NEWS--Valley Resident to Perform In Concert

"The Whittington Valley Chamber Players" have announced their first public concert.  The Valley's own Louis Menendez, a gifted pianist, will perform with violinist Geoffery Robson and Cellist David Gerstien as "TRIO ARKANSAS." In addition, trombonist Steven Suter will also perform. The concert will begin at 3:00 pm on Sunday, February 20, 2011 at the First Presbyterian Church, 213 Whittington Avenue. The concert is free and open to the public.

NEWS--Route Over West Mountain Re-Opened

NEWS--Neighborhood Association Commended by Hot Springs Newspaper

In their editorial, which was written by the newspaper's staff, the Neighborhood Association was commended for distributing a press release about our upcoming meeting on Monday, February 14.  Our press release included a notice that "...elected officials, city officials, or other government officials" may be at our meeting and members of the media were free to attend and report on events.  The newspaper praised the Association for "...understand[ing] the importance of following the spirit and the letter of the [FOIA] law that protects ...[the public's] right to know."

 

It is is policy of the Neighborhood Association to foster open communication with our members and the Hot Springs community at large.  Our meetings are open to the public.  If we believe government officials may attend one of our meetings, we will notify the media of this fact and encourage any interested journalist to attend and report on any newsworthy events or decisions.

Storm Update #5: Higher Temperatures & Sunshine Bring Significant Thawing

By mid-afternoon Friday, February 11, 2011, with temperatures in the mid-forties and abundant sunshine, Hot Springs enjoyed significant melting of the remaining snow from Wednesday's storm.  Some areas of ice remain on area roadways, especially on roads in constant shade, but travel conditions are markedly improved.  Drivers are advised to reduce their speed and increase distance with other vehicles as icy patches could prove problematic.

 

Overnight temperatures are predicted to drop below freezing, so residents are advised that standing water may refreeze overnight and make driving conditions hazardous in the morning.  The predicted high Saturday will be in the 50's, so most roads should be clear of ice by late Saturday.

 

The National Park Service continues to keep the route over West Mountain closed due to icy road conditions.

Storm Update #4: Friday Closures Announced

• Hot Springs School District, closed Friday;
• Hot Spring City Offices, open 9:00 am Friday;
• Lake Hamiliton School District, closed Friday;
• National Park Community College, closed Friday.

Hot Springs City officials have announced that trash collection, which had been delayed for two days, will resume sometime Friday when road conditions improve.

Storm Update #3: Thaw Begins; Refreeze Tonight

Some roads, especially those with direct sunlight, have cleared.  However, many slick and icy patches remain, especially in shady spots.  Temperatures tonight are predicted to drop to single digits and any standing water will refreeze.  Morning travel will be very hazardous.  It is expected that many roadways will be icy until mid-day Friday--if not longer.  Residents are advised to avoid travel if possible.

Storm Update #2: Closing For Thursday Announced

As of mid-evening Wednesday, February 9, 2011, the snow had stopped falling in Hot Springs.  In the Valley, accumulated snowfall totals about six inches.

• Hot Springs School District, closed Thursday;
• Hot Spring City Offices, closed Thursday;
• Lake Hamiliton School District, closed Thursday;
• National Park Community College, closed Thursday.

Storm Update #1: Snow Arrives, Closings Announced

As predicted, snow began falling in the Hot Springs area early Wednesday, February 9, 2011.  As of mid-morning, accumulation in the Valley is about two to three inches.  As expected, the following school and office closings have been announced:

• Hot Springs School District, closed Wednesday;
• Lake Hamiliton School District, closed Wednesday;
• Hot Springs City Offices, closed Wednesday;
• National Park Community College, closed Wednesday.

NEWS--Another Snow Storm Predicted

The National  Weather Service is forecasting significant snowfall for Hot Springs over the next twenty-four hours.  Snow is predicted to arrive in the area in the early morning hours of Wednesday, February 9, 2011 and forecasts show snow continuing to fall through mid-evening Wednesday.  Models predict total snow accumulation of between 4 and 8 inches.

NEWS--Association Website Redesigned

Over the last two months our site has undergone several significant changes: none for significant than moving to a new web host (hello Google). During the move, we've picked up a new web address: www.WhittingtonValley.org (please update your bookmarks accordingly).

In addition, we've been working behind the scenes to improve our website.  Among the notable changes:

• Our "News and Updates" Pages are now organized by month.  Use the "News Archive" listing to the left to read our older postings.
• Our navigation menu (on the left) now has sub-menus to make it easier to find the page you want.
• We've re-organized our home page to make it easier to find the information you want.
• A countdown timer showing the days until the next Association meeting is prominently displayed on the left side of every page.
• We've added a search option.  Use the search box (just under our name at the top of each page) to search our website for information.
• We've streamlined our pages to load faster.
• We've also added several visual and functional tweaks to the site.

For a complete report about our updated website, visit our

NEWS--Road Over West Mountain Now Open

NEWS--Second Round of Winter Snowfall

As the snow accumulated over the morning, road conditions quickly deteriorated. By mid-morning, major thoroughfares such as Central Avenue and the MLK Bypass were covered in a slippery sheet of ice.  One Valley resident who tried to make his way from the Valley to Albert Pike reported that as of noon, the roadway was especially slick. He observed three fender benders between the Valley and Albert Pike Road.  In addition, this resident reported that cars stopped at traffic lights were sliding into oncoming traffic--that is, once the cars stopped moving forward, they would slide sideways across the road.

UPDATE--Saturday Sees Road Conditions Improving