North Little Rock notebook
Firefighters taking bicycle donations
The North Little Rock Fire Fighters Local 35 union will be accepting donations of new bicycles or money to its Bikes for Kids Christmas Program in conjunction with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program.
The program aims to help provide bicycles for children in North Little Rock whose families need assistance.
Collections will be taken at any city fire station until Monday evening. Any donations after that will be applied to next year’s program.
Ex-U.S. prosecutor aids city attorney
Matt Fleming, a former federal prosecutor, began filling in last week for North Little Rock City Attorney Jason Carter while Carter serves as interim general manager for the city-owned Electric Department.
Fleming, 59, is retired after 25 years as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas in Fort Smith. He recently moved to Maumelle.
Carter said he has worked with Fleming for more than 12 years, as both are judge advocates in the Arkansas National Guard.
“I needed someone who I could trust to make reasoned decisions in the office and give good advice to our city leaders while I was out,” Carter said in an e-mail. “My first thought was toward attorneys already in the office, but they are already carrying too much workload to carry mine, too.”
No contract outlining specific salary or term of employment has yet been defined, Carter said.
“I’ve already told him I can’t pay him what he’s worth,” Carter wrote. “I’m fortunate that Matt has a strong commitment to public service and is willing to help out.”
Carter is splitting his elected position as city attorney while temporarily replacing Mike Russ, who resigned earlier this month from the North Little Rock Electric Department.
Park Hill introduces branding campaign
“Perfectly Park Hill” — a neighborhood branding effort for North Little Rock’s historic Park Hill neighborhood — took shape last week with banners installed along John F. Kennedy Boulevard displaying the new neighborhood logo, Stephanie Minyard, Park Hill Neighborhood Association president, said in a news release.
The project is in conjunction with the city. North Little Rock received a National Park Service Preserve America grant, which provided funding for the branding and implementation, the news release said.
The project will continue with sign toppers placed on street signs throughout the Park Hill Historic District. Several homes will receive individual markers highlighting unique stores about the community, Minyard said.
School-arts advocate to donate supplies
The Thea Foundation, a North Little Rock-based nonprofit that advocates the arts in school, will have a Tuesday ceremony to award grants to selected schools and honor donors to the Thea’s Art Closet program, which supplies art materials to schools statewide.
Thea’s Art Closet, which matches donations, will buy and donate supplies to Parkview High School of the Little Rock School District, and Cherokee Elementary, Highland Middle School and Highland High School in Sharp County’s Highland School District.
The supplies will be purchased with a $6,000 donation from Kent and Laurie Mosley, according to a foundation news release. Kent Mosley is a graduate of Parkview, one of the schools to receive supplies.
The collection of art supplies donated to each school will be designed to be appropriate for the grades represented at each school, the release said.