East Little Rock Times

Happy New Year!! Okay, a day late, but Happy New Year nonetheless. I want to take a moment to thank you for trusting in me to be your mayor for another four years. It is my promise that I will do all I can to continue to “Move Ward ForWard”. However, neither I nor my employees can do it alone. We need – and want – your help and input. What does that mean? When there is an opportunity for you to get involved, I encourage you to do it. The more we can come together as a community to improve our town, the better it’ll be for our present and future residents.

To start, did you know that the City of Ward was incorporated in 1923? It’s true, and that means we will be celebrating our Centennial this year! While the city staff has been working up some ideas on how to celebrate, we could use your help as well. If you would like to help with the planning and/or the execution of this celebration, please contact Jamee Beard at jameemoore@cityofward.com or 501-843-7686. We will be announcing and holding organizational meetings soon and would love your participation!

Furthermore, did you know that next year, yes in 2024, there will be a Great American Eclipse on April 8th, and Ward will practically be in direct sight of it? This means that the local areas will be flooded with sightseers, all hoping to catch a glimpse (pun intended) of this once-in-a-lifetime event. We will need to not only plan for the influx of travelers but organize areas where people can safely congregate to have the full experience. And, yes, we need to start planning for it now. Again, if you’d like to participate in the planning/ execution of this, please contact Jamee. Meetings and more information will be announced at a later date. Find out more about the eclipse at https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/april-8-2024.

Another, more in-depth way to get involved is by joining the city’s government. Currently, both voting Ward 3 City Council positions are vacant and in need of individuals that are willing and eager to learn about the city and be a part of the city’s decisions. These are elected positions that serve for two-year terms. Since it is already within a term period, applicants will be reviewed and elected by the existing city council members to carry out the remainder of the current term. (Normally, council positions are voted on by city residents during each election cycle. Due to rezoning and lack of participation, we have the current vacancies.) To be considered for one of these positions, all you need to do is fill out an Affidavit of Eligibility and turn it into the City Clerk by noon on January 16th, which can be found at

https://www.wardarkansas.org/.../Affidavit_of_Eligibility.... The zone for Ward 3 roughly runs south from Wilson Loop, down to Peyton on the east side, and includes the Byson, Nan’s Place, Oakland Grove, Oakland Park, and Huntington subdivisions. To see if you’re in the eligible area, click the link below to view the map:

https://www.wardarkansas.org/.../2023_Voting_Ward_Map....

If you are unable to participate in any of these options, I/we would still love to hear your input, concerns, and questions. You can always reach me directly by email, mayor@cityofward.com, or by phone, (call/text) 501-743-2501. I will also be holding a series of virtual Town Hall meetings starting on February 16th at 6:30 pm. More details will be announced later.

I truly believe 2023 is going to be an exciting year for the City of Ward, and I look forward to working together to bring more to our community. Please share this post. (Mayor Gastineau)

Original source can be found here.