Wesley wins runoff in Maumelle
Holiday season has arrived and the week is bursting with merriment plus headlines, sports and events
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MEETINGS: The North Little Rock City Council will meet next Monday night at City Hall while the North Little Rock Advertising and Promotion Commission will meet on Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
EVENTS: Saturday is Dec. 7 and North Little Rock will again be honoring Pearl Harbor with a ceremony that starts at 11:58 a.m., timed to coincidence with the Japanese attack that happened in 1941. Among the people on hand will be Mayor Terry Hartwick, Commander Sterling D. “Rooster” Claypoole with the U.S. Naval Reserve and Dr. Joe Manning, a retired Navy veteran. The event will be held at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum, 120 Riverfront Park Drive, and will be outdoors. In case of inclement weather, it will be moved to the River House at 120 S. Olive. North Little Rock is one of two sites in the U.S. that has ships that were at Pearl Harbor that day, with the other being Pearl Harbor itself.
PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE
A public meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, Dec, 5 to review the proposed 2025 general fund budget for the city of Maumelle. The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. and will be held at City Hall, The meeting will also be livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel. For more information, contact City Clerk Tina Timmons at 501-851-2500.
Wesley wins runoff
L.J. Wesley, below, won her Tuesday runoff for the Ward 1, Pos. 1 seat on the Maumelle City Council.
Wesley beat Barry Brown, 312 to 257, or 54.8 to 45.2 percent, in a closely watched race that saw, as runoffs traditionally do, small turnout.
With another runoff in Jacksonville, the pool of registered voters was 18,375 but only 1,846 voted or just 10 percent of the potential ballots. And, even with that low turnout, about two thirds of those votes were in the Jacksonville race.
But, as previously noted, runoff turnout tends to run low regardless as it falls after the Thanksgiving holiday, as it did this time, as Pulaski County only had three days for early voting.
“No, I wasn’t surprised by the close margin,” Wesley said in an email to ArkansasNewsroom.com. “Barry Brown ran a good race, his passion for Maumelle is evident.”
Wesley won early voting with 209 votes to Brown’s 193, while Election Day voting also went to Wesley with 101 votes to Brown’s 61. Brown, however, won the absentee voting with three to Wesley’s 2.
Wesley credited her win to, “Face to Face interaction with residents,” she said. “Maumelle was wind to my back in running the race.”
She added, “I also believe the success of this campaign was largely due to my team of supporters. My family, friends and neighbors ran with me to cross the finish line. Every single supporter believes in me and have encouraged me throughout this entire journey.”
As for Brown, above, he said, "I was surprised by the close margin. Hard to get turnout for a runoff after a major election, plus a holiday, too.”
All true.
Brown, who has been active in the community for decades, said he wasn’t making any, “decisions on my future at this time.”
Hopefully, Brown, and Mike Chastain, who also ran for the seat, will stay involved in city politics going forward.
As for Wesley, she’ll be joined by Wes Booker, who ran unopposed in Ward 3.
Both are Black and this will be the first Maumelle City Council to have two Black members.
It was something Wesley had thought about.
“I’m so proud to live in a city where race did not hinder this historic event.,” she said. “I think it is great for Maumelle’s city council to reflect the diversity of our city.”
Now, as a council member-elect, what’s your top priority?
“To listen to our residents and represent them,” Wesley said. “?I look forward to joining the council in the progression of Maumelle.”
Asked if she had anything else to add, Wesley said,. “Thank You, Maumelle! I look forward to serving our community and working together to make Maumelle memories. Thank you for believing in me!”
Holiday season
Stock the pantries starts in Maumelle
There’s nine pantries in Maumelle that are participating in the city’s annual food drive that began on Monday.
The little pantries are collecting non-perishable food items, along with pet food.
The little pantries are located at:
Maumelle Philanthropists, 404 Edgewood Drive
Calvary Chapel Parking Area, Lake Point Place (across from tennis courts)
First United Methodist Church, 1201 Edgewood Drive
First Baptist Church, 100 Valencia Drive
Maumelle Library Food Pantry, 10 Lake Pointe Drive (inside)
St. Nicholas’ Episcopal Church Food Pantry, 2001 Club Manor Drive (parking lot)
Maumelle Police & Fire Station, 2002 Murphy Drive
Klipps Blvd Barbershop, 301 Millwood Circle (inside)
Maumelle Little PET Pantry, #2 Jackie Johnson Cove
Willastein Whimsical Trail
The Whimsical Trail is now open at Maumelle’s Lake Willastein and will be open starting at 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. nightly until Jan. 5.
The lighted trail’s entrance is between the boat ramp and playground at Lake Willastein Park. Admission to the walking trail is free.
Fundraiser set for Maumelle Animal Services
Raising Cane’s in Little Rock will be hosting a fundraiser for Maumelle Animal Services this Friday starting at 3 p.m. It will conclude at 10 p.m. and will also include a pet adoption event that runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. A portion of the sales on Friday afternoon and evening will be donated to Maumelle Animal Services. If ordering in the store, mention the fundraiser, or of ordering online or in the app, use the code, RCFUND96 at checkout. Raising Cane’s will donate 15 percent of those in-store and online sales.
Also on Friday, is Maumelle’s Christmas in the Park starting at 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. and tree lighting at 6 p.m., Lake Willastein
Breakfast with Santa is Saturday
The Maumelle Lions Club is sponsoring its annual Breakfast with Santa this Saturday at the Jess Odom Community Center. Doors open at 8 a.m. with Santa making his way from the North Pole at 9 a.m. Admission is $6 and includes:
A children’s craft area
A bounce house
Bake sale
Free photos with Santa
The event will conclude at 11 a.m.
