Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Door-To-Door Salesmen


Door-To-Door Salesmen – Are they licensed and approved by the City of North Little Rock?
Here is a sample of the official North Little Rock Peddlers Identification Card. When this card is issued all peddlers are instructed to wear this ID anytime they are soliciting in North Little Rock. They are also instructed to not request payment without delivering the goods or service at that time!
Always note the ‘issued’ and ‘expires’ dates shown on the card, match up the picture and physical description, and for whom and what they are peddling. The time it takes to read the card is worth every second!
Thanks to Jerry Reagan, Dir. Fiscal Control. 975-8895 JReagan@northlittlerock.ar.gov

Monday, July 28, 2008

Election Day - Less Than 100 Days Away

Today I received an e-mail from a National Party Election Committee informing me that Election Day is less than 100 days way! Now this little note woke me up to the fact that the races are racing fast to get here! In addition to having this year's Presidential Election Race (which is shaping up to be very interesting) we have our local NLR Political Election Day, too! In addition to the City Attorney and City Clerk positions coming up for our vote on November 4th our focus and interest are directed to the positions of Mayor and the one Ward 4 Alderman seat coming up for election, for these two elected positions on our NLR City Council are to be determined by our direct NLAN member's votes cast on election day. However we should not overlook what is shaping up for the single-seat Alderman positions in Wards 1, 2 and 3. Although we do not directly affect these races via our Ward 4 votes being cast we should maintain an interest in the candidates declaring for these City Council seats.

Through our earlier LPOA experience before the City Council we found that while the two Ward 4 Aldermen are our very own elected City Council Members representing now our NLAN the other six Aldermen of Wards 1, 2, and 3 have a direct bearing on any resolutions and/or ordinances being passed that directly affects us! For this reason it is very important that we communicate with all eight Aldermen/Alderwomen sitting on the Council, as well as the Mayor whenever we feel an issue requires a NLAN position statement being made. Thus it is very important that we get to know as well as to understand the make-up and fabric of their election plank, as well as their expectations for their individual Wards and for our whole City.

All citizens of North Little Rock desiring to declare their candidacies must do so by filing (I believe) between August 6th through August 28th. In a few weeks it's going to get very interesting around here! Thereafter stay tuned for opportunities coming forth to find out who they are and what they're made of, along with their visions for our future as well as for our children's. Please remember we are all in this together - to support and provide encouragement with or without the means to offer a personal vote on everyone's behalf!

Nate Brandes
President - NLAN

Friday, July 25, 2008

Another Crime of Opportunity

Report just in: 8:58 PM Friday the 25th. We are not alone out here! Our neighborhood is being targeted!

Today we had another NLANder on Burrow Drive experience a crime of opportunity. While a nearby neighbor was having a garage sale, with shopper's vehicles parked all along the street, someone decided to 'shop' the victims porch and stole their wicker furniture with cushions - a sofa, two chairs and a table. Someone just backed up their driveway and loaded the furniture without anyone suspecting a thing!

Always be aware for thieves can be very resourceful - such as taking advantage of vehicles coming & going with a street sales activity taking place. Trying to separate the good guys from the bad isn't easy when they are all mixed together, basically walking and loading merchandise into vehicles from a home. Now that you have been informed please keep an eye out whenever you or your neighbors are conducting a yard sale. Watch out for each other - that's what its going to take to prevent these crimes of opportunity. Please take the time to talk with your neighbors about this - they may not be connected to the internet and therefore not know what's taking place! Thank you.

Energy audit

After receiving a personal phone invitation from Ward 3 Alderman Cary Gains to attend last night's Levi Town Hall Meeting, I came away with many noteworthy bits of general information that we all can use.

When the North Little Rock Electric Department went to electronic meter readers, which allows one employee to quickly drive down the street reading meters from within their vehicle, they had a surplus of former yard-to-yard foot walking meter readers. Good news: These employees have been re-trained to become members of the NLR Electric Department's "Home Energy Audit Team"!

