 24, 2009, for presentation on environmental bills in legislature

The Ozark Headwaters Group of the Sierra Club will be meeting
tomorrow, Tuesday Feb. 24th, at 7 pm at U.S. Pizza Company on Dixon
Street in Fayetteville. The Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks has a fun
and informative presentation planned. Also Bill Kopsky of the Arkansas
Public Policy Panel will be discussing the environmental bills that
will be coming before the Arkansas Legislature this year and the
upcoming rally day at the Capitol building. You do not have to be a
member to attend!
For more information contact Molly at mollyrawn@gmail.com or at 479 527 9499

Rosa Rosales, president of Lulac, in Fayetteville to fight discrimination; Mayor Lioneld Jordan speaks in support of equality

Please click on image to enlarge view of Mayor Lioneld Jordan quoting President Abraham Lincoln in support of human equality before the Citizens of NWA Against Racial Profiling on Dickson Street's walk down Dickson Street to protest discrimination. Members of the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology walked in support of the anti-discrimination effort. Please see story below from the Northwest Arkansas Times for Saturday, February 21, 2009, for more information about the issue.
Northwest Arkansas Times

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of Rosa Rosales, national president of LULAC, addressing the crowd in front of Walton Arts Center at 7:37 p.m. Saturday February 21, 2009, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. For more about Rosoles, please visit
Rosa Rosales elected president of LULAC


Allegations of racial discrimination on Dickson Street have prompted one local group to take a stand.
Members of the online Facebook group, Citizens of NWA Against Racial Profiling on Dickson Street, plan to raise awareness this weekend by taking part in the African American Heritage Walk at 7 p.m. today.
The walk will start at the St. Paul's Episcopal Church parking lot on Dickson Street and will end at the front of the Walton Arts Center.
"It's a way to celebrate African-American heritage achievements in Northwest Arkansas and to bring attention to issues like racial profiling," said Corbin Blake, who helped create the online group. "We want this to be a peaceful awareness type of event. We don't want to overstep our boundaries - we're just out to try and help the situation."
Since joining the group several weeks ago, Blake said membership numbers have continued to skyrocket.
The site, which can be access by visiting www. facebook.com/group. php?gid=61630505119, features an open forum where members can share their thoughts, ideas and experiences.
"We started the Facebook page to try and collect as many stories as we can from people," Blake said. "It's pretty powerful right now. Last week we had 200 members and this week we have over 700."
Site administrator Lesleigh Creel said the group's popularity has prompted numerous residents to come forward with their own stories of racial discrimination. Blake said tonight's walk aims at furthering the group's awareness initiative through community education. Instances of racial dis- crimination on Dickson Street, he said, have become an all-too-common experience.
"I didn't realize it was so prevalent," he said. "I've experienced a couple things personally and have heard the same stories from a lot of other people. We just feel like this has gone on long enough and someone needs to be held accountable."
Though he admits that instances of racial discrimination aren't a common experience at every bar, Blake said most stories have centered around two Dickson Street bars owned by David Bass.
Bouncers at both Shotz and Stir, he said, have been accused of selective policy enforcement.
"There have been times when I've been asked to remove my hat, while other, white people in the bar didn't have to," Blake said. "I've also been told that my pants are too baggy but have seen other, white people with clothes a lot baggier than mine."
According to a sign posted on the window of Stir, the club prohibits customers from wearing sunglasses, hair net, hats, baggy clothing, jerseys, hoodies, towels and or chains.
Willy D's Piano Bar has a similar sign prohibiting the same items, in addition to tank tops, sweats, medallions, oversized T-shirts, bandanas, cut-off sleeves, skull caps or beanies. The policy also bans hats from being worn sideways.
"The dress code isn't a problem for me," Blake said. "They have the right to enforce their own policies. What bothers me is when they apply them to whoever they choose."
Blake said group members attempted to contact Bass to no avail.
"We feel like it's a slap in the face," he said. "We were taking the stance that maybe he didn't know this was going on, but he hasn't returned any correspondence with us or the mayor in about a month. We'd just like to talk to him."
As of Friday, Bass said he didn't plan on contacting the group.
"There's no discussion here," he said. "Any allegations of racial profiling are absolutely untrue. The inference that such statements are being made is extremely disappointing and unfortunate."
Bass described most of the allegations against the business as "hearsay."
"Anytime you're in the club business, you'll have a lot of gossip and water cooler talk," he said. "The fact of the matter is that we, like any other business, have a policy set in place that we will enforce and abide by. If you don't meet the conduct or dress code, regardless of race, creed, nationality or age, you won't be welcome nor should you be at any other business."
"If you conduct yourself in a professional manner, then you're welcome here," he said.
In addition to starting a Web page and hosting awareness events, members of the anti-racism group have submitted letters to the mayor, the police chief, local media and business owners to address the issue.
"We haven't received any complaints about racial profiling, other than the letter that was sent out," Fayetteville Police Chief Greg Tabor said. "It's against the law for a business to discriminates against someone based on age, race, gender or religion. It's not a criminal offense, but it is something that could be pursued civilly."
The letter, which can be accessed by visiting the group's Facebook page, asks that Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan take a stand by publicly addressing the issue.
Calls made to Jordan weren't returned Thursday or Friday.
Copyright © 2001-2009 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com

Mardi Gras parade begins at 3 p.m., vendors ready; civil-rights march at 7 p.m.

Please click on image to enlarge view of Bikers Against Child Abuse booth on the Fayetteville Square at 1 p.m. Feb. 21, 2009, and follow link in previous post for information about the events.

Red dirt abominable: West Fayetteville Citizens for Environmental Quality step up against red-dirt farm, limestone quarry

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of dump truck full of red dirt being hauled to construction site in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Please click on images to ENLARGE photos.

In the photo above, a layer of something approximating topsoil has been spread over red dirt used in trail construction but the chances of a strong enough crop of grass and other natural vegetation taking hold there to prevent erosion on a slope is questionable. Erosion from this site enters Scull Creek, a tributary of the Illiinois River.
In the photo below, red dirt has been built up several feet for the foundation of a strip shopping center in the riparian zone of a tributary of Fayetteville's Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River.