Maumelle Christmas parade is Saturday
Maumelle’s annual Christmas parade is this Saturday. The parade will start at 5 p.m. and no entry free is required to have a float or entry.
The city is offering prizes to the next entries and the parade route will start at the corner of Audubon Drive and Millwood Circle and ends at the corner of Club Mamot and Audubon drives.
To register, click here.
For more information, go to Maumelle.org.
Arkansas Craft Guild sets Christmas Showcase
The 46th Annual Arkansas Craft Guild Christmas Showcase featuring fine handmade art and crafts will be this weekend, Friday through Sunday, at the Arkansas State Fairgrounds Hall of Industry, 2600 Howard Street, Little Rock.
Hours are Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There is free gated parking and casual dining on site. Admission is $5 per person. There's free admission during 'Art After Dark' Friday 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., and 'Early Bird Shopping' on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Returning and new juried artisans attract loyal customers every year in several categories of craft: photography, jewelry, glass, pottery, wood, painting, sculpture, fabric, rugs, candles, honey, home décor, and soaps.
Skip Mathews is the "Father of Flame Painting," when in 1981 he was the first to create and develop the skills to paint with flames on copper and bring out colorful patterns. The copper shapes become jewelry or home décor, some representational, some abstract. Since 2007 metalsmiths Skip and Racheal Mathews, Copper Colorists, have returned to Christmas Showcase, becoming Guild members in 2012 when they moved to Mountain View from Missouri.
The new piece pictured “Butterfly Flower Branch” was done cooperatively, with Skip making and flame-painting the branch and flower, and Racheal creating the butterfly. It sells for $78 and can hang on the wall, or it can sit on a table or shelf as a sculpture.
In their Copper Colorists booth at Christmas Showcase, three artists are represented: Skip, Racheal, and their son-in-law Phillip Cook. Phillip began his apprenticeship 15 years ago, spending 6 years learning flame-painting, becoming a generational artist. He works from Ozark, MO, demonstrating at Silver Dollar City, and will join them in Little Rock.
Real time coverage on Facebook/ChristmasShowcase and Instagram/arkansascraftguild will feature photos of current works of every participating vendor. Take a photo tour at our website, arkansascraftguild.org/christmas-showcase. Year round, the Arkansas Craft Guild cooperatively operates the Arkansas Craft Gallery where many Showcase artists sell their work at 104 E. Main, Mountain View, open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Other upcoming events
Now through the leaves get sucked up
North Little Rock leaf collection, as promised, has begun.
Now through Dec. 13
The Methodist Family Health Christmas site is open and one of the best ways to help those in need this holiday season. I promise giving will make you feel great. For more, click the graphic above.
Christmas Story the Musical now in North Little Rock
The Argenta Contemporary Theater will be having performances of its up-coming production of the holiday favorite A Christmas Story the Musical. This classic tale with book by Joseph Robinette and music and lyrics by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul is based on the movie classic that runs round-the-clock on TV every Christmas.
A Christmas Story the Musical is directed by Anna Kimmell of Asheville, North Carolina making her debut at ACT with music direction by Leann Jones. The show features Jaydon Clark as Ralphie, Craig Wilson as Old Man, Michele May Clark as Mother, Pate Wilson as Randy and Chris Flowers as Jean along with a talented cast of 20 other central Arkansas performers.
Performances started on Wednesday and run through Dec. 22 and includes three student matinees sponsored by Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Janna Knight & Blackberry Market. Evening performances begin at 7 p.m. and the Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $10-$88 and are available at argentacontemporarytheatre.org.
A Christmas Story the Musical is sponsored by Karla and Will Feland, The City of North Little Rock, The Tenenbaum Foundation, Legacy Termite & Pest Control, The Arkansas Arts Council, North Little Rock Tourism and The Insalaco Family. The VIP Balcony is sponsored by Gwatney Chevrolet and Colonial Wine & Spirits.
Sports
State championships this week
Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium is hosting four state championship games starting on Thursday and continuing through Saturday.
The games are:
Eight-man – Strong vs. Midland, Thursday, at 7 p.m.
2A – East Poinsett County vs. Conway Christian, Friday, at noon.
5A – Little Rock Parkview vs. Farmington, Friday, at 6:30 p.m.
6A – Greenwood vs. Shiloh Christian, Saturday, at noon.
7A – Bryant vs. Bentonville, Saturday, at 6:30 p.m.
The games will also be broadcast live on Arkansas PBS.
Saturday's SEC schedule
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Georgia vs. Texas, 3 p..m. at Atlanta, ABC. The National/Learfield IMG radio broadcast is available on Sirius 106/XM 190, the Georgia broadcast is available on channel 158 on Sirius and XM 191, while the Texas broadcast is available on SiriusXM 84.
Pandemic deaths back to 0
The state Department of Health updated the state’s dashboard this week, and showed no new new deaths and 481 deaths for the year. The virus has now killed 14,125 Arkansans since the pandemic began more than four years ago. That would mean the pandemic death toll has now passed Marion’s 13,635 people, the state’s 29th largest city.
Covid toolkit
There’s now a one-stop shop to learn about vaccination sites and other Covid related information. Click here to learn more.
If you don’t want to get sick and die, there’s some things you can do:
Get vaccinated
Get boosted
Wear a mask
Avoid crowds
It's nice to read a news source that is unbiased and positive about Maumelle. Gladly, we don't have to read or believe the other Maumelle "news source" with its slanted viewpoint and not-so-hidden agenda. Thanks, Arkansas Newsroom for reporting the news, not creating it.