Category Archives: Government

Little Rock Look Back: LR Mayor Harold “Sonney” Henson

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On July 18, 1928, future Little Rock Mayor Harold E. “Sonney” Henson, Jr. was born in Fayetteville to Harold E Henson Sr. and Dollie Croxdale Henson.  He and his sister Sara Sue grew up in Springdale.

Henson graduated from Springdale High School and was later inducted as one of the first inductees into the Springdale High School Hall of Fame where he participated in the state high school championship in football and basketball. He attended the University of Arkansas in 1945 on an athletic scholarship where he participated in three sports, golf, basketball and football, and graduated in 1949 with a degree in Business Administration.

He was active in ROTC at the university and graduated as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Henson served in Korea as a captain and commander during the Korean conflict. He attained the rank of major as an active member of the Army reserve post his duty in Korea.

Henson’s professional career began with First National Bank of Springdale and soon moved to Little Rock where he served as Vice President at the Worthen Bank on Asher Avenue. In 1962 he was elected to the City of Little Rock Board of Directors.  From January 1965 to December 1966, he served as mayor of Little Rock.  In November 1966, he was unopposed in his bid for a second term on the City Board.  However in October 1967, he resigned from the City Board because he was taking a position with a bank in Joplin, Missouri.

From 1966 to 1972, he served as President of Security National Bank Joplin.  While there, he was a Missouri amateur championship golfer.  Herbert Thomas then asked him to move to Ft. Smith to head up City National Bank (present Bank Corp South) where he served as President and CEO from 1972 to his retirement in 1993 at the age of 65. He continued his service to Bank Corp South as an active board member for several years.

Among his many civic activities throughout his career were the Springdale Junior Chamber of Commerce,  Sparks Regional Medical Center board of directors of Fort Smith, president and active member of the board for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and Razorback Foundation, on the board for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences foundation, the Westark area council for Boy Scouts, the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, the Small Colleges of Arkansas, Leadership Fort Smith, the Community Rescue Mission and the President of the Arkansas Bankers Association to name a few.  In 1995 he received the meritorious service award by the Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor for his lifelong commitment to Arkansas sports.

Henson was married for 53 years to Helen Garrott Henson. He had four children, 16 grandchildren and one great-grand child.

More Recognition for Little Rock’s Creative Corridor

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PrintA plan to transform four neglected blocks of Main Street in downtown Little Rock into an arts district has earned yet more international recognition.  The University of Arkansas Community Design Center and Marlon Blackwell Architect’s plan The Creative Corridor: A Main Street Revitalization for Little Rock has won Honorable Mention in Urban Design (Concept) of the International Awards 2015 sponsored by Architecture Podium.

The Creative Corridor retrofits a four-block segment of downtown Main Street through economic development catalyzed by the cultural arts rather than Main Street’s traditional retail base.  The goal is to structure an identity for the Creative Corridor rooted in a mixed-use work-live environment but sensitive to the historical context. The incremental approach employs three developmental phases to transform the corridor space into a downtown node. Planning and design for the Creative Corridor was funded by a 2011 Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

“This is yet another in a growing line of international, national and regional recognition for the Creative Corridor.  It is a testament to the outstanding design team at the UofA Community Design Center and Marlon Blackwell Architect. I am grateful for their efforts on this project,” said Mayor Mark Stodola.

“I am also appreciative of the outstanding local effort to take this plan and execute it,” Mayor Stodola continued.  “I look forward to seeing the excitement of the arts organizations up and down Main Street with their creative talent literally spilling out on to the sidewalks.”

The Creative Corridor features elements such as marquees, green and low impact development elements, and an art installation made from street lamps of different eras from city neighborhoods.

The Creative Corridor has also received other honors, including a 2014 Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects, 2013 American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. It also won a Charter Award in the Neighborhood, District and Corridor category in the 2013 Charter Awards, sponsored by the Congress for the New Urbanism, and it was short-listed for the 2013 World Architecture Festival Awards in the Future Projects – Masterplanning category.

On September 14, at 3:00pm, a ribbon cutting will take place on the Creative Corridor.

Little Rock Look Back: Mrs. Ruth May Wassell Gibb

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Ruth-May-Wassell-GibbOn August 27, 1944, Ruth May Wassell shattered a bottle on the hull of a new ship and christened it the U.S.S. Little Rock.  Mrs. Wassell, whose husband was Little Rock alderman Sam Wassell, had been designated as the official sponsor for the City of Little Rock by Mayor Charles Moyer.

Details are vague as to why Mayor Moyer designated Mrs. Wassell for the honor.  Her husband was a first cousin of World War II hero Dr. Corydon Wassell, which might have had something to do with it.

Ruth May Wassell was more than the wife of a local political leader.  The daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Wiley Singleton May, she moved from Gurdon to Little Rock with her family and graduated from Little Rock High School. She later graduated from Henderson-Brown College and received a law degree from the University of Arkansas.  In 1932, she was admitted to the Arkansas Bar and later was admitted to practice before the Arkansas Supreme Court, one of the first women to receive this designation.

Mrs. Wassell was active in business, serving as president of the Arkansas Lumber Company  and owner of a citrus farm in Texas.  She was also active in civic affairs through involvement with the Arkansas Democratic Women, Boys Club and Second Presbyterian Church.  From 1947 until 1951 she was First Lady of Little Rock when Sam Wassell was elected as Mayor.

Following the December 1954 death of Mayor Wassell, she subsequently married E. W. “Bud” Gibb.  She died in 1964.

86 Percent say YES to CALS Bonds

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Cals ELectionAs noted last night, 86.10% of the voters approved the Central Arkansas Library System bond refinancing.  It really was a no-brainer, though a complicated explanation.  A “Yes” vote meant property taxes would be reduced (thanks to refinancing at a better interest rate).

The final numbers were 3,834 FOR, 619 AGAINST.  Two ballots were cast which were overvotes (voters filled in both bubbles) and five ballots were cast which were undervotes (they were blank). 4400 votes in a special election in July is a fairly decent turnout. It was 3.51% turnout.  When one considers how anemic voter turnout is for presidential elections, this should be viewed as fairly strong.

Looking at the precinct reports, it shows a deep level of support from all areas of the city.  It passed overwhelmingly in every precinct.  The most votes garnered against it in a precinct were 291 at one of the two Pulaski Heights Presbyterian precincts in Hillcrest.  But as that precinct had over 3,000 voters, it was still only 9% of the voters at that ballot box.

The Central Arkansas Library System is in the process of hiring a replacement for retiring director Dr. Bobby Roberts.  Certainly one of the things they must find is someone who knows how to run elections.  Library knowledge, creativity and a vision are not enough. Without the ability to build coalitions of voters, the other skills are all for naught.

In the meantime, the Central Arkansas Library System will move forward with plans to upgrade and expand physical plants and acquire more books and technology.  As is often the case, the planning for the campaign can be the easy part.  After the win comes the execution of the plan.

Now (as Pulitzer Prize and Tony winning playwright Tony Kushner writes in Angels in America, which is available to be checked out from CALS) – “The great work begins.”

CALS Election Results – FINAL – 86% approval

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Cals ELection

FINAL UNOFFICIAL NUMBERS

FOR – 3834 (86.10%)  AGAINST – 619 (13.90%)

Landslide doesn’t even begin to describe it.

 

UPDATE 9:08.  If this trend continues, it is another rousing success for retiring CALS Director Bobby Roberts.  He will give deserved credit to the CALS Board and to the campaign committee.  But his vision and his hard work over the years have as much to do with the CALS success at the ballot box as anything.

 

UPDATE 9:03  No new numbers.  With only 1/3 of the precincts remaining, it is difficult to see how the negative votes could overtake the positive ones.  However, not knowing which precincts have reported, there could still be some strong pockets of NO votes out there.

 

UPDATE 8:52  46 precincts

2319 FOR and 451 AGAINST.

That continues the over 80% approval.  Perhaps my previous post can be disregarded.

 

UPDATE 8:49  Given the huge jump in the favorability percentage, I suspect that includes the Heights and Hillcrest.  I expect as the other results come in, the numbers will move back toward the middle to lower 70s.

 

UPDATE: 8:44  30 precincts

1421 FOR; 296 Against.  Moved to over 80% favorable

 

UPDATE 8:42. 12 precincts reporting (including early and absentee)

FOR: 682 and AGAINST: 209

Maintaining the rough 3 to 1 favorable margin.

 

UPDATE: 8:40.  And still we wait…..   I firmly believe I probably could have driven to all 70 polling sites and looked at their posted numbers by now.  Well that is a slight exaggeration, but not much.

UPDATE: 8:12pm – still awaiting the pollworkers to return to HQ with results.  In the meantime, a look at the first numbers.  Four people went to the trouble to vote absentee, and turned in Blank Ballots.   One absentee voter filled in both options.

I am all for voting.  Heck, I even vote for the school district millage every year.  But I make sure my ballot counts.

Oh, well….

 

ORGINAL: With the early and absentee votes reported, 569 people cast votes FOR the library refinancing and 174 people cast votes AGAINST the bonds.

There were also 4 blank ballots cast, and one ballot cast with apparently the voter marking For and Against.

This will be updated as results come in.

Little Rock Look Back: Mayor James A. Woodson

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IMG_0298On July 14, 1848, future Little Rock Mayor James Alexander Woodson was born in North Carolina.  The son of two prominent eastern families, he and his parents moved to Pine Bluff in 1849.  His father died within two weeks of the family’s arrival in Arkansas.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted as a drummer boy in the Ninth Arkansas infantry but was discharged because of his youth. He worked as a clerk at a general store in Pine Bluff. After the Civil War ended, he attended school in Virginia and Maryland before returning Pine Bluff. Upon his return he worked in the steamboat business and eventually started working in railroads. He was instrumental in putting together one of the forerunners of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and worked for them for 18 years.

Woodson moved to Little Rock in March 1881 and continued working for the railroad until 1891.  Working in the mercantile business allowed him more time to be engaged in civic affairs.  In 1895 he was elected mayor.   He handily defeated former mayor W. G. Whipple who was seeking to return to office.

During Mayor Woodson’s tenure, he oversaw renovations of the 1867 Little Rock City Hall (which was located at the time on the north side of Markham between Main Street and Louisiana Street).  He also championed the construction of a city hospital and the first free bridge across the Arkansas River.  Mayor Woodson was reelected in April 1897 and April 1899.

In April 1890, he resigned to take over the Arkansas and Southwestern Railway.  After restoring it to sound financial footing, he later led the Arkansas Asphalt Company.  That company provided the first asphalt for paving Little Rock city streets.

Woodson served as a director of the Little Rock board of trade (forerunner to the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce), director of the Mercantile Trust Company and president of the state board of trade (forerunner of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce).

Woodson married Virginia Lanier in 1868.  They had six children, five of whom lived to adulthood.  Mayor Woodson died on October 19, 1908 and is buried in Mount Holly Cemetery.  His wife lived until 1937 and is buried next to him.  Also buried in Mount Holly are their children James Alexander Woodson, Benjamin Morehead Woodson and Gertrude Woodson Hardeman; each of whom died before their mother.  Mrs. Hardeman’s husband and son are also buried in Mount Holly.

In 2013 and 2014, Mayor Woodson was one of the characters portrayed at the annual Parkview High School “Tales from the Crypt” program at Mount Holly.

Some have noted his resemblance to actor Nick Offerman of the show “Parks and Recreation.”  Here is a Six Degrees game to link the two.

  • James Woodson
  • The Woodson community and Woodson Lateral is named for him
  • Growing up in the area, actor Billy Bob Thornton has been to Woodson Lateral
  • Bruce Willis appeared in BANDITS with Thornton.
  • “Friends” featured Willis and Paul Rudd as multi-episode guest stars
  • Rudd appeared in “Parks & Recreation” as a multi-episode guest star
  • Nick Offerman starred in “Parks & Recreation”

CALS Election Today – Vote Yes!

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Cals ELectionVoters in Little Rock need to go to the polls today! (July 14, 2015)

It is your chance to take an already outstanding library system and make it even stronger!

The Central Arkansas Library System is asking Little Rock voters to approve a bond refinance that will generate about $15,000,000 and reduce property tax rates from one mill to 0.9 mill.

Vote YES!
What will CALS do for Little Rock Voters?

  • Expand the Thompson, Fletcher, and Dee Brown libraries and reconfigure their children’s areas
  • Limited remodel in the Main Library and refurbish the Williams Library
  • Expand and upgrade the digital/Internet network
  • Purchase thousands of books, eBooks, DVDs, & CDs

How does it affect the Little Rock taxpayer?

It will lower taxes by about $2 per year on a $100,000 home and extend the bond payments by approximately five years.

Lower property taxes and higher quality libraries!

(This is only the second time the Culture Vulture has gotten political. The other concerned the vote to renovate Robinson Center Music Hall.  In both instances, the financial impact per citizen was negligible, but the cultural impact was phenomenal.  The Culture Vulture will never endorse candidates.)