Remembering Pat Hays
Maumelle City Council Report; Blessing of the Animals is Sunday plus sports and headlines
Note to subscribers: An annual or monthly subscription is billed to your debit or credit card as ARKANSAS.SUBSTACK.COM and if you have questions, please email arkansas@substack.com. Thanks for reading and subscribing!Pandemic deaths stay at 13,247
The state Department of Health, on its Covid dashboard, showed that in the past week, there were no new deaths reported and there were no new new deaths reported the previous week. The numbers were updated Tuesday, Oct. 3.
The total number of reported dead Arkansans remains at 13,247 or the state’s 31st largest city.
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The Headlines
Meetings: A special call meeting of the North Little Rock School Board is tonight. The North Little Rock City Council meets next Monday night at City Hall.
Events: The Blessing of the Animals is this Sunday in Maumelle. For more details, keep scrolling.
The Blessing of the Animals is Sunday
St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, 2001 Club Manor, Suite N, Maumelle, will host the Saint Francis Blessing of the Animals service at Lake Willastein Park in Maumelle from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. this Sunday, Oct. 8.
All creatures, great and small, are welcome, and will receive a certificate of blessing, a St Francis medal, and a collapsible pet water bowl.
Maumelle Friends of the Animals will be there and Maumelle Animal Services has been invited to attend.
If it is raining, the event will be held at the church. (501) 420-4840.
Maumelle: City Council report
Council approves funds for construction of Pickleball courts; Updates on other city projects
This week’s meeting started off with a presentation from Nicole Vogler, Director of Center on the Lake and Senior Wellness. Vogler shared that membership at the Center on the Lake is currently 1,505 members which is 89% of the highest membership the Center had pre-Covid. The center offers meals at breakfast and lunch, a variety of classes, and many other social opportunities such as trips so they continue to do a great job providing for our senior population in Maumelle.
In old business, the council only had one item which was an ordinance amending the notification and procedures for Planning and Permit applications. This ordinance expands the public notice requirements for certain Planning projects and was approved unanimously.
In new business, the council gave final approval for funding to begin construction of Maumelle’s outdoor pickleball facility, above,. The new facility will feature seven courts constructed of a high-quality concrete playing surface with lighting for evening and nighttime play. The city has budgeted $999,950 for construction of this project. More news to come soon on when construction will begin.
You have likely noticed the city is currently managing multiple construction and improvement projects in the city. Here’s a rundown on a few projects and where things currently stand:
Crystal Hill Road: This project is largely complete and asphalt was recently laid for a dedicated bike path extending from Maumelle Blvd to the entrance of Park on the River.
White Oak Crossing Roundabout: The contractor has moved equipment to this site and you can expect to see work begin soon in the area of Country Club Parkway and White Oak Crossing as they begin construction of a roundabout to join these two roadways.
All-Inclusive Playground: Installation of the playground and play surface is mostly complete and the park looks amazing. There’s still quite a bit of work to add benches and additional shade structures to the facility. Additionally, it will take time to get the dirt work completed so that fencing and landscaping can be installed. We don’t have an estimated opening date yet, but the park is nearing completion!
Gateway Park: This will be located at the southwest corner of Maumelle Boulevard and Millwood and is where the old fire station is located. Engineering is underway on this park which will contain a dedicated food truck court as well as a small stage for performances. While engineering is working on the project, the city is also working on removal of the old fire station and courts building. We likely won’t see construction on this project begin for a number of months.
That’s all for the week, please let me know if you have any questions. Chad 501-529-1336, chad4maumelle@gmail.com
Fidelity Communications to open applications for its Charitable Giving Fund
Fidelity Communications will open Fall 2023 applications for the company’s Charitable Giving Fund, which annually awards $250,000 in grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, from Oct. 1-31.
Grants will be made available across communities served by Fidelity and will concentrate support in the following priority areas:
Education and Digital Literacy
Hunger Relief and Food Insecurity
Community Development
Last year the company awarded grants to nearly 60 nonprofits, including organizations serving the homeless, providing child advocacy, offering senior assistance and supplying food to those in need, to name a few.
“We are committed to helping strengthen the cities and towns where we live and work by giving back to the local nonprofits who do so much to support our communities,” said Julie Laulis, Cable One President and CEO.
For more information about the Fidelity Charitable Giving Fund, visit www.fidelitycommunications.com/charitablegiving.
