I am voting "yes" Tuesday in the special election for a bond referendum where we have the opportunity to improve the infrastructure of our city and invest in business and tourism.
There will be six individual questions before us that authorize funding for streets, drainage, fire apparatus, Parks and Recreation and the Little Rock Zoo, Little Rock Port Industrial Park and a brand-spanking-new district court facility. This is a basic millage election that reinvests dollars into important projects and doesn't raise taxes.
Glancing over all of the proposals, nothing stands out as anything unnecessary, and I'm sure every proposal has its merits and benefits for the citizens. But one of the proposals is already a slam-dunk for me, in the affirmative, and that's the issue for Parks and Recreation and the Little Rock Zoo, whose bond allocation would be $37 million, of which the zoo will receive a much-needed $12.3 million.
The Little Rock Zoo is worth investing in. We will soon have a wonderful arts museum and already have a great children's museum, but both of these attractions can also be found in Bentonville. However, Little Rock has our state's only accredited zoo. Our zoo attracts tourists and is a staple for family recreation, and Little Rock should be proud to invest in this economic driver.
But our zoo is also in need of serious renovation.
There's much history at our zoo. It all started in 1926 with an abandoned "trained circus bear" and a wolf. It soon grew from there.
I am passionate about the zoo and admittedly prejudiced about this proposal. I retired from there in 2015 after a 20-plus year career there. The zoo needs to upgrade, to meet more modern standards and habitats for the animals.
Removal of the antiquated small carnivore area (built in 1967) is ongoing now, and shortly after that project is completed, the bear moat area will also be removed. The zoo also recently had to shut down Spider Monkey Island because the facility is inadequate. Animals residing in the small carnivore area were recently moved to other exhibits in the zoo. Both exhibits need to be modernized to be more animal- and visitor-friendly.
The zoo also has six WPA (Works Progress Administration) buildings that will remain. These buildings are a testament to historic preservation, and one such building--the primate/reptile house--was built by Silas Owens, one of the first African American architects and stone masons in the state. Preserving these important parts of our past is a must.
The zoo is also more focused on educating visitors now more than ever about the importance of wildlife conservation. By casting a yes vote for this proposal, we assure more spacious upgrades that will not only benefit the animals, but guests, too. It is a win-win proposition. Restaurants and hotels within the city also benefit from revenue collected from out-of-state visitors to the zoo and our city.
Let's go, Little Rock. Let's take it to the next level for the people, the zoo, and the city, and vote yes on all six initiatives Tuesday!
Randal Berry of Little Rock is a former snake wrangler at the Little Rock Zoo and a musician.