The story linked below is about as good as it gets for coverage of local resident/environmental groups' meetings. However, it is important to note one mistake, a mistake that may explain why comments about red dirt in water-quality discussions never get quoted by local reporters.
Red dirt is misunderstood.
Red dirt is not "rich, red dirt." A soil expert may be able to tell us about "rich, red dirt" someplace on earth. But "red dirt" in Northwest Arkansas is not topsoil even when one sees it on the surface. The natural topsoil has been removed by the mining process of scraping away the soil found above it.
The red dirt found in Northwest Arkansas is non-organic dirt that will not sustain life. It is stone and clay that has been hidden under a layer of organic soil for eons.
"If God had been proud of red dirt, God would not have buried it out of sight," said one Northwest Arkansas natural-resource conservationist speaking about its use on construction sites.
Road-builders and contractors putting up buildings use red dirt for foundation material. Some engineers and planners and developers call red dirt "good dirt" for their purposes. However, red dirt is the opposite of good for growing food or trees or flowering plants. Contractors who spill it beyond the bounds of a foundation quickly hide it under a layer of some type of organic soil that will at least grow a bit of grass.
But that means the possibility of raising a healthy garden or having a tree grow successfully for the long term is impossible forever, or at least until the red dirt is removed! Whole subdivisions may be found with solid red dirt where truly rich almost black topsoil formerly created fertile prairie land with the immense potential for agriculture and wildlife habitat. NOTHING LIVES IN OR ON RED DIRT. Human beings and other living things depend on organic soil for their existence.
Basically, red dirt-covered development sites are as impervious to water as paved lots. Stormwater runs off rapidly because it cannot soak in. The elements that erode from red dirt discolor streams and lakes and rivers and the silt doesn't stop discoloring the water for a long, long time. Native lIfe in streams decreases permanently after such changes in the watershed.
So, please, editors and reporters, let's not use the words "rich" and "red dirt" together. Certainly, people selling lots of red dirt may be enriched. But their product is not "rich" as an agricultural or environmental expert would use the word.
West Fayetteville serious about fighting red-dirt and limestone quarry


Neighbors decry noise, effects of blasting at Big Red Dirt Farm
BY DUSTIN TRACY Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/74075/
They're tired of the blasting, they're tired of the noise at all hours of the night and they certainly don't want to see the Big Red Dirt Farm, just off Hamstring Road north of Wedington Drive, converted into a limestone quarry.
That's why members of the West Fayetteville Citizens for Environmental Quality asked Ward 4 Aldermen Shirley Lucas and Sarah Lewis at the group's meeting Monday for the City Council's help in the battle against what has become a noisy, arguably dangerous, big hole in a number of resident's backyard.
"Quarry blasting on the edge of city limits can't be a good thing," Dave Bolen, president of the group, said.
The issue dates back to 2004, when about 50 acres were purchased by the William G. Sweetser Trust and A. Brad Johnson, who began farming the land for its rich, red dirt. Soon, the company decided to harvest the pillars of limestone that ran up through the dirt. Bolen said that was when his headaches started.
"They decided to fire up a rock crusher at 9:30 p.m. on a Saturday night," Bolen told Lucas and Lewis.

Lindsley Smith's weekly report from the Arkansas legislature includes important information on medical scam

Arkansas Business article on medical-provider schemes



I presented my bill in committee last week to deter physician kickbacks that result from doctors who refer their patients to medical imaging centers in which the doctors have a financial interest—essentially the doctors buying into this “leasing agreement” are making a great deal of money merely for the referral, and the patient or patient’s private insurer pays for that referral when paying for the imaging. Such actions have been criticized by the American Medical Association as unethical, but some doctors still choose to make extra money on this scheme. Arkansas Business had an article about such schemes, which is at Arkansas Business article on medical-provider schemes http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=107306 The plot thickens as to the political realities surrounding this bill, which I must relay. The lobbyist for the men who seek doctors to buy into such schemes set my bill for a Special Order of Business for Feb. 12. A SOB can only be requested by the bill’s sponsor and needs a 3/4 vote of the committee; however, I found out about the SOB date through an e-mail. I tried to pull “stakeholders” together on the bill, but found that I needed to cancel the meeting set by the lobbyist, which I did (I thought). On the 12th, however, the men and their lobbyist came to the Capitol to testify, and I was told to present the bill since a SOB could not be canceled once it was set. At the time, I was about to sit down and present the bill authorizing the new judgeship for the 4th judicial district in the Judiciary Committee room. Rather than cause a stink, I did as instructed and luckily had my file for the self-referral bill upstairs, and I ran up two flights to grab it and got back to the room and presented the bill on the fly. I felt I did a good job, considering, and covered most of the main areas of research; however, because the hearing was canceled for that day, the amendment that I had been working on was not available, so I had to speak to issues until it could be printed and given to the committee members. The amendment was eventually presented to the committee. The imaging center businessman (Sparks, whose lobbyist is someone who just a month earlier was a state legislator and who set the date of the hearing) was present and sat up at the table but did not testify, Dr. Michael Morris of Fayetteville was the main person testifying against the bill, Dr. Anthony Taylor testified against it, and Dr. Lynette Brian testified against the bill, arguing that she hadn’t read the bill, but she was against it. The hearing became very heated when it was revealed that in Fayetteville there are doctors who are refusing to accept Medicaid or Medicaid patients. The federal government prohibits such kickbacks with Medicaid or Medicaid patients, but not with private insurers. Twenty-three states have passed legislation to also limit such practices for patient-pay or private-insurer-pay patients so that patients are paying for medical work, not mandated tips for non-service.

Mud Creek Cleanup set for Saturday, February 21, 2009

Please click on image to Enlarge view of Illinois River. Mud Creek is an urban tributary of Clear Creek, which is a tributary of the Illinois River.


IRWP Mud Creek Clean up Sat. Feb. 21‏
From: Contact IRWP (contact@irwp.org)
Sent: Thu 2/12/09 12:54 PM

Join the IRWP on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9 am till 12 noon to learn more about water quality, trees and conservation management from the Arkansas Forestry Commission and help us clean up Mud Creek and enjoy our natural resources!
Meet at the Mud Creek Trail entrance on Front Street just east of College Avenue, south of Joyce Blvd and north of Panera Bread Co. in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Plastic trash bags and gloves will be provided by the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Dept.
For details, please email or call 479-238-4671

Fayette Junction Master Plan to be presented at 6 p.m. Thursday

Please click on image to ENLARGE one of the slides found at the link below.

All,
The Fayette Junction Master Plan Community Presentation has been rescheduled
for Thursday, Feb. 5 at BioBased Companies, which is located at the SE corner of Razorback Road and Cato Springs Road. Over 100 stakeholders contributed to the vision that will be presented, and a draft of the vision document and Illustrative Plan are now available at http://cityplan2025.accessfayetteville.org.
Please paste in address above or go directly to the information at the link below:
Access Fayetteville drawings and photos from Fayette Junction planning session

Please join us on the 5th for tours at 6:00 p.m., the presentation at 6:30 p.m., and light
refreshments following the presentation.