Housing workshop is today
A Fair Housing Workshop led by Leon Jones Jr. will be held at Bank OZK Headquarters, 18000 Cantrell Road, at 9 a.m. today
The event is by the Commercial Real Estate Council of Metro Little Rock
Information on fair housing laws which will qualify for NAA hours will be offered at the Fair Housing Workshop. The event includes lunch and refreshments. Tickets are $25 for CREC members and $35 for guests and are available at www.crecmlr.org/events.
For sponsorship, ticket, or other information, contact info@crecmlr.org or 501-539-0582.
Remembering Pat Hays
Patrick Henry Hays, the long-time former mayor of North Little Rock, died Tuesday morning after a valiant fight against cancer.
Hays, above, who served as Mayor of North Little Rock from 1989 to 2012 was the city’s longest serving mayor in its history.
He defeated then incumbent mayor Terry Hartwick in November 1988, and was sworn in that January. He then went on to serve six consecutive terms before retiring from the office and was replaced by Joe Smith, his former director of commerce.
Before running for mayor, Hays served a single term in the state House of Representatives he also considered a run for U.S. Senate, and ran against French Hill for Congress in 2014. It was the only race Hays ever lost.
Born and raised in North Little Rock’s Baring Cross and Park Hill as a son of a train man, Hays was a graduate of the legendary 1965 class at North Little Rock High School, several of whom went on or still serve on North Little Rock City Council.
Hays then went on to get his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Arkansas before returning to North Little Rock.
He’s survived by his wife, Linda, daughter Josie, her husband Dr. Brent Staggs, and three grandchildren, Savanna, Isabella, and Harper.
Hays had a singular vision for North Little Rock and used the city’s form of “Strong Mayor” governance to accomplish all of that and then some.
He transformed downtown North Little Rock by getting what is now known as Verizon Arena built on the North Shore in the late 1990s. That was followed a few years later by Dickey-Stephens Park, home of the Arkansas Travelers. In between was more construction as what’s now known as the Argenta neighborhood went from industrial to a sports, entertainment and dining destination.
The Hays name will live on at the Senior Center, which he pushed with the construction of Dickey-Stephens. And not just him, the grandchildren’s names also adorn bike trails running through the city.
“I knew Mayor Hays nearly my entire life,” Hartwick said.”I have known him as a close friend and as an opponent. He was a fighter until the end. I cared deeply about him and I know he will be sorely missed by all of us in North Little Rock.”
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Patrick Henry Hays
Jan. 8, 1947 - Oct. 4, 2023
Patrick Henry Hays was born Jan. 8, 1947. He would joke about sharing his birthday with Elvis Presley. Hays grew up in the Baring Cross and Park Hill neighborhoods. Hays graduated from North Little Rock High School in 1965 and attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. He received his Juris Doctor from the University Of Arkansas School Of Law. He served in the United States Army Reserves where he attained the rank of Captain.
He served as Assistant City Attorney for the City of North Little Rock; elected to the 1979-80 Arkansas Constitutional Convention; elected State Representative for District 66 and served one term in the 76th Arkansas General Assembly (1987-88).
Hays was a member of the Democratic Party of Arkansas. He traveled across the country to help then Governor William Jefferson Clinton campaign for President of the United States. He later joined the Arkansas Travelers to campaign for Hillary Rodham Clinton when she ran for President of the United States.
He became Mayor of North Little Rock in 1989 and served until he retired in 2012 (24 years – 6 terms). During his tenure as Mayor, his accomplishments were many:
Pushed for and was instrumental in passing a one-cent sales tax to fund the construction of the North Little Rock Senior Citizens Center (which was named the Patrick Henry Hays Senior Citizens Center in his honor) and Dickey Stephens Park which opened in 2007.
Involved in the development of the Big Dam Bridge, Clinton Park Bridge, Broadway Bridge.
President of the Arkansas Municipal League 1994.
Board of Trustees Member of US Conference of Mayors**.
President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA.
Member and Past President (twice) of Metroplan
Attended the Federal Crime Bill signing at the White House with President Clinton and former Municipal League Director Don Zimmerman.
Acquired World War II submarine – TCG Murat Reis/USS Razorback Submarine.
