Race On For Senate, House Spots

The Kruth Talks

By Amber Kruth

Paid Parking On Dickson Street

The Fayetteville City Council passed the Dickson Street parking ordinance and the wheels are turning to get the parking meters churning. Parking during regular business hours will be 50-cents an hour and $1 an hour in the evening. A suggested employee lot for Dickson Street workers was canned, although a shuttle between the Central United Methodist parking garage and the strip has been talked about. The council defended their decision by saying that the distance between the church parking facility and Dickson Street is similar to the distance NWA Mall employees must walk from their car to the mall.

The Race is On

The race is on in Arkansas for U.S. House and Senate seats, the Arkansas Secretary of State post and State Lands Commissioner. Vying for the Senate seat will be Democrat Blanche Lincoln (the incumbent) and Republican John Boozman, who stepped down from his U.S. House seat to run, and Trevor Drown, a Russellville Tea Party leader and former Green Beret, who got on the ballot in a grassroots, signature collecting kinda way. The battle for the House seat is between Rogers Mayor Steve Womack, a Republican, and Democrat David Whitaker, who previously served as assistant city attorney for Fayetteville. Look for the showdown in November.

Room For Vets

The Regional National Cemetery Improvement Corporation has struggled for years to gain enough momentum and financing to acquire land adjacent to the Fayetteville National Cemetery, which was established in 1867. Don Tyson of Tyson Foods stepped up with a gift of $75,000 on Memorial Day to help purchase an area that will accommodate nearly 1,200 new graves. The cemetery is the final resting place for soldiers dating back to the Civil War.

Tyson Chefs

Congratulations to chefs Ira Fingerman, David Jetter and Donald Walsh of Tyson Foods in Springdale, for being selected by the American Culinary Federation to aid in the “Let’s Move!” campaign spurred by Michelle Obama. Fingerman, Jetter, Walsh and other chefs from around the country, traveled to the White House earlier this month to help kick-off the program to end obesity in school-aged children. The chefs will work with teachers, parents, administrators and school nutrition professionals to revamp the school food menu. The Tyson chefs are bringing the plan back to NWA to instill an organized effort towards better health and food choices.

We Can! Campaign Continues

The city continues to collect canned food for the hungry with its We Can! campaign. Bring a few nonperishable food items or personal hygiene items to the mayor’s table at the Farmers’ Market or drop them off at City Hall, any fire station or the Parks and Recreation building.

Give Your Garden

If your garden outgrows your needs, take your extra produce to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. It’s one of the only places in the area that accepts fresh produce donations. The food bank is at 1378 June Self Drive in Springdale. Call 872-8774 for details.