Best,
Karen Minkel



Karen Minkel
Interim Director of Long Range Planning
City of Fayetteville
(479) 575-8271

City link below offers wide range of information to help cope with ice-storm problems

Fayetteville city Web site offers information on ice-storm related concerns, debris pickup, shelters, other services

Mayor Jordan urges residents to work together

Working Together;
Meeting the Challenges
Mayor Lioneld Jordan
January 30, 2009

My central message today is this: No one in Fayetteville should have to suffer unduly from the effects of this ice storm. It doesn't matter whether you're poor or unemployed, a renter or homeless, a student or a corporate executive- you should be able to stay safe and warm, and the City is doing and will continue to do everything in its power to help you.

I want to recognize the outstanding work of our city employees in all divisions and departments. It is an honor for me to work with such dedicated people who are committed to serving our citizens at all times and under such difficult conditions. I also appreciate the work of the Red Cross to establish an emergency shelter and the ongoing efforts of the private utility companies –SWEPCO and Ozarks Electric Cooperative – to restore electrical power to our homes and businesses.

Our citizens have responded with compassion and concern. Many have called my office to report conditions and alert us to the needs of their neighbors, and the number offering to volunteer to help has been heartwarming. I thank you for everything you do for our community.

I am grateful that President Barack Obama has issued an emergency disaster declaration allowing us to avail ourselves of federal resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and funding, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act. Governor Mike Beebe has declared a state of emergency allowing state agencies to more easily coordinate with the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.

January 25, 2009, annual meeting of FNHA features water-quality presentations

"Troubled Water: Preserving and Restoring Arkansas' Most Valuable Resource"

will be the program theme for FNHA’s annual meeting at 2:00 pm on January 25, 2009,

in the Walker meeting room of the Fayetteville Public Library.



Two leading experts on water issues in Arkansas, Martin Maner and Marty Matlock, will discuss Arkansas’ persistent water concerns and will talk with us about what they are doing and what we, as citizens, can do to protect the quality of our water and to help restore water quality where it has deteriorated.

Martin Maner is Director of Watershed Management with Central Arkansas Water, a metropolitan system which traces its history to the springs and wells of the early 1800s and which currently provides water to nearly 400,000 users. Central Arkansas Water, which is publicly owned, emphasizes a regional approach to water needs and has won numerous EPA awards for its commitment to water quality. Before becoming Director of Watershed Management for the utility, Maner was chief of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Division.



Marty Matlock is Associate Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Arkansas and has conducted research on a variety of ecological issues. One groundbreaking project which has drawn national attention combines urban stream ecological services restoration with outdoor classrooms, greenway trails and park development. Matlock's ecological engineering group collaborates closely with the University of Arkansas Community Design Center, in the School of Architecture, as well as with city and state officials to demonstrate more natural designs for stormwater systems. Among other activities, he will be working with the Springdale water utility in 2009 on the Clear Creek stream restoration project.



Please plan to join us the afternoon of January 25, and encourage your friends and neighbors to come along. Refreshments will be served. The annual business meeting will be brief, and there will be opportunities to learn more about an essential resource on which we and all living things depend.


Barbara Elaine Boland
Green Infrastructure Planning, Project Coordinator
Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association
148 E Spring Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 521-2801 home
(479) 387-6724 cell
barbaraboland@hotmail.com

"Green Infrastructure is our nation's life support system - an interconnected network of waterways, wetlands, woodlands, wildlife habitats, and other natural areas; greenways, parks and other conservation lands; working farms, ranches and forests; and wilderness and other open spaces that support native species, maintain natural ecological processes, sustain air and water resources and contribute to the health and quality of life for America's communities and people." USDA Forest Service, Green Infrastructure Working Group's definition of Green Infrastructure.

Mayor Lioneld Jordan's 2009 state-of-the-city address to the city council

http://www.accessfayetteville.org/government/mayor/documents/sotc/State_of_the_City_2009.pdf



Partners in Progress

Mayor Lioneld Jordan

State of the City
January 20, 2009

I am privileged to serve as Mayor of our wonderful city, and I am humbled by the
responsibility that the people have entrusted to me. I am honored to be your servant, and I
will work every day to make our community better for every citizen. That is my solemn
pledge to you.

Thanks to the vision of Mayor Dan Coody, the dedicated effort of our fine Aldermen, the
hard work of our outstanding city employees, and the contributions of many individual
residents who share our civic concerns, I am pleased to report to the City Council and to
my fellow citizens that the State of our City is sound.

We begin the year with a balanced city budget, solid progress on improving our
infrastructure, dedicated police officers and fire fighters who assure our safety, and a
commitment to institutional and individual partnerships to nurture and sustain the things
we love about this great community.

We also begin the year facing many new challenges and we must be prepared to face
those together with resolve. We are not immune from the problems of a faltering national
economy, and we must anticipate and be prepared for the consequences of any revenue
shortfall. We must be responsible stewards of our tax dollars, and we must maintain
essential city services for our citizens. Toward that end, I have already begun to identify
potential cost savings and have implemented a more effective management structure to
improve efficiency and control costs. Our staff already has offered many good solutions,
and we will institute an ongoing, frequent, consistent review of cost/benefit analysis of
operations and projects to assure the services and quality of life that our citizens expect
and deserve.

I believe in leadership by example, and I have proposed to cut the mayor’s salary and roll
it back to last year’s level. I have signed an affidavit that I will not avail myself of the
special lifetime retirement plan funded from general revenues. I have asked to return the
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$5,000 annual car allowance formerly paid to the mayor and instead, to use a vehicle
from the city fleet when necessary to travel on city business. We have already achieved
some savings in the salaries of top staff, and I will continue to look for savings in all
areas of city operations. My staff and I are partners in this effort.

Even in uncertain economic times, we must be bold in our efforts to develop and
implement a strategic economic development plan for our city. Not only can this lead to
increased revenues without a tax increase, but more importantly, it can help assure green
jobs, good jobs that pay a living wage, allowing individuals and working families to have
the basic necessities and a better life. We already know that we need greater efficiency in
the development approval process, a workforce trained for the jobs of the future, and
better methods to accurately measure the results of our efforts. We can draw on the
suggestions of recent studies and the work of my outstanding Transition Team to craft a
plan that is consistent with Governor Mike Beebe’s long-term strategic plan to help
achieve economic improvement for our state through collaboration and cooperation.

To that end, know that I am serious, and within six weeks I will host a Community
Summit on the Future of Fayetteville that will be open to every citizen and I will consider
all views in forging our own economic and community development strategy. We must
have the participation of the business community and advocates for working families,
students and retirees, public institutions and private citizens, as partners in our shared
progress. We will have, within 90 days, an economic and community development
strategy that considers support for existing small businesses as well as nurturing new
opportunities, and together we will work to make it a reality. A slow national economy is
no excuse for inaction but an opportunity for us to move quickly and prepare now for our
shared future.

