Little Rock notebook

Goose barrier built in MacArthur Park

A barrier has been installed around the pond in MacArthur Park to deter Canada geese from making their home in the area.

The city has received complaints over the years about the large amount of geese droppings in the park, and an increasing number of geese recently have been observed in and around the park and the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History.

The barrier is made with neon string and wooden stakes. It was put in place around the pond last week.

Geese can still fly directly in and out of the pond, but typically, they like to fly onto dry land and walk into the water, according to city spokesman Luis Gonzalez.

The barrier method, which has proved successful in other states, prevents them from doing this, and they typically get tired, Gonzalez said, adding that after about two weeks, the geese leave.

“This humane option will effectively deter the birds from returning, thus resulting in a cleaner park and pond,” he said. “Once the birds experience the barrier, it’s expected that the geese population will abandon the area.”

He said fishermen may occasionally snag their lines on the netting, but the changes aren’t expected to interrupt fishing beyond that. The barrier is temporary. When the geese leave, Parks and Recreation Department staff will remove the netting, Gonzalez said.

French class set for library system

The Central Arkansas Library System will begin offering a six-week French language course next week for $75.

The Introduction to French course will begin Feb. 18 and take place Wednesdays through April 8 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Hillcrest Hall, 1501 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Registration information is available on the library’s website, www.cals.org.

The course is a part of the library’s Community Learning Courses division. The program covers a variety of subjects and skills through short-term, non-credit classes. Butler Center host

of photo exhibit

The Butler Center for Arkansas Studies’ galleries will open a new exhibit Friday during Second Friday Art Night.

The opening is from 5 to 8 p.m., and the exhibit will be on display through May 30. It’s titled “Captured Images: Photographs from the Collection” and includes photographs from the Central Arkansas Library System’s collection.

“From Bruce Jackson’s poignant portraits of Cummins Prison inmates to the compelling documentary photography by Alex Leme,” the “Captured Images” exhibit “presents a diverse representation of the people and places in Arkansas,” a news release said.

Other artists featured in the exhibit are Gary Cawood, Thomas Harding, David Mann, Barney Sellers and the