Staff Photo Nick Brothers
Local Artist Jason Jones is painting a mural on the downtown Fayetteville square.
CIVIL RIGHTS ORDINANCE EARLY VOTING STARTS SEPT. 1
Well we’re here, Fayetteville. It’s time to vote again and decide the rights of LGBT people in Fayetteville.
If passed, Ordinance 5781 will extend the state’s Civil Rights Act and Fair Housing Act, namely protections against housing and employment discrimination, to include gender identity and sexual orientation.
Last year, a similar law, Ordinance 119, was criticized as being too convoluted and not clear enough on definitions and how discrimination cases would be taken care of. Notably, the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce condemned it. However, the city’s Chamber of Commerce is in support for the revised and improved Ordinance 5781 and urges the community to vote for the law.
So, if you have any opinion on the matter and you’re registered to vote, you have an opportunity to choose a side of history to be a part of. Last year the vote came down to about 500 votes, so it’s likely to be a close call again.
You can vote early at the Fayetteville Washington County Courthouse at 280 College Ave. between 8 a.m. And 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1 through Friday, Sept. 4. For any questions or concerns, you can call the County Clerk at (479) 444-1711 for more information.
If you won’t be in town, you can request an absentee ballot. It can be downloaded from www.sos.arkansas.gov and mailed to Becky Lewallen at the address stated above. Also, if you are unable to early vote for whatever reason, you can vote at any polling place on election day, Sept. 8, as long as you are a registered Fayetteville voter.
DOWNTOWN FAYETTEVILLE MURAL PAINTING BEGINS
More and more locally-sourced art is showing up around Fayetteville, and the latest is the mural on the west wall of the executive square building next to Tiny Tim’s Pizza and the Fayetteville Town Center plaza.
Artist Jason Jones was commissioned by the city’s Advertising and Promotion Commission to paint the 91 foot by 35 foot wall with a mural depicting a black bear swinging from a pink flowery tree that is holding up the phrase “Enjoy Local.”
Jones started the mural painting last week. The mural was approved in June for $11,250 to pay for the project.
Jones predicts that the massive mural project will take him about a month to complete.
SLIDE THE CITY BEGINS THIS WEEKEND, AND SO DOES TONS OF OTHER STUFF
It seems like just about everyone decided the weekend of Aug. 28 was going to be an all-out barrage of events.
Get this, not only is the Fayetteville Roots Fest going on, Frisco Fest in Rogers is happening, school is back in session, your favorite local bands are playing, and then bam — Dickson will be closed down for a gigantic slip n’ slide on Sunday, Aug. 30. Northwest Arkansas is about to party HARD this weekend. There is fun to be had, so you best get out of your cold, dark dwellings and go get some of it.
So, I repeat, don’t expect to drive through Dickson on Sunday. It will be closed from Church Ave. to West Ave. So before you get all up in a pointless tizzy, just know you’ve been warned. It will likely be closed just about all of the daylight hours.
Now, if you’re going to it, be sure to bring an inflatable tube to slide on for you and the kids as it’s required. Otherwise, you have to buy one.
If you want to sign up the day of, three slides on a wet tarp for an extended amount of time is $45 and one slide will be $30. You can also sign up for unlimited slides for $65 and get access to an exclusive slide time from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. before everyone else gets a go at 11 a.m. Some of the proceeds will go to benefit Solider On Dogs, who provide service dogs at no charge to veterans suffering from PTSD and other disabilities.
Party on, Northwest Arkansas! Be safe out there.