My first and immediate goal will be to do everything possible to secure and support the
establishment of a Satellite Campus of the University of Arkansas Medical School and a
Regional Trauma Center in Fayetteville. In the longer view, we should also develop a
close relationship with Arkansas Children’s Hospital and seek a regional presence for that
institution. This commitment clearly illustrates the close connection between economic
development and our quality of life.

The University of Arkansas is a priceless resource, and it is one that helps define
Fayetteville. We must be active partners in progress with the University, drawing on the
vast local resources of knowledge and expertise as we grow together and achieve our
mutual goals. From the development of knowledge-based industry, to community design
plans, to solving social service needs, to collaborating on support for a vibrant arts
culture, the possibilities are limitless. I will actively reach out and pursue this partnership.

The economic, environmental, and cultural aspects of Fayetteville’s advancement are
deeply interconnected. For example, any consideration of transportation policy must
consider getting to work, moving goods, access to cultural resources, and environmental
impact, requiring an integrated and connected system of streets, mass transit, multi-use
trails, bike lanes, sidewalks, and parking, along with a revised transportation impact fee
3
to help growth pay for itself. We will pursue the development of each of these elements,
and we will urge the Regional Mobility Authority to support a feasibility study and
planning for a future light rail system.

As we consider infrastructure development, we must seize the same opportunities. My
administration will go beyond the current recycling program to implementation of a
comprehensive waste minimization program for our entire community. We are pursuing
the idea of solar greenhouses to kill pathogens and reduce the volume of bio-solids now
going to landfills. We are investigating an effective Hillside Development Ordinance and
a storm water utility to better control the primary transmitter of pollutants into our water
supply, and we will implement and enforce a better plan for the protection of riparian
zones. We will be active partners with the “Green Infrastructure” project being developed
with the help of the Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association, Arkansas Forestry
Commission, the city’s Urban Forestry program, the Tree and Landscape Committee, and
citizen volunteers. Our ongoing city sustainability efforts can also be expanded and
shared to benefit the entire community, evidenced by our new initiative to provide and
exchange CFL light bulbs in the apartments at Hillcrest Towers. In each instance, we will
be partners in progress.

One major change that will be implemented is a reorganization of our Parks and
Recreation Department. While much attention in the past has been focused on sports
playing fields, we know that our outdoor public spaces can serve other essential
functions. I will propose a new division, to be implemented without additional costs, that
emphasizes our community heritage and citizen participation. Examples to be considered
will be increasing the number of way-finding signs and local historical markers, planting
of native trees and grasses in portions of the parks, establishing a community garden
program in appropriate neighborhood parks, opening a convenient dog park, and
partnering with the University, the County, the Fayetteville School District, the
Washington County Historical Society, and private citizens to identify, preserve, and
promote our historic buildings and other cultural resources. In conjunction with these
changes, I will appoint a volunteer citizen task force on Festivals and Community Events
to seek a closer partnership with the Convention and Visitors Bureau to identify needs
and opportunities, and we will promote the “creative economy” in Fayetteville by
developing a comprehensive Cultural Plan, in partnership with the Fayetteville Arts
Council, the University, local artists, entertainment businesses, and concerned local
citizens.

Finally, I want to reiterate and make clear my unwavering commitment to Open
Government. This administration is dedicated to access, transparency, inclusion, timely
responses, personal recognition, and exceptional customer service for our citizens, and
we will be held accountable to those we serve. From Town Hall Meetings to an improved
interactive city website to information on civic literacy to empowered Neighborhood
Associations, we are preparing to implement real changes to better provide information to
our citizens and, more importantly, to seek and consider ways for citizens to
communicate their ideas, arguments, suggestions, and problems to their city government.
My Transition Team has listened to your ideas and has made a series of steps we will be
4
implementing to assure an effective community conversation. We must be partners in the
progress of our community, and every citizen must have a voice and be treated with the
respect and dignity that they deserve. You have heard my ideas, I now ask our City
Council to help me work toward these goals and I look forward to hearing their input and
the input of citizens, especially how I can be a better mayor and do a better job for our
city.

Thank you for your patience in listening as I share my plans and thank you for the
opportunity to serve you and our city.

Jim Barnes, formerly of Fayetteville, Arkansas, named Oklahoma's State Poet Laureate for 2009 through 2010 by the Oklahoma Humanities Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2009
Contact: Carla Walker, Director of Communications
Oklahoma Humanities Council
(405) 235-0280 • carla@okhumanitiescouncil.org


JIM BARNES APPOINTED STATE POET LAUREATE

Oklahoma City, OK— The Oklahoma Humanities Council announced today that Governor Brad Henry has appointed distinguished author Jim Weaver McKown Barnes as State Poet Laureate for 2009 through 2010. The Humanities Council facilitates the poet laureate selection committee, which reviews statewide nominations on behalf of the governor, and coordinates the activities and appearances of the poet laureate throughout his/her term.

“It was my privilege to name Jim Barnes as Oklahoma’s Poet Laureate,” said Governor Henry. “His unique artistic vision, considerable creativity, and deeply moving works made him a natural choice. Jim Barnes is an accomplished poet and teacher who has done much to expand the cultural horizons of Oklahomans and all Americans.”

Jim Barnes, of Choctaw and Welsh ancestry, grew up in Summerfield, Oklahoma. His non-fiction prose book, On Native Ground: Memoirs and Impressions, reflects Oklahoma and Native cultures and won the American Book Award in 1998. He has authored several volumes of poetry, including The Sawdust War: Poems, which won the Oklahoma Book Award in 1993; Paris: Poems; On a Wing of the Sun: Three Volumes of Poetry; and his most recent work, Visiting Picasso (University of Illinois Press, 2007).

On learning of his appointment, Barnes remarked: “I am indeed honored and delighted to accept the Poet Laureateship of Oklahoma. I am honored to serve my home state in the cause of literacy and literature, and I am delighted to think, with the appointment as Poet Laureate, that perhaps all my years of living in the realm of poetry have not been outside the boundaries of understanding. No art is more important to me than poetry, for poetry makes everything happen.”

Barnes received his master’s and doctoral degrees in Comparative Literature from the University of Arkansas. He served as professor and writer-in-residence at Truman State University for 33 years. He then served as Distinguished Professor of English and Creative Writing at Brigham Young University. He was the founding editor of the Chariton Review Press and is currently poetry editor for Truman State University Press and editor of the international journal The Chariton Review.

OHC Executive Director Ann Thompson said that the Council is eager to re-introduce Oklahoma citizens to Jim Barnes and his work. “Jim’s talent, teaching experience, and ability to engage with the public make him an enormous asset to our state,” said Thompson. “We have no doubt that he will further the governor’s and the Council’s efforts to engage people with poetry.” Thompson also noted that the Council will post some of Barnes’ published poetry on its website: www.okhumanitiescouncil.org.

“As Oklahoma’s Poet Laureate, Jim Barnes has the task of broadening understanding and appreciation of poetry,” said Governor Henry. “His work is a testament to the strong cultural fabric of Oklahoma and an inspiration for others to follow.”

Demand for development versus supply discussed by local people

Honeymoon / Demand‏
From: owner-nw-ar-list@nw-ar.com on behalf of Gary Ault (gault00@yahoo.com)
Sent: Mon 1/12/09 9:21 PM
To: Northwest Arkansas List (nw-ar-list@nw-ar.com)
Demand:
I don't know anything about measuring real estate demand either. From a lay perspective it seems that demand would be linked directly with job creation or loss. You could possibly link the cost of the house to the salary of the created or lost job.

Chief of Staff:
It has been announced that Don Marr is the new chief of staff. I doubt anyone is surprised. The job was created for him and he is qualified. I'll let it go until the city starts signing contracts with Haliburton - oops I mean HR Factor.




--- On Sun, 1/11/09, William Goliff wrote:
From: William Goliff
Subject: Re: Honeymoon without a mate
To: svallush@sbcglobal.net, "Northwest Arkansas List" , "Barbara Moorman"
Date: Sunday, January 11, 2009, 12:53 PM

Hello Barbara,

Thank you for a very concisely stated position on this issue. I appreciate your position and think it is a very important one. City and county planning should use this environmental study to map out future development of the area. A demand study, as opposed to a supply study, does not tell you where to put the defined need, it only tells you what the need is. Land use is an entirely separate topic. Exellent examples of land use may be seen in Europe where they do a lot of in-building. In-building is where the city fathers set the perimeter of the city and you may only build within that perimeter.

Companies that do demand studies are KPMG, Pyramid, Booz Allen Hamilton, and others.

I don't believe there has been any demand studies for the NWA area. If you know of one, please let me know.

Bill Goliff

--- On Sun, 1/11/09, Barbara Moorman wrote:
From: Barbara Moorman
Subject: Re: Honeymoon without a mate
To: svallush@sbcglobal.net, "Northwest Arkansas List"
Date: Sunday, January 11, 2009, 11:06 AM

I know nothing at all about economics or profits from property or construction.
That said, it seems to me that environmental studies, evaluation of what the
area's natural environment can give up while continuing to function as part
of a natural system... it seems to me that this should preceed an evaluation of
"demand". I would fear that a "demands" study might simply
chalk up what "demand" will be over a certain number of years and
acres. Until the past year or less, many experts predicted "demand"
would be intense and long-lived. Now we see the experts weren't up to their
task. (I have no idea what the 6 or so qualified companies referred to may have
been predicting... perhaps they were more accurate than the run of the mill
economist.) We do see however that a few experts, largely ignored, in fields
other than economics and development, predicted -- since the late 1960's,
actually -- that funny weather could result from encouraging "demand"
and acceding to it.

Still, I applaud recognition that there hasn't been adequate local analysis
of demands, their causes, and their effects.



----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Vallus"

To: "Northwest Arkansas List" ;
"Jeff Erf" ;
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 10:22 AM
Subject: Re: Honeymoon without a mate


> This is NOT good news.
> Not surprised about the bankers but for 1/6 of our local economy which is
based in the so-called real estate business and NO one knows how to assemble the
required empirical data?
> Easy to bang on the City for conflicts of interest (present company
excepted) but this does not explain the dearth of data in academia.
> Can't quit my day job, but to be continued!
> One of the first probs. is, of course, is how to fund the thing. There
seem to be a lot of folks who may not want to know the answers since our image
of *getting back to normal* may be shattered thereby.
> Really appreciate this info.
>
>
>
> --- On Sat, 1/10/09, William Goliff wrote:
>
>> From: William Goliff
>> Subject: Honeymoon without a mate
>> To: "Northwest Arkansas List" ,
"Jeff Erf"
>> Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009, 6:04 PM
>> Seems to me that the City of Fayetteville is doing half the
>> job by reacting to developer requests without concern for
>> demand. This is the approach the Skyline Report uses. It
>> presents only half the story, leaving the developer and the
>> financiers to work out the demand side. And, they
>> don't! County planning would like to see a demand
>> study as would UofA, but neither has the skill to do the
>> study. There are at least 6 companies on the planet that
>> could do such a study as well as several universities.
>> I'd like to see the UofA develop a curriculum in this
>> area.
>>
>> With a demand study in hand, it would become much easier to
>> do long range planning bc the growth models needed would be
>> at hand. Demand studies are not easy and it takes a highly
>> refined skill set to do one, and they need to be updated
>> frequently, about every 3 years or so. Demand study
>> results would help the city and its developers better
>> predict the needs of the community and the timing of these
>> needs.
>>
>> The UofA, county planning, and myself sat down many months
>> ago to see if we could get a demand study going. We are
>> still searching for an adequate model to start with. There
>> are several on the Internet but none come close to a
>> starting place. I've asked the FHLB to see if they can
>> find one. They've been looking for about a year with
>> no results. I'm sure there are several of these at
>> universities that would be a good start though I have not
>> located one yet.
>>
>> With around a $1B at stake in NWA, I'd expect the
>> bankers to fund a demand study. I have not found any
>> bankers that know what a demand study is. I think it is a
>> question of education bc all the market presentation
>> I've seen in NWA have been supply studies. And, a
>> supply study tells you nothing about demand.
>>
>> If you know of a demand model that might fit NWA, please
>> let me know.
>>
>>
>>
>> --- On Sat, 1/10/09, Jeff Erf
>> wrote:
>>
>> From: Jeff Erf
>> Subject: Re: Honeymoon Over?
>> To: "Northwest Arkansas List"
>>
>> Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009, 11:47 AM
>>
>> >Gary Ault wrote:
>> >Does Fayetteville really need a Chief of Staff?
>>
>> For all practical purposes, Gary Dumas was Mayor
>> Coody's Chief of Staff
>> (see below). And now that he's gone, he should
>> probably be replaced.
>>
>> Northwest Arkansas Times - November 21, 2004
>> ʽSuper divisionʼ is reason behind cityʼs
>> restructuring
>> BY ADAM WALLWORTH Northwest Arkansas Times
>>
>>
>>
>> [snip]
>>
>> Last week, [Gary] Dumas added management of the planning,
>> building safety,
>> engineering and community resources and code compliance
>> divisions to his other
>> responsibilities of overseeing parking and
>> telecommunications, parks and
>> recreation, transportation, solid waste and fleet
>> operations.
>>
>> [snip]
>>
>> >
>> > --- On *Thu, 1/8/09, Linda Ralston
>> //* wrote:
>> >
>> > From: Linda Ralston
>> > Subject: RE: Honeymoon Over?
>> > To: "Northwest Arkansas List"
>>
>> > Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 11:10 PM
>> >
>> > Gary...from my perspective, this pension fund has
>> had the potential
>> > for some time to become a much bigger issue
>> (probably like a lot of
>> > pension plans in the world). Pour on the fuel of
>> the
>> > recent financial downturn and it's really
>> knocking on the old door
>> > for attention. I got the impression that City
>> Attorney Kit Williams
>> > brought it to the forefront for the new
>> administration to address.
>> So I don't think it's been made into a big deal for
>> strategy
>> > sake...it finally just got priority delivered. No
>> fear intended or
>> > perceived.
>> > Since I was naive on the full definition of
>> cronyism, I just now
>> > looked it up. Part of the meaning is to show
>> "favoritism without
>> > regard to qualifications". I believe Don
>> Marr would do quite
>> well
>> > in this "new" director of operations
>> role, especially
>> because of the
>> > depth and breadth of his qualifications. So Gary,
>> do you know who
>> > the other applicants are, by chance? By the way,
>> I believe the
>> > "next level" of positive transformation
>> for Fayetteville is
>> only
>> > just beginning--it's got a ways to go before
>> anyone can call it
>> > complete, wouldn't you agree? To all
>> on the list: Get out
>> and enjoy one more warm and sunny day on
>> > Friday before the Arctic blast sends us back to
>> the deep freeze
>> > starting Saturday! with deep optimism for
>> the future of
>> Fayetteville, Linda
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > *From:* owner-nw-ar-list@nw-ar.com
>> > [mailto:owner-nw-ar-list@nw-ar.com]*On Behalf
>> Of *Gary Ault
>> > *Sent:* Thursday, January 08, 2009 6:34 PM
>> > *To:* Northwest Arkansas List
>> > *Subject:* Re: Honeymoon Over?
>> >
>> > LOL
>> > Was the pension fund really a
>> surprise? Seems it's
>> been to the
>> > council every year for the past seven years.
>> Didn't Jordan
>> have
>> > a perfect attendance record?
>> > The plan was also closed in 1983.
>> Current employees are
>> in a
>> > different plan. Oh, and the fund isn't
>> controlled by the
>> city. It's controlled by an independent board.
>>
>> Anyway, making a big deal about it is a good strategy.
>> Creating
>> > a high level of fear might take attention away
>> from the smell of
>> > cronyism. We all know the job is going to Don
>> Marr. Jordan now
>> > has his Chaney and is using fear as a tool to
>> maintain a level
>> > of control. The transformation is now
>> complete.
>> >
>> >
>> > --- On *Thu, 1/8/09, Jeff Erf
>> //* wrote:
>> >
>> > From: Jeff Erf
>> > Subject: Re: Honeymoon Over?
>> > To: "Northwest Arkansas List"
>>
>> > Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 8:42 AM
>> >
>> > Gary Ault wrote:
>> > > The honeymoon may already be over for
>> Mayor Jordan.
>> > >
>> http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Editorial/72805/
>> >
>> > I don't think so.
>> >
>>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>