Board of Directors of the HU Lee Memorial Foundation
** Active for many years in the U.S. Conference of Mayors, he was elected to the Conference’s Advisory Board in 1996. In 1999, he was elected to the Conference’s Board of Trustees (13 members). He shared in the executive and policy-making responsibilities for the Conference. As a strong advocate of rail transportation, Hays served as Co-Chair of the Conference’s Rail System Restoration Task Force. He served as Vice Chair for Railroads and Passenger Rail of the Conference’s Transportation and Communications Committee. Hays was on the Conference’s Energy Committee for 15 years where he served as Vice Chairman.
In June 2003, Hays was appointed Chairman of Amtrak’s Mayors’ Advisory Council. Additionally, he served on the National League of Cities’ Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources Steering Committee, as one of 39 members who recommended energy and environmental policy to the governing body of the National League of Cities.
Hays was a recognized leader in community economic development, neighborhood revitalization, community-oriented policing, historic preservation, and recreation development. Hays’ vision for the city included development of the riverfront (or North Little Rock’s southern border to Little Rock) by adding jogging trails, pedestrian boardwalks, and similar green spaces from downtown west to the city limits at the Murray Hydroelectric Plant. That vision is alive and well and used daily by thousands of walkers, joggers, and bikers. For a time, the Delta Queen, a steam-powered sternwheeler, was docked at the city’s riverfront. Near the levee and beside the west side of the Broadway Bridge downtown, Shakespeare’s Macbeth was performed.
Hays said his biggest accomplishment in office was working with other central Arkansas governments (Pulaski County and Little Rock) to bring improvements to the whole region, such as Verizon Arena (now Simmons Bank Arena) in North Little Rock, the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, and the several pedestrian bridges, River Rail trolley and bus system connecting North Little Rock and Little Rock.
Another achievement was the merger of the North Little Rock and Little Rock water companies into Central Arkansas Water (CAW) which would be important for generations to come.
Hays, like previous mayors, was proud of the 1,700 acre Burns Park which had its own nursery which provided perennial plants to ensure that the city’s flowers, trees, and other plantings kept the city looking its best year round. He expanded on former Mayor Casey Laman’s love and efforts which began in the late 1950s. The park now includes many amenities for visitors of all ages, including a Missouri Pacific Railroad caboose, two eighteen-hole golf courses, a softball complex, tennis center, soccer complex, and numerous pavilions for use by families and businesses.
Under Hays’ leadership, North Little Rock was the first Arkansas city over 50,000 to be selected for the Main Street Arkansas Downtown Redevelopment Program. With the help of the Downtown Booster group, this helped save the historic (downtown) Argenta neighborhood. Hays spoke of the “rebirth” and the “rebuilding” of the downtown business community and residential neighborhoods where houses comprise one of the first blue collar, working class neighborhoods in the state, he said.
North Little Rock was also the first city in the state to assign full-time police officers in high schools as security officers and counselors. The program later expanded to other schools.
During Hays’ tenure, the city was among the first to establish a citywide curfew for youth, 17 and under. Hays said, “It starts to place the responsibility on the parent.” As part of the curfew, the city started a Midnight Basketball Program at the Sherman Park Recreation Center. As part of the program, young people could go to one of the city’s community centers and were required to remain in recreation, job skill, health, computer, and other programs and activities. The program was available to boys and girls. Hays opened police precincts in housing developments and officers walked on patrol. The city also worked closely with the schools regarding truancy.
Hays also began “Operation Focus” where the city would focus on a one-square mile area periodically and bring in animal control, electric, street crews, additional police officers and more. The FOCUS was to clean up the area whether it be overgrown lots, replacing street lights, code citations, etc.
Hays led the city to receive a Federal Economic Development Administration Grant to help develop the city’s first industrial park with over 300 acres east of the city.
North Little Rock was also the first city to establish by ordinance, a Mayor’s Office of Volunteer Services. In 1993, volunteers contributed 8,714 hours of their time to city services.
Through a partnership with the country of Turkey, Mayor Hays and the city purchased the USS Razorback World War II submarine which made national news. The sub was towed from Golcuk and Istanbul, Turkey by an ocean-going tugboat by way of the Mediterranean Sea, Gibraltar, across the Atlantic Ocean, New Orleans, and the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers. The submarine was the beginning of the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum which also includes the USS Hoga Tugboat. The submarine was at the former surrender of Japan ending World War II. The tugboat was instrumental in putting out fires during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Hays’ wife, Linda is a retired school teacher. They have a daughter Josie who is married to Dr. Brent Staggs, and three grandchildren, Savanna, Isabella, and Harper.