Today you can request a "FREE" home energy audit (that's right - no cost to you) which may show you ways to reduce your home's energy use. Simply contact our North Little Rock Electric Department. If you want more information and/or desire to order up an audit please call Joe Gertsch at 372-0100 or e-mail him at nlred@nlrelectric.com.

Nate Brandes
NLAN President

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Live band concert

Do you miss the wonderful summer experience of going to the park for a picnic under the sun, eating hot dogs and burgers while listening to a live band concert being played from the picnic ground's gazebo? Those were the good old days, right? Well hang on to your socks for them good old days are once more here for us to enjoy, as well as for our kids who may never have had a chance to enjoy this experience!

This coming Friday evening, 7:00 PM, under the Lakewood Village outdoor canopy our North Little Rock Concert Band will be performing the 2nd of three concerts to be held there. Forget the dogs & burgers - bring lawn chairs and blankets as well as something to drink. This one hour show will have your feet tapping as well as your face smiling! Please come and enjoy a wonderful musical summer evening in the Village, with memories of past pleasures on the lawn. www.northlittlerockband.com Phone: 758-2576

Thanks to BigDogDaddy of the Levy Project 3.0 Blog for bringing this neighborhood event to our attention!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Cars tampered with

This afternoon a NLANder who lives on Burrow Drive reported that last weekend for the second time their personal vehicle had been ransacked with loose change taken. This vehicle was parked with the windows down and doors unlocked. They believe it may have been kids on the prowl looking for money so they advise keeping your vehicles locked up. Believe me from now on they will roll all vehicle windows up and lock all it's doors! A word to the wise!

Let's Be Safe -- Be Aware!

A few months ago we posted in "Our NLAN Newsletter" a crime & safety tip on strangers knocking on neighborhood doors representing a home security system company. These people, some with what passed as city issued permit badges hanging on them, were requesting to come inside the homes to have their questions answered and to see what if any home security there may be in place. Some of the companies supposedly represented have been ADT and APEX, a division of Honeywell. There may be others!

As always you must pass judgement as to whether a 'representative' standing on your porch is in good faith and without deceit truly representing a home security system company. Please be aware! We have seen and heard reports from Levy, Park Hill and our very own fellow NLANders that their recent experiences with some of these individuals have been less than admirable. Be extremely careful when allowing a stranger to come into your home, one asking personal questions about what security you may or may not have as well as wanting to look at the status of your windows and doors!

Nate Brandes
President

National Night Out - Augst 5th


The annual 'National Night Out' is scheduled for August 5th. This national awareness program was developed to promote neighborhoods coming together to take a public stand against crime. The initial request was for every home to light up their own neighborhood by turning on their porch light during the evening hours. Doing so would show everyone, including the criminal element, that all neighbors were aware of and joined together in fighting local crime. Recently the celebration of this event has gone beyond just turning on porch lights to actually having planned neighborhood street events, to include inviting police and fire departments to join with those neighbors participating.

Now asking for folks to step outside on an Arkansas hot afternoon and evening, standing over a hot grill to cook hamburgers and tube steaks, as well as fighting off mosquitoes may just be asking too much! Thus at this point in time, unless we hear of anyone wanting to step forward to organize as well as host a NLAN neighborhood street celebration, we are only requesting that all NLANders demonstrate their awareness of this national event by turning on their porch lights come August 5th. Let's light up the night for all to see! Thank you.

Nate Brandes
President

City Council Meeting - Monday, July 28

North Little Rock City Council Meeting - Monday, July 28, 2008


Please clink on the link below or and paste into your browser --
http://www.northlittlerock.ar.gov/government/agenda.asp

Monday, July 14, 2008

Coming - Park Hill Neighborhood Association

We of NLAN are very pleased to hear that one of the by-products of Park Hill's initial neighborhood meeting at Trinity Lutheran on July 8th was their decision to organize a Park Hill Neighborhood Association. We can't wait to welcome them to the 'club' in joining with us and our other established NLR neighborhood associations. There is indeed strength in numbers whenever we, together, may find ourselves focusing on common neighborhood concerns. (And it would appear we may have one with the status of our own two fire stations currently under joint discussion.) We say: "More power to you, Park Hill, go for it!" If we can be of any service in your efforts to organize your association, we are standing by to serve!