Lioneld Jordan profile in Citiscapes page 26

Jordan profiled in Northwest Arkansas CitiScapes Metro Monthly for January 2009 on pages 26-29.

Please click on image to ENLARGE.


Jordan profiled in Northwest Arkansas CitiScapes Metro Monthly for January 2009

Lioneld Jordan profile in Citiscapes page 27

Please click on image to ENLARGE for reading.

Lioneld Jordan profile in CitiScapes page 28

Please click on image to ENLARGE to read.

Lioneld Jordan profile in Citiscapes page 29

Please click on image to ENLARGE for reading.

Northwest Arkansas Times reports highlights of Lioneld Jordan's first day as mayor and retirement of vice president of Chamber of Commerce

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of Virgil Neuroth, who is retiring from his post as vice-president of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, and Gary Dumas, Fayetteville's highest-paid city employee, on December 30, 2008. Links to related stories below photo.

NWAT report on Lioneld Jordan's first day as mayor
NWAT report on retirement of Virgil Neuroth

Lioneld Jordan sworn in as mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of Mayor Lioneld Jordan a few minutes after being sworn in by Judge Mark Lindsay on Friday, January 2, 2009, being congratulated by admirers and supporters in the Washington County Courthouse.

Why is muddy water flowing in a normally clear Ozark Mountain stream on a sunny New Year's Day?

Please click on images to ENLARGE view of muddy water flowing on New Year's Day into the Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River.

For more images and a bit of explanation of this situation, please click the following link Silt-laden water pumped to the Town Branch by contractors flows to Beaver Lake
For a closer view of the pipe spewing water from Hill Place work site, please click on image to ENLARGE. Use cursor to move about and see the contrast between the flow from the pipe and the stream's normal clear water at right.


For more images and a bit of explanation of this situation, please click the following link Silt-laden water pumped to the Town Branch by contractors flows to Beaver Lake

Mayor-elect Lioneld Jordan chairs Tuesday's agenda-setting session preparing for his first meeting as mayor on January 6, 2009

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of Lioneld Jordan chairing meeting of the city council to set agenda for its January 6 meeting. Jordan has served as vice-mayor and chaired many meetings the past few years. Next Tuesday will be his first as mayor. Jordan is to be sworn in Friday morning at the Washington County Courthouse.
Please see Jeff Erf's Web log for the tentative agenda for the Jan. 6 meeting at Tentative agenda for Jan. 6, 2009, city council meeting

For the final agenda, check the same link Friday or Monday or go to Final agenda for Jan. 6, 2009, city council meeting for the agenda and link for live web streaming on Tuesday.
Below the photo, please find final report on campaign spending including the runoff from The Morning News edition for Wednesday, December 31, 2008.



The Morning News

Local News for Northwest Arkansas


Coody Outspends Jordan In Mayoral Race

By Skip Descant
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE -- Fayetteville Mayor Dan Coody raised more money for his re-election bid than his opponent Lioneld Jordan. The incumbent mayor raised $87,375 -- and $12,464 was his own money that he lent the campaign.

But it was not enough. Coody lost his bid for a third term to Jordan, a two-term city councilman who raised $49,615. Final campaign finance reports were due Tuesday.

Jordan won the 2008 mayoral race in a runoff, capturing 57 percent of the vote to Coody's 43 percent.

"It's got to make you feel good when you raise $50,000 and your opponent raises nearly $90,000 and you win by about 14 percentage points," Jordan said Tuesday.