High school roundup
Hornets upset Mills
Maumelle upset previously unbeaten Mills, 34-28, last Thursday night in a 5A-Central conference matchup.
The win pushes Maumelle to 3-2 overall, and the hits keep coming as the Hornets head to Joe T. Robinson this Friday night for another conference game.
Robinson is 4-1 overall and ranked No. 5 in the Hootens.com Class 5A football poll while Maumelle is No. 18.
The game has extra meaning for Brian Maupin, the second-year coach at Maumelle. who was previously the defensive coordinator for the Senators. It has also meaning to the team as the game has playoff implications as the back half of the season starts on Friday.
But, at this point of the year every game has meaning.
The upset of Mills was keyed by the play of sophomore quarterback Andrew Bjork, who threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Jaiden Worsham, who finished the game with 131 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
Alan Timmons again led the team in receiving with five catches for 67 yards but the senior was held scoreless for the first time this season.
For the season, Bjork has passed for 859 yards and eight touchdowns, while Worsham has rushed for 438 yards and three scores. Timmons is Bjork's top target with 19 catches for 346 yards and four scores.
Timmons is also the team's punter.
Across North of the River, Central Arkansas Christian and North Little Rock got the split as the Mustangs defeated Mayflower, 50-34, behind junior quarterback Grayson Wilson. An Arkansas commit, Wilson passed for 269 yards and two touchdowns in the win, while rushing for 123 yards and two more touchdowns.
Still No. 10 in the Class 4A poll, CAC heads up I-40 to face Pottsville, in what could decide the 4A-4 conference championship. Pottsville is currently 5-1 and ranked No. 14 in the same poll. More importantly, the Apaches are 4-0 in the conference.
North Little Rock took one on the chin from Conway last Friday, 36-7, but look to right the ship with a trip to Little Rock Southwest this Friday. The 'Cats and Gryphons are both 1-4 on the year but the new-ish Southwest has never defeated North Little Rock in football.
The winner will likely be, at least, the No. 6 seed in the 7A playoffs that begin in November.
Friday night lights
Maumelle Hornets
Aug. 25 ... Maumelle 20, Sylvan Hills 0
Sept. 1 ... Maumelle 41, Batesville 27
Sept. 8 … White Hall 42, Maumelle 21
Sept. 22 ... Pine Bluff 41, Maumelle 25
Sept. 28 ... Maumelle 34, Mills 28
Friday, Oct. 6 ... at Robinson ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 13 ... Morrilton ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 20 ... at Watson Chapel ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 27 ... Vilonia ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 3 ... Beebe ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 10 ... First round of playoffs
BOLD indicates home game
For the roster, please click here.
CAC Mustangs
Aug. 25 ... CAC 52, Lonoke 16
Sept. 1 ... CAC 40, Perryville 6
Sept. 8 ... CAC, 50 Bauxite 45
Sept. 15 ... Harmony Grove 43, CAC 42
Sept. 22 ... CAC 40, Little Rock Hall 27
Sept. 29 ... CAC 50, Mayflower 34
Friday, Oct. 6 ... at Pottsville ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 13 ... Clinton ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 20 ... at Dover ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 3 ... at Lamar ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 10 ... First round of playoffs
BOLD indicates home game
For the roster, please click here.
North Little Rock 'Cats
Aug. 25 ... Catholic 17, North Little Rock 7
Sept. 1 ... Fayetteville 58, North Little Rock 20
Sept. 15 ... Parkview 52, North Little Rock 14
Sept. 22 ... North Little Rock 41, Little Rock Central 6
Sept. 29 ... Conway 36, North Little Rock 7
Friday, Oct. 6 ... at Little Rock Southwest ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 13 ... Jonesboro ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 20 ... Fort Smith Northside ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 27 ... at Bryant ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 3 ... at Cabot ... 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 10 ... First round of playoffs
BOLD indicates home game
For the roster, please click here.
Sports
Pittman: "Aww hell ... we got whipped"
Arkansas loses to Texas A&M, again, at AT&T Stadium
ARLINGTON, Texas — AT&T Stadium has mostly been a house of horrors for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Hogs have struggled in these annual trips to face Texas A&M at Jerry's World.
Saturday was no different, as the Razorbacks struggled when it mattered the most, and lost, 34-22, in front of 59,437 fans.
To read more, or ICYMI, click here.