Nate Brandes
President - NLAN

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

City Council Meeting - Monday, July 14, 2008

North Little Rock City Council Meeting - Monday, July 14, 2008


Please clink on the link below or and paste into your browser --
http://www.northlittlerock.ar.gov/government/agenda.asp

Friday, July 4, 2008

Have a wonderful, safe Fourth!!!


The Clinton Presidential Center will offer free admission to the library in celebration of Independence Day. There will be a free family festival starting at 2:00pm with children's activities, food vendors, live music and more! The Dell Smith Experience featuring Tawanna Campbell and J. White will provide music and entertainment from 6:00-9:00pm. Watch the Fourth of July fireworks over the Arkansas River at 9:30pm! Come join us on the Fourth of July! Sponsored by Radio Disney. Admission Cost : Free.

25th Annual Pops on the River
Riverfront Park/Riverfest Amphitheatre

• Gates open at 5:30pm and music starts at 6:30pm. Fireworks start at 9:30pm.
• Pops on the River, presented by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is Arkansas' largest Fourth of July celebration and will take place at Little Rock's Riverfront Amphitheatre. The evening includes music from Happenstance and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and will end with a fantastic fireworks show.
•Other activities include a dunking booth with Arkansas Democrat-Gazette editorial writers such as Wally Hall and Jennifer Christman, caricatures by John Deering, Jay Grelen's Southern Sweet Tea Sipoff, Irene Wassel's Apple Pie Contest, face painting and a marketplace full of vendors.
The event is free to the public. A donation of a non-perishable food item is requested for the Arkansas Food Bank Network.

NLR Planning Commission July 8, 2008

Agenda Meeting / Public Hearing 4:45 PM

Subdivision Administrative:
Rep-2106-08 Central Addition, Lot C, Block 2 (Replat of a 4 lots into 1 at the corner of Poplar and East 13th Streets)
NS-2107-08 John Braddocks Subd, Lot A, Block 26 (Preliminary Plat and Site Plan Review for an office with outdoor storage at 8615 Hwy 70)
Rep-2108-08 Giles Addition, Lot 1R, Block 1 (Replat of 6 lots into 1 at the corner of 10th and Parker Streets)
SPR-2109-08 Meadowlane Acres Addition, Lot 14 (Site Plan Review of a private storage building at corner of Hwy 365 and W. Meadowlane Drive)
SPR-2110-08 Weingartens Subd, Lot 4A (Site Plan Review of Medicine Man Pharmacy at 2599 block of Main Street)
SPR-2111-08 Northshore Business Park, Lot 4, Block 8 (Site Plan Review of Sanders Supply at 4800 Northshore Lane)
SPR-2112-08 WNLR Commercial Add, Lot 7 (Site Plan Review for Christian Bros. Automotive Services along Maumelle Blvd west of the Walmart)
SPR-2113-08 Northshore Buisiness Park, Lot 2, Block 3 (Site Plan Review of Travel Nurses offices at 5000 block of Northshore Drive)
SPR-2114-08 NLR RV Park (Site Plan Review of an RV Park located west of the Presidential Bridge along the River)
Public Hearing – Old Business:
Rezone #1460. To rezone from non-zoned property to C-3 to allow commercial retail. The request is located south of Mine Rd; north of Loop Rd, and west of Kellogg Acres Rd
Public Hearing – New Business:
Conditional Use #43. To allow car sales in a C-4 zone that requires a Conditional Use. The location is 5623 MacArthur.
Conditional Use #44. To allow auto repair in a C-3 zone that requires a Conditional Use. The location is on the north side of Maumelle Blvd and west of the Walmart.
Rezone #1461. To rezone property from the existing R-4 zone to the proposed I-1 zone to allow for expansion of a warehouse. The location is 901 N. Olive.
Public Hearing #1462. To review the Diamond Annexation Zoning Plan.
Public Comment / Adjournment: