Focus on disabledfor day at LR Zoo
Little Rock Zoo patrons can enter at a discounted price Aug. 30 for a Disability Awareness Day.
The promotional event is a partnership with the Governor's Commission on People with Disabilities. Members of the commission, disabilities rights activists and people with disabilities will be at the zoo throughout the day to tour the facility and speak with zoo patrons.
Entrance fees have been reduced to $6 for the day.
"While the outing encourages people with disabilities to enjoy the recreational activities the state has to offer, elected leaders and candidates will also be on hand to talk to members of the disabilities community. It's no formal program; it's a great time for the groups to partake in important dialogue in a relaxed setting," a news release said.
The day is also meant to provide information about disability services and promote equal access and inclusion to people with disabilities, zoo spokesman Susan Altrui said. Numerous organizations will have booths set up inside the zoo.
The Commission on People with Disabilities has been working with the zoo to assist it in meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the news release. Commissioners will tour the zoo grounds to see how well it accommodates people with disabilities.
Zoo hatches 3rdAfrican penguin
An African penguin chick has hatched at the Little Rock Zoo.
The African penguin is an endangered species with a population that has declined more than 95 percent since preindustrial times.
The chick that hatched July 28 is the third African penguin to successfully be born at the Little Rock Zoo. It belongs to parents Skipper and Eze -- also the parents of Gilligan and Bugsy, the other two African penguins born at the zoo.
The new chick, which is unnamed, weighs about 11/2 pounds and weighed less than a quarter of a pound when it hatched. It is being hand-raised by zookeepers because its parents abandoned the egg after it was laid. Gilligan and Bugsy were not abandoned.
The chick is fed a formula of fish krill every four hours during the day. It won't be on exhibit until it is old enough to swim on its own. The sex of the chick will be determined by a blood test in the future.
Children's librarysets Sunday hours
The Hillary Rodham Clinton Children's Library and Learning Center will be open on Sundays, beginning Sept. 7.
The library will be open from 1-5 p.m. The library's hours on other days won't change. Currently, the library is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The library is at 4800 W. 10th St.
The children's library includes a computer lab, teaching kitchen, large activity area and study rooms, as well as a theater, community room and a collection of more than 21,000 books, DVDs and CDs. The 6-acre grounds include a greenhouse and teaching garden, walking paths and an amphitheater.
Revamp to closeFletcher library
Beginning Monday, the John Gould Fletcher Library at 823 N. Buchanan St. will be closed through early September.
The closure will allow for a reorganization of materials to create better access to books and a larger audio-visual section, according to a news release.
The reorganization is the result of a satisfaction survey that the Central Arkansas Library System completed in 2013. The Fletcher library will better reflect the way libraries are being used by becoming "more patron-centered" and will prominently feature items that are used the most, the news release said.
Solar energy co-opfocus of meeting
The possibility of Little Rock's first solar energy cooperative is the focus of a meeting Wednesday.
Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light is hosting a meeting to discuss creation of the co-op Wednesday at St. Michael's Episcopal Church from 5:30-7 p.m. The church is at 12415 Cantrell Road.
A group of homeowners, schools, houses of worship and small businesses could enter into a partnership and purchase clean-energy systems together. Frank Kelly, chairman of the Arkansas Renewable Energy Association, will lead the discussion.
Under the initiative, systems would be individually owned, but partners would benefit from the group negotiating power and bulk prices, according to a news release. The model has been successfully implemented in other states. More information can be obtained by calling Eco-Social Events at (501) 772-9906.
Metro on 08/17/2014