All told, the 2008 mayoral race picked up $200,857 in contributions. Steve Clark, a former state attorney general and the new president of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, picked up $46,214 in contributions. More than $11,000 was a loan to his campaign made by Clark and his wife.

In Coody's final report, which spans Nov. 14 to Dec. 6, he accumulated $14,205 in contributions, much of it from developer interests. For example, Ruskin Heights LLC gave $1,200. Nock Investments contributed $1,000.

"The business community was supportive of my campaign. They recognize that I recognize the importance of a strong business base," Coody said Tuesday.

Jordan's final report, which spans Nov. 16 through Dec. 26, shows $8,000 of his final $10,131 in contributions came from union organizations such as the American Federation of State and Municipal Employees or the International Association of Fire Fighters. All told, union organizations contributed $12,099 to Jordan's mayoral campaign. But unions notwithstanding, the bulk of Jordan's contributions came from local residents.

"It was just a huge diverse group and it was an amazing campaign," Jordan said.

And ultimately, the challenger rallies the troops, Coody said.

"Unhappy people always go vote," he said. "And Lioneld had a broad base of support. And my supporters were happy."

With sizable amounts of money being spent in the last leg of the election --$19,169 going toward television, newspaper and radio advertising -- and other expenses, Coody's campaign ended in the red, owing $11,416.

Jordan closed his campaign with $2,951 still in the bank.

Three-hour public-listening session fills Chamber of Commerce meeting room early with small groups toward noon

Transition team committee Dec. 29, 2008, NWAT

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of Linda Ralston (from left), Michelle Halsell and James Phillips facing the camera, with Cindy Cope at right and Julie McQuade facing the table. Not pictured were Jeff Erf and Walt Eilers (chairman of the Jordan mayoral transition teams' communition subcommittee).

Mayoral Transition Task Force communication subcommittee holds final public hearing January 13

Please announce:

The Transition Task Force Communication Subcommittee holds its concluding open public
hearing Tuesday, January 13 from 6:30 to 8 PM.

This 90 minute open hearing will be held in the Council Chamber (City Hall 219). The
hearing will be broadcast live on the Government Channel (Channel 16).

It will feature live public input for those attending and both a call in or an email
option for those viewing from home.

The contact information for the live call-in open hearing is:

Live Call-In 575-8299

Live Email: GOVERNMENTCHANNEL@YAHOO.COM

For more information please contact Transition Team Chair – Don Marr 479-236-1739 or the
Communications Sub-Committee Chair Walt Eilers at 479-582-0784

Jordan mayoral-transition committee sets public-input session for Monday

Northwest Arkansas Times preview of transition team's input session

Unique house on Center Street demolished

Home torn down to become nature area
BY BRETT BENNETT Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Saturday, December 27, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/72469/
The steep hillside along Center Street east of Duncan Avenue makes the land challenging to build on for developers.

Now, the one remaining structure that was at the top of the small ravine is no more, and for the upcoming new year, the hillside is undeveloped once again and being restored to a more natural habitat.

Just before the July 4 holiday, a small brown flat-roof apartment building known for featuring a sign with the words "Be Free" on the front door was torn down by the University of Arkansas, the current owner of the property. The demolished building was located near the recently built Duncan Avenue Apartments owned by the university.

"That was one of my renters who put that sign up," former property owner Tom Howard said.

The home might have stood out to drivers going by for two reasons. It was the only building on that north-side stretch of Center Street in recent years, and the flat roof made it difficult to discern if it was a residence or small commercial office building.

"It was unique," Howard said. "I really liked it."

Although it looked short from the road because of the way the building was positioned against the hillside, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Mike Johnson said it had an upstairs and downstairs. The home actually had a driveway that went down into the ravine, but the driveway is also now gone.

"Downstairs there was a garage. If you had anything bigger than a Volkswagen you couldn't fit it in there," Howard said.

It was most recently used by the contractor working on the Duncan Avenue Apartments.

"We used it as a construction office," Johnson said. "It wasn't in very good shape."

The structure was originally built in the late 1940s by Harry Vandergriff, a retired Fayetteville School District superintendent, administrator and high school football coach.

Vandergriff and his wife built two homes on that side of Center Street. One was a white stucco structure that was torn down several years ago, and the next one they built was the recently demolished brown home, he said.

They moved into the brown building and rented rooms in the white stucco house to UA students, he said.

"We built it and we moved into it and had our first child," he said.

They found a builder who helped construct the house but it was built without any formal building plan designed by an architect, Vandergriff said.

They lived in the home for a brief time then sold it and built a new house on Virginia Avenue. Vandergriff said the location of the home on Center Street was convenient to the high school.

"We enjoyed it while we were there," he said.

The university has since built a paved trail path behind the home that goes behind the new apartments.

"It's kind of the beginning of what we're calling the Oak Ridge Trail," Johnson said.

According to Linda Osterich, an employee in the city's permit office, the city has issued 30 demolition permits for 2008, most of which were for commercial structures.

The University of Arkansas does not have to obtain a permit from the city offices to raze or build a structure, she said.

Also, a demolition permit for a single-family house is not always required provided the nature of the demolition meets certain requirements, she said. A single-family home demolition may be permit exempt, for example, if it affects only one structure and not multiple houses within the same area, she said.

Other demolitions in Fayetteville for 2008 include the former Beer Barn building at 646 W. Sycamore within the last month.

It was formerly used as a beer store and the one-time location of Soap & Suds, a laundry where people could reportedly drink while washing their clothes. After Beer Barn, it was the first location for the Church at Arkansas before the church moved to a commercial building on Mission Boulevard.

According to records at the Washington County Assessor's Office, the structure was approximately 5,510 square feet and built in 1984. The records indicated the building was owned by Lenwyn K. and Kathy Edens until Feb. 15, 2006, when it was sold for $500,000 to Blind Squirrel in the Barn, LLC.

After demolishing the building, workers tore up the concrete in the parking lot to be crushed and re-used as rock.

City Planner Jeremy Pate said a request was made and approved early this year to use the property to build additional apartments for the Skate Place Condominiums on Chestnut Street north of the one-time Beer Barn location.

"There are three buildings each with five units, and they will each have 15 units," he said. "It's a small project, but it's extended to the north."

According to the city's permit office, no one has yet applied for the building permit to build the new structure. A demolition permit was granted earlier this month.

The Fayetteville School District also demolished a home, which was technically a portable building, behind Asbell Elementary School this past semester.

The district used the space to house its "resource center," and it moved to the Jefferson Building which houses the district's adult and community education program.

Copyright © 2001-2008 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: webmaster@nwanews.com

FNHA, city dedicate Mount Sequoyah Woods, new pavilion and perpetual easement

The Morning News

Local News for Northwest Arkansas


Efforts Aim To Preserve Fayetteville’s Urban Forest

By Skip Descant The Morning News
FAYETTEVILLE — The mayor is calling it Fayetteville’s Central Park. It’s 67 acres of trails winding their way along the east side of Mount Sequoyah, eventually bringing hikers to the new Underwood-Lindsey Pavilion.

“This land we’re seeing right now is preserved in perpetuity,” Mayor Dan Coody said to a crowd gathered about two weeks ago under the new pavilion built of Arkansas boulders and enormous white oak timbers.

The land, known as Mount Sequoyah Woods, is owned by Fayetteville, with the Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association holding the easement. This preserves the property from development. The natural heritage association raised $479,000 to help purchase the property that until 2006 was owned by the Western Methodist Assembly. The final payment to the city completing the association’s commitment to raise $300,000 was completed about a month ago.

“Our success has been way beyond our wildest dreams,” Bob Caulk, a member of the association, told the Fayetteville City Council recently.

The forest — which some naturalists say supports 15 squirrels per acre, a conservative figure — was in danger of being developed.

“There were at least two developers looking at this property,” Coody said as construction crews could be heard in the distance.

Like many Ozark hillsides, Mount Sequoyah Woods was logged in the early 1900s, and still holds the remnants of a few old homesteads, Caulk said.

“There are several stone walls in the park, suggesting farming,” Caulk explained. “There are many trees scattered throughout the park that are older, perhaps virgin, but most are less than 100 years old.”

But today, the park is a maze of unpaved and loosely defined trails.

“The key to the future is to get kids out in the woods,” Caulk said, at least half-seriously. “We may be the last generation of free-range kids. Everybody seems tied to computers.”

The pavilion, which resembles the naturalistic and sturdily built structures put together on parkland all across the country by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, was designed and lead by Robert Runyan, a carpenter who has spent a lifetime perfecting traditional building techniques.

“We thought long and hard and we knew we wanted a pavilion, but we weren’t sure what kind,” said Pete Heinzelmann, a member of the Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association.

The most striking feature of the pavilion is the white oak hand-hewed timbers Runyan found down in Winslow.

“A lot people don’t think you can still build this way anymore,” Runyan said from the pavilion site. The key to sound buildings, Runyan added, is a well-built foundation.

“The foundation of a house is probably the most important thing there is, and it’s what’s often skimped on,” Runyan said.

The pavilion’s foundation is some two feet deep. The secluded location prevented heavy concrete mixing trucks from accessing the site and the concrete was trucked to a site further up the hill, where it flowed through a pipe system, Runyan explained.

“The logistics of getting materials from point A to point B was probably the biggest challenge,” Runyan said.

Web Watch

Fayetteville Natural Heritage Foundation

fayettevillenatural.org

By The Numbers

No Development

Land preserved by the Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association

100 acres of urban forest

2 acres of urban wetland

Source: Staff Report

Please click on image to ENLARGE.

Transition team meets with mayor-elect to plan long-term goals

If you want to do the homework along with Lioneld Jordan's mayoral transition team, please see Documents being studied by Lioneld Jordan's mayoral transition team
Please click on images to ENLARGE view of second mayoral transition meeting.



Please click on image to ENLARGE photo of second meeting of Lioneld Jordan's transition team on December 18, 2008.

NWAT report on second transition meeting

Epa newsletter on watershed issues and sources of information

A site to learn about watershed management

Southpass, budget pass, Hoskins freeway subsidy delayed

The Morning News
Local News for Northwest Arkansas

SouthPass, Budget Move Forward
By Skip Descant
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/12/02/news/120308fzcitycouncil.txt
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE -- Fayetteville Mayor Dan Coody cast the deciding vote Tuesday night to extend a sewer line to the SouthPass regional park. The council tied 4-4, with Nancy Allen, Shirley Lucas, Bobby Ferrell and mayor-elect Lioneld Jordan voting against.
Please click on images to ENLARGE view of Fayetteville, Arkansas, city council on December 2, 2008


Because of many issues, such as cost and concern about developing on Mount Kessler, the SouthPass project has been controversial. The move Tuesday night was just another step in its slow march forward. Should the city kill the project -- a large mixed-use residential and park project in southeast Fayetteville -- it has been suggested by the city attorney that Fayetteville could be sued for not following through on contact obligations.
"I don't have any choice but to vote 'yes,' because I don't want to see the city end up in a lawsuit," Coody said.
The cost-share approved Tuesday night means the city will pay roughly $745,000 as its half of the cost of bringing sewer service to the project. The money will come from water and sewer impact fees.
The council also unanimously approved its $119.5 million 2009 city budget.
Jordan, who will be Fayetteville's next mayor and campaigned for cost-of-living raises, said the city could revisit raises in the first quarter of next year when officials know exactly how much surplus money the city finished 2008 with.
A 2 percent cost-of-living raise would cost roughly $800,000, said Paul Becker, Fayetteville's finance director.
Chickens can now legally cluck, scratch and lay eggs in Fayetteville backyards.
By a vote of 7-1 the council approved an ordinance to allow up to four hens per home. Robert Rhoads voted against, saying the ordinance seemed vague. It allows for both the slaughter of chickens, and prevents cruel treatment or killing of the birds.
"What is our business is passing legislation that may be confusing," Rhoads said.
"When it comes to the issue of slaughter, you know, we really haven't addressed it," said Jill Hatfield, superintendent of Fayetteville Animal Services.
A plan to require the chickens be registered with the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission did not receive support.
"It would become a permitting process," said Brenda Thiel, a council member. "And I don't think we're really going to have enough chickens to justify that."
By a vote of 5-3, the council voted down an appeal by developers for Amberwood Place, a 40-acre development with 177 dwelling units, some of them slated as attainable housing. Lucas, Jordan and Ferrell supported the project, primarily because it provided homes in the $110,000 to $135,000 range, a house type many say Fayetteville is lacking.
"If we want some (affordable) places -- and we've asked our developers to do this -- we've got a situation right here, and I'm all for it," Ferrell said.
"I really think we need some more homes that people can afford," Lucas added.
Other council members agreed with the city's planning staff and Planning Commission, saying Amberwood Place is contrary to Fayetteville's City Plan 2025. And also, some council members were not in favor of grouping affordable housing as a bloc.
"I have a lot of concern about it being bunched together," Allen said. "I have concerns that today's affordable housing may be tomorrow's slums."
And a move to enter into a $2.16 million cost-share with developer Park West LLC to extend Arkansas 112 into an open field to both encourage and access new development was sent back to the Fayetteville Street Committee